Kane was led into a small, back office he could only assume Ruhden used, still eating his oatmeal. The room was fairly cluttered, the desk a mess with papers, a map of what Kane assumed was the sewer system among them. He didn't pick up any threatening scents from the man, no, he would say more like the man had been indecisive but had come to a decision or had an epiphany. Either way, Kane could sense a quiet pride emanating from the man. He motioned for Kane to take a seat in front of the desk while he sat behind it.
Ruhden picked up a rather old looking leather bound folder from his desk, already unwrapped and open and he began thumbing through it. "Would you consider yourself a wildcard?" He asked eventually, not bothering to look up. So, it was like that, Kane mused to himself.
Kane didn't have to think about it, but he did anyways, both presently and in the past. "Not anymore, though in my youth I used to be," he eventually said.
"With the strength to resist angels, I'm sure you would have." Ruhden looked up, making eye contact. It sent a twinge of doubt through Kane, though the man was old his eyes spoke centuries of experience older than he should be. "How old are you?" He asked next.
"I'm uncertain of exactly how old I am," Kane said, having a good idea of an approximation. "No one knows the specific year I was born and after about twenty years or so I traveled to a place far from here, where time is kept differently. At least four centuries, though."
Ruhden chuckled softly under his breath. "Want to keep a specific age out of it? That's alright. Either way, that's fairly old, though nothing I couldn't guess on my own," he said as he set down his folder and slid it across the table, motioning for Kane to take a look. "You know, I thought you were a wildcard when I first learned about you, especially with all that's happening to you, but I've learned differently since then. I knew your name was familiar... somewhere I've read perhaps, I thought." Kane leaned forward and examined the file Ruhden had been reading. A paragraph in the middle of the page caught his attention, a name he recognized jumping out.
Tomorrow we make for the Plains of Hazgar to make our stand against god-king Atrox's army. Our men are ready, I can feel it. We all can. Those angel commanders won't know what hit them, it's been a long time but finally we have the means to stand up to those bastards. Our allies are urging us to avoid confrontation, to not meet a god-king's army in open battle. Our rebel angels every day speak up in the command tent, letters from Kane reporting everything he can about what Atrox is bringing to face us, trying to convince us it's impossible to take them. He doesn't realize he's given the information we need to finalize our march, Kane and the others have been such an amazing help but tomorrow they'll see that we no longer need it.
The Hazgar Plains, now known as the Red Plains. Kane touched the paper, this had to have been Anderson, he had been one of the leaders of the Sentry, their head tactician. Why he had chosen an open march on Atrox was still beyond him, but by the looks of this report, possibly his last one, the Sentry leaders were keeping some sort of secret they thought would enable them to take on an army of angels. He wished they would have told him; Kane probably could have better warned them it wasn't going to work. By the result of the battle, it obviously hadn't.
"You were an ally to the Sentry, helpful enough to be named by one of their leaders in one of their private reports. Close enough to feel sorrow at their defeat," Ruhden said as he observed the emotions flashing through Kane's eyes. "I tried too, you know, to steer them away from that course."
Kane's eyes flickered up to meet Ruhden's, a brief exchange between them. "Elf?" Kane guessed.
Ruhden nodded. "How did you guess?"
"I figured it out in our first meeting," Kane explained. "Your ears are rounded but you still hold your elven last name. An elf could have graced you with their last name, of course, but if you were human, you wouldn't be old enough for that."
"You know much on the way of elven names?" Ruhden asked as he leaned in, brow raised. "How did you become familiar with Nox? Elves don't share their names lightly."
"I'm aware," Kane said as he thought of how to answer the other man. "Truth be told, I've spent some time with elves, even saved the life of a few."
Ruhden sat up straight. "They offered you a El-Sei?"
Kane's brow furrowed. "They did, though I didn't accept. I asked for their name instead."
Ruhden let out a bark of laughter. "An elf offered you a soul bond and all you asked for was their name?"
"A few, actually," Kane muttered. "I did not have need or want of a soul bond, knowing their names was enough." Kane then waved away the issue. "That's not important though. However, I am curious to know; You play a convincing human, but why?" Kane was more than a little surprised that the Black Underground had more than one non-humans hiding out amongst them but he supposed that's what made them so successful.
"The ears made it very difficult to take a hand in field work," the elf said with a grizzled smile. "I'm certain the men would accept me, the Sentry certainly did, but angels tend to have a problem with anyone that can stand up to them." He worked with the Sentry; Kane knew as much seeing as he had the report. "In the end it's simply easier to hide, as ironic as that is. But I'm curious, how did you know the importance of an elven name?"
Kane nodded, Ruhden was referencing the rest of his kind. An elf could go toe-to-toe with an angel, but their race had no equivalent to a god-king and so when the god-kings started their tyrannical reign the elves decided to hide deep in their ancient forests where they were protected by primal magic. "I'm familiar with where elves believe their sir names originated. When I spent time with the elves, it wasn't on the road, it was in one of their cities."
Ruhden's brow furrowed. "An elf guided you to one of our cities? I find that very hard to believe. Even before the angels, us elves shared that with no one."
"Not guided, exactly," Kane said with a chuckle. "It was a long time ago when I was still discovering my abilities. I sort of- stumbled in. It caused quite the stir."
Ruhden barked with laughter. "I'm sure you did; I can only imagine what sort of scene that would've caused."
Kane smiled faintly. "Anyways, it's all fine and good that you've decided to stand up to the god-kings, but you seem to be going against your secretive and untrusting nature coming to me like this. An old journal mentions a name and I tell a good story, but what prompts you to believe that I am who I say I am?"
"I know more than you think," he explained. "My sense of someone's scent may not be as good as an angel's, I lack that type of magic, but being around for as long as I have, I've collected a few tricks up my sleeve." He then pulled open a drawer, taking out another old, leather-bound journal. Flipping open to a page he had bookmarked he read;
"Interesting note, we had a promotion today. Not totally out of the ordinary but the man certainly was. He was being recognized for his excellent scouting reports, how he never failed and went to great lengths to secure the information needed and more than what was asked for. The man has also survived multiple brush-ins with angels. I'm not sure what I expected but I was surprised nonetheless. I wouldn't call the man rude, but polite isn't a word I'd use to describe him either. Blatant and straightforward, he asked each and every person who talked to him their name yet never gave his own in response. I'll have to keep track of this scout's progress, Kane (No sir name)."
Ruhden glanced up at Kane, flipping through a few more pages before reading another entry.
"I've received another request to promote Kane, third submittal from a second officer. Having watched his progress these past few weeks I can only agree, as soon as it might be, it's clear Kane is cut from a different cloth. Works relentlessly and seems to have more skills than he is letting on. There are unconfirmed reports that he managed to assassinate an angel who was tracking another scout back to their camp but Kane himself admits nothing. A curious thing to do, one that makes me suspicious of him, it's as if he is trying to hide his abilities. I think I'll have one of our rouge angels investigate him and masquerade as a normal rebel."
This time Ruhden only turned a single page before picking back up.
"I sent Grenal Forsk, one of our lower class angels but the best at masking themself to look into Kane, the efforts were worthwhile. Not only did Grenal report that something smelled 'off' about him but Kane also managed to beat Grenal in a sparring match. 'Managed' might not be the right word, from what I heard Kane beat him multiple times over in a series of matches, Grenal reports that with each loss he held back his strength less and less, exceeding what a normal man should have been able to withstand, Kane didn't so much as falter and still beat him. Upon confronting Kane, he became extremely irritated, though we quickly realized it was not at being discovered, but rather because he hadn't realized he had been sparring with an angel. He was comforted slightly at the knowledge that Grenal was 'low class' by angel standards. Despite this, him being proven to not be human, Kane refused to fess up as to what he was and why. He only vaguely claimed that keeping his secret protected himself. To be frank, I don't care what he is, if he hates the god-kings and their angels and has some serious strength to fight them then he's good to me. I plan on promoting him to the upper levels of the Sentry, though not a command. No, I rather think I'd like to have him as my personal scout. His wide set of skills would do better with a more open position."
Ruhden set down the journal and leaned back in his chair. "I haven't combed through every Sentry file we managed to obtain but there are plenty more about you, the work you did as well as your personality and description. Pretty difficult to fake all that, and I'm well aware that god-kings and angels don't bother with spies or infiltrations. Too arrogant to think they need it."
Kane just shrugged. "I suppose I won't question the trust. I am the Kane mentioned, I remember those events, those journals belonged to Anderson by the sound of it. I reported to him directly during their active years before the Red Plains. I'm guessing you want me to act in that role again, for you, is that correct?"
"You've got the gist of it," he said back as he nodded. "As far as I'm concerned, you are just as senior as I am in this rebel movement. Black Underground and Sentry, they're both the same, they have the same soul, and while we never encountered one another I was working with them, too. I'm not going to force you to be some errand boy to prove yourself, you did that already with Anderson Kinheart. Marcus is my right hand here at the base, I want you to be my left hand out in the field."
"Isn't Evelyn your left hand? If Marcus is your right, I would assume, anyways." With how capable she was it made sense to Kane. At least how capable she seemed to be, Kane thought as he realized he had only just met her a day ago.
Ruhden gave Kane an inquisitive look. "She used to be, for a while. Until she started working closer with Marcus, she came up with the idea that it would do the rest of the underground some good to work alongside with one of us leaders. Even working solo as she does, they still know she is out in the field, working as one of them. Boosts morale, and teamwork. Does this interfere with my offer to you?" The old elf studied Kane, breathing in deep to read what emotions he could but Kane gave him nothing.
"No, it doesn't," he eventually said back. "I'll work alongside you, handle the tough missions. I won't take any fool's errands, though."
"I wouldn't expect you to, though you'll have to tell me when something exceeds your capabilities, so long as you refuse to tell us what you are." He looked to Kane and received a confirmation nod, he would not be telling Ruhden, or anyone else what he was.
"There are dozens of ancient species out there capable of blending in with humans and most of them aren't as extinct as people think. Pick one you think suits me best." Kane had encountered several of those species over the years and even those brave souls largely kept to themselves. A custom had formed between them, don't ask what I am, and I won't ask what you are. Unfortunately, Evelyn and Ruhden didn't seem to be in the loop.
"Did you tell that to Anderson?" Ruhden asked, a smile slipping onto his face at the thought. "I would have liked to see that. What was his guess?"
Kane just gave a smile that never reached his eyes. "I won't give any hints," was all he said. "This means Marcus and I are of equal rank though, right?"
"I suppose it does," he said with an amused light in his eyes. "I take it you've already ran into him on your own?"
"He isn't much of a fan of mine," he said in confirmation. "He'll be a little more than disappointed to learn I won't have to listen to him."
"Oh, don't be hard on him, he's a good lad. Stubborn and rigid, but a hard worker and loyal, from a line of enforcers. Broke away of his own accord. You'll find that it'll do you good to make peace with him, as a leader of the Black Underground he commands a considerable amount of respect and resources." Ruhden then adjusted himself in his chair, sitting forward. "However, now that I have you officially in my ranks, I think it's time we get to business, for the night is coming and we fly on its winds."