Todor stood in front of the statue of three people. He always drove past this display on his way to work but he never paid much attention to it. Now since he was forced to walk to his old workplace he gave the monument official recognition. He took a better look at the trio immortalized in the middle of this park. On the left was a human, wearing military uniform Todor remembered from the movies before the Knitting, which would mean this represented Three Banners War era when uniforms from Mother Globe were still in use. The second figure in the middle was clearly a Morgothlite, he towered over the other two in size and bulk. The third was someone Todor recognized. It was his new boss, Holanador Muffonrox Belleroha Bloodbeak, governor of Moriganhold.
An old man approached Todor as he studied the statues. He wore a pale beige trenchcoat and same colored fedora. Long gray hair fell down his back, slightly gathered at his nape with gold hoops. Todor felt something familiar about him.
"Founding fathers of Moriganhold," he said in a rough voice that for some reason got on Todor nerves. "What a nice place they created for youngsters, like you. A city of opportunity for all who are willing to work hard and grab their chances as hard as they can."
Todor wanted to ignore the man but he glanced at him with a corner of his eye. Why am I annoyed at this grandpa? Is it his voice? It sounds fake like he tries to change it.
"I had no clue Moriganhold was founded by three people," Todor said flatly. And as I learned recently, I have no idea about many other things.
"That is because you youngin's don't look around very often. You glare at one point in the distance while you charge towards it, ignoring the whole world in the process. So you live one road at the time. Instead of embracing what you are and what you can become you blame the world, using excuses as a crutch. The only way to move forward is to walk many paths at the same time and yet accepting all of them as true. Acceptance. Of what you are and what the world is," the old-timer droned on and for some reason, Todor felt the compulsion to listen. "Especially when you have two minds trying to settle in one skull," the old man finished cryptically.
Todor snapped his head to look at the man but he was gone. The park spread around him and all the sounds of people, birds, and wind became muted as he looked for the chatty old man. But the stranger was nowhere to be seen. He shivered looking at the empty air where the man stood just a second ago. Who was that? He gulped. What was that?
"I haven't slept enough," Todor mumbled under his breath and started walking.
He emptied his mind, trying to remove every thought that came to him. His meeting of Midnight Breeze at Irry's party, and kidnapping that followed. Meeting Cassandra and life-threatening date with golems and assassins ambushing them from every corner. The memory of his poor car ruined and the face of his mother when she gifted him that old clunker. The No Terror's memory and his words about Ezezu taking over his body which will end in the death of both of them. The mention of his True Name and his speculation on how could he discover it. All that tried to invade his mind, yelling for attention but he pushed it all away. He didn't want to ponder what does all that mean, or where is leading him. The only thing that matter was his steps towards the old jam factory.
Half an hour later he was in front of the building. Todor let out a loud sigh as the familiar yellow painted walls stood in front of him. The air smelled of strawberries and crushed spirit. The feeling of hopelessness that always overtook him when he went to work here returned. I am not working here anymore, cheer up, he told himself walking briskly towards the entrance. His employee card still worked, the door opening after he swiped it through the reader. He strolled in purposefully and energetically.
"Oh, look who is back," Mordin the clerk exclaimed in mocking voice from his reclining chair. "You do look beat up but I don't think Mirahn will go easy on you after you missed two days and not even call him. He is angry."
"Hospital called him, and here I am in person," Todor said flatly. He hated this place for some reason and he didn't know why. The only person that he liked was Irry and that wasn't enough to overshadow the years he spent here in total drudgery. Why didn't I leave earlier, damn it? He mused annoyed at himself.
"Is that so? Well, I don't think you will be keeping your old place, Mirahn replaced you," Mordin said with a hint of glee in his voice.
"What do you have against me, Mordin? We just saw each other for a few seconds when I entered the building, I don't know what made you feel so happy that I will get in trouble?" Todor said aloud what he pondered for a long time. True that I didn't even bother to remember his name, but all he did was throw veiled barbs at me every morning.
Mordin was taken aback by Todor's honesty. That was not how their interaction worked before. Mordin will throw insults and jokes at Todor, and Todor will ignore them, and now Mordin didn't know how to respond.
"Yeah, well ... I was just ... you know, banter and jokes and all that," Mordin said abashedly.
"And I have no intention of returning here. I got paid less because I couldn't park in a place that I reserved and paid for with my own money," Todor said angrily, last word almost a yell. "I got punished for other people's incompetence and laziness," he slammed his fist on the Mordins desk. "Warn Mirahn that I am coming to his office, I don't want to catch him with his pants down," Todor said alluding to the case when his manager was accused of indecent exposure which was swept under the rag. He then stormed down the hall not waiting for Mordin to replay.
I am tired of not knowing. I must know, I must learn, I must not be ignorant anymore. And being cooped up in here for seven bloody years makes my skin crawl now. I was hiding from the world because it was strange and unknown. He locked his jaw in a stubborn gesture as he approached the manager's door. He glanced out of the window and saw big Auridilion parked at his parking spot. Or at least the parking spot he reserved and paid for and used once in last two years. The rage increased by a degree.
He slammed the door open without a knocking. Wide-eyed Mirahn looked at Todor, phone in hand halfway to his ear.
"What is the meaning of..." Mirahn started in his nasal voice but Todor just couldn't wait for his dragged out speech to finish. He slammed both palms on the desk making Mirahn jump back and drop the phone.
"I have been paying parking spot since I started working here. First five years I could even use it. But in last two years, some idiot with Auridilion kept taking my spot. My spot! Reserved here at your office, paid from my salary. Fifteen percent of my salary was docked from my paycheck because I was late, and I was late because someone keeps taking my parking spot. At the first opportunity you got, you replace me after seven years?" Todor said in a low, menacing tone he never heard from himself.
"That can be ... arranged, nothing is set in stone," Mirahn said in an unsure tone of voice.
"I want my money back. Parking fee from last two years, I want it all back. You have cameras, check every day if you have to. I used the parking spot twice in two years," he said in that same threatening mild voice. Why am I so insistent on this? I just came to quit this crappy job, he thought, surprised by his own actions.
"Isn't that a bit of an overreaction?" Mirahn asked, first shows of his old arrogant personality showing.
"No, overreaction is replacing me after getting a call from the hospital that I have been hurt. Me asking for my money back for services not rendered is normal," Todor insisted.
"You know that you will not have any future in this company if you go on with this, don't you?" Mirahn replied, all the arrogance and self-absorbed air returning.
Todor grinned savagely.
"You think I will return to this place?" he barked. He took a paper governor gave him and slapped it on the desk. Mirahn looked at it disdainfully.
"What is this?" he murmured as he took the paper and started reading. His dismissive look turned to one of surprise, then his eyes went wide.
"You are governors new constable?" he spat out, a droplet of saliva flying from his mouth. "But you are nobody, you are nothing. Just some kid who got unlucky during the Knitting. Why would governor take you in her employ? She didn't have human constable in ages."
"Don't ask me, ask her," Todor replied coldly. He learned that being a governor's constable wasn't really being a regular cop but something more akin to her seneschal. An officer in charge of justice and control of the administration of her laws. It sounds like an administrative duty but it was anything but. He learned that only after accepting the job.
Todor heard the door open and close behind him.
"I don't know what can he say? You are abusing your power even before taking your position officially," the familiar voice said behind him and Todor's spine stiffened. His palms landed on the sheathed dagger and holstered Jolt special reflexly as he turned around.
There, reclining on the padded door of the office stood Midnight Breeze. He grinned at Todor, his ageless face pasty white, reflecting the halogen lighting of the room. Todor let a loud growl escape his throat.
"What are you doing here?" he snarled at the vampire.
"I spent every morning here for quite a while now. I am after all a donator to this venture. And this lovely folks, in turn, run a nice little lab where they test new tastes of jam that work well with my ... shall we say, unique taste buds," Midnight Breeze said before he licked his lips with an unpleasant relish. "The real question is, what are you doing here?"
"He is just disgruntled ex-worker, Mister Breeze. He was just leaving," Todor heard Mirahn saying placatingly.
"Oh, governors mysteries new toy worked at jam factory? That is some story, from rags to riches," Midnight Breeze said with a grin. "Don't get killed food, I need you still for my own agenda. I had doubts about you, and I thought my instincts fooled me. But now, since that Bloodbeak bitch took interest in you, I am sure."
"I am no one's toy, neither governors nor yours," Todor said flatly.
"Your new girl's roommate is quite the girl. I think you met her at our last meeting? A slip of a woman, fierce and fearless, bald and tastes divine. What was her name, ah Wendy, right. Ringing any bells?" Midnight Breeze's oily voice spilled into the air stabbing Todor's ears with its insincere mockery. Is he reminding me that he can hurt her?
"Is that a threat?"
"Just a warning. You might be out of my reach directly, but there are other ways to ensure man's loyalty," he said dismissively.