Chapter Text
“Lord van Baelsar?” A sharp series of raps sounded against the thick wooden door, businesslike in their tempo. The serious female voice accompanying them continued: “I apologize for the disturbance, but an issue has arisen.”
Gaius van Baelsar, legatus of the Garlean Empire’s newly commissioned XIVth Legion, allowed himself the brief indulgence of a furrowed frown and a small sigh. Here in the palace itself, the fighting had stopped and the legion had secured the complex, but lingering skirmishes continued through the wider streets of Ala Mhigo as his forces consolidated control. Considering how quickly the city had fallen—Theodoric’s feeble monarchy having crumbled no less than two days past under the weight of Garlean force—Gaius supposed he ought to be grateful for what stability his legion had achieved in so brief a span.
However, no campaign, no matter how well-executed, was without its headaches. Aemalia pyr Macriath, the efficient, young tesserarius who handled communications between the command staff and the wider legion, would not have disturbed him had the matter not truly required his attention. Her recognizable pattern of knocking quickly started a second round.
Gaius sat back, squaring his shoulders as he prepared to handle whatever issue had found its way to his door. “Enter.”
The heavy wooden door groaned in protest as it swung open, revealing three figures beyond. The first, as expected, was the tesserarius, who held the door for the others as she silently shot Gaius a look of apology. Aemalia was not yet in her thirtieth year, but she was as efficient and organized a communications officer as he’d ever worked with. Her uniform neatly pressed and, as always, she had the top half of her shoulder-length dark hair pulled back in a tail, the rest straight and loose beneath it.
The arguing pair behind her were two members of his command staff, and even as they brushed past Aemalia into the room, they continued whatever disagreement had caught them up.
“–clearly well within my scope of command, Tribunus, as are all things related to the Menagerie,” said the elder of the two by several decades, in a stringent voice. “There is no reason whatsoever why we should need to bother the legatus with such a matter, nor why you need be involved at all!” Floria mal Jovus, who had served as Praefectus Medicorum for several legions before joining the new XIVth, had a wealth of medical and scholarly expertise in her storied career. Her acerbic nature had sparked and ended many an argument in her days, but none could deny she kept the XIVth’s medical corps as disciplined and sharp as its soldiers.
The younger of the two commanders—Quincil tol Avitus, the XIVth Legion’s Tribunus Laticlavius and Gaius’ second-in-command—let out a disbelieving scoff, though he did take a moment to duck a quick nod towards Gaius before continuing. “Our soldiers were attacked , more than a few of them, if initial reports are to be believed. This incident is beyond the scope of a medicus, no matter how highly ranked she may be!”
Gaius cleared his throat, cutting off any potential retort from Floria. “Would someone care to explain what this incident was, exactly?”
Aemalia took that as her cue, stepping forward and giving the other two a sharp look before they could interrupt. “My lord, as you may have gathered, there was an altercation in the palace’s menagerie in which several of our soldiers were injured. Beyond that, details are not yet clear as to the nature of the incident, whether this was a mishap with one of the animals or Ala Mhigan retaliation. The officer overseeing the work at the time–” The tesserarius paused to consult her data pad a moment, “–Decurio Talba pyr Hadrian, is on his way here to debrief. He should be here in a few moments, sir.”
As promised, they didn’t have long to wait, though the clear frustration of the suspended argument between Gaius’ two commanders made the time pass all the slower. Aemalia opened the door to show the decurio in, along with three additional soldiers behind him, two of whom were forcibly escorting a manacled figure with a dark grey hood fully covering his head and face. The restraints around the wrists were tight and close, while those binding the ankles had a short chain for walking. Peeking out from beneath the edge of the hood lay a silver plate and two red lights: a restraint collar, able to administer a debilitating shock if correction became necessary. Though the soldiers shoved and jostled their captive into the room none-too-gently, the prisoner didn’t appear to be putting up much of a fight against them.
The decurio, indicated by the small gold trim on his epaulets, removed his helmet and saluted sharply. “Talba pyr Hadrian, sir. Representing the 84th Regiment.”
Gaius acknowledged the salute with a small nod. “Thank you, Decurio Hadrian. I’m given to understand your regiment was involved in an incident here in the palace in which they sustained casualties?”
“Yes, sir,” Talba said. “As you’re probably aware, we were assigned to assist the 4th Medicus Corps with an inventorying project of the creatures in the roof gardens here.”
“The Royal Menagerie,” Floria corrected dryly, shaking her head. “Not just ‘some gardens.’”
The decurio cleared his throat. “Er, yes. The Menagerie. Ostensibly my men were assigned to guard the area, but we were also expected to assist the medici with manual tasks as well. One of the enclosures, a larger one with a few trees in the middle, had been initially inspected and marked as empty, but, when my men opened its gate to search it more closely, they were set upon by a man who had been hiding within.”
At this, Talba stepped aside, indicating the prisoner they’d brought with them, who stood perfectly still between the guards, hooded head bowed. He had simple clothing which was dirtied and bloodied, and Gaius assumed he’d been stripped of whatever weapons and armor he’d had before his capture. Quite a bit of the blood, it appeared, was not his own, though the hastily bound bandages around his shoulder and upper thigh with matching blooms of red indicated he had been shot in the process of bringing him down.
Gaius made a small waving motion, requesting the guards remove the hood. As his face was revealed, the prisoner’s head snapped a few small, almost skittish motions, his hard blue eyes flicking between each person in the room in a matter of seconds. A cut across his forehead had bled across one eye and cheek, but despite the injury it was clear the man was fine-featured. His face might have been quite handsome if not for the murderous glare etched across it.
Though his hair was silver, his face was youthful, and the locks fell to his shoulders with barely a hint of a curl. On second glance, however, another feature became apparent: two long furred ears, leporine in shape. They lay limp on either side of the man’s head, blending into the hair due to their identical coloring. Easy to miss initially, but impossible to mistake once noticed.
Quincil’s expression turned hard, looking upon the man who had attacked the legion’s soldiers. An enemy combatant, and one clearly deserving of the Empire’s swift justice. Floria, on the other hand, took a small step forward, eyes going wide in surprise as she took in this prisoner’s appearance. The praefectus’ face began to split with a smile as she listened to Talba continue to explain.
“We should have responded more quickly,” Talba said, his brow furrowing at recounting it, “but my men were caught by surprise. Not to mention he fought like a damn voidsent, tearing through everyone between him and the door down into the palace. All told, we had fourteen injured before we managed to subdue him, and three of those are in critical condition. Had there not already been a whole team of stitchers on site, I wager two of them probably wouldn’t have made it.”
Gaius eyed the strange prisoner again, whose gaze continued to flick between the occupants of the room. When he noticed Gaius’ attention, he locked eye contact, a cold, fierce stare. He made no attempt to speak in his own defense or beg to be released, just stared silently forward. No sign of fear, worry, or remorse. The eyes of a killer.
“How was he armed?” Gaius asked, curious about the capabilities of any fighter able to fell so many imperial soldiers so quickly.
Talba flushed at the question, lowering his eyes. “Er, he… wasn’t, sir. He was as you see him now, unarmed and unarmored.”
Between the two commanders, the tribunus found his words first. “Is that one of those rabbit folk from the east?” Quincil asked, squinting as he leaned forward. “I thought they were all women?”
Floria turned upon him with a withering glare. “The term which so easily eludes you, Tribunus, is ‘viera.’ But of course they are not all women. As should be clear to even an uneducated observer, viera are hyuranoid mammals, just as we are. Did you imagine they reproduced monosexually, perhaps?”
“I…” Quincil sputtered in confusion. “What in the Emperor’s name are you talking about?”
Floria ignored him, turning back to look at the silent, hostile viera and taking a few steps forward to get a better look. His hard gaze turned on her as she approached. “No, no, as is clear from the evidence even in front of us, male viera certainly exist, though the reason for your ill-informed assumption, Tribunus, is that they are quite rare . Studies of the females of the species have indicated naught but one in ten births are male, and of those which do exist, almost none have ever been seen. Purportedly, the males live entirely alone and are aggressively territorial. Any foolish enough to wander into their domain reportedly killed on sight, hence the notable lack of knowledge about them.”
She clicked her tongue appreciatively, finally stepping back toward Gaius’ desk. “To think that of all people, this mad king had such an exotic rarity tucked away amidst his treasures.” She straightened suddenly, giving Gaius a confident look. “Legatus, clearly the issue of jurisdiction is now resolved: this is an escaped menagerie occupant, not an enemy assailant as the tribunus thought. As the Corps Medicorum is handling menagerie specimens, this viera should be handed over to my people to handle the issue.
“I know the military types among us might have trouble seeing the value of pure scientific research,” she continued, with a knowing tilt of the head towards Quincil, “but I assure you, Legatus, a full anatomical documentation of such a rare specimen will bring renown and accolades to the XIVth. We will be lauded for contributions to the Empire’s academic endeavors.” Her gaze drifted back to the prisoner, sizing him up once more as though she were already imagining where to place her first incisions. “There have been such fascinating speculation about the extent of dimorphism between the sexes based on the study of the females of the species…”
Quincil’s expression soured the longer the praefectus spoke, eventually settling into something distinctly queasy. “You can’t be serious, woman. The way you talk, you make it sound as though you intend to dissect him!”
“As opposed to…?” Floria met his eyes with an easy smile, then laughed when he recoiled. “I didn’t take you for the squeamish type, Tribunus. I suppose you’d prefer to take the thing out before a firing squad and perforate that incredibly rare body with a swath of useless holes, hmm?”
Listening to his two command officers argue about the prisoner’s fate, Gaius kept quiet, watching the viera’s reactions to the conversation. Gaius would make the final call on what was to be done, of course, but for the moment he was content to let the argument play out while he weighed the options.
Floria undoubtedly believed she could bully her way into getting the outcome she wanted, but though he’d started on the back foot, Quincil was quite used to arguments of this sort. He drew himself up, taking on a practiced air of command. “He may be a savage, but this isn’t a wild animal we’re talking about. He attacked our men, he’ll be dealt with as a combatant. We have protocols for this sort of thing. It is what makes us different from the savages.”
“Not a wild animal?” Floria chuckled. “I wouldn’t be so sure. More than likely, this creature lived entirely isolated for most of its life, until being caught and locked up as a collectible for mad Theodoric. It almost certainly can’t understand our language, might not know how to speak at all. See the way it looks at us, even now! Do you honestly think there is anything behind those eyes other than thoughts of how it might go about slaughtering every person in this room were those restraints not in the way?”
She waved at Talba, who had been silently trying not to get pulled into the argument. “How quickly did this creature tear through your men, Decurio, with such brutality that you yourself said several might have died had my medici not been already at hand? Did you witness any hesitation in that act? Any hint of empathy, civility, or basic humanity?” She didn’t wait for Talba’s answer, already turning back to Quincil. “No, Tribunus. It may be shaped like a man, but that which stands before you is naught but a beast, and a feral one at that. Like any dangerous animal, it should be put down, simple as that.”
Gaius held up a hand as he leaned over his desk, cutting off the conversation. “Enough. I need to consider what is to be done with this prisoner, and I will take your recommendations into consideration. You are dismissed.”
Quincil saluted immediately, nodding and turning to leave. Floria looked as though she wished to argue further, but decided against it, saluting belatedly. Clearly she’d hoped she’d be walking out of this meeting with the prisoner in tow. Aemalia, who had been quietly taking notes on her datapad for the XIVth’s records, stepped over promptly to open the door for them, nodding in respect to both as they quit the room.
Decurio Talba hesitated, his men looking to him for direction. “Legatus, sir,” he said, “what should be done with him in the meantime?”
“Leave him here,” Gaius said. “I am not yet done with him. You and your men may depart, Decurio.”
Talba blanched slightly at the idea of leaving his legatus unguarded with a hostile prisoner, but he didn’t argue, snapping a sharp salute and nodding. “Sir!”
Seeing his unease, Gaius offered a bit of reassurance. “You needn’t fear for my safety, soldier. I think I’m capable of handling a single man in full restraints on my own. If he becomes unruly, the collar will put a stop to that quickly enough.”
Talba flushed with quick embarrassment, worried he’d implied, even just by his expression, that the Legatus of the XIVth was not fit to protect himself. “Of course. As you say, sir.”
Making a quick departure, he gathered his men and led them out as well. When everyone else was out, Aemalia gave him a knowing look, the kind that said, I hope you know what you’re doing, then left as well, closing the heavy door with a deep thud behind her.
With that, Gaius and the prisoner were alone. Without the others standing in the way, Gaius could see the man’s odd feet, much longer than a hyur's, digitigrade with the heels lifted high and clawed toes. Though there were no longer guards holding him in place, the viera made no attempt to move, no sudden lunges for Gaius' throat across the desk, no swift turning to flee. He stood as motionless as before, and with no other distractions in the room, that unflinching glare settled upon Gaius alone.
Gaius sighed wearily, taking a short moment to collect himself and see if the prisoner's motionless silence would hold. "My praefectus medicorum is convinced you are naught but an unthinking beast, incapable of being reasoned with. Or perhaps she simply does not care if you are otherwise, if arguing as such will get her what she wants. But I believe she is wrong about you. Reportedly, you hid from my men when they began their inspections, waited to reveal yourself until they’d opened the door. Those aren’t the actions of an animal, but an intelligent fighter, acting at a disadvantage. Furthermore, I believe she is wrong about you not knowing our language. You can understand what I am saying, can’t you?"
Gaius stared back, meeting those cold eyes, searching for any reaction, any indication that his words had been heard. The viera, to his credit if he were faking, gave no hint to Gaius' theory, not even a twitch in his blank expression.
Nodding to himself, Gaius tapped the desk with his fingers. Not unexpected, but he hadn't become a legatus by giving up after a single try.
"I see. I'll admit, it's not at all a bad strategy. If your captors think you can't understand them, they may say something valuable in front of you, information you might be able to use against them. Perhaps this tactic worked with Theodoric and whatever keepers he set to watch you in your captivity. You do seem practiced in it.
"That said, I suggest you reconsider. You've proven yourself a danger to my men, and while I hope to discuss that incident with you, we must needs communicate. I have no need of a feral animal, viera. If you cannot or will not convince me that you are more than that, I might as well hand you over to the praefectus, that she might wring her research from your corpse as she desires so dearly. So, in the interest of your continued survival, I will ask one more time: Can you understand me?"
The silence which followed the question lasted long enough to make Gaius doubt his belief that the viera was faking, well over a minute of no reaction at all. But after that protracted staring contest, the prisoner broke eye contact for the first time, and then with clear reluctance, dipped a single, unmistakable nod.
A tension between Gaius’ shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. Perhaps there was something to work with here. “Well, that’s a start then. Are you able to speak as well?”
Another drawn out stillness, though not nearly as long as the first, followed by another reluctant nod. Suppose I should have expected that, Gaius thought, giving him another yes or no question. There was the barest sense of smugness in the viera’s eyes, at silently answering a question about speaking.
“How about this,” Gaius suggested, determined to get a verbal answer this time, “why don’t you tell me your name, that I might know with whom I am speaking?”
The man’s brow furrowed, watching Gaius warily. There was a distrust there, but there was also consideration, as though he needed to think about the answer. Had he truly been alone so long that he struggled to recall something so fundamental? Or was he perhaps constructing an alias to give instead? Eventually the man seemed to find his answer, and with a voice soft and raspy from disuse, he spoke:
“Meijin.”
Gaius nodded slowly, repeating it to himself. “Meijin. I am Gaius van Baelsar, Legatus of the XIVth Legion of the Garlean Empire. This city, Ala Mhigo, is under my legion’s control as of two days ago, and I intend to see the rest of its territory brought under stable imperial rule and annexed as a Garlean province. I’m not certain how much awareness you might have had of the world beyond the palace, but you should know that the man who ruled here, Theodoric, is dead and his dynasty is ended.”
That got a reaction, as Gaius had guessed it might. The long viera ears which had been lying low snapped upright, turned forward, and Meijin’s eyes flashed with sudden fury. He leaned forward intently, but had to swallow before finding his words. “Killed him? Y-you?”
Gaius shook his head. “He was found dead when we took the palace. By his own hand, it appeared. Regardless, until such time as annexation is formalized and a viceroy appointed, I am in command here. Which means that the task of deciding what is to be done with you falls to me.” He gestured to one of the chairs before his desk. “Why don’t you sit down while we talk? I’m certain those injuries of yours aren’t comfortable.”
Meijin’s expression immediately frosted over again, back to that same hard, wary blankness as before. This was a practiced look for the viera, it seemed. He made no move to sit.
Gaius didn’t take it to heart. Rapport was clearly something to be very hard won here. “Why did you attack my men, Meijin?”
Meijin’s eyes flicked downward, just for a moment. “Chance to… escape.”
“Nothing more than that?”
Meijin shook his head.
“Where would you have gone, had you successfully evaded my men and quit the palace?”
Meijin fell silent once more, though to Gaius this pause seemed less defiant and more… unsure. The noncommittal answer he settled on seemed to confirm those suspicions. “Away.”
Gaius raised an eyebrow. “That’s it, ‘away’? No destination more specific than that in mind? A home back east perhaps?” His given name did have an Eastern sound to Gaius' ear. He thought he recalled something about reclusive viera clans from that region of the world as well. Bozja maybe, or it might have been Dalmasca.
“No home.” He seemed to tense further, and the sudden bitter fury behind his eyes made Gaius nearly reach for the collar controls just in case. Rather than attacking, however, Meijin simply made a gesture towards himself, though his wrist restraints required him to lift both hands to do so. “Exile.”
Gaius stood, and Meijin immediately crouched defensively, holding his bound hands in front of himself. Gaius paused, noting the reaction, but then continued as he’d intended, walking over to the narrow stone window, looking out over the city at night. He didn’t fully turn his back to his prisoner, watching out of the corner of his eye as Meijin slowly rose back to standing straight when he realized Gaius wasn’t attacking him.
“You are not the only one who suffered because of Theodoric,” Gaius said, watching fire lights and lamps flicker gently from the streets far below. “This entire nation rotted from within under his weak and selfish leadership. His citizens lived in squalor, his court enervated by his paranoia, an open rebellion festering in his lands, and eikons rising to terrorize the people. Ala Mhigo deserves a strong ruler, stability which only the Empire can provide, and I will see these lands brought to heel. For their own good, and for the glory of Garlemald.”
Gaius smiled faintly and turned back toward the room. “Not that I suspect you have overmuch interest in the politics of it all, but I would have you know why we are here and how the Empire will change things for the people of Ala Mhigo. There will be those who resist, who refuse to accept new rulership, but I believe there will come a day when the people here will look upon the ivory standard with pride. But, that brings us back to you and what is to be done with you.”
As the topic changed, Meijin drew himself up as tall as he was able, though he hadn’t much hope of matching even an average Garlean in height. He lifted his chin, staring down his nose in defiance, long ears tipping backward. Clearly, he braced himself for the worst.
Gaius pushed down a smile; this one had spirit yet. “Though your reasons may have been understandable considering the circumstances of your captivity, the fact remains that you have attacked soldiers of the XIVth, and injured several quite gravely. Owing to your situation, however, and your great luck that none whom you attacked were killed, I believe a lesser sentence than capital may be allowable. The Empire is not without mercy.”
“Do not… call it mercy. You do this not for my sake,” Meijin forced out, haltingly. He did not stutter over specific sounds, but clearly had to put some effort into forming the words. His speech seemed not impaired, but certainly unpracticed. It was the longest string Gaius had heard him speak yet. “You think me… to be of use. ”
“Perhaps,” Gaius admitted. “The praefectus thinks you would be of greatest use dead beneath her scalpel, but I will admit I find the thought of killing one so skilled to be… quite wasteful. In my experience, there are many who misinterpret our philosophy that Garleans are superior to the peoples of savage nations. It is a law of averages, not absolutes. Just as a Garlean may be mediocre, I have found that so too might a savage be exemplary, and I am in the habit of looking out for exceptional individuals wherever they might be found.
“I had hoped to find some such persons here in Ala Mhigo, men and women of strong will and discipline who are willing to serve. I had not thought to discover one so quickly, I will admit. Your actions have incurred a debt to the XIVth, but I would have you pay it in service, not blood. Unless you would prefer to serve a sentence in a cell, that is, but something tells me you’ve had quite enough of cages.”
Meijin pursed his lips, but after a moment tipped his head, conceding that last point. “Conscript, then?”
“Of a sort, I suppose,” Gaius said, “though I don’t see you fitting in well with the rank and file, especially considering your first interaction with my men. I had another potential role in mind for you, though. You’ve demonstrated some skill in keeping yourself hidden, and assuming your martial prowess is as great as this altercation indicated, I would have you put those talents to use as a specialist, working alone on my orders directly.”
Meijin let out a small huff, realizing what that likely meant. “Assassin.”
“Not necessarily. Infiltration and information gathering would be more common, I would guess. But yes, at times perhaps, when there are problems most cleanly solved with a quiet knife, it is always best to have someone capable and dependable to carry out such things. I hope you could be such an asset, if you wished to be.”
Meijin’s ears flicked once, turning back toward the door as he considered that. Perhaps catching some soft sound from the hallway that Gaius couldn’t hear. His stare remained piercing, and Gaius had the distinct impression of being analyzed . He could almost see the entirety of the conversation, all his words and actions throughout, being turned over in the viera’s head as Meijin looked for lies, angles, and motivations within them.
“I thought… punishment,” Meijin asked warily. “Not recruitment.”
“This service to the XIVth would be part of the punitive action for your attack, yes. I think a year in this capacity, perhaps, would be sufficient penance. Not to mention that you would need to be monitored to ensure you can be trusted with such sensitive work. That metal affixed to your neck, the collar, would remain so that you can be tracked and, if necessary, corrected if you were to try to flee or act against the Empire. I'm certain the men who brought you in warned you that it can be used to administer a rather painful jolt."
Meijin nodded, glancing away. From the way his expression twisted in response, he'd been subjected to such 'correction' as soon as they’d placed it on him, before he’d been brought here.
"I hope, however, that this might serve as a trial period, that you might continue to work in such fashion after this year of punitive service. As I said, I oft recruit exceptional individuals into my service, regardless of their background. A specialist such as yourself could be brought on as a high-rank irregular, outside the main chain of command, with all the respect and benefits of such a station. You could have a place here, Meijin, if you wished it. If you would serve the Empire faithfully."
A long moment of silence hung between them, only the sounds of the chill desert wind whistling softly through the windows. As it stretched, Meijin slowly looked back to meet Gaius' eyes once more, that same hostile distrust simmering behind the stare. Gaius feared he might see a plume of smoke start to rise between those long ears if the viera continued that intense and silent analysis much longer. He found himself struck by an unexpected pity for this young man, isolated and mistreated, who now saw threats in every person he met, braced against every action toward him as though it were a blow.
Gaius put on a reassuring smile. "Clearly, it's a big question, and you've had an intense day already, I would say. Perhaps a compromise instead." He gestured to one of the doors behind his desk. "There's a small sitting room connected to this study back there, with only the one entrance. No bed, but there's a long seating lounge that would be comfortable enough for a night. A damn sight better than wherever you were before, I'd guess. Take the evening, sleep on it, we can talk in the morning."
Meijin eyed the door with as much suspicion as if Gaius had offered him a nice nap in a morbol's maw. Keeping his smile in place, Gaius stepped closer to him, trying to move slowly so as not to startle him again. Even still, Meijin crouched slightly at the approach, cringing back almost unconsciously.
Gaius nodded towards his wrist restraints. "If you can promise you won't try to attack me for it, I would remove those for you. The collar will stay, but I think we can do without bindings now, at least."
Gaius waited for some kind of acknowledgement, and finally, after another long moment of consideration, Meijin nodded once. He slowly extended his arms to let Gaius reach wrists, still watching for some kind of trick.
"I will say, if you're trying to run the odds,” Gaius said quietly, “you might stand a chance of taking me out if you struck quickly enough, despite your injuries. That said we're fairly deep in this complex after all, and I doubt you'd have the strength to make it through the rest of the legion to get out for good, especially since any of the ranking officers could activate that collar and bring you down again. And I doubt my men will go to the trouble of trying to take you alive a second time, all things considered."
The viera gave a single huff at the implication he’d been strategizing as such. The restraints clicked open, and Gaius pulled them free, watching Meijin closely to make sure he wasn’t going to try anything. He could usually trust his instincts for people, but it never hurt to be safe. If this Meijin was as clever as Gaius believed, he’d see that his best chance was playing along, seeing how things panned out.
Shortly after the wrist restraints were disengaged, those around Meijin’s ankles clicked open as well, the magitek systems between the two connected. Meijin carefully stepped back from the chain, his long feet slipping out of the opened rings, watching Gaius just as closely. After a tense moment between them, both waiting to see if the other was planning to try anything, Gaius nodded and stepped back to give him space.
Then, deliberately, he turned his back on Meijin as he walked back toward his desk. It warred against his soldier’s instincts to turn away from a potential threat so near to him, but the risk was worth the reward. Or so he hoped, at least. One couldn’t gain a loyal asset without trust, and it was Gaius’ responsibility to start cultivating that potential. And, of course, there were benefits of strength to show confidence like this, to seem unafraid.
He made it back to his desk unaccosted, as he’d hoped, and opened the sitting room door, gesturing inward. “Rest a while, then, and think on what we talked about. We can speak again in the morning.”
Meijin watched him again for a long moment, and then started to move with excruciating slowness around the desk. His steps made no sound at all on the sandstone floor, and unlike Gaius, his eyes never left the other threat in the room, as he slowly circled sideways to ensure his back would never be to the legatus.
Gaius put on another relaxed smile, nodding as the viera reached the door frame. “Lest you harbor any ideas about trying that window in there, I’ve set the collar to activate should you get further than twenty yalms from your current position. Shouldn’t trouble you at all in there, but I don’t suggest trying to sneak away. Sleep well, then.”