If Logan had been asked to answer honestly, he’d confess to enjoying his time with Jarek. Though both were veterans, bloodied vicious combat, they knew how to appreciate the relative silence of the busy street. He gathered it had been some time since last Jarek had seen Clement, but his eyes wandered to all the right places - to the bookstores, the central park and the church atop the only hill within the walls, the same places he caught his own eyes wander to.
But wherever they wandered, they’d hear the gasps and the gulps as the populace lay their eyes on the unmistakable form of the Ghast - he was not easily mistaken for anything else, after all, which made him somewhat envious of Jarek’s relatively anonymous nature.
When they had finally arrived at the park and sat down at a bench overlooking the shallow, murky river, Logan breathed a sigh of relief they were outside the crowd - further away from those frightened stares of theirs.
From their seat, they watched the stream carry last season’s shed leaves down towards the aqueduct leading out of the walled city of Clement.
“Do you ever miss it, Logan?” Logan looked over at his thoughtful companion with a questioning hum, edging him to go on:
“Walking without a mask, I mean. It’s not my place to pry, but… you seem… uncomfortable walking around with the getup on.” Logan chuckled and shrugged.
“My first memories are of meeting Luna down in the abyss. After that, it was already too late - this is all I know.” They paused for a moment as Logan considered his next words.
“I wonder how it feels, though. Walking around with your face in the open in a place like this… I don’t think I’d get very far before someone starts shooting.” Logan chuckled and touched his mask - his voice far less pained than Jarek imagined his words called for.
Jarek huffed his acknowledgment and nodded. “I suppose you’re right. It’s strange - there’s three of you, but I’ve never heard of anyone else with your… condition… I suppose if people knew, there’d be more acceptance of it.” Logan perked up at that and shook his head slowly.
“It’s better they don’t. Cradle could’ve been a lot bigger if people had fired when they saw something odd instead of trying to befriend it.”
“Right… well, you do understand that Luna is also…” Logan jerked back ever-so-slightly, as if just realizing that she, too, shared in the curse.
“I… That’s… “ He began, but couldn’t find the words.
“It’s fine, Commander. Just… spare that a thought every now and then. Whatever you say about your own… anatomy… she’ll take it as it’ll apply to hers, as well.” Logan sighed.
“Damnit… If I didn’t have to junk up to hear you, I’d have appreciated the warning whenever I put my foot in my mouth.” Jarek reached for Logan’s back and gave him a solid pat and a hearty laugh.
“You’ll learn, my boy. Just give it some time. Time and lots of flowers, chocolates and jewelry. And get used to apologizing. There’s a course on massages back in-”
“Commander…” Jarek choked on his words as a dreadful voice spoke Logan’s rank. It had come like lightning from the clear skies - that ghastly, whispering, hoarse horror that sucked every crumb of joy and hope from his chest.
“Ah, Blitz.” Logan spoke and rose from the bench. Jarek had admired the man’s courage a hundred times before, but never with such ferocity as when he turned around to face thet two, dark shapes behind the bench - shapes that reminded Jarek of what it felt like to be faced by true Ghasts.
It clung to the atmosphere around them - that uneasiness, that suspicion that these individuals would kill him in a heartbeat should his eyes linger in the wrong place for too long. He’d been around Logan for so long he’d forgotten the feeling of the dread they were poised to inspire with their mere presence.
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One, a tall, thin man walked with a pronounced hunch- bent forwards and crooked while breathing heavily into his mask. He stood unnaturally still in his hunched-over position, revealing the chains and bands beneath his coat from which small vials of fluids and objects hung suspended around his chest and neck.
The second form was far smaller - smaller than even Abraham. It was a female - straight-backed and with her hands folded ahead of her. Despite being far more typical when it came to posture and stature, he felt even more unnerved by her. The aura around her sent shivers down his spine and with her every breath, he could feel himself growing more weak-willed. This one was a Miraculist and a Telepath - a powerful one at both. Simply looking at her made his chest tighten with anxiety at the transference of murderous capabilities.
Their masks were unlike the others he had encountered back in Cadia - they both wore the masks of sneering beasts the same as Logan did. Which marked these two as Men of the frontier - if Men at all. Fore these two were of the Order of the Governor’s Hands - Spawn-slayers of the most fearsome variety.
“Ah, I thought that was you, Maribelle. Charmed, as always.” Logan bowed in the direction of the woman. Upon seeing the gesture, a loud giggle rung through Jarek’s mind, but it was unlike any hint of bemusement he had ever heard. It was more akin to someone’s fingernails on a chalkboard.
“Behemoth-Bane… Always the gentleman.” Her voice was no less intense and swallowing was all Jarek could do to remain in place without retching.
Logan turned towards the bony, slouched man by the name of ‘Blitz’ and proceed: “I’m glad you could meet us here. I didn’t think you’d be here so soon, but thankfully, Jarek here caught your hail as we were returning.”
The two forms remained unnaturally still as Blitz spoke: “Not the kind of thing… I want to carry… for long…” He sounded about ready to die from exhaustion where he stood and spoke.
Logan took a step closer, pocketed his hands and raised his chin to stare at the dark figure with caution. “So, you’ve got it? You found one?” The creature’s right arm moved up to his neck, where he fumbled around in the jungle of chains to grab a small, corked, clear vial and jerked it free before extending it towards the pair.
Logan took decided steps forwards, keeping his head still as he approached. Jarek hadn’t known the man for too long, but even he could see that he was intensely curious and interested in what the creature had just extended towards him.
Inside the glass vial lay a solid, black bead, clinking as Blitz turned the glass over in his hand.
“Two hundred savages… died for this…” A static hiss in the form of laughter nauseated Jarek once more as Logan reached out for the vial and gripped it between his thumb and index finger. He held it up to the blue skies and eagerly turned it over to verify that it was the same, black bead he was searching for - the precious item he’d been seeking for quite some time.
“Blitz, you wonderful monster. I’d given up hope I’d ever lay my eyes on one. And you’re sure about the price? That’s all?” Another static hiss sounded as the man’s arms returned to hanging limply at his sides.
“Yes… at my leisure - anything, anytime. Just like before.” Logan quickly pocketed the priceless item and bowed down low again.
“Anything, anytime, old friend. You know how to reach me.” The unnaturally still figure bobbed his head once before turning to leave.
“Commander…” The girl spoke, to which Logan rose up again.
“I have heard… a rumor…” Her whistling voice shifted and became a smidgen warmer. Jarek still suffered under the sheer psychic pressure she exuded, but it felt lighter, somehow.
“You have found her - your beloved Luna… such a thing cannot be - can it?” Logan seemed unsurprised as he scoffed a chuckle. “Your hearing never ceases to amaze me, darling Maribelle. Yes, it’s true- Luna’s alive, well and with us.” Maribelle’s head cocked sideways.
“What a shame… I was hoping you and I could discuss breeding at some point…” Jarek was nearly knocked off his feet as he felt a powerful wave of lust exude off of the girl’s psyche - a sensation that soon turned to amusement as Logan gently let her down with a: “Oh, had the stars been different for us, we would’ve. But our child would be far worse than anything the Monstrum can throw at the world - what’d be the fun in that?” Again, she giggled her ear-screeching laughter - a laughter that seemed not to bother Logan in the least.
When the two Ghasts had finally gone out of ear shot, Jarek had to sit down on the bench and retch between his legs. He was exhausted simply by having been around them for a few minutes’ time. At his side, Logan sat down to eye the glass with a keen interest, turning it over between his fingers eagerly to study the priceless object.
“Logan… what is that?”
The Ghast paused. Even if he couldn’t see his face, Jarek knew the man was grinning widely under the mask as he went on to explain:
“This, my good friend, is just about the worst thing imaginable. This is what’s pushed us to the brink of extinction - this, Jarek… is a hive-seed.”