While he struggled with himself internally, Jun didn’t fail to notice their peculiar reaction.

They looked at him almost as if they didn’t recognize him. Which didn’t make any sense because they’d have had to recognize him first, no? He’d only just met these people! Talk about judgmental…

“That was me, actually,” said one of the older boys.

Jun scrutinized the larger boy.

Six foot tall with a lean athletic frame, caramel skin, an unkempt head of red blond hair, and a brilliant pair of piercing green eyes. He was dressed in the same shredded rags as they all were, oddly contrasted with mismatching pieces of gem studded plate-mail.

Ultimately reminding him a bit of himself not too long ago, minus the glittering gemstones of course. Beneath the poorly fitted armor, each of them looked filthy, malnourished, and completely exhausted.

If he was being completely candid, they all looked like shit.

“Alone?” Jun failed to hide his surprise.

The boy shrugged.

“Well, mostly. You’re the one that really finished it off. You could say I just sort of weakened it for you, I guess. It… my efforts weren’t exactly enough, in the end,” he said in a morose tone, looking rather bummed out all of the sudden.

“But-!” Jun’s mind raced. “That’s incredible!”

Even with it confirmed, Jun found he still couldn’t quite fathom it.

Just the thought of facing off against one of these beasts without his particular set of advantages…? The him of before, fighting a spirit beast head-to-head? The idea was almost laughable. He wouldn’t have even been able to properly defend himself, let alone deal what had clearly been a fatal blow.

“Seriously, that’s legitimately impressive. I doubt I could’ve managed it even two weeks ago.”

They all looked suitably skeptical at that. Jun thought that was somewhat understandable. They hadn’t seen what he was like before, after all.

Quickly scanning faces, he was pleasantly surprised to find that their looks of open hostility had vanished. To be replaced by looks of bewildered confusion, true, but he figured that was a step in the right direction. Someone else spoke. This one a boy, even taller than the first—ropier than he was muscular. He raised his hand as if asking for permission to speak.

“So, no offense, but uh…? Who in the name of the emperor’s sweet taint are you supposed to be? Doubt those rats could’ve dragged you down here same way they did us.”

The rest turned sharply in the speaker’s direction.

“Moron!” one of the girls cracked the shaft of her spear against the boy’s left shin—the smaller one with black hair and eyes that reminded him of his mother’s. “Would it kill you to show even a modicum of respect?!”

“Mingxuan?! Gah! Mother of-! Are you insane?” the boy hopped away from the girl, awkwardly cradling the injured leg.

“I’m so very sorry for this one’s unacceptable behavior lord cultivator. Please, if you feel the need to punish anyone for his stupidity I would ask that you take it out on this moron’s miserable hide.”

“Ah? N-no! It’s fine, I just-” he tried to clear up the obvious misunderstanding.

“Seriously woman, what is your problem!?”

“She’s got a point…” said a boy about Jun’s height with a comical number of makeshift bandoleers strapped to his chest.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me! And what about the rest of you? Are you just going to sit there and watch while they throw me to the wolves?”

“Yes, well when you make a concerted effort to get all of us killed,” the girl, Mingxuan, hissed. “Your life, for whatever it’s worth, is exactly the kind of sacrifice I’m willing to make.”

“Well I’m not!”

“You lost those privileges when you compared this fine young cultivator here to the emperors taint.”

“I didn’t compare anyone to anything! Stop putting words in my mouth! Come on, Andrew back me up on this. Strange kid comes along, throttles those wicked strong beasts like it was nothing. We almost died for heaven’s sake! Least we’re owed is an explanation.”

“I don’t know. You did call him a hairy… you know what,” said the green-eyed boy—Andrew.

“I never said hairy!”

“You sure?”

“Completely!”

“Hmm, I definitely seem to recall you saying something along those lines,” said the smaller boy. “Billy?”

He looked to another boy in their group. One that could’ve easily been mistaken for a full grown man. Broad at the shoulders, muscular, and as hairy as a bear, he sported a full length beard and a perpetual scowl that didn’t quite match his less than mature demeanor.

“Anyone seen my spears? I could’ve sworn I dropped them right around here somewhere. Or… wait, was it over here? Or… there maybe…?”

“I think that means he’s in agreement.”

“Simon!? Not you too! My meek, mild mannered, baby boy Simon. I’m not sure how much more my poor heart can take at this rate!”

“Right. So, that settles it then?” asked Simon. “If anyone here is going to die a horribly gruesome death because of Kit’s fool mouth, it should be Kit. Agreed?”

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“It only makes sense.”

“What?! But that’s not fair!”

“Shall we put it to a vote?”

“Against!”

“Obviously I’m for,” said Mingxuan.

“For. No hard feelings.”

“Me too unfortunately,” said Andrew. “You really should think more carefully before you speak Kit.”

“Treacherous bastards, the lot of you! Well, to hell with this then. By my count that’s still only one to three. Billy! Would love it if you weighed in over here buddy. And while you're doing that don’t forget who always laughs at your jokes! Even when they're not that funny. Especially when they're not that funny. Ay, old friend?”

“Oh! Heavens be praised. Don’t worry, false alarm everyone! I found them! Now…? How in the world am I supposed to get them down from all the way up there…?”

“Dammit, enough with the blasted spears you oaf! I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m kind of fighting for my life over here,” the big guy, Billy, pointedly ignored his plea—far too absorbed with the retrieval of his spears. “Tsk. Lumbering dullard to the very end, huh? Damned useless.”

“Here, try lobbing one of these stone shards up at them. They don’t appear to be embedded that deeply. If you throw hard enough you might just be able to dislodge them.”

“Simon…! You’re a genius! I swear I could kiss you.”

“Aha… yeah. You won’t though, will you? Actually, let me rephrase that. Please, please don’t.”

“Caitlyn, come on, surely you can’t be okay with this. It’s cold-blooded murder. A coup! A subversion of the natural order!”

“What you said before. About those terrible rat beasts. They’re chasing you, aren’t they? Can’t imagine they’d come all this way just for us. Will we- will we be safe if we stay here like this?”

Jun blinked twice, so disoriented by the rapid back and forth, that it took him a second to recognize that the last question, posed by this Caitlyn, had been directed at him.

The rest of them paused, apparently disquieted by her question—proceeding to lock their collective attention solely onto him. Jun coughed into his hand, then took a tentative backwards glance.

He was met with a wall of watchful eyes shining out from the darkness.

Dozens upon dozens of beady little pupils staring out from the breach in the door that their taller brethren had created. Since his arrival none had dared to actually venture past the entrance, though the eerie stillness with which they silently observed him seriously creeped him out.

“I- yeah, actually, it’s probably for the best we leave this place as soon as possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those little guys are already scurrying back to spread the word of our location.”

They needed a second to fully take that in—looks of horror etching stark lines into dirt caked faces. To no one’s surprise the tall red-haired boy, Kit, was the first to respond.

“Well?! What are we doing just standing around here for? You heard the kid! We have to move.”

“But where would we go?” Caitlyn asked in a trembling voice.

“I say anywhere’s better than here,” said Kit.

“And if we just wind-up walking blindly into yet another trap?” Mingxuan shot back. “Then what?”

“Sir cultivator?” Simon eyed him nervously. “Uh, lord…? I’m sorry to say we’re not as familiar with this part of the city as we are some of the others. If I could be so bold, what would you suggest?”

“Actually, I’m not really-”

“What are you asking him for? I’m telling you, we don’t need him, or anyone else for that matter. We were doing just fine all on our own.”

“Oh? I’m sorry, are you referring to the time when you were run through the chest? Or, perhaps, you were thinking of that one time I nearly was,” Simon broke in angrily. “Either way, I personally can’t fathom a world in which fine is an apt description of our chances before his timely intervention. Oh right. And, uh, thank you by the way.”

“No, it was nothing-“

“A fluke! Bad luck and bad timing, that’s all! I really have a hard time believing it’ll happen again.”

“Oh, would you please shut up already!” shouted Mingxuan. “Again, I’m terribly sorry, lord. Unlike my ungrateful companion here, I too recognize that I am humbly in your debt. We all are. If it weren’t for your help, I don’t know what would’ve happened.”

“Well, on the one hand we’d likely be dead, but on the other at least we wouldn’t have to hear Kit constantly complain about it,” Simon muttered.

“You know, I liked you better when you talked a lot less.”

“Honestly?” Simon replied. “I wish I could say the same.”

Jun watched as the teenagers bickered back and forth with an expression equal parts bewilderment and faint amusement.

“Boys! Are you quite done?” Mingxuan asked. “Do you really think arguing is the best use of our time right now?”

“But-! You practically started it!”

“Yes, and now I’m finishing it,” she snapped. “We can’t afford to doddle. Lord cultivator, please, if you could find it in your heart to help us this one last time, at least until our other companions arrive, we would all be eternally grateful.”

She finished her statement with the imitation of a bow, right fist clasped in front of her and bending at the waist. The rest followed suit, jerky and unpracticed, but earnest all the same. There was some grumbling from the lanky boy at this, but no words that he could make out clearly.

When he was too slow in joining them in their obeisance, a swift elbow to the gut doubled him over quick enough.

This Mingxuan girl is ruthless.

The thought crossed his mind to once more try and disabuse them of this notion that he was some lord, but, on second thought, he found that she was actually right. Not about the lord thing, but they really didn’t have the time for a lengthy explanation. And besides, it wasn’t as if he would turn them away.

“Please, that’s enough. There’s really no need for all that. But, now that you mention it, I do have a place we could lay low for a while.”

More grumbling from the boy named Kit.

“It’s not that far. Not to mention there’s this enormous bathhouse I found. In case any of you were looking to… uh,” his eyes flicked over their filth caked bodies. “Freshen up, I mean.”

There was a subtle release of tension at the mention of this, a few shared looks of evident excitement, some anxious shuffling, and faint smiles he wasn’t even sure they were aware of. Shoulders slumped, postures eased, and not even their main detractor could find fault with a free bath.

“And what of them?” Andrew asked, nodding towards the sea of eyes staring out from beyond the barricade.

Jun glanced over his shoulder and noted with some alarm that the mass of rats had begun to creep forward ever so slightly, no doubt emboldened by their prolonged inactivity.

“Them…?” Jun frowned.

Even with the help of his second alignment it wasn’t as if he’d become all powerful. He doubted he could attack the hoard and protect his newfound companions for long, let alone while making a hasty retreat.

But then, was there perhaps something else he could do?

Because, while sure, fending off the mass of rodents on his lonesome was a hard sell, he now had other means of getting the job done. Could he collapse the hallway on top of them? Was it even possible? Well, he’d never know until he tried.

“Ahh…? You shouldn’t have to worry about them I don’t think.”

And with that, Jun turned towards the horde of rats, a voluminous cloud of silvery mist coalescing around his closed right fist.

“Ooohh… Balthy, my dear,” he cooed softly. “Its been far too long… Did you miss me? I know, I know. You poor baby. That does it! Until I breathe my dying breath, we’ll never be separated again, I swear it! Now, how’s about we put you to good use then, shall we? Put ‘er there old friend!”