"Well then," Zorion straightened his voice. "I'm part of the SPI. A government-funded unit were, if you will, specialized agents survey and conduct research to find the inner workings of the Fallous and come up with a cure for it.
"Currently, our research has been fruitless. Until I discovered that cat in your building area. We conducted more tests, and through those—and my personal analyses of the situation—we have come up with some interesting findings."
Kemuri opened her mouth to laugh but shut up when she studied Zorion's serious face.
"I see. Where do I come in?"
"Well, in a lot of ways, first, I need you to help me gain access to your boss's office. A few spies have discovered a trapdoor there but never retuend."
"Aside from the impossible task you give me, how do you know if they have never returned?"
Leon opened up his sleeves to show a bandage with a tattoo on it.
"And?"
Kemuri asked through furrowed brows. Zorion almost hit his forehead, then contined. "So sorry, you don't know what a Castor is.". "Castor?" Zorion looked around. No one was in earshot. He pulled up two pieces of glass.
"Observe."
His hands started glowing. Intricate tattoos formed on his hand. They all moved around like fish in a pond, then stopped. 10 distinct symbols were laid on his knuckles. He touched the first glass. One of the 10 tattos disappeared and peered into the glass.
Kemuri held the glass and his hands, trying to feel the tattoos. They don't feel like anything is printed on them. It's like they were fused perfectly with the skin and glass. Still rough and smooth. Releasing himself, Zorion gave Kemuri the second glass; this one had no tattoos.
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"Try breaking the normal, then the special one."
He suggested. Kemuri immediately shattered the unmarked one. Then she grabbed the second glass and threw it on the floor. No shatter. She threw again, but harder. No crash. Zorion took out a hammer and bashed the glass. It finally shatters, and its remnants glitter on the concrete pavement. Kemuri's jaw dropped. "Okay, first, unfair. Second, so you castors are like wizards? Kinda sweet, honestly."
"Wow. You are more calm about this than I thought you would be. But I'll explain the rest later. And yes, I do have powers—to turn any inanimate object unbreakable to an extent. That is based on the number of tattoos I place on it. But enough about that. The tattoo on my bandage is another Castor's ability. They essentially have memory powers. They "coded" their tattoo to receive the memories of the bandage and the one holding it."
Kemuri paused, then asked, "That's all cool and dandy, but are you just hunting down Rowan for killing your man? Yes, cruel, but you are the one that barged in. If you work with the government, then can't you just force him to let you in?"
Zorion stippled his hands. "Firstly, Rowan has been illegally using the Fallous to conduct experiments on animals. Thus explains the cat. Secondly, we are trying to keep this under wraps. Especially because thats how you can gain powers."
Kemuri says, Before I ask the obvious, I thought you couldn't even get close to the fog. How does someone even use that?"
Zorion took out a black vial from his goat. It was compact. bolted strategically to make it a great ordeal to pry open. It had a padlock, however, that needed a finger print. Two of Zorion tattios were placed on it to make it more sturdy. "There are containers like this. Somehow, he got his hands on them."
Kemuri tried to take it all in, but she remembered the question she had been dying to ask. "If I join you, then do I become a castor?"
Zorions nodded.
Zorion slid the black veil toward her and opened it. A small cloud of devastation expanded outward. It smelled like cigars mixed with burned garbage bags. Nausea smacked her head when she accidentally inhaled the smoke.
"What the freak is this?"
"The Fallous itself."