Sasha got led through halls of the underworks by Abdul. He held her by the wrist while speaking. “That Boar Bandit guy said their aquifer was this way. I wonder, does he ever take that skull off? Doesn’t it get hot?”

“He always wears it,” Sasha grumbled back. “I was having fun. Why’re you taking me away?”

“Because you have self-destructive drinking habits. You’re the spitting image of your old man Randle. I’m treating you like how I had to treat him. You’ll get hydrated and then go to bed.”

She groaned like a kid keen to throw a tantrum. “Aughhhh, I don’t wanna.”

“Behave and maybe I’ll tuck you in.”

“Ley was the last one to ever do that for me. He was very protective. Still is.” The memory brought a smile to Sasha’s face. Even if he’d been absorbed into a machina, at least they were together. “Ya know, you’re pretty caring. You remind me of my big brother.”

The well of the underworks came into view at the end of a hall of bedrooms. Abdul fetched bucket water for her. “I hope that I can at least become half of the man my older brother was. That’s why I plan to help you until the end, Sasha. He would’ve without a doubt.”

As Abdul poured the cool water into a mug for her, she leaned up against a nearby stone wall only to slide down until sitting on her butt. She covered her face with her hands. He walked over to her, offering the drink. “What’s wrong? Headache?”

“It’s my fault that Xavier was killed. If I never got involved with Rath Ghul, they never would’ve come to Troll’s Treasure. We’d all still be together there. I feel horrible. How can you so easily help me knowing that?”

Abdul sat down next to her. He pondered for a minute as she sat sulking in self-loathing. “I never said it was easy. You’ve probably heard me say this before. I’ll still stand by it. No use worrying about something out of our control now. It’s true that it’s your fault. So many bad things happened to all of us because of you but think of how it ultimately weighs against the good.”

“The good? There’s good?”

He nodded. “We tore down Rath Ghul in this city. They may come again, but their grip will never be as strong. Carry yourself with pride.”

“How could I ever be proud as horrible as I feel about myself? I did nothing. It was all you, Abdul.”

“This whole conflict is what led to me discovering my powers. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve lived the rest of my life knowing nothing about myself. I’d still be nothing but a fool.”

“But Xavier? And our home? You can be honest. Why don’t you hate me?”

Abdul shook his head. “I’ve got no hate left in me. Plenty of disappointment right now though.” He stood up, leaving the cup next to her. “Forget about our brothers and homes. They’re gone. Move onwards. Think about how you’ll take responsibility. That’s the true question you should be pondering.”

Sasha observed the intricacies of Major in her hands, thankful she hadn’t misplaced the great machina in her drunkenness. She mumbled sluggishly to herself. “How to take responsibility? That’s the true question?”

“We do what we can do; not what we can’t. Think it over. Come back to me when your back is straight.”

She opened up a little, grabbing the mug. “Right. Thank you for the advice, and I’m sorry.”

“Unless you stab me in the gut yourself, I never want to hear a damn apology again.”

The firmness of his demand shook her. Didn’t Randle say something similar once too? He wasn’t done yet. “Have these past weeks felt like hell? Yes, but would you undo it all if given the chance?”

Sasha didn’t answer his question, but she wasn’t expected to. Abdul spoke up with bravado before she could. “I wouldn’t. I’ve met someone dear to me because of you. When all of this is over, I have somewhere for me to go no matter how broken. You do too, Sasha. Isn’t that all that matters?”

“Umm, Abdul.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“I’ve been curious about your side. What do you like about him? Ignazio.”

He looked a bit embarrassed. “I never got to talk about things like my feelings until I met him. Even when he was my enemy, all he’d ever ask about was me, what kinds of things I liked, and how I was feeling. Hasn’t been long, but he may know more about me than Xavier ever did.”

“I’m glad to see that you’re happy.”

The idea of happiness perplexed Abdul. “Happy? I doubt it. Wouldn’t mind not dying though.” He pointed at the well. “Make sure you’re properly hydrated before you head to bed.”

“Where would I even sleep?”

“Perhaps Isaac has a place for you, unless you’re keen to pass out on the floor like the others.”

“I’ll never sleep on cold rock again. My wrists still hurt from the dungeon. I’ll find Isaac wherever he is.”

Abdul waved and disappeared around the corner. Directionally sound was the last word that could’ve described drunk Sasha, but the undercroft was engraved into her memory after so many training sessions with Isaac. She trekked the halls until coming up to the closed door to his personal quarters.

A sober person would’ve heard and gave privacy to the passionate noises coming from inside. A sober person would’ve knocked. Sasha opened the door, waltzing right in, to witness Isaac kneeling on the edge of his bed in between Elise’s legs. All she needed to see was his bare back and her lip bit in ecstasy.

Sasha stumbled backwards into the halls, leaving the door open. Did they see her? She felt sick go her stomach.

Mouth agape in shock and cheeks rose, she trudged around a corner out of sight and crumbled to the ground. Isaac peaked from his bedroom in confusion with pants pulled up, saw no one, and closed the door. Sasha curled up in a ball. The image of their lovemaking branded into her mind. Sickness wasn’t the only feeling reducing her to nothing. Why did she, of all things, feel betrayed? By a man she knew was taken? A man who never once looked at her as a woman?

Stolen story; please report.

She knew thinking this way was irrational, yet her mind still wandered there. Its destination wasn’t up to her.

I won’t cry, damn it. It’s been this way the entire time.

If Major butted into her thoughts now of all times, she would’ve dropped the dagger into the well. I was not supposed to see that. I'm sleeping on the floor after all.

Sasha sure tried to fall asleep on the floor but couldn’t for some reason. Looking back to her time in Rath Ghul’s dungeon, their stone was softer than this place’s. The less drunk answer though was that she wasn’t desperate anymore. You’re never going to fall asleep on stone if you don’t have to.

A voice from above spooked her. Thinking it may have been Isaac, Sasha recoiled. “Eek!”

It was none other than the true protagonist, Boar Bandit. He pointed to a bedroom across the hall. “Lady Sasha, no good man could fall asleep in comfort knowing a woman is sprawled out on rock and stone just outside. If you’d prefer, we may trade places. Rest in my chamber the rest of this night while I join the lowest combatants on their barrack bedrolls.”

She’d never said “Sure!” to something so fast in her life. Even Boar Bandit was surprised. He let her in, uttering a short, “Night night.”

“Thank you! You’re now my favorite hero of The Colosseum!”

He lit up. “Really? I try my best. My ratings as a villain character will never compare to mainstays like Elise and Isaac though. Viewers ask me to take off the skull, but isn’t that what makes Boar Bandit not just some bandit?”

“Exactly. Just know I’ll always be rooting for you.”

“And I’ll be rooting for you too in your journey.”

Sasha got settled into bed. She set Major on the pillow next to her and stared up at the ceiling. If she succeeded at gathering the four great machina, what would her wish even be? She knew nothing about the quest ahead other than that it was going to be more massive than imaginable.

Major sensed her apprehension. The second great, Lovecraft, is much closer than you think. Your ruler within this city watches over it with diligence. The others, Bloodborne and Free Bird, are who you should be worrying about. They entail expeditions.

Before she could respond to Major, movement in the dark room alerted her despite the nausea. She sat up in the bed to wield the dagger in defense. It illuminated the room like a supernatural night light. “Who are you? Where did you come from?” she asked the darkness with a tense tone.

A shadow approached from the corner of the room. Some barefoot man revealed himself, kneeling on one knee beside her bed. He wore an owl’s rusted mask, dusty leather armor, and a cloak as pitch black as night. That cloak’s green eye was unmistakable. It was a machina.

The stranger lifted his mask. He had an eyepatch, light beard, unremarkable short haircut, and a face hinting he was in his early twenties. Despite his youth, though, other factors made Sasha perceive him as wiser. His visceral scars on the cheek, bangs showing early white hairs, and cold professionalism told such a story.

He introduced himself. “I am Simon, one of the owls you mercifully freed. I was an owl at least.”

Sasha inched away from him until her back touched the wall. Rattled by nervousness, fighting for her life while shitfaced was the last thing she wanted to do. Should she have screamed for help? “How… can I help you?” she asked meekly.

“What you did and promised to us tonight moved me. I’ve decided to offer you my life and fealty.”

“Eh? Seriously?” Understandably, a thick fog of disbelief and uncertainty uneased Sasha. “I must be tired because I think I misheard you. What do you want from me again?”

“I want nothing other than to bring someone righteous to Convergence. Someone whose wish would benefit the world rather than their own pocket. Everyone’s future including my own is at risk. I’d rather you than someone like Jericho who’d wish for everything to revolve around sevens.”

“But how did you sneak into here? I’m seriously getting goosebumps right now.”

“It was my job to not be seen. What makes the magic happen is my machina, Snake Eater.”

Simon wrapped himself in his cloak, vanishing from her sight. She stared into the now empty room. “Creepy.”

“Pay me no mind. Just know that I shall always watch your back. You may sleep in peace without fear of assassins.”

She scratched her head. “Um, thank you I guess, but... always?”

“Always.”

“Well, you’ll at least wait outside of bathrooms and bathhouses, right? Right?”

“...”

“Hey, answer me!”

“...”

Sasha let out a big sigh before putting her head under the pillow. Major spoke to her. I sense no malice in his soul. A duty-bound bodyguard as diligent as he appears will be useful.

“I know.” She looked out to where Simon may or may not have been. “Do whatever you want. Just don’t make it weird.”

“...”

“You’re making it weird by not answering.”

“Lady Sasha, it is in my humble, disposable opinion that your mentioning of how it’s weird is making it weird. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, I take it back. Simon, sorry for my rudeness. I’m grateful for the help.”

“...”

“Augh, I doubt I’ll get used to this.”

You should. As soon as news spreads of my existence, countless will begin moving to put you to death.

“Sounds delightful. You have a nice, worry-free rest too, Major."

The next day reached her with a blink. She rose with a horrible headache and Isaac at the doorway. A cold seriousness possessed him that she didn’t see often. “You ready, Sasha?” He lowered his voice to a near hush. “We’re meeting to discuss the second great machina’s location.”

“Of course.” She looked down at her grimy owl's clothes. “But first, if you have anything else, I’d like to change into something more suitable.”

“I’ll send Elise over. She can help you out. You’re not that much smaller than her.”

Soon, Elise arrived. She watched from behind as Sasha got dressed in an assortment of leather, chainmail, and iron. Even though they were both girls, Sasha couldn’t help but feel awkward alone with her. Elise noticed. “No need to be nervous. Is this about last night?”

Now sporting her new armor, Sasha sheathed Major into the scabbard at her belt and faced Elise. “You saw me walk in on you two?”

“I did. Didn’t tell Isaac though. Everyone makes mistakes. No need to make a big deal about it.”

“How was he? Isaac.”

Elise didn’t expect that. She was taken aback for a moment, and then showed a mischievous smile. “Perfect.”

They exited the room to the hall where Isaac and Abdul waited. Both were geared to the teeth, their respective machina resting in sheaths, one armored in full scale and the other in bronze plate. Isaac led the group to a secretive storage room tucked away in the back of the underworks. “We can’t allow anyone to hear our conversation. It’s the nature of our mission,” he explained, opening the door to the room.

Sasha looked back before entering. Nobody was there. Or were they? Simon watched from somewhere nearby. She assured the group. “I can’t tell you in a way that won’t freak you out, but we shouldn’t have to worry about anyone listening in from afar.”

Isaac looked confused. “Excuse me? Now I’m curious.”

“It’s fine. Forget it.”

“Really? Tell me. I hate secrets. This is why they call me Isaac the True.”

“Ah, thanks for explaining that. I thought it was because your dick always strikes true.”

“Obscene. Are you mad at me? Why?”

“Nope.”

Elise nudged him. “The holy sword, Excalibur.”

“You too? What am I missing here?”

Sasha placed Major down on a crate in the storage room. They gathered around it in a circle. She sat on an adjacent stool and beckoned the machina to speak. “Now, Major, tell them what you shared back in the depths of Rath Ghul. These are our allies, but you already know that.”

“Lovecraft is the closest. It lies shattered within the highest point of this city, Castle Hemmer. The ruler who brought The Westwinds to ruin in his war for Convergence guards it. That is King Andre of this nation.”

Silence fell over the room. Horrible turmoil crept onto Isaac’s face. He made way to the door to escape. His hands shook to such an extent that he struggled to even twist the doorknob to get out of there.

Abdul looked at him concerned. “You okay?”

Isaac ripped the knob from the door and then kicked it open to storm off. Abdul nodded. “He’s not okay.”

Elise bowed to Sasha. “I need to go after him. I’m sorry. It’s hard to explain, but it’s personal. Nothing riles up Isaac more than that tyrant and war.”

Abdul looked unsure. “He’ll be fine going forward, right? I doubt we’ll be able to continue with just Sasha and I.”

Sasha corrected him. “Well, it’d be three including Simon.”

“Who is Simon?”

Sasha avoided eye contact, whistling badly. Elise shrugged and elaborated, leaving Abdul to wonder. “I can’t make any promises. Isaac doesn’t like to bring up his past even to me. If taking Lovecraft forces him to confront it, then I don’t know if he’ll be able to do it.”

Sasha got stern. “I know he can. I believe in him.”

Elise looked unsure. “Me too, I think, but I can’t help worrying.” She left the room, leaving Sasha alone with Abdul.

He looked around suspiciously. “Who the fuck is Simon?”

Sasha whistled louder.