Chương 29: Villainy

Ch 29. Villainy At the end of the week, John was about to close the office when very suddenly a number of men, elves, dwarves, and merfolk pushed their way inside.

"What's going on!?" he yelled as they all swept the room and closed the curtains. Two of them moved in front of him and moved him to the end of the room. He considered moving for his desk and trying to call the guards, but before he could do it a voice rang out from the front door.

"At its heart, every city's blood is made up of the worst and most deplorable filth imaginable." A man walked in. He was long and lean wearing a tight overcoat over a burgundy vest that had been gilded in silver. His hands were covered in black gloves, and the black boots he wore were so clean John could see the shadow of his own reflection in them.

The man's face was as long as the rest of him, and his hair was swept back showing a number of scars across his face and one eye of dark red contrasting the soft blue of the other.

"That is the nature of any gathering of people," the man continued as he walked toward John, his voice had a kind of commanding quality to it that made it impossible for John to look away.

"In order to make things work, it takes the dregs. Those at the bottom who are willing to do the jobs that are just too dirty, too despicable for anyone else to consider. You're probably wondering who I am. I'm the one who keeps that blood pumping. You can call me, Oclis."

"Uh, hi," responded John, unsure of how to respond.

"Can I ask you why you're here?" Oclis walked toward him, stopping at Andressa's desk to pick up a small red glass sphere and move it between his fingers.

"What do you give a man who has everything? A man who has taken everything he's ever wanted. Who dug with bleeding hands into the darkness of this world to find his destiny? When a man like that has grasped all which he sought, which he fought and killed to gain, I suppose there's only one thing left for him to seek. Peace of mind." John nodded along, deciphering what he could.

"You want my help with some kind of psychological issue? Can you be more specific? Also you could've just made an appointment."

"When a shark grows large enough, the lampreys and parasites come to cling to him. The shark's only purpose is to move forward, scenting blood, but those that tie their fates to his are responsible for those smaller things, who bleed too little for him to find." He cast a meaningful glance to one of the men standing in front of John.

"The boss can't stop talking like that and he needs help." John blinked.

"He can't stop talking in villainous monologues?" Oclis placed the red sphere down forcefully.

"What is a villain? Is it a man who hurts others to get what he wants? Is it a man who lives outside the rules imposed upon him by those with all the power. Are the true villains not those that imposed those rules on others in the first place?"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Can you help the boss?" asked the goon that had spoken for him a moment ago.

"Uh, I can try, but to be honest I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before. Have you already had him checked for a magical reason for this?"

"He ain't cursed and he ain't sick."

"Oh wow; well, let's see what we can do. Please step into my office." He looked at the nearest goon.

"Can you come in as well? In case I need translation help?" The man nodded and both he and Oclis strode confidently into his office.

"Would you care for some tea?"

"Tea."

"Is that a yes or-""It takes boiling water to bring out its truest flavor. Just as the crucible of this city's underworld is what forged me into the man I am today. There is an old legend that a great sword requires both fire and ice in equal measure to truly be perfect. In truth, it is only fire that is needed to truly forge something strong. For those of us willing to burn forever, that heat should never be quenched." Love what you're reading?

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"The boss will have a cup. I'd like one too if that's alright." John nodded, already anticipating a long night. He made three cups and distributed them. He almost asked how they took it, but to avoid a speech about how cream always rises to the top or sweetness is only the preface to sour he decided to simply set the entire tray with all the sugar and cream down on the table between them.

The goon took some time to mix two and a half spoonfuls of sugar in Oclis's cup before more haphazardly scooping sugar and pouring cream into his own. John took a long sip.

"So, when did you notice there was a problem?" He directed the question to the goon.

"About a week ago, but it may have been longer. Boss has always been…" he side-eyed the lean man to his left.

"Very deliberate with how he speaks." John nodded.

"Alright, let's try a bit of roleplay and see if we can effect any changes. Are you familiar with the concept of roleplay? Of acting?"

"Society requires that we wear masks. The good son, the devout priest, the caring nurse. These facades are what let us live with one another. The moment they slip though, that's when you realize that only that thin facade is keeping us from tearing one another apart."

"Alright, good," said John with a nod.

"So for this one let's stick with something you're comfortable with. I'll be a man that owes you money, and you'll be yourself, okay? Just nod if you've got it." Oclis started to open his mouth, but stopped himself and nodded. John made his face look a bit remorseful as he changed his manner of speech.

"I'm sorry man, I promise I'll have the money next week. Please, I have a family to feed."

"Debts don't care about your circumstances. They don't wonder about what they cost you, about what they take. They simply take because it is what is owed. Give me no excuses." John nodded.

"Okay, so that's appropriate for that situation, good start. Next I'll be a waiter at a restaurant." Oclis nodded again.

"Good evening sir, can I take your order?"

"Order. What is order? Is it the feel of the club as a guard cracks your skull? The taste of a boot on your tongue? Or is it simply the illusion that we can control all of this chaos that surrounds us? I reject order. It is an illusion that seeks only to harm and control in the guise of safety." John nodded, writing down a few things in his notebook.

"Okay, let's start a bit smaller. I'm going to ask very basic questions and I want you to answer just yes or no. Okay?" Oclis nodded.

"Your name is Oclis?"

"What is a na-" he clenched his teeth and exhaled.

"Yes."

"You are a man."

"Miserable pile of secre-" He clenched his teeth again.

"Yes."

"Very good. It's light out right now?"

"Light is-" He slapped his own knee hard.

"No." John nodded.

"This is good, we're figuring out the baseline here." John asked several more questions, then he went back into roleplay, then asked the goon several more questions about Oclis's state before he wound up stuck as he was. He seemed to have been working very hard with no breaks for a very long time. He didn't read anything that wasn't a report on his territory, didn't talk unless it was to give orders, and didn't even sleep thanks to a number of powerful alchemical concoctions that allowed him to function without it.

"Okay. I think I can help you, but it's going to be a hard road. I'd like to set up a weekly appointment with you. I can guess that your hours are…erratic, but please try to send a pixie to me or my secretary to give me a heads up. Outside of that you need to start sleeping, and I'd recommend taking some kind of break from work." Oclis's good eye widened, but John held up a finger.

"I understand that you can't completely step away, but your mind needs some kind of break from it or your affliction will likely get worse." Oclis nodded.

"Okay, let me escort you out." They walked to the front door where Oclis hesitated and turned around.

"The World will take everything from you. It will strip you of what you own, what you think you own, and even what you didn't even realize you had. The one thing you should hold onto for dear life, is yourself. It's the only thing you can rely on." He held out a hand. John took the man's hand and gave it a firm shake.

"That's right, I'll see you next week."