Kai had a double take when he saw the Don.
He'd expected that same figure from his early childhood. Dressed in a white suit that flashed in the sun, elven ears curled like scythes, eyes graced by angry, thick brows. A sizable gut that didn't make him feel weak but instead imposing. Cigarette stewing in his mouth.
Instead, when a hovercycle stopped by the alleyway, a walking corpse stumbled out. The Don was gaunt, arms thin like twigs. He didn't wear a suit anymore, just bland grey robes, a coarse hood hiding his face from the general public. His expression had mellowed, his brows thinner and his eyes wrinkled, green pupils surrounded with bloodshot.
Kai realized he hadn't seen the Don for eight whole years. Not since Pops had freed him from the Don's slavery along with Leeva. Kai had come to Therma to trade parts, but he'd never once set foot on the northern side of town. Had no reason to, never wanted to, didn't ever figure on seeing the fat dobber's face again, especially not like this.
"Oh," the Don nodded in understanding as he walked up to Kai. He stopped when Kai pointed his clawed wing at him. "It's you. Kai. Been a while."
Kai gave a slow nod. "You've lost weight."
"And you've grown taller." The Don motioned at Kai's wings. "And then some. Look at that. Dahmer must have raised you right."
"A hell of a lot better than you did for me," Kai spat.
"I can't deny that." The Don shrugged with a nonchalant flair, annoying Kai.
"I'm not here to talk about the past. Tell it to me straight: the hell are you doing with the Daemons?"
"Protecting them."
"Shouldn't have expected the truth outta you."
"I have no reason to lie. I have all the power in this city. All the weapons. Whether I lie or not won't jeopardize my position at all."
Kai's wing inched nearer to the Don, the black claw twitching as it neared the elf's angular face.
"This look like fucking jeopardy to you?" said Kai.
"Indeed, it does." The Don stared at the claw for a second before taking a step back. "And I value my life, so let's get to the point. What do you want? Or does Dahmer want something?"
"I'm not with Dahmer anymore."
"You certainly have bad luck with families."
"Watch what you say, old man."
The Don gave a wry smile. "My apologies."
Kai wore a grimace fueled by equal parts anger and confusion. Why the hell had the Don changed so much? From the fat, power-lusted fearmonger to this symbol of eerie calm. But he wasn't here to dig up the Don's past. He was here to know if the man would fight.
"You gonna fight?"
The Don narrowed his eyes. "This time around, yes. And I sense that you don't trust me, and I understand that. If you come to my base, I will show you everything you want to know. How the Daemons are being treated, all my battle preparations, everything."
Kai scoffed. "Think I'm gonna just waltz into an army of your men?"
"You can hold a knife to my throat the whole trip if you so wish." The Don motioned back to his hovercycle. "Delmont over there," he pointed to the masked elf behind Kai. "Will drive, as he knows the way. If you want true proof for your questions, if you want to believe without a doubt, then this is the only way. You won't believe just my words, that's for sure, not after what I did to you and the elf."
Kai clenched his fists. The Don's words evoked his memories. Of him as a slave, picking out parts until he collapsed from exhaustion nearly every day. Leeva, just ten, her tiny figure in chains so heavy she could barely move. And Grunt, though Pops had rescued him two years before he took in Kai and Leeva, had been forced in the underground fighting pits, bloodying himself everyday for the Don's entertainment.
How could Kai ever trust this man? The more he thought about it, the more he realized that it was ridiculous for him to even be asking questions. He felt the anger, the same rage that had burst up when the god inside him had empowered him, light aflame, and the thought came into his head that he might as well just kill the Don here and now. Make the fool pay for his sins.
But the god disagreed.
Do not do that, my Chosen. I sense an interesting presence coming from this elf. Let him explain himself. I assure you I will protect you.
Kai swallowed down his anger and relaxed his tensing body.
"Alright, I'll let you defend yourself." Kai held the claw of his wing right at the Don's fragile neck.
"Just know that any funny business pops up, and you die."
The Don gave a nod and then waved over to Belmont, who jogged over to the hovercycle's driving seat and revved it up.
"I hope that you will be open-minded to take in what I will tell you," said the Don. "For I will be telling you things that will change your perspective of this entire world. I know it changed mine."