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Mr. Laveau had been right about a great deal of many things but not everything. Due to each of their reputations though, they left it best to not let it become too public about their contractual connection with each other.
Not long after they had made their contract, Rannith's landlord had spiked the rent with the fluctuating market for the whole building that made staying become unaffordable. Many places in the area had also changed their rental prices that left no place affordable and close enough to keep up with the work schedule that had been sustaining him.
Less and less bets went in favor of Rannith and so did income. Bigger and better names became more prevalent in training new champions as well as experienced. He slowly began fading from people's mind, all the while, Mr. Laveau had been mostly quiet. Alexander said he had a lot of business to attend, and without having any real reason to doubt that, Rannith waited to hear word from his sponsor.
When Mr. Laveau broke his silence, the first thing Rannith was in need of was a place to stay; without the bat of an eye, Laveau easily provided. Not only did he provide a place to stay but he informed the young champion that it was about time he met his other business partners they would be working with, or working closely to, in their partnership. Meeting after meeting did time draw near to meet Mr. Laveau's old teammate and their sphere of influence.
The only warning he was given was that the son had formed a party for reasons to directly undermine Mr laveau's business and his connections. One of the teammates of the son's was someone quite unique more than others, as she is not only their teammate, but one of the rare demigods.
Rannith didn't know what to expect, never having met a demigod before, but the context in his meeting this demigod seemed as though it might not go by pleasantly. Alexander informed him that as a demigod she was crude, condescending, and looked down the nose at everybody despite her stature. So that is what he expected on their first meeting. The meeting was so much worse but Rannith never would have thought, that in time, to find that the first thing Alexander was wrong about, would be so skewed.
That day started out with being introduced to a more casual group of personal friends of Mr laveau's. A group of friends who he could confide in and trusted. They had decided to meet at a different drinking spot than they usually went to; a bar that his former teammate owned and the first of multiple establishments that competed with Alexander.
The first person he got an impression of was the son. His posture was lazy and his clothes were neither neatly kept or presentable. His manner of speaking was very accentuated by gestures most common used by support casters as well as bartenders. Has mannerisms seemed too lazy though as if he's never done any real hard work himself; like the type of person that leaves any kind of real work or effort to other people.
Then there was the demi-god Pumpkin. Preposter was stiff and started, knees always bent just enough and even through her nervous outward demeanor there was still a firmness about her. She doesn't gesture her arms as much as the son but she does always keep her elbows in close to her frame, one hand never leaving too far from the waste. A sword wielder, possibly one that needs more finesse than a heavy blade.
Their introduction on the other hand confirmed and dispelled some prejudice he had, there was only one last party member with them at this point. While Rannith was surprised at first that the father remained hands-free disposition of his son's actions, going as far as to select someone else as the benefactor, there was some very clear and subtle meddling that was taking place from the father's side.
The son, in his own detestable way, only introduced himself in a flirtatious manner, which Rannith found to be deplorable at best. By the time the Demigod tried introducing herself, he had already become disinterested to notice anything else after noting each of their fighting styles.
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Later, that very same night, was when he noticed the demigod. Alexander had shown and checked Rannith in to where he would be staying for their time in the port city. A decently large suite with a tall windows facing the beach shores. After Mr. Laveau left, some time later Rannith received a knock on the door.
Pumpkin, the demigod, said she wanted to talk about something. Yet, despite insisting that there was something to talk about, she seemed to fail at explaining anything or ask this magic question she seemed to have had. She was alone, no weapon in sight and explained that she came alone without telling anyone.
She never got to all the questions she tried asking which only made the interaction more confusing. Alexander mentioned that she was sharp, manipulative and always had some kind of trick up her sleeve, but this was almost hard to watch. It was embarrassing, not for him but for her. She stuttered and stammered a lot, she almost seemed to shrink out of her usual confident and readied posture and gestured a little more erratically as if that would distract him from how pathetically helpless she looked in the moment.
He decided to send her on her way, so she didn't have any more metaphorical rope to hang herself with. The only question she had managed to ask him was how much could he trust in Mr. Laveau, which he promptly told her was none of her business. When she left, she left him with more questions of his own, not just about what kind of plan did she want to form to further undermine his sponsor, but why was their conversation so painfully awkward?
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Rannith's and Alexander Laveau's relationship wasn't built on trust, but merely contract. Alexander would provide all accommodations well Rannith performs the tasks and missions he was given; but he did start questioning.
Questioned a lot of things in the months to come. He questioned the Integrity of Laveau's business, the moral obligations or lack of that the businessman had, and what was to become of all of the menial tasks that began escalating until it brough him back to his hometown.
He grew suspicious when Alexander was not surprised when Rannith mentioned that he's been to Montranoe before, almost too comfortable with dismissing his concerns. Laveau never slowed down or stopped to explain anything before setting off to executing unknown plans. Even while the demigod's team grew, stacking against him, Alexander still refused to explain.
There were some good things that came out of all the meetings Alexander presented him to, the best of which was the General of the first army, Benedict Lupisulvian. He was a firm man, very stuck to the rules and his duty but patient, fair, and wise.
They became close, unknowingly planned for by Alexander, but it was what both the General and Rannith needed. He was the father figure Rannith never had, offering guidance without imposing his values. Despite the malicious intensions of the one that introduced them, their connection was genuine and sincere.
The General's life ended too quickly. Thanks to the foolishness, stupidity, selfishness, and conceit of the ex-teammate's son, the General died. Most damning information he learned from later was that General was the son's own biological grandfather that he not just abandoned but now killed. It was the first time in Rannith's life that he had ever felt such a rageful sense of loathing to any one person.
Trial by combat was his chosen method. Before an audience of thousands, the General, frail and chronically ill, was forced back into his battle armor to face a younger, stronger opponent as his legally appointed duelist in a trial by combat. The sight was agonizing, and the strain proved too much—pushing the elder warrior to his final moments.
Rannith stayed by the General's side, through the chaos and the rush of doctors, he would not let go. He listened to every laboring breath, knowing that any moment, any of those breathes could be the last.
4 hours did the General stay like that, struggling to fight just to stay alive for a little longer, just to give his heir a final reassurance about his own fading life and the life Rannith will have living on.
"When the morning comes, I will probably no longer be here. We all know that there will be a day that everyone gets to move on to our next life; it was something I felt ready for, for so long, until I met you. Well now, I wish I could stay just a little bit longer.
I know that's an ask two great to grant for someone like me. It's just that there are so many things I have yet to teach you and so many more that I want to. Like no matter how dark life may be, the sun is always just on the other side of the clouds, burning bright and eternal. So be patient and be wise. Don't close off your heart from the world, think with your mind, and open your eyes. You won't always find the answers for everything, the easiest answers are almost always wrong, and trust your instincts when you feel something isn't right. Vontor gave you a great gift of insight, use it and fight for what you believe in."