Kalen's pov
"Kalen do you know how I ended up here"
he spoke with one eye open scanning the empty ale tankard in his hand as if looking for the drops that escaped him when he started drinking,
I was tempted to drag it from him, it was a pitiable sight, a once great man a man I had looked up to and still do in some parts of my heart struggling to believe he hadn't drank all the alcohol I had permitted him in seconds but I answered regardless
'they saw you went crazy'
"HA! kid I'm wretched right now but as sane as a man can possibly be given what I've gone through"
'then what happened'
I asked as politely as I could, the man in front of bearing almost no resemblance to the one I had met all those years ago the way his once glamorous visage was buried drew disgust even from me who was indifferent to most things
"well at least someone has to know"
he said before recounting his tale, the start of his life his acquisition of strenght and most importantly the events after the war with the Laplace cult, how his friends had betrayed both him and his ideals, how those he trusted ignored his plight and how he got labeled a mad blood thristy fellow with no regard as to the suffering of others, it made me sick my will began to leak out and the patrons of the bar began to feel lightheaded felt ache's in their stomach's like they had ingested something foul, his words brought me back to reality
"calm down kid, this is my burden why are you getting angry about it besides the people in this bar didn't do anything to me so why should they suffer"
with that I came back to reality and the nauseating aura disappeared
"I can see it on you, you're someone who doesn't typically let the world get to you it's best you keep it like so or else you won't live long"
I looked around, although few there were a few skilled people around us and they were eyeing me warily
"so, what have you been up to"
'huh'
"I asked what that little kid I saw all those years ago had to go through in order to become the monster in front of me, I mean kid right now even though I'm a little rusty you could give me a run for my money"
I smiled inside, even though I was a mid ranking Don the man I idolized was still able to end me as inebriated as he was it made me feel pleased that he hadn't fallen that far,
I began to recount the details of my life since then breezing through until I got to the details of a few days past
"Damm, so you're a Don now crazy"
I had my head down the whole time whilst staring at my drink with a tense face
"are you scared"
he asked
'terrified'
I said
'the last Don I promised him to do better but I don't have a clue on what doing better entails and the first Don, I just don't feel comfortable with him'
"I don't blame you, I've met that Langris guy he gets in my head too, tell me kid if you and this guy were to fight who would win"
I'll admit the thought had come to my mind several times over the past few days I knew his Arcanum was light while mine was darkness, polar opposites, but I didn't know any of his edicts granted he shouldn't know any of mine so if it came down to it would come down to one thing, raw power, I thought back to when we had that flex off in the senate building, the amount of blade force and mana he had me show off was roughly the amount Micheal had but it was obvious both of us still had much to give, I made my decision
'it could go either way'
he smiled as I said that
"that's it, an impass, you're both equals or close as possible for it to make no difference and it seems you've forgotten one of the absolute truths of this world, WITH POWER COMES POSSIBILITY, if you're power is enough you'll be okay"
he was right, that was the law of the world, a law no Don, noble or seemingly self righteous advocist could refute and that was because we were all slaves to it even Langris, yet I still found myself saying
'I wish you could help me'
his demeanor changed as he spoke
"Kid are you asking me to serve you"
I quickly realised what I had said, a few Don's had Arcanum users serving them but these guys were typically on the weaker end for Arcanum users and usually consisted of those who challenged Don's and lost pathetically and couldnt escape as such were forced into slavery, they were often the subject of mass ridicule, I was asking this man, a continental treasure and someone undoubtedly stronger that me to serve me, I was lucky he didn't attack me instantly
'I didn't mean it like that I swear I was trying to convey something else....'
"don't"
I shut up instantly
"I'd like you to tell me why should I degreade myself like that"
I was about to launch into another tanget on how he got my meaning all wrong before I saw his eyes, they weren't the eyes of someone who was insulted, they were the eyes of a man looking for something to believe and someone to aid in that belief, I wasn't sure that was me but I still spoke
"because I intend to save everyone possible and I want to see it"
I hadn't noticed but I stood up as I spoke and had inadvertently drawn the attention of everyone present but as embarrassed as I was I didn't sit back down until he said
"I'll think about it"
I sighed and said
'thank you sir'
"HELL NO!"
'huh'
"never ever under any circumstances should you call me sir, I only have 7 years on you, I'm in the prime of my youth and will not tolerate you treating me like an old man"
I paused in order to take in what I had just heard, I admit he was pretty young but it seems he had gone through something that made him very adverse being seen as old I decided to humor this much funnier side of my hero by asking
'then what should I call you'
he thought for a moment before saying
"how about big bro"
'huh'
I covered the lower half of my mouth to suppress my laughter an act that did not go unnoticed
"what's wrong, you don't think we're of age to be brothers"
'no, nothing like that I just didn't think you'd be the one to suggest something like that'
I looked to him after I had composed my self before saying
'I loved to refer to you as big bro, if you'll let me'
he reached for the ale tankard and filled both out mugs to the brim the picked up his and said
"to my new little brother and all the great things he'll do from now on"
'cheers'
I said as I tapped my mug against his, we both drank long and deep we had many more that night exchanging stories and banter until we parted ways I to the Inn I was staying and him to the guild Hall with a light in his eyes I hadn't seen when we met in that alley and although it was late when I got back once I had told Felix who I had met he wouldn't let me get my dearly needed sleep, we left yam Town early in the afternoon the next day as I had decided to sleep in due to the previous nights events and with that we were off on the rest of our journey