"She tells me she saw a Guard get attacked, so naturally, I freak out and ask where. Then she says, 'in the slums,' and that's when it hits me—goddess damn it, it's that dickish partner of mine," Silas said, his voice growing theatrical as he reenacted the moment with exaggerated gestures, arms flailing like he was performing for a crowd.
Malvin let out a sharp, annoyed sigh. "I don't need a running commentary on your every thought and feeling, Silas. Just tell me what happened."
Silas straightened up, his grin unrepentant. "You're really no fun, you know that?" he said before continuing, this time with slightly less flair. "Anyway, after she told me what she saw, I asked her to show me where you were. She didn't even hesitate—just turned and bolted, leaving me to chase after her."
He paused, his brows furrowing in thought. Malvin's eyes narrowed. "Why did you stop?"
Silas scratched the back of his head, his expression shifting to one of mild puzzlement. "It's just... something about that girl felt familiar. Like, I've seen her somewhere before. But I swear, I don't ever remember meeting her. It's weird."
Malvin sat up straighter, his tone growing sharper. "Wait, describe her again. You said she had blue hair, but what shade of blue? What was she wearing? How old did she look? What color were her eyes?" The questions came rapid-fire, his intensity catching Silas off guard.
"Whoa, whoa, partner, slow down!" Silas said, holding his hands up defensively. "I know she basically saved your life, but don't you think you're obsessing over her just a bit?"
Malvin blinked, his confusion evident. "What?"
Silas shrugged, leaning back casually. "I mean, I don't think she's of age, so that should stop you from... you know... unless…?" His voice trailed off.
Malvin's face contorted with disbelief. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! That's not why I'm asking!" His voice rose sharply, his fists clenching at his sides. "I need to know what she looked like so I can figure out if she's someone I've crossed paths with before!"
Silas raised a skeptical eyebrow, but before he could make another quip, Malvin barked, "Just tell me!"
After a long, deliberately drawn-out sigh, Silas relented. He described the girl who had led him to Malvin—her features, her demeanor, and the details he could recall.
Malvin muttered under his breath, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "So that was her…" he said to himself. His mind raced as pieces began to slot into place. *But how would she know I was being attacked? Was she following us? Why would she even help me in the first place? And more importantly...* He remembered the boy they had chased a few weeks ago. *Maybe...*
He glanced back up at Silas, his expression unreadable. "Continue. I need more details," he said firmly.
Silas looked at him, confusion flickering across his face. "Details for wha—" He stopped himself mid-sentence, throwing his hands up in surrender. "You know what? Whatever. You're not going to tell me anyway."
He leaned casually against the wall, running a hand through his disheveled hair before continuing. "So, I'm following this girl, right? She's taking these sharp turns, weaving through alleyways like it's nothing. Next thing I know, we're deep in the slums," he said, his tone carrying a mix of surprise and admiration.
"She had to be seriously experienced at moving through that place. I swear, cause goddess damn, she navigated it like she knows the slums better than I know my own house," he added, shaking his head. For a moment, his expression darkened, his arms crossing over his chest. "Also... I didn't realize just how bad it is in there. Like, how do people even live in those conditions? No wonder so many of them turn to crime."
Malvin nodded silently, his gaze fixed on the blanket covering his legs. Those were his exact thoughts the first time he'd set foot in the slums. The hopelessness there was almost palpable.
"Anyway," Silas said, snapping himself out of his musings with a shake of his head. "I keep running after her for a solid five minutes or so, and she leads me to this crumbling, two-story building. And that's when I see him—Philip Crude! You know, the demi-human wolf guy? Him, a dwarf, and a whole group of others were heading out of the place." He gestured animatedly, his voice speeding up as he relived the moment. "The girl tells me you were dragged in there, so I'm about to charge in after you, right? But then, out of nowhere, that guy—the one who came to us for help—comes walking out."
"That completely threw me off," Silas continued, his voice rising as he relived the moment. "And then it gets even weirder. The guy goes to the other side of the building, and suddenly, boom!" He threw his hands out, mimicking an explosion. "It sounded like something exploded! Not huge or anything, but enough to make me jump. The next thing I knew, the building started collapsing. Philip Crude and his crew take off, and that guy joins them, just like that. I had no idea what the hell was going on, but I knew I couldn't waste time thinking about it."
He paused again, his tone growing quieter as he went on. "Then I ran inside. And... it was bad. Really bad. The place was littered with bodies, and you—" Silas shook his head, his usual casual demeanor replaced by a rare moment of seriousness. "You looked like you weren't going to make it. Honestly, I thought you were dead."
Malvin stared down at the bed, his hands resting on his lap. "That bad, huh?" he muttered, his voice low.
Silas nodded grimly. "Yeah. That bad. I called out to you, but you didn't respond. I didn't think—I just rushed in, grabbed you, and ran like hell. Barely made it out before the place came down."
He tugged at the collar of his unbuttoned uniform, revealing a bandaged shoulder. "Got this on the way out. Piece of debris or something. No big deal."
Malvin raised an eyebrow. "Is that…?"
Silas waved him off with a small grin. "Eh, it's fine. Could've been worse."
Malvin let out a reluctant sigh. "I'll take your word for it," he said before glancing up again. "But what about the girl?"
"Oh, her?" Silas shrugged nonchalantly. "After I got you out of the building, she saw the state you were in and helped me get you out of the slums. Didn't stick around, though. She left pretty quickly after that. Didn't get the chance to question her—kinda had my hands full making sure you didn't die."
Malvin nodded slowly, processing the story. "I think I might know who that was," he said after a moment, his brow furrowed in thought.
Silas's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, seriously? Who?"
Before Malvin could answer, the door slid open with a soft shhhk. "Yeah, Malvin," a deep voice cut in, sharp with authority. "Who was it? Because I need to thank them personally."
Both men turned to see Captain Cliff Howard stepping into the room, his presence commanding immediate attention.