swllow

I am dreaming.

In the dream, it is the day my mother first brought me to Rhodes Island. She took me, a young child, to the huge landship to meet one person after another.

Their faces are blurry, their voices distant.

I had a feeling that my mother had made an important decision.

I was too young at the time. I naively thought that nothing short of death could separate me from my mother.

Until an adult led me away, while my mother stood there and watched.

I turned around to look at her, but I couldn't discern the emotions in her eyes.

So, uhh, GreyThroat... Is that what you go by now?

That's right. And you are?

Umm... Do you really not recognize me?

Sir, you're bringing news of a Catastrophe. Though the situation isn't particularly urgent, I don't think we have time to play guessing games with one another.

Fair enough. After all, it's been so many years, and you were still so young back then.

Here, this is a photo I took with your parents. Does it jog your memory?

In the photo, the man in front of me looks as old as I am now. He stands next to my mother and father with his arms folded. There's a date in the lower right corner, and it's not long after my eighth birthday.

There are a few words written on the back of the photo: 'For Ian Caldwell.'

Ian Caldwell... My father's student. I remember you. You used to stop by our house often.

Righto. That's me.

You've changed an awful lot.

So what should I call you? GreyThroat, or...

GreyThroat's fine.

Sounds good. Anyway, I'm here for one other thing, besides warning you about the Catastrophe.

I'd like you to be my bodyguard.

Leaving Rhodes Island to be... your bodyguard? That's unrealistic.

And even if you were my father's student, why did it take you so many years to find Rhodes Island and me?

I only ran into you again a few months ago, during the Catastrophe that struck the Winterwisp Mountains in the north of Leithanien.

...In Wolumonde?

Right, the Catastrophe that tore through Wolumonde. Had it not been for you and your team, things could've gone a whole lot worse.

Unfortunately, you were already evacuating when I saw you, and I was rushing to the scene. You looked familiar, but I didn't have time to actually confirm it was you.

After that, I found out from the Catastrophe Messenger information network that it really was you.

And what does that have to do with me becoming your bodyguard?

You weren't this distrustful when you were a kid. Have they been... treating you alright on Rhodes Island all these years?

Your mother... I met her after the incident that took my teacher's life. She was looking everywhere for a place where you would be taken care of.

And she came to you?

The other way around. I offered to take care of you and your mother for a while, but she turned me down.

She did? Why?

Maybe because I could barely support myself at the time.

Your parents treated me well, even letting me stay at your place for a while. So, I've always felt bad about what happened.

Also... I've seen how you interact with the Infected.

You...

You rescued an Infected somewhere near the Winterwisp Mountains outside of Wolumonde.

Something like that should have been a piece of cake for Rhodes Island, but when you were helping the Infected—

Heyo—

Oh, are you chatting with a guest?

Just about done. What's up?

Who's this?

Blaze, Rhodes Island elite operator. Blaze, this is Ian, one of my father's students.

Blaze saunters over off-handedly and leans against the wall.

Umm...

According to our estimates, a Catastrophe will hit in roughly three to five days. I'll be staying in the area for about a day or two.

If you've made up your mind, come and see me. I'll be staying in a town slightly north of where Rhodes Island is anchored.

...Mm.

Sorry for interrupting.

You don't seem sorry at all.

Oh, really?

Yes.

C'mon, don't be all stony-faced like that. You're still young, y'know. You won't get wrinkles by having more expressions.

...What on earth brings you here?

There's a party on the deck tomorrow night. Wanna come?

Oh wow, this is rare. You're actually considering it?

I thought you'd blow me off like usual and say, 'I'm not going anywhere with you.'

And each time, you'd come over five minutes before the party started and drag me there anyway.

See, you get it after all.

Or, are you hesitating... because you've decided to accept Ian's offer?

For the record, I just happened to overhear your conversation when I came in. Wasn't trying to eavesdrop or anything, sorry.

Don't worry about it.

Because I seem more genuinely sorry this time?

Something like that.

Jokes aside, what do you think about his offer?

There's no way I'll accept it, but I should at least have a talk with him.

When is Rhodes Island leaving?

Seeing how the Catastrophe alert puts us at risk in about three to five days, we're probably setting off in the next twenty-four hours.

No worries though, there's enough time. Even if your chat with the dude takes longer than expected, I'll buy you some time by talking the engine guy into having a few drinks in the boiler room.

Glad you decided to come, GreyThroat.

Want something to drink? The townspeople are preparing to evacuate, so everything's cheap right now.

...I'll pass.

Let's circle back to our conversation about my mother. Did she leave anything behind, or... did you learn anything about her during your time as a Messenger?

...Unfortunately, no.

I tried looking for her but with no success. That said, I could search more efficiently with you as my bodyguard.

I still don't get it.

I understand why you're looking for a bodyguard. Maybe your old one has resigned or passed away. Whatever the case, you urgently need a new one now.

But why me? Because of the rescue mission in Wolumonde? Or because you want to help me out and make up for what you couldn't do for me in the past?

If you insist on putting it that way, then yes, I'd like to help you.

Remember what I never got to finish saying on Rhodes Island?

While you were helping that Infected man back in the Winterwisp Mountains, your hands were shaking the whole time, and your whole body was... emanating terror.

I knew in that instant that... we were exactly the same.

How so?

Have you never wondered why I'm a Catastrophe Messenger now when I used to be your father's student?

Because I also lost a few of my kin in the unrest that took your father's life...

From then on, I'll feel nauseous whenever I see those hideous Originium crystals in the flesh beneath my scalpel.

Whenever I think of the Oripathy medicine in the bottles, I can't help but think we'd be better off investing resources in diseases that can be cured, rather than throwing them away at this incurable disease.

You get along pretty well with that Blaze girl, right? But when she was leaning against the wall, you couldn't control your urge to shift away from her.

...It's just a subconscious reaction.

I can tell, GreyThroat. You've been living an oppressive life all these years on Rhodes Island.

I hope you can find another place that suits you better. Stop forcing yourself to walk on a path you could have avoided.

I was raised on Rhodes Island, Ian. I'm not enough of an ingrate to cast aside the Infected for such a petty reason.

You'll still be helping them, just in a different way.

Helping people avoid Catastrophes by nipping the very source of infection in the bud. How is that not helping them?

Sure, they might have raised you, but that doesn't mean you need to heed their orders forever. That's blind obedience, not gratitude.

What do you mean?

With their days numbered, the Infected have no choice but to cling onto a belief or hope. It doesn't matter whether they have to sacrifice or become violent for it.