Chapter 6: Imbalance of favors
Onix started promptly the tank's engine and accelerated, with that in short time they got easily rid of the motorist squadron that was about to catch them seconds ago.
-Aklas' jurisdiction stops past the Cerules mountains. -said Onix- We will only have to cross them and...Eh? What the hell are you doing?!
Rezler, just behind Onix' seat, and still in possession of the katana he lend him moments ago, slided the blade around the warlock's neck, inmobilizing him.
-Well, friend, thet ables have turned. -said Rezler, with severity- Now it's me who is aiming at you with your own weapon, but this time you aren't a dying raplos...
-If you are going to kill me, do it now.
-Don't interrupt me. As i was saying, you aren't a dying raplos, nor am i an assassin rat without scruples. I saved you and you wanted to kill me, but at least you have just saved my life with your strange powers, which leaves us in a weird imbalance of favors. Well, i now suggest you something: you are going to swear that you aren't going to try anything stupid against me, you are letting me live and in exchange i'm letting you live now. I don't know how much could a scum's word be of any good, but what's clear is that if you don't promise and swear right now that you are going to leave my head on it's place no matter what happens, i'm going to use yours as food for raplos.
-Officially, you are dead.
-I don't give a shit about official stuffs youngster, tell your owner whatever you want, but you are going to let my ass in peace. Understood?
-Understood. Now take that off of me, i'm driving.
-By the way, where the hell are we going? I personally want to go back home and forget about this stupid nonsense.
-You will have to wait, friend. -said Onix- I must go to Cebium and earn my last pay.
-Your last pay? Well, at least it seems that the ones on your trade go into retirment quite early, hah. How old are you? 25? 30?
-Simply, there's no more work.
-Oh well, and i thought that in the end some kind of remorse remained in your entrails. So what are you going to do now for a living then, eh?
-It's not your business. Even though i haven't any plan to tell you about.
The two different men, now safe from Aklas' threat once they arrived to the Cerules side, got ready to cross the great mountain formation. They surrounded it by the east for a while without finding a single path, but just when they started to feel desperated they found a sheer road, wide enough as to allow their huge vehicle to cross it. They moved doing zigzag on that narrow scenery for a long while and gaining more altitud every time, until they finally reached a point in which the other side of the mountains was visible, a magnificent landscape that had little to do with the dry and inhospitable desert they were leaving behind: green meadows, thick forests, great lakes and, far away on the background, as a discordant note in such a beautiful scenery, Karon Rhod's megacity, the most extensive of Orice (besides of the poorest).
After a little break on the top of the mountain, the tank covered the last stretch of the huge mountain formation descending, making sure to slow down constantly on the complicated curves of the road so the great mass of steel wouldn't fall down the precipice. Cebium, a little village of about a hundred residents, was waiting for them past the mountains.
