Ah, there it was. Gaius leaned back, raising an eyebrow. "You see why that might be a problem, surely. I'm in the middle of a war; hiring new people is something of a risk." Was this fellow one of Tomhas's attempts to infiltrate? So soon in the war?
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“Yes, sir.” Aleth bobbed his head, but it hurt so he stopped and grimaced instead. “I… I understand. But I promise that if you take a risk on me, I won’t disappoint you. I owe you my life. I won’t forget it.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Many have told me that over the years." Gaius would have to get a message to Roland and tell him to talk to Pratik about this fellow. Perhaps one of them would have insight. "You may remain here until you're well enough to travel, at the very least. We will revisit hiring at a later date." Very bold of him to come right out and ask for a job. "Do you have family?"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“No, sir,” Aleth answered. That much was true. He didn’t know where his father was, but with any luck the bastard was dead by now. If he wasn’t, Aleth didn’t want anything to do with him. “I’m afraid I don’t.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"I'm sorry to hear that." Gaius tapped his cane again. "Which region of the North are you from?"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“Thank you,” Aleth said, dipping his head. “I’m from Pawholm. Arrell.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Ah, Barraster territory." More cause for concern, if that was true. The Barrasters were aligned with Tomhas. "And how long have you been a slave?
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“About two years, sir,” Aleth answered, increasingly anxious that he wasn’t selling the story well with all these suspicious questions he was getting. “Give or take. I’m not quite sure what month it is at the moment.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
(Gonna make me drag up my Jordheim calendar huh? I'll insert a date asap)
"Mm. It's the fourteenth of Horsinn." Gaius nodded slightly. "Sera mentioned you had some old scars. Older than two years, from what she said, and not many other wounds than that until these more recent injuries."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
It wasn’t a question. And yet he knew he’d have to give a response if he didn’t want to raise suspicions. “I kept my head low during my time with my master, sir… the more recent ones are from the slavers…” he paused a bit too long, not wanting to admit the rest. But, finally, “The older ones are from my father.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Ah, that much was true for certain. Gaius could see that right away. He was curious as to how bad they were--did his own scars compare? "You must have had a very kind master indeed," he said skeptically.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“Well… bruises don’t leave scars…sir.” Aleth answered. “So I was fortunate.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"It certainly seems so." Gaius still had a long way to go before he was convinced of any of this; something about this man was rubbing him the wrong way. "How long did the slavers have you?"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“It’s hard to say,” Aleth said. “The days all blend together.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Longer than three weeks, not including your escape?"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
