Moon, sun, stars. Are these things too beyond my reach?

- Rhoros, former Demigod of journeys, winds, and discovery.

“Moving on…,” Cadius trailed off. “The next thing I wanted to talk about was your deaths. I would ask that you please listen to all of what I have to say before making any judgments.” I nodded. I could already guess what he was going to say, but I wanted to hear him say it, and more importantly, I wanted to know why.

“I’m sure the both of you believe something was strange about the situation.” I nodded. “If you haven’t yet realized it, I altered your perception of the assailant, causing you to underestimate his capabilities,” Cadius revealed.

He paused; no doubt having anticipated an outburst. I normally would have been furious, but I had been thinking things over. Because of the oath he had made, everything he said up until that point had been the truth. He hadn’t lied to us, not once. That earned him some respect in my eyes.

He raised an eyebrow, shrugged, then continued. “I did this to save your lives, well, technically your souls. I’m sure you’ve noticed the dust your body generates. That dust is in fact fragments of your soul.”

“Should we be concerned?” I asked. Cadius hadn’t sounded worried so…

“No,” he stated. “First off, I should clarify. There are two parts to the soul. The vessel, which is like the core of your soul, and the Anima, which is like the excess bits. Losing all your Anima isn’t the end of the world. At worst, you’ll fall unconscious. Anima regenerates over time, and the amount you’re shedding isn’t exceeding that amount. You’ll be fine,” he explained.

“…Dusts,” I muttered. Cadius’s earlier mention of dust sparked recent memory.

“Hm? Where did you hear that from?” Cadius asked

“The Ratatoskrs we fought. They called us Dusts, defects, something like that.”

“Yeah.” Cadius paused, scratching the back of his head. “That’s not entirely inaccurate. Your souls are defective. Most souls can properly contain their Anima, while yours are unable to. It’s something I’ve been looking into, but that’s all I’ve been able to learn so far.”

There was a pause. “I think everyone could use a break,” Wolfram proposed.

Cadius offered us something to eat before we continued with our talks. We agreed, not having had anything to eat since last night. When asked what we wanted to eat, Lloyd suggested that we eat whatever they usually made for lunch. Cadius nodded and dismissed Wolfram, who promptly left the room.

I decided I’d try to make use of the time before our meal arrived. “Cadius, what are the Vagabond Spirits?” I asked.

“It’s basically a thieves guild. But it’s also my military, in a sense. See, most demigods have armies under their command, and they use them to defend their territories and play their war games with each other. I prefer to kick back and enjoy the show. Although, we are often contracted by the other demigods for various jobs. Espionage, assassination, sabotage, you know, the usual. This lets us stay neutral and useful enough that the other demigods can’t just wipe us out.”

That’s the ‘usual’, huh?

“Where was I? Right, the Vagabonds. Instead of letting them steal from the citizens of Lowestoft, I send them elsewhere.”

“What do you mean?” Lloyd asked.

“It’s exactly as I said. I have them establish a presence in each territory, rather than in my own.”

“But wouldn’t that piss everyone off?” I questioned.

“Normally, but you see, I offer a special deal in exchange for tolerating the Vagabonds.” Cadius leaned forward in his seat, grinning mischievously. “If they allow us to operate in their territory, we’ll give them a discount on our services, a hefty one at that,” he said smugly.

I glanced over at Lloyd. “I don’t get it. How impressed should I be?”

Lloyd sighed. “How should I put this… He’s peddling drugs. When he gets caught by the guard, he offers special discounts and products as a bribe. He’s got everyone hooked and it’s earning him massive profits.”

I whistled. “Damn, I knew you were a schemer, Cadius, being the demigod of thieves and deception, but still.”

Cadius was smiling ear to ear, clearly enjoying the boost to his ego. Any more praise and I bet his head would pop.

“Oh yeah,” I added, “I was wondering. What’s the deal with Wolfram? He seems a bit too… formal to be your second in command.”

Cadius chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong, Wolfram is very talented and hardworking, but he’s too stiff. He told me that it was rude for him to address me as anything less. Wolfram’s so loyal that he gets offended on my behalf. I could have ordered him ease up, but I just didn’t have the heart,” said Cadius. “Oh, and don’t tell him I said any of that. He’d never let me hear the end of it.”

“So do you have a lot of people like him working for you or…?” I trailed off.

He shook his head. “No. In fact, most treat me like a best friend, and in some cases, a little brother. They sometimes even scold me! Can you believe it!? A demigod, being lectured by their subordinates!” he grinned.

Lloyd and I laughed at that. Cadius didn’t seem to mind sharing that about himself. He seemed to enjoy making others laugh, even at his own expense.

It didn’t take much longer for the food to arrive. Wolfram wheeled in a cart of food, plates still steaming. We were served a hearty course of grilled meats and steamed vegetables along with a mug of ale to wash it all down. Cadius didn’t seem all that hungry, as he ended up only taking a few bites while he read from a book. Lloyd and I devoured the meal in record time.

“It’s so good,” I commented. It really was. Even though it wasn’t anything fancy it still tasted great and was filling.

After the meal, Wolfram cleared the table and pushed the cart aside. He’d probably take care of it after the discussion was over.

“Alright, Von, Lloyd,” Cadius began. “I hope I’ve sufficiently answered your questions, because it’s about time I talked about what I actually brought you here for,” he declared, taking on a more serious demeanor. “I want to make two offers, though, I cannot tell you the second without you accepting the first.”

“Strange, but ok,” I said. “What’s your first offer?”

“I want you to become one of my followers, which means joining the Vagabond Spirits.”

“Why?” Lloyd fired back without hesitation.

“Because you two are exceptional thieves. Not only do you already have an abundance of experience, but you also have the potential to grow. In other words, I’d be crazy to not be desperate to recruit you.”

Wolfram nodded silently.

While I wasn’t exactly as egotistical as Cadius, I definitely didn’t underestimate myself. He was correct; we had experience, talent, and room for further growth. We were worth recruiting.

“Hm… Well, you already told us what kind of work your organization does, but what would you have us doing?” asked Lloyd.

Cadius tilted his head. “For now, I can’t say. Your talents span many fields, so I can’t immediately decide where I’d put you. But that changes if you accept the second offer.”

I had no idea what he meant by that. Either way, I had already made up my mind.

Cadius was everything I aspired to be. He was skilled and powerful enough to demand the respect of others while retaining a relative amount of freedom in spite of the responsibilities he had. He had fame but not the spotlight, authority without crushing responsibility, and the power to get what he wants. I had only met him a few hours ago, but it felt like we were kindred spirits, no pun intended.

I didn’t know if Lloyd felt the same way, but he always stuck with me, no matter what we went through. If I decided to join, he’d support me without hesitation.

I’d be honored to join you, Cadius.

I smiled, to which Cadius gave a knowing nod. “I see, you don’t even need to think it over. Very well.” He stood, offering me a hand. I took it, shaking hands with the demigod of thieves. “Welcome, Von and Lloyd, to the Vagabond Spirits! You’re now officially part of the family. I know you’ll love it here.”

To have a place to belong, a family to come home to, it was something that kept you going, kept you from getting bogged down in the mire of daily life. I thought I had lost that when we died. The kids we had taken in were what kept me from slogging through life in a daze. As well as Lloyd.

We all sat back down, settling in for the last stretch of the conversation. “Now,” Cadius continued. His tone was suddenly serious. Well, relative to his demeanor. “Are you ready to hear my second offer?”

Lloyd and I nodded.

“Very well. Von, how would you like to be my successor?”