Despite it once holding some painful memories for Odin, he was now coming to view Port Astera in a completely different light. Gaining its allegiance through Eternal Nightmare had done a lot to bridge that gap, as well as proving to the people of the city that the guild meant them no harm. Eternal Nightmare wished to destroy the light guilds who had allowed corruption to seep so deep into Fiore, as well as change the diplomatic system into that of a meritocracy, where someone didn't gain the power of a country through their heritage, but through their effort and work. With Hildegard ascending the throne in Bosco, that was one complete monarchy that would end, instead becoming a tribal feudalist country, and Odin would be keeping a close eye on its growth from here on.

For now though, he was building better relations with the people in the city, and what better way to do so than to set up a stall for his pub: the Swineherd. He had done it once before, long ago in Orchidia, and it had been a huge success, even if he had worn a mask to avoid customers seeing his face. Here, there was no such need. The customers who came to visit his stall, purchasing refreshing lemonades and alcoholic beverages galore, all knew the Lich. He did not have to hide here. Some of them were scared of him of course, but Astera was under his protection. He wasn't about to ruin that, especially not with the income they provided as tribute.

The ground underneath Bryson's feet was damp. Every step made a slapping noise underneath their relatively small body. Sweat dripped from almost every pore on their body as they struggled to catch their breath. Bryson had been running for almost two years now. After killing his master's, Bryson fled to worth woodsea but had been hunted by bounty hunters. For two whole years the swift and agile child found themselves camping in caves, in trees, and struggling to survive. Bryson was so desperate that they found themselves travelling through Fiore to god knows where. With no destination in mind, the young murderer didn't have time to figure out their next move. So, with nothing but rags and a leather hooded cloak covering their body, they zoomed through the city of what they didn't realize was Astera. Bryson pushed innocent civilians out of their way as they ran, clinging onto the little bit of stamina they had left. The city's folk gasped as the child pushed them.

The bounty hunters were on Lil Bs ass, and they wouldn't let up. There had to have been a hefty price on this kids head. Bryson wouldn't dare look back. Instead they flipped over tables and food stalls until they saw the opportunity to take a sharp left. Quickly Bryson slid behind a stall where some person was selling drinks, but Bryson didn't have time to catch a glimpse of who it may have been. The bounty hunters stopped around the area, searching for their target who was sitting with their back against the stall, beside the legs of the merchant selling the lemonade. The brown skinned fugitive dropped their head as they struggled to breathe. They ignored the bruises on the bottom of their feet which could have been prevented if they hadn't lost their shoes a few days ago. "Dammit." Lil B whispered- not yet paying attention to the being behind the stall.

"Attention! If you saw a little black boy runnin' through here I suggest ya speak up!" one of the bounty hunters demanded. He stood around 4 other bounty hunters all heavily armed, eager to get the job done.

There was never a dull moment in Odin's life. No matter how many times he tried to do something relatively normal and relaxed, something would always happen to completely change the trajectory of his day. Not that he minded, it kept his life incredibly exciting and often gave him opportunities not afforded to many others. Really there was no way to know if it was a curse or a blessing. Today's U-turn came in the form of a young child running up to the stall. Ever the shrewd businessman, Odin was psyching himself up to deliver his best sales pitch, hoping to convince them that he could give them the best lemonade in the city. To his great disappointment, the child didn't seem interested in actually buying lemonade, instead darting behind the stall and resting themself against the woodwork.

There was a brief pause from the Lich as he tried to decide what to do about the kid, up until the point when he was interrupted by a group of four well-armed people. He surmised that they were probably bounty hunters: their garbs betrayed no allegiance to any guild and they seemed particularly rowdy, and the confirmation came when the demanded the release of their target.

Dressed in an open, yellow shirt and floral-patterned beach shorts, mostly for appearances rather than to combat the high temperature, Odin raised a hand to get the attention of the group, all of whom's eyes widened as they realised who they were addressing, "Firstly, no one in this city has to say anything to you, so stop embarrassing yourselves. Secondly", Odin reached up to a compartment above his stall and produced his cleaver, the mere existence of the weapon like dissuading the bounty hunters from trying anything rash, "There's no need for that kind of tone in my city. So why don't you tell me who you're looking for, why you want them, and how much you're willing to pay for the information. And then maybe, if I'm feeling generous, I might help you out." As he waited for their reply, he lightly tapped the child to his side with his skeletal foot, indicating that he knew they were there and, given the fact Odin hadn't instantly betrayed them, was an ally for the moment.

With virtually every word the bounty hunter spoke, Odin had to take a breath. It was nice to be recognised, especially by people likely not actually from Fiore given how they referenced the king, but they really half-arsed it, and that wasn't okay. Odin had spent a great many years building up his reputation, gaining notoriety as both a human and a lich in three separate criminal organisations: one of which dated back centuries and had been granted a 'kill on sight' order from the rune knights and the church of Illumin, and those two groups hated working together. He had not put in all that effort to be misnamed and insulted by random vagabonds from another country, no matter who they were or what authority they thought they had.

The whisper from the child solidified it in a way. As much as Odin was a cruel person, he likely would've sold the kid out if he had been offered enough money, he was a pretty narcissistic one, not to mention a lover of dramatic flair. Stepping out from his stall, he would approach the one who had spoken to him, cleaver in one hand slung over his shoulder as he looked down at the man, ignoring his brave attempts to look intimidating, "First, you get my name wrong." A flash of steel and the man's arm was removed. Blood spurted out of the dismembered body part as the agonised scream silenced the bustle of the city. The rest of the group were too stunned to actually move, as Odin casually continued speaking, "Secondly, you refuse to offer me payment when I have information you want." Another flash and the other arm flew to the side, leaving the man devoid of half of his limbs. The screams continued and the other bounty hunters began to draw their own weapons, finally coming to their senses.

"And then finally, after all of that", Odin paused for a moment as his voice went low, "you actually think I care about something the king said? After you knew I was a wizard lord?" A final slash removed the man's head from his shoulders as Odin looked way for a moment, "Idiot." With the leader dispatched, it seemed the other three didn't actually know what to do with themselves. Their weapons were drawn, but no one wanted to attack first, as they knew they would soon follow their leader. Many inhabitants of Astera had retreated into their homes, although some watched from the sidelines. They knew Odin would never treat any of them with such barbarity, but that didn't stop them from fearing the sights and sounds that the port were about to witness.

It seemed the bounty hunters were going to make the smart, if extremely boring, decision to run away and keep their lives. Due to the fact that only one of them had insulted him, and in an attempt not to cause too much trauma for the people of Astera, the Wizard Lord simply waved a hand at them as they left, tail very much between their legs. "If you see the king again, tell him I said hi", he would shout after them, chuckling at his own joke since he knew most people would be too stunned to do the same, and it was a hilarious comment.

Realising it was all over, the people of Astera slowly went about their own businesses. With a snap of his fingers, three random civilians would approach the body of the man and start collecting him up. They were cultists under Odin's command, as were many people in the West of Fiore, and they quickly got to work cleaning up the mess. Odin wanted to keep the severed remains of the man, who knew when it might come in handy.

A voice broke the hubbub of the day, as Odin remembered there was a child behind his stall. In all the fun, he had completely forgotten why the bounty hunters had even been in Astera. The voice was a lot calmer than the words they uttered would suggest. It made sense, Odin had already shown he was a murderer, why would he not just keep going and kill the child that had interrupted his day. With a chuckle, the Lich would reply, "So long as you don't get my name wrong, I'm sure we'll be fine. Would you care for a glass?" The rumbling stomach answered the question for Odin as he walked back towards his stall and poured a glass of lemonade. He signalled for two more cultists to begin preparations for a meal. Odin didn't need to eat, but whatever the child desired would be brought forward for them.

A few minutes later, thank goodness for magic, the food would appear at one of the nearby tables, where Odin would sit and gesture for the child to do the same. With a glass of wine in hand, the Lich would begin to ask them some questions. It was only fair after all, "If you don't mind me asking, and you shouldn't, why were those hunters after you?"

As Odin watched the child devour the food like a starved lion, he realised how much he saw of himself in him. Not that Odin had grown up in the streets an orphan, but he knew what it was like to have nothing, to not know when his next meal would be and be constantly fighting just to survive. Odin had pushed through that miserable time of his life to become who he was now, and so he wondered if this kid would be strong enough to do the same. Many who had nothing wanted everything, but few were actually willing to grab it.

Odin also wasn't a monster, as he watched both the child and his own cultists dig in at a separate table. As much as he didn't eat himself, no longer having any need to, he knew how delicious the food looked, and he wasn't going to deny the cooks their own meal. Were they expendable? Only if required but absolutely yes, but that didn't mean he didn't care about them. They all wanted the same goal after all.

He let Bryson speak his mind for most of the conversation, not wishing to interrupt as he heard of how the boy had killed his masters. A slave child then, and who was already offering his exit. Not used to kindness, and not knowing how to react. However, what came out of his house next was where Odin had to interrupt. He didn't mean to by any means, but a deep, hearty laugh came out from him as Bryson asked why he wasn't dead or in jail yet. It was strangely refreshing meeting someone who had no idea how he was, "Technically speaking I am dead, and I've already been in jail. I just broke out. I'm just not the kind of person to let either of those things stop me." At the next question, the deep orbs of Odin's eye sockets lit up briefly, as he was asked about the cult. This kid was smart.

"Right again, I am the leader of a cult dedicated to releasing someone of incredible power from HER own imprisonment. I think everyone should have the chance to be free, no matter who they are or what they've done. SHE is more powerful than many gods, and gave me new purpose when I thought I had none. I owe HER my life, and so I strive to give HER freedom." Odin spoke with a love and reverence that very few had ever heard from him as he spoke about Midnight Cult and its goals. He then raised a hand as he referenced something the child had said previously, "You are welcome here for as long as you wish. The West of Fiore is a safe place for you...?" Realising his manners for a moment, the Wizard Lord continued, "My apologies, it seems I never introduced myself. I am Odin Morningstar, Wizard Lord, Guildmaster and Lich. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The way he ate the food, his looks of amazement at Odin's exploits, and now the tears forming in his eyes, everything betrayed Bryson as a child who had lived without in his life. He had never known good food, never known good companionship, never known love, and Odin was offering all of those things out of nowhere. As far as the boy was concerned, he had woken up that morning not sure if it would be his last. That was a feeling the Lich understood well, and one he didn't want to make another feel again. He had brought a lot to the West, prosperity and peace being high among the list, but his work was never finished. Even if he planned to burn the world, end everything to create a new beginning once SHE returned, he still believed in Eternal Nightmare's goal: freedom for all. Giving everyone a chance to realise their potential.

Of course Bryson couldn't believe it, that was natural. Trust was a weakness to him, he had made it this far on his own and saw no reason to change that. Allowing Bryson to have his outburst of emotion, Odin signalled for one of his men to bring him a glass of wine. Once the boy was done, the Wizard Lord would look directly into the tear-drenched red eyes of the child, and spoke in a tone few had ever heard from him. This wasn't the reverence from before, now he spoke as if a father consoling his child, "I play many games, this is not one of them. My offer is true. You do not need to join my guild, you do not need to join my cult, you just need to know that you are safe here. You're someone with potential, and I refuse to have that be wasted because of the hand you were dealt at birth." He took a sip of his glass as he finished by saying, "The world I aim to create is one where those who are willing to work hard get to the place they deserve. There will be kings, queens, rulers, but they will not be in that position because they were born into the right family, but because they are strong enough to inspire loyalty. I want you to be part of that world Bryson, Lord of Nothing."

The giggle caught Odin off guard, as he knew it was something Bryson wouldn't have been particularly happy about himself. When someone survived by being hard, never betraying emotion and staying cold, showing anything that could make you seem less of a threat was a weakness. He needed to show strength, a giggle did not convey that at all. But he appreciated the title, and maybe it would be something that stuck. After all, being Lord of Nothing was actually a pretty cool title, Odin was a little bit jealous. In all his years operating as a dark mage, he had never given himself as epithet. He was simply Odin, usually that was enough to strike fear into the hearts of others.

He was hooked, that's what mattered. The food had been a kindness, the speech an indulgence, but this? Having Bryson accept the demands placed upon him was a big step towards achieving the goal Odin desired. He asked how he could help, prompting a unique idea from Odin. He had a large quantity of cultists: of villains and criminals that would do his bidding at a moment's notice and die for him should the need arise. But Bryson could be different, he could be so much more.

Odin would hear the boy's remaining words before replying, understanding what he wanted to say and giving it to him. After all, they were now family. "You remind me a lot of myself, Bryson. You have joined my family, and you will be my son. That is the amount of trust I will place upon you, as I give you a very dangerous task." Odin took a breath as he looked to phrase the next part as meticulously as possible, "I need you to provide me with information no one else can. You are unknown in Fiore, and thus have the opportunity to join the country's rune knights. Infiltrate their order, learn from them all you can, and together we will change this world forever. You wish to be King, I can make it happen. Are you in?"

He had not been expecting the hug, that was possibly the first hug Odin had received in many, many years. Even his cultists were taken aback by the sight and, while Odin didn't return the hug -mostly due to how stunned he was- he had no issues with it occurring. He had given Bryson a new chance at life, something most people just didn't get, and now the boy had no plans to waste it. It was a tall order Odin was asking of him: infiltrating the enemy and posing as one of them, but it was someone as desperate as Bryson that would be perfect. He wouldn't waste his potential, and his introduction to Odin's family had been a resounding success. The Lord of Nothing now had something to push forward to.

And with that Odin's influence grew. Now he wasn't simply the one in charge of the West, he had gained an informant in the Rune Knights. He was becoming more powerful from the shadows and, as he watched Bryson give orders to one of Odin's cultists, the Lich couldn't help but chuckle. No matter what happened, the boy was going to be someone to watch. A nod from the Lich would command the cultist to follow the direction given to him, as Odin's son went off to join the knights.

"This is starting to get very interesting."

-Exit-