Two Old Men

"Kramsh, tell me what happened. Don't deny it. I know you. You wouldn't have gone to all this trouble to find me unless things had become unbearable and you'd been pushed into a corner."

At Kramsh's words, Arando froze for a moment, then smiled.

"What could've happened? A business deal fell through, I'm getting on in years, and I've seen enough of all those squabbles. I don't want to get involved in any more of that mess, so I came to join you. I want to spend my days here in peace and quiet. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"No, Arando. I may not be as clever as you, but I know you. Something must've happened. Otherwise, why would you want to retire, of all things?"

"What could've happened? People change. When you're young, all you think about is making a name for yourself and building a great legacy. But now I'm old, and I've seen through it all. What good are fame and fortune to someone my age, with one foot in the grave? Didn't you used to tell me not to be so obsessed with success and profit? Now that I've finally come around, why can't you understand?"

Arando had made up his mind on the road. He couldn't drag his only friend into danger because of his own desire for revenge, especially after seeing how well his old friend was doing, surrounded by children and grandchildren. He couldn't tell him the truth. He knew his old friend too well. If Kramsh found out, he would definitely go after the people responsible.

"Arando, you're still the same as ever. You never want to rely on anyone, and you insist on carrying everything yourself. But, old friend, I know you. You'd never swallow your pride and come to Avalon unless you were at the end of your rope. I know you never thought I owed you anything, but we Avalon Orcs believe a debt is a debt. There's no arguing about it. Your troubles are my troubles. We'll face them together." Kramsh spoke with conviction.

"Heh. There is something I need from you: I'm asking you to take me in. As for everything else, I don't want to talk about it." There was no point in telling him. His enemy was too powerful. Arando couldn't put his only friend in danger.

"What about Lisa? And the children? You'd never leave them behind. What happened to them? Did something happen to them?" The old man stared at Arando in silence for a while, then spoke slowly.

Arando looked at Kramsh in surprise.

"Don't look at me like that. I may be old, but I'm not some clueless youngster who doesn't understand people."

Arando still said nothing. He only picked up his drink and took another swig.

"Tell me! What happened to them?" Arando had married young, so Kramsh knew his family, and they'd been on good terms. Lisa, Arando's late wife, had been a kind woman, just the sort Kramsh liked. They'd been good friends, too. But after he and Arando fell out, they'd lost touch to avoid awkwardness.

"Lisa died a long time ago. She was sick." That was all Arando said. After that, he refused to speak another word.

Kramsh was frantic. At first, he tried to coax him gently, but eventually he started pounding the table and cursing. Orcs were generally short-tempered.

Kramsh's voice grew louder and louder until he roused the whole family. They were all baffled by the old man's state. They'd been getting along just fine a moment ago, so why had he suddenly turned on Arando and started arguing? Those who had no idea what was going on hurried over to intervene.

But the old man had never been known for his temper. He gave his son, daughter-in-law, and several grandchildren a thorough tongue-lashing for trying to mediate. He even took it out on Solam. Great, another case of being caught in the crossfire. It was the first time for Solam, but everyone else was used to it. In the end, the old man barked, "Get out!" and chased them all away.

Once everyone had shuffled out, only the two old men remained in the tent, glaring at each other.

In the end, Arando still couldn't out-stubborn Kramsh. It had always been like that. If Arando was stubborn, Kramsh was a diamond in a cesspit: foul and hard, and hard as hell.

"All right, I'll tell you. But I have one condition."

"Go on." The old man was furious that his old friend had kept things from him.

"After I tell you, you're not to seek revenge for me. This is my problem. I have my own plans, and I don't need you getting involved."

The request left Kramsh deeply troubled, but after considering it for a long while, the old man nodded.

"They're all dead. Someone killed them." The old man didn't say his family had been murdered right in front of him. He knew Kramsh had a fierce temper and didn't want to provoke him further.

"..." Kramsh was completely stunned. Then, in a hoarse voice, he asked, "Why?"

"I got hold of this by accident, and it brought death to my door." As he spoke, Arando took out the Arcane Eye and waved it around.

"What is that thing? Why do they want it? And who wants it?" The old man fired off one question after another.

Arando could only shrug helplessly. "All I know is that it's called the Arcane Eye. I don't know anything else, or what they want it for. I only know they're searching for it at any cost."

As he spoke, Arando picked up the Arcane Eye again and studied it closely. It was a huge black gemstone carved into the shape of an eye, with a red gem at its center that looked like a pupil. It was actually a ruby, but its color was so deep that it appeared black. It gave off no energy at all, or Arando never would've mistaken the thing for a rare jewel.

"The Arcane Brotherhood is hunting me. They care a great deal about this Arcane Eye. Before I entered the Spine of the World, I heard they'd already sent a legendary Mage to search for it. This thing must be important to them."

"The Arcane Brotherhood? Those bastards! I'll grind every last one of them into mince! Come on, Arando, we're leaving right now. We'll make those scum pay!" Kramsh smashed the table in front of him to pieces with one punch, then jumped up, ready to go with Arando and exact revenge. Kramsh had spent quite some time with Arando in Canlus, so he knew what sort of organization the Arcane Brotherhood was.

Seeing that Kramsh really was about to seek revenge, Arando felt relieved. Thank goodness he'd made him promise beforehand. Otherwise, he wouldn't have known how to handle the situation.

"Kramsh! What did you promise me? This is my problem. I don't want you getting involved."

"Your problem? Is this how you handle things? You won't even take revenge. You just hide here, cowering like a frightened chicken? Aren't you afraid Lisa will come back from heaven and find you? Your family died for nothing?" The old man was so furious he could barely contain himself. He unleashed a torrent of abuse at Arando.

The old man really did have a vicious tongue. Arando had finally started to make peace with things, but those words nearly drove him mad. He raised his fist and punched Kramsh square in his old face.

"I told you to watch your damn mouth!"

"You coward! You dare hit me? You're dead! I'm going to teach you a lesson on Lisa's behalf, you bastard!" Then he swung back without holding anything back.

The people outside heard the fighting and hesitated over whether to go in and help. Solam stopped them. He didn't know what had happened between the two of them, but he didn't think anything serious would come of it. Besides, whom were they supposed to help? The old man? Give him a break! He was a legendary warrior. Solam knew Arando was an Arcane Knight, but in a melee against a legendary warrior like the old man, even a dragon would get beaten half to death. As for helping Arando...

Solam had gotten along well enough with him on the journey, but there was no reason to help an outsider beat up his own grandfather. So Arando would just have to fend for himself. Solam was very much the sort to take his family's side over what was right. Besides, he knew his grandfather too well. The old man might shout like he meant business, but he knew how to hold back. Nothing bad would happen.

Sure enough, less than twenty minutes later, the sounds of fighting stopped inside the tent. The two were still shouting at each other, and they sounded full of vigor, so it seemed everything was fine. Everyone went back to their own homes and families. Solam still hadn't eaten.

After more than an hour, the tent was a complete mess. Both old men were bruised and swollen. They'd stopped arguing, but they still glared at each other like fighting cocks.

In the end, Kramsh was the first to relent.

"So what are you planning to do?"

Seeing that Kramsh had calmed down, Arando gave a bitter smile.

"What can I do? I just want to wait here until I die. Besides, as long as the Arcane Eye is here, the Arcane Brotherhood will never get it. Even if I can't avenge my family, I can still make them suffer."

The words "I'll help you" turned over twice in Kramsh's mouth before he swallowed them. It wasn't that he was afraid. The Avalon Orcs were famous for valuing loyalty above their own lives, and dying to avenge a friend would be an honor. The old man wasn't afraid of death. But he knew his friend too well. If he offered to help, it wouldn't be support; it would be an insult. His friend had a pride beyond imagining, or they wouldn't have gone their separate ways all those years ago. He knew all too well how much pain Arando was in. To be unable to avenge his family and be forced to skulk around just to stay alive—that was a terrible torment. What difference was there between pitying him now and insulting him?

Seeing Kramsh struggle to speak, Arando knew what he was about to say. But Kramsh had misunderstood him. Arando didn't think accepting help would be an insult. They weren't children anymore; he wasn't hung up on such childish notions. But Kramsh had guessed one thing right: Arando would rather die than drag him into this. His family was already gone. What good would revenge do? It wouldn't bring them back. More importantly, Arando knew they couldn't avenge them. They'd most likely be killed. The Arcane Brotherhood had three legendary Mages, and as a spellcaster himself, Arando knew all too well how powerful legendary Mages were. Short of a god descending to earth, they were the most powerful people in the world.