It’s probably more packed than it would usually be from the amount of people forced out of their homes. Luckily for him, the close proximity gives him ample opportunity to overhear the conversations around them.
“Maybe it’s better if we stop resisting and just do they say. They might come back to finish the job,” one woman at the next table tells her companion.
“We’re such a small town, you would think they would have other places to worry about.”
“What are they talking about?” He whispers to Azure who eats without acknowledging the worried voices surrounding them.
“This city doesn’t agree with Haithen taking over every nation nearby, so they don’t send their third sons or respond to the numerous warnings they’ve been sent. They’re rebelling in their own small way.”
Ocher blinks, “So the government set fire to this town?”
“Of course.” Azure gestures to the room, “This is what your employer would have you doing. Destroying people’s lives without remorse.”
Ocher glares back at him, “It’s not like I would have had a choice.”
“Although, you always seem so upset about me giving you freedom from being a soldier.”
“That’s not what I’m upset about.”
“Oh that’s right,” Azure says lightly. “You’re happy to be free, but upset because nothing is like you thought and you have nowhere to go. You may have hated it, but it was all you knew and where you belonged.”
Ocher stares back, he's really really beginning to hate how well Azure can guess his thoughts. He has a brief moment of wide eyed panic thinking that maybe that was one power Manipulators possessed, but if that was the case, Azure wouldn’t demand he stop hiding his emotions.
“No, I can’t read your mind,” Azure smirks and Ocher shifts uncomfortably. Now, he’s unsure if that’s the truth or not. He doesn’t have secrets, but he doesn’t want Azure in his head either. Everything about that sounds like a bad idea. He isn’t aware of any deep dark fears he may have and if they do exist, he’d rather Azure didn’t use them against him.
He changes the subject, “So, are there more Manipulators? Were they not all killed?”
“Maybe,” Azure shrugs. “I’m surprised you know about them. I figured rumors wouldn’t reach you in the army.”
“There weren’t any rumors that Manipulators are still alive, just that you used to exist. The government killed you all because you were dangerous and had no loyalty.”
“And what do you think about that, Ocher?”
“Well, you do seem pretty dangerous,” he answers carefully. “And you clearly have no loyalty, but I don’t know if that was worth killing all of you.”
“What about loyalty? Should we have been loyal to this government?”
Ocher shifts, considering. He’s learned a lot in the few days that he’s been free from the army, but some of it he’s also learned second hand from Azure, without being able to see it for himself. If what Azure says is true, then he can’t blame the Manipulators for their disloyalty. And if they were powerful and uncontrollable, the government would have had to step in to keep order.
“I can see both sides,” Ocher finally answers. “Since your family was killed, I understand why you’d hate them.”
“But, you also don’t think the government was wrong?”
“I don’t know if they deserved to be killed or not. All I have to go off is you and you’re not showing me the best image of Manipulators.”
“I’ll tell you something, Ocher.” He leans over the table, “All the Manipulators aren’t dead. My family is still alive and I’m going to rescue them.”
Ocher blinks in surprise, Azure never willingly divulges that much information to him. “You think the government has them locked up?”
“I know so. And I’m going to free them and make sure they never have a chance to wipe us out again.”
Ocher leans back in seat, gauging the situation. So, that’s what he signed up for. To free a dangerous group of people with abilities and let them do as they please. There’s no forgiveness if he does this. He’d have to leave the country, but he can’t do that without help and once Azure gets his family back, he knows that he’ll be dropped afterwards.
Then what happens if they decide to exact revenge and tear this country apart? He has no love for this place, but the citizens did nothing wrong. It isn’t fair for them.
“Ocher.” He looks up. “The stories aren’t true. We’re a peaceful people. How else do you think they were able to overtake us?”
Ocher looks back skeptically, “You’re the opposite of peaceful.”
“Sometimes we have to adapt to our surroundings, just like you and your emotions did while you were raised in the army.” Azure gives him a pointed look.
Now, he’s even more conflicted. Who is telling the truth? There’s still so much he doesn’t know. The one thing he does know is that his own safety should be his first priority before either side. He could ask for a promise, but he’s not sure that Azure’s word is worth anything, still… “If I help you and your ‘peaceful’ people decide to destroy this country, you’ll help me leave, right?”
“ ‘If’,” Azure laughs lightly. “There’s no ‘if,’ you already agreed to help, that’s why you’re still here and not in the army’s custody as a traitor. Did you forget you already bargained all you had for me to keep you?”
“And if I choose not to help you, now that I know?”
“You can stay in this town alone and whatever happens to you, happens, because we had a deal.”
“Wait, I didn’t say I was breaking our deal.”
“Then what are you saying? Make a decision and stick with it. If you try to change your mind again, we’re through.”
Ocher feels panic building, this isn’t how he anticipated this conversation going. He wasn’t prepared to decide between himself and the rest of the country over dinner. Maybe sometimes questions are better left unasked.
No, he quickly rescinds that thought. He’s tired of not understanding anything. Even if hates what he finds, it’s still better than ignorance. As for his choice, if this goes south as bad as he thinks it might, he could always bail. Already, he’s learned far more than when he set out. After a few more weeks with Azure, he should know enough to survive on his own and maybe that’s the better option. Use Azure just as much as Azure is using him.
“Fine.”
“Fine what?”
“I’ll keep up my side of the deal.” For now. “But if you ruin this country, I’m not staying here.”
Azure shrugs, “I don’t care what you do after. Even I might not stay here.”
“Then we don’t have a problem.”
“Guess not.” Azure’s eyes flick over him coolly and the corner of his mouth turns up slightly, but he doesn’t say anything else.
◆◆◆
Azure is still fast asleep when Ocher wakes the next morning. His body still hasn’t broken out of the habit of waking up at the crack of dawn every single morning.