The Warriors of Destiny

The manipulation

The early evening in Reganta was tainted by a dull and uninteresting shade of purple. The city was bustling, with some of its residents returning home, while others were heading out for alternate shifts. The weather was a bit chilly, which was somewhat unusual given the limited temperature variation in the region. The abundance of buildings and lack of vegetation made the air slightly stagnant and stale, which might have contributed to the irritability and impatience of its inhabitants. Baruc gazed through the glass wall from the top of a building in the commercial center, bored. He sat in a black leather chair, leaning back, distancing himself from the long dark meeting table. The topic under discussion did not interest him, so his mind wandered far away, preoccupied with other matters that, at least to him, were more important.

Even though the most powerful leaders of Kairos were in that room, the meetings were always the same old stories. Stroking each other's egos, requesting favors, tensions caused by wrong words, bickering over trifles. Everything was always temporarily resolved, only for them to be squabbling again shortly after, exchanging insults and threats behind closed doors. Baruc found the interpersonal relationships tiring, and he preferred to remain neutral, focusing on his own inventions. The truth was, he was the most powerful member of that group, capable of changing everyone's mindset with just a few words (and an occasional bribe if necessary).

At this moment, they were discussing changes in the taxation of material transport between the region's major cities, which had sparked a heated argument between Odurno, the Mayor of Reganta, and two men responsible for regulating the continent's economy. Odurno was shouting, pointing his finger to the ceiling, rising from his chair from time to time, with exaggerated gestures. His oily black hair, sticking to his sweaty forehead, remained immobile despite his theatrical performance of indignation. His round face was flushed and livid, a reaction that didn't quite match the little effort he was putting in at the head of the table, presiding over the meeting. Even with all this theater playing out, Baruc wasn't paying attention to the discussion, spending several minutes focused on how Kairos' two moons were slowly strolling through the dark sky, engaging in a slow and beautiful dance every night.

"And when are we going to discuss our illustrious honoree?" A sharp, uncomfortable voice brought Baruc's attention back to the room.

The inventor turned his head toward the table and saw that everyone was silent, looking in his direction. He hadn't even noticed when the last discussion had ended or if a new one had started, but now his attention was required. He settled in his chair, feeling somewhat embarrassed about being absent throughout the conversation, and cleared his throat, trying to hide his disinterest.

"Well, yes. We'll have this big event here in your city soon, Mr. Odurno," Baruc said, intertwining his fingers and resting his hands on the table. He didn't quite know what to say, struggling to keep from asking them to cancel the whole affair.

"We believe this event will be very beneficial," said Ariom, his right-hand man, seated by his side. "However, I'm concerned about security during the scheduled parade. Few soldiers have been assigned to accompany Mr. Baruc."

"Oh, stop exaggerating, my boy," Odurno said, making a face that made him even more sinister. "There's no need for so many soldiers; otherwise, it'll look like a military demonstration. That's not what people want to see. They want to feel closer to Baruc, like they're his friends. And who would attack Baruc anyway? Everyone loves him! Isn't that right, Gulsig?" And Odurno chuckled wickedly.

"Exactly, everyone loves you, Baruc," said a very slim Reptoid woman with a cynical voice. Her skin was similar to that of Humanoids but rougher, almost scaly, giving her a dry appearance. Her large eyes had yellow irises with a vertical black pupil. Since her race didn't have hair, she always wore a headscarf made of a refined and pleasant-to-the-touch fabric. At the moment, she wore a large piece of terracotta-colored cloth wrapped tightly. Her mouth had thin, almost nonexistent lips, with serrated, pointed teeth that intimidated everyone when she smiled.