Iniquitous Sunlight

The sound of the metal door creaking open draws my attention, and with a raised eyebrow, I look up. I expected guards, maybe even an executioner, but my gaze fell on Okalan instead. I offer a smile as I sit back in the chair, chains clinking from the slight movement. "Come to see an old friend before I'm whisked off my feet to death?" I ask.

Okalan rolls his eyes, the cell door closing behind him. His clothes were covered in that black slime, his feet bare. Three eyes peer at me from beneath unruly black hair, and the lower left one had some black slime dripping from it and down his face.

I note that he didn't bother to lock them, and as Okalan steps closer, I note the keys that hung at his belt. What in the seven kingdoms was this idiot thinking? I thought, watching him step until he stood in front of me.

"Don't be dramatic, though; I guess that's what got you into this mess," Okalan admits, his eyes darting above me slightly.

I glanced at what he glanced at, my eyes meeting the word Traitor, carved into the marble throne. I shrugged as I looked before me, saying, "I guess they wished to remind me of my title."

The corner of his lip quirks in a slight smile before he sighs. "Traitor to who? The iniquities that dragged you here, or the people you left behind so many years ago?" He asks.

The smirk I had falters for a moment, but miraculously I manage to uphold it. "You didn't just come here to see me before I die, Okalan, so get it out, whatever it is, before you lose your chance," I say, "We both know guards will be here any minute."

Okalan glances over his shoulder, then back at me. "You heard what happened at the First Palace, don't you? It's why you're here, isn't it?" Okalan asks.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I say, rolling my eyes as I sit up, wincing just barely as the shackles pull against my wrists. "I know I didn't kill no prince, though. Some other fella did it."

Okalan raises a suspicious eyebrow.

"Do you take me as a person who would pass the blame of murder, Okalan?" I ask, returning the raised eyebrow.

Okalan rolls his eyes. "Well, look, now, there's an issue, and there's also a really good bounty for anybody who manages to get their hands on Aegis, which is quite the amount," Okalan admits. "And, unfortunately, you're pretty street-smart."

"Pretty? Or street smart?"

"I need your help, Alvaz!" Okalan says, rushed and annoyed. Perhaps he rushed because he was annoyed he was forced to admit it. 

I offer a smile, my head tilted softly. "I ain't cheap," I say.

"Five hundred thousand quatola's, Alvaz. This job ain't cheap,"

I couldn't lie; I was intrigued. 500,000 quatola's, I could disappear and never worry about ending up on this god-forsaken throne again. 

"Come on, one more job. Then you can disappear for however long you want, do whatever you want for however long, no worries," Okalan insists. "It's far better than this situation."

"Hey, this isn't that bad. I get free room and board, half-decent food," I say, "Occasionally some live entertainment."

Okalan chuckles before saying, "You want something, Alvaz. You've got the look of a bored god in your eyes; you want something new, which isn't new." 

I sigh, glancing at the shackles. "One job. Then, I'm bribing a Captain and getting back up to Earth," I say.

Okalan seemed surprised but decided to nod and agree. "Deal," He says. "Now, we just have to go find some liquid sunlight."

I smile, saying, "No, now we have to stop by an old friend up by Earth."

The air was cold and bitter, just as Okalan seemed to be at this late night.

"Where are we going?" He moans, "Shouldn't we be in the Neverworld?"

I shrug, saying, "Nah. Thaddeus was the old Sunlight Keeper; they'll know who's supposed to be watching it."

Okalan mutters something under his breath as we step onto the bridge. "Then why are we here?! And why did you bring a rice krispie?" 

"Do you know nothing about etiquette?" I say, "You got to bring some sort of offering, duh."

"Oh, well, that makes absolute--"

"What are you doing here? Though you feel off the side of the sea," Thaddeus says, standing by the edge of the bridge as he looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

Okalan jumps, looking at Thaddeus before sighing and saying, "Saint Delano, are you trying to kill me?" 

Thaddeus raises an eyebrow as he looks at me.

"He's a bit jumpy; he doesn't come up here that often," I say, glancing over my shoulder at Oakland. "You're an iniquity, really?"

"I thought he-- you know what, no, I'm not doing this with you," Okalan says, shaking his head.

I chuckle, looking back in front of me at Thaddeus. He had pale skin and unkempt brown hair. He wore a baggy light gray sweatshirt with the sleeves rolled up and some band name written on the front. His black jeans were cuffed, revealing the platform boots that likely added a couple inches to his height, three at the least. He wore an intricate bracelet on his wrist, with some marks engraved into a blue gem. "There's an issue involving the Aegis down in the Neverworld," I say. "Big bounty, we'll split it if you tell us the last person to guard it." I toss the rice krispie to him, noticing how he seemed curious about it.

Okalan scoffs, saying, "Pardon us for a moment," Before pulling me away. "Are you insane?"

"Do you want to know where it is?"

"I want 250,000 quatola's, not, what? 166 thousand?"

"You're not getting any if he doesn't tell us who the new keeper is,"

Okalan scowls, glancing at Thaddeus, then back at me. "Fine," He mutters.

I smile at Thaddeus. "How would you feel about helping us for a bit?" I ask.