Chapter 186: The Man Beneath The Armor
People have to snatch happiness when they can. In this world, it is always easier to lose than to find.
Zane also ordered the same thing to his people.
But not happiness.
He ordered something else to snatch.
"Let’s snatch the flame from the flamekeeper."
Everyone clenched their fists.
Their eyes flared with determination.
Zane was satisfied with their look.
"Now divide yourself in two parts." He said.
Everyone nodded and made two groups.
But not everyone.
Some held their weapons and placed them on their waist.
"Should I divide myself vertically or horizontally, my lord?" One of them asked.
Zane raised his brows.
"No. No. Don’t do it. I meant something else."
"Oh. My bad."
"And don’t call me my lord. I am no lord. I am one of you. But a little smarter."
"As you say."
They rested their weapons and stood straight.
... They are acting normally as if they weren’t about to kill themselves just now.
Zane shook his head and after a few minutes, everyone divided into two groups.
One to find Horum and another group to look after Leon.
Xavier, Milo, Tesla, Hena, Draxus and Jammy weren’t part of any group as they stood behind Zane.
Zane also didn’t tell them to join any groups and the others showed no discomfort about that.
"Now, leave one by one in a ten minute gap. Just focus on your work. Remember to come to Cinder Row at night."
"Yes."
They began leaving.
One by one.
Zane said nothing and no one else spoke anything as well.
Every ten minutes the basement kept turning empty.
They didn’t have a way to know the current time but they used their internal clock or assumption to derive the time.
No one had to cover their faces.
Zane let them go one by one as he sat on the table.
Milo sat beside him and soon she rested her head on his lap.
Zane gave light taps on Milo’s head as she smiled all the way.
"What is piles, brother?" She asked.
Zane stopped tapping.
He glared at Jammy.
The janitor was the one who said that word.
When Zane was thinking about giving serious news, Jammy suggested to share that Zane Atlas has piles.
Zane almost shared that as well in tension.
Jammy cleared his throat.
"Piles is a disease, precious. Your brother doesn’t have it. Don’t ask me more about it because it catches those who ask about it and those who answer it."
"Oh. Stop talking about it." Milo covered her mouth with her hands.
Everyone laughed.
Jammy saved himself from Zane again.
"By the way, why don’t you tell your brother what I taught you." Tesla spoke.
Zane quivered his brows.
"What?" He asked.
But instead of Tesla, it seemed Milo would answer him.
She sat up straight and looked at Zane.
Zane watched her with a smile and Milo with her beaming face, said:
"My brother is the biggest dick in the whole world."
THUMP!
Zane slammed his head on the table.
The basement was filled with laughter as even Hena couldn’t control herself.
But Tesla rolled on the floor.
Zane left the table and stood beside the rolling man.
"Oh shit."
Tesla stopped laughing.
He got up from the floor.
Straightened his coat and himself.
"What’s up?" He asked.
Zane held his collar.
"Alright. I can explain."
Tesla didn’t wait for Zane and explained:
"It was Leon who mentioned dick and you asked me to handle Milo because she asked its meaning. I didn’t know what to say so I told her dick means kind person. That’s all. The brother part she added on her own."
Zane let go of his collar.
"Did I do something bad?" Milo asked.
Zane turned to her, smiling.
"No. You did nothing wrong. I am a dick."
"Pftt... oh shit."
Tesla stopped laughing.
Zane let out a tired sigh and sat on the table again.
The table didn’t have enough space for him to lie down so he could only sit on it.
But he really wanted to rest his head.
He was tired.
So tired...
"Here."
A pair of soft hands came on his head.
He looked.
"You are tired, brother. Rest."
It was Milo.
She forced Zane’s head down and this time, he rested his head on Milo’s lap.
She patted his head with a smile and Zane had forgotten the last time he felt comfort.
The warmth threw him back years ago when he was a child and his mother was alive.
A tear escaped his eyes and for a second, he forgot everything.
He closed his eyes and gave in to his body.
No one spoke anything.
No one dared to make any sound.
The people leaving in a ten minute gap also stopped.
Silence ensued in the whole basement.
But the silence wasn’t out of fear of Zane.
They made no noise as they felt they were seeing something they wouldn’t get to see again.
A tired brother resting his head on his sick sister’s lap.
The brother who fought a godman without fail for his sister was finally resting.
They wouldn’t see Zane resting like this again.
The man had nothing on his mind but his sister and to protect her he would lose all his sleep without a second thought.
Yet, when faced with warmth, the man’s guard went down as he slept peacefully in the arms of his last family.
His face faced the ceiling as Milo ran her fingers through his hair.
They let the siblings be as the people who were supposed to go out left without making any noise.
Hena watched Zane closely and she realized men would keep acting like warriors until they found someone they could be weak with. They wanted someone whom they could strip their armor in front of and still be called a warrior.
For Zane, it was Milo.
For Hena...
It was no one.
Not yet.
Hena might not be a man but for her, a warrior had no gender.
"Hey Milo," Tesla spoke, his voice low.
"Yes?" Milo asked.
"Do you love your brother?"
Everyone rolled their eyes.
Even someone who hadn’t met Milo and Zane once but saw them would be able to tell that there was great love between the siblings.
Nevertheless, they waited for Milo’s answer.
But Tesla’s question, it vanished the smile Milo had.
Everyone instantly tensed up and before they could ask about the matter, Milo said:
"I don’t... hiuc... love him."
The little girl started crying.
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