Chapter 2 – The Task
"You didn't have to wake me up, you know."
Rikriel sat slumped in a steel chair. For a moment he struggled against the ropes that bound him, before sighing and slumping once more.
"To be honest we weren't expecting such a spirited response."
The room, while big, was empty of any comfort. Four bare, stone walls and an empty stone floor – save for the single chair and a table off to one side. Three men were scattered in various positions throughout this room, but the only one Rikriel gave any of his attention to was the young man in front of him. With darkened blond hair, swept behind his ears, he held himself like a typical native Estharian, with a high-brow standard of arrogance only living in such a needlessly extravagant city would allow. Rikriel had spent a decade letting the behaviour rub off on him.
"Before we get to the business at hand, I think it's only proper to introduce ourselves, don't you agree?" The young man waved his gun in Rikriel's direction. "You go first."
"Rikriel Rezier."
The young man placed his hand on Rikriel's shoulder.
"It's good to meet you. My name's Enrin Callas. These are my two brothers. We're all genuinely sorry to bring you into this mess that we're going to make. We couldn't have just blindfolded you and asked you to come along, nor can we risk untying you."
Enrin kneeled to bring his face level with Rikriel's own.
"It's unfortunate, I know, but we need you to do something for us."
"…Why me?"
Straightening up and stepping away from Rikriel, Enrin turned with his hands outstretched.
"You're an employee at Belhelmel. You were just unlucky, and not just because your night-time departure allowed us to follow you to your home."
Enrin eyed Rikriel for a moment, expecting a response that would prompt him to continue. Rikriel was looking at the floor, listening silently. There was a pause.
"You're also unlucky, Rikriel Rezier, because you found yourself under the employ of Westin Ode."
"I don't understand." Rikriel looked up to consider Enrin's face. He had taken a noticeably more grim expression, and his arms had folded tightly underneath an impossible frown.
"My brothers and I have been working hard for quite a while now to make Mr. Ode's life, how can I put this? Not quite as perfect as he would like to believe. And now we have something, and it's not just a rumour, and he's going to wish we didn't have it with every thought he has until he's no longer living, now do you understand?"
"What part do I have in this?"
"As I said, you're employed at Belhelmel. So you have access, don't you? See, any of us couldn't even get through the front door, but you could. You could even, and I'm just being hypothetical here, find yourself in the office of good Mr. Ode. You could find yourself at his computer, checking his files, looking for one in particular."
"You're not being hypothetical, are you?"
Enrin chuckled quietly and his brothers shared a look of calm amusement.
"Yes, you're right, I shouldn't be so indirect. Let me put this a different way. We would like you to get a file from Ode's computer; a file that puts him at the head of the illegal manufacture of a chemical weapon, one that he'll sell to Galbadia of all places. A weapon that could, potentially, nullify our army's complete use of magic."
The Estharian's voice became a passionate snarl. "You realise how important it is to let the world know about this, don't you? There could be war, Rikriel, and I refuse to have that bastard be the cause of it."
"You're from the government."
The three captors laughed loudly in unison, their laughter bounced off the walls for longer than it took for Rikriel to get the point.
"It's slightly more personal than that, Mr. Rezier, and that's why we're adamant that you do this for us. I'm afraid we simply can't take no for an answer."
"Really, you could have just asked me without all these theatrics."
"What?"
"I want to trust you to keep my involvement secret."
"Of course, Mr. Rezier, of course."
Enrin bared his teeth in a relieved smile that teemed with the youthful excitement of getting his way. He moved around to Rikriel's back and began to untie him hurriedly.
"We're not your enemies, really."
Rikriel stood slowly and arched backwards, stretching out his arms and bending each leg in turn. He began to make his way out of the room, but was blocked by the other two men who still grimaced at him.
"We're going to have to blindfold you again."
Rikriel lay on his bed in his underwear, looking up at the ceiling, and he smiled softly to himself. His talents were wasting away, and simple training could never replicate the adrenaline of a mission, not that he even had the time for training any more. He closed his eyes, still smiling, and tried his best to drift to sleep.