Unwilling to bow (2)

Silence hung in the air.

Hex felt every eye land on him. It wasn't comfortable but he didn't let it appear on his face.

Some gazes were malicious but most were confused. And that was what Hex wished to see.

'Don't accept their stories like morons. Doubt it. Question it. Ask yourselves if you wish to see your loved ones act like puppets.'

He had seen the people being swayed by the stories. The idea of having their loved ones return was too alluring. By disrupting the momentum he hoped to give the crowd enough time to think further.

"Brother George, what do you mean? We are not forcing anyone," Herman chuckled. "I am surprised by your outbursts though. Don't you wish to see your son again?"

Although Herman's tone remained amiable, Hex wasn't fooled by it. He could see his clenched jaws and narrowed eyes. 

"That's not it," Hex sighed, shaking his head. "We do want our son back…BUT not like a lifeless body. Gorge is a lively boy, sometimes too stubborn and willful, but always smiling and trying to help others…having him only as a puppet would be selfish of us."

Having experienced Sloan's father's emotional speech, Hex knew how to vary his tone and facial expressions. But it lacked the naturalness a real father had when talking about his son. Luckily, he wasn't alone.

Althea complemented his act brilliantly. Her teary eyes, trembling of her body, and occasional burying of her head into his chest with faint sobs, not only covered the flaws in Hex's performance but even increased the sympathy people felt for them.

Hex noticed the expressions on many faces did change from longing to pensive and even sadness. 

"It's working." Althea, whose face was still buried in his chest, mumbled. She was impressive. Even though Hex knew she was a well-trained soldier in many fields, her ability to adapt was beyond incredible. 

"I understand your feelings but I can assure you and everyone here that they are not mere puppets," Herman replied. 

"But they act like that!"

This time it wasn't Hex who shouted. It was a portly man in torn clothes with messy hair who spoke. Hex knew he was one of the people from the slums who trusted Old man George. 

As an experienced Hunter George had a good reputation in his neighborhood. It was one of the reasons why no one harassed Hex when he started to live beside the old couple. 

Herman frowned. This time he couldn't hide it. But before he could snap, the guard captain stepped forward.

"Brother," he said calmly, "have you considered that people like my poor son have gone through death? Do you expect them to remain the same? Wouldn't THAT make them a puppet?" 

'What a cunning man!' Hex looked at Sloan's father with narrowed eyes. So far Hex considered him a victim but seeing his cunningness, doubt sprouted in his heart. 

'A man like this is difficult to deceive. He might have joined voluntarily to resurrect his son or had been part of the Dawnbringers all along.'

Suddenly Sloan's father turned toward Hex and spoke. 

"I don't think brother George's worries are valid. But to assure him, I wish to invite him to spend some time with me and my son. He will see the familial love and warmth are still there. 

Those in doubt can wait but let me tell you all, time is running out. As soon as it dawns, you will return home. It's up to you, are you going home with or without your beloved."

"If you accept we die," Althea whispered, leaning into Hex. 

Hex caressed her hair while muttering under his breath. "I know. But do you think we would be allowed to leave her without accepting the Divine Lord's blessing?"

As soon as the resurrected appeared, Hex knew he would have to fight his way out. There was no way an organization would expose its secrets and let people leave freely. He suspected the blessing somehow ensured people kept their word. He wasn't sure but he didn't wish to test it. 

"What do you say, brother?" Sloan's father had already walked close to him. Up this close, Hex noticed his eyes were clear and calm. 

'Fuck.' Hex cursed when he felt the man's spirit pressure. It was an opponent worthy of being the captain of multiple squads of Blessed. 

But even then, Hex didn't falter or refuse. "I am happy to observe. You are truly generous, captain." 

With a curt nod, he started to walk toward the door with a majestically decorated arch above it. Hex and Althea followed behind. The man who had shouted before and a few others also followed.

"We wish to observe too," the portly man said. The captain only nodded with a smile. 

Hex didn't stop them. It would be hard to guard them while fighting the captain but there was little he could do. There were no arguments he had against them joining in. 

Soon, they were in a group of ten people who reached the arch. Sloan joined them there. His eyes were still lost. 

As soon as Hex stepped into the arch, he felt his body become light. 

'Another dimension?' The sensation was similar to how he had felt when the light had engulfed them. 

The next moment he stood in the middle of a grand cavern. 

"T-this is inside the mountains!" One of the people who had joined them exclaimed in shock. 

"Welcome to our abode," the captain said, standing in the front. Sloan stood beside him.

"I assumed the guard captain would live in a mansion on top of the hill and not in some dusty cave," Hex sneered. 

'This is where he wishes to bury us or turn us into puppets.' Hex glanced at Althea who stood calmly beside him. Based on their sparring sessions, Hex knew her stance. She was ready to go all out. 

"I used to," replied the old captain. "But since I joined the Divine Residence it became too small for everyone. Now we live here."

He stretched his arms out as he pointed at the side ridges on top of the walls. One by one, robed figures appeared, surrounding them. 

With a nasty grin on his face, the captain continued. "Whether you bow or not, doesn't matter. You will become one of us, alive or in death. The choice is yours."

He looked straight into Hex's eyes when he said it. Clearly, Old George was a leader-like figure for the others. If they could get him to bow, the others would follow.

'I truly hope you guys can hold on until help arrives,' Hex sighed inwardly. He believed that Hestia and the others would be able to track them. He doubted whether they could survive the time needed for them to arrive, though. 

Seeing Hex silent, the captain frowned. "Why do you resist Him so? What difference does it make to a slum rat whether they are trampled by the Heavens or the Lord?"

His words made Hex laugh. 

"It makes no difference. Whether it is the Heavens or this Lord person, both are outside my control. But what I do control is myself. So whether it's the Heavens or your Lord, I don't care. To both, I am unwilling to bow!"