Arthoms 24th letter (unsent) (S2E5/6)

*written In Druidic. Barely*
 
To Celia
It started as a plan. A bloody, cobbled-together excuse for one, but a plan nonetheless. Lucid and Talutah were meant to be the distraction while Saib and Syrus scouted. I was to ride the gleam pod straight up to the base’s front door.
 
Except, of course, nothing ever goes as planned with this lot.
 
Lucid and Talu, rather than distracting, immediately picked a fight. Not subtle, not clever—just fists flying and chaos everywhere. Somehow, they managed to win, but by the time I reunited with them, I’d resigned myself to the fact that "subtlety" doesn’t exist in their vocabulary.
 
We made it to the warehouse door, where I turned into a spider to handle the lock. It’s effective, if not dignified. Once inside, the search began. It wasn’t long before I stumbled upon a chest. Naturally, I climbed inside to see what we were dealing with—arcane crystals. Exactly what we needed.
 
Breaking it free was another matter. I shifted into my warhound form, smashed the chest out of its lock, and bolted. Carrying the chest in my maw, I loaded it onto the gleam pod. Everything was going better than expected. Which, in hindsight, should’ve been a warning.
 
A ranga Leishu decided to ruin the moment, hurling an arcane shuriken at me and Syrus. I charged, bit the little bastard, and grappled them in my teeth. The child screamed and struggled, but I carried them to Syrus for interrogation.
 
Here’s the thing: I’m not proud of what came next. Syrus and I interrogated the Leishu, and I didn’t hold back. I could see the fear in their eyes and hear it in their voice, but I pressed on, ignoring the gnawing pit in my stomach. Syrus, ever the pragmatist, suggested, “If they take one of ours, we take one of theirs.” It wasn’t the first time he’d said something like that, and I doubt it’ll be the last.
 
After splitting the crystals between Gallant and Syrus, I stashed the Leishu child in the gleam pod. The plan, such as it was, had us fleeing before things got worse. Everyone left. Just me and the kid now.
 
And then she showed up. A brown-furred Leishu samurai, moving faster than I could react. She blinded me, and before I knew it, the gleam pod had crashed, sending me sprawling. The child escaped, of course.
 
I turned to face the samurai, eyes narrowed, heart pounding. No more running, no more hiding. If she wanted a fight, she’d get one.
 
Maybe I’ll learn to stop relying on plans... They’re clearly wasted on this group.
 
As me and the Samurai battled it became clear she was no underling coward, but a genuinely capable warrior, Thankfully I had a new trick up my sleeve, that Vulkan Salamander I communed with while we were helping that Village.
 
The Yakuza Samurai found herself short an eye due to some timely intervention from Syrus, of which I'm most thankful for, but it did cost him as The little leishu child we had interogated threw my friend from the roof shortly before their reinforcements arrived in the form of some sort of Leishu monk. But to our great fortune, Gurvel, Zeno, and Zyanna also arrive, allowing us to turn the tide of the battle.
After a fortuitous few strikes, i caught that samurai in my Salamanders Jaws, as i bit harder and harder, lava filling my mouth an throat, the smell of burning fur and flesh flooding my nose, and reminding me of days gone, I bit through her armor and body combined, spitting her mangled arm and head from my mouth. No stranger to psychological warfare I intended to end further hostility by means of intimidation, grabbing what was left of her with my hand after returning form to my natural form and dragging the charred remains to be visible to the other leishu, who gurvel had already apprehended but was shielding their eyes from my actions.
 
As gurvel thrawted my attempt to intimidate them to prevent further fighting, Ko arrived. But she was less than keen to see us, for as it turned out these were close and dear to the heart of our little rat, and the one i killed as it so happens was her sister or some such. I wanted to explain myself, to justify my actions, but knew Ko would have none of it so i barely tried....
 
After she gathered her leishu companions and the remains of the samurai i mangled they all left us there, to reflect in what we had done.
But alas, we were still on the job, so as Talu of all people suggested that we go get drunk, we made our way to the tavern that the 'Gleam Boyz," the ones who gave us this task. After a brief exchange they admitted that word has ALREADY spread around the city as to what we had done but more importantly, WHO had done it. As such they couldn't risk further interaction with us at the risk of yakuza retribution.
Never the less between myself and Talu we delivered two thirds of the shipment and I promised to bring the rest asap, but they refused only taking half of the total shipment for fear of the yakuza discovering them.
 
Their refusal hurt. badly. As I had planned on leaving the misfits after finding Ko, as Syrus and I agreed. I don't feel like I'd belong back at the heart after what I've done, and without these people, I found myself feeling untethered, free, but still feeling alone, as alone as i did by the end of my decades of Solitude. I suppose the only places left to me are back to my old home, my hold; or to the wilds once more, to live out my days as the animal I have become one more.
 
Anyway, without sending this letter my hope is that word of my deeds wont reach the heart, and taint the image of me many of those I value have. Even yours.
 
Arthom