Page 77 of Steel & Thunder
“Of course. Consider it a welcome back gift.” He smiles broadly.
“I thought it was an apology?” Three heads turn to look at me, Khazak smirking and Nylan trying not to.
“Right.” Ragnar levels his gaze at me. “I’m not sure how those papers ended up in the stack on your desk.”
“Yes. Very mysterious,” Khazak deadpans before taking another bite.
“Your father says hi, sir,” Nylan speaks up from his seat.
“That would explain the obscene amount of food.” Khazak looks over the small pile still in the center of the table before gazing over at me. “We still have those leftovers as well.”
“What do you mean?” Did they pick these up from Khazak’s parents?
“His father runs this really great restaurant in town,” Nylan answers. That makes sense. I’d do that too if I could cook like Rurig.
“’Runs’ is being generous,” Khazak downplays. “He sold part of it years ago. These days he only goes in and works when he feels like it.”
“I can’t wait until you and I can do that around here one day,” Ragnar speaks a little wistfully, and I can’t tell if he’s serious.
“Remind me to start looking for your replacement.” Khazak shakes his head and takes another bite.
Ragnar ignores the threat, instead turning to me. “So David, how is your first day going?”
“Good, I think. I haven’t really done anything yet.” I shrug. “So far I’ve gotten coffee and gone to the gym.”
“Enjoy the quiet days around here,” Nylan recommends. “You will miss them.”
“Do you work here too?” It would be nice not being the only orc-pet in the office.
“Oh, no.” Nylan shakes his head. “I work part time at a bookstore. I just like to come in a lot, usually for lunch.”
“He’s really more of a house-elf.” Ragnar smiles warmly at his avakesh, who leans over to kiss him.
“Ragnar and Nylan have been together for almost eight years,” Khazak explains as we watch the display.
“How did you meet?” I point at Nylan and Ragnar.
“That is a very long and complicated story,” Ragnar answers for them both. “The short answer is in school when we were children.”
“My parents moved to the city for work, and we stuck around,” Nylan recounts. “My dad only just moved away a few years ago.”
“Is your mom still here?” I wonder if they split up or something.
“Ah, no. She died a long time ago.” Shit, this time he’s not just messing with me. Great job, David.
“I met Nylan at the same time Ragnar did.” Khazak steps in to distract from the awkwardness. “He and I have been friends our entire lives.”
Sitting next to each other, I can see that Ragnar looks a lot like Khazak. He has a slightly slimmer build, and he looks to be at least five years younger, but his brown hair and beard are cropped in the same style. His facial hair looks like it might be trimmed a little more closely than Khazak’s, though it might also be his slimmer jaw and shorter tusks. His ears are a little longer, and he actually has them pierced. Most of the other facial details are of course different, but from a distance, I might think the two of them were brothers. Except for his bright blue eyes. I didn’t know orcs could have blue eyes.
“You met in school too?” I point at Khazak and Ragnar. “Was he like your mentor? Like a big brother or something?”
“What? No, we were classmates.” Ragnar looks confused. “I knew him even before that. We grew up next door to each other.”
“...How old are you? How old is everyone?” Because now I’m confused.
At that, Nylan suddenly starts laughing which makes Ragnar roll his eyes before looking back to me. “I am also half-elf.”
“Oh!” That explains some of the physical differences, like the eyes and ears. “Were your parents—”
