The man in the jacket was a Colonel, Therod could see that at least. He was the tall lean sort they put on recruiting posters. Keith was all he went by, Therod didn't know if it was his first or last name, just he was Colonel Keith. When he introduced himself to Therod he was polite, with a disarming smile.
"Sergeant Ruth Therod correct?" She was working out again, training for the purpose of nothing, in her mind. She felt a burning embarassment for the casual nature of her dress, just a sports bra and gym shorts, so much for modesty.
"Correct Colonel." Her eye flashed his record, it was mostly unremarkable, she was surprised he had attained the rank of Colonel, and that he wore the jacket, most RIG military never worse unapproved apparel and the big heavy leather jacket was not standard issue anywhere.
"Keith, you can call me Keith, I'm sure you've seen my record, what you haven't seen is what's not there Sergeant what's between the lines as it were." He had a confident way of talking, the kind of voice and diction that made you want to follow anywhere.
"And what Keith is not in the record?"
"What I do for our emperor Sergeant." The one thing Therod could see that wasn't readily apparent with Keith is the intensity of hatred in his eyes. It was hidden behind the smile and the voice, but it was there clear as day to Therod, she saw it in the same way she saw her own eyes in the mirror.
"And what would that be?" Therod did not know Keith very well, but she already could see he was a man that was difficult to deal with.
"Kill some magical people, and I invite you to join me." She should have said no, on its face his proposal was ludicrous, but Therod was worried about her career and what she'd be doing, so she did the stupid thing and said yes and everything that followed was mostly the result of this one bad decision, almost like she was infected by being near a Lorentino and her decision making ability was hampered.
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