“Why are you here?” Caspian glanced towards Jericho who sat across the bar. He was slumped face down on the recently polished oak, “I’m working here and your presence is quite the distraction.”

“I’m bored.” Jericho groaned, “Annoying you usually helps, but it’s no fun without Marcus telling me to stop.” Shaking his empty mug towards Caspian he asked, “Fill it up. I want to drown my sorrows.”

“You’ve been getting pink lemonade.”

“Only the strongest of lemons can sustain me.” Jericho cried dramatically.

“Can you not be this extra when there’s customers.” Caspian replied nervously, noticing a couple on lookers through the crowd. “Can’t you go to friend or to someone who actually likes you.”

Looking up Jericho gasped, “Caspian! Are you implying that we’re not friends?!”

“I hate you. You hate me. We’ve been in this vicious cycle of loathing since we met. Just because you rescued Marcus, from a situation you put him in ight I add, doesn’t mean I like you.” Caspian filled Jericho’s glass with his lemonade before returning to his customers. “Besides, the entire reason you can here was to annoy me.”

Jericho sighed and traced the brim of the glass with his index finger, “I just miss Marcus. We didn’t even get two days before a group of Keepers took him in for questioning. That was a week ago.”

Caspian was silent for a bit as he stared absently into a glass he was cleaning. “I should've shut my mouth that night.” Caspian admitted, “I let that dumb fox get to me and I spilled the truth so easily.” He put the now clean glass on the shelf behind him, “I put him in this mess.”

“Not true.” Jericho admitted, “If I had just listened to him that night and wait for him to go looking for the wendigo nest he wouldn’t have needed to call them and we probably would have handled it a lot cleaner too.” He chugged his drink as he remembered the night after Marcus left with the Keepers a news articles got released describing the confrontment of the California Cannibal and his untimely demise in a shootout between him the police department. He figured that the Keepers had a hand in that.

“You’re an idiot, that’s expected of you.” Caspian simply put. “I should’ve known better.” Being a good friend, Jericho ignored the first comment and just listened. He watched him turn around, sipping the rest of the pink liquid in his glass. “Diana warned us that it might take a while for them to get the story straight.” Caspian replied, “Sometimes it takes a couple of months. Keepers like to be thorough when it comes to Vesseling.”

“What is Vesseling anyway? Is it some sort of possession?”

Caspian sighed and refilled the now empty glass of lemonade and started to clean glass cups left on the bar, “It’s a bit more intense than that. Vesseling changes the host, inside and out. Their appearance, including their race change as time passes. As far as you know Marcus could have had blond hair and blue eyes before the transition.”

Jericho fidgeted in his seat, “Really? Is it that dramatic?”

“Oh yea. Once inside the god changes the host to make themselves more ‘comfortable’ by changing hair, eye color etcetera, not everyone survives. Nine times out of ten the host dies if the god isn’t compatible with the god. I’m pretty sure that’s what happened the pharaoh Tut. Poor sap thought he could handle it.” He shook his head, “Though I’m pretty sure Marcus never had that problem since his dad was a vessel to Trishula prior.”

Jericho chugged down his drink, feeling more anxious before, “People wanted to have a parasite inside them?”

“Oh yea, as a compatible vessel, you could channel the gods power along with immortality. To some, the payoff is worth it.”

“That why it was banned?”

“During the war… both sides lost many people to try to vessel gods in soldiers. Most didn’t even consent to it. Then when Trishula made the scene, it just got worse, when the god took control over his vessel no one an the battlefield was safe. When it was finally over the Keepers hid the teachings to prep the body for the gods. Though it might haven’t been enough if you ask me.”

“Well, Marcus isn’t going to do anything bad if that’s what you mean.” He watched as the cup was refilled once more by Caspian as he continued. “Isn’t he the last one?”

“Not really. There are underground groups, much like the cartel, that deals in that sort of stuff. They do not have all the right materials to do so, but that doesn’t stop them. The Keepers do their best to stop it, but it’s not enough. There are accounts of gods dening a vessel and going on a rampage.”

Jericho paused for a bit before speaking again, “What can you tell me about the Keepers?”

Caspian looked almost surprised by the question, “Ask Diana or Marcus.”

“Marcus likes seeing the good in things and though he’ll see the faults and acknowledges them he tends to sugar coat stuff without meaning too.” Jericho saw him nod in agreement as he continued “I doubt Diana or Angie or Zoran will have anything negative to say about their organization either. You on the other hand are more blunt about it. You have a great nose for BS.”

“It’s true, I do like calling people out for their bullshit. Fair enough.” Caspian responded, “There are plenty of organizations that deal with interactions between humans and magical beings but the Keepers are equivalent to your human’s Special Operation unit or CIA. They are called when a magical threat has a body count known to the public or when there’s a threat to a sanctuary.”

“Which are..”

“Sanctuaries are cities run and inhabited by people of magical origin.” Caspian added quickly, “Keep up JJ.” Jericho nodded and relished in the fact he called him by his nickname, “There are three factions in the Keepers, there are the seek and destroy field teams like Diana, and two others I’m not so sure about. The Keepers have always been secretive in what happens and I don’t like it.” Caspian finally admitted. “The people who run the organization can be corrupt and some species are treated worse than others within the group.” Caspian’s grip on the glass cup tightened, “That’s why I don’t like Marcus over there. They can be prejudice and opportunistic. They’ll exploit Marcus in one way or the other.”

Jericho had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He trusted Diana and Angela, and to some extent Zoran, but he didn’t like the idea of people using Marcus. Knowing him he’d be ok with it as long as he isn’t hurting someone in the process. He finally nodded, satisfied with the information he received, it fascinated him on how much Caspian knew on the subject. Checking the time he began to get up. “I should go. I’m supposed to meet with Diana in an hour. She sounded worried but I’m sure it’s fine.” He stretched before starting to head out, “Put them on my tab Cas.”

“You’re lucky you’re dating the owner. You owe us half a grand.” He shouted across the room.

Jericho laughed as he exited the building. “Very funny.”

“Wasn’t joking.” Caspian muttered.