Chapter 4: The Strange One - Talking to Dack

Kernelle - Chapel

"Jerrod! It's good to see you again!" Dack runs up to him to give him a hug, but stops short. "Hold on! You're short a few heads!"

"So you haven't seen Ephraim or Blizz either, then?"

"Not since Grand Cluster, no. I've just been cooped up in here, reading about Kernelle's history. Did you know that the village chief is hundreds of years old? He wrote practically every book on these shelves."

"Fascinating, but I've got to keep looking."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help. I'll pray for their safety, though. I'm sure the Creator's watching over them."

As though praying to a glorified mechanic would do much, Jerrod thought. Still, he appreciated the gesture. "Thanks."

Jerrod walked out of the church, then paused.

Wait...hundreds of years old?

Grand Cluster City - The Soundbar

Jerrod approaches Dack backstage.

"Hey, have you seen Ephraim and Blizz? They—"

"Sapphire specter? Tactless exegete?"

"Oh." Jerrod had completely forgotten about Dack's condition. "Right."

Grand Cluster City - Outside The Soundbar

As Jerrod approaches Dack preaching outside the Soundbar, he saw 4 robots, standing around him, antagonizing him. One particularly disheveled and nasty-looking robot dumps a bottle of rancid oil on Dack's head.

"You're old news!"

"We don't need hacks like you cluttering up our street corners!"

Soon after the group dissipated, Jerrod walked up to him. He was wiping the oil away.

"You knew it wasn't going to be easy," Jerrod said. "Looks like half the robots here hate you now that you stopped telling them what they wanted to hear."

Dack straightened himself. "I know. But it's worth it." Jerrod was happy to see that his voice had healed since they last talked.

"Maybe so. I wish I had your courage, Dack. Speaking of lost souls, Ephraim and Blizz are missing. I haven't been able to find them since this morning at the city gates."

"Oh? That's bizarre. Blizz's practically attached to you at the hip."

"You don't know where they could have gone?"

"Mmm..." Dack folded his arms. "Have you received any ransom notes?"

What?

Dack continued, "Kidnapping's not unheard of in the city. There are a lot of desperate addicts out there."

Jerrod stared at him, horrified.

Dack patted Jerrod on the shoulder. "If you haven't gotten some kind of threat, then I doubt it's that. I don't know much else unfortunately. I'd ask around for you, but, well, you have an idea of how popular I am at the moment."