He glanced at her with a half-smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "We, Charro, are known as mercenaries," he said. “Our loyalty is to the highest bidder, not to any set of morals.”
“Mercenaries?” Polly echoed.
“Yes, mercenaries. Our allegiance is as fluid as the rivers of Charrovik, shifting with the promise of compensation,” Erzo explained with faint disdain.
Polly’s mind raced, connecting the dots. The earlier joke about assassination and the saleswoman's warning now have a disturbing sense of clarity. The Charro’s reputation for moral ambiguity suddenly cast a shadow over Erzo’s character.
“I see,” she murmured.
The big question now was whether Erzo himself subscribed to this questionable moral compass of his people.
Erzo caught her gaze, a flicker of understanding passing between them. “Someone said something to you, didn’t they?”
Polly nodded, her pace slowing as she braced for a volatile reaction.
Instead, Erzo surprised her with a laugh, the sound more sad than amused. “I should have warned you about the prejudices against the Charro.”
“Warned me for what?”
“For the disdain directed at my people. Not all of us embrace that life. I left Charrovik to escape that destiny.”
His confession, layered with an unexpected vulnerability, left Polly reevaluating her assumptions. The man before her was a Charro who defied his own stereotype, and now, more than ever, she wanted to know him.
Polly hesitated, her thoughts tangled. “The saleswoman’s attitude—it made me question everything. I mean, is this...?” She trailed off, unsure how to articulate her doubts.
Erzo nodded. “I understand your concerns.” He pointed over his shoulder. “Isn’t that your friend?”
Polly turned to see Jana approaching. “Hey there. You’re shopping too?”
With a glance at Phares, Jana replied, “We just finished. Our supplies are being loaded now.”
“Delivered,” Phares corrected. “They’re headed for different transports.”
“Right.” Jana winced. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around all this.”
“Me too,” Polly agreed.
As they moved through the bustling market, Polly found herself captivated by Erzo’s tail. It was neatly coiled against his body, but the last segment flicked and twisted expressively, much like a cat’s, mirroring his and Phares’ conversation.
“That’s just bizarre,” Jana muttered, nodding toward his tail.
“I know,” Polly whispered, a mischievous glint in her eye. “I really want to touch it.”
Erzo glanced back, catching her gaze. Polly felt a warm flush spread across her cheeks, embarrassed yet intrigued by him.
Polly cleared her throat to refocus her thoughts away from Erzo’s tail and back to Jana. “So, what exactly were you getting supplies for?”
Jana’s response was matter-of-fact. “For his home ship. It needs urgent repairs after the explosion. We’re heading back to lend a hand.”
Polly’s eyes widened. “You’re venturing into a ship that just suffered an explosion?”
“It’s a rescue mission, really. As long as we’re together, we’re not breaching our contract, right?” Jana looked at Phares for confirmation.
“Correct,” Phares affirmed with a nod.
Erzo’s eyebrow arched, his tail giving an involuntary twitch, a clear sign of his surprise. “You’re returning to the ship?”
Phares shrugged. “Fwan won’t be pleased, but that’s nothing new.”
