Good.

Walking into room you see Sean sitting at a table full of dice and figurines. He sets a book down on the table, and gestures at a chair across the table from him. You can't help but smile as you examine the table while you take a seat. It looked just like a Dungeons and Dragons setup. Dice and all. It was definitely something you were going to be asking Dawn about.

"So" Sean says staring at you.

"So" you reply staring back.

"I wanted to start by saying...um...thank you" Sean says. Your eyes widen a little bit as you really weren't expecting a thank you from Sean. At least not right away.

"Even though I am your prisoner you've taken good care of me. I'm well fed. I have stuff to keep me from getting too bored. You've let the Priestess and Grimlok spend time with me, which is maybe what I am most thankful for. My point is...you didn't have to treat me as well as you have, and...it's made me rethink some things. Some things for my own future, and some for your future. I was holding onto things because it felt like if I let them go then I would be losing, I don't know, like I'd be losing a fight. Then it occurred to me that I wasn't fighting you...I was fighting myself, and...and I don't want to do that anymore. I stopped fighting myself a little bit...and I got a good friend. I...I want to know what would happen if I stopped fighting myself entirely" Sean says staring at you.

"With that in mind I am still hesitant to tell you anything...because...because" Sean stammers.

"There isn't that much to tell me, and you are worried I'll believe you are still holding back important information. So therefore I won't believe anything of what you just told me" you answer for him. His eyes widen for a split second, and you can see his eyes darting back and forth between each of your eyes. You smirk knowing he's trying to figure out if you can read his mind.

"Yah...something like that. Also...I don't have any way of proving anything I say, and there isn't any reason for you to believe anything I'm saying or will say" he replies while picking up one of the dies on the table. You watch him examine the die for a moment before setting it back down on the table.

"All true. We have a long way to go before I can trust you, and before you can trust me. I will say, however, that I believe what you've said so far. Call it a gut feeling. Instincts. Plus, this is the first time I've entered the room and I didn't see you looking around for an item to attack me with" you say with a smirk. Sean's eyes widen briefly again, and he nervously chuckles.

"You noticed those times huh" he asks. You nod your head, but you smile to keep the mood light.

"I'll tell you right now Sean. I want to believe you. I want to help you have a good life, even if that isn't with us. I don't want you to think this is all one sided. I need friends. Not enemies" you tell him.

"Friends...you know...I thought I had this world figured out pretty well. I had a rough start, but I thought I had everything I needed. Then a Dino bit my arm off which led to where I am now, and I found a friend. I found a friend here, as your prisoner. None of anything I ever had before means as much to me as this friendship has. Hasn't even been that long...and she's just a kid, but...her friendship is unconditional...I'm an old rat of a man, but she's still my friend" Sean says looking away, and you see him sneak a hand up to rub his eyes.

"I don't know what her real name is, but they call her The Mistress. She has powerful magic, she has a lot of money, and she has a lot of men who follow her. Her goal is simple. She wants to bring back Wendel...and she believes you are the key to do that. From what I could gather, with what I saw and what the soldiers talked about, she has a professional army, and even some reserves. Plus mercenary contacts. She also has a large number of slaves, who she has almost exclusively farming or tending livestock to feed her army. The reserves are in charge of the slaves somehow. I don't really know much more than that...sorry" Sean says and looks back at you.

"How many men in her army does she have then" you ask. Sean rubs his neck nervously.

"Without including the slaves or mercenaries...well over a thousand" he replies making your eyes go wide in surprise.

"That doesn't sound right...with that kind of army she could have taken over this continent by now, or at least most of it" you say.

"Maybe...but my understanding is that she wants Wendel to do that. Everything she's built is for him to take over if she can get him back here...and...well...it's probably just soldiers talking, but some of them say she knows how to communicate with him...somehow. That she is taking orders from him. I kind of believe them" Sean says and picks up another twenty sided die in his hand.

"Still...that's an awful large amount of people...Dawn should have seen them by now, but I suppose it isn't like she's looking at every square foot of land on this continent" you muse to yourself.

"How would Dawn be able to see them" Sean asks confused, but waves his hand dismissively "Doesn't matter, it is almost all underground. Some legacy city of Wendel's or something like that. All carved out of rock. I only got to see a tiny bit of it. I don't know how they farm crops and livestock underground, but they do" Sean states. You nod your head. If it was all underground then it wasn't any wonder Dawn had not seen thousands of people in one place.

"Could you point to where it is located on a map" you ask him.

"Roughly yah...I wasn't really all that concerned about how to get to her, since I had other people taking me to her" he replies.

"Any idea what she planned to do next to try to capture me" you ask him. Sean shakes his head no.

"I got the impression that she doesn't really tell anyone what the next part of a plan is. All I know is she made it very clear that I'd not enjoy failing her. I'm thankful that you replaced my arm. I don't like thinking about what she could have done to me with it, and I'm not in a rush to ever see her again" Sean says and throws the die onto the table. You both watch it bounce and roll until it finally stops. You both crane your neck to see what it landed on, and you both recoil slightly seeing that it landed on the number one.

"I hope that isn't prophetic" Sean frowns.

"Well...it might be. If you decide to stick around and help us, then odds are she's going to show up at some point. I don't want to make it seem like there isn't any risk staying here. It could turn out very badly" you say.

"I'm staying. I can help...somehow. I have to protect what I have" Sean says reaching for the twenty sided die again.

"Your friendship with Grimlok" you say trying to point out you know what he wants to protect. Sean stares at the die as he rolls it around in his fingers.

"A couple weeks ago. If you had asked me if there was anyone in this world I would sacrifice my life...to save their life. I'd have laughed in your face" Sean says tossing the die onto the table. It bounces and rolls to your side, and you stop it from falling over the edge with your hand.

"Would you sacrifice your life to save Grimlok's life" you ask Sean. You can see Sean pondering the question for a moment before he focuses back on you.

"I don't know yet...but I'm not laughing in your face either" he says smirking. You lift your hand up to reveal the die. Sean leans forward, and then he chuckles when he sees it had landed on twenty.

"Are you sure you don't know yet" you ask smirking back.

"I'm trying to leave open the option that I wouldn't have the courage to do it" Sean frowns. You nod your head in sympathy.

"It isn't something you can know. How you would act in such a situation I mean. We all think we'd like to act a certain way in any given situation, but ultimately until that moment arrives none of us really know. I suspect you would though, but all the same I'm going to do my best so such a situation doesn't arise" you tell him.

"I would appreciate that" Sean smirks.

"There is something else I wanted to discuss with you. If you are going to stick around then you deserve to know what's coming" you tell him. Sean watches you expectantly.

"I'm going to eliminate slavery on this continent" you tell him. Sean's eyebrows furrow down. Not in anger, but in confusion.

"You're going to what now" he asks skeptically.

"This place is the first free city. I am going to start freeing slaves from slavers. I'm going to bring them here and offer them a chance at freedom. Free to build their future" you tell him.

"That's...that's insane. The only thing you're offering them is ****. This place will be attacked over and over" Sean states.

"That is true. They will have to defend their freedom, and we will be right there defending with them" you tell him.

"You're putting Grimlok in even more danger" Sean says loudly. You can tell he is holding himself back from yelling. His breathing has sped up, and it looks like he is almost shaking. You can't help but smile a little bit.

"This isn't a joke...why are you smiling" he angrily demands to know, and you can see his hands clenching into fists.

"I'm smiling because I'm happy" you reply calmly "because you are having a strong emotional response, which are difficult to fake, and difficult to control. Yet the response isn't about your own safety...it's about Grimlok's safety. If I'm being honest with you it is difficult for me to know if you are just trying to say and do what it takes to get yourself free. You have changed Sean, and this emotional response proves it" you tell him.

"What? Fuck you...that doesn't mean anything to me right now. The Mistress is already after you, and that is dangerous enough. I am already part of that...but...but you are talking about pissing off almost everyone on this shit continent. Slaves are everywhere. They make people rich...fucking shit...even poor people want slaves. You're talking about taking that away from them. They will all come after you, and anyone with you. Of all the idiotic...the...the suicidal...what in the fuck are you thinking. Tell me why. Why? I don't even care how you think you could take something like that on. I just want to know why" Sean yells at you. His face is red and he looks like he wants to jump out of his seat and strangle you. You let out a deep sigh because you know you have to use Juliet as an example.

"Has Grimlok and the Priestess told you why they are here" you ask him.

"W-what? Don't change the fucking subject" he says angrily.

"I promise I am not changing the subject, and I'm trying to explain to you why. Now have they told you" you ask.

"The Priestess said she helped Grimlok escape a bad situation, but she didn't go into detail about it" Sean replies.

"Ok, well that isn't my story to tell, but obviously the end result is they are here under my protection, and I will protect them to the best of my ability. What do you think would have happened to them had they not come here? If they'd managed to make it to some other place" you ask him. You can visibly see Sean deflate a little bit.

"Nothing good" he replies looking away from you.

"Nothing good...at best. You and I both know they'd have been alone and ****. No one would have given a crap if some slaver took them. A couple weeks ago you wouldn't have given a crap either" you tell him. Sean's eyes snap to you, and you can tell what you said pissed him off, but you see the truth of your statement sink into him and he looks away ashamed.

"But they are here. In maybe the only place they are accepted. Where they can live a good life. Where they can thrive. Where they can make good friends. They don't deserve to be slaves just because someone stronger then they are thinks they should be slaves. I want to create a place where no one is a ****. So they don't lose the opportunity to make those friends, or anything else a person should be able to pursue. I have the skills and resources to help people...so I'm going to help people. I'm asking you to help" you tell him. Sean continues looking away from you, but this time you can tell he's thinking about what you said. He rubs his face with his hands, and let's out a slight chuckle.

"I don't know who is more crazy. You taking on the Mistress and slavery...or me...some old guy who heard all of what you just said...and thinks you're right" he says looking back at you "against my better judgement...I'd still like to stick around and help. Whatever way I can I guess" he says smirking.

"I'm a lot more happy to hear that then I thought I would be" you say smiling at Sean. Sean looks at his magical hand, and you watch him open and close his fingers.

"I think we're both a bit surprised how things have turned out so far" Sean replies smirking.

"From here on out you'll be free to leave your room, and the Sanctuary if you wanted to. There will be some rooms you won't be allowed to go in to, but that will be the same for any new arrivals here. I would give you a tour of the facility myself, but I will be leaving shortly and I need to get ready. However, I am certain Dawn would be willing to offer a tour, or if you prefer I am more then certain that Grimlok would love to show you around. We have been eating meals as a group when we are all here, so it would be nice to have you eat with us during those times, but when and where you eat is entirely up to you. Welcome, officially, to the Sanctuary" you say smiling at Sean.

"Just like that? No threats or warnings" Sean asks sounding slightly surprised.

"You are already aware of what Dawn is capable of, so there isn't any reason to threaten you any more. Though if you do go outside I would recommend you do so with some sort of escort for protection. We don't have walls built yet, and the local wildlife is...well...wild, and from my understanding some of them are very big and very bitey" you reply smirking. Since the conversation is over you both stand up, and you offer your hand to shake Sean's hand. He moves to shake your hand but pauses for a moment staring at his golden hand, you see him smile slightly, and then he grabs your hand to shake it.

"We're both just stupid idiots aren't we" he asks smirking as you shake his hand.

"Sometimes, but our friends and loved ones will keep us in check" you chuckle.

"That must be why you have so many friends and loved ones" Sean says grinning.

"You might be right" you say laughing and Sean starts laughing with you. With that you both walk over to the door, and you step aside to let Sean out first. You see him take a breath before stepping through the door.

"SEAN" you hear Juliet call out and you walk out of his room in time to see her hugging his leg. Sean chuckles and pats her head seeming embarrassed slightly.

"H-hey there Grimlok" he greets her.

"Dawn said you were free to walk around the Sanctuary now. Come on, I have a ton of things I have to show you" she says letting his leg go and grabbing his hand to pull him along. Sean starts being lead away by Juliet as you watch, and Dawn phases in beside you and interlocks her fingers with yours.

"Another small step towards your goal" she says leaning her head on your shoulder.

"I think it might have been a big step actually" you reply.

"Everyone is mostly ready whenever you are" she tells you and you sigh.

"Here come some more steps forward" you say as the two of you start walking.