“You can fortify all you want, but don’t underestimate these things. I don’t know what these things are, exactly, but if they’re from the Cradle, then you’re fighting on [i]their[/i] territory, not yours. You didn’t create this place.” Vreta warned. 

In any case, Vreta followed the man into the transit station. Although, he could not help but to be disappointed that they did not return from the Cradle right away. He had a multitude of reasons for wanting to be rid of this place. He did take a seat on the stool provided for him on the man’s insistence, but Vreta’s general discomfort started to become more and more visibly apparent the longer the man spoke.

Vreta was making a few mental notes on the topic Freyr discussed with the man. While he had guessed this already, their conversation did confirm that the creatures were related to the disturbance at the office building. In his research since he arrived on Outremer, Vreta had heard of the Skinners. Their goals and methods earned them the label of terrorists, though with what Vreta had seen of the Cradle, he personally felt they might have the right of it. Regardless, he did not bring it up. When Vreta was finally questioned directly, he decided to give a show of cooperation with an honest answer. “I can’t be completely sure. When I investigated the shed, I only got a look inside for a few seconds before that thing knocked out the power. Just by its appearance, it might have been some kind of communications equipment.”

Vreta revealed yet more of his discomfort when his grimace showed his bloodstained teeth. Glancing to the side, he put more pressure on his injured arm. “Look, I’m willing to talk about this with you, but I’d really rather not do this in the Cradle. That creature knocked out a few of my teeth, by arm burns like the ninth ring, and frankly, the blood loss is distracting. More importantly, I’m not completely convinced that border isn’t going to come crashing down on us again at any moment. Did those creatures really retreat, or are they just gathering their forces? I promise my cooperation for every one of your questions if we return to the real world. Like I said, my name is Vreta’Sori, representative of the Zuraxi’Synkuur corporation. I’m staying on the twenty-first floor of the Synastar Hotel. You look like a man with the authority to run my identity, so I’m sure you can get confirmation this is all true. Someone as high-profile as me, you know I can’t just escape unnoticed. I’ll go back to my hotel room and wait for you there; you have my word.”