“But can you see this?” He tilted his head and pointed at the vine-like tattoo crawling up his face. “The shit on your face? Yeah, I can see it.” He eyed me for a few moments. “Only two other beings besides my kind can see what you can. The true Primal of Life and the true Primal of Death.” The hand he had resting on the table began to tap slowly. “You being able to is one of those unexpected developments. You shouldn’t be able to, Joining or not.” The skin at the corners of his eyes creased as he squinted. “Interesting.” He exhaled heavily. “My name is Aydun.”
