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The Big Oof! Volume 1 Chapter 32: Immaterial Rewards
🕑 Added 2023-03-16 09:22:29 +0000 UTCEveryone in the temple watched as the young woman knelt down to take a sip of water from the contaminated pool. However the Knight Captain couldn’t help but turn her head towards Elijah and give the man a vicious glare as her younger and only surviving sister risked her life.
"I pray for both our sakes that you're right, Master Eli-jah," Rhea growled quietly.
Looking over at the woman with a mixture of annoyance and indifferent, Elijah let out a sigh of derision.
“Is that so?” He responded in a blithe manner. “Well, I haven’t been wrong yet.”
Salvanius glanced over at his Aide and the two foreigners, who were silently bickering amongst themselves and frowned deeply. The Demigod's thoughts turned back to the strange magical tool that the primate called Elijah had shown him. According to the brief explanation he had received, the device could magnify one's vision to an unimaginable degree, revealing ‘microscopic’ life teeming within the pool. He found it hard to believe and dismissed the fact that not only life was that small, but how a tool was able to enhance one's vision to an unreasonable degree.
The mere insistence of this made the Demigod want to laugh and call the tail-less beastkin a delusional fool, however they had already planted the seed of doubt. Everything these beings have done has turned out factually correct and they’ve even done him a great service by exposing the filth within his fathers halls.
But what troubled Salvanius even more, was the fact that there wasn’t a single speck of sorcery within the tool… It was as Inert as a peasants scythe.
As a son of a literal god, Salvanius was a being born of mana and he couldn’t see or feel anything from the strange tool except lightning… Lightning that was being generated by unknown means and it wasn’t using any methods he could sense or was familiar with. Although, when he looked at those two primates, they were so chock full of mana, it even put his Aide to shame.
“How fascinating…” Salvanius muttered as he turned his head back to back towards Rhea’s younger sister, Junior Knight Eira.
As the young lady took a deep gulp and closed her eyes, Salvanius watched with a sense of understanding. It was clear to him that the knight felt as if she was consigning her life away, given everything they knew about miasma and the inevitability of death that came with it. However, he was briefed on the strange treatment the tail-less ones had given to his knights and in just a short few hours, they had shown remarkable improvement. So Salvanius had no reason to doubt the validity of what these foreign healers had suggested.
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to keep a watchful eye.
If there were any signs of deceit detected, then Salvanius himself shall become the harbinger of justice and hunt them down till the ends of the mortal realms. "If what you say is true, then you have done my people a great service," Salvanius said, stopping whatever hushed conversation Elijah and Rhea were having "But I will not hesitate to take action if I find out that you have misled us in any way. I do not know where you come from or whom you worship, but I would not underestimate the wrath of a god." He threatened in a low and measured voice.
Elijah met Salvanius' gaze steadily, unflinching. "I assure you, my uh, grace. We have no intention of deceiving you or your people. We are only here to help."
Salvanius nodded once, still skeptical but willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
For now.
Turning to his aide, Salvanius gave another nod, indicating his support should anything go wrong which the woman gratefully returned. Casting one last look at the two foreigners with an inscrutable expression, the Demigod spun on his heels and marched towards the temple's exit.
"Come, let us discuss the terms of your reward," Salvanius said as he passed Elijah and his crew. "And Rhea, if the acolytes still live, I want them brought before me on their knees," he growled, just before pushing open the grand ornate doors.
Theodius was already excitedly running forward to catch up with his brother when Elijah and Bennett exchanged nervous glances. Letting the weight of Salvanius' words sink in, the two stood up to follow the man outside while quietly communicating that it was probably best to not push their luck too far. It was probably best to have a modest and measured approach to negotiations and prove they were more valuable alive than dead if the truth ever came to light.
As they stepped out into the bright sunlight, the two humans looked back at Azeline and saw she was already following them with a look that said she had already resigned to her new reality. Here she was, trudging along behind them with a mixture of amusement and fear etched on her face. It all seemed too surreal to her, like some sort of strange and twisted dream that she couldn't wake up from and played an active part in enabling.
It seemed she was being thrust into one insane situation after another.
"I would ask more about how your magical tool worked," Salvanius suddenly spoke up without turning around. "But I assume you have no desire to share your secrets and I’m not so crass to force it out of you." He finished as he and Theodius led the way towards the mass of tents.
Elijah exchanged a quick glance with Bennett and switched to their native tongue. “I think we should give him one.” The Medic said with an expression on his face that said not even he could believe what was coming out of his own mouth.
Bennett shook his head around in incredulity as if he was hit in the head with a bat and started mouthing different words, but settled on one. “Why??” He asked, looking back at his Captain as if he had completely gone insane. “Why the FUCK should we give him something we literally cannot replace?”
Looking back at the Salvanis to see he wasn’t bothered by the change in tongue, Elijah looked back at Bennett and made his case. “Look, I know it sounds crazy-.”
“Yes! Yes, it’s absolutely insane!” Bennett cut him off.
Putting his hands up to calm the Engineer, Elijah continued to voice his reasoning. “Dude, hear me out on this!” He said looking between Salvanius and Azeline. “Think of it as a long term investment, we have 4 of the fucking things and we could just preprogram it to find the cholera like pathogen!”
Disbelief completely covered Bennett’s mind as he brought his hands to his head after listening to the insanity that was Elijah's suggestion. "You want us to give him a fucking bioscanner as an… investment? Have you completely lost your mind!?" he blurted out. "Do you even understand that we CAN’T FUCKING REPLACE THEM? We can't just…! hand them out!"
Understanding his partner's logic, Elijah thought of a way to explain the insane amount of political capital they would obtain. By not only giving the literal inquisition a means to detect and treat a disease that has been mystified to the point of being called ‘Miasma’, they would win an unimaginable amount of favor.
"Bro, think of the leverage we would have! We could get away with ANYTHING!" Elijah retorted, exasperated. "Don't you see what this could do for us? If they found out that we whacked those knights and fried that priest's brains, they would be more inclined to FORGIVE us than burn us alive!" He gestured at Salvanius. “And if they don’t find out, we could potentially have someone drag us out of the fire or at the VERY LEAST ignore any bullshit we may stir up in the future.”
Shaking his head, Bennett simultaneously pushed his palms into his eyes in order to suppress the oncoming headache. “You and your fucking mind games!” He shot out. “Fine Eli, you’re the Captain, but if this goes tits up, I swear to god I’ll fucking SHOOT YOU myself.” Bennett grumbled, letting out a sigh as he reluctantly agreed to the plan.
Elijah let one of his predatory grins stretch across his face. "Oh, come on now, where's your sense of adventure?" he teased, happy that his engineer agreed to another one of his schemes before turning his attention back to the Demigod. "We have an extra magical tool that we’re willing to share, and...” Elijah switched back to the local tongue and feigned apprehension “We’re willing to lend it to you.”
The two Demigods came to a sudden halt, their expressions a mix of shock and surprise upon hearing Elijah's proposal. Salvanius was the first to react when he spun around in place with a serious look on his face, “You… Have another…?” He asked in almost disbelief. “You have another magical tool that you’re willing to depart with?”
The look in Elijah's eye briefly shone as he used all of his will power to suppress the smile that was trying to form on his face. "We do indeed, but we have a few… conditions. Such a powerful tool is not easy to make and we have invested a great deal of time and resources into acquiring it." He said affably while slightly bowing his head in deferment. "And I believe it's only fair that some form of compensation is fair. Material or…"
“Immaterial… You wish to gain favor.” Salvanius finished for him as he regarded the two humans with a thoughtful expression. The Demigod weighed the potential benefits of having a device that could pinpoint the source of Miasma along with a treatment that was potentially effective. “Let us discuss this somewhere more suitable.” Salvanius motioned to the lavish tent in the distance.
As they walked towards the tents, Theodius was starting to literally vibrate as adrenaline surged through his veins. The mere thought of being in possession of a magical tool that functioned through unknown means while trying to subdue his reaction in front of his elder brother was simply too much for the poor man to handle.
Salvanius empathized with his excitable brother's one-track mind and fixations, knowing he had his own fixations as well. As head Inquisitor and Supreme Commander of the Holy Dominion’s forces, Salvanius' fixations were more focused on the long-term. Such as stopping the foul machinations of the old ones and the corruption that the traitor gods had plagued the mortal realm with.
His eyes briefly glazed over as he turned inward, recalling the devastating wars waged between kings and emperors, often instigated by feuding gods. Meanwhile, an existential threat to all mortals roamed freely, preying on the hungry and terrified peasants who toiled on the land. Despite their pleas for protection from the unholy forces unleashed upon them, their lords and ladies chose to do nothing. Demons, abominations, and the scourge of monsters that lurked in the wilderness ravaged villages, raping and devouring till their hearts content. Salvanius still felt a deep sense of shame that even people from his own land failed their citizens while the average mortal questioned why the gods had abandoned them.
However, HE was going to be the change this world needed.
“If you would please.” Salvanius said, holding open the flap of the tent for his guests.
As they entered the tent, they were greeted with a sumptuous interior complete with ornate tapestries and intricate carvings. Salvanius gestured for the group of mortals to take a seat as he settled onto a throne-like chair, flanked by two knights. Meanwhile, Theodius made his way to the rear of the tent and stood awkwardly behind his brother, fidgeting in anticipation.
Elijah and Bennett took their seats on the cushioned benches, while Azeline took up a more subservient position behind them. She chose to remain standing, feeling uneasy about potentially causing any offense and decided it was best to remain deferential. Nevertheless, Salvanius regarded the group with a stately air and took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking.
With everyone settled in their position, Salvanius let silence reign for a few more moments before leaning forward and meeting the eyes of the two foreigners. "Now, Let us discuss the details of this...transaction," he said, the weight of his words almost palpable in the air. "I was informed that in place of a standard coin reward, you wish to establish favorable trading terms for mana latent reagents?” The Demigod decided to save the discussion about the magical tool for later.
Taking a quick glance at Bennett, Elijah unzipped his jacket slightly and peered down to see an angry fairy glaring up at him from within. He looked at her with sympathetic eyes before slipping his hand inside and hoped the obviously angry goddess would have mercy on him. However, mercy didn’t seem to be in Yana’s dictionary as he felt a pair of sharp teeth repeatedly sink into his hand. Doing his best to put on a poker face and remain neutral while he felt his hand repeatedly being chomped on, Elijah pulled out a long bone-like spine and placed it on the ornate table in front of Salvanius.
The Demigod narrowed his eyes, sensing there was something vaguely familiar within the primates jacket, but his attention was soon interrupted. “This…” he muttered to himself as he picked up the unreasonably mana rich spine. “Do you have more of them?” Salvanius asked with a serious expression on his face. “Do you know what our Artificiers back at Yoviath would do to acquire these?”
Intrigued by the reaction, Elijah’s eyes twinkled for a moment as just a few words flooded him with a wealth of information and leaned forward. “I have a large bag full of them.” He said, staring the Demigod in the eyes. “Just across the river, we have a cart full of more magical tools and reagents that we’re willing to trade.”
Salvanius' nostrils flared as he exhaled deeply at the proposition. "And you’re willing to trade your magical tools also?" He asked, with a hint of apprehension in his voice. "We could certainly come to an arrangement that would benefit both of us."
Bennett, who had been silently watching the exchange with a mixture of curiosity and wariness, spoke up. "I’m apprehensive of letting go of tools that are… exceedingly difficult to replace or reproduce." he added in.
Turning his attention to Bennett, Salvanius narrowed his eyes for a moment and thought deeply on his words. "In lieu of my Father, I am the Holy Dominion and the amount of coin I can bring to bear is substantial." he said, his voice steady and reassuring. "And if it’s favor or influence you seek, then you will not find a higher authority other than myself or my father.”
The two humans looked at each other thoughtfully and then back at the supposed Demigod. Elijah's eyes gleamed with a hint of excitement but he still had to remain guarded. "We are willing to entertain the idea," Elijah said cautiously, "but we would need to see the coin and discuss the terms of the arrangement."
Nodding in understanding, Salvanius closed his eyes."Of course, I would not expect any less. However, I must say, your tools work in such fascinating ways.” He chose his next words carefully. “You seem quite capable Artificers, are you able to teach our Articiers your method of enchanting and manufacturing?”
Elijah immediately furrowed his brow and pursed his lips at the regal man's choice of words. It felt as if he was trying to lure a specific answer and Elijah knew better than to show their hand so readily.
However, Bennett didn’t seem to share the same opinion.
“Ehhh, not really.” The engineer answered honestly and off handedly. “It requires uh… special tools and special materials we can’t readily replace.”
Silence reigned in the tent as Elijah closed his eyes at his friend's blunder and opened his eyes to see Salvanius staring at them intensely and predatorily.
“Is that so?” The Demigod said, tapping his finger on the desk. “Suddenly your presence and story makes a lot more sense.”
Elijah opened his mouth to interject, but Salvanius cut him off. "Two foreign Artificers with no knowledge of the land or culture they were in." His tone was cold and calculated, "And," he continued, "With their own personal Vanir." Salvanius leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving the two.
Within a second, tension filled the room as both parties fell silent staring at each other.
Salvanius broke the tense silence with a deepening gaze. "It's truly fascinating," he mused, "whole wars have been fought over individuals who possess the ability to enchant or craft magical items." Silence fell upon the tent once more after those words as both parties glared at each other intensely, daring the other to make a move.
Slowly sliding his hand towards his waist, Elijah opened his mouth to see if he could wiggle his way out of this situation. But just as he was about to utter a word, he felt something rustle within his jacket and burst out in front of him.
“I know what you’re thinking little whelping,” Yana hissed with her hands on her hips. “but I’ve already laid claim to them first, so fuck off!”
Startled, Salvanius slightly recoiled away from the tiny Fae just before the knights flanking him had drawn their swords, ready to defend their liege against any perceived threat. In response, Salvanius quickly raised a hand to halt his men, recognizing that the two strangers before him had drawn unusual weapons of their own.
"Stand down," he commanded, his tone firm but not unkind.
Turning his vision back towards the two foreigners, he saw that they both had extremely calm, but cold expressions on their face bar the Northern Aethari woman behind them. "I do not recognize the weapons you wield, but do you honestly think you’ll be able to harm a literal GOD?." Salvanius narrowed as he continued to regard them curiously.
Elijah just smiled and turned his pistol to point it at Salvanius' head. "Well, you wouldn’t be the first.”
Salvanius raised an eyebrow, his gaze switching between the floating fairy before him and the foreigners seated on the bench. He couldn’t place his finger on it, the small being in front of him almost seemed inert with mana, but she had an aura to her that screamed ‘dangerous’ to him. "To think I mistaken you for a mere Pixie. Very well," he said in amusement while tapping his finger on the desk. "put away your weapons, I will not dishonor myself by twisting the arms of heroes who’ve helped us greatly." Salvanius waved his hand, causing the knights behind him to reluctantly comply.
"Smart," Yana quipped as she floated over to Elijah and perched on his shoulder, crossing her legs. "Now, continue with your charade."
Elijah noticed that the tension that filled the room started to simmer down, but he kept a wary eye on the flanking knights as they balled their fists in frustration. However, he could also see that they had no intention of drawing their weapons, and with a deep breath, Elijah lowered his own weapon and carefully slid his hand beneath the table. Bennett followed suit, placing his pistol back into its holster, letting out a deep sigh of relief along with Azeline in the background.
But despite the Demigod's command and the calmer atmosphere, Elijah still kept his weapon close at hand, pointed surreptitiously at Salvanius, just in case. He learned through his years as a mercenary that even the best deals or the calmest meetings could turn to shit in a heartbeat.
“Now, from what Lady Rhea has told me, you have a small problem with thugs that you wished handled in a more official manner?” Salvanius picked up where they last left off. “If you GIVE us your magical tool, then I will personally see to it that these charlatans will bother you no more.”
Furrowing his brow, Bennett looked at Elijah to indicate this wasn’t a position he was willing to budge on. Taking the cue, Elijah looked to him with a stern expression and said “That isn’t exactly viable to us. Again, we have no way of getting another one of them and-”
“And making them is prohibitively expensive in material cost.” Salvanius finished for him. “However, did you know that ALL Artificiers must be named and registered with the Assembly of Archons?” The Demigod spoke in a near sing-song voice as he looked down on the Foreigners, causing Elijah to shut his mouth and scowl. “And I’m willing to bet… you two aren’t on that list.” Salvanius grinned maliciously. “So, how much are you willing to concede for my silence?”
“Shit…” Bennett muttered, burying his head in his hand.
