Bruyza and Michael were staring at one another silently for a few moments. The helmeted behemoth gazed from the darkness of its armor upon the pink daeman who cozied himself on his supposed Hay-yen slaves.
"The deal will be as follows. We will let your Tuskir employers live so they may return to their crummy village. You'll elaborate on what you said about growing food in inhospitable places. If it all works then we might consider not killing the Hay-yen." Bruyza said with a decided tone as if set in stone.
'Guh... God. Could you have been more unreasonable? Hmm... what's the best play here? This guy already seems prideful. They got the bigger numbers. He seems to think himself strongest, maybe... sigh... a fight might be unavoidable with someone so stubborn. Gotta see how I can work this. I can't be a pushover, but trying to imply I'm stronger for the sake of theatrics mind end it with me having my skull caved in...' Michael thought as he looked with half open eyes at Bruyza. He'd then close them while leaning back against Vodra.
Bruyza waited for a reply until none came, instead a light snore would leave Michael's mouth. "OI! ARE YA SLEEPIN'?! YE DARE TA NAP IN THE MIDST OF A NEGOTIATION TALK WITH ME?!" The Rock Backs Elder's progeny said in an metallic squeal as it stood up reaching for its hammer.
Michael opened one eye and looked directly at Bruyza not even flinching. "This ain't a negotiation talk. A negotiation presumes that both sides are willing to be reasonable and compromise. You've got the upper hand, but I've got what you want." Michael said calmly, but before he could continue, Bruyza approached and leaned towards him, looming.
"Exactly, explain why I can't be unreasonable? 'Cause it be soundin' to me like I can." The Tuskir warrior said as a hot snort was let out through some nostril port holes.
"Because if you start a fight with me now, your troop might kill me, but before they can do that I'll make sure to rip your soul out and drag you back to Hell with me." Michael replied with a dead eyed stare. His head was leaned forward, both eyes open, focused and brow relaxed as to not show anger in his expression. Instead the human avoided direct eye contact with the person inside the armor, instead looking focused at a point between and slightly above their eyes. Michael was mimicking as best he could the stare of a killer, the stare that didn't look at you as a human, but just as another thing or an animal.
Bruyza held their stance for quite a bit before taking a moment to step back. "That so?" Was the reply given back, this time calmer or actually... the reaction seemed to be more weighed than before.
"I have a feeling there must be more than just history that got you to want to eliminate Hay-yens now. Their old Cackle's settlement is not too far from here from what I understood. To put it simply, I'm curious why you care about their presence all of a sudden or better to ask... why your Elder cares about it?" Michael continued using this quick change of subject to deflect any further antagonizing or upsetting discourse caused by continuing the previous threats.
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"Hmph... cunning thing aren't ya, daeman? The reason is not mine ta kno'..." Bruyza said slowly and then Michael quickly interjected.
"But you know the worth of what knowledge I may be holding, still..." The human stopped his sentence mid way on purpose, looking at Bruyza with that usual big sleazy arrogant grin.
"I can't trust ya, due to not knowin' if it be a ruse nor can I confront ya lest I risk truly losing somethin' I know we need." Bruyza said with a solemn snorted sigh.
'Hmph... alright. We're now on truly even footing. Jesus... that was a climb and a half I had to do. Let's see where can I go from here?' As Michael ruminated on how to finish this in a satisfactory manner for all sides, he came to a realization that he didn't like. This conclusion was not something that made him happy, but if he wanted things to work out, he knew it had to be done.
"Well it seems we are in a situation that has no resolve... is what I'd say if I were truly such an awful being. The matter is rather simple. Your order was given to you by your Elder, but you know what might benefit your kin better. You leave the Hay-yen here, let us continue our business with them and you take me with you. We verify with you Elder if my knowledge would be more interesting to him than eradicating the Hay-yen or not. Depending on the answer, I either stick around to show you what I know and you see it as truth for yourselves or at least, for being willing to co-operate and forthright by you, you'll at least let me come back to my own so I may face you in a honorable direct battle."
As Michael finished his proposition he got wide eyed stares from all of his group, including the two Hay-yen that have played the good obedient servants until now.
"Are ya mental?! What makes ya think they'll even honor this agreement?!" Azhul spoke before her mind could react, her usual firey instincts exploding. She only realized what she had said after the fact.
Before Bruyza could reply, or any of the progeny's servants were able to get properly roudy, Michael turned his head and spoke. "I do not believe I had asked for your opinion. You are a good sack of muscle so stick to what you know best, you buff oinker. We are speaking of the blood of the Elder of The Rock Backs here. Raised in tradition, more than certain. If Bruyza would not respect their own word given, then what respect could they demand from anyone, right? I do not believe someone of such high esteem would dare to sully their clan's name, much less if they're born of their Elder's blood." Michael said with a much more pleasant expression as he turned to face the plated giant. His voice spoke to words with a serpent's tongue, one coated in honey.
Azhul let out a squeal at those words, but before she could say another thing she got some scolding gazes from both Runhar and Oinna. It is hard to tell what it was that embarrassed her more, but none the less she snorted and kept her maws clamped, avoiding to speak another word.
From that silence Bruyza's voice rang out. "Hmph... for something born of Hell itself, you know a surprising amount of the concept of the honor of one's word. Fine. My soldiers shall untie the Hay-yen. You may finish your business for today with them. My troops shall camp in the vecinity of this place and tomorrow at first light you are to be here so we may depart."
Michael stood up and he smiled with only his lips, his figure standing proud, yet doing a nod of approval to those terms. "Now, that is what I'd call a done deal."