Holo gave the intriguing group of people before him his most feral grin. There had been many tactics he could have employed to take advantage of these relatively unknown and unaligned people in his quest to rebuild House Aldorn. Seizing their not so inconsiderable assets and selling them into slavery had been his first thought. It was clean, simple, and had the added benefit of gaining favor with House Fellu by returning their obviously stolen ship.
An overwhelming feeling of disgust nearly caused his carefully constructed smile to falter. Had he truly fallen so low that an idea like that had been the first thing to come to mind? It was just so… mundane. He wasn’t like all the other sycophantic, shortsighted dolts that pranced about to the tune of the greater houses. He came from Aldorn stock, by the heavens! More was expected of him than mere simplicity.
No, there were so many other ways to take advantage of this precious gift the Adjudicators had laid at his feet. But first, it looked like he would need to clarify a few things. It was difficult to get a read on the large, stern looking fellow, but the dwarf looked like he was about ready to chew iron and spit nails. The others were off balance as well. Good. Everything was proceeding as he had hoped.
“We’re not getting involved in any of yer inter house conflicts!” Bragden growled, folding his arms in a vain attempt to match Glade’s calm demeanor. It was a near thing, but the surly dwarf was missing his companion’s ability to project murderous intent behind an unreadable mask of control.
“I see you’ve taken the wrong idea,” Holo said, softening his smile a touch as he poured himself another cup of tea. He would have to remember to thank Cirea later. Having the cooks prepare the sweet grass tea was an absolute stroke of genius. Not only would it help soothe their minds, but most couldn’t resist a second or third cup. He would have to send for more tea when that time came, but the more they saw him in the capacity of providing them what they wanted the better.
“Thoughts tend to drift toward certain ideas when someone mentions revenge,” Glade said with that burning gaze of his. It was honestly quite potent, to the point where it even had him sitting uncomfortably.
Holo idly wondered if the man practiced that look in a mirror.
“True,” Holo said, stirring a spoonful of honey into his already sweet tea. “But words can have so many nuanced meanings, can they not? Let’s say I was to mention that a storm was coming our way. What would that mean to you?”
Holo took a sip of his tea as he glanced at the man sitting across from him. Glade’s eyes had visibly narrowed. This one didn’t like being toyed with, now did he?
Holo hid his grin behind his typically bright smile. This might be easier than he thought.
But instead of Glade answering, the royal elf did.
“That would depend on several factors. If Crixus heard that a storm was coming, he would either prepare his ship by tying it down further or sailing it out to sea so he could avoid it all together. For Bragden, he wouldn’t care too much unless he was above ground. For Captain Glade, well, I don’t think he would care either way. He doesn’t let anything like weather stop him.”
“Too true!” Holo said, raising his cup in a salute before taking another sip. In truth, he was delaying his response to process what the elf had just revealed. The royal was young, but the way he had responded… was there an underlying threat there? And why did he let slip that Glade was a Captain? Had he misjudged who was in charge of this little group and this… Ked – an utterly ridiculous cover name - was reminding him he was the one in charge? There were simply too many questions this little upstart had set in motion to be certain.
This might be a bit of a challenge after all.
“As our young royal so eloquently explained, everyone can, and usually does, take a different view when certain words are used. In my case, when I say revenge, you likely believe that I want to burn House Fellu to the ground and then salt the earth.”
“Something I dream of every night,” Cirea chimed in with a wolfish grin. Holo silently thanked his companion’s well timed comment. She knew when to inject her own savagery and remind everyone that he was the one that currently had the biggest stick in the room. Such reminders were important. After all, how else could he set the right mood? It was true that he was one of the weaker houses now, but it was best to remind his guests that even as weak as he was, as the Aldorn patriarch he held their fate in the palm of his hand.
Both Glade and Ked gave him the slightest of nods, which could honestly mean anything. He chose to believe they recognized his subtle innuendos. Best to believe they were more skilled than they probably are. He briefly fantasized of having access to one of the legendary telepaths of old. Such a boon would make negotiations like these so much easier!
“While nothing would bring me greater joy, I don’t have the power or the capital to even make them notice me anymore. No, burning them to the ground is not my immediate goal. I have a longer game in mind to exact my revenge.”
“You want to stabilize your own economic base while slowly eroding theirs,” Crixus said, leaning forward with interest. “It’s a common enough tactic, but incredibly challenging to execute without considerable assets of your own.”
Holo glanced over at the bald ship captain, reappraising him. If the man knew about economic warfare, then the prior slave might actually be more beneficial than he had originally thought. What a pleasant surprise.
“How does that involve us?” Glade asked, his glowering eyes boring into Holo. Somehow, he felt even more uncomfortable under that gaze than he had before. How wonderful! He could most definitely use that intensity if his plan worked out like he hoped.
“There are several reasons that come to mind,” Holo said, giving a nod to Cirea, who quickly grabbed a trunk from the adjoining room that likely looked familiar to his guests.
Everybody’s countenances changed the moment Cirea placed the large trunk on the table. The dwarf looked incensed, the elf had a mild look of surprise on his face, and the good Captain Glade’s glower somehow intensified to the point that Holo had actually fidgeted in his seat. Oddly enough, Crixus just looked intrigued. How interesting.
“I’m certain you recognize…”
“That’s ours,” Bragden interrupted, leaning forward so much that he was about to fall off his chair. “If’n ye know what's good for ye, ye’d give it back!”
“You might want to sit back and take a breather,” Cirea growled, matching the dwarf’s intensity.
“Now, now,” Holo said, choosing to use a magnanimous tone. He didn’t want this carefully managed meeting to erupt into a fight. That would seriously set back his plans. Though, he might need to remind them, gently of course, that he was holding all the cards in this given situation. “I’m not showing this to you so I can gloat. While I have the authority as the Patriarch of Aldorn to seize whatever I deem suspicious, and believe me, what we have here goes beyond suspicious, I would rather proceed as if you are potential business partners.”
“Partners?” Glade asked with a starkly raised eyebrow. That simple act almost took Holo’s breath away. In that one worded response the man showed he was not only unimpressed with Holo’s implied threat but also kept the door open to potential negotiations. It was a brilliant move that was simply a natural response. Really, the man had a natural talent for politicking. With just a little bit of training he could be a real threat!
“Potential partners,” Holo replied, never letting his smile waiver even a fraction. He gestured to Cirea to open the crate. “What you have here is a veritable fortune in rare mana shards, ancient coinage, and other intriguingly rare resources and items that would draw anybody's attention. Tell me, was your intent to sell these items in Asylum?”
Glade gave a quick perusal of the crate’s contents as well as the rest of the group. Bragden’s face turned bright red, and Crixus gave a low whistle, impressed at the display of wealth in an obvious show of surprise. Holo filed that tidbit of information away. The former slave wasn’t in the know as much as he had originally assumed.
What really surprised him was the elf. There was a nervousness in those eyes that caused him to glance ever so slightly in Glade’s direction. A sign of deference maybe?
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If so, that meant that the elf was subordinate to a human, which honestly made Holo even more curious. Illegitimate or not, the elvish empire would not tolerate such a relationship to stand. Just what influences did this man have in his life to have placed him in such a precarious position?
Glade looked Holo in the eye and gave a single, curt nod. In that one motion, the man not only told him they were on their way to Asylum, but he acknowledged that they were squarely in Holo’s grasp. This was going almost too well.
“For what ends?” Holo asked, purposefully leaning forward to emphasize how important this question was to him. All his future plans hinged on their why. If it was a simple get rich quick and disappear scheme… well, then he would simply relieve them of their goods, impound the Dragonling, and sell them into slavery. He was more than justified in doing so.
There was the hassle of contacting the elvish ambassador to deal with the royal, but that wouldn’t be too difficult. They would likely even give him a reward.
But if the answer was anything else…
“Let’s just say we are looking to quietly establish a house of our own outside of the Free Cities influence,” Glade said carefully. “A mutually beneficial business partnership would be… helpful.”
Holo’s grinning mask grew into a genuine smile.
“You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that,” he said, and meant it. They were trying to form their own house. That meant the wealth before him was likely seed money, as well as a glimpse of the potential wealth and power these people could provide over the long term.
They were perfect!
“Cirea my dear, please inform the steward that repairs on the Dragonling can go forward as requested. Spare no expense. Also, inform him that dinner tonight will be a celebratory affair.”
“You’re that confident that we’ll capitulate to your demands?” Glade asked, again raising that incredibly potent brow. Seriously, the man simply radiated danger.
“I can promise you that by the end of the evening, not only will I be one of your greatest allies, you will thank the Adjudicators themselves that they steered you towards me!” Holo said with a laugh.
“Not bloody likely,” he heard Bragden grumble under his breath.
Cirea stepped away from the table and passed a message to one of the attendants waiting quietly in the hallway.
“What were the other reasons?” The elf asked, leaning forward just enough that it drew Holo’s curiosity.
“Other reasons?” He asked questioningly.
“You mentioned there were several reasons why you were interested in us. What were the others?” Ked clarified.
“Ah, those,” Holo said with a wave of his hand, relaxing back in his chair. He didn’t have to share everything that had drawn his attention, but where was the fun in that? He loved to see people’s reactions when he was able to guess their secrets. “Well, beyond the fact that you obviously thwarted the Fellu’s by stealing their flag ship out from under them as well as freeing their slaves, all without drawing their attention? Well, that was an attention grabber for certain. Then there was the way you expertly saved my people and property from a well organized bandit raid. Throw in that you command a treeless celestial, travel with a high ranking dwarf enchanter, an accomplished warrior, and a royal elf? Well, it makes one wonder how much attention you are receiving from the adjudicators.”
Holo had to stop himself from laughing out loud at their reactions. Bragden had gone as white as a ghost, the elf had unconsciously pulled his sleeves down, and Glade… if looks could kill Holo would have been dead and buried with his all remaining rebirths expended. He loved those priceless reactions almost as much as he enjoyed a good game of King Maker.
“Out of curiosity,” he added offhandedly, “How many Brands do you have between yourselves? If we’re to work together as close as I suspect we will, then we will need to share some of our deepest secrets. In a manner of good faith, why don’t I go first?”
He casually rolled up one of his sleeves, revealing his three brands - intellect, perseverance, and courage. It was quite the collection. He had been blessed with intellect and perseverance at the age of accountability but had gained the brand of courage from Asylum’s local labyrinth. Generally speaking, most Patriarchs had three brands, with a rare few of the higher houses’ patriarchs having upwards of four. He truly hoped the group before him had at least two each. He suspected that the royal might even have as many as four. Such power could attract many opportunities to expand and grow.
Crixus gave a low whistle.
“Only two for me,” he said, rolling up a sleeve to show his brands of honor and perseverance.
Holo sat back in his chair, scrutinizing the reactions of the other three. They were… underwhelmed. How curious.
Before he could think further on the subject, the dwarf spoke up.
“I’m not stupid enough to show something so personal to the likes o’ you,” Bragden growled. “And if the rest o’ ye had a slagging brain between ye, you wouldn’t show him nothin either.”
There was a pointed look between the three of them, though out of all of them, Glade was the only one who gave him a measured look.
“As you said before, you are a potential partner,” Glade said with a hint of something more in his voice. Was it humor? Hope? Holo couldn’t say. But one thing was certain, the man had his full attention. “You have an inkling of what we can bring to the table. But what can you offer us?”
“Now that is a good question!” Holo said with a laugh before glancing at Crixus. “However, before I answer that fully, let me ask a question to the Dragonling’s captain first.”
Crixus sat up straighter in his chair.
“Now that you know what these fine gentleman will be attempting to sell in Asylum, what do you think would have happened to them by going to one of the larger merchants?” Holo asked.
“If they tried to sell it all in one go without any backing? House enforcers would be on them in moments. It’d be hard to guess what would happen after that. Some might flex their muscles like you are and force them to join their house. Others might outright take what they have and sell them into slavery, or worse. But now that I know sir Ked is a royal? They would be falling all over themselves to curry favor.”
“Spot on!” Holo said, saluting the man with a raised teacup before turning back to the others. “The moment you even breathed a word of what you are selling, the unseen hands of the greater houses would be on you like warts on a goblin’s backside!”
“Kind of like what you’re doing,” Glade said with a straight face.
Oho! The man had courage enough for twenty men to say something like that! And to think he thought the next few years were going to be boring.
“Right you are!” Holo laughed before draining the dregs of his tea. “But there is a drastic difference between those abyssal, scum sucking cockroaches and myself.”
“Which is?” Glade asked.
“I want to see their entire institution burn!” Holo spat, dropping his smile as he allowed a mere fraction of the loathing he felt toward those swine who led the Free Cities.
After taking a moment to calm himself, Holo resumed his explanation. “More specifically, I can grant you total anonymity through my contacts with Asylum’s auction house. No one will know who you are, who is backing you, and most importantly, where you or your goods are coming from. You want to be outside the Free Cities political reach? You need the warm blanket of anonymity that I can provide you.”
There was a moment of silence between them, with Crixus being the only one who fully recognized the value he was offering them. Not just anybody could deal straight with Helmund’s auction house. They had to be recommended by a trusted agent. Even then, first timers were generally treated as second rate citizens until their reputation grew to sufficient levels that it became profitable.
Holo could help them bypass all that and get them direct VIP status.
“What will that cost us?” Glade asked.
“I get a 10% commission from the auction house for anyone I sponsor,” he said with a smile. “As well as a meager 10% share of the profits in any sales you make.”
“3% share,” Glade said, narrowing his eyes.
“7%,” Holo responded, his smile returning full force.
“5%, final offer,” Glade replied, folding his arms. There was a subtle shift in the man’s eyes that pierced Holo to his very core. For the briefest of moments, it felt like he was standing before a massive, furious thunderstorm, the kind that decimated everything in its path. In that moment he knew that he was nothing before this man. Less than nothing.
It was… thrilling.
“5%,” he got out, his heart thundering in his chest. Just who was this man?
After taking a moment or two to recover, Holo continued in a much more subdued voice. “We’ll have to discuss other important matters, such as what we plan to do with the Dragonling as well as how you are going to keep your ability to free slaves a secret.”
“We?” Bragden scowled, looking between Glade and Holo with the barest hint of defeat in his voice. There was something admirable about dwarven stubbornness, though it was good that Bragden was beginning to see that this was indeed the best way forward.
“Before we get into that,” Glade interrupted. “You showed us trust by revealing your brands to us. I won’t force anyone here to do the same, but you should know what you’re getting into by tying yourself to us.”
“I’m surrounded by slagging, honorable morons,” he heard Bragden mutter under his breath.
Instead of answering, Holo simply invited them to do as they saw fit by giving them his most charming smile.
“I don’t have anything to hide,” Ked said with a shrug, unbuttoning both of his shirt sleeves.
Holo’s eyes widened as the elf revealed the brands for courage, perseverance, intellect, sacrifice, and passion. Five. The royal elf had five brands.
His heart started to run away uncontrollably in his chest. The very thought of someone within arms reach of him having five brands was almost enough to make him hyperventilate. At any moment an adjudicator could send this unassuming child a trial that could potentially affect everyone within a few miles radius!
This was exactly what Holo had been hoping for! Those kinds of trials and opportunities could literally propel his entire house forward by leaps and bounds! The potential revenue alone from his deal with this heaven sent party would bring him and his people the prosperity he had been dreaming of ever since the Fellu’s, may they rot in hell for eternity, crippled him.
“Well…” he stammered. “That is… something to behold.”
“May the Overlord preserve us,” Crixus gasped, his face pale as he took in Ked’s brands. “No wonder a storm was conjured out of thin air after we set sail.”
Holo’s smile stretched to its limits. There was a story there, and he planned on hearing before the day was over.
There was a pregnant pause, as Ked and Bragden looked to Glade.
With slow, deliberate motions, Glade rolled up one sleeve, revealing four brands.
“Four brands combined with Ked’s five…” he breathed. “Now that is a potent combination…”
Holo's voice trailed off as Glade began rolling up the other sleeve…