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088

Friday, May 3rd, 2069

By the time Aurome and Seleff returned, Mrs. Stovall was awake, but sporting a massive migraine—if her groans and swearing were anything to go by. Even as I watched on, the Healer attempted another Skill use, and Mrs. Stovall exclaimed, “Mother-husker, would you stop? It feels like you’re shoving a husking hot poker up my nose!”

Aurome and Seleff raised eyebrows at her but I could tell it wasn’t from her language. At first, I thought it was because of her obvious pain, but after a whispered conversation, Smegma corrected me. “They wonder if more powerful Skills granted this way give worse ‘hangovers’.”

I blinked.

That was an extremely relevant thought. Not one that I would ever have to worry about—or well I guess it was one I’d kind of experienced firsthand. If everyone went through the pain I did upon the mid-rank Altar’s Skill Ceremony, and they didn’t have Recovery—would they die? Would I die if I ever ran into a ‘high-rank’ Skill Altar, even with Recovery?

I’d like to pretend I had a high pain tolerance, but admittedly there was no point of comparison. Plus, it wasn’t like I was a Tank ‘Class’ Hunter, who literally took a beating for a living. So I was probably just overestimating the pain I’d experienced.

“We’ve spoken to our backer. They’re willing to pay for this information, all of what you’ve divulged but you’ll have to prove your innocence on your own.” Aurome said, after he motioned the Healer to leave the room. Seleff barely got his Golden Bubble thing back in place before the words were spoken.

“What does that mean?” I asked, watching the door close behind the Healer. Had they heard that or did the bubble work regardless of physical barriers?

“If you are proven innocent in this trial then not only will we pay you for the information but we’ll also sponsor you,” Aurome answered, like the answer was self explanatory. I looked at everyone in the room, forgetting for a moment that I was the only one who could see Smegma. Thankfully, he made a motion that quickly reminded me, and I scanned past him to Mrs. Stovall.

Mrs. Stovall groaned. “It means that they’ll pay for you to attend a University or College that specializes in Hunter training. They’ll also ensure you get the best treatment, and in most cases specialized tutors and trainers where needed. A Guild that does this gets priority in the Hunter Draft—or can trade that person to another Guild for a higher spot in said Draft.”

The Hunter Draft? Wait—Hunter College—like Phoenix Academy’s Hunter Program? I shook myself, and even bit the inside of my lip to make sure I was awake and not dreaming. Sure, this wasn’t as big of a deal as it once might have been—but I hadn’t yet truly thought of it as a possibility.

Dave was going to crack a tooth if I told him.

Mental Fortitude was both a gift and a curse, and right now it chose the latter. Reminding me pointedly that I had to prove my innocence before any of that. It was a more sobering thought than I wanted. It felt like cold water being poured over me.

My dad coughed politely and motioned around us. “You have to realize that this—” my father motioned around himself at the offices of Varnish. “—is a bit excessive. It feels like your Guild is practically buying a guilty verdict.”

Mrs. Stovall groaned again, and my father looked at her sheepishly. “Sorry, I wasn’t implying that we weren’t going to win—“

“Don’t bother,” Mrs. Stovall croaked. “This trial is like being crushed under the wallet of a giant—and I don’t particularly like feeling like a bug.”

“La yumkin 'iikhfa' alhaqiqa,” Seleff exclaimed, and this time I didn’t need Smegma to translate, as I got it through context when Aurome spoke.

Aurome first motioned at Seleff to wait a moment and then began,“Mr. Varnish certainly commands a heavy retainer and fee, but it was important for Larvae that the facts of this case were told. We do not like the idea of our Guild Member being painted in such a poor light.”

My frown was instant and deep. Most Guilds would distance themselves from this sort of bad publicity. Abandon the Hunter and save their reputation. So, Aurome and Seleff clearly believed that Morgan was not in the wrong—when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was exactly who the media had painted him as. Why the disparity?

And more importantly, why was the person higher up that fed Morgan my name, still pursuing this?

“Having met my son,” my father interjected. “Do you truly believe he is as scheming and duplicitous as Mr. Varnish is making him out to be?”

Aurome frowned while looking at Seleff. Seleff shrugged, seeming to convey something unspoken. “We do not know what to believe. Having seen your boy and talked with him—we are even less sure. Still, if Morgan is truly the man Brodie claims, then we are even more unsure of our ‘gut feelings’. Seleff’s Skill never triggered with him either. So, someone is telling a tale and is very good at it—but who is lying, is yet to be seen.”

Despite everything, that initial admission from Aurome did make me feel better. It was a hollow contentment that faded just as quickly as it came when he continued. When the feeling faded, I noticed that everyone, including Smegma, was looking at me. I simply shrugged.

“I know I’m telling the truth about what happened that night. I don’t know how Morgan Hallsbrad fooled you both—well specifically you—“ I pointed to Seleff. “—but I do understand it a bit. You just want to believe the best of a man you thought you knew. I can’t convince you otherwise, but could you at least ask Mr. Varnish to not use any underhanded tactics?”

“kulu shay' bi'amr allahi, 'alays kadhalika?” Seleff said.

“Seleff asks a good question,” Aurome began. “Are you implying that what he has done so far isn’t ‘above board’, like in your courtroom dramas?”

I looked to Mrs. Stovall who shook her head while wincing in pain. “It may only feel that way because the ‘facts’ he is presenting go against what you know. Still, there is the problem of the missing gloves. Maybe call him in here and ask?”

Aurome looked at Seleff for a moment and held up a hand—a gesture I didn’t understand at first. “This information about the Altar’s is very valuable, and we must come to an agreement regarding it before we move on.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, thinking we already had discussed the Altar, and what I’d get for sharing the information. You know the money and possible sponsorship.

“Our Larvae Guild will possess a very strong advantage if you keep this information hidden. We would like to have early access to the information, and would offer a far higher price if you agree. We’d like to discuss terms.”

“Who gives a flying husk what these jackasses want,” Smegma shouted. “They are still willing to pursue a case against you, and in time, essentially make you a slave to their Guild! So, what does it matter how much money they give you now?”

“Selling this information to the UNMH may see this trial swept away, plus they’d probably sponsor me and pay me royalties or something similar!” I answered incredulously. Putting together what Smegma said with my own displeasure but changing what I answered enough to be responding to Aurome. “So, while I appreciate the attempt to get an advantage. You verbally agreed to pay a fair market price and I think matching what the UNMH agrees to will be acceptable.”

Aurome chuckled softly. “The UNMH can’t offer you a deal until after this trial concludes. As a global entity it is tightly controlled by statutes and laws written into its founding declaration. One of those laws forbids them from negotiating with criminals or citizens undergoing criminal trials in their home countries. So, while they will offer you everything you just said, after this trial concludes—they will not be able to or willing to step in to ‘sweep’ Mr. Varnish and our Larvae Guild away.”

“What he says is correct, Brodie,” Mrs. Stovall said, while rubbing her forehead. “However, that doesn’t mean another Guild won’t step in and pull some strings for this information. Or even the Canadian Government!”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Do you not find it odd that a lawyer from outside of the country is currently an acting Crown Counsel here?” Aurome asked.

“So, you made a deal with the Canadian Government?” Mrs. Stovall asked. The question sounded rhetorical, like she had known this must have been the case.

“That’s correct,” Aurome answered, despite the tone of Mrs. Stovall. “We will be setting up a Guild headquarters here in Windsor, and in exchange—they granted our legal representative and members temporary citizenship and some positions in the local government.”

“So, you're saying that they won’t make a deal with Brodie for this?” Mrs. Stovall asked, her voice both pained and confused.

“That was part of the original negotiations,” Aurome admitted.

“What about Paradox?” Mrs. Stovall said—too casually.

Aurome froze. Subtle waves of an unseen energy began to radiate off of the man as he slowly stood to his feet. His eyes met Mrs. Stovall’s with a level and deadly stare. “What did you just say?”

“The Paradox Guild,” Mrs. Stovall enunciated slowly. “You should probably take your seat. This is a negotiation, not an arena after all. “I feel like Paradox might appreciate this information, particularly if we were to add that Larvae is seeking exclusive rights to it. They might even make things difficult enough for your Guild in enough ways that you won’t have any choice but to back down from bullying a college student, wouldn’t you say?”

“A negotiation,” the man deadpanned.

Aurome laughed then. It was loud, boisterous, and full of mirth as it echoed off of the meeting room walls. After a time, the big man wiped a tear from his eye and took his seat. As the laughter faded, he turned a much more serious face back toward the attorney.

“So you’re threatening the Larvae Guild now? You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that.”

“In case you haven’t been paying attention, you and your Guild have been both threatening my client and actively acting against him near constantly these past weeks.” Mrs. Stovall’s words were soft, completely contrasting the steel in her eyes. “You’ve looked into our affairs, is it any surprise that we’ve looked into yours? It seems like the Paradox Guild has had quite the animosity with Larvae over the years. In fact, your conflict seems to have its origins all the way back to the dawn of the Advent. What’s keeping us from taking up the old adage that the enemy of our enemy…”

Aurome smiled then. That in itself made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The big man leaned back in his chair and casually planted his boots with a heavy thump on the finely-lacquered oak table in front of him as he pulled a flask from an inside pocket—wait, did he have inside pockets?—and brought it to his lips with an amused snort.

“You know,” he said after a long pull. “It’s cute that you think Larvae’s been serious in coming after your boy here. In fact, I’m flattered actually. You see, we actually do care, to some extent—who’s ‘the bad guy’ in this whole thing.” He looked over at me, as if to check to see if I was paying attention. I nodded stiffly at him to indicate that I was. “If Morgan was a monster, I’ll personally dance and piss on his grave, Mrs. Stovall. But if you think that the answer to our very reasonable and understandable conflict, is to make things personal by involving genuine enemies of our Guild in our business? Well, I think that if you were to do that, then you will likely find out far too late just how reasonable we’ve been throughout this whole affair. Now, if you’re done with the empty threats, I believe we can return to our very civil negotiation.”

Mrs. Stovall’s face was pale, but she took a sharp breath, let it out, and nodded with the air of a professional. “Quite. I believe you were just telling us that the Canadian government would be unlikely to make any deals in our favor in regard to this matter.”

Aurome nodded. “They won’t interfere in this case as long as everything is ‘above board’, as you Americans say.”

“We’re Canadians, but the term still fits,” Mrs. Stovall said. With clear agony she managed to stand up from her chair and return to her original spot at the table. Once there, she opened a leather folder to reveal a yellow legal pad. The same ones that Mr. Stovall seemed so enamored by. “This sort of secret can benefit the whole world. How long of a head start is the Larvae Guild looking for?”

“Wait,” Smegma interjected, which only I could hear. “How come she’s even humoring a deal?”

Hurriedly I repeated the question, “How are you even considering a deal with the people trying to prosecute me?”

“Benefits. In this scenario, you can essentially double-dip,” Mrs. Stovall explained. “So, if we hold off on telling the UNMH or Canadian Government—we could make quite the profit. Win the case and then still sell the information to the highest bidder.”

Mrs. Stovall gave me a look which held something more than what she said. It took me a moment to replay her words and then catch up to the conversation and what she was leaving unsaid. It was true that the Skill Altar was something truly amazing, but finding it in the Goblin Dungeon didn’t specifically mean it would exist in others, especially after the world had been interacting with and in Dungeons for dozens of years and any discovery of the sort we’d found had never been found. Plus, I hadn’t even considered revealing the information yet…

“We will allow the discoverer to make the reveal, of course—“

“Of course,” Mrs. Stovall intoned.

Aurome smiled at her tone of certainty. I blinked some more. Was that not some sort of given?

“—As I was saying. Brodie or Alonzo Mars can make the announcement. We are just hoping that you’d hold off for… half a year?”

“Six months? I doubt you can provide us anything that valuable, but what are you offering?”

“This wasn’t really part of our expectations today. So, we haven’t prepared anything for this negotiation. However, if you have a proposal…?”

Mrs. Stovall looked at me and my father. Then back to Aurome and Seleff. After a moment, she asked for some privacy and Seleff’s Skill shrank to only encompass the three of us. Having it not affixed to the wall was even more bizarre—and I studied the golden bubble as it seemed to undulate around us.

I raised a hand without thinking, and moved to touch it—but froze just shy—looking to Seleff for permission. Seleff smirked and nodded. I inched my fingers forward, and they passed through the bubble like it wasn’t there. I continued until my whole hand was through and then noticed a subtle difference.

Outside the bubble my hand could feel the circulating air of the air conditioning. I glanced up at the vent, and then moved my hand back inside. The cool sensation vanished, and I smiled childishly. This bubble also blocked outside elements? With a skill like that—

“What do you two want me to push for? Money? Items? Try again to have them pull back on the trial?” Mrs. Stovall asked, interrupting my moment of wonder.

I shook myself and gave her my full attention. Then replayed her questions. “I think they’ve made it clear the last one is off the table, but definitely give it a try. If not that, what if we got them to support us in some other way?”

“You mean our company?” My dad asked, and I nodded, but held up a hand.

“That and definitely removing the holds on our current funds. Plus pressuring Jagger? Sponsoring us with Lynx and Snow Birds for Mining contracts, maybe? Something like that? Oh, and definitely interceding with Mirage!”

Mrs. Stovall took notes, and began asking clarifying questions, digging into the thoughts. My father answered a good deal of these questions and even began texting my mother for some clarifications on certain parts of the business. To my childish delight he was forced to place his phone outside of the golden bubble to get a signal.

Seleff noticed my excitement and tilted his head. I tried sending a text myself, and then shoved the phone outside the bubble to see the reception return, and send my ‘test’ message to Dave. Mrs. Stovall tried to smile but grimaced before closing her eyes tight and groaning. I stood up and stuck my head out of the bubble. “Could you grab some water and more ibuprofen maybe?”

Aurome nodded and Seleff stuck his head out the door. The Healer returned with a glass of water and a Health Potion. I blinked at the clear display of both wealth and generosity. Perhaps we could really get them to pay us an ‘astronomical’ amount for a few months of early access.

After my request, I’d ducked back into the bubble. The Healer came over and passed the Potion and water through to my father, who put them on the table in front of Mrs. Stovall.

Smegma suddenly zipped into the bubble right about then—startling me. “Have you not been listening to me?”

I started drawing an even more curious look from Seleff and Aurome. Then I tried to pretend I hadn’t jumped in my seat, even as my cheeks flushed crimson. [No, I didn’t even know you were talking. Why are you screaming?]

“Oh? This bubble blocks out that much? I assumed because I was in a different phase—“ Seleff interrupted Smegma by promptly passing out, and dropping his Skill.

I stared at Aurome and then Seleff who was now cradled in his arms, just as Mrs. Stovall had been an hour before. He looked at Seleff and then me. “What did you do?”

I shrugged—even as Smegma said, “Oh. My bad.”

[What the husk, dude!] I mentally screamed at the Demon. [I’m already on thin ice here with these guys. What are you doing to me?]

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Smegma said with a wince. “I think me being actually inside the thing was just too much overload on the Skill. I’m both here and not here—communicating and not communicating. I don’t think it knew how to handle all that and just—” He drew his finger across his throat and rolled his eyes up, sticking his tongue out like a corpse.

“I’m sorry,” Stovall said. “I had tried touching my Mana Pool and using the Skill. That’s what started all this. Then I drank the Healing Potion. I didn’t know it would cause a problem…”

The Healer hurried back to Aurome and Seleff, and the discussions were put on hold for the night. We planned to meet up first thing in the morning, to resume, and I meant first thing. We were still hoping to have a Guild to procure our company's services this weekend, and wanted to keep ourselves open from nine in the morning onward.

Seleff watched me, my father, and Mrs. Stovall carefully as I left the room, clearly suspicious of me after his Skill went awry.

[You’re sure he won’t know about you from that?]

“Unless he felt it before when Morgan Hallsbrad had Demonic Vault—then yes, I’m sure. I’ll stay behind and see what they say.”