Hunter could tell that Grandma Blair was about to say something cutting before her husband cut her off with a malicious smile.
“What are you going to give us for helping you out?”
Hunter frowned. “Aren’t you my family? Why wouldn’t you help me out? My success is your success. If I do what the mayor asks, won’t your prestige and power also grow?”
“Nothing in life is free, boy. Just because we’re your family doesn’t mean we don’t have interests that need to be provided for. I want half of whatever you earn from the mayor.”
Hunter scowled. “No, I’ll give you a tenth of any monetary rewards. Anything else belongs solely to me.”
Hunter didn’t know what kind of rewards would be offered by the mayor, but he expected something good from a greed-aligned quest. From what he had seen, the Infernal Horde prized material rewards over more esoteric ones. It was a theme he had seen with his skills and his equipment. The Archive-aligned quests encourage adherents to grow their personal strength, albeit in ways that benefitted the Archives. He didn’t miss the fact that their Path rewards and equipment helped to resist demonic influence. If these quests were similar in spirit, then he expected weapons and other tangible rewards.
Hunter also wasn’t that interested in currency. He couldn’t buy anything with it so far, so it was useless. He only lowballed his grandfather on the monetary offer because he assumed the man would want that over anything else. Even in the apocalypse, he wanted wealth. Hunter knew better. It was impossible to eat gold.
“If you’re reducing your offer to just monetary rewards, then I want half,” Hank said plainly.
“I’ll give you a quarter, no more. If you balk, I’ll just find the mayor myself. I’m sure there isn’t a shortage of fools that will lead me to him in the hopes they’ll get a crumb of the rewards.”
Hank didn’t reply immediately. He studied his grandson in a new light. Hunter had never stood up to his grandfather before. The teenager typically took his browbeating in sullen silence. This was a new side to Hunter that the man approved of.
“You’re not wrong, and you have me at an impasse. Very well, I accept the deal.”
Hunter felt a presence hang over him like the world was listening in. It was an uncomfortable feeling. The teenager looked at his grandfather and saw a similar expression on the older man’s face.
“What was that?”
“The Archives heard our deal and will enforce it on our behalf,” Hank smirked. “What you didn’t know? Your words carry weight in this new world.”
Hunter didn’t like his grandfather’s tone, but he didn’t care. He had no intention of going back on his word. Money didn’t mean anything to him, and even if it did, his Wrap of Avarice would convert the money into the next higher tier. Whatever Hunter earned from this quest would be more than what Grandpa Hank expected.
“No problem,” Hunter replied. “I didn’t intend to go back on my word. Can we go now?”
Hunter winced at his own tone. He hadn’t meant to sound so annoyed, but he really was fed up with his grandfather’s posturing. So what if the man knew more about what was going on than Hunter did? He didn’t have to be such a dick about it.
“Sure, let’s leave right now.” His grandfather was all smiles. He turned to his wife. “Love, can you stay here? Bruce is going to be by later to plan out another supply route. We need to be prepared for when the Rift is deepened.”
Blair nodded at her husband’s request and turned back to studying the paper strew across the table while Hank stepped around the table and walked out of the door without a backward glance. Hunter hastily followed and pulled his hood back over his head. It was better to remain as anonymous as possible.
While they were walking through the small village, Hunter noticed the other tieflings went to great pains to stay out of Hank’s way. Hunter didn’t understand why. Hank was at the same level as John. Since the young warrior could identify them at all and couldn’t check the level of a ghorum, he was sure that they were much weaker than the average behemoth. Even still, all it took was a glance from Hank to make the other tieflings scurry out of the older man’s way. From the set of Hank’s shoulders, Hunter could tell that his grandfather enjoyed the power. It was pitiable. Hunter’s grandfather was a big fish in a pond the size of a dewdrop, and he didn’t even know.
Hunter largely ignored his grandfather until they came upon a building that was substantially larger than the others the young warrior had seen. Two tieflings stood guard outside the door, but they nodded respectfully when Hank neared. Hunter’s grandfather addressed them haughtily.
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“Is the mayor in?”
Hunter saw one guard gulp and then look over at his partner. They were both purple-skins, and Hunter was starting to get the impression that they were low in the power hierarchy. Outside of his grandparents, Hunter hadn’t seen any other tieflings with red flesh.
“Yes, Hank. He’s talking to John, but I expect him to be done soon.”
Hank snarled as Hunter internally groaned. He knew he should’ve done something to shut the idiot up before the man could trouble him.
“That little rat,” Hank hissed before pushing the door open. The guards didn’t even try to bar his way. Hunter quietly followed his grandfather and shot the two guards a pitying glance from behind his hood.
The interior of the space was far more furnished than his grandparent’s sparse planning room. The inside looked more like the inside of a tavern than a home. There was a large black bar on the back wall with shelves above the bar holding glassware filled with multi-colored liquids. There were three large tables laid out in the center of the room with benches for seats. There was an actual stone fireplace that was lit with green fire and a pot of stew bubbled above it. The smell was a little off, so Hunter didn’t want to investigate further.
Behind the bar, an orange-skinned tiefling was polishing a glass and casually talking to John as the man was gesticulating wildly. Both men looked up at Hank’s approach, and Hunter saw John visibly pale.
“What are you doing here, John? Sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, I’d bet.”
Hank’s tone was acidic enough to melt steel, and John took notice. He flashed a panicked looked at the orange tiefling, but the other man merely placidly smiled while continuing to polish the mug in his hand.
“No, Hank.” John stuttered. “I-I was just sharing the good news about your grandson with the mayor.”
Hank glided forward like a wraith. There was barely restrained violence in every step. When he got close, he used a gauntleted hand wreathed in emerald fire to backhand John across the mouth. Hunter winced at the impact. Black blood was already spurting from John’s busted mouth.
“If I wanted you to bother the mayor, I would have ordered you to do so. Get lost, you miserable cretin. Your betters are about to speak.”
Hank aimed a kick at John’s hunched over form and caught the other tiefling square in the ribs. The impact caused John to whimper before fleeing the room. He shot Hunter a frightened look as he passed. Hunter moved out of the way, not wanting to be connected to the man in any way. Showing weakness would only get him killed in a place like this. He was dealing with demons and wanted to come out of the exchange with his soul intact.
Hunter walked up behind his grandfather as he started speaking.
“What did he tell you, James?”
James’s smile only widened. “He was sharing the most interesting story. He says your grandson defeated a ghorum practically single-handedly.”
Hank shot Hunter a look, but the teenager kept his face composed and merely shrugged his shoulders before throwing back his hood.
James’ gaze shifted to the teenager, and the mayor inspected the newcomer. Hunter had the distinct impression he was being weighed and measured—whether it was for a crown or a body bag, he couldn’t say.
“That’s right, James. I brought my grandson as a form of goodwill. I’m pledging his service to you to help complete the tasks that the Great One assigned to you.”
The mayor put down the glass that he was polishing and picked at his fingernails.
“No doubt, no doubt,” he answered evenly before looking into Hank’s eyes. “But why should I give your boy the quests?”
Hunter watched his grandfather’s shoulders tense, and yet the older man remained composed.
“We’d of course be willing to give you a finders fee. I’ll even provide it out of my own cut. Say, five percent?”
“Ten,” the mayor snorted.
“Agreed,” Hank said testily.
The mayor only nodded, but there was a gleam in the tieflings eye. “I don’t want you to think you're pulling one over me, Hank. The Great One has already promised me hefty rewards for completing these quests, so I’m willing to accept your tiny tribute.”
“How…generous of you.”
“I know,” James said with a pleased expression before glancing over at Hunter.
“Alright boys, the Great One has given me three quests to share with others. You have to complete one before receiving the next. The first quest is to clear out all of the imps in the Rift. You’ll receive one hundred silver and a weapon from my own stores.”
“That’s not enough,” Hank protested.
Hunter chose to remain quiet. He would let his grandfather haggle over the scraps. Neither man knew that Hunter had already eradicated most of the imps within the Rift. This was practically free money, and he wasn’t going to complain if his grandfather drove up the price.
James chuckled. “Too little? Fine, Hank. I’ll also give your boy my most recent pet acquisition. I was going to put it in the stew pot, but never let it be said that I’m not a magnanimous man.”
“That bird is fucking useless, and you know it, James.”
James raised his hands. “The rewards are the rewards. They’re provided directly from the Great One. Anything more than that is merely my goodwill. Surely you aren’t implying the Great One is a cheap bastard?”
Hunter watched as his grandfather shuddered.
“No, no, I’m not, James. The reward is sufficient.”
James nodded with a small smirk on his face as he looked Hunter in the eyes.
“What say you, boy? Do you accept the quest?”
Congratulations! You have been offered the quest: Clear the Rift I
Clear the Rift I: The Rift boss has ordered that the Rift be cleared before he’s done deepening the Rift. If his followers successfully clear the Rift, he’ll reward them with more power. If they don’t, he’s promised to put them to the sword. Help the tieflings clear the Rift to collect your own share of the spoils.
Completion reward: 100 Silver, a unique weapon, and an animal companion.
Hunter nodded to the mayor and his grandfather.
“I accept.”