Daeva found me barely awake on the roof awhile after things dropped off downstairs. He tried to get me to go inside but i just told him to sit down, and he did.
“What do you want to do after you’ve learned what you want to?” I asked
”i-i dunno, I hadn’t thought of much else, my parents put in everything to get me to where i am now its hard to think of anything more” he seemed very uncertain
”and your ok with just doing what your parents want?”
“What else is there for me to want? Making my parents proud and living a stable life is all someone from my realm can ask for out of life.” He didn’t know anymore then what his parents wanted for him
“if that’s ok with you i suppose” i stood up “it seems like we might not have a common interest then“ he didn’t follow me back inside after that, i just went to bed wondering what our next step should be
I was woken up by Daeva again, this time he seemed a lot more energetic
”wake up! They need us at the front desk” this must be important if he’s waking me up for it, he normally doesn’t want to wake me up out of consideration
He wasn’t wrong, there was what looked to be a person of very high stature waiting at the desk for us. Someone who should have no business in a smaller towns guild or with us specifically. Iris had a concerned look on her face as we approached, and Daeva was growing more anxious.
he had seen us approaching by the time we were almost to the desk
”i assume you two are the ones who brought in Tulka?”they almost sounded like they knew us personally when they said it. I couldn’t see their entire face as part of it was covered by an intricate mask.
“I guess that would be us, what’s it matter?” This situation didn’t feel right to me, a partially masked stranger asking for us early in the morning?
”i am the Mayor of this town, i do not wish to stay out and about for long so i will keep it brief. You have been tasked to transport Tulka to the capitol city. Directly to the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, and magic” they said all this like it was no large task, a menial afternoon walk.
Me and Daeva looked at each other then back at them blankly
“That’s not something you can just ask a stranger to do out of good will, I’m sure you have some kind of incentive for us to do it?”
“i do not, they could compensate you somehow when you arrive but nothing of the sort was included in the message i was told to relay to do” I was astonished at this “my personal advice is to complete this task as to not be on the bad side of the ATM, normally i charge for good advice so consider it a favor this time. I have more pressing issues to attend to so i will be leaving” and they walked out the door. I tried to follow them but once i got through the door they were no where to be found.
I sat down near the front desk to wrap my head around what just happened. Iris and Daeva sat down near me, both of them looked concerned about what i had gotten into.
“So… what do you plan to do Silva?” Daeva asked
“It sounds like there’s no winning here Silva, you either drag him there with possibly no reward, or you have the ATM conspiring against you” Iris added
she right, there’s no “good” choice here, this is doing a weeks worth of travel just because some officials told us to do it.
“Iris getting me a drink, and Daeva one too, ill worry about that stuff later”
“Silva i dont dr-“ i cut him off
“Well your gonna start, leave being serious to me, sober me though, not me when I’m drinking”
“Silva its 8am its a touch too early for-“ i cut her off too
”for what? Making big decisions? I agree” she just sighed and got us both something light.
After 2-3 rounds i just said i was going to get fresh air and went to the towns official alchemist to talk. As i opened the door there was a sweet smell coming from a boiling pot, and Otto mixing things at a bench with goggles on.
”i take it this is some kind of revitalizer, or cure?maybe even the elixir to eternal life?” I startled him from behind
“Oh realm above! You can’t scare me like that Silva I can’t hear like i used to. But no this is a poison for the lady who owns the wizard shop, she’s been having kids steal sweets from the counter when she’s not looking so she had me make this to mix with the candy. That way next time they take it, they get ill and stop doing it!” He clearly enjoyed being a part of this scheme
”cmon that’s too much for kids stealing candy”
“stealing is no joke! It can lead to other very worse habits in life! Like alcoholism! Or even worse…. Tax fraud!!!” He was paid by the government clearly.
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“And your just doing this because she asked?”
”of course not, I’m not a charity, i have ulterior motives of course” he acted so innocent for what he just said.
”old man you need to stop scheming, i dont even want to imagine what your trying to accomplish with this so dont tell me”
“fine, but why are you here? Just to interrupt me?”
“Aw can i not stop by just to hear your soothing old man voice? No I’m here because i wanted your opinion, your the oldest person i know after all” i can finally get to the point. “I was asked to bring someone i dont like to a place i dont like for possibly no reward or else I’m on part of the governments bad side” i explained it in very basic terms
“And you dont know what to choose so you came to the old wise man because obviously i know what’s best. Well your caught in quicksand now arent you? I think its a no brain situation, more of an opportunity then anything else.” He said it like i was stupid for even considering it a choice. “Take this person there, and do what was asked of you. There might not be a reward but I think changing your routine will do wonders for your heart and mind” this was one of the only times he’s said something without being entirely sarcastic. “Nothing important happens here anyways, unless the mayor is involved for some reason then it might be important, but you wont miss out on anything.”
”the mayor might be involved though”
“if that’s the case then leave me out of it, even i see them maybe twice a year, anyone else is lucky to lay eyes on them, but your not important enough for them”
“If that’s how you wanna see it then so be it. guess i had the thought to leave too, i just needed to hear it from someone else before acting” i had doubts in my choice and I didn’t want to hear it from Iris or Daeva, without this i would probably keep doing the same old quests and getting the same old reward and talking to the same old people.
“If that’s all you wanted i have to finish this poison, my times more valuable then yours so go away” he could never be nice for longer then 30 seconds without a bad remark.
“Fine have it your way, i wont be back for awhile then so dont make any breakthroughs while I’m not here” I left after that with him just mumbling as i closed the door. I knew that would be the last i saw of him for some time, so I’ll left some money on his desk. He had paid for more then a couple of my drinks when i was down on funds. I just walked back to the guild and didn’t say anything to Daeva or Iris, i would tell them later, but for now i just wanted to enjoy the day. it would be the last time to be carefree in a warm environment for awhile.
After wasting the day away i told Daeva what’s gonna happen before we went to bed. and he just followed what i said and got what little he had ready to go in the morning. I went down stairs and told iris too, she understood and just told me to be safe and to come back eventually.
i woke up early the next morning, woke Daeva up and went downstairs. I gazed at the rankings, knowing i was going to lose my bet, and walked out the door with nothing but what was on my back. On the way to the lock up where Tulka was held and Daeva looked more confident then ever, or at least he was trying to be. It was early enough for the night watch to still be there
”here to transport Tulka, order of the capitol” i told him
”you were supposed to be here yesterday, but i guess everyone else’s schedule revolves around yours” he retorted back
“yeah well I’m here now so get him out were on a schedule” he just said fine after that and now Tulka’s in front of us again
“did i grow on you that much for you to visit me?” I was already dreading this but seeing him again made it that much worse
”worry about making yourself grow instead of on other people” that one made him mad
“If I wasn’t still in chains that tongue of yours would be gone faster then you can say ouch” it took all i had to not laugh at such a small man saying that to me.
“Ouch, don’t make this trip harder then it has to be, ill just make your chains tighter” he just grumbled after that and looked down.
As we were walking out of town he says “you know i dont have what they want right?”
“What’re you on about? They want you”
“you really think I’m important enough to be dragged to the capitol city? It’s not about me its about something I acquired.” I knew he was planning something but i went with it anyways.
“Ok what’re they after then? Some animal you smuggled from a rich baron?”
“Nothing of the sort, you could see if you took me back to where you first captured me, unless you want the ATM on your ass for not having it” he acted like he knew exactly what he was talking about
”we were told to bring you in and that’s it”
“if you want it that way, but it could be yours if you take me back there and let me go.” Bribery is certainly on his level. With no certain reward for bringing him, and there being a certain reward siding with him, its tempting to say the least.
“Tell me more about it then maybe ill think about it” if whatever this is is worth anything at all its better then getting nothing
”I can’t tell you much besides its a red and white ball with a button on it.”
“Wow that’s very convincing and obviously powerful why didn’t you say so sooner ill release you now” the sarcasm flowed better then normal conversation to me “you really thought that much is enough to win us over?” A red and white ball didnt sound like any kind of reward to me
”look i just know its worth a lot to people who know what it is, i may not be one of those people but i dont need to be to sell it” perhaps he did have a reasonable side.
“You’ve made me curious, Daeva, go back and find this ball in the cave, if you feel comfortable going by yourself to do it” this is the first time I’ve asked him to go by himself to accomplish something
”why does it have to be me? I dont wanna go back there by myself…” there he was back to his nervous self, but he had mostly stopped stuttering when talking to me in the weeks that we’ve partnered together. Though he did stutter when talking to strangers still.
“Because you might learn something if you do, and you have a horse” he didnt look so disappointed after i said that, he really was only after knowledge and a simple life.
“Ok if you say so then ill do it, but where will i find you when i get it?”
”I’ll just make a flare in the sky with magic in a couple hours, you’ll see it” one of the few perks of light magic.
”see you then, oh and care to tell me where it might be at Tulka?” He looked down on Tulka. Tulka spat on the ground and just said “583” and Daeva left.
I tightened tulkas chains and made him walk in front, there was nothing but open path in front of us.