142, 2/2

Xue sat on one side of the table, prepared to make his case.

Riri sat on the other side. She was not ready for this impromptu meeting, so she was not happy, but Xue was no fool; Riri was prepared for most anything. Any discomfort on her part was merely an affectation.

It was the best Xue could hope for, so it would have to do.

Elder Arilitilo sat at the head of the table. She said, “Loremaster Xue has informed me that Scion Phoenix is on his way here. We have little time to make this bargain, and yet we must make it. This is about your Nacreous Weaver, Loremaster Riri.”

Loremaster Riri’s amber eyes regarded the two of them. “Pearlchan does not deserve to be turned into a silk dispensary. She has been with me for fifteen years, and her children are a vital part of our silk house. I categorically deny you, Elder Arilitilo. And you too, Xue. I deny you, as I have done before, and will continue to do. Pearlchan is not for sale, trade, or otherwise.”

Xue said, “We could ask for anything, Riri. You understand this, right? He is bringing us a Flatt Ring of Intelligence. We could get that New Stat for ourselves. For several of our people.”

Riri remained firm. She said nothing. She didn’t have to. All of her complaints had been laid out in the dozens of conversations they had had on this subject, long before now. But Xue had hoped that she would see reason, when the prize sitting before them was so large.

Elder Arilitilo tried, “If Scion Phoenix has gotten his hands on a Flatt Ring, he can possibly get his hands on a piece of the Light Dungeon the Headmaster has. Would you consider this to be a fair trade? A minor Light Dungeon in which to raise Pearlchan’s children into actual Nacreous Weavers, instead of simple Light Weavers?”

Riri ignored Arilitilo’s argument and retread old ground, as she replied, “I raised Pearlchan from an egg and guided her through her mutation into a Nacreous Weaver. Dozens of her sisters perished, for nacreous Weavers are impossible to raise in captivity, but I managed the impossible, and have managed to keep her alive through continued impossibility. She is a unique specimen of uncommon mentality and love. Pearlchan will never become someone’s Familiar Form; not even mine. When she dies, I will burn her body upon the pyre, and make of her core and her final threads a meal that might transform one of her lesser children into a Nacreous Weaver, like their mother.”

Elder Arilitilo said, “Please see reason, Riri.”

“I see reason. I am very reasonable. It is you who are not. There is value in Pearlchan aside from her usefulness as a Familiar Form. I do not wish to be rude, and I am sure you do not either, but if I should happen to inform Ezekiel that I am giving up my beloved pet to him to turn into a Familiar Form, then he would not accept the gift anyway. And I would not want to present myself that way, either!” Riri said, “He seems like that sort of man.” With a gleam in her eye, she continued, “However, if you wish to make a few international trades regarding a Light Dungeon, then I will be more than happy to oversee the growth of new Light Weavers and Nacreous Weavers.”

That was a nonstarter of an idea. The Headmaster wasn’t trading any of his Light Sources, for any amount of money. Xue bet that Riri had already personally inquired, but had been rebuffed.

Elder Arilitilo frowned, then said, “Please rethink your stance.”

“I do good work for Star Song and the Spidery has never been more profitable, but I have one single line I will not cross. Do not ask me to cross it every six months. I do not appreciate this.”

Xue said, “We want Blood Weavers and you can never keep them alive. We ask for thread from your Pearlchan, and you will not sell, and especially not in the quantity we need. And we know you know what kind of thread Julia used to make her robes, but you will not share that information either. You are the most recalcitrant Loremaster of Star Song, and it is tiring.”

Elder Arilitilo said nothing; she let Xue speak for her, too.

Riri defended herself with a laid-back air, saying, “Blood Weavers need 50 liters of sapient blood per day, per spider. I cannot keep Blood Weavers alive because we would require donations from 100 people per day to do this. We could drop that down to 25 people per day if we use [Blood Regeneration] on everyone, but any normal person cannot keep that routine up for more than a week without feeling the deep effects of such harvest. As soon as I am allowed to set up such obvious Blood Magic harvesting then I will do so, but by the laws of Songli, I cannot. Take your complaints up with the High Clans, for I can do nothing about this problem.

“Regarding Pearlchan’s threads; she makes Star Song ten thousand gold every week. As soon as you are able to afford the fees she pulls in, then we can talk.” Riri stated, “The problems with almost every Loremaster in Star Song or in any other Clan is that you are not willing to give proper recompense for the materials I am able to produce. It is through no small part of my own, personal monetary efforts that Star Song enjoys such prosperity as it does. And because of this, Patriarch Zalindi upholds my monetary decisions, so unless that changes, then my stance will not change.

“As for Julia’s threads.” Riri frowned. “It has taken me a while to confirm what I suspected, but I suppose I might as well share right now: They’re Shadow Spider threads. Julia has a Shadow Spider form. She doesn’t have Healthy Form either, otherwise the threads would be much tougher. Possibly even magically constricting… or reflective. It could be either. I’m not sure. Most people who get a Shadow Spider form either get dead, or disappear, and it’s anyone’s guess as to if the people who disappeared actually got away.”

Xue frowned. All of Riri’s points were salient and her reasoning was sound. But he had heard them all before.

Except the part about Shadow Spiders.

There were many side effects to revealing ‘Julia’ had a Shadow Spider form, but when that bit of information was taken in concert with all the other ones they had…

Xue was experiencing many different emotions. Primarily, there was joyful surprise.

He was also angry that Riri hadn’t shared this until now, until this crucial upcoming meeting, but in the end, she had shared.

If there had been any doubt about Ezekiel’s true nature, it was gone, now. Talk of Shadow Spiders would have had Xue warding up his rooms with the most annoying and powerful spells in his Status if he had heard this news a year ago. Yesterday, before the gathering, this news would have made him go into temporary hiding, for a Clan gathering would have been the best place for the Shadow Spiders to attack.

But today, after the gathering of last night, upon hearing of Erick Flatt’s true nature, he was pleasantly thrilled to be in this place, at this time, taking part in these opportunities all around him. Erick Flatt was here, and opportunity abounded.

Oh, sure, the Clan Deliberation was still in session on whether Flatt was an agent of Melemizargo or not, and that smoldering bonfire of a conference would likely rage into an inferno soon enough, but Xue was firmly in the camp that Flatt was a benefit to the world. And either way, living in a time when all the Shades were either dead or Cursed into compliance was a novel experience, with each day seeming brighter than the one before. Flatt’s naysayers had used the proof of the Shades’ deaths as proof that Melemizargo was doing something different, and more insidious than his usual methods, but Xue thought differently. If the Dark God’s insidious plan was to kill his entire clergy, then Xue wasn’t going to voice objection.

More enemies of the world should shoot themselves in their hands.

Today was a much better day than yesterday, even if Riri was doing her damnedest to come out more on top than everyone else. Good thing Elder Arilitilo and he had conferred earlier, and decided upon the strategy of confronting Riri with their usual demands. By doing so, they forced her to deny the two of them, or else she would appear to be allying with them when she offered up her ‘Pearlchan’ to Erick, as though it was their idea. In the version of events Riri would have preferred, she would no doubt offer up her pet for some tiny concessions that only she would benefit from.

Ha! Not on his watch.

This way, they would all benefit.

Hopefully.

Xue said, “Then let us work together to get what we want. I want that Flatt Intelligence Ring. I am offering him Blood Magic lessons as a starting point. Maybe Blood Enchanting, too, if he wishes to learn.”

Riri’s facade briefly broke, revealing surprise. Then her facade came right back. She remained silent, and glanced to Arilitilo.

Elder Arilitilo added, “I want access to that ring. I’m offering him access to some of our archives, and to talk of magic, as well as some of our more hidden treasures.” She stared at Riri, saying, “Understand this, Riri, Star Song will take a great loss if it gains us the ability to become a High Clan. That is the opportunity on the table. That is the power we’re going after. To paraphrase what Ored Small Scare said at your table last night: Money doesn’t matter in the face of military might. So use your money to gain us some military might for once.

“I want you to seriously consider your future path in this Clan, for this is an opportunity that might never come our way again. Ever. Decide what you are willing to part with before the opportunity presents itself, so we may all cooperate however much we can, to get as much as we can, for I doubt the combined efforts of every single member of our Clan will get us everything we could get out of that man.” She added, “The entirety of Glaquin’s Forest has been made near-habitable due to the removal of two monster species. Half a continent opened up to Orcol expansion. This Elixir solution is one way we open up all of Nelboor for us, but we need more than that. Keep this in mind going forward.”

Xue waited for Riri to speak. Arilitilo waited, too.

Riri glanced to Xue, then to Arilitilo, then frowned as she tried not to appear nervous. They had unsettled the woman; this much was obvious. But this was likely exactly what she wanted them to believe. Riri was still Riri, and if she confirmed that Julia’s threads were Shadow Spider threads, then she knew what Xue had only just puzzled out himself. Even Arilitilo hadn’t known, for sure, until this moment. Probably.

It would be cliché to say that the Arachnid Polymage sitting before them spun webs and waited for opportunity to fall into her lap, but that is exactly what Riri did all the time. Only this time, Xue and Arilitilo were plucking the web as hard as they could to get her to come out and coordinate with them.

“I want that ring too.” Riri casually said, “I have always been loyal to Star Song, even if it does not appear as such to those who wish to use resources in less than the best possible way. But… for this… I am not a lone warrior, and I never have been. I will, of course, cooperate with the resources and strengths of Star Song in order to gain this valuable resource.” She added, “However, I will not give up Pearlchan. Not happening.”

Xue and Arilitilo both lightly stared at Riri.

Xue could understand, in an abstract sort of way, that Riri cared for her Nacreous Weaver, but the pure opportunity on the table was surely worth the life of a pet. Surely! Xue turned his stare into a pointed glare.

Riri huffed, then said, “I’ve already looked into acquiring a Light Source for a small Light Dungeon, but Oceanside will not sell one of their Light Sources. I even got a strongly worded letter from the Headmaster telling me to never ask again, though I got the impression that the letter was a single letter that he had [Duplicate]d and sent off to every single person that ever asked him the same question; there were many parts that did not pertain to my specific inquiry.

“To that end: If we could get a Light Source directly from Ezekiel then we might hatch some extra Nacreous Weavers. In a year. But Ezekiel is going to say no. He’s under contract with the Headmaster to not make any more Light Dungeons.” She rapidly added, “Ezekiel should say no. He could say yes. If he said yes, then the [Rebound] of that attack would fall upon us.” She asked, “Does Star Song want to go that route?”

Xue shrunk away from the opportunity before him. He was back to being a small frog in a well. He didn’t want to try and get out of the well, either, for up there lay dragons. He looked to Arilitilo. She wasn’t happy with Riri’s answer either.

Arilitilo frowned. “While true that we cannot put ourselves at odds with the Headma—” She briefly glanced away, then came back, saying, “We have little time. Ezekiel has passed the bridge and has stepped into the Alluvial District. He is coming here. We three here all want the same things. Let us decide on a plan of attack. We all want that ring. What are we offering?” She pointed at Xue.

Xue rapidly said, “Blood Magic and highly effective, secret matters of enchanting.”

She put a hand on her chest, rapidly saying. “Multiple treasures, multiple secrets.” She gestured to Riri.

Riri breathed out and blinked long. She said, “I have a secret. I will give it to him, only.” She stared at them, and her demeanor turned solid hard, “Let me make this deal for us. I don’t wish to disparage you two, but you’re both the furthest thing our Loremaster House has from merchants, and this needs a merchant’s touch.”

Xue warned, “Don’t fuck us out of our fair shares, Riri.”

“Have some more faith in your compatriot, Xue.” Arilitilo smiled, politely, saying, “I’m sure whatever tactics Riri uses will benefit us all.”

“I am thankful to have this opportunity entrusted to me.” Riri bowed in her chair, briefly, then raised her head. “This merchant’s daughter will ensure that the gains of Star Song are legendary.”

– – – –

Ezekiel and his people met Xue and Sikali at the edge of Star Song’s mountainous mansion. After a few pleasantries, they followed the Loremaster and the Enforcer into the complex, going left when the previous night they went right. They journeyed past magics and physical barriers that had been thrown open for Ezekiel’s arrival.

While they walked, Ezekiel asked who they were meeting, exactly, and Xue gave a concise rundown. By his tone, Ezekiel could tell that the man had lost almost all of his previous fear. This was good.

It also meant that Erick had been found out, completely.

This was to be expected, but Ezekiel would keep up appearances until circumstance demanded otherwise.

In minutes, they had arrived at a wide stone courtyard, open to the east. The area had understated elegance, with simple, yet sturdy grey flagstones. A curving grey stone railing separated the space from a wonderful view of other mountainous mansions, and the city of Eralis in the distance, which dominated the horizon. Further up the mountainside were smaller cabin-like spaces, sharing the view. Cultivated trees laden with pink flowers, like leaves upon willowy branches, occupied almost all of the edges of this comfortable space. Five stone tables were here and there, each with simple stone stools.

A barely-there magic held between the rest of the world and the courtyard, and from what Ezekiel was seeing of it, the purpose was to obfuscate the courtyard from sight and sound without marring the view.

Of the people in attendance, Ezekiel recognized most of them, and of those he did not know, Xue’s descriptions earlier had been enough.

Patriarch Zalindi was there with his dark blue skin and bald head. He stood central to the gathering on the other side of the courtyard, to the side of a central stone table.

Elder Arilitilo, with her purple skin, stood next to Loremaster Riri, with her large tan horns. Both of them looked ready for something, but Ezekiel wasn’t quite sure what.

Tadashi stood off to the side away from almost everyone else. He looked okay, or at least his pink skin seemed healthy enough, even if his obvious joy at the moment was heavily tempered with fear. His obvious brother stood with him; Wabi Diligent Scribe, if Ezekiel remembered correctly, and he probably did. Wabi was less fearful than his brother by far. Ezekiel didn’t know much about the man, but he was still of Diligent Scribe, which seemed like a problem, or a complication, seeing as how no one else from that branch family was here, as far as Ezekiel knew.

There were four alchemists from Star Song also in attendance, but they mostly stood behind and away from Tadashi. Xue had mentioned them, but not by name.

There was also Elder Mirizo, of Enforcement. He had been in attendance last night, but Ezekiel had not actually had a chance to speak to the man. He would likely get that chance today. Elder Mirizo was supposedly all about politics and getting things done, but Ezekiel had noticed that when Xue mentioned the man, Sikali briefly let her anger show. But they were here now, and Sikali’s face was once again a mask.

Xue and Sikali stepped out of Ezekiel’s way, moving to the side. Sikali went to stand with Mirizo. Xue went to Arilitilo.

Ezekiel stepped down into the courtyard.

Patriarch Zalindi spoke, “Welcome back to Clan Star Song, Ezekiel Phoenix.”

Ezekiel gave a tiny bow, as was appropriate for a Scion, even though every single person in the courtyard knew he was not. “Thank you for having me.” He straightened, saying, “Last night I offered an idea; today I am here to put words into action.” He pulled out a ring from his belt sash and held it out in the open. “To that end, we have this.”

Zalindi nodded, then gestured to a nearby table that held a bound book and several small folders of loose papers. “A comprehensive study of Antirhine as well as our current notes on the solution which Tadashi has created and our Potion House has attempted to understand.” He gestured to Tadashi, and to the alchemists behind the man, saying, “And though you suggested we use the ring on Tadashi, for he was the one who has most understood what he has made, we have more skilled alchemists than just him.” Zalindi gestured to where Xue had taken a stance with Riri and Arilitilo, saying, “And we have more areas of study than alchemy which could use the blessing of your ring. For a suitable recompense, of course.”

Ezekiel paused. He gripped the ring.

He considered.

Yes; he wanted them to recreate chelation therapy as fast as possible so that it could not be taken away from the world by an act of concerted killing. This was a point in favor of unlocking Intelligence in everyone here, or at least more than just Tadashi.

No one was able to unlock the New Stats through simple rings like Ezekiel was able to do, and had done. He knew this because the New Stats had gone far and wide when Candlepoint was still trading out the Stat fruits, and yet, only his artifact-level rings, made with a true understanding of light, were able to actually unlock the New Stats in a person. Other people could make rings of the New Stats, for sure, but they were made in the old-school way of enchanting, and they broke down rather fast, with half-lives measured in minutes.

This meant that unlocking Intelligence for the people here would be limited in scope, for a while. They could probably make rings of Intelligence, but they could not unlock the Stat for others. … Which was sort of a problem, but not a large one.

Maybe; Clan Star Song was a good Clan, from what he had seen and heard, but he had only been here for a few days. How they treated him was not indicative of how he judged if a person was good, or not. How a society treated people who couldn’t give them anything was a much better metric, and by that metric, the Highlands were failing.

Yes; he could get a lot of resources and power out of them for doing this.

Yes; it was better than giving them the Periodic Table, and that could come later, anyway, if his ‘Maybe’ from before cleared up into a full-blown ‘Yes’.

No; … he couldn’t think of a good reason not to do this, besides obstinance. He forced himself to consider why not to do this, but couldn’t come up with—

Oh. Wait.

No; these New Stats weren’t real. They were Wizardry, and they were from Melemizargo. Ah. Yeah. That was a great big ‘No’. Hmm.

Yes; other people might come to him with more trade and he could get even more stuff.

But what did he want from these people besides what he was already going to get from them?

Three seconds had passed while Ezekiel thought; while he eyed the others in the Courtyard. He made up his mind swiftly enough, and said, “Okay. I’m going to interview your chosen Alchemists and vet them one at a time. There need not be any subsequent exchange for this particular increase in the unlocking of Intelligence. But depending on how your people answer, they might not gain this boon.”

Every single alchemist except Tadashi, and to a lesser extent, his brother, looked like it was holiday time and they had gotten double presents. Tadashi was stoically reserved, like he knew he wouldn’t get Intelligence, and he likely wouldn’t. Wabi was a mix between his brother and the others, with a lot of empathy apparent for his brother.

Unless Wabi turned into a secret asshole, then Ezekiel would offer Intelligence to him too, simply because of that empathy right there. The jury was still out on the other four.

Zalindi nodded. “Our Alchemists will accept your judgment.” He half-turned to the Loremasters and Elders at his other side, asking, “What say you, regarding the other half of my inquiry?”

Ezekiel asked the indicated people, “I would have to know the offering on the table.”

Zalindi looked to Loremaster Riri.

Riri stepped forward, and said, “Our offers are myriad, but your offers are limited. We would ask that you increase your offer to the permanent granting of a Ring of Intelligence, as well as all the others.”

Zalindi was stoic.

Other people seemed scandalized, though they tried their best to hide it.

Ezekiel smirked. Riri knew she was not getting her demand. She was merely shifting the Overton Window in her favor, and by doing so, when she came down from her heights, she would appear reasonable compared to her starting zone. Other people might have called this simple bargaining, but if anyone around here were to call this ‘bargaining’ then they were deluding themselves. Riri’s request put this conversation firmly into the category of shifting how the world functioned around here, and that was firmly political.

Ezekiel said, “Not for all the magic in the world.”

Two could shift the window.

No one had sat down yet. No one had given out tea. This was not the true way to hash out a deal. And Riri knew this. It was all part of the plan, for sure.

Which is likely why Riri lightly smiled, then asked, “Would you care for some tea and cookies? We can also set up an interview space for your questions for the Alchemists.”

“Of course,” Ezekiel said, having already seen what was going to happen next. His mana sense reached into much of this part of Star Song’s mansion, after all.

Riri gently clapped her hands, and people started moving. Servants came out from behind a boulder and into the courtyard, carrying trays of tea and snacks. Paper dividers were positioned around a stone table to the side, making a semi-private area. Ezekiel would be putting up a [Sealed Privacy Ward] anyway, though. Did they think he would allow his interviews to be spied on that easily? Ah. Whatever. A few servants grabbed Ezekiel’s papers and book and bundled them in a paper wrapping, sealed with twine, then handed them over to Julia. At the same time, Julia, Paul, and Tiffany, were given their own set of tea and cookies at a table to the side of the courtyard, where they had come into the courtyard. The Alchemists were made to stand near the interview area on the other side.

Patriarch Zalindi, Elder Arilitilo, Loremaster Riri, and Elder Mirizo sat on one side of the central table.

Ezekiel sat on the other.

Riri poured them all a sweet-smelling plum tea, handing out the cups in the proper, deferential order to the Patriarch, then Ezekiel, then the Elders, then herself. They all sipped, and it was good, but Ezekiel was mostly focused on the cookies.

They were chocolate chocolate chip cookies. They were dark throughout with morsels of goodness within, and they smelled wonderful.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Riri handed out the cookies next, in the same order. Everyone took one bite.

It was so good, Ezekiel took a second bite, then held his up, and smiled, saying, “Chocolate is taking off faster than I thought it would. It hasn’t even been two months since its creation.”

Riri said, “It is a luxury food as of this moment, but it is easy to grow, and the taste is divine. The style of the treat was taken from a little shop in Spur known as ‘And Dessert!’. I believe it is your flagship store?”

Ezekiel smiled. Riri had certainly done her homework. He said, “Ratchet and Arial both do good work. Arial’s children’s store, ‘Meat! Bread! Cheese!’ does rather well too, with the potatoes for the fries. Spur is a great place.”

“One made all the better for your arrival and continued support.” Riri said, “You bring prosperity wherever you go, and so we are thankful for your arrival here in Eralis, in this time of change. Have you gotten a good look at our fair city and culture?”

Ezekiel wanted to continue to smile, for Riri was a personable woman and the atmosphere of this place was rather friendly. But he forced his smile away, and said, “I’m not leaving Spur.”

Fully expecting this, Riri instantly said, “And we would not ask you to. But perhaps, when you get your [Gate] network up and running. Would you consider a [Gate] in our fair city?”

Well wasn’t that an interesting turn of events.

“Aye.” Ezekiel said, “That’s a fair possibility. I’m still on that Quest, though, so if you should happen to know any [Gate] secrets, let me know, and you’ll move Eralis to the top of the list.” He asked, “Does this mean you would be open to trade with Candlepoint? That’s likely where the Gates to the Stars will be located in a hundred years, but we might end up having [Gate]s before that.”

The calm atmosphere of the courtyard was the only thing that kept the excited, fearful, calculating, or otherwise surprised looks on peoples’ faces from turning into actual gasps or, worse yet, interrupting words. Even Zalindi and the other two Elders were unsettled.

Riri, however, was perfectly calm. “I would be delighted to speak of trade on a global scale, but for now, we have some smaller trades that we wish to conduct for smaller items.”

Ezekiel said, “I cannot permanently part with a ring. That is not an option.”

“Understood.” Riri countered, “Then in exchange for the unlocking of Intelligence for several people, I am willing to offer you the locations of a Nacreous Weaver and a Primal Blood Weaver for whatever usage you deem fit, as well as the knowledge of how to weave magic out of those threads. Weaving knowledge will come from me, while other enchanting and Blood Magic knowledge will come from Elder Arilitilo and Loremaster Xue, both of whom are particularly good with blood.”

It was a good offer, but what Ezekiel noticed most was the fact that Xue flinched, Arilitilo had a hiccup of movement, and everyone else had larger reactions, varying from surprise to disbelief. Zalindi was surprised, too, but his surprise turned to a small smile. Xue, standing behind Riri a good three meters away, couldn’t help himself but to glare at Riri’s back before turning his gaze back to Ezekiel.

Anyone else likely wouldn’t have seen any reaction, though. Star Song had a well-maintained united front.

“It is a good offer.” Ezekiel noted, “But according to what I see on the faces of the people in this courtyard, there were some surprises in your announcement. Why?”

“There are no Elders of Gold in the Highlands for various reasons.” Riri said, not missing a beat, “But in every Clan, there is usually at least one Loremaster who stands above the rest in the arena of commerce. Whatever reaction you have seen is the common reaction when big money starts to move out in the open.”

That was interesting, but that meant that last night—

Ezekiel asked, “Was Ored antagonizing you when he said that merchants did not belong in the nobility, last night?”

“He was.” Riri added, “But our small feud is more friendly than antagonistic.”

She was lying about that. But that was okay.

Ezekiel realized his question was, perhaps, rude. He moved on in the next direction he thought of, saying, “My daughter is looking into gaining a Thunder Bird or a Lightning Shrieker as well. Are those good forms?”

Riri held back.