Rise of the Godking

Using the elven spell of concealment, Daneel once again marched through the island of Larefa without a concern on his mind until he reached the border of the town, where he dispelled his magic and entered covertly, trying hard to keep out of sight of any of the guards posted around the place.

He didn't have too much difficulty, thankfully, because most of the guards had been assigned to the vault to show that there were always so many people assiduously guarding the location that they would soon make use of. Also, trusting that the newcomers were powerful enough, or particular enough to see to their own defenses, many of the security personnel around the mansion they had been given had been removed, making it even easier to enter, unseen, and startle Alex by knocking loudly on the door, then dumping the body inside before anyone could respond.

Alex had opened the door after a very brief pause, which led him to understand that the thief might have been pacing nervously, wondering whether Daneel would finish the job or mess up and make it so that they would have to leave without finishing the scam. The moment he saw the body of the mage fly past him, he was surprised, but getting over it quickly, he ran to the pretty guy and kicked him in his ribs, over and over again, until the mage grunted and almost seemed ready to wake up.

In a flash, the elf acted, casting a spell at such blinding speed that Daneel could only catch a hint of air and fire being used together. An angry swelling that appeared on his head made it obvious, though, that the ancient being had also used something like a hammer to knock him out, so with a grin, Daneel entered and closed the door behind him.

This time, it was not a dead body from which the elf could pick up traces regarding how the battle had gone. Still, he looked to Daneel, expecting some sort of an explanation, but with a shrug, Daneel just said, "As you suggested, I caught him off guard. I bumped him on his head with a boulder, and here he is. His eyes were up in the air, either imagining you swooping down and killing him, or thinking of the woman he left behind. Either way… I just faced a bit of opposition from some charm. He just took two hits, though, and here we are!"

Cheerfully, he poured himself some tea and took a seat, purposefully avoiding the elf's eyes which were calculating and measuring Daneel, trying to ascertain whether he was telling the whole truth. Of course, what he had told was anything but what had happened, but with the system helping him to lie, there was no way that Mors could figure this out.

He made the suggestion in an all too casual tone, and even though the elf's eyes narrowed as if he had caught a hint of Daneel's true intention, he finally let it go and nodded before motioning at him to turn away. Daneel obliged, the air shifted behind him, and a few moments later, the sound of deep snoring filled the room.

Snorting with disgust, Alex picked up the body just as roughly as Daneel had carried it until now and chucked it inside one of the rooms of the mansion. He locked the door carefully, making sure that he checked five times that the lock would hold, and even after that, he told the elf to cast some sort of a warning spell so that they would be alerted if someone tried to break in.

With this task done, too, Daneel turned to both of them and said, "Alright, it's time to move onto the final step. We can't let any more problems arise… so let's continue with the scam. Both of you know what to do, right? Mors, when will you depart?"

The elf actually frowned as he heard this, glancing at the corner of the room where the ripped off portion of his dress lay. Then, taking a few seconds and apparently telling himself that it was the last time he would have to do this, he said, "After we reveal the true purpose behind us coming here. I do not wish to miss that, and I should have ample time to do what is needed afterward."

Nodding, Daneel turned to the thief, who stood up in response and spoke while he walked to the door.

"Mors said those fuckers came close two or three times before scurrying away, scared to ask how much time it will take, probably. They will definitely jump at the opportunity now when I say that we're finally ready to talk.Franly, I'm interested to see how this will play out."

A few minutes later, they were all seated inside the central mansion of the town, on chairs added in front of a marble fountain that must have been grand until their arrival. It's melted head with a testament to their power, and studying it, Daneel once again felt grateful that he had the system which had recorded that spell, too, and held it ready to be used when the need arose.

Between the chairs was a pile of ash, dumped there by Alex the moment they arrived. It was just soot he had taken out of a lamp in the mansion...but without saying a word, he convinced the three that it was all that remained of the mage.

The thief had been given the prerogative to lead this discussion, so after letting the three leaders of the town fret for a few minutes during which they sweated and tried hard not to glance at the ashes in front of them, he finally said, "I have been opposed to this from the start, but it seems that you will all live, after all."

As soon as his words were heard in the large, open area, all three leaders felt the tension go of them. The two men even leaned back on their chairs and let out such a long sigh that it seemed as if they were inmates on death row, promised that their sentence had been changed, and the woman was not that much better, simply managing to keep her face calm after showing the same amount of relief in the form of an explosive outburst of breath.

The thief grinned, then, and let the hammer drop.

"If you think that the possibility of the three of you living out your lives happily has been confirmed…then you cannot be more wrong. Listen, now, to the true reason behind us coming here. If you carry out our wishes well, and work hard, you will grow richer than your wildest dreams. But if you slack off and bring harm to what we intend to do…your deaths will be far more violent and painful than you can ever imagine. You will be tortured for an eternity, existing only as an example to those who might think of being tardy on a mission they are given, and believe me when I say that it is a fate they I would not wish on even my worst enemy. Do I make myself clear?"

The sweat returned, in full force, this time, with even the woman repeatedly dabbing at her forehead and soiling her green silk gown. The other two used perfumed handkerchiefs that were already dripping wet, and with intent gazes, they waited for Alex to continue.

As if he was satisfied with their reaction, Alex sat back and said, "It is good that you understand the gravity of the situation. A precious object needs to be stored in the islands, where no one will even think to look. Its value is beyond what your puny minds can understand. All you need to know is that it will sit in your vault, and you will be paid a heft amount, yearly, to maintain this island in any way you see fit. Just make it look like one of the many scraps of useless land in this backward place filled with useless people, and your rewards will be great. By giving you this mission, we are doing you a great service. In fact...if you do well, a few years later, there might even be a place for you on the Mainland. Do you understand?"

The old man among the three leaned forward and nodded so violently that Daneel suspected that his head might roll off if he used any more energy.

The woman smiled, acting surprised, at first, then seeming as happy as she had ever been.

To top them both off, the other man blinked as if he was shocked, then promptly fainted, as if he could never have expected that this was why they had arrived, and as if what they were promising him was something that was truly startling enough to knock him out.

Daneel almost shook his head, disgusted by the third-grade action, but he stopped himself at the last moment.

He saw Alex get the same urge, and as for Mors, he was trying hard not to laugh.

So far, everything had gone well, and to finish, only one thing was left. Without further ado, Alex spoke, cleverly picking words that gave a veiled hint of what was going to happen which made Daneel feel like laughing out loud, and when the two leaders who were still awake agreed without even a hint of hesitation, all three of them smiled, as the three leaders had just signed their death warrant.

"Good. The object arrives in one day. Due to how sensitive it is, it needs a large escort, and an even larger force to carry it. We have counted the number of people required; we'll be taking all the guards in charge of the vaults with us. Apprise them of what needs to be done, and meet us outside the town tomorrow morning. For now…go back to the last day of your meaningless lives. Tomorrow, your fates will change in a way that will leave you shocked for years to come…"