ARC 7-Cursed Fates-05
“Negotiating sucks.”
“This is what you wanted, Lou,” Alana says rcilessly, walking ahead of as we trek through a field, searching for signs of prey. Inviting the bandits to dinner ans we’re doing the cooking and that’s a lot of mouths to feed.
I thought Kierra would handle the hunting, as she’s the one who usually puts fresh at on the table, but she passed the task to . Alana joined, claiming she wanted to stretch her legs. I think it was just to evade Kierra’s amorous attentions but didn’t refuse, happy for the company.
“Negotiation ans both parties give up sothing. Whether that’s gold or their ti fetching dinner.” She crouches. I look over her shoulder to see what’s caught her attention but can’t make out anything of note in the grass and dirt. After a mont, she stands up and starts walking with new direction. “It ans sacrificing for the greater good.”
I suppose it would be childish to say I don’t want to make sacrifices for the greater good. After all, that option was available to , both in regard to the bandits and the March. I’m the one insisting we practice saintly virtues and save lives.
Scrounging up dinner for a few dozen n is not that great a sacrifice. While their deaths wouldn’t have weighed heavily on my mind, I’d be lying if I said I’m not happier with them alive. Their leader, despite being a scoundrel, is a perfectly polite man. I dare call him a gentleman. Reminds of my servants, lost souls dragged into a life of criminality who could be much more if given a proper chance. Maybe I should make him a job offer, heh.
Though if there is one thing that irks about the situation… “I suppose I wish I was getting more out of this bargain. The bandits are getting a king’s ransom. They get to keep their lives, they get a al cooked by Geneva, and they get to bask in the presence of several beautiful won. What do I get? Extra work and a clear conscience. Seems unbalanced.”
Alana hums. “I think any negotiation you make with anyone is going to seem unbalanced. As you say, people have very little to offer you. Money? You don’t need it. Power? That’s a joke. The only thing that might tempt you is a pretty face, but you do have so control when it cos to won.
“Besides, no matter what they offer, you’ll always be thinking that you could take everything. That’s why Victory doesn’t bother with negotiations. The stronger party has the power to take everything anyway so you might as well be upfront about it.”
That’s a surprisingly good point. “Suppose that’s what makes a saint a saint. Having the power to do whatever and choosing to do good.”
“Comparing yourself to the saints now?”
“There are worse goals to aspire to.”
“Mm. Think I’ve got sothing.” She waves over to examine a set of tracks. Hoof prints and rather large ones at that. So kind of herd beasts? Must be traveling north, following the progress of the coming spring. Cloud only talks about her brethren and I rember her saying that creatures follow their food. “I’m ready to start cheating.”
“Hm?” I turn my thoughts away from venison to her slight frown.
“lding. I’m ready to start cheating.” She looks up at . “Forget making a little outpost past the Peaks. We’ve got one year before we have to help the armies of Victory push further than they ever have and figure out what’s going on with these estrazi. Goals that may or may not involve fighting an army that they’ve had five hundred years to build with impunity and fighting a dragon. In light of that, being concerned about shortcuts to power seems ridiculous. So…”
“You don’t have convince . But when you say you’re ready to cheat, does that an you want to be like or—"
“No. Not that there’s anything wrong with you.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I…don’t like the idea of changing that much. Temporary stuff for, eh-hem, a bit of fun is fine, but I like being….”
“I understand.” I do. I could be anything I want with an ease that makes literal shapeshifters envious, but I still cling to the face I was born with, minus a few minor alterations.
“I just want to be stronger, faster. Ancestors, it feels stupid saying that out loud.”
“It’s a lot less stupid when it’s possible. Hm. Sounds to like you want to keep doing what you’re doing but more intensely.”
“Exactly.”
“…you do understand that it’s not going to be easy?” Kierra pushes people’s limits but doesn’t knowingly push beyond them. Whatever pace she’s set for Alana’s lding, it’s tailored to her endurance, ntal if not physical. Pushing beyond those will have repercussions.
“Dragons, Lou. I don’t need easy. I need results. And so do you.”
I grunt in acknowledgnt. This body of mine was designed to wrestle my wife, an elf with a pure physical affinity. As Kierra can handle anything this continent can throw at her, I thought that I could handle the sa. The north was quick to correct .
Titans are creatures beyond common sense. Aside from their massive sizes, and I do an massive,there is sothing strange about their magic. My oozey self, that I had thought was immune to magic, could not withstand one of their spells. The goliath we fought was so large, my strength ant nothing. On top of that, it carried an army on its back.
I wasn’t so arrogant as to think that I sat at the pinnacle of the world. As a bald bastard with a complex about touching the ground once said, no matter how strong you are, there’s always a dragon above you. One day, that phrase may not apply to . I was willing to take my ti getting there because I assud I wouldn’t need more strength than I currently have for a long ti. How wrong I was.
“Tracks are headed this way,” I grumble, eager to change the subject before we can delve further into my naive arrogance. Alana obliges with only the slightest smirk. “Be good to get back ho.”
“Mm. I thought I would enjoy our vacation more.”
I scoff. “You call that a vacation?”
“That’s what you called it. A romantic stroll through the snow, you said.”
Ah. “I had no idea what I was talking about. Don’t comnt on that.”
“Wasn’t going to.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Really? Even though I’m your future saint?”
“You’re the main one that objects to calling you that.”
“Are you going to stop?”
“Give sothing better.”
“Who gives themselves a nickna? So embarrassing.”
“I know.” Smiling, I reach for her hand, lacing our fingers together. She raises her brows but doesn’t pull away. Rather, she leans into . Tracking down prey to slaughter and feed to a group of bandits isn’t the best idea for a date but it’s been a while since we’ve had any ti alone. I miss our hours together as initiates and our lunches. For that matter, I miss my ti in the Enchanted Forest with Kierra, doing nothing but indulging in each other’s company all day.
We may have to fight a war in a year and perhaps I can’t give in to my hedonistic tendencies all day in preparation for it, but saints as my witness, I’m not going to sit around in a house full of beautiful lovers and not enjoy them.
“You’re thinking sothing indecent, aren’t you?”
“Not at all. Just reminding myself of my blessings. This last year was the best year of my life. I’m determined to make the next even better, war and all.”
Alana’s smile lights up her eyes. “You know damn well that wasn’t what you were actually thinking.”
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