Startup 25: Severence

Arodus 10, just after midnight

“Not bad, Stud.” Dovnu said, looking around at my crew with a critical eye. “How’d you convince them to follow you?”

“I led them out of a rough patch.” I said firmly, clamping down on Autopilot’s panic attack. “These are the ones who decided to stick around.”

Shit. He’s going to be useless here. Control breathing. Don’t let her see you sweat. Detect her magic and sexuality, then… I don’t know, meditate.

Dovnu pushed me to the side with a carefully calculated hip, creating just enough space to fit snugly between Sosima and I. She raised one gold encrusted hand to the barmaid, then pointed at a dish on a nearby table. Her meal ordered, she pulled a cigar out of her suit’s inner pocket and lit it with a snap of her fingers.

“You led them? Really? More likely you all survived something together and you took credit.” She said with a smile, her murky tan eyes drifting between the girls, “My name is Dovnu D’Lann, by the way. I own this man. I hope he hasn’t made you any unreasonable promises; he doesn’t actually have much of anything to his name.”

She doesn’t realize I’m stronger than I was. I can sure as hell use that, just as long as no one starts bragging too much. They’ll take me lightly if I’m some idiot with Ray of Frost and Summon Monster 1 as my only spells.

“Indeed?” Sosima said laconically, “I suppose I have heard it is unwise to trust the deep elves.”

“He hasn’t made many promises, actually.” Syl said to Dovnu. “A few proposals, mostly business, but few promises.”

“I think you’ll need a different tactic,” Sandara offered, leaning forward and patting Dovnu’s hand. “He’s done right by us so far, so it’ll be a trick to make us trust you over him. Good first effort though.”

“You can’t blame a girl for trying.” She said with a smile. “So Stud, I’m curious, what are you hoping to gain here? What is the point of this show of ****?”

“I’m not your property.” I said simply. “I’m going to live my own life, and I don’t suggest that you try to stop me.”

Dovnu’s lips peeled back in a wicked smile.

“Of course you’d prefer I didn’t try to stop you.” She taunted. “I can make your life hell, even if I don’t just kill you and sell off the ship. Did you know I’m within my rights to do so? I have your wedding contract. It’ll hold up.”

“You may have the right, but you lack the capacity.” Sosima said, leaning down to whisper in Dovnu’s ear. She was several inches taller than my mother in law.

“Ooh! Spicy.” Dovnu pulled out her cigar, turned, and kissed Sosima on the lips, turning back to me. “You can test that theory whenever you like.”

She said it with total confidence, sitting at my table surrounded by my party. Dovnu was relaxed, smiling, one elbow on the table holding her cigar. Sosima was spluttering with anger behind her, fully armored and with a sword at her hip, and Dovnu didn’t visibly give her another thought.

Then again, her eyes darted around constantly. Any time a member of my crew moved, Dovnu’s murky tan pools shifted slightly to check on them. Her smile didn’t change, but she was at least nervous enough to keep an eye on everyone.

She’s bluffing. If she were actually strong enough to trounce my whole party in public, she still wouldn’t. Too many eyes on her here. Of course, that’s protecting her too.

Across the room, Conchobar Sr. glanced up. He probably wouldn’t take part in any fighting, but the crowd would follow his lead. The public eye was my friend as long as I chose the beholder.

“I think the better question is what you want.” Sandara said, mirroring Dovnu’s smile. “You don’t get anything if you push him past his limits, even if you were as high and mighty as you want us to think.”

“To the contrary, his magic will sell very well on the secondary market.” Dovnu said, and placed her open palm on my chest, “He’s got a solid baseline of power, and I know a gal who can rip sorcery right out of someone.”

As she finished her words, she dug her gold tipped fingers into my skin. I scooted away, and checked my logs for saving throws. Nothing. It had just been a gesture.

Is she telling the truth?

Absolutely. There are multiple specialists in Heslandaena, at least one in Rampore, and I believe she could hire one here in Port Peril assuming she can capture us alive. Stolen sorcery is weaker, and I doubt she would maintain our unique blessings, but many are willing to pay quite a lot for the ability to use magic without study. It’s safer by far than the rituals that they put second sons like Kiyon through as children.

Would that take you? My missions? I sure as hell don’t want to lose sorcery but I use my mission reward magic more than anything from my class.

I don’t believe so, but without my innate magic you would not have anything to power the more **** applications of your other gifts. No summoning, for example, and controlling the weather would always require conscious effort.

I covered my brief consultation by standing up and circling around the table. Dovnu made herself comfortable with the additional space, unconcerned with Syl’s glare, as I settled next to Cog.

“If you prevent me from going about my business, there will be consequences.” I said. “I’ve left a letter detailing the location of Heslandaena in the possession of an ally along with a request to share that information should I vanish.”

“Well that was rude.” Dovnu said, “The poor fellow will need to die if you decide to be uncooperative.”

“Good luck with that.” I countered, rolling my eyes. “He’s far stronger than me, and well connected.”

Dovnu cocked her head, considering. She placed a finger on her lower lip while she thought, then pointed at me briefly to acknowledge a touch in a duel.

“The cat man, I presume?” She said, “That’s why you were there, then? Hmm. Well, I suppose I’ll just need to adjust if things go in that direction.”

“The direction in which your town is potentially invaded by vengeful dragons and you get a modest payout?” I asked, exaggerating my skepticism. “Not to mention you only get even that much if you can take me alive.”

“**** is no escape.” Dovnu whispered. “With that said, I will grant that it would be inconvenient. I’d look terribly brutish to the gals, your mother would whine about it for decades, and I’d need to make arrangements regarding the information leak. I sincerely doubt anyone soft hearted enough to help you would be eager to unleash hell upon civilians. So, how about you stop pretending you have power, and tell me about how your life is valuable to me?”

She batted her eyelashes at me with a sickly sweet smile.

I steepled my fingers and stared at her.

Is the scan done? What kind of magic can she do?

None, not even elementary darkness generation. She’s a lesser drow. (What a Man Can Do)

What? But she just appeared from thin air. I saw her do it.

She values magic, even fetishizes it. She keeps a few trinkets on her person to make up for her lack. She purchased Kiyon and I in the hopes of making a strong magical bloodline.

Anything useful in her sexuality? People are usually easier to manipulate if you play into what they like.

She enjoys the obedience of powerful beings. Submission, obedience, compliance, but only when someone has meaningful strength. She has no use for the weak. She also wants it to be genuine; she cannot fully relax around someone who will strike her given the chance. It is a mirror to my own desire for her, to harness her strength towards my own ends. I want her to act on my behalf, to guide another in my bed.

Setting aside your fantasies, I need to prove my strength and then show I’m willing to play ball? I think I can manage that.

“Neither of us can be sure to benefit from a fight.” I said. “Can we agree on that much?”

“Of course, Stud.” Dovnu agreed, “You’ll talk faster if you think that.”

“Instead, how would you like an island to fall back to?” I offered. “I have a business model in mind, and I’m willing to give you a very good rate if you sign on as a customer. Think about it. You and I both know that waiting for Aashaq to keel over is a mug’s game. Much better to have a place to fall back to, and set up a trading post until then.”

“If I wanted a small island for myself, I’d take it.” Dovnu said, blowing a puff of smoke in my face. “Killing some kuru or a few apes is hardly the largest expenditure of resources involved.”

“Bullshit.” I countered. “There’s a huge gap between something not being worth the trouble and something not being worth having. I’ll set it up for you myself, if you don’t think you can manage it.”

“Which would allow you to amass power and influence under my nose, assuming you could manage it at all.” Dovnu noted, “It seems like a bit of a risk.”

The serving girl brought Dovnu a thick, meaty stew which she started eating with gusto.

“Compared to what?” I asked, “We’ve already discussed what a fight will look like for you, and we both know what you get out of keeping me under your thumb is barely breaking even. Ask yourself what you’re giving up, and what you’re getting? I’m a reasonable man.”

“I’m giving up a pittance, sure.” Dovnu drawled, her spoon a few inches from her lips, “I don’t really have any evidence you’ve managed to do anything except get lucky, however.”

There. She thinks I’m a nobody.

“Then let me prove it.” I said, looking her dead in the eyes. “Let me finish my business in Port Peril and then take me back to Heslandaena. I’ll ask Svartur to return the information, and leave my crew unsupervised. When I get out, you leave me alone so I can pay you off.”

“What?” Syl spluttered, “That’s your idea of a good opportunity?”

“Emrys.” Sosima said with a warning tone. “You don’t have to do this.”

“So how long until we invade?” Rowe asked cheerily, “Oh! Or do we tell dragons and then they invade?”

Cog put his forehead in his hand, while Sandara gave a double thumbs up.

“You never were good at listening to women when they told you the obvious.” Dovnu said, showing me her teeth. “I can’t say it seems like a sporting test.”

“Will you ever play fair outside of a test?” I asked innocently, “Will anyone? I’m going to prove that you can’t control me anymore, and I’m going to do it by returning to your home, staying the night, maybe catching up with family and some old friends, and leaving. I’ll be as cooperative as I ever was for as long as I’m in town.”

I waited while she considered it. I’ll admit, I sounded like an idiot. That was the point. I had a plan to get out; all I needed was access to water or half an hour unsupervised and I was golden. I was almost certain that Dovnu didn’t know that, and I couldn't risk my crew giving the game away.

“Alright, Stud.” Dovnu agreed, “I think we have a deal. If you can pay off the price we initially paid for you, I’ll amend your contract to allow you to work independently with minimal oversight.”

“Pay you for an amendment?” I asked skeptically, “I intended to just pay you off and leave.”

“By your marriage contract, any money you make belongs to Nendra anyway.” Dovnu explained, her smile wicked. “Its so very kind of me to even consider accepting payment.”

“How much?” Sosima asked seriously. “How much did you purchase Emrys for? I’d just as soon pay it now.”

“For the first and only child of the strongest Sorceress in Heslandaena, supposedly excellent breeding stock for a magical bloodline?” Dovnu answered, “thirty thousand gold pieces, and we haven’t gotten a red copper back. You’ll need to pay off thirty years of interest, room, and board before I even consider doing more than amending the contract.”

I knew better than to eat or drink while someone was talking, so I managed to avoid **** on my drink. That would have been undignified. I couldn’t help but look around at my officers nervously, checking their loyalty. (Bluff 1+12=13 critical failure)

Goddamn it, Autopilot! I needed a basic poker face and you flinched!

My whole team stared at Dovnu in horror, as they should. I had made a fairly substantial amount of money by stripping Bonewrack bare and reselling it, but thirty thousand was still a massive pile of cash. In theory I could make that much in a month by enchanting magic items, but that assumed I could find someone willing to buy that many weapons and armor at a fair market value. Not bloody likely, especially not quickly or in bulk.

I had to split any income with my crew to keep them happy, not to mention feeding them, maintaining my ship, paying bribes, and paying any outsiders I happened to employ. I needed to find jobs, maintain security, and I was definitely resurrecting anyone that died on my watch. As long as I kept winning, money would be flowing in. It would also be flowing out; that was the cost of doing business.

“Good thing we were already planning to make that much.” Sandara said cheerfully. “So, here’s the real question. What’s your win state, D’Lann?”

“Right.” I said, reasserting control of my face. “Right. I can’t imagine you’re making a wager like this out of morbid curiosity.”

“Four months sounds good.” Dovnu said, “It’s in everyone’s best interest that we formalize this contract under Infernal law, don’t you think? I know a guy. If you fail to pay off the specified amount in four months, under agreed upon conditions, you consent to being stripped of your sorcerous bloodline.”

Infernal law. That’ll lock me in, but it’ll also hold her to anything. I can use this.

“Weren’t you already threatening to do that?” I asked.

“Consent is key,” Dovnu said mockingly. “It’ll get your mother off my back, and the ritual transfer will be so much more efficient with your full cooperation. I’ve heard some managed a full manifestation of bloodline. Not to mention that Nendra will be able to remarry.”

I settled back in my seat.

“It’ll need to be a better deal than I can get by fighting now.” I said, creating a faint chill in the air. “I could kill you, personally, right now. Whatever resurrection plan you have in mind, I doubt you would be able to come after me immediately. I could sail off into the sunset and sell what I know to buy protection.”

“Assuming you survive the night,” Dovnu said affably, “So, you want me to sweeten the pot? Go ahead. Make your demands.”

I need to play on what benefits her. I doubt she’s as confident as she projects, or she wouldn’t bother negotiating at all.

“Cog, would you mind writing this down? First and most important, I want the marriage annulled or at least renegotiated to grant me full autonomy, whatever happens.” I demanded, “I don’t want an amended **** contract, I want freedom. I’ll pay any outstanding debts, but I’ll pay them in a reasonable timeframe using practical methods of my choosing.”

“If you become useful, I’ll want to make use of you.” Dovnu said, rolling her eyes. “That seems obvious.”

“And if I prove useless, then there’s no harm in turning me over to my crew when you’re done.” I said. “You’d get my magic, sure, but I am free.”

“You’ll be dead.” Dovnu said dryly.

“I know a guy.” I said, mirroring her dismissive tone.

“Fine.” Dovnu said with a shrug, “I’ll bring your drained husk back and hand it over if anyone still cares enough to ask. You can try your trading post idea then. You’ll need to pay off your debt somehow, if you’re breathing.”

Rosie will care, and Sandara owes me. Even if the rest of them do decide I’m not worth the trouble, I’ll just have to start over. I can live with going bankrupt once.

“Speaking of people caring,” I said, “I’ll want an extension in the event that I have an ongoing contract. I don’t want to be magically ripped away from a perfectly good windfall just because of an arbitrary date.”

“If I allow for that, you’ll be double booking yourself for the next ten years.” Dovnu said with a smirk. “No way.”

“How about I pay half for a single four month extension?” I said. “And we limit it to existing contractual obligations. Wouldn’t you rather have fifteen thousand gold pieces and my magic, instead of just the magic?”

Dovnu pursed her lips, considered it, and shrugged.

“Fine. I’ll allow it.” She agreed. “It makes good business sense. Anything else?”

“Let’s keep this as a marital dispute.” I suggested hopefully. “Let Nendra handle the mess she’s made. She’s the one who was supposed to keep me under control, isn’t she? Is hunting me down really worth you or Kiyon’s time, when it barely matters whether or not I win the bet?”

“As fun as it could be, I suppose not.” Dovnu said, thoughtful. “I can let this be a learning experience for her, if you agree to keep silent about the city. I don’t want that mess hanging over my head.”

Oh thank the gods. Nendra doesn't seem like much of a planner compared to her mom.

“Four months from the moment that I arrive in Heslandaena.” I said, feeling ice in my veins. “Not from this moment. Further, I want guarantees that you will accept payment. I don’t want to dance for you before being sacrificed regardless.”

“When you sign the contract.” Dovnu countered.

“And have you take a round trip to Cheliax on the way to Heslandaena?” I said, “No. The timer starts when the challenge starts, and we can’t do anything to harm one another until the timer begins.”

“Fine. We can hammer out the details later.” Dovnu said dismissively. “I’ll need to set up a meeting first.”

I sat back in the stool, and I thought about it. For around five minutes, I turned over everything I knew in my head. I had the tools to get out of just about anything that Nendra could throw at me, and had two big payouts on the horizon. Thirty thousand was possible, if I tightened my belt. If I could get whatever devil lawyer Dovnu was working with to sign off on magic items as payment, my boots and necklace could get me halfway there already.

If I can get out of the city and get to the shipwreck, I can do this. It might be the only way to get these people off my ass long term.

“Okay. I’ll be at the meeting to negotiate specific terms.” I said. “I’m going to need a lot of details hammered out if I’m going to agree to something like this, and I will be bringing a few experts along to advise me. Let’s see if we can work something out.”

••••••••••

Dovnu and I made plans to meet again, then my team returned to the ship. I maintained perfect posture the entire way home, staring straight forward with a serious expression. I didn’t want to look rattled, and thankfully my team knew better than to belabor their disagreement in front of an enemy. They waited until we were ensconced in my cabin for that.

“It’s done.” I said, cutting them off before they could start. “I don’t blame you for being worried, but we won’t be able to get much done if I have her breathing down my neck.”

“Kill her.” Rowe said, exasperated. “Use Mirror!”

“For one thing, I don’t know how much of what she said was posturing. I know her husband can summon a small army.” I said, “For another, I don’t know if the mirror stops resurrection. If someone brings her back, she’d probably be able to take down the imposter if we don’t provide it with substantial support. It would mean war, and I don’t know if we are ready for that.”

“Can’t say I’d object to picking up someone like her.” Sandara said with a devilish smile. “She’s fun.”

“I already have too many beautiful women in my life to make tactical decisions with my dick.” I groaned. “I’m probably going to leave the mirror with you all regardless. Our best rendezvous location is in dragon territory, and if he’s rich enough that might be enough to pay them off all at once. I’d rather be in debt to the crew.”

“So you intend for us to sail up to a dragon, kill it, take its hoard, and sit around waiting for you without distributing the treasure.” Cog asked, completely deadpan. “Off the coast of the Dahak Isles, where they take a very dim view of such behavior.”

“I’ll get out quickly.” I promised. “They’ll let me out, and I have plans even if I need to swim. Besides, I just need to bind an outsider to serve as messenger. I have a species in mind, actually. So this week will be about preparation. If any of you want to leave, I’ll allow it.”

“Stop that.” Syl snapped. “None of us are going to abandon you just because you’re being an idiot.”

“It’s not as if you used any of us as collateral.” Sosima agreed with a shrug. “Though I suppose the budget will be exceptionally tight for a time. I won’t be purchasing any livestock for the voyage, I’m afraid.”

“See if Varossa wants to pay for it.” Sandara suggested. “She seems like the kind to burn money on luxury.”

“Reasonable.” Sosima said. “Do you need me here? I might as well see to it.”

“Agreed.” I said, nodding, “Sandara, would you mind telling the crew? This will affect them.”

The two girls nodded and filed out together. Cog and Rowe joined soon after, both ready for bed. Before long, it was just me and Syl. She ran her fingers through her hair, scribbling on a sheaf of paper in front of her.

“I’ll need the full itinerary.” She said, “I should have had it already, but we really need a firm schedule now. It can’t wait any longer. I was able to secure an agreement for 100 gold for a halberd, so if we industrialize that and dedicate all your magical energy to it, we should be able to secure 27,000 over the next three months. If we can make a net profit of 3000 on top of that we should be fine. We can almost certainly manage the extension, at the very least.”

She tallied up the numbers furiously, scratching lines into the paper like a madwoman.

“Syl,” I said gently, “I don’t know if anyone is going to want to buy nearly three hundred demonic halberds.”

“Yes, that’s why we need to search for a larger market.” She said, not looking at me. “A land based army, maybe? I heard Ushinawa has a standing military that isn’t purely naval; they might be interested. Maybe we go inland; the drow might not expect that. Also, I don’t like it but I think I’ll need to render the corpses myself if we can’t find an extremely impoverished alchemist in the next week. We need to find someone interested in buying abyssal essence as well, even if just to offset our operating costs.”

“Syl.” I said more firmly. “If it were easy to make thirty thousand gold pieces in a few months, a lot more people would be doing it.”

“Then why did you commit to it!” She yelled, tearing her eyes from the paper. “You’ve put everything at risk! Everything! What am I supposed to do if you get yourself killed? What if we can’t manage a dragon? What if we get caught in a storm and lose a month to repairs? What if this is all some stupid game and Varossa hasn’t got a clue where Redclaw’s treasure is? If anything goes wrong, anything at all, we lose you.”

I looked down, unable to meet her accusing gaze. Her penmanship was awful; her hands had been shaking.

She’s not upset about the tactics; not completely. She’s worried.

“Resurrect me.” I said. “I’m fairly certain that we can manage enough to pay Jerry, even if we can’t pay off Dovnu completely. That’s why I included an annulment in the deal. It’ll be a tremendous setback, but I’m free either way.”

She took a deep breath and considered that. The tension lessened as she did.

“Free and without your magic.” She said, her voice steady. “You won’t be much use without it, I’m afraid.”

“I don’t think I’ll quite lose everything. I really don’t think my missions come from my bloodline. I just won’t be part rakshasa anymore.” I said with a shrug. “Maybe I’ll take up binding. I hear Lubo managed to call a ravager spirit a few days back. Sure she needed to be restrained, but that’s still progress in a few weeks.”

“That's your plan?” Syl asked, irritation creeping into her voice, “Throw it all away to get them off your trail and then start over?”

“No.” I said, looking her straight in the eyes. “My plan is to harvest all the power I can from Heslandaena, leave while making Nendra look foolish, meet up with you all, kill a dragon, and then consider my financial situation once I have a mythical horde of gold at my disposal. I just thought a backup plan seemed prudent. Either way, with or without sorcery, I intend to keep doing what I’m doing.”

I leaned in and kissed her.

“And I hope that you’ll stick around to see it.” I said quietly, my face inches from hers.

She didn’t answer, instead pulling me in for a much longer, deeper kiss. I was pulled off balance, and ended up in her lap, straining the chair. When I finally came up for air, I smiled at her.

“Well, there’s a perfectly good bed right over there.” I suggested, pulling away and holding out a hand, “if you really want, we can go over details after.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” She said, pulling off her top efficiently.

We both stripped quickly, and she looked appraisingly at my cock.

“You bathed today.” She said with a smile, “when did you have time for that?”

“Before the meeting.” I said sheepishly. “I didn’t want to look disheveled so I borrowed Sosima’s tub.”

“Lay down.” She said, “let’s get you a little bit harder first.”

Syl crawled onto the bed with me and took my cock in one hand, gently caressing it. She bent down and kissed it.

“I can’t wait to get this inside me.” She said, looking up at me.

“Have I been neglecting you?” I asked, pushing her hair behind her ear as she went down on me.

She might have shrugged her shoulders, but I couldn’t really tell. She gently teased me until I was hard as a rock, then crawled on top of me as I lay back. Once she was straddling me, I could see her nearly hairless body in all its bronzed glory; she was beautiful. She rode me like a stallion, rocking her hips back and forth as I thrust up into her, holding onto her hips even as she used my shoulders as handles.

After a few delicious minutes, she let out a groan and I felt her contracting around me, squeezing my cock in her folds. I still needed more, so I pulled her down and rolled her on her back. With better leverage, I fucked her as she was still recovering from the aftershocks.

“Yeeeees.” She groaned raggedly, stretching out the word.

I finished inside of her, and lowered myself onto her body. Eventually I pulled out, grudgingly, to lay beside her.

“Feel better?” I asked.

“A little, enough to think clearly.” She said dreamily. “now cast the spell before I’m too comfortable. I was serious; we need to plan.”

“I told you,” I objected, “I have a plan.”

“If it’s a real plan, then you had better tell me.” Syl said with a sigh. “I never know if you have something brilliant in mind or you’re just planning to wing it.”

I laughed, and cast Keep Watch on the both of us.