For a moment, there was silence between them. Finally, Alister spoke, his voice vibrating the air around him.
“I see,” he said, narrowing his gaze.
Quinton smirked as he replied with a slightly smug tone, “Indeed.”
For a moment, more silence descended between them. Vira and the remaining humans who were alive watched the exchange with unease, all hoping things would turn out in their favor. Alister finally spoke up, with a touch of skepticism in his tone. “So, from what I understand, you want my protection, for you and some chosen others, for these humans here to be spared, and my cooperation with a celestial in the future.”
Quinton nodded slightly to confirm Alister’s words.
Observing this, Alister paused for a moment. He then proceeded to speak. “A tempting offer… A truly tempting offer indeed.”
As he spoke, Quinton felt a bit uneasy but hid it behind a calm and composed poker face.
Alister then tilted his head to the left as he said, “Unfortunately, with the way things stand, we cannot come to an agreement.”
Hearing his words, Mar’Garet smiled but said nothing. Vira and the remaining humans present went pale with fear.
Still keeping his calm expression, Quinton spoke up with a mildly intense tone as he asked, “And why is that? Isn’t this item something you desperately need?”
“Are you really going to turn me down because of pride? Because I am a mere human?” He gritted his teeth as he spoke. It was clear his anger wasn’t only due to Alister’s refusal.
His tone made Mar’Garet flare up, but she decided not to step in because Alister had commended her silence earlier.
“No, that is only a part of it,” Alister said calmly.
“Why then?” Quinton asked, with a mild touch of desperation in his tone.
Alister continued in his calm tone but clearly sensed the anger in Quinton’s, causing him to offer a little warning.
“Let me make this clear to you: I do not owe you anything, boy. So calm yourself. Do not make me resort to using force to obtain that item from you.”
Hearing his words, Quinton’s eyes widened for a moment. Realizing he was letting his emotions cloud his mind, he took a deep breath and then asked, “Is there a reason you don’t want to agree to my terms?”
“Yes, one part has to be adjusted, the other removed.”
“And they are?”
Alister raised a clawed finger upward as he said, “One, you requested for the humans here to be spared. Unfortunately, I cannot accept that.”
“They decided to steal the treasure of my people, then proceeded to disrespect me in an attempt to secure a future that was clearly beyond their reach.”
“Both are sins deserving of death, and I fully intend on granting it to them.”
Alister paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. Caldris, who was barely holding on to life with the massive metal spikes impaled in his back, shook with fear.
He proceeded to scream…
“AHHHH… No, no… I don’t want to die… I don’t want to die.”
He then hurried on with his crawling, only for the next instant…
BOOM!
Draven’s massive tail landed on him, crushing him completely. The force was so great that some of his blood splattered all the way to land on the left side of Quinton’s face.
The sight caused the legs of those still alive to weaken in an instant, all hopes of survival crushed along with their foolish leader who had led them to their doom.
Quinton sighed, then proceeded to wipe the blood off his face as he said, “I guess that’s a bust then.” He spoke nonchalantly, as if the display of cruelty a moment ago didn’t faze him. Then again, it spoke of the kind of life he led and perhaps spoke volumes about the sort of future he expected ahead of him.
“So, what needs to be adjusted then?” he asked as he narrowed his eyes.
Alister raised a second clawed finger as he said, “Unconditional cooperation with a celestial.” “As far as my memory serves, they are self-serving beings, always looking to gain from any situation they find themselves in.”
“They see existence as a grand stage to play their games, viewing the lives of mortals as nothing more than tools for their own entertainment.”
“While it may be true that some exist who may not be like this…”
“I, for one, would not choose the option of finding out. I will not take your word for how they act either. Mortal eyes cannot even tell the difference between a fleeting shadow and true darkness, let alone comprehend the nature of beings beyond their understanding.”
“So, I cannot agree to unconditionally helping a celestial I know nothing of.”
“If it is a favor, I might be willing.”
“The fact they even ask for unconditional cooperation means their intentions are not pure, and they knew I would disagree under normal circumstances.”
Quinton’s expression darkened as Alister’s words echoed in the air. He straightened his posture, his voice sharp as he spoke, “Then we don’t have a deal. If you can’t agree to those terms, there’s no point in continuing this discussion.”
For a moment, Alister smirked, his eyes narrowing slightly. “That’s fine with me,” he replied, his tone utterly unshaken.
“I was already on a sure path to acquiring that same item tonight. A couple more hours in my search is a trivial inconvenience compared to agreeing to your bizarre terms.”
Quinton’s eyes twitched slightly, though he quickly hid his frustration. “You’re confident you’ll find it without my help?”
Alister chuckled softly. “Confident? No. Certain. The path ahead of me was already a sure one, so I need not worry.”
Quinton tightened his jaw, his mind racing to weigh his options. Alister’s assurance unnerved him, but he refused to show it.
Alister’s gaze remained fixed with Quinton’s as he added. “But what about those people you wished for me to protect… hmm?”
Quinton stiffened slightly, his composure wavering for the briefest moment as Alister leaned forward, his tone filled with cold curiosity.
“Are they not your friends, perhaps? Or do you mean to tell me that the schemes of some celestial carry more weight to you than your treasured companions?”