Chapter 94: Chapter 93

Chapter 93

On one hand, Jarmosh seemed a little less trustworthy given that he’d put loopholes in his contract. Athela had outright told him he couldn’t accept the contract in the way the beholder had worded it, so he’d have to get Jarmosh to agree to rewrite it the way Riven wanted it done or he’d have to decline no matter what. He also didn’t like the idea of Jarmosh experimenting with live and innocent creatures, though he could have some leeway if it came to people or monsters that had attacked them or posed a threat. Perhaps the experiments Jarmosh was planning could come in handy somehow? Especially if they really were related to a craft. His shielding ability, spotting abilities, identifying abilities and long range attacks would be great in combination with Riven’s ranged fighting too.

On the other hand, there was the succubus with her Silvertongue trait that would transfer to Riven as a spell. It would give him some leeway when interacting with other races that didn’t have negative charisma orientation, especially as he grew more levels and accumulated more and more negative charisma. It may be noticeable from time to time now, but what would it look like if he reached over 2000 negative points? Or 4000? Would they run screaming from him, collapse in fear, or would they outright hate him and attack on sight?

Otherwise Fay’s abilities were orientated towards crowd control with hidden mana mines, a hallucination field, a charm ability, and a damage-over-time curse that slowed enemies too. The entire package would be great for keeping enemies off of him while he could sit back and let loose from relative safety, or at least that’d be the hope.

But what if Riven was ever going to date someone else? How could he explain having a succubus with him?

They’d immediately think he was a dirty pervert.

That was certainly a concern, though one far off and not relevant to his current situation. Regardless, he was leaning more towards the beholder demon. They were both great options, but the identifying of enemies and spotting potential assassins alone was something that swayed things in favor of the demonic eyeball collection.

So with a minor amount of guilt concerning the fond interact he had with Fay, he bypassed the succubus and mentally bade her farewell as he went back to talk to the beholder. He’d have to speak to Jarmosh about the loopholes in his contract and a complete rewrite of it before he’d agree though, that was non-negotiable. “Athela? Azmoth? Mind coming along and pointing out his loopholes so we can rewrite it? I’d like you in on this discussion when we talk.”

“Oh! So you’re choosing Jarmosh?” Athela said curiously as Azmoth gave him an affirmative nod. “Wow! You really AREN’T a simp!”

He rolled his eyes and gestured to the figure of the beholder demon. “Oh shut up. Fay was really nice too but I think the beholder is likely a better pick in helping me survive.”

“That silvertongue trait though!”

“Can only be used for short periods of time. Yes, otherwise it is amazing. Don’t rub it in my face when I may be regretting this choice later, now hurry it up. We have work to do.”

***

Unfortunately, the following talk between Riven and Jarmosh did not go well. In fact, it was mostly Athela and Jarmosh going at it - with the arachnoid woman accusing him of manipulating the contract and pointing out said loopholes while Jarmosh, in his sophisticated British accent, denying all counts and refusing to give up the contract for another one.

“I refuse!” Jarmosh snarled as his large central eye and all the other ones surrounding him glared daggers at the arachnid as she hissed. “These are nothing but mere coincidences that line up with verbiage explicitly set there to protect myself from exploitation!”

“You’re a damned liar!” Athela spat as her right-forward spider leg shook with anger. “You filthy little eyeball!”

“HOW DARE YOU CALL ME AN EYEBALL!”

“YOU’RE A PUTRID, VENEMOUS, UGLY EYEBALL AT THAT!”

Azmoth stared at the two bickering demons alongside Riven on the right side, folding his four armored, cindering arms with a grunt of disgust and scratching the back of his neck with one of his extra eel-like maws. The brutalisk then withdrew the two maws into his back, exchanged a glance with Riven, and sighed.

Riven in the meantime didn’t know what to make of it, and began to whisper over at Azmoth as the other two other demons engaged one another. “So… Is Athela taking this out of context and being overprotective of me? Or is the observer demon really trying to pull one over on us?”

Azmoth turned his armored, eyeless head towards Riven. “Have you not read contract?”

“I did, but it’s over 60 pages long if you’d compare it to a paperback novel.”

“That… is true. Beholder likely did it on purpose to hide what Athela found. Anyways, yes, Athela correct. It obvious the loopholes are there. Two big ones that he’s trying. The first would allow him break the contract without excuse or if he unhappy, and he could be unhappy for any reason to leave you in moment of need. Second loophole would allow him to force you to give up items that benefit him, even if you rather sell it or use it yourself.”

Riven blinked, then turned his gaze back onto the beholder with a new perspective. “Is it normal for demons to try and pull this stuff?”

“Depends.”

The screeching and screaming at one another was reaching new heights as Athela acted as Riven’s lawyer would in a court case.

“I BET YOU GET PINK EYE!!! YOU DIRTY, ASS SNIFFING, FLOATING VAGABOND!”

“I’VE NEVER HAD PINK EYE ONCE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE, YOU OVERGROWN INSECT!”

“I’M A SPIDER! I EAT INSECTS FOR BREAKFAST, YOU UTTERLY HORRIFIC ABSCESS! I’D STOMP YOU LIKE A BABY IF WE WEREN’T IN THE NETHER REALMS!”

“YOU!? HA!!! YOUR KIND IS AS USELESS AS THE IMPS AND WOULDN’T EVEN BE ABLE TO TOUCH ME FROM DOWN ON THE GROUND!”

“YOU TAKE THAT BACK! I AM NOT COMPARABLE TO AN IMP! THEY’RE MERELY TINY FIRE-BELCHING MONKEYS, AND I HAVE PIZZAZ!”

At this point, it was just becoming a ridiculous case of insulting one another. It wasn’t getting anywhere at all, and despite Riven’s original impression that Jarmosh would have likely been a slightly better asset to the team - he was now having second thoughts. Especially if the team-mascot, Athela, wouldn’t get along with him.

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“You should choose Fay.” Azmoth stated abruptly as he let out another exhausted sigh. “This getting nowhere. Succubus wouldn’t be bad asset to have, but I warn you not to get involved with her.”

“Involved? Do you mean romantically?”

“Yes. Don’t do it if you do choose her. Succubi crazy.”

Riven chuckled and folded his arms. “I’d had no intention of doing that if I did pick Fay. But yeah, she wouldn’t be a bad choice either.”

Their conversation was interrupted as Jarmosh the observer demon huffed in anger and flew over to where Riven stood with a glowering expression at the arachnid behind him. “I refuse to change the contract, and I will not listen to anymore of this spider-woman’s absurd ideas! Sign it and be done with it or leave me to find another!”

Athela was literally quivering with rage at this point, but she did not approach the eyeball demon again. Instead she folded her arms in front of her, snarled, and turned her back on the demon without another glance.

Riven cast a genuinely caring look over at the arshakai. Athela didn’t have to fight for him like this and it wouldn’t have hurt her cause much if another demon had gotten the better of Riven, but instead she was seriously angry.

For him.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

[You have declined the contract.]

With a look of surprise, Jarmosh the beholder demon began to fizzle out of existence as Riven and his two minions returned to the nether realms - only one of the four demons who’d initially contacted him remaining.

“You made the right choice.” Athela confirmed with a satisfied sneer towards the last of Jarmosh’s image before he fizzled out. “Stupid eyeball. The succubus had a much better contract with absolutely nothing to worry about, pick her.”

Riven smiled slightly but didn’t say another word. Team cohesiveness and trustworthiness were more important than whatever else the beholder demon could have brought to their group. After the negotiations were through, that demon had neither.

“Come on Athela, Azmoth. Let’s go talk to Fay.”

***

[Your pact with Fay has been sealed under the watchful eye of the Administrator. The demonic seal representing Fay will be etched into your flesh, and your body has been restored to perfect health. Congratulations on obtaining your new demonic minion.]

[You have inherited Fay's Unholy Trait: Silvertongue, as a spell.]

[Silvertongue (Unholy): Soak your words with unholy mana to briefly capture the minds of lesser beings, allowing only those with a less Willpower than you to be affected and enabling you to persuade them more easily. This spell scales with both Willpower and Negative Charisma, as well as the amount of mana you put into it. This spell may be developed into a better version of itself by acquiring the 'Depravity' subpillar. Extremely high mana cost, low cooldown.]

In a flash he was standing back in the basement of the hospital, another red pentagram being drawn next to the ones containing the symbol of jaws for Azmoth or a spider for Athela. This one, however, was a set of succubi wings.

Riven took off his tattered cloak and draped it around Fay’s shoulders, meeting her black eyes for a moment before stepping back. “Athela, go get some clothes for Fay. Some of the ones we picked out for you should fit her alright, you’re about the same size.”

“Clothes are stupid and should only be worn on special occasions.” Athela stated flatly, folding her arms. “We’re demons, and our bodies are great. Why hide them?”

Riven opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’ll let her decide, not going to have this conversation with you again.”

Fay was hesitantly looking around the small basement where the two elves, Senna and Ethel, as well as Dr. Brass remained motionless with raised eyebrows. Drawing her wings into her back and letting out a deep, relaxed sigh of contentment, Fay knelt down on one knee and bowed.

“Thank you for choosing me, master. You will not regret this decision.”

“We’re a team now, you don’t need to do that.” Riven smiled, motioning for her to get up as she brushed her long white hair behind one ear and took his hand to stand. “Glad to have you.”

Fay stood up and gave a nod to the others, ignoring Dr. Brass’s blatant staring. “Hello.”

She turned back to Riven. “If it makes you comfortable, I’ll take your offer on clothes. It does not bother me either way, and it would probably draw less attention if I did wear something.”

Riven nodded, intentionally keeping his eyes on her face. “Yup. Agreed, and thanks.”

If he had to continue to try and look away for all eternity, that would have been a real problem. Clothes would certainly help.

Athela on the other hand threw up her hands and turned, muttering under her breath about stupid mortal customs before she fetched a crop top and short shorts from the bag of stuff they’d raided at the clothing warehouse.

A pulsing sensation began to emanate from his bag, and Riven raised an eyebrow before reaching inside and pulling out the communication orb he’d been gifted by Mara and Allie. “Hello?”

“Hey!” Allie’s voice cut through the air like she was standing right next to him. “Have you started your trip yet?”

Riven glanced past the changing succubus and over to the elves along the wall. “Unfortunately not. Hey, I know we talked about this a couple times already but are you really sure you’re ok with me going? With Prophet building up forces and what I’ve been rethinking things. Perhaps I should stay behind until that’s settled.”

“We have spies watching them, and we even have two in their own ranks. Human spies that want necromancer classes or a chance to join our faction. Jose wasn’t the only one these new age crusaders wronged…” Allie’s voice trailed off, but she quickly cleared her throat and continued talking through the pulsing black orb. “The point is, we’ll know when they’re coming ahead of time. We have tough fortifications, and I’m stronger than anyone they have on their side. The problem is that relic Prophet keeps, the book, but in order for it to use its defensive capabilities he has to set up a zone of influence. That’s why this small war has dragged on for so long, it’s harder fighting them on their own turf. Meanwhile, they lose advantage while leaving their own consecrated grounds.”

“Consecrated? You didn’t mention that.”

“Yes, the relic they have is able to bless the areas they control, it severely weakens undead like us and does a whole lot of other things I’m not quite sure of yet. All I know is the rumors being pitched to me from the two insiders we have. Regardless, as long as we’re not on their consecrated grounds it’ll be fine; and I have an army of my own in both minions and other sentient undead. You saw how tightly locked this place is, and we’re only sending out assassination groups for now until we get a better picture of what their leadership is up to. I’m not taking risks.”

Riven remembered the flesh golems, bone giant, and hundreds of ghouls, skeletons or skresh walking around the skyscraper Allie was terraforming. He also remembered just how close Allie had come to kicking his ass in a one on one fight, and he felt confident she’d be ok while he was gone. “Well I’d have to agree that it’d almost be suicide attacking that tower of yours, it is pretty much a fortress. Senna? Ethel? How long will this trip take again?”

Senna stuttered a response while Ethel’s eyes hit the floor, massaging her stump arm. “I-I think it’ll only take a few days… Maybe… but Ethel and I are injured so it could take longer.”

Riven nodded, giving Fay a polite smile and making room for her to pass as she and the other demoness Athela walked out of the room to start exploring the area outside. The two demonic women were already hitting it off nicely, speaking in hushed tones and laughing with one another mischievously before leaving. That was a good sign in Riven’s book.

“Did you hear that?” Riven asked the bauble in his hands.

“I did.” Allie replied. “Just be safe, Riven. No hero acts, ok? I’m going to be really, really mad at you if I have to come save you while you do a drop off. You’re not invincible, remember that.”

“I know, I know.”

“Promise me you won’t do anything heroic and stupid? Even if it means other people get hurt?”

“I’ll only take fights I know I can win.”

“You have to promise.”

Riven smirked. “I promise I’ll try my best to do that.”

“RIVEN! I fucking MEAN IT! You ALWAYS get hurt trying to help other people out, even when we were kids! Remember those bullies that dressed up in ninja suits and shoved your head in a toilet because you-”

“Fine! Fine. No embarrassing stories when other people are around.” Riven grimaced at the memory and shook his head. “Hope I find those little bastards now that we’re older. Anyways, I love you Allie. I’ll talk to you later, ok? And if you really need me, let me know. I’ll drop everything and sprint back, I move pretty damn fast now.”

She gave an amused grunt. “Ok. I’ll have this orb on me at all times, call me if anything happens and I’ll do the same. Love you Riven.”

The pulsing sensation cut off when the communication did, and he tucked the black bauble into the backpack again.

A wave of exhaustion hit him shortly after, and Azmoth caught him when Riven took a shaky step forward. He’d not realized he was this tired. Blinking a couplei times and yawning, he told the others he was going to take a nap. After all that fighting, it was finally time to get some rest before they headed out.