Flanked by the small army of whimpering interns, Percival, Anemone, and Aphrodite are escorted through the foreboding mansion. At last they arrive in a dimly lit room, bordered with shelves and shelves of tomes. As they enter the interns fan out and disperse about the room, standing with their backs against the books and their hands in servile positions. There is a man with a cigar in the crimson recliner facing the fireplace.
An immobile humanoid is curled up and wrapped in silver chains on the floor beside the chair. Percival shows no outward emotion but his heart skips a beat upon seeing her. 'Nyxxa..' Her face is peaceful as if asleep and faintly aquatic with both ears coming to three fin-like points. Her nose is small and pointed and her hair, a cascade of turquoise. Her sensuous form is tightly muscled and covered with lustrous, black, scales and faintly glowing glyphs.
"Hello Mr. Grimm. I do hope you are pleased to find your sultry reptilian friend unharmed?" The man in the chair speaks with a distinct Berusian Drawl. "It's hard to tell with her comatose on your floor, Mr. Payne." Percival retorts. "That may be true, but you have my word Mr. Grimm. She is perfectly alive, I merely needed to keep her stationary. She is quite the... robust one." He chuckles to himself.
Magister Lawrence Payne is a pale, willowy man, dressed in the stately attire of a Berusian Gentleman. His ruffled shirt is cream colored and covered by a brown vest and he sports grey slacks and shiny black shoes. His powdered wig has been gathered in a posh ponytail and he holds a mahogany dueling cane in his right hand. His face is youthful and the faint lines of age serve only to add an air of mischief to his visage.
"Mr. Grimm, I must say how delighted I am to have you in my humble abode." The Magister's flamboyant way of speaking lends musical tones and cadences to his speech. "It is a Lavish mansion attended to by slaves. I would not call it... humble." Replies Aphrodite, all smiles. "Ah my dear Miss Athantus, there is that famous Khalish wit that is your birthright. But they are not my slaves, they are my Interns." Payne corrects, and upon noticing her flinch at his use of her surname, continues-
"I make it a policy to use my considerable resources to get to know my new friends. Arula Athantus, your family is counted as part of Dhas Kali's Populous. What are you doing gallivanting with these delightful scoundrels? why your father-" Anemone cuts him off "Aphrodite doesn't have to answer to you." Her tone is firm and her glare doesn't falter when Payne's gaze settles on her.
"Esebel Stheno... Following a failed military coup against Titania's new Guild friendly parliament, your family isn't even allowed to work in the capital anymore. Nobles in name only- it's no wonder you've taken to the seedy underbelly of society." Payne chides. "Kill yourself." Replies Anemone, which elicits delighted laughter from Payne. "Oho- Such Sass!!" Percival clears his throat.
"Are you done? We get it. You're rich, you have spies, you own slaves. Can we get down to business?" Payne holds up one finger. "Interns, Mr. Grimm... or should I say Wedge? The son of the great Admiral Wedge of Xire's Privateer fleet… Where do we even begin with you?" He titters. "You don't. Let us move on." Payne shrugs, "As you wish Mr. ...Grimm and may I offer my appreciation... and disappointment that you offered your weapons to Slappy, here without any fuss. Good work Slappy!"
One of the interns shuffles forward to hand the confiscated weapons over to Payne. "Slappy's a good ol' boy- now let's see what we got here..." He holds up Aphrodite's hoop curiously. "A fine piece of equipment here, Mythril by the looks of it... and Oh!" He recoils and drops the hoop as bladed spines extract along the exterior. "My oh my! and here..." The Magister inspects Percival's twin pistols.
"Military grade, Xirian hexguns. I suppose those without, must make do somehow... although I have always detested these Magick guns." For the first time, Paynes voice is colored by distaste. "Now slappy, you forgot some." The addressed Intern whimpers in alarm. "Miss Stheno's Rings, Slappy. They're all synthesized. Surely imbued with battle Magicks of some form." The whimpering intensifies. "Sir- I had n-no Idea!"
"Now Slappy, you're a good ol' boy but this cannot stand. Please know that this hurts you much more than it will me." Slappy blinks, "Don't you mean it the other way around?" Payne regards the frightened Intern, "No." He replies and touches the iron bracelet on his right wrist. Slappy begins screaming in agony and collapses to the ground as convulsions wrack his body. Blood pours in excess from his mouth and eyes. "Aaaaaargh! oh! Oh Gods help meeeee!!" The air is filled with the stench of blood and urine, as the tortured wretch expires.
"What- the- fuck?" For the first time, Anemone looks truly disturbed. "You see that collar that Ol' Slappy- or what's left of Ol' Slappy is wearing? Well it allows me to cause pain to and- should I will it, horribly kill those who get on my bad side." Payne explains this as if commenting on the weather. "So... It's a Radha Han?" Supplies Percival. "No! Don't you ever call it that. It's a completely different intellectual property!" Payne snaps but quickly returns to character.
"I'm sure you'll note that it is the very same collar that your lovely, naked, Serpent queen is wearing. Which let me be clear- she was unclothed when I found her sneaking about my estate- I'll not have you thinking I've done anything untoward." Anemone scoffs. "You are literally human trash." Payne titters again. "My- but you are all so much fun! And Thank you for bringing me dear Nickolas!"
On cue, another Group of Interns enter the room, pulling along a very resistant Lancaster. "What is the meaning of this?! Let go of me! Where are you ta- Gods! Magister Payne!" Lancaster's face goes stark white. "Why hello Nickolas. How nice of you to join us." Payne waves amicably. Lancaster's eyes find the three Pirates, "You! You were working for him the entire time?!"
Percival shifts uncomfortably. "We don't work for anyone. It was a favor for a favor." He replies simply. Aphrodite asks, "Why did you want him?" Payne gestures to Lancaster. "I make it a point to get even with those who wish to steal from me." Lancaster struggles even harder against the iron grip of the interns. "Slander! I have never Stolen anythi- aah!" He is dropped to his knees by a vicious groin kick from an intern.
"As I was saying," Payne continues "Nikolas and I attended the same silent auction. I outbid him for that lovely piece of Alchemy around his sausage of a ring finger. But alas- as I ventured to collect my prize I find it gone. Apparently Mr. Lancaster called in an old favor to retroactively change his bid to defeat mine. For shame sir!" A coughing Lancaster is brought forward by four interns and his right hand is placed on the stone hearth.
"Wait- please, just take it. Stop this lunacy Magister!" Lancaster's pleas fall on deaf ears as Payne stands. He draws the mythril blade from his dueling cane and swiftly amputates Lancaster's ring finger. The Machinist foreman's agonized screams are muffled by a filthy bundle of socks from another Intern and he is dragged sobbing from the room leaving a trail of blood in his wake.
"Put him in the cell with those two idiots- In a few days, I'll wipe his memory and release him!" Payne calls to the departing procession and then continues to himself, "I'll let him decide how he ended up in a Brothel on the lower end with a missing finger." He seems to just remember the Pirates. "Ah- forgive me! Now then let's get down business. Your bringing me that scoundrel, clears half your debt."
Percival's eyes narrow, "Half?" he repeats. "Yes my dear Mr. Grimm- Half. As satisfying as Mr. Lancaster's punishment is for me- it doesn't quite cover the distress of finding a shadow nymph skulking around my estate, nor does it replace the fifty interns that were injured during her capture." Percival takes a deep breath. "That's unacceptable Payne, and you know it." He says.
"And what Mr. Grimm," Payne steeples his hands, "Do you intend to do about it?"
There is a flash of light, and Anemone is suddenly holding an ether-bow, with an arrow pointed directly at Payne's chest. The Interns flinch into action but Payne makes a staying gesture. "Ah- ah. We mustn't be so hasty. Now this-" He uses his eyes to indicate the iron bracelet on his wrist. "Now I wonder... could your weapon smite me before my hand closed around it? And your lovely Nyxxa ended up like poor ol' Slappy?"
Anemone doesn't lower her weapon. "Now, why don't we find out?" She replies mocking Payne's flamboyant drawl. Payne smiles, "Such bravery... I'm getting a little hot and bothered honestly. But you should know it won't be that easy. This is a curious artifact indeed- it has been synthesized to overload all units upon my untimely death." At his words, the interns moan in unison. "Why do you think none of these geniuses have tried to throttle me in my sleep yet?"
After a tense moment, the gold ring on Anemone's index finger pulses and the ether-weapon vanishes. "There- that's better, Miss Stheno. Now, don't look so glum. There is still a way for us to all get what we want. I just need one more favor." Percival sighs. "What do you want, Payne?" Payne rounds on him with a genuine smile, "Atta boy, Mr. Grimm."
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