Chapter 14: Negotiation (Patreon)

***1400 years ago, give or take. Translated from ye-olde speech***

The scent of unwashed men struck a chord through the freshness of the wilderness as the fifteen riders dismounted in the middle of the field. Each of the riders was wrapped in a suit of cold steel that these inhuman creatures seemed unable to replicate with their magic and their curses.

The man in the lead, bearing a small circlet of gold fused to his helmet, dismounted first, eyeing the alien creature that was studying them cautiously. The fae’s ears swiveled, scanning the forest for signs of an ambush that would never come.

She was tall, nearly six feet, and towered over all but Arthur himself, a giant of a man at six-foot two.

As per the agreement, she had brought fourteen of her own to the meeting that would determine the fate of their respective species. Would it be war, or compromise?

Oddly enough, her gaze didn’t settle on the mountain of a man wearing the crown, it was instead focused on a rather slender fellow laboriously climbing off his own horse, seemingly uncomfortable in his armor, unlike the other warriors, who wore it like a second skin.

“Merlin, so lovely to see you again,” She said, her voice dripping with ire. “And by the side of my sworn enemy.”

“Ah, M-Mab,” Merlin said, stammering. “I’ve got a good reas-“

“Shut it. You’re dead to me. From now on, all fae will mock and treat you with contempt.” She said with a sneer. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“Enough of your lover’s quarrel!” Arthur boomed, reaching into the satchel at his waist and retrieving a scroll. “Young Merlin here has come forward with a suggestion that I believe will be to the benefit of both our races.”

“Has he?” She said, eyes narrowed.

Arthur unrolled the scroll, speaking with even measure of a human accustomed to reading aloud. It was unusual for such a giant to bother with the art.

“The Deal is such. Queen Mab and all fae below her are hereby bound never to inhabit the same world as we humans, and will leave postehaste under their own power.”

Mab snorted. “I suppose you expect me to what, just jaunt across the stars with my limitless powers?” It was well known that Mab could lay down a nasty curse or two, ease childbirth, and control the weather to an extent, but moving an entire species across worlds… that was a story for the gods themselves.

“In return,” Arthur continued. “By my authority as king and a paragon of our species, I grant Mab and those under her, all the Myst of every human, alive or yet to be born, in perpetuity, to add to their own power, in order to facilitate the Fae’s discovery and settlement of a separate world.”

Mab sucked in a breath through her teeth.

“Allhumans?” She asked.

“As many as my word is worth,” Arthur said in his gravely voice.

“Including Merlin’s?” She asked, glancing at her rival.

“Including Merlin’s. No human shall ever again have power over you, for it will all be in your hands. The only caveat is that you and your people must use this power to leave this and any other world where humans exist.”

“Any otherworld? How many humans do you expect travel to other worlds without Myst?” she asked, cocking her brow.

“It prevents you from abusing the Deal by kidnapping humans to your new world and enslaving them.” Arthur said flatly. “We desire complete separation of our two species. If these terms are unacceptable, then war is the only alternative.”

Mab clicked her tongue.

“The power we’re offering you is nearly limitless. There are many, many humans in the world, and while each of them might only have a grain of sand worth of Myst…enough grains of sand can come together to form a mountain. In exchange for such limitless power, you must agree to stricter terms.”

Mab seemed to stew on the problem for a good long while, her inhuman stillness making the knights nervous as she stared into the distance.

Up above them, the weather began to sour, a light sprinkling of rain began to tinkle down on the thin steel plates the warriors wore.

A few men cursed quietly, thinking of the oiling and polishing they’d have to do when they returned home to prevent rust, not having sons to do it for them.

As Merlin had predicted, Mab was unable to resist the lure of power. What was being offered was enough for her to cement her rule over her kin in perpetuity, and grant her powers that no living being had ever held. Nigh unto a pagan god.

All in return for just…going away. Leaving the humans in peace.

“Why?” She asked. “This Deal hardly seems to favor you.”

“I believe with all my heart, that as the sole remaining creature with the breath of God,” Arthur said, tapping his temple. “Humans will inherit the Earth. Were your people to stay, there could only be one remaining.”

Finally, Mab spoke. Her head tilted a tiny fraction to the left.

“I only have one question.” She said.

“Speak.” Arthur intoned.

Mab’s gaze burned into Merlin’s faceless helmet.

“Shall I leave our baby here, or take him with us?”

Merlin choked on his spit, and the suit of armor toppled to its hands and knees, coughing violently into the grass while the other knights broke their stoic postures and laughed, pointing at the shaken young man in the center of the clearing.

“Congratulations, Merlin, you’re a father.” Arthur said, leaning down and patting the shaking suit of armor on the back. “I don’t know how you pulled it off, but rest assured, you will be a legend among men.”

***Jebediah Trapper***

Mab finished explaining the specifics of her species’ Deal with humanity, while keeping the people associated with making it vague and unnamed, a brief flash of annoyance crossing her expression as she spoke.

“So according to your Deal, as soon as humans arrived on Pharos, you were in violation of its terms?” Jeb asked.

“Indeed. It was a rather clever stab at me by the gods of this world. If a bit misninformed.”

Mab gave him an almost gentle smile, were it not for the severity of her face.

“I plan for eternity, Scion, and rather than bind myself to such an easily broken agreement, I instead gave the Myst of humanity to my staunchest allies.” She motioned to the necklace of crystals around her neck.

“Over time, they traded some of their power to others, and those others traded and fritted away that Myst until it was thoroughly saturated amongst the fae.”

“Then why are you so powerful?” Jeb asked with a frown. “Wouldn’t someone have used the power of human’s Myst to overthrow you?”

“Before I left Earth, I had my loyal subjects kidnap a human infant and lock them inside a box that separated them from space and time.” Mab fished an ornate key out from her dress and looked at it with a pondering gaze.

“Were any of them to betray me, I would have used the key and brought the child into existence, violating the Deal and bringing about their demise. As for why I’m so powerful…fourteen hundred years of uninterrupted rule can accumulate quite a lot of Impact.”

Jeb paused, considering that. She’d used the terms of the Deal to hold her entire species hostage for fourteen hundred years while suffering none of the backlash from the Deal when it was broken.

“Well, aren’t you a bitch?” Jeb said, holding out his hand. “That human doesn’t belong to you, Mab.”

“I suppose I don’t have any use for this anymore,” She said with a shrug, dropping the ornate gold key in Jeb’s palm.

Jeb spent a nearly an hour confirming that this was indeed the key with a baby in it, that there was only one, and that there were no traps on it. Mab seemed to have the patience for it, being immortal, but Piwaki was starting to look antsy, shifting in his seat while Jeb went into the definition of ‘trap’.

Finally Jeb pocketed the retired mcguffin with the intention of taking it to the orphanage and continued the discussion, but not before Borg escorted the bird-healer to the bathroom.

“So now that we know what your problem is, my question is this: What do you want?” Jeb asked. “If you’re exempt from the ‘curdled Myst’, then why would you need to fix it?”

“A ruler is meaningless without their people.” Mab said. “It would greatly damage my personal Impact, were all my subjects to turn into soulless monsters. The gods would not hesitate seek the advantage, and I would most likely die within a few scant years.”

“Do juvenile fairies have any of this ‘curdled myst’?” Jeb asked.

“Most of them don’t have any at all, and the rest don’t have enough of it to cause any problems. This sickness is rooted in the ancient Fae.”

“So how do you intend to fix your people?”

I intend to renegotiate the Deal with a paragon of humanity. That’s something that you could help me with, Jebediah Trapper. As one of the most powerful humans of your time, and a scion of mine, you make an ideal candidate. In return for your assistance, I would be willing to remove the bomb in your impact.”

Jeb considered it for a fraction of a second.

“Pass.”

Mab’s smile went slack. “What?”

“You heard me. You wanna keep an immortal aristocracy alive for another several thousand years, all the while ruling over them as a tyrant of unimaginable power? Pass. I don’t give a shit if you and your ancient fae live or die. As far as I can tell you’ve had a good long run.”

The atmosphere tensed around them, causing Vresh to tense beside him.

“I hope you realize that should I perish, the fairies will be exterminated like insects. With no power to keep the death wilds free, the forest will be carved away bit by bit until my species is extinct.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Jeb said. “A fairy rose to power before, one can do it again. At least this way, they’ll be a native of Pharos, and able to adapt the fae to a new niche, rather than repeating the same old tricks they mastered on Earth and expecting them to still work. Fairies are hated on this planet because you won’t let them become something new.”

“…You’re very rude, Scion.”

“I was in the army,” Jeb said, crossing his arms.

“And what’s your position, Tekalis?” Mab asked, directing her attention towards Vresh. “I can see the weight of responsibility pressing down on your shoulders. Is my demise in the best interest of your people? Or would it…destabilize them?”

“I must defend my lands and people with extreme prejudice.” Vresh said, her palms splayed on the table, eyes narrowed.

“Yes, I can see that’s part of your Vow.” Mab cocked her head. “So how does following around my Scion like a lovestruck puppy honor your Vow of Inheritance of Purpose? Are you not in danger of violating it?”

Mab cocked her head slightly and tapped her fingers on the table while Vresh paled.

“You could have left this forest two days ago. Are you not concerned about the state of affairs at home?”

“The power of Jeb’s artifacts in your hands is a threat to all people, including mine.”

“Good rationalization, I suppose. Now that you know I’m not interested in them, that Jebediah was my true goal, are you still carrying out your father’s will by remaining here? All I wish to do is maintain the status quo.”

Vresh frowned for a moment before she opened her mouth.

Jeb held out a hand. “Just because they’re not Mab’s top priority doesn’t mean she won’t take them given any opportunity.”

Mab smiled, her gaze flickering to Jeb. “I love how much you’ve taken after me, scion.”

You think I like being a shifty sonofabitch?

Vresh hesitated. “If you…grant me safe passage out of your lands with the artifacts I consider dangerous, then I would take it.”

“Deal.” Mab snapped her fingers, and with an implosion of golden Myst, Vresh vanished, leaving Jeb alone in the room with the ancient fae.

Jeb glanced to his left, then his right, slowly coming to the realization that he’d been isolated. A cold sweat broke out all over his body. He tried to remind himself that he was in no more appreciable danger than he’d been moments before, but being alone simply felt more vulnerable.

Which is the feeling she intended to evoke, Jeb supposed.

“Are you sure you wish to continue to refuse me, Scion?” Mab asked. “I have many ways of convincing you to help me. Some of them are downright unpleasant.”

“Coercion negatively affects a Deal. It has to,” Jeb said, voicing his suspicions.

“It does, but not to the point of negating it completely. Remember that poor baker you coerced into making a Deal with you?” Mab asked.

“I remember,” Jeb muttered with a frown, glancing down at the food in front of him. Somehow despite talking to Mab for over an hour, the food hadn’t gotten cold. There were a million ways eating the food could go wrong, and yet…

“What are the fae rules about how to treat guests?” Jeb asked. “Do you have any natural compulsions similar to the aversion to lying?”

“I’ve got no obligation to tell you what they are.” Mab said.

“I see,” Jeb said, picking up the ham and cheese sandwich and studying it from every angle.

“Go ahead, it’s perfectly safe.” Mab nodded.

“I’m sure it is.” Jeb said, softly, his mind whirring on a half-formed plan that he simply didn’t have enough information to complete. It was a complete shot in the dark, but it just might work…

“Hey guys!” Borg interrupted Jeb’s thoughts, leading a placid Piwaki back to the table by the hand. The healer stood by the chair, staring off into the distance.

“You’re supposed to be ensorcelled.” Mab said, seemingly impressed as she gazed at Bor, more carefully than before.

“Oh, that?” Borg asked, picking up another hunk of meat of the table. “I decided I didn’t eat any of the food. He’s pretty much gone, though.” Borg thumbed towards Piwaki before taking a huge bite of meat off the bone of some huge animal.

“You decidedyou didn’t eat any?”

“Borg here is capable of self-deception at an industrial scale,” Jeb said. “Hey Borg, how much have you eaten?”

“Nothing,” Borg said around a mouthful of meat.

Jeb chuckled at Mab’s furrowed brows. It was the first expression she’d made since Jeb had arrived that wasn’t smug superiority.

“Hey Borg, have I ever told you the story of the homeless guy who lived in my parent’s house for two years?”

“You have not.”

Jeb launched into the tale of how his mother invited a homeless man in for dinner and a shower so he could be ready for his job-hunt in the morning, but after the man had eaten, she hadn’t had the heart to kick him out, and for two years the man had crashed on their couch.

Jeb distinctly remembered waving to the man on the way out to the bus stop every morning, and the fights Mom and Dad got into over Chuck.

Jeb filled the story with amusing anecdotes, but he kept returning to the fact that for some strange reason, no matter how bad Chuck got, his mother was simply incapable of kicking people out of her house after they’d eaten her food.

Eventually his dad got a job in a new city, they moved to a new place, and Chuck was forced to find another place to sleep.

“The moral of the story is,” Jeb pointed a finger at Mab. “I don’t think Fae are comfortable with removing a guest after they’ve eaten their food.”

“Try it and find out,” Mab said with a sweet smile.

“I think I will.”

Jeb took a bite out of the ham and cheese, groaning in pleasure as supernaturally perfect cheese oozed out of the crunchy bread and danced across his tongue. It felt like every nerve was sizzling with flavor that wanted to invade his mind and –

Jeb focused through the magic food, tensing his Myst core and flooding his body with his own power, his Myst pushing away the heady sensation through brute force.

It was still a good sandwich, it just wouldn’t leave him a drooling mess like Piwaki.

Mab chuckled. “I didn’t think you’d actually eat anything. what was that meant to accomplish?”

“I have a bomb in my Impact.” Jeb said around nearly scalding cheese. “I hope you didn’t forget. It’s powerful enough to destroy this palace and everything around it in a ten-mile radius.”

“Yes, this has been established.” She said, although her face began to twist into an expression of apprehension.

“So what happens if I crash on your couch for a couple years?” Jeb asked. “Oh wait, I don’t have that long to live. I’ll most likely detonate or become lethally toxic sometime in the next six months.”

Borg glanced at Mab and back to Jeb. “Ah, I see.”

Mab looked pissed. The ancient Fae’s lips were pressed into a fine line, her neck was taut enough to play a stringed instrument.

“So the question is…can you kick me out now that I’ve officially become a guest?”

“I could always kill you,” She said.

“I don’t think you will. You need someone to renegotiate that Deal for you, don’t you?” Jeb asked. “Besides, I think you’re naturally hesitant to kill your own blood.”

“Let’s make a different Deal; switch around the order of operations. You remove the bomb from my Impact, then I’ll renegotiate the terms of your Deal with humanity. Or I’ll just stay here and…wait until the bomb forces you to deal with it regardless.”

“Arrogant brat,” Mab hissed. “You’ve inherited a far too much of his insufferable nature. It was charming when I was three hundred, but now it’s just annoying.”

Jeb didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to muddy the water up with more words. He’d made his pitch, now he was just waiting for Mab to give him more rope to hang her with.

It is interesting to know that I was her type at some point. Whoever plowed the queen of the fae originally must have had balls of steel, a kill-switch, and a nihilistic bent.

Mab locked eyes with him for a good minute, silently weighing his determination.

“You’re not wrong,” she said, leaning back in her seat. “You could stay here long enough to force my hand to cure your affliction if you had the determination to do so…but your plan has a flaw. I don’t think you have the cold-blooded nature that it would take.”

“Try me.” Jeb said.

“So I shall.”

Gold Myst began to implode from the surroundings, becoming as thick as syrup before scattering back outwards to the cadence of Mab’s next words. It almost seemed to flinch and stir, like a living thing.

“Jebediah Trapper is desperate to leave Elsewyr.” Her words had the same feel to them as the emperor’s summons.

Did she just lie? I’m not desperate to –

Borg froze stiff, his jaw unhinging as a young woman’s voice came through his mouth.

“Jeb?”

He instantly recognized Casey’s voice.

“My Helpers told me this would reach Borg. I just hope to God that he’s still with you. Ever since you left the city, things have gotten bad. Really, really bad. Undead are hunting the streets at night, killing and turning anyone they find. People are scared, and no matter how much I do, I don’t seem to be making a dent in it. I’m barely able to keep myself safe.  If you can hear this, please, please, save my daughter. I don’t…I don’t know where she is.”

Casey’s voice broke as she took a sobbing breath before repeating the message.

Jeb checked his connection with Smartass, bringing it to the forefront of his mind.

Pure dread.

Jeb stiffened. He glanced up at Mab, who picked up a goblet of wine and took a sip while maintaining eye contact. Daring him.

“Fuck!” Jeb broke his self-imposed censorship as he leapt to his feet.

“Now, what concessions would you make for me to allow you to leave?” Mab asked, sporting a faint smirk.

“Don’t test me!”Jeb shouted, putting his Myst into his vocal cords, shaking the room and everything inside it, causing Mab’s eyes to widen as she took a step back.

He snaked out two strings of Myst and snagged the frozen zombot and his brain-dead teen healer before wrapping a third around himself.

He began to lift himself off the ground when he spotted a powerful band of gold Myst coalescing around his own, intending to interfere with his flight.

Jeb gritted his teeth and pulled out the blue scroll.

Mab’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Jebediah trapper can fly!” She shouted, collapsing to her knees as the blue scroll severed the gold Myst of Mab like soft cheese. Mab clutched her head with a cry of pain.

“You’re goddamn right I can,” Jeb growled before the three of them began shooting down the hall, aiming for the massive double doors.

***A moment later***

Mab, queen of the fae climbed to her feet, holding out her hand until a silk handkerchief was placed in it.

“That went well, I think,” She said as she dabbed away the blood slowly oozing from her nose and eyes. “The odd undead presented an unknown variable, but it didn’t significantly effect the outcome.”

“Mistress, please rest, you’ve not overtaxed your Word like this in…well, ever.” Her courtier said.

“There is still one more thing to be done,” Mab said, taking a deep breath.

“Jebediah Trapper will have my assistance rescuing the Paragon of Humanity.”

Mab gave a shuddering breath, wobbling on her feet for a moment.

“There. Now Casey the third will owe me a favor.”

“A one-year-old child that owes me a Debt will make a much more cooperative negotiator than crusty old Jeb. The Scion was aimed like a missile, drawn taut, and released towards my goal without a clue he is serving my interests.”

“Excellent, my queen.” The courtier spoke, bowing.

“It is, isn’t it?” Mab asked.