Thanatyr
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3978 words
Amatus Litore walked calmly into the lobby in a relatively unknown merchant’s office, nodding his head at the demvir he recognized. Calmly, the lawyer removed his felt hat, revealing his balding scalp. His matching jacket was similarly removed, and hung over his left arm, his suit below unphased by the light rain that trickled outside.
Without a word the laicar walked over to a coat rack he had seen on a few occasions, and hung up his belongings. His fine leather briefcase was set beside him and he took a seat on a free chair, inside was his own copy of a contract that necessitated his trip. Granted, he was used to being here to congratulate the merchant on a contract along with a spectacular bourbon and a cigar.
“How are you, Bolus? It’s been far too long since we last spoke. Well, since I spoke and you sat there, giving me that same look, and listened politely.”
The slender demvir nodded graciously towards the man that had entered him. He recognised him instantly, though that was expressed in his words rather than his body language.
“Master Amatus,” Bolus said in a deep metallic tone. It sounded like metal scraping against something.
Amatus eyed the door to the main office, “I assume your employer is busy at the moment, however I can wait. You see, I’ve come with a bit of an issue.”
Amatus leaned forward, shadows darkened his eyes, filled with a quiet malice that was barely palpable, a promise of something unspeakable. His smile fell away, “a client I particularly care for recently signed onto a rather ambitious excavation expedition, but she may have... lost her head in the heat of the moment, and did so without referring to me. Now, as I have known her for quite some time, I need to speak with him. Now please, tell Vaferis I am here.”
“There will be no need.”
The recognisably well-spoken voice came from the back room, moments before the figure revealed himself. Vaferis came to greet Amatus with a smile on his face. The plump, red-faced merchant wore gold-embroidered purple robes and a purple hat that covered his receding hairline.
“Your dull tone carries through the walls, old friend.”
“Dull?” Amatus scoffed at the insinuation, his nose wrinkled with temporary disdain, “you wound me! If I was dull there would not be a case I could win, I am my words and they have carried me far. And here I was, ready to talk business! After all, you apparently have it in your head to hire somewhat random people off the streets for a potentially dangerous endeavour.”
He grabbed his briefcase, standing as quickly as his joints would allow. Rain did cause tedious inflammation in his elbows, part of why he moved so far from the coast. Granted, the business opportunities in the metropolis of Terminus were also an added bonus. Here the charismatic lawyer truly found himself at home.
“I mean,” he spoke happily, the hints of a laugh lined each word, “it is not every day I find out someone I have known for years ran into and agreed to join in on an expedition being launched by a colleague. To where was it again? Isvaska? Isviskar?”
“Ásvaskur,” Vaferis muttered.
The lawyer shrugged, knowing the name full well. His job was to know, after all. “My files have the name, that will suffice. Shall we?”
The merchant nodded.
“Of course, if you’ll follow me.”
Vaferis walked back into the room that he was in when Amatus showed up. He led the lawyer into the private office where he sorted his papers. A large metal filing cabinet was placed in each corner, giving the impression that the room was spacious. A single large wooden desk was situated towards the back wall, two chairs in front of it and one chair behind. Various paintings from all over Araevis were hung on each wall.
The laicar shifted some of the papers on his table to one side.
“We don’t have to keep business and pleasure separate you know,” Vaferis said with a polite smile on his face. “I’m sure I’ve got a bottle of something nice around here somewhere.”
“In a moment, I may just take you up on that offer. Especially if you have any of that velen alatichryso I brought by a few months ago. Who knew a salty whiskey made from kelp could taste set ones tastebuds into a symphonic dance of deliciousness? I honestly have no idea how they manage to pull it off!” Amatus followed into the office politely, closing the door behind himself.
The red-faced entrepreneur chuckled. He reached beneath his desk lifted two short glasses onto the surface. Then grasped the deep green bottle, complete with a teal ribbon around its neck and placed that next to the two glasses. He twisted the lid off the bottle and poured the cloudy liquid into each glass as Vaferis listened to his old acquaintance.
“So as you may have heard through your walls that make things duller, I am here about a young woman you recently signed onto an expedition,” he patted his briefcase, setting it on the table caringly. Silver clasps clicked open, he fetched out a pad of lined paper, his copy of the contract, and a fountain pen.
“I am just here to do what she should have asked me to do, just cover any bases,” with the things he needed free, he closed his briefcase, and set it down against a leg of the table. He raised an eyebrow knowingly to the plump merchant, “not that I would presume that I can get her out of this deal, nor that she wants to, of course.”
“Of course,” Vaferis agreed with a nod as he placed the bottle down. He shifted one glass to Amatus and reached his hand into his purple robes to produce a pair of thin-framed reading glasses. Once he’d placed them on the end of his nose, he sat in his chair opposite the lawyer and began to sort the relevant documents into piles.
“Naturally, you have to protect your client.”
Vaferis handed the contract over, complete with Fiora’s signature.
“Pick it apart as much as you’d like.”
“Pick it apart, now?” Amatus laughed heartily, taking up the bottle to inspect the label. Still reading he remarked, “I did that when I first saw the contract, and it is fairly air tight. Well done on that.”
He nodded, the light reflecting off the top of his head coyly, “I suppose the main reason I am here is to make sure anything you did not have written down can be covered for. For example, did you know Miss Sulmare currently still has some legal obligations? For example, when she was first bailed out, she was to remain within Terminus until the fine Captain said she could leave, of course.”
Pouring a measure of the green-gold liquor into two free glasses, he slid one across the table, took a sip, and spoke plainly, “I did not see any provisions in this that override Conexus judgements, did you have any plans about that? Or did it slip Fiora’s mind and she forget to disclose that fact?”
Vaferis exhaled deeply through his nose. Naturally, she hadn’t mentioned that during their meeting. The merchant supposed he was also at fault, since his approach could have caught Fiora by surprise and caused her to neglect to mention a few major details. The Conexus were a big enough organisation to halt his plans completely if he crossed the wrong line. The contract was signed, however, and Vaferis wasn’t about to go back on his deal. He took a sip of the salty alcohol. He was glad that Amatus had Fiora’s best interests at heart. Had he been a different lawyer, the laicar may not have known about her situation with the Conexus until a court case was drawn up.
“Perhaps a compromise is required,” Vaferis eventually suggested, mulling over some of the papers in front of him through his narrow glasses. “Would it be possible to assign an agent to Fiora? Someone who would supervise her on this expedition on behalf of the Conexus?”
“It is like you can read my mind!” Amatus chuckled heartily, saluting the crafty business man with his glass he took a sip shortly after. Reaching into his briefcase once more he produced several lined pages. Motioning to the first two, he simply stated, “Within these are a few addendums allowing an officer to become a travelling companion on this excursion, to oversee the mission for security purposes.”
He fanned out the third page, “this one is simply the statement that keeping the law upheld is up to the judgement of the officer, as reports will not be filed about location due to your much needed secrecy to uphold your claimed wealth.”
Amatus shrugged, taking another sip of the salty whiskey he continued, “that is to say, the location will be kept secret in case you send any future parties. Only a general mission report will be filed at the end of the expedition. Now, for the last page.”
Vaferis rubbed between his eyes before taking another sip of his drink. He had expected the tedious paperwork after offering to help Fiora, though that didn't mean he was looking forward to it. At least Amatus knew what he was doing.
He motioned to a few blank spaces, “here you can fill in the blanks for who you think would be best to take along. I’ve got a small folder that I got from my good friend Captain Crespo down at the Emerald Jewel division. The Sergeant I marked with the green tab is someone my client has become accustomed to, in fact. Once all is said and done, simply get a copy of these to the Captain, and we should be right as rain.”
A pleased smile crossed his thin lips, “any questions?”
The merchant scratched the top of his head and grasped the file. He turned to the page with the green tab and glanced over the agent’s profile. A female officer. Laicar.
What could have halted Fiora’s involvement in the expedition suddenly didn't seem like a hindrance at all. She was bound to Terminus by decree of the Conexus, but if Vaferis and Amatus made a plea to have her accompanied by one of their agents, the problem could be eradicated completely. In fact, if they received approval quickly, the expedition might not need postponing.
“Are you sure the Conexus would approve of this... Diana to accompany Fiora on the expedition?” he asked cautiously. It would save the enforcers a potential lawsuit. Providing Diana was indeed a trusted officer, any Conexus superior would be likely to accept the offer. Less time spent wasted in the courtroom, more time spent hunting down the perpetrators of the recent prison break that everyone was talking about.
“I certainly hope so!” Amatus chuckled, taking another drink. Setting down his glass his hands wove in the air as if he was conducting a grand orchestra.
“I actually found out the other day that she’s a legacy member of the guild, and has had training almost all her life. Her father holds the rank of Colonel, while her mother is a Major. Quite the pedigree!” he beamed with pride over his knowledge.
“Of course,” he nodded to the other pile of dossiers, “each person put forth is exceptionally trained and has the highest commendations.”
Vaferis took a moment to silently mull over the rest of the profiles. Each individual had their own merits, though no two dossiers were the same. Some of them were criminals that had been reformed, others were patrol officers who were used to dealing with the behaviour of reckless citizens. Despite their differences, it seemed as though each agent was selected especially for escorting Fiora on the expedition. Amatus had been a busy man.
“All of these are excellent candidates,” the laicar murmured, just loud enough for the lawyer to hear. He took one last sip of the velen whiskey in his glass and sighed in satisfaction. “I see why you highlighted Diana Vates, though. She is the obvious choice and her position within the Conexus is very well-defined. I will take the others into consideration if it would please them, but I would say at least have Diana as an escort.”
The amount of people that would be amassing for the trip into Arctoa was going to be staggering. Teams of general labourers to help with the wagons and the site once they arrived, local experts on the area to guide them through the snow, adventurers to help navigate the ruins, security in case of trouble... everyone else was coming along, the merchant thought he might as well add law enforcement onto the list.
“I’m assuming you will be contacting the Conexus once we have resolved the issues regarding this contract?” he asked, lifting his head up from the papers in front of him.
“Well, any issues they might have,” Amatus’ smile slowly inched away from his lips. He eyed the bottle of Alati and licked his lips, then inhaled apprehensively.
Locking eyes with Vaferis, Amatus spoke deliberately, “however, one thing that has yet to be resolved is my own concerns. Really having Sergeant Vates, or any other of the candidates laid out in front of you, was a suggestion I made to the Captain myself. To keep watch over miss Sulmare. She is... important to me. I promised her father while she was in Terminus I would keep her safe. So while she is outside of the city, I ask the same of you. I know that expeditions are dangerous, but bring her back. That is all I ask.”
He studied the merchant before him, nodding in what he hoped would be an understanding.
Vaferis fell silent. He appeared to be staring at nothing, a vacant look in his eyes. For just a few moments, he seemed to disconnect entirely from the conversation. A content smile soon appeared on his face, however. It looked as though he was reminiscing over something. The plump merchant took the lawyer’s glass and topped it up with a short of the green Pelagian whiskey.
“It appears as though we have more in common than I had initially expected,” Vaferis spoke in his usual clear tone. “A relative of a very dear friend of mine is also on the expedition. They are not exactly on speaking terms, but he has asked me to watch him nonetheless.”
The laicar stroked his bare chin and frowned as he thought about the expedition. He went through a mental checklist, ensuring that he hadn’t forgotten any major details.
“Bolus is coming with us and we have Arctoan laicar warriors guiding us. I have taken the necessary security precautions.”
“Arctoan warriors, you say?” for once in the conversation Amatus had to hide his surprise. He quickly went through the list of possible outfits that fit the rough description, but one name stood out. If he was correct, the group was full of suburb trackers that would know the wastes better than he knew the law. With an impressed whistle he sat forward.
“How on earth did you manage to recruit the... oh their name always eludes me,” he lied, the pronunciation of their real name was simply not palatable. Far too many consonants linked together. A one shouldered shrug was all he offered.
“Well, the rest of the world calls them the Nix Miles, I suppose that title will suffice.”
Amatus gave a hearty laugh to break the sudden seriousness, “although if Bolus is going along, we have naught to fear. That man could wrestle a basilisk to the ground, I swear!”
Vaferis chuckled at the lawyer’s compliments towards his assistant, though it wasn’t too much of an over-exaggeration. It was true, Bolus had a few hidden assets that not so many people knew about. Though he didn’t have much opportunity to practise due to the nature of Vaferis’ occupation, his skills were still sharp.
“Bolus would be more likely to rip a hole in the basilisk than wrestle it, but I see your point,” the merchant said, trailing off after his laughter.
“As for the Nix Miles, or the...”
He squinted briefly at his folder. There was no way he was going to say that name right.
“...yes, the Nix Miles. It helps to become familiar with their culture. It also helps to be laicar. Their leader was quite racist.”
The chubby man had laughed and drank with the leader of the Arctoan clan, but they were a simple folk and he wore a convincing mask. They had not seen how uncomfortable their jesting at the expense of other races had made him. Vaferis shivered.
“Do you think the protection I have hired is adequate enough?”
Amatus was careful to hide his facial tics at the mention of the group’s racist leanings. He had known that, what he was unsure of is how they would take a spurii hiding among them as a laicar. Granted Fiora was careful, and practiced enough to pass as pure blooded except among the most perceptive of people.
“Oh, more than adequate, I would say!” Amatus chuckled heartily. Thing were certainly falling together, and when things happened in that way he knew there would be a wrench in the works at some point. However if he had to choose anyone to put together a dangerous expedition to the north other than himself, Vaferis would certainly be a top choice.
“Now, one last matter, not entirely related to your venture,” he began, almost as if regailing about some grand story, “the creature Miss Sulmare is after, I understand she wants to hunt it down. Which, in turn means I would not be able to keep her safe from that complication. I have... some plans in motion in that regard. But just to be sure, how much time will I have?”
The merchant straightened his back and folded his arms. His expression seemed to ease up, since it seemed as though they were done with the relevant paperwork.
“Not only do you and Fiora have it in writing as part of the contract, but I made a promise when I hired her. When a merchant makes a promise, you understand that his reputation is on the line, hm? The time you have will be entirely dependent on how much time Fiora requires before she wishes to hunt the vile beast.”
Vaferis made sure the lid was secure on the bottle of expensive alatichryso before he placed it on the shelf beneath his desk once more. The whiskey was a pleasant experience, but too much of it could leave a nasty aftertaste.
“The contacts of mine that will aid her in the quest for the Faestrines are not involved in this expedition, unless her quarry happens to be in Arctoa. They should be ready to help as soon as she is able.”
“Oh, my apologies!” Amatus covered his heart with his right hand, a shocked look plastered across his face, “I would never assume to ask that you breach a contract! However, as luck would have it, there’s a small loop hole. There is already a bounty in place to hunt down the vistra, leaving a technicality available.”
The merchant chuckled quietly. He waved one hand lackadaisically to assure the lawyer that no offense was caused.
“If anything, Fiora should not go hunting this creature,” his hands wove through the air, the slightest smirk across his face, “however, I am sure should her quest for the creature will change once the host is brought back alive. Then she may need your expertise in finance for the next leg.”
“Which she will have, of course,” Vaferis nodded. “As the contract clearly states, once the expedition is over, she can have my full support and all of the funds that she requires.”
The middle-aged laicar removed his glasses and rubbed between his eyes. He usually had such a precision with paperwork after the years that he had spent in Prenditus. Taking into consideration his usual work, however, the way he approached Fiora was unprepared and poorly executed. He was not usually a spontaneous man, but when he saw that woman in the library, she seemed a perfect choice. That and he usually saved money by paying associates back in favours rather than exa rewards. Not that it always worked out cheaper that way.
“So I have assured support for Fiora once the expedition is over and assured her safety as much as I can. Is there anything else left to discuss?”
“I suppose not, my good man,” Amatus frowned ever so slightly, “I really must start doing a bit more small talk. Drag these things out. Well, with paying clients, of course. Hourly rates, so on.”
Thumbing through the paperwork, he ensured that everything was in order, and slipped his copy away into his briefcase. With slow purpose, he donned his jacket and hat, then held out a hand as a final symbol of their backroom deal.
“A pleasure as always, old friend.”
Vaferis stood out of his seat for his Amatus’ departure. A smile made its way onto the merchant’s face, partly filled with relief and partly with courtesy. Pushing through paperwork was always tedious, but it was nice to see that the lawyer was still doing well. The plump man grasped his hand without hesitation and shook firmly.
“Of course. If you ever have any leisure time on your hands, you’re welcome to visit. I’ll purchase a few more of these bottles and we can show Terminus how the rich people throw a party.”
“Leisure time, how novel,” Amatus shook his head and laughed heartily.
“You must know as well as I that the people of this metropolis never cease to require legal services. In fact my last proper day off must have been...”
His voice trailed off, echoing lightly around the room. Calmly striding towards the table, he glanced over some of the legal papers they had just written up, “by chance does that have miss Sulmare’s age on them? I swear the day she came into Marius’ life was one of my last proper weekends.”
Vaferis chuckled and glanced over the papers left in front of him.
“It says that she’s twenty-three years old,” the plump merchant informed Amatus. “You haven’t had a weekend off in twenty-three years?”
“I guess not,” Amatus merely shrugged, “Myself, unlike most residents of the city, am enthralled by my career. The meticulous ins and outs are fantastically entertaining. Some half days, certainly, even the odd evening with a high class escort. But a full day or two off? I could not fathom it.”
Collecting himself once more, Amatus headed for and opened the door. With a wave he stepped through, “until next time!”
“Of course,” Vaferis nodded. He took a few steps towards the door, but the lawyer was already stepping through.
“Farewell!” he added. He took a few steps back and slouched into his seat, confident that Bolus would see Amatus out of the store properly.
With most of the paperwork official and thoseew unforeseen problems dealt with, he could focus on the rest of the details required for the expedition. Fiora and Deni could be crossed off the list, but there were still so many people the merchant needed to contact. Everyone involved needed to be aware of the date that was closing in. The workers, the Arctoan guides, security... perhaps he’d see the bottom of that green bottle before the day was done.
“Bolus, fetch me some ink and parchment, if you don’t mind,” he shouted from his office. “I think I’m going to need quite a lot of it.”