{"id":335,"date":"2022-10-08T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-08T00:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/?p=335"},"modified":"2022-07-27T20:49:34","modified_gmt":"2022-07-27T20:49:34","slug":"mercenaries-tale-3-09-a-simple-request","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/mercenaries-tale-3-09-a-simple-request","title":{"rendered":"Mercenaries’ Tale – 3.09 A Simple Request"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cIngrates! Cretins! Morons! What the hell do I pay you people for?!<\/strong><\/em>\u201d Silverton Salmanic hollered in anger as he slammed his fists onto his mahogany desk, spittle flying from his mouth with each insult. His bionic eye reacted to his mood, an ominous red glow emitting from it as his anger swelled. The pair of clerks that were the brunt of his rage coward on the other side of the expansive piece of furniture that was the desk. Those who witnessed the C.E.O this upset rarely left the room in one piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cO-our security teams are combing the desert, s-sir! Th-they-re doing their utmost to-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClearly that\u2019s not good enough<\/strong><\/em>!\u201d Silverton roared as he threw his \u201cin\u201d tray across the room, the plastic casing smashing to pieces as it impacted the wall with a loud crash, causing paper to be flung about the room and for the clerks to wince in terror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho the hell are these people!? How did they escape!? We had one rule! Nobody sees inside the power plant and you people can\u2019t even-<\/strong><\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A knock on the door leading to the elevator interrupted his train of thought, Lucretia stepping through a moment later as if this was just a normal day at the office, her face an emotionless mask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs this a bad time, sir?\u201d she asked innocently. Her entrance seemed to reset Silverton, the business man regaining his composure. His bionics slowly returned to a blue glow as he began smoothing his hair back into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat depends entirely on what you want, ms Velarina. You can clearly see I am in a meeting\u2026\u201d he gave off a threatening air as he spoke, heavily implying that there would be trouble if she were to waste his time. If Lucretia was concerned then she didn\u2019t show it, merely bowing her head respectfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a call on your private<\/em> line, sir. Shall I put it through?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silverton\u2019s nostrils flared as he huffed. The only people that had access to that line were either important share holders or his family. Seeing as how his family knew better than to try and contact him outside of very specific periods of time, that meant it was far more likely to be a shareholder, most of which had only come into possession of their shares due to being close personal friends with his father. He\u2019d gladly be rid of them all if he could\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat the hell could it be now? Put them through,\u201d he took a moment to readjust his tie as he made himself comfortable in his large leather chair. The clerks took this as a reprieve and practically ran for the door. Lucretia stepped aside, taking care to note their names and faces as they left in case she were needed to take care<\/em> of them later. A digital clipboard was in her hand, the secretary using it to connect the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silverton took a breath and then pressed a button on his desk, a hologram being projected at his eye level. For a moment it was a small, spinning hourglass as the call was connected, then a pair of identical female faces appeared floating on the holographic screen. They looked to be in their thirties, their blonde hair neatly tied back into matching ponytails. Half-moon spectacles were primly perched on the bridges of their noses, the two glancing out at the world through them with a look of disdain. Even their clothes matched, the two wearing identical white lab coats. The sight of them caused Silverton to perk up in mild interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Alexandretta sisters? I should have guessed. How long has it been?\u201d He slipped into casual conversation like an overcoat, his demeanour relaxing. The sisters were less amused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFive years and two weeks ago,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we performed that favour for you,\u201d the two took turns to speak, finishing each other\u2019s sentences as if they were sharing a singular mind. Those who weren\u2019t familiar with the twins \u2013 Alice and Zena Alexandretta \u2013 often found it dis-concerting. Silverton had known these two since he was a small child, the two having worked closely with his father for a time. He knew their speech patterns were but the tip of a very strange and particularly dis-concerting iceberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course. And I suppose you have felt the need to get in touch due to all of your foot soldiers currently littering my power plant, hmm?\u201d he reached for a coffee mug and took a sip, taking care to control his body language for the time being. His organic eye maintained eye-contact whilst the bionic one slowly clicked and clacked around its socket, taking in not just the sister\u2019s facial expressions but also the state of his desk and the room at large post-tantrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was an unfortunate,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOutcome and we can only apologise,\u201d the two began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnfortunate due to being caught? Or for losing so many assets?\u201d Silverton used his free hand to idly neatened some of the paperwork that had landed on his desk when throwing the in-tray, a bored expression resting on his features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe could not afford to,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLose the opportunity. We could not,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRisk our target going back into hiding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis would be the mage, correct?\u201d Silverton glanced towards his secretary, Lucretia bringing up her clipboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPart of a trio of mercenaries, Gratin is a grade six Twigarnian magi who was allied with an ex-member of New Dawn. He and his fellows were being closely monitored during their time in Galmanoc and the Galmanee desert. If someone had not deemed it fit to interfere with our security systems, he may well of been apprehended rather than given a chance to escape,\u201d she surmised for the room at large, Silverton turning his attention back towards the holographic screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is putting it delicately. Not only were security feeds inside the Power Plant cut, but a heavily armoured air craft shot down many of our own before proceeding to explode inside an important delivery route. Our supplies of mythril at the plant may well become shockingly low if other delivery methods aren\u2019t procured,\u201d he drummed his fingers on the desk thoughtfully, \u201cwhat reason could you possibly have for causing so much damage? You of all people know how important that supply route was. Given your own work with my father, you are just as likely to suffer severe consequences should the public learn of the true nature of the power source\u2026\u201d he left the sentence hanging, absorbing their reactions. The twins were unfazed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTell us, Silverton,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave you heard of The Nexus before?\u201d Silverton\u2019s face remained emotionless despite the seemingly random turn in the conversation. His cybernetic eye, however, snapped to the screen, clacking as the optical systems within zoomed in on the scientists and refocused itself, the iris expanding and dilating appropriately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…My father may have mentioned something about that…\u201d replied the business man vaguely, lazily waving a hand as a way of saying that it had been a trifling detail in a half-forgotten conversation from long ago. His eye remained motionless however, telling the scientists that for once they had Silverton\u2019s full attention. It was his one tell; the eye usually travelling around the room, lingering on random points of interest as Silverton\u2019s mind wandered. It only ever stopped on the rare occasions when Silverton deemed something truly important. Seeing the motionless eye had a habit of unnerving Lucretia as it was so rare to see. The sisters, meanwhile, found themselves smiling at this little detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour father had a vested interest in aethionics1<\/sup><\/a>,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cConsidering the nature of the power source your company uses to energise the planet,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can understand why. He came to us many times to see if we could,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cImprove the efficiency of the power extraction process,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeeing if there was a way to extend the lifespans of the mages in order to achieve,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaximum extraction and so on. He thought the Nexus would allow him to harness,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMore power than a mere mage was capable of,\u201d the two explained. Silverton leaned back in his plush chair and steepled his fingers together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd could it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat would require further study,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlthough signs point to yes. The Nexus is akin to the Holy Grail for Aethioligists,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs it is posited that it is the birth place of magic, creating aether particles in a,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSimilar process to how a star creates atoms. We wish to study it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInteresting. What has this to do with three random mercenaries and all of your dead employees currently littering my power plant?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Twigarnian that accompanied the two humans known as Douglas McCracken and,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKatherine O\u2019Donnell is an experiment designated Subject GR4-71N. We believe its what ms Velarina designated as \u201cGratin\u201d. It was created from DNA\u2026 provided<\/em> by the Tserulian Monastery. That DNA had,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOriginally belonged to one of the men to first discover The Nexus and therefore had access to the site known as-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Spire…\u201d Silverton finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo you have heard of it?\u201d Alice noted, the two scientists somewhat surprised by the revelation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFather turned it into a bedtime story of sorts for me when I was younger and I in turn have told the story to my own heir. He said that once upon of time, a thousand years ago, a collection of magic users from every section of the Element Wheel travelled to the far reaches of space along with their young prot\u00e9g\u00e9s in search of The Nexus Point; the birthplace of magic. When they arrived, they created a wondrous Spire from which they could study The Nexus and one day learn to harness it for themselves. They lived in harmony for many years, attuning to the power of The Nexus until two outsiders belonging to the Tserulian Monastery arrived searching for the criminal Fire Mage known as Ve\u2019hem; a traitorous Twigarnian that had stolen a great deal of money before leading his friends to the far reaches of space. In order to protect himself, Ve\u2019hem promised the monks to bestow upon them the power of The Nexus in the hopes that this will earn him his freedom. The power he unleashed wiped out the mages, however, only Ve\u2019hem\u2019s cowardly son surviving. The boy\u2019s last act was to use his magic to hide The Nexus from all who may come to seek it, The Spire being the only way to reveal its location. The Spire may only open for those that had dwelt within it, the Boy confident that the secret of The Nexus would die with him along with the tragedy that had occurred to his family,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd now Subject GR4-71N is the key to reopening The Spire and rediscovering The Nexus,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe I am beginning to see why you went to the lengths you did to recapture this experiment,\u201d Silverton muttered, thoughtful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd why we are coming to you now. By all means,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo as you will with its companions. GR4-71N is vital to our work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou too may find some benefit in allowing us to take back our property,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI rather wish you had spoken to me of this before breaking into the power plant…\u201d mused Silverton. The Sisters remained silent, merely watching him like a couple of hawks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you need him alive?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPreferably. We\u2019re not certain as to how the Spire operates. It may only work for GR4-71N and,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnfortunately, we no longer have the DNA sample,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUsed in its creation in our possession,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmm. In that case, you have my word that he \u2013 or it \u2013 be captured rather than killed. I will be in touch once this has been achieved,\u201d Silverton agreed. The sisters bowed their heads respectfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSilverton Salmanic. It has been a pleasure,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpeaking with you,\u201d said the two before they ended the call. Silverton did not move, staring at the now empty air whilst lost in his own world. Lucretia nervously cleared her throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you just going to let them take the mage?\u201d she asked aloud, curious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…No. My father went to great pains to discover the probable location of the Nexus. I am not about to allow those old fools to reap the benefits of his work,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe knew where it was?\u201d inquired the confidant to her employer. Silverton allowed himself a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe was obsessed with the tale of The Spire for the longest time, forging connections with the Tserulian Monastery in order to gain access to everything they had on Ve\u2019hem and his research team. He collected all of his early publications and managed to extrapolate the coordinates from that, no doubt with the Alexandretta\u2019s help,\u201d he explained, his chin resting on his steepled fingers as he considered this, \u201cI wonder if they are aware that I kept all of his old files\u2026?\u201d he lapsed into silence, a far away look in his eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…Sir?\u201d Lucretia prompted. All this talk of mages and magic was unsettling her. Silverton had always been the level-headed businessman. The sudden interest in rumoured magical nexuses and mystical spires felt like a departure from the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silverton surprised her by getting to his feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCancel my appointments for the rest of the day. I have matters to attend to at home…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2026 really?\u201d Silverton lived in his penthouse, a lavish apartment taking up the majority of this floor of Salmanic Tower. He hadn\u2019t set foot in his ancestral home of Salmanic Manor since the death of his wife years prior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou heard me, Ms Valerina. There is much to be done…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1<\/a>Aethionics is the scientific study of magic. Because some people, when told \u201ca wizard did it\u201d, can\u2019t help but ask \u201chow\u201d?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIngrates! Cretins! Morons! What the hell do I pay you people for?!\u201d Silverton Salmanic hollered in anger as he slammed his fists onto his mahogany desk, spittle flying from his mouth with each insult. His bionic eye reacted to his mood, an ominous red glow emitting from it as his…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[16,106,21,109,22,20,108,10,110],"class_list":["post-335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-mercenaries-tale","tag-aether","tag-gr4-71n","tag-lucretia-velarina","tag-nexus","tag-salmanic-incorporated","tag-silverton-salmanic","tag-the-alexandretta-sisters","tag-the-spire","tag-vehem"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}