Aodh’s brain caught up to his eyes and he fell prostrate as quickly as he could. He was terrified. Dolos, THE Dolos was right in front of him…and talking to Henry. Oh no.
“Ah, the smaller mortal rubs its nose in the dirt. See, this is how mortals are supposed to act, and Terrans in particular. On the ground, terrified. I find this appropriate,” said Dolos smugly. “These other miscreants should take note.”
Suddenly, Aodh felt hands on his shoulders. Fear tightened his whole body, but the gentle hands kept pulling him upright until he was standing again, albeit with a hunch. With a start, he realized it was Henry who’d picked him up, his eyes flat. He shook his head.
Jason said, “Okay, Dolos, I know you don’t want to be here long. Let’s make this quick. You owe me a favor.”
Dolos frowned. “I find you suspiciously rational. Terrans are never friendly or even respectful. They push and they push until you destroy their toys and then they cry about it.”
“I find it suspicious that your High Priestess is not here,” said Jason.
“Yes, well, the lowest of lifeforms find many aspects of the world confusing and frightening. I’m surprised you are not mucking about in a swamp somewhere, eviscerating some helpless animals to try divining the future.”
“I can’t help but notice that bug over there.” Jason pointed to an insect in the distance that was moving unnaturally slowly through the air. “This is some kind of time dilation bubble again. However, I wonder why you put one up. Why don’t you want people to see you? Was it to keep from meeting with Keeja?”
Dolos rolled his eyes. “Terrans think they’re so clever. Seeing plots where there are none, making accusations to the Great God Dolos as if they had any right. How has the world come to this? It seems the pitiful, mewling Terran can’t seem the grasp the idea of stretching time to get more done.
“Then again, at least they truly aren’t trying to use their trifling powers this time. I can avoid that disrespect, at least.”
“Look, dude,” said Henry. “Me and Jason already talked about it, and there isn’t any point in trying to use magic when you’re around. You’ll just shut down our abilities and then get all bitchy about it.”
Dolos narrowed his eyes and began to float again ,but before he said anything, Henry waved a hand and said, “Yeah, yeah. I’m trying your patience. You’ll destroy us. Blah blah blah, Great God Dolos, blah blah blah. If you were going to kill us, we’d be dead by now, like months ago. Plus, we’re not stupid; we know you’ve been making our lives on Ludus even harder than it has to be, asshole. It’s not like you haven’t already tried to kill us indirectly a few times.
“We’re not as ignorant as we were before. We have a better idea now of what all this is about. It means we also know we’ve been extremely good little guinea pigs.”
Jason quickly interrupted, “Look, Lord Dolos.” His voice was placating. “You kidnapped us to this world, you’ve obviously tried to indirectly kill us several times. You’ve told us to do something impossible and even asked us to work on your behalf against a rival. I get that you don’t like our entire species, and trust me, we wish we’d never met you. But you owe me a favor. Can we stop the blustering and just talk?”
Dolos continued to float, his expression twisted like he’d just eaten something rotten. “The universe is going to hell,” he grumbled. “Insignificant little Terrans not knowing their place.” He said more loudly, “What do you want? I am losing patience quickly.”
The scene was so surreal, Aodh couldn’t wrap his head around it. Dolos, the Great God Dolos, was physically standing before him and arguing with Aodh’s employers. To be more specific, Henry was arguing with Dolos. Henry Sato. And he’d called Dolos “dude.”
Jason said, “I want the ability to call you directly once a week, and I want you to be willing to answer questions.”
Absolute silence rang for several moments other than the rustle of Henry crossing his arms. Dolos didn’t move during that time, his body and face both inhumanly still.
Suddenly, with no warning, Dolos turned and gestured up. A large swath of trees was violently ripped out of the ground, roots scattering rocks and dirt. Dolos hollered in rage, punching forward with one fist. Every uprooted tree erupted into tiny pieces. The trees were torn asunder, a huge cloud of sawdust erupting outward from the origin of the explosion. Dolos kept yelling and hissing for a few seconds before he abruptly stopped.
The cloud of debris caused by the sudden display of power seemed to hang in the air, settling down in slow motion once they were outside the time dilation field. The display was oddly beautiful despite the terrifying destruction.
When Dolos turned around, his normal expression and sardonic grin were back in place. Aodh hit the ground again, forehead to the dirt. This time, Henry let him stay there, but Aodh cautiously glanced up to see what was going on.
Jason audibly swallowed at the display of Dolos’s temper, but he didn’t change his relaxed posture. He asked, “So, what will it be? You said when you first promised me a request that I could make a case for whatever I ask of you. The reason for my request is simple. You have effectively asked us to help save your world. Furthermore, now we’re tasked on a mission, again without any choice, to find Asag worshippers or something. Our success will positively affect you.
“And here’s the kicker. I don’t think this is the end of the complications we’ll come across over the next few years. What I’m proposing is not unreasonable considering the task you’ve given us.”
Dolos’s face was unreadable. He said, “Once a week is far too often to visit with stinky, immoral Terrans. It’s bad enough I have to meet with such useless, repugnant creatures as often as I already do. It’s even worse that these upright animals would dare attempt to take advantage of an all-powerful god. I refuse. I would rather destroy this world than adhere to such insulting terms.”
Henry grimaced and said, “Listen, dude, we don’t like you either. But you were the one that brought us here against our will. You did me a solid with my mom, so I’m going to hold up my side of our deal. But what we know of the situation on this planet keeps getting worse. We want to get home, and it sounds like a bunch of divine jerkoffs are trying to muscle in on your territory. Your hands are tied in some way you won’t explain to us. We need information if we are going to work for you.”
Jason glared at Henry before he turned his gaze to Dolos. “If what I’m asking is too much, let me know what could work better. I wouldn’t say it the same way as Henry, but you really have asked us to work for you.”
Dolos got a strange look in his eyes. “So you freely admit you are working for me?”
“Yes, I think that’s rather obvious.”
Dolos put his chin in his hand. He said to himself, “Hmmm. I really don’t want simple Terrans getting uppity ideas, but these ones do seem to be rather resistant to dying…Perhaps they can continue giving me good data.” Dolos floated higher as he thought. Eventually, he came back down to his earlier position again. “Once a week is far too often. I will not be at the beck and call of lower lifeforms.”
Jason glanced at Henry before replying, “Okay, how about this? You give me the ability to call you once a month. You are obligated to show up within an hour. If I call you again earlier than that by the Ludus month, I will owe you a favor.”
Dolos regarded Jason with interest, his eyes narrowed. “Two hours. Not one.”
“Done. And when you show up, you have to list at least three things that my company or myself would find interesting.”
“Agreed, but if you want any more information about anything I tell you, you will be agreeing to me giving the same information to a rival group or persona of my choice, and giving them similar information of the same importance. For instance, if you ask where a rival group is, I will have the option of telling the rival group where you are.”
Jason thought for a moment before responding, “Okay, and you have to answer any other questions we have as long as you are not
restricted by whatever rules govern your conduct that you can’t or won’t tell us about.”
Dolos coldly crossed his arms. “If so, the same rules will apply for any and all answers I give. I will have the option of sharing the information with another group.”
Henry butted in, “You also need to stop sending random packs of monsters to attack us.”
Dolos eyed Henry with disdain but didn’t reply directly. He asked Jason, “Does this one speak for you?”
Jason sighed, “Yes.”
“These ridiculous, disrespectful mortals feel empowered to haggle with a god. They obviously don’t know the power of the Great God Dolos.” Dolos glared at Jason and spat, “Agreed. Do you agree to our terms, mortal?”
Aodh couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. He wanted to warn Jason, he wanted desperately to tell him not to make a deal with Dolos, but he was too scared to move. His tongue felt five sizes too large and he couldn’t stop sweating. No, don’t make a deal with him!
“Yes, I agree,” Jason said slowly.
Dolos gave them all a look full of malice. “Was there anything else?”
Jason coughed. “No, I think that will do it.”
“I see. So we have an agreement to solidify our relationship, that you two work for me?”
“Yes,” said Jason.
“Yes,” Henry sighed.
“Done!” cried Dolos, his entire demeanor changing. “You get your first three facts immediately. First is that there is a music player rigged to run on magic stones in a nearby dungeon. It is full of Earth songs. Second is that you are being hunted. Third is that I recently transported four new Terrans from your world to this area and they are all in danger.”
Aodh choked out a gasp. No, don’t make it worse. He willed Henry and Jason not to ask questions, or at least to carefully think them through.
Jason frowned. “Where are the people from Earth?”
Dolos smiled; the expression was predatory. “You did not specify a number, so I will choose to tell you where two are. One is several miles due east. One is northwest about twenty miles, as you Terrans from your primitive country illogically measure distance.”
Henry’s eyes widened. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
Dolos chuckled, clearly enjoying Henry’s realization of how he’d taken advantage of their agreement. “And our pact is in effect. One question has been answered.”
Jason closed his eyes. Henry angrily gestured as he said, “I can’t believe this. Well, if you won’t play straight with the answers, at least tell us whether Aodh has a working orb or not.”
“Yes…” Dolos hissed, not even trying to hide his mirth anymore. “He does. One more question answered.”
Jason’s eyes snapped open. “Hey, wait a minute. I didn’t even ask that question.”
Dolos chuckled softly. “Oh, but part of our agreement was that you can ask any questions you like. Plus, you said earlier that your friend speaks for you.” He suddenly snapped his head to the side, intent on something none of the humans could see. “Our time grows short,” he spat. “A pact is a pact.”
Aodh despaired. He felt incredibly guilty for just hugging the ground and doing nothing. His employers were brave, but they were also deeply ignorant. Even a child should have known better than to make a deal like the one they had just agreed to. Aodh might have doomed them by not being braver, for not speaking up.
Dolos held out a hand and a glowing white ball manifested above it, slowly growing brighter until it shot at Jason, penetrating his chest.
“Ow, that stings!” Jason yelled.
“Are you okay?” asked Henry.
“Yeah, it didn’t go very deep.” He glared at Dolos. “What did you—”
Henry quickly clapped a hand over Jason’s mouth. “Be careful, dude. Questions.”
Dolos chuckled again, the booming sound seemed to make the remaining trees sway. “And one more thing: Three times freely given, three times witnessed. Thank you for your loyalty. Thank you for ‘working for me.’”
Dolos gestured and the clothing on Henry and Jason’s left arms just fell off. A searing burst of light flashed; both men yelped in pain. After the light faded, a glowing purple triangle was revealed on the skin of their shoulders.
“What the fuck is this?” yelled Henry.
“I will give you this one for free. That is my mark. As you both have said you work for me, and you confirmed it three times, that mark proves your patronage to the Great God Dolos. Please be good little Terrans and don’t get killed. I may need your services for some small task in the future.”
With that, Dolos rose into the air, laughing uproariously. He ascended straight up into the sky, his velocity rising so quickly he was almost immediately out of sight, breaking the sound barrier in his wake. After the thunderous crash of the sonic boom faded, the time dilation bubble that followed Dolos dropped and the cacophony from the trees exploding washed over the land as well.
Suddenly, Keeja arrived in a flash of movement and a breeze of displaced air. “What just happened? That was him, wasn’t it? That had to be Dolos…I can’t believe he’s avoiding me…” Her gaze landed on Jason and Henry’s shoulders. “What happened?” she breathed.
Aodh felt a tear in his eye. He mumbled, “They made a deal.”
“Why didn’t you stop them!?” Keeja yelled.
“Hey,” Henry growled. “Take it easy on the kid. We just secured a way to get intel for the rest of the time we’re on this fucking shithole of a planet.”
“But at what cost? Do I even want to know?” Keeja’s eyes flashed, “Even a mentally retarded yukka should have known better than to make a deal with Dolos.”
Henry put his hands on his hips. “Well, you haven’t exactly been very helpful, lady. How were we supposed to know? Why do you suddenly care about what we’re doing or whether we even live or die all of the sudden?”
“He’s got a point,” murmured Jason.
“My mission changed, and now I have a reason to care whether you idiots live or die. So in the spirit of sharing, what else under the rotting sun did you do?” She pointed to the triangles on their shoulders. “You let Dolos give you the D?”
In a deadpan voice, Henry asked, “What?”
“The D. He gave you the D.” Keeja lifted up her sleeve and showed them her smaller, identical mark. “Welcome to the family, I guess. May the Creator have mercy on your souls. It looks like you just allowed yourself to become priests of Dolos.”
Several heartbeats of silence were followed by Henry breathing, “Fuck me. Oh, fuck me sideways with a shovel. Now I’m a priest for a god I hate? I really hate this planet.”
Jason facepalmed. He muttered, “Well, this idea didn’t work out as planned.”
Crouching Keeja, Little Aodh
Vitaliya was mildly entertained as she stood next to Gonzo, listening to Jason and Henry relate their meeting with Dolos. The various levels of shock, disbelief, and anger in the group amused her. Of course, she was a member of Berber Intelligence, born in another country, trained for years in state secrets. She had already been debriefed on Dolos, his High Priestesses, and every other god and monster that had visited Ludus for the last three thousand years.
As a result, she was wary of Keeja, but she knew exactly how helpless she’d be to stop the demigod from doing whatever she wanted. As such, it wasn’t worth worrying about. As for Dolos, it amused Vitaliya that even after hearing Dolos speaking in everyone’s mind earlier that year, many people on Ludus were still having a religious crisis.
As usual, Gonzo seemed entirely unperturbed by the new events, but the Delvers’ reactions were all over the place. Yanno-ibbi was by far the most shocked. On the other hand, the rest of the group seemed more angry at Jason and Henry than upset about Dolos visiting.
“Why didn’t you tell us what you were going to do?” Mareen appeared the most frustrated. The newlywed woman shook her head violently. “You really don’t understand how dangerous Dolos
is. Have you ever even read any of the myths or history books I said you should?”
“No, but we’ve talked to him, what…three times now? Yeah, something like that.” Henry didn’t seem concerned. Mareen started fuming again and Henry put an arm around her, saying, “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Next time I want to talk to the self-absorbed, floating asshole, I’ll let you know first.”
“And I’ll come,” said Mareen.
“The hell you will! You all saw what he did to the fucking forest, right? That was a temper tantrum. I love your spirit, hon, I really do, but Dolos would probably kill you for it.”
“You have got to be kidding me, Henry Sato. You are telling me that I am too hotheaded?”
“Yes, because I can get away with being a moron. If Dolos kills me or Jason, he’ll be making a ton of work for himself and it’ll also make him look stupid. Ask her,” Henry said, pointing at Keeja. Keeja glanced up long enough to nod before furrowing her brow again, deep in thought.
“Plus, he’s even less likely to kill us now because of these.” Henry pointed to the purple triangle on his upper arm.
“You don’t even understand what that means!” yelled Mareen.
“Yeah, you’re right. But we have an entire journey to figure it out while in the meantime everyone yells at us and thinks we’re crazy. Then we can probably feel bad about it. But right now, we should go looking for these transported people that may, you know, die if we continue sitting around with our thumbs in our asses.”
“As much as it pains me to say this, I agree with Henry,” Jason sighed. “Now is the time for action. We have to—”
“Wait a moment.” Keeja held up a hand to interrupt. “I need to explain something. Shut up and listen.”
Henry grumbled but the group quieted. Vitaliya was curious what the High Priestess had to say. She hadn’t figured out what her angle was yet; neither had Gonzo.
She glanced over at Aodh to make sure he was doing okay. He looked terrified, but seemed to be holding up. He looked a little dirty, though. Vitaliya wondered if he was bathing enough. He also looked too skinny. It was getting harder and harder for her to give him space. She knew he’d get upset, but he truly needed someone to oversee his care.
Delvers LLC: Obligations Incurred Page 10
