Chapter 11: Gambit

" Sell us our freedom, My Lord!"

There was silence in the camp. The knights stunned by such bold statement by a slave and began to whisper with one another. Lord Prestonheim astounded by Servus 132-X audacity can't tell what to make of it.

" You impertinent fool!" A knight exclaimed. " How dare you mock Lord Prestonheim with your delusions?!"

The knight tried to walk over to where the slave stood, ready to strike him.

" Settle down, Eferail," he gestured at his loyal knight. " I would like to hear from him. Speak up, Servus 132-X!"

Lord Prestonheim didn't expect anything from the slave. After all, what can he possible bargain? He just wants to see him try. It's the least that he can do, provide the slave a few moments of freedom albeit brief.

Servus 132-X reached for something in his pocket. The alarmed knights pointed their swords at him.

" Relax, I am battered and badly injured," Servus 132-X faintly smiled. " What am I gonna do next? Spit at all of you to death?" He finally found what he was searching for in his pocket.

" My Lord, I shall pay you an ocean of this." He presented the blue rippling gem to the astonished Lord and his knights.

" I-impossible," Lord Prestonheim stood up from his seat and approached Servus 132-X. He hesitated touching the glowing rippling stone. " Is this what I think it is?"

All of them laid eyes on the stone. The swirls inside the gem is beautiful to a point of being hypnotic. They cannot seem to get their eyes away from it.

" By the gods! Oyue's tears! The dwarf exclaimed.

Lord Prestonheim could no longer contain his curiosity. He took the stone from Servus 132-X's palm and examined it for himself. The ripple inside the crystal looked like water flowing from an endless stream. He puts it up against the sun and the ripples suddenly turned to swirling movement, as if the stone absorbed the sun's rays.

" Incredible!" Lord Prestonheim then tried to put some of his exousia into the gem.

The gem's water-like ripples, danced frantically with the energy given into it. It began to glow and pulsate the light in the gem like a beating heart. Lord Prestonheim tried cutting off his exousia, but the stone continued to drain him.

It took Tristam and Eferail intervention before the stone was finally taken away from his hand. By then all three men were exhausted. The two knights have to use repelling energies to tip the stone out from their master's hand. Even then, the stone remained afloat, refusing to land on the ground.

" Amazing!" the exhausted Lord Prestonheim declared. " This is what the Alchemist of the Principalia had longed to duplicate! The Aetherius! The real Aetherius!" He laughed in glee of the discovery.

Lord Prestonheim stood up with the help of his guards while both Tristam and Eferail had to be carried to the infirmary. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. His fatigue felt like he had fought an entire day without rest. He's nearly out of breath but somehow still managed to continue the trial.

" Y-you want to pay me with t-that."

" Yes, an ocean of it!" although impressed with the stones capability, Servus 132-X's fever was keeping him from having a joyful outburst.

Lord Prestonheim had to catch his breath. He demanded water from one of his guards. The guard immediately fetch him his canteen. He gobbled up the contents of the canteen before resuming.

" An ocean you say?" He asked. " How did you know that?"

Servus 132-X had never thought of that! Their life now depends on the answer he provides to the Lord. If he makes on false move, his head will roll on that very spot. If he told the truth, would the Lord even believe.

" The Senterpids," the dwarf answered. " Them giant senterpids don't look strange to ya?"

There was silence. No one can dared to answer it.

" Well, in our lore," the dwarf explained while pointing at the floating stone, " that is called Oyue's tears. The gem from the blessed tears of the celestial goddess fell into this land. It has been said to contain extreme amount of aether that when it reacts with any living and non-living object it changes them attributes."

" And what does it have to do with those beasts?" Lord Prestonheim asked.

" M'lord, with the aether changed, them also hast changed," the dwarf answered. " Usually a giant Senterpid would sized about 6 footlings but the one we just encountered, that was fucken big! 35 footlings I estimate."

" So you mean to say, that there is a huge deposit of Aetherium here?" Lord Prestonheim asked.

" We are standing on it right now." Servus 132-X answered.

" Then, why were they not able to find it back then when the mine first opened overy a centuria ago?"

" It was located at the deepest layers of the earth."

" But why now?" The confused Lord asked. " How sure are you?"

" Giant Senterpids burrow deep underground," the dwarf butted-in. " At some point they might have got in contact with the gem. It also means, they have burrow holes where we can enter!" he subtly winked at Servus 132-X.

Lord Prestonheim remained in silence the entire time. He still cannot believe the fact that he finally saw with his very own eyes the gem that alchemists throughout their lifetime tried to emulate.

Lord Prestonheim is already convinced with the stone, but still had to make sure about their claims.

" Knight, get Servus 305- M." He ordered.

Not long after, Servus 132-X saw a familiar face brought to them. It was the red-haired slave, whom he spoken to before.

" My Lord you called--" Slave 305-M didn't even bothered finishing his sentence. He saw the floating gem and immediately threw any form of decency to Lord Prestonheim out of the window.

"This is Aetherium Naturale!" He exclaimed. " A legendary element that gave birth to life as we know it!"

He examined it once more, trying to figure out its legitimacy by pushing it using his fingers. What he got was a jolt that threw him off the ground.

" Who acquired this My Lord?" he dusted himself off.

Lord Prestonheim pointed Servus 132-X.

" Interesting! Very interesting indeed!" He approached Servus 132-X and asked, " Could you call it back to you?"

" Pardon?"

" Call it back. You know, say, yooohooo...come back! Something of that sort."

" Ummm…." Servus 132-X find it strange but did it anyway, " Return to me!" He commanded.

The stone immediately floated straight to him.

"AHAHAHAHAHA!" The mad red-haired slave stomped the ground in glee. " Finally, an answer to Principalia's currently exousia deficit!"

Lord Prestonheim could no longer deny its legitimacy.

" So what are your terms, Servus 132-X?"