Chapter 134: A Blue Alternative

Cladded in an eyesore blue, the man retains his smile still as he pronounces himself the Merchant of Blue Death.

An apt name I'd say. For his obvious dressing choice as well as the suffocating aura he's been giving off for a while, yes, this is Death.

It's anyone's guess what he wants and even more vague what he has in the that colourful carriage of his, but whatever it is, I'm sure it won't be all too pleasing to me right now.

"Alright," I begin after a moment of silence and the both of us studying each other, actually, scratch that, the man doesn't look the slightest bit bothered by our hostile stances. He hasn't even bothered to reach for a weapon or something to use in his defence.

He could either be a fool or insanely strong.

I'm betting on the latter even if it doesn't exactly favour my chances against him should he try something funny. I'm just being honest with myself.

"What exactly is the Merchant of Blue Death and what does it want with us?"

The man puts on a smirk and speaks as softly as ever, "The Merchant doesn't want anything to do with you, what makes you think the Merchant wants anything to do with you?"

Is he…is he speaking in the third person?

"Because…you're blocking our path?"

"And so? Like you said, the Merchant could simply be having some wheel troubles, not that the Merchant is. The Merchant doesn't need wheels."

"Uh…" Anselm sounds like his brain has been fried, which speaks the same for me as I'm not at all sure what this talk is all about.

It's almost disarming…almost.

"Well, you seem…you feel suspicious." I sniff, "Your vibe or aura or whatever doesn't exactly…"

"Doesn't exactly what?"

I think on it for a bit before I blurt out, "It doesn't fit right with the rest."

His smile widens and I can see his teeth, his blue teeth. "Yes, the rest of what?"

I begin to feel like I'm being lectured, being urged on to get the right answer in some class. I don't like that feeling and so I also feel the urge to scream some profanity at him.

But I don't. It'd be unwise to; this man is clearly not a being I can refuse. This person isn't human.

"With the rest of the world. You're out of place, you don't fit in one bit, it's like…like you're not meant to be but you are."

He raises his hands and Anselm and I buckle, ready to attack.

But he only claps. A slow, almost mocking clap. But it's not.

"You were close. The Merchant certainly doesn't fit in with this realm, with the Mortal realm, but on the contrary, the Merchant is perhaps the most natural thing that exists in this world at the moment for the Merchant is the Merchant of Blue Death."

More confusion. 

"What does any of tha- You know what, I don't care, I really don't. Not anymore." The wisping bits of mana in my hands disperse and I relax, "You're obviously something of the Deities, but I frankly don't have any more seconds to deal with you stuck up folk."

Anselm looks shocked that I'd just disarm, but nonetheless follows my lead, setting his mace by his side and hovering a bit closer.

"Ah, well, you are correct, the Merchant is indeed on of these…Deities you seem to so despise, a subordinate of one you'll be most interested in I believe."

I scowl deeply at the mans soft voice seeping into my head, "I highly doubt there's any deity I could care about right now, you lot are just thorns in my side, and if by some miracle I'm interested in this Deity you serve, that's all gone down the drain with you freaking leaving this eyesore of a carriage in my way!"

I'm getting a bit unhinged I'll admit, but Aste is right there and so is Kaylin, who has yet to return any of the calls we sent her way. I've begun to fear the worse.

My eyes scan the surroundings for some kind of corpse I can reanimate, I'll need something strong or at least undead and unfeeling to move that carriage of his.

"Just tell us what you're here for, Merchant." Anselm groans, arms folded and a tired look scarred across his face.

The Merchant chuckles, "It is as he said, you are the most logical. The Merchant promises you will want to hear what he has to say, but first you must calm down…Asher."

I scoff at the blue man, "You think I'm the slightest bit surprised that you know my name? The entire Kingdom will know that name in a few days."

"Heheh." He cackles creepily, "But not many know the family you were born to, the life you led and the ambitions, although heinous you marched towards before coming to this world."

"Coming to this world?" Anselm repeats.

I ignore him and direct my focus on the Merchant, "Again, I'm not the slightest bit surprised you know that, you're a Deity, aren't you? It shouldn't be so hard to pry into the past of a mortal, at least, not for someone like you."

"All the more reason for you to trust the Merchants words now."

"Ha!" I shake my head, embarrassed on his behalf, "Trust you? No, you're just as scummy as the rest I've met, Lotar withholding information about exactly how crippling the Hunger would be, Frozia taking me by the balls and expecting me to be thankful and Phien literally wanting me dead. Not to talk of Anera."

The Merchant nods gently and tilts his head to the side, "I notice you have yet to mention Ferth, the most honest God there is."

"Ferth?" Anselm and I repeat in unison.

"The God of Death and Rebirth, or…in your case, some botched form of reincarnation." He scowls deeply at me.

"Ferth then…" I mutter, ignoring his sudden souring face, "I suppose that is one interesting Deity. But your carriage is still in my way."

The man snickers at Anselm and I, his shoulders heaving as he does, "Yes, yes, it is, but perhaps you'd be more grateful to this carriage that blocks your way when you realize that it and I are the only things stopping you from marching into a trap."

Anselm and I share a look at his words before turning back to face him.

"What do you mean?" Anselm demands.

He doesn't bother looking at either of us, instead he turns and points towards the wall.

"I mean that sitting upon those walls are several hundreds of men, fitted to the teeth with weapons, enchanted weapons as well as the Mayor himself, quite a powerful man I might add, all of that awaits your return to Aste."

"Shit." I spit.

"Shit is correct." The Merchant says, "Along with all the Mayors men as well has his very skilled magic, a variety of siege weapons also await your return to the city."

"Asher," Anselm starts, his voice pleading, "Does this mean…?"

Does this mean that the North, Aren, Kaylin and perhaps even Maylin have all been compromised?

"Yes, quite possibly, Anselm." He stares at me, a horrified look across his face.

"We must-!"

"You will be cut down even as you are, spirit!" The Merchant yells after a flying Anselm, "Your soul maybe immortal but the element of surprise, a gift given to you from the Merchant, is not."

I nod in agreement, had he not revealed this information we would have stepped in and would have been completely blindsided by the Mayor's ambush.

"He's right, Anselm. We need to prepare a counterattack to their ambush, if we rush in, we'll be defeated and if he's holding Kaylin and the rest hostage like I think he is, we'll be forced to surrender."

"Then…" Anselm voice is full of hopelessness and desperation, "What do we do?"

I shrug and look to the Merchant standing eerily patiently for us to conclude, "We listen to what this guy has to say."

"But-!"

"Yeah, I know it's probably more bullshit, but still, he let us in on the fact that it's a trap, he might still be useful."

"The Merchant can hear you, you know."

I roll my eyes, not caring one bit, "I already told you I'm pretty sick of you Deities and your machinations, now tell me, what the hell do you or Ferth want?"

The man dons a smile once more, ignoring my rather rude behaviour, "Well, Ferth, does not want for anything, he is one of the more truly…eternal Deities." 

"Right, like Anera, the ones that just have to cross their legs and still have power."

The Merchant nods. 

"The Merchant is a servant of Ferth, an agent of his will in many realms, there are several like me, Ferth is simply interested in procuring your services as yet another subsidiary Deity…in the frankly unlikely event you become a deity." He mutters the last part but its all in my head anyway so I still hear every condescending bit of it.

I scoff, "You don't believe I have what it takes to be a God?"

His sparkling blue eyes shift to the side as he hears this, "Well, every thing in existence has the potential, but there are things that need to happen before any sort of Divinity is attained or in your case, bestowed."

"So, what is it I have to do to be bestowed this Divinity?"

The Merchant smirks, "The answer to that question can be the reward to you agreeing to serve Ferth…if you become a God."

I fall silent for a bit and look to the wall.

"What was going to be your offer? You had to have had one, right? What was it?"

The Merchant follows my sights and grins, "Well, Ferth was going to empty out the city for you."

"Empty out?"

"He sent me here to prematurely reap all the souls of your enemies in exchange for your future servitude."

Well…that's interesting.