章 22: Proposition
Michael smirks to himself as he stood back up, holding himself up from tripping for the tree roots. He fixes his clothes, he dusted off the coat he wore as stones fell. He looks around in embarrassment, to see the men looking at him with amusement.
He looks to the Seeker's encampment as he spoke, "So, is this the one?" Anders walks beside him, looking like he's no longer shaken, Anders spoke as he continued forward, "Yes." Michael immediately follows beside as he spoke, looking around "How many people do you have here?"
Anders looks to him, "I'd rather not tell you." Michael shrugs, "Ok, I'll find out soon anyway." They continued to walk through the encampment, the various tents and huts built all around the clearing show the fact that they have lived here for a long time. Michael looks to the people, each one an able-bodied human, wielding mediocre weapons.
Michael speaks as he continued to look around, "So where are we going?" Anders sighs in irritation, now a bit irritated of his incessant questioning. He looks to Michael, his eyes filled with confusion, unable to correlate the man that made him feel so anxious to the fool that seemingly player around.
A terrifying thought then occurred to him, 'Maybe for him, we aren't a threat.' Michael trips from a stone once more smashing into the ground, face first. Anders then thought with a sigh 'There's no way right?" Michael stood up with a grin, as he dusts off some pebbles.
He looks back at them, a bit embarrassed from his second meeting with the floor. Michael then points forward, "Let's go, we're going to have to meet that leader of yours. Right?" Anders nods hesitantly, conflicted with his orders to bring him with his suspicion with Michael's seemingly confident attitude. Let's just hope that Alex can control the officers.
A few minutes pass and Anders enters their headquarters, it has one table with ten chairs around it. Alex remains seated as he listened to the various reports coming in. The sounds of the tent flapping captured the room's attention. Alex smiles and shouted, "Anders, my friend. So is the job done?" Anders nods as he opens the flap and Michael struts in.
Michael waves as he spoke, "Hello, friends." Alex's smile stiffens before he looks at Anders with confusion. His officers also looking confused, Anders replies with a shrug knowing that they are confused due to Michael's complete lack of care.
Michael sat at one of the chairs, his arm to the table he says "So, how much do you guys need?" Alex looks to him before composing himself, he smiles at the man, "What do you mean?" Michael shrugs, "Well you brought me here to get the ransom. Right?"
Michael smiles brightly, he takes a pouch out of his coat. "Well, I was wondering how much it would take for you to let me go." He lets go of a pouch filled with gold as he finishes. Seeing this Alex was silenced, as he looks in shock at the amount of gold presented to him.
The five officers around him, stare, the confident young man seemingly unaffected by the kidnapping. Alex clears his throat with a cough before speaking, "Do you perhaps hold fifty thousand gold coins? If not, I don't think it'll be enough."
Michael grins as he spoke, "Well, how long will that last you?" The words stop Alex, making him glare at Michael due to his intrusion, "That is none of your concern." Michael only grins as he intertwines his fingers. "Well, I plan on making it my concern."
Alex looks confused as he whispers, "What?" Michael grins widely before slamming his hand on the table and shouting, "Well, I have a proposition. Something, I hope you're willing to agree with." Alex replies with suspicion, "Depends on the proposition."
Michael nods excitedly, "Good, Good. At least your open to it" He said before waving his hand as a bright light swallows the room, all the men inside close their eyes from the brightness, some even unsheath their weapons as they hurriedly stood.
The lights die down, leaving behind five sacks. The men hurriedly scrambled as they point their weapons against him. Alex shouts standing as he unsheathes his sword "What are you doing!?" Alex shouts as his men follow his words "Stop him!" Michael only chuckles amidst their shouting as the tie loosens unveiling the sack's contents.
They hurriedly move to stop him, before the sound of gold hitting wood makes them turn. The sack was filled with gold, shining brightly. A few more seconds and the other four unveil by themselves. Michael shouts "One hundred thousand gold coins! Just for you!"
Everyone ignores him, they watch in shock as they took in the quantity of wealth presented to them. Michael looks at their dumbfounded expression and said, "So how about it? Are you willing to listen to my proposition?"
Alex dumbly nodded before clearing his throat, he turns his head to him and spoke, "What do you propose?" Michae smiles brightly as he then excitedly spoke, "Everything!" Alex looks in confusion as the realization sinks, and a burning anger lits inside of him.
"EVERYTHING!" He shouts, making his men direct their attention to their conversation. Michael replies, ignoring his outbursts "Yes, all I need is for the seekers to follow my every order." The men around him shout, "Who do you think you are." "Why should we follow you!" "Ridiculuos!"
Michael listens and frowns, he nods to them as a bright light engulfs the sacks, blinding everyone else once more "Well, it seems my proposition isn't positively welcomed." He flourishes his coat as the men around him scrambled to stop him.
"Stop!" Alex shouts as his men stop in their step and Michael only looks back. "Is there a problem?" Michael questions as he prepares to leave. Alex glares at him as he commanded Michael, "Sit down."
Michael mockingly smiles as he turns to him, "I don't believe, I am one of your soldiers to command." Alex spoke through gritted teeth, "Sit down, you remain our prisoner until your ransom is paid." Michale points to the pouch at the table, "I believe that to be enough."
The men around them shout, "Your ransom is a hundred thousand," "No! two hundred thousand." Alex closes his eyes to calm his inner conflict, "ENOUGH!" He commands the men around him as they sat back down. Michael raises an eyebrow, intrigued by the man's restraint, he exits the tent as he spoke, "I'll give you some time to think."
Hearing this, one of the officers then spoke, "Why are we even doing this, we know he has money with him." Another spoke, "Yeah, we can just force him to hand them back." Another shouts back, "And then what stood against everything we stood for, surely there's another way." Alex listening to all of this closes his eyes as thoughts ran through his mind, 'Do I force him to give it? But what does that make me?"
One of the officers shouts, "We don't have the choice in the matter, we either make him cough up all gold that he has or we stay nothing." The debate heats up as the officers argue, Anders rests his hand at Alex's shoulder and says "We can make a new arrangement, with us still gaining the gold."
"That's ridiculous, you want to have us stand as lapdogs for another." Another follows up, "And there's no way he'll offer the same gold with us being his servants." Anders raises his arm, "All I'm saying that maybe this could fix our financial problem if we play it right." Alex sighs as he then decides, "No, we decide this as we have done so before." The men around him nod as they understood his words.
Alex spoke, "Who here wishes to engage with him in talks, to create a better proposal." Anders and one other officer raise their hands. "Who here then wishes to continue with the kidnapping and extort him in gold." Four hands raise and Alex nods, taking in the staff's wishes. Alex thinks to himself, 'I hope this will be worth throwing down our principles.'
A man ushers in Michael once more, he looks around to see Alex's disappointed expression. He sees the other officer looked at him in greed, one spoke "Give us back the gold." Alex closes his eyes and turns away, a bit guilty for what's about to happen. A bit disappointed with the men that joined him to form the Seekers.
Michael smiles at the officer as he said, "Why? I don't think you agreed to my proposal." One of the men shouts, "It matters little, you remain our prisoner." One officer stands up and pulls at Michael's collar as he pulls his fist back. "Just give us the money and you won't get hurt." Michael looks around to see Anders' frown and Alex's expression filled with guilt.
'It seems this organization isn't as centralized as I thought, what a shame.' Michael thought with a sigh. The man seeing this loses his patience then lets his fist loose. Michael only sighs in disappointment before speaking, "What a shame."
His words were followed by a thunderous hum as countless runes flow beneath them. Everyone screamed and stood but before any could react.
The world was swallowed in darkness.
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