The Streets of the city were dark; the guards were roaming in force, mixed-species groups moving and looking in the dark corners of the city. The Guards were being extra vigilant, watching for crime. The dark corners of the city had never been 'safer' with a simple cry for help, and have dozens of guards upon you in moments.
I heard a sudden scream from someone, and I noticed the guards moving in disciplined movement, much to my surprise. One patrol, the one closest, seemed to run toward it, and a Vampire woman was saved from a devil who was trying to do something untoward from what I could see. Then again, I had no clear idea if that was what it was. I was moving at a distance, ensuring I was not seen by the guard.
The double thefts in the city against a well-known General Store were something that put the guards on extra duty. Apparently, word had spread more than I was expecting when I painted a wall with a manager's blood. The message had not been for the city but for Carl himself but I realized my folly quite quickly.
The Capital of the Demon lands was a place with little crime. It was not widespread or common. The city was well-guarded, and the last major crime visible to the public was when I took the ships. With only one person in control of the underground in this city, which was not even large to begin with, it was remarkably safe. So when a store is robbed and a wall is painted with his blood, things tend to get out.
I did not even know what Carl thought, and to my surprise, he had not even retaliated or tried to contact me yet. Although the New Ambassador for the Beast-kin Nation might be the reason everyone is lying low. Information was starting to leak out from their tower, and she was stirring the pot. Even my pet Medusa was frustrated and came by more often with the pot that she was stirring.
Apparently, the Beast-kin were PISSED about the pirates. They were not even the major losers from the pirates' ships-
My mind blanked for a moment; maybe the necromancers were doing too well against the Beast-kin Nation, and too many ships were lost. My eyes widened as I finally realized something as I walked toward my destination. The Bunny-kin were known for their alchemists and general wizards. They were one of the continent's major suppliers of potions. They were not the only game in town, but they were definitely the largest player, with many picking Bunny-kin potions even if there was a marked increase in price.
I had not received any from the Necormancers but who would give up a supply of potions? Maybe they were keeping the best stuff for themselves and never giving me even a cut of the supply they had been stealing from the Beast-kin merchants. The Empire did not want to wake the beast called the Demon Lands. But they mostly sold merchandise that was not critical.
Potions, though, that would reach the ears of the Demon Lands parliament, and with an ambassador making an issue of it?
This was all speculation, though, and I had nothing to go on other than a hunch. But it was time to meet the Lich and chat for a bit. I would have to ask about the Necromancers.
Finally, after stalking around the city, dodging guard patrols, I walked up and into a Tavren that we settled on. The Succubus's Tankard and I could not help but smile as I walked in and saw so many succubi walking around. I watched as a Succubus with a modest bust tickled the cheek of a gargoyle as she walked by, and the gargoyle went upstairs following the bair wench.
The reason for this place was drinking in a place where the succubi could charm you for their sexual needs. I walked in, and I found a charming young succubi smiling at me, and I pointed to a corner and said, "A table for two, I have a friend joining me soon," I told her, and she nodded. She guided me to the table, and I sat down.
I watched as Gargoyles, Vampires, Devils, Djinn, and even an Incubus enjoyed themselves with the Succubi. It was interesting watching all the cross species interaction that I knew brought liveliness to the Demon Lands. The Succubi and the Incubi are a really interesting case study in sexual activities between the races.
The world I was in before, and some of the people I had been around before I died, would have thrown a fit.
Or maybe not.
Did it matter?
My thoughts centered back to the reality I was in when I noticed another covered individual entering and walking over to me. Instantly, I knew it was the Lich, and they came over and sat down, and a moment later, a cute Succubus came over. Her breasts were C cup, and her scaly tail whipped around, and her smile was charming.
"Hello, what can I get you both?" She asked with a small smile, "Mead? Beer? Or, maybe, me?"
I chuckled, "Two Meads," I replied, "Maybe you later though," I replied, ensuring my voice stayed a bit deeper, and she nodded.
"Business before pleasure, understood." The bar wench nodded and departed quickly to the taps, and I looked at the Lich before me.
We both remained silent, and then she dropped two large tankards of mead for us, and I handed her a silver coin, and she smiled. "Thank yee for the business," she said, and departed, and a sound barrier went up from the Lich almost instantly.
"What did you call the meeting for?" The lich asked in a voice sounding annoyed.
"I have something to ask," I began, "Tell me, do you know what the other necromancers are up to?"
The question made the Lich pause for a moment, then shook their head. "No, I have been losing control of the Necromancers lately," The Lich responded with candor, "I am just the trading post, as they like to call me now. I have been trying to rein in some of the worst, but we had three B-ranked Liches somehow break through, and they have been starting to recruit. The Lich paused for a moment. "They have been starting to recruit. " Still, we need you for regents and various other things."
I frowned, but the lich could not see that while we both covered our faces. "Have you been making movements over in the Beast-kin Nation?" I asked.
The Lich did not respond to my question right away, and then they sighed. "Look, I cannot speak for it, but more have been going north lately. The Empire is starting to send soldiers with their merchants lately, and they are becoming harder targets. So it would not surprise me if the new Liches are going for easier targets. They also have potions, although their Wizards are more annoying since you never know what is going to happen."
I leaned back and considered that, "You never sent me potions in our shipments," I said as a matter of fact.
"Why would we send things that we would rather use ourselves just to have to make it ourselves later?" The Lich replied, sounding like they were talking to a moron.
"Fair, problem is, I think you overhunted, potentially," I said slowly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, they have an Ambassador here now, and I am hearing that they are VERY annoyed about the pirate situation, and that means you," I told the Lich bluntly.
"Shit, we are about to get hunted down," The Lich said, then paused, "honestly, I am surprised it has not happened sooner." The Lich sighed and leaned back a bit, "Now, the question is, what are you going to do about it?" The lich asked.
"Hmm?" I pretended to be stupid for a moment, "What do you mean?"
The Question was both stupid, and we both knew it. The Lich shook their head, "We both know what I mean, and I do not want to fight you. I do not like fighting, and, well, it is like this." The Lich took a breath, although with this Lich, I always wondered if they even needed to breathe. They acted like they were alive, but they were clearly dead, but alive. It was so odd that the feeling around them was not like that of the other undead, either. That instinctual fear was not there like it was with the others. "I think we should end our dealings, permanently, and I will never speak bout you. I will also inform you that I will not tell the others that we are finished. I-" The Lich took a breath, "I will let them take the heat, and I will head north, toward the Elven forest, plenty of space and monsters, I should be able to find a hole to crawl into for a while. I may even reach out to you at some point in the future," The lich finished.
I raised an eyebrow, but the Lich could not see that. To cut things off with the Lich was a good idea. I hated it; the profits were insane, and business was good, but I couldn't afford to after two years. Diversifying my investments, especially in The Store, was paying dividends, but it was going to hurt to lose the pirates' cargo.
The worst part was that the Lich had seen me before, though, knowing too much when I wanted to drift back into the shadows. But to silence the lich, I would have to get drastic. Something I could not afford to do in the middle of a popular tavern, and I grabbed the mead and started to drink a large amount of it. The lich watched as they knew I was thinking about killing them.
The Lich had never been stupid, far from it, and the Lich would have made their own plans. Attacking them would bring me out into the open and start a battle. One where even if I win, I would lose. It was simply not worth it to silence this partner. The Lich was too cautious, and I had to respect that.
"Are you going to head north immediately?" I asked.
"No, too much on my island, I need to store it for later, too much wealth to leave lying around for one of the others to take. I will not be able to keep it with me, but" The Lich shook their head. "I will not say more than that, but I know you don't have the resources to come take them even if you wanted to."
I bit my lip. It was true; even if the Lich provided me a map, I would not have the resources for a year or two before I could do anything about it. Not unless I dedicated more resources than I ever wanted toward it, and the Galleys were a stupid ship design. I only wish I knew how to make better ships, then I would get involved in the shipping industry again.
"Lich, although we never knew each other, we have had a successful business relationship," I said finally, "In the future, we might once work together again. I thank you for your information tonight, and I will thank you with information of my own. The bunny-kin are pushing for the pirates to be obliterated, to leave sooner or later. If you are captured, please, NEVER speak of me," I finished.
"The same to you," The Lich replied, "May your plans succeed."
"I hope for your swift escape and survival," I lied in reply.
The Lich stood up and departed, and the sound barrier broke, and I made a show of downing the rest of my mead then grabbing the Lich's untouched tankard and downing it too. "Shit," I cursed, keeping my voice lower on purpose, and stood and downed the rest of the tankard, acting pissed off.
The bar wench walked over, "Everything okay?" She asked.
"No," I said, sounding annoyed, "I was trying to save a contract for my boss and now, Gah~!" I turned and walked away, "Sorry, no longer in the mood." I said, leaving the Succubus's Tankard, wondering if I would ever see the Lich again.
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