Chapter Nine: Quest Rewards Part Three

It didn’t really take me by surprise that he wouldn’t do it for free, in fact I would be shocked if he did since Alchemist’s don’t go into the profession expecting to work for peanuts, and Carcajou didn’t strike me as the type to go against the flow.

I spoke up to get Carcajou’s attention, who’s currently watching the infant animals softly and lightly prodding them, “So what is it that you want in exchange for this?”

He looks at me and takes off his glasses, and says in his soft voice and held up two fingers “First, I want a favor that I can call upon at anytime in the future,”

I nod my head “Okay I’ll do it.”

A flash of surprise flashes of Carcajou’s face “W-wait, really? No negotiations or anything, I mean I could ask you do anything, ANYTHING. Don’t you want to try to at least set the terms for the favor?”

I put a little thought into the matter before talking, “Well the way I see it I’m coming to you for a favor, and the least I could do is pay a favor with a favor, and plus there is no way I could negotiate terms with you that would let me come out on top, I mean you're an Alchemist you do deals that affect entire nations, I think that would only screw me over.” I smirk and say proudly “Plus there is no way you have any job worse than what my dad has already put me through.” But slightly bitter, and I notice Carcajou narrow his eyes says “Well you have a point but..” He pauses for a second looking me directly in the eyes, and everything seems to grow that much more heavy and tight, my clothes, my chest…. My heart. It feels almost unbearably painful. “Don’t think you’ve seen the worse of the world, and how much grief it can bring… And while your father is a scoundrel he’s far from the worse the world has to offer, and I assure you I can be so much worse.” Carcajou says slowly and very cold. I try to break eye contact but he wouldn’t let me.

I try to talk but my tongue’s too heavy and swollen to talk, my body I could feel my skin and it’s so very tight like everything's about to burst from my the inside out, and it itches unbearably like ants crawling under my skin, and my fingers are painfully swollen.

Everything’s starting to get so dark, and blurry around the edges of my eyes. I could hear my heart laboring and thumbing away, ba-dump, ba-dump, but so terrifyingly slowly stopping and growing fainter.

Am I going to die, Is Carcajou going to kill me for a small slight? No, It makes sense those at the top like him, they have a pride that they have to keep otherwise they would be torn apart by the other’s. But even in my fading vision I could see him and he’s not smiling, and then as soon as I felt my life force fading as clear as day a loud snap rang out and I snapped out of whatever trance Carcajou put me in.

I cough, wheeze, before getting a balance into balance with my body and then scowl at him, that was a pretty shit thing he just did. I could feel my body tense ready to take out some frustration, but before I could launch myself at Carcajou I felt a hand on my shoulder and I could see Vanessa and she looks angry too, but she shakes her head, and I relax my body. It would be pointless fighting Carcajou, no it wouldn’t be even a fight he would slaughter me.

So I sigh and wait till I can think thought’s other than smashing Carcajou’s face in. He speaks up when I reach being calm, “Do you know why I did that Mule?”

I answer bitterly “Because you’re a bastard and a sadist?”

He chuckles lightly “Well I’m one of those things. But no, because I’m not your father. You cannot get away with mouthing off to people like me and get away with it, your father be damned there are people who can contend with him and could kill you with but a word or gesture, and you wouldn’t even notice unless they wanted you to suffer,” He then pauses and looks away and says softly “Except they always want you to suffer,” He stop for a second and he looks back except he has pain in his eye’s “I recommend that you use that to your advantage.” I notice that his servants move behind him protectively.

The atmosphere grew dark, and heavy. So I might as well ask what the second thing he wants so I can go.

“So what’s the other thing that you want?”

That snaps Carcajou out of the funk he sunk into and his smile lit up the room, his servants are looking ecstatic too and stare intently at the sack. “Oh I just want to get the first pit of the litter. And in fact I’ve already made my choice.” He reaches into the bag and pulls out of the two mother wolf puppies and the other prairie cat kitten. Handing the puppies to the servants and holds the kitten to himself... dammit should’ve negotiated after all.

“Okay that’s fine, I don’t think I could take care of them all by myself,” I felt a tug at my sides and see Vanessa looking longingly at the remaining kitten and puppies. Then turns to look at me with puppy dog eyes. Ack, my one weakness cuteness!

“Ok, ok quit it with the eyes you get next pick Vanessa.”

She pump’s her arms up and squeals “Yes!”, runs over and grabs the last mother wolf puppy. Well shit I wanted at least one mother wolf, so I guess that leaves the one I couldn’t identify and the other prairie cat, and thinking of the last wolf I should ask Carcajou since I’m here.

“Hey Carcajou do you know what the last wolf puppy is?” I ask inquisitively.

Carcajou reaches down and pulls out a the last puppy, which is a muddy brown with shades of black and grey on its pelt. He looks over it for a moment, before saying decisively “He’s a mutt mule, and no clear lineage. Anyway, come by in an hour or two and I’ll have them ready and formula, and you two can take yours home.”

The butler then usher’s us out of the lot leaving me and Vanessa on the streets.