“Five hundred a head?” Michael repeated.
“No. Five a head. It’s about as much as it costs us to feed them while they wait for the next batch to be teleported. We put them up in the bunker until it’s time to go.”
Michael snorted, then started to laugh at that. “And how many actually teleport over after that? None?”
Frowning, Felix mulled that one over. He didn’t quite understand what he meant.
“We teleport them all of course. I’d not let our people cheat them,” Felix said a little defensively.
“No, I didn’t mean it like that. I meant, how many actually want to teleport after you casually give them an option, charge them about as much as it would for fast food to provide them a meal, and give them safety at the same time while waiting for the next group.”
“I don’t know… I never looked into it.”
“Not many,” Andrea Prime said from his left side. She was still a bit sulky after he pulled in the Andrea Other and Adriana Prime on his night out, and she hadn’t been allowed to go.
“Interesting. I suppose seeing is believing since the offer is made while they’re still in the shell,” Felix said.
“Is it?” came a cold voice from above him.
Craning his neck around, Felix found no one there.
“What are you doing?” Andrea asked.
“Does your neck hurt? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you to do that to me,” Adriana Prime said.
Andrea Prime had confusion written across her face when she looked at her sister.
“You didn’t hear that?” Felix asked, looking from the two Beastkin to Michael, ignoring Adriana’s comment entirely.
“Hear what?” Michael asked.
“They can’t hear me,” came the voice again. “I wish to bargain. Go to the top of the tower. Alone. We will speak.”
Felix looked back to the training field, not really seeing anything. He wasn’t sure who had just spoken to him. If he followed his gut, he’d bet on it being a god.
“You alright?” Michael asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I think I could a use a minute alone and see the lay of the land at the same time though,” Felix said, turning to face the tower coming up out of the keep.
It was a massive stone structure reinforced with steel and magic. Felicia had come out personally to build and set it up. It could theoretically withstand a direct hit from a tank shell or an artillery round. Which meant on this world it was practically untouchable. Since the enemy force couldn’t really muster anything near that level of power, that was.
It served as an observation post that had great defense.
Thankfully it had an elevator, but it was a slow ponderous thing that moved more through magical application than actual machinery. Apparently most of the tower had to be forfeited to its integrity needs, which forced some things to be sacrificed.
Like elevator speed.
Michael waved his hand at him and started walking away. “Have fun with that. I personally only go up when I have to. Elevator takes for-fucking-ever.”
This better be worth it.
“I’m here,” Felix said, standing at the very top of the tower. There were numerous viewing slits that were all fitted with extremely thick laminated glass.
The elevator ride had been every bit as slow as everyone said it was.
Thankfully the top was enclosed and heated, otherwise this might have been an abysmally chilly adventure, as well as boring.
A woman and a man appeared as if they’d always been there. The woman was attractive, older, and built like she ate only when she wasn’t working off the calories. Additionally she was tall, wide of frame, and clothed in animal furs. Hooked to her belt was what could only be described as a battle axe.
If she wasn’t a warrior, Felix would give up his ownership of Legion.
Standing to her left was a shorter, chubby man that was practically drowning in furs. Each and every finger of his hands was adorned with gold rings. He had pale blond hair and grey eyes. He’d probably be attractive if he wasn’t overweight.
“I am Abera,” said the woman. “This tub of lard is my husband, Desh.”
Smiling, Desh said nothing in response. He bowed his head fractionally to Felix.
“You are Felix. Leader of your country,” Abera stated.
“I am,” Felix said.
He knew Abera had been the one who had attacked his people in the field. Felix didn’t know who or what Desh was, but he could assume he was from the same pantheon.
“I have watched your people for a while. Some of your people worship the old ones, but few. As a country, you have no god,” Abera said.
“That’s correct. Legion has no shared religion.”
“You should turn to us,” Abera said, taking a step forward towards Felix.
“I see no reason to. I’ll not put on your yoke,” Felix said, staring up at the goddess.
“Do you not fear me? You should kneel before me,” Abera hissed.
“No. I made a deal with a third party who I believe you know. My agreement was to not influence your religion, and I believe your side made the pledge to not directly attack me or mine. I’m not sure if they’ll come back to renegotiate for you, but I could ask them just to see, if you like?” Felix asked.
Maybe this’ll be a chance to see and w—
“No! No. I will abide by the arrangement. There is no need to bring… them… here,” Abera said quickly, taking three steps backward.
Desh had the appearance of a man who wanted to hide somewhere with the change in conversation.
There was no reason for them to be trying this unless they were desperate. He wasn’t sure about Desh but he’d bet he was the god of trade from what he could see of the man.
Which Legion had effectively crushed when it entered into negotiations here. Almost all trade was done with, in, or on Legion territory.
And War, Abera’s domain, wasn’t much of a possibility anymore in this neck of the woods.
Legion stomped the local military into the dirt. There would be no war in this area that Legion didn’t get involved in.
Then immediately crush.
No, they needed him for those reasons, but he got the impression there was something else going on as well.
He’d bet it was an internal issue in their pantheon. One large enough that “the band was breaking up” so to speak, and they needed a place to lay their heads.
Or that was Felix’s guess at least.
Lucky for them, Legion needed a defense against gods. Gods fighting gods seemed like a valid defense.
And right here and now seemed like a prime opportunity to get the best deal for himself.
“I take it you’re having troubles on the home-front?” Felix asked as casually as could be.
Abera froze up at the question.
Her head turned just a fraction towards Desh. Felix almost missed it. Almost.
Abera needed to work on her body language. Everything he wanted to know was answered in that one second.
“I’ll take that as a yes, then?” Felix asked.
Desh let out a slow breath, literally deflating before Felix’s very eyes.
“You have the right of it,” said the man in a deep voice. “Our home has been torn asunder. When we formed together, many many years ago, we took in gods from other worlds. Those with no power, but experience. Our world was young then. Very young.
“Now that the portal has opened, many of those very same gods have returned home. Leaving us with missing aspects. Holes.”
Makes sense. And also explains all the new religions cropping up back home. Or old religions, as it were.
“I think I can make an offer—”
“We were told how you maintain power in your country. We’ll not subject ourselves to ownership. That’s simply not possible,” Desh said, interrupting Felix. Desh’s voice was firm, giving Felix the hint that there’d be no budging on that.
Huh. I wonder who they got that from. That kinda narrows the possibilities, though.