The Bargainer 15

The Bargainer
Chapter 15

-VB-

I came back to Planetos to see how my subjects in the city of Saath have been. Arriving in what appeared to be the worship room filled with precious gems, metals, and even silk, I found a statue bearing the likeness of my canine form staring down at all those who entered the extremely tall room.

“A bit gaudy,” I mumbled to myself before walking up to and then jumping on top of what looked like the central altar. Then I sat down and looked around. My Battle Wolf statue was covered in gold. The walls were covered in gold. The floors and ceiling were covered in gold. What weren’t gold shined with rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, and other precious gems whose names I knew nothing of.

Being in this room, I wondered what kind of people Saathians had become in my year long absence.

This … made me question how I should go about meeting my “disciples.” Should I gather information from the locals without exposing myself? Should I listen in my followers’ discussions among themselves by taking ethereal and invisible forms?

I froze when the door creaked open and a procession of men and women wearing wolf headdresses entered the room. They carried with them even more of the precious goods… and then they lifted their head.

They froze when they saw me.

None of them recognized me.

I recognized none of them. Obviously, they were my priests - of some sort - but they had to be … lower ranking?

“You dare to defile the Altar of the Wolf without consecrating yourself?!” one of the priests roared as he pushed his way to the forefront.

Consecrate?

Bro.

I don’t remember asking that kind of shit from my followers.

Slowly, I stood up on top of the altar and peered down at the shouting priest who stood at the front of the procession of priests. All of them had a dagger of some kind and had pulled them out.

“Drag him out and let the Princes of Saath cast their judgement upon him!”

They rushed me.

… And I let them take me. Honestly, the knives couldn’t harm me at this point; the numerous tantric rituals I’ve been part of made sure that my body was blessed on top of improving my partners. The guys here would need to get something like, I don’t know, a tank if they wanted to hurt me properly.

They dragged me out of the “Altar of the Wolf” and out into the halls of what I assumed was a temple dedicated to me.

These priests who dragged me away like a criminal, and I supposed that I was a criminal in their eyes, dressed not in flowing robes that most priests across many worlds and universes often do but fashioned themselves more as warriors and hunters. I wondered if that would change far down the line.

… How exciting! I made a religion!

Okay, but seriously, the temple wasn’t as gaudy as the altar. Arches dominated the open hallways and closed doorways. The ceiling was more art than roof; fresco depicting how I saved the city from the dothraki as well as scenes of the followers receiving their gifts displayed itself for all to see. The marble tiled floor, despite obvious heavy foot traffic, reflected a blurry mirror image of me.

I heard a massive double door open, and passed underneath a massive archway with double doors that - once again - looked more like art pieces than doors.

Finally, they tossed me with not inconsiderable strength at the foot of a dais. I slowly looked up and met the eyes of … oh, that’s Gabriel, one of the followers from when I handed out Cauldron vials! If I remembered, I gave her that name because of how her wings reminded me of angels.

Her eyes widened as she too recognized me. She stumbled out of her throne and rushed down the wide stairs of the dais and hit the ground on her knees as she helped me up.

“I am so sorry, Your Grace! None of the acolytes and newly raised priests knew of your human form! Please forgive them!” she stuttered out as she helped me up and then kowtowed in her supplication. Everyone in this room - it looked like a throne room of some sorts - gawked at Gabriel. They quickly followed her in bowing and planting themselves to the ground. The ones who brought me did so even more quickly than the rest, shivering in fear.

I laughed as I bent down this time and helped her up.

“Rise! I don’t want shivering and sniveling dogs,” I chuckled and the unnerved priests, followers, and other gatherers in this place rose up unsteadily and unsurely.

“But they -!” she protested even as tears gathered in her eyes and fell down the sides of her mocha-toned face.

“No buts,” I hushed before running my hand across one of her wings and patting her head with the other hand. “If I say so, then it is so. Besides, I got to see this place. I’ll take that as a win.”

She looked at me with wide eyes. “You are … very different than how you were before.”

“Am I?” I asked her. “Or is this merely what I am like when I am relaxed?”

She bowed again. “I cannot claim to know what a god like you think, Your Majesty. Please forgive me for assuming.”

“There is nothing to forgive,” I huffed. “Now, where are your brothers and sisters. I have been gone for a year, and you have achieved much!”

“A year, Your Majesty…?” she asked as she looked back up. “It’s been five years.”

… Oh.

Well.

I supposed that time distortion and differing flow was a real thing.

She bowed again. “Many of my siblings are out in their own missions. Only I and four others are here today. We humbly apologize for not anticipating your arrival!”

I snorted. “I would be made if all of you were here doing nothing. No, I find your willingness to go out and work for the benefit of your family and city to be a greater work than preparing to greet me!” I replied magnanimously. “How about you bring your siblings here, if they are not busy of course, and tell me what’s been happening!”

Because if I don’t know what’s been going on, then I don’t think I can make the correct decision in where to guide you to be Cauldron’s beta site.