Devil, Devil

"Devil, Devil" is a [SEASON NUMBER] thread written on [IRL DATE].
==Summary==
[Write a summary of the thread's events here, including spoilers and important plot details. Check the Order of Threads to see if the thread you are placing already has a summary, to make less work for yourself.]
==Full Text==
Around midnight, in the dark but still-warm summer air surrounding the Wilderwest kingdom’s palace, a slight shiver traveled up the stone walls, a sensation that had almost no noise besides a sub-bass humming that made the windows rattle slightly in their panes. The noise made its way through the structure, causing fragile valuables to jitter precariously and banners and tapestries to sway as though rocked by a breeze. The very grounds of the castle buzzed slightly, all of the vibrations leading to the resting place of a specific bodyguard.
ᴡᴀᴋᴇ.
moe-lazyeye
Stonegit’s eyes snapped open from where he leaned against a wall, and he shook himself awake.
The night had been long, full of risky and potentially disastrous choices, and stressful. He had stopped momentarily to rest his eyes, and had accidently dozed a little more than he had intended.
He was about to pass thr voice off as a dream, but then the feeling filling the area settled into his bones, and he frowned. “Who’s there?”
demon-in-the-dungeon
The vibrations lowered into a stream centered at the knot of his chest, and it felt like a slow tug that led outside the walls of the castle, seemingly leading towards the center of the courtyard. There were no more words, only a very strong, intense feeling.
moe-lazyeye
Stonegit’s eyes narrowed. Could this be the demon I asked for? No…Woodchuck would have introduced me, and honestly speaking I half expected it to be Shax…not that it would matter in the end…
He took a cautious step. “I’m in no mood for dangerous theatrics… just business…”
demon-in-the-dungeon
As Stonegit’s boot carefully pressed against the stone tiles of the courtyard, a flare of energy began blooming outwards across the ground, waves of platinum and white gold, and as they reached the various plants and walls and decorations of the courtyard, they melted upwards, and the texture changed from neatly quarried stone and thick leaves into a dark, shimmering rock surface reminiscent of obsidian. The streaks of light slowly filtered higher into a loose sphere, blocking out the sky and encompassing the man in a unlit cave with no entrance. There was an ambient silence of slight echoes and creaks, and the continuation of a deep thrum that vibrated in Stonegit’s lungs.
moe-lazyeye
“Pheeew…okay…” Stonegit breathed as he absentmindedly reached into his breast pocket to produced a thin rolled cigar. He glanced around for a nearby torch or candle, and then tucked it away again with a hiss through his teeth when he realized there wasn’t one. He steadied his air, and then tried again. “I’ve spent a long time in ethereal places…gotta say yours is nicer than most…You came here for a reason and I’m guessing that reason is because you’re in the market for a deal…so why don’t we exchange terms…”
demon-in-the-dungeon
The hum in the air increased slightly and across the cave, a pair of hollow stone eyes flared with white light, revealing a stern male face flawlessly carved of the same dark, glittering stone. The head of the statue appeared to be quite a bit larger than an ordinary human’s proportions, and the rest of the figure was still shrouded in darkness.
ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴄᴏɴꜰɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ, ᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ʜᴏʟᴅ ᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇᴅɢᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴡʜᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴘᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ. The voice was incredibly deep and resounding, with the barest trace of emotion to its words. Some kind of serene irritation. The consciousness that Stonegit was able to sense was not alive and hot and writhing and passionate as Nalaagura’s was, but instead, it felt like frigid marble, sitting motionless before him like the statue he was now speaking with. It was incredibly alien and isolating, from the way he pronounced his soundless words to the limited spectrum of his emotion. ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟɪᴀʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍʏ ʀᴇᴀʟᴍ?
moe-lazyeye
Stonegit reached for the cigar again, his fingers moving idly around with his pocket…
He took his time to answer. Not was not the moment to come off as insolent within his confidence. “I am not.” He answered evenly. “But if I am correct, you are linked through relation or relationship to Nalaagura. I seek a deal…”
demon-in-the-dungeon
The statue hummed, both physically and vocally. ɴᴀʟᴀᴀɢᴜʀᴀ. A slow weight settled on Stonegit’s mind. ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇꜱᴛɪɴɢ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴜʀᴘʀɪꜱɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ, ᴍᴏʀᴛᴀʟ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ ʀᴀʀᴇ. ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴅᴇᴀʟ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ.
moe-lazyeye
Stonegit continued to put a conscious effort into remaining calm, and his voice neutral. A part of him knew he ought to wait for Nala to oversee this deal. Or wait for a more familiar entity to deal with.
However…he knew what he asked for would not, and could not come cheaply. So this would have to do. The sooner all of this was done, or rather undone, the sooner the last ties to any desire for vengeance or dealings on general with two high tensions neighbors would he severed… and Stonegit left a man free of his own plight.
He spoke carefully. “There is a man who is badly injured…paralyzed. I want you to heal him.”
demon-in-the-dungeon
ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴏꜰꜰᴇʀ ᴍᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ꜱᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ᴍɪʀᴀᴄʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ? He sounded routine. Expectant.
moe-lazyeye
Stonegit knew what he was willing to do. But he didnt want to swindle himself.
“What can you offer? What price? And are you running any discounts?”
demon-in-the-dungeon
ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴡᴇʟʟ. ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘʀɪᴄᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴅᴇᴇᴅ ɪꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɪɴᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴇᴇᴋ.
The eyes continued to coldly glow, watching, waiting.
moe-lazyeye
Stonegit’s eyes narrowed. “My indifference..? You’ll have to explain…”
demon-in-the-dungeon
ɪꜱ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴘʀɪᴄᴇ ᴅɪꜱᴛᴀꜱᴛᴇꜰᴜʟ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ? There was another slight noise from behind the statue, a slight grating of rock on rock, only it echoed deeply, bouncing off of thousands of hard, stone surfaces in the darkness that were only acknowledged by the ear, not the eye. It spoke of a space much, much larger than was visible.
moe-lazyeye
“Only because it is vague…” Stonegit answered cautiously. “Even the seemingly most open an closed cases with demon deals always have a loop, or an exploit. I’ve suffered from them as often as I’ve done the exploiting. Do you care the explain this price in full? Or is there something else you desire?”
demon-in-the-dungeon
A stiff mental blade wedged its way into Stonegit’s thoughts, like a knife through warm butter. ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴛᴀᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴍɪɴᴅ ɪꜱ ʜᴀʀʀᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇꜱᴏᴍᴇ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ. ᴘᴜʀꜱᴜɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴄᴏꜱᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴏᴛʜᴇʀꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴍɪɴᴅꜰᴜʟɴᴇꜱꜱ.
moe-lazyeye
This is already getting out of hand…there’s no way Nala would send someone like this my way. He must have caught wind of the deal on his own…I can’t risk losing any of my thoughts and feelings, My children need them…
Stonegit back up as if he could escape the mental carving by moving his physical self. He had worried about this…even with the likes of the more neutrally minded Shax. Demons could ask for seemingly little, a thought, a feeling, a memory, and turn it into a price that would suck away your entire life. It was better just to bite the bullet, just like he had done with the Warden so many years ago.
Now he spoke quickly, knowing that the statement could either resolve the problem, or make it instantly worse. In case of the latter he really hopped the Warden was near by. Honesty would be best. “As any good business maker I sought to hear your offer first for both practical reason and to be courteous. I meant no offence by seeking clarification. But if you’re troubled by this I can tell you what I have for exchange…”
Stonegit drew a breath.
“Time…”
ᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ᴀɴ ᴀʀᴄʜᴅᴇᴍᴏɴ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴀᴛ ʜɪꜱ ᴅɪꜱᴘᴏꜱᴀʟ. The voice sounded slightly bored, now, though the words continued to strike an unnerving chord with their weight and resonance. ᴍʏ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇꜱᴛ ɪɴ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴏꜰꜰᴇʀ ɪꜱ ᴍᴇᴀɢᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀʀɪꜱᴏɴ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴅᴏ ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴɪᴛɪᴀʟ ᴏꜰꜰᴇʀ.
moe-lazyeye
Bored is better than angry… Stonegit figured, the intensity of the situation prickling his skin. “No sir I don’t think I would…But true, time for an immortal is meager, but it could also be referred to as life force. The energy a soul creates to keep a body alive, its one of the oldest and consistently valuable trade resources humans have leveraged with demons since the beginning of time, outside of their very souls. By that definition, does it now interest you?”
demon-in-the-dungeon
There was an echoing pause. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɴᴇᴡ ᴘʀɪᴄᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴀᴍᴇ, ɪꜱ ɪᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ꜱᴏᴜʟ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ᴜᴘ ꜰᴏʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇɴꜱᴀᴛɪᴏɴ?
moe-lazyeye
Stonegit sighed in some resignation. “Not quite. I gave up my soul once for someone who had died. I just want this man healed. But…but…” He pressed his lips together, he knew the wording of this had to be done very carefully.
“I can give you a portion of my life for every year this man lives healed of an injury I gave him. I’m not sure how to say this efficiently, so I’ll use an example to express my point. Let’s say I give you a day for every year he lives after this deal. Assume he dies five years later. At that point, whatever day I am destined to die in this life, becomes five days closer than its original date. In the end I die sooner than I would have, you can keep that life energy, as it wouldn’t be wasted up in my body.”
demon-in-the-dungeon
ᴍᴏʀᴛᴀʟꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴜꜱᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴇxᴘɪʀᴇ. ᴛᴏ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴘᴜʀᴘᴏꜱᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴜʟꜰɪʟʟ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ. The knife twisted a little bit further and deeper. ꜱᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴀꜱ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴍᴀɴ ʜᴀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘʀɪᴄᴇ. ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇ ᴏɴᴡᴀʀᴅꜱ ɪɴ ᴀ ɴᴇᴡ ꜱʜᴀᴘᴇ, ᴀꜱ ɪᴛ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ.
moe-lazyeye
Stonegit was quiet for a long time. Not because he was deciding whether or not to accept, but rather simply dissecting the demons convoluted speech enough to understand it.
No good once I expire so he needs something now…
Allowing me a future of purpose and seeking perfection while still dealing with him is potentially acceptable…  
As long as he has trouble me…Eindride only troubled me personally for a span of days, a few weeks at most…but plus for however long he has left to trouble me. That could either mean however much longer he has to live, which could easily be decades. Or how long he’s ‘troubling me.’ Which after this deal could be none at all. Provided everyone keeps to themselves and doesn’t start a senseless war…
That would be the price, and I move on in a new shape? Does that mean aged? Weaker?
The biggest risks were the ‘has and would trouble’ part, and the ‘new shape’ part. Asking an arch-demon for clarification was not a smart idea. Stonegit learned that much just by trying to split hairs to often with a King.
Stonegit drummed his fingers. “Eindride troubled me for no more than a few weeks. He still lives however, and if he keeps good health he could live another twenty years easily. Are those the years and weeks you seek to take now? If so, I’m afraid my new form would not be strong enough to allow me to travel home.”
demon-in-the-dungeon
ᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱᴏ ʟɪᴛᴇʀᴀʟ, he stated simply. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴍᴀɴ ɪꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴀʀᴇ. A grating mental probe scraped over the turmoil of emotions that Stonegit had been feeling ever since the day of Haddock’s death, the only flash of unbidden explanation he was allowed before the demon withdrew completely. The glowing eyes dimmed to be almost dark again, and the emotionless stone face waited for a response.
moe-lazyeye
Stonegit bit his lip, and grunted once as the swell of bitter memories flashed in his mind. He swallowed, still trying his best to understand the cryptic being in front of him.
Care for him? Of him? Care in general?…..this isn’t working.
The carefully stepped back. “By no fault of yours…I fear you are beyond my understanding…I must withdraw…”
demon-in-the-dungeon
ᴜɴꜰᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴀᴛᴇ. The eyes grew brighter very rapidly, to the point of being absolutely blinding, and he intoned, ꜰᴀʀᴇᴡᴇʟʟ, ꜱᴛᴏɴᴇɢɪᴛ ᴇʟᴍɪꜱꜱ.
Everything abruptly went black as he lost consciousness. When Stonegit came to, he was laying on his back in the courtyard as dawn began to break across the Wilderwest. In his loosely-curled fist was a small, obscure stone totem that was carved to the point of being almost slippery.
Behind him, there was a few shocked gasps and a clank of armor, and a few of the castle guards jumped, one of them clutching her chest in alarm. “Stonegit!?” the lead guard sputtered. “Thank the gods! What on earth were you doing!? You’ve been gone all night, we couldn’t find you til now, sir!”
moe-lazyeye
“Oh!” Stonegit staggered as he let them help him too his feet. “Fuck! For once Egil is going to kill me instead of the other way around. The kids must be worried sick.” He paced in a quick circle as he patted the guard’s shoulder armor appreciatively.  “I was just…uh…”
Burning up important peace sanction documents seeking personal redemption but also figuring it would prevent future hostility between us and the wildest north before trying to make a deal with an arch demon…?
“I need to get home…” He finished, and strode off. He frowned as he broke into a jog, and studied the totem. “What is this…?”
Category:BOTGD 2
Category:Events
Category:Act I
Category:Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss
Category:Neual