Chapter 53- Taking Requests

  Citadel- Outer Courtyard- 7th day of the month ofNiffle of the 6983 GR (Morning)

  Nath’aniel-

  He could feel Psylocke materialize behind him through their bond, he wasn’t sure when that started, but yet he knew that he could have closed his eyes and pointed to exactly where she was. however, that wasn’t what bothered him. It was the sight of glowing red eyes walking out towards him and the Newmen that did.

  For now, he ignored it and looked back to the three animal humanoids still under guard before him, and asked them. "Your request, or question?”

  The snout-less countess looked towards the snouted massive elephant man. The man coughed into his fist as he tried to clear his throat, before saying. “(In our haste to gather our things from the vessel you… seized from us. We somehow missed that one of the members of our tribe was still inside a maintenance pod, in the craft. We would like her returned to us, if you could?)"

  Nath’aniel gnced up at the approaching glowing eyes, as he reached into his robes for his emitter. He activated it and asked the Citadel. “Is this true, we are holding one of their people?”

  "I have only completed around thirty percent of my inventory of the vessel, but I can confirm that there is a b that has two occupied pods. One's scans very simir to the other Newmen, but the other is vastly different from them.”

  The mage raised his eyebrows that they had missed not just one stowaway, but two. ‘Then again I have been distracted with the Servant Thesis, and aiding Erik with looking over the good Captain.’ He thought, before nodding at the Newmen. "Given that they are safe, I will give this a middling haste to free them to you, but I can assure you that by the end of next week, your colleges will be returned to you."

  The Countess finally spoke up, despite being their highest-ranked member, as she said. "(You can keep Him. He is not of the people. We just want White Tyger returned to us.)”

  “Him?” Nath'aniel asked confused. His confusion switched to surprise, when he felt mystical energy go active from inside of the rge rusty metal box.

  Baron Ivory then expined. "(The High Evolutionary did not name his test creation, it felt to use in the Assistance Core that HE saw Him, although rather powerful, but still as a failure… In all actuality, the boy is probably too powerful for us, and perhaps it would be better for him to be raised among you and your Powered members.)"

  Then Copycay stepped out of the Citadel and into the light, not only still holding the guise of his mother, but now dressed in some of her casual clothes.

  Nath’aniel then waved at the Newmen to leave, but still muttered to them. “We can settle on what will happen to them, after they have been released from their pods.”

  The three Assassin-model constructs then prodded them to move but gave Red Lion the time to bow to him before doing so. Meanwhile, the other two acted vastly different, with the bear woman ignoring the sword next to her ribs, and the massive elephant Newman cowered away from it and the machine as if the bde was poisonous or something.

  Copycat, with her back straight and her face calm, approached and joined him on the stage that they had to made early in the year so that all attendees could see him.

  He took a step to be right beside the gene-morph, and he whispered into her ear. “I see not only are you still in that form, but you have also raided my mother’s closet.”

  The tan face smirked at him before whispering back. "I am getting used to your people's eyesight. Should I not be doing that?"

  Before he could answer, they turned and looked after hearing the sound of metal being knocked over. While Copycat stared with her mouth open in surprise, Nath'aniel wasn't too surprised when he saw a personalized construct of an Ouran step out of the rusty metal box.

  It wore only animal hide to cover its groin, and was missing its left arm from the elbow down.

  Several of both the attendees and the Brotherhood took up fighting stances at the sight of the one-eyed giant. Yet all the construct did was strike his right hand towards his left shoulder twice.

  “Return the salute.” The mage told the gene-morph. For her credit, Nath’aniel was pleased that he didn’t have to tell her twice, as she returned the gesture of punching her left shoulder with her right hand.

  The giant then knelt before it powered down, allowing everyone to rex a little.

  While the others were still distracted, Nath’aniel told the woman. “As long as you are here, make yourself useful. Do you see the trio over my right shoulder in the bck jumpsuits?”

  "The SHIELD agents, yeah, I see them," Copycat admitted back in a whisper.

  "Keep an eye on the short sandy blonde one." The mage requested.

  “Oh, is she your type?” the gene-morph asked teasingly.

  In all seriousness he replied. “While I have a few friends from the lower pnes, I try not to have physical retionships with demons… You never know what kind of diseases they may be carrying.”

  “A what?” Copycat asked far too loudly. Making some of the attendees start to gossip.

  Yet he was able to sidestep the question, when Gypsy announced. “(Next, are there any ongoing requests that wish to continue those, we will handle those next.)”

  Nath'aniel saw that both the Cat People and the Zebra People raised their hands, indicating that the aid or projects that they were already receiving wished to continue things as is. Yet the mage was a little surprised when the small military alliance of the eastern tribes didn't.

  Then his disciple stated. “(We will be handling group requests next, those of you who want to pair their only request with another tribe, please indicate your groups now.)”

  Again Nath’aniel wasn’t surprised to see the Gss Talkers, Pteron, and Leaper's leaders all raise their hands, immediately. Their small alliance and ongoing conflict with the Ice Carvers was a distraction almost every other day, but now that they were indicating that they all would combine their requests together on something new worried him.

  Yet he was somewhat surprised when one of the robed sorcerers from Kamar-Taj and the new group of sorcerers also indicated that they were also combining their request. Not only him but also the female leader from Kamar-Taj was stunned for a moment before spping the older scarred veteran beside her. The mage recalled seeing him back at the battle for the Sun Temple, but not the other two with him.

  When no other tribe leaders raised their hands, so Nath’aniel pointed towards the Leaper chieftain. She stood as tall as she could, causing her modest bust to stick out a little more than they normally did, before she stepped out and spoke. “(The Ice Carvers have started a campaign of torture and terror on not just sves from our tribes but all of their sves, so we see our previous request of aid defending against them, too wanting.)’

  “(We wish to bring the fight to them, and ask that you loan us some of your… champions in said battle.)”

  The mage sighed hearing this request, as he never wanted to be the one to settle things this way. Additionally, the Brotherhood was his guests and not his ‘champions’. Still, he saw that he had set the precedent when he punished both the Nazis in the west, and more recently the Newmen in the center of the Preserve.

  Also, his thoughts went to the brash actions of the Golden People's king, attacking and attempting to start a war with Atntis and the Fall People, all so he could kidnap and rape Namor’s daughter. So in the end, he said. "I must look into your cim of torture, but if proven I will aid you with my power. Before you leave, tell one of us a location where we can meet and coordinate a possible attack."

  The mature rabbit woman smiled widely at his reply, and jumped in pce as she muttered. “(Many thanks, mage.)”

  Nath'aniel then turned and looked at the representatives from the new group of sorcerers. "I do not believe we have met, and you represent?"

  The older man among them stepped forward bowed properly to him, and as he rose introduced himself. “(I am Professor Laxman Ortani, I teach History primarily at Oxford Academy, but I also have a small following of mystic arts students that I am pleased to also teach the art to. We are here representing our university.)" Unlike everyone else, this man's mouth moved in synch with the magi that he spoke, telling the mage that the man was actually speaking in his nguage.

  “You are fluent in Magi?” Nath’aniel asked in surprise.

  "(I can read it fluently, but I can only say that introduction.)" The professor admitted, and sure enough, his lips moved like the other English-speaking representatives.

  The mage nodded, and then asked. “And you and the members from Kamar-Taj wish to combine or have simir requests, and thus you are hopeful that I will agree if you combine them?”

  Before he could answer, the sorceress who seemed to be leading the other faction stepped forward and introduced herself. "(Honored founder, I am Master Takeda… I thought you should be informed that the good professor over there was exiled from our Order for practicing Necromancy.)"

  “Oh really, trying to raise an army to defeat your enemies?” Nath’aniel jokingly asked.

  “(Trying to disprove a rule, the one which states that the dead cannot be resurrected.)” Ortani admitted.

  “(Necromancy is a dangerous path to tread.)” The tanned skin sorcerer who had asked their groups questions on history added.

  The mage squinted at them before countering his statement. “So are many of the schools of magic, it is all about your own limitations and willpower. My disciple for instance is adept to the Abyssal school and I find the school of the Darkforce the easiest to cast, yet both of them have their dangers. It is knowing what you are capable of doing and not doing that makes you a real master… at least that was what my father told me while growing up.”

  That silenced the man who an hour earlier had been debating historical facts with him.

  Nath’aniel then looked at the other older sorcerer, who other than volunteering their group had said nothing. As the silence stretched he finally asked. “Alright, what is your request? I am assuming not tea and biscuits.”

  The quiet sorcerer nudged the sorceress, who cleared her throat before answering. “(We would ask that we be allowed to compare notes with you on the Servant Thesis, since you are the first mystic arts user, to actually get it to work.)”

  That bought them another length of silence. Nath’aniel could feel a sting of anger from the two bonds that he had. As well as the snarling face that Magneto was making over by the Asgardians. Add in the many of the confused faces the tribal humans and beast-folk had after hearing the request.

  Unsurprising it was Hathor that broke the silence with her loud belly ugh as she pointed and ughed at the woman for asking for such a thing, and even said as much. “You honestly think he would give you such secrets, just because you asked? Hells, that is as bold as me asking for him to hand over the Holy Grail that he possesses.”

  ”(You have the Holy Grail seed?!)" The tanned sorcerer asked him, his mouth left open in surprise.

  Nath’aniel rubbed his temples before he corrected their assumption. “I do not… and I assure everyone in attendance that such a thing is not on Earth. You honestly think Odin would let us keep such a treasure?”

  “I can agree that he would not.” Lady Freya added from her spot of the event.

  Then the scarred sorcerer finally spoke up, offering. “(We do not pn to just take the knowledge from you, we offer an exchange. For I possess the location of your mother. If you aid us in our endeavor, I will reveal to you her hidden location.)”

  That caused the mage to ugh now. The first time he held Entreatmeant Day, it was their faction that told him that his father had killed the woman for tearing the Veil. The anger from Psylocke skyrocketed before spirit jumped and materialized to pick up the bigger heavier man by his colr.

  Then as she stared into the older man’s eyes his Assassin reminded him. “It was your master and leader that told him that his father was the one who had killed her.”

  "(Killed her body, yes, but she didn't suffer True Death.)" The scarred sorcerer coughed out softly. Psylocke lowers the man back onto the ground. He coughed twice before adding. "(Think about it logically. Yes, she tore the veil, but the army of demons that came through, who would be the more tempting target, the open unprotected immortal souls of the Magi army, or the limited mortal Atntean souls?)”

  “What are you implying?” Psylocke asked before drawing her sword.

  “That she made a Deal.” Nath’aniel guessed. His Servant shifted her body enough to be able to look at both him and the scarred man. “That she contacted Mephisto, and offered her uncorrupted soul in exchange for his army.”

  "(It would make sense. The demon army was so set on Atntis' destruction, that they sunk not only their capital but all of their isnd territories.)" The tanned sorcerer pointed out.

  “(A soul that he has since abandoned in his domain.)” Master Takeda guessed.

  "(Especially since, Bckheart's, his son's successful coup left the demon prince trapped here on Earth, and he has been body jumping just to survive ever since.)" The scared sorcerer reminded his colleagues.

  “And?” Nath’aniel suddenly asked them.

  “(And I will tell you where your mother is and the new identity she is using to protect herself.)” The old sorcerer offered.

  “If I give you the means to bind your own Servants?” the mage asked for crification. When the man nodded his agreement, Nath’aniel added. “Then my statement stands, ‘And?’” When many people stared at him confused he realized that he needed to remind them of the way that his people worked. “I barely knew the woman. I was a gift from my people to my father for services rendered. In my seventy-three years of life, I have maybe spent three of them in her company.’

  “What, you think I am about to run off and go collect her lost soul to bring her back to live with me? I think not. All that would accomplish, is it would allow me to bring her back to stand trial for her crimes against the Veil.”

  The look on the scarred man's face told Nath'aniel that he had both given an unexpected and upsetting response to his offer. However, before anyone else could add or continue the professor asked. "(And what would it take to allow us to have the discussion? From your comment to the king, it clearly isn't money, but you must want something. A magic relic, a tomb of lost knowledge, an exotic dish, what?)"

  The mentioning of food sparked a recent memory in the mage. 'Berserker was secretly feeding…' Nath'aniel recited the cyborg's words in his mind. Not wanting to py any further games, he pointed at the scarred sorcerer and asked. "I can tell from her ck of eagerness that you're the real pressure to learn it, so tell me what would you do with the knowledge once obtained?"

  Without blinking, the magic user answered him. “(I would hold my wife again.)”

  Then the mage pointed at Ortani. “And you?”

  The supposed teacher did blink, but after that he too admitted. “(I would debate with my father again.)”

  Hearing their answers Nath'aniel looked Magneto in the eye. The mutant leader shrugged his shoulders, unsure of what he should do. Then the mage looked at his disciple, Gypsy also had no answer for him, as she actually raised her hands as she too shrugged.

  Then he gave his answer. "The price is service." Both groups of mystic arts users were surprised and reacted in their own way to that. Some shaking their head, others blinking, and one just stared with their mouth hanging open. So Nath'aniel added. "The Ancient One calls me founder, but I have no direct ties to your order, perhaps it is time that I live up to that name.'

  “At the start of next week, return here. Know that you must be willing to spend at least a decade or more working in my name for the gift you are asking for.”

  The mage was about to point and get to the next request, but the still un-introduced sorcerer asked. “Why a week?”

  "Because I have other requests to fulfill, and magic items to craft." The mage bluffed.