Fantasy Cursed Island

[Fangs9090]

Erina shook her head. "I know almost nothing about either. I've been content without either one."

Niudisa spoke up again. "It's an easy path to power for those who are willing to grovel at the feet of a higher being."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Adran seems to have the demons groveling at his feet, usually," Emfa shrugged.

"Demons respond to power, and Adran's got so many favors to call he's more powerful than what he summons."

 

[Fangs9090]

Corona spoke up. “I met a black market dealer like that once, only without the demons part.”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"I love those places," Jerry smiled, "I can make a lot of money on a black market. Get some pretty good tools, too." If you wanted a custom magic item and didn't have a personal enchanter in your backpocket, you could find someone to make it happen on a black market. For the right price, anyway.

 

[Fangs9090]

Corona nodded. “She made me a tunic for under my armor. That’s what I was wearing before Erina made me one.”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"I got my tools on the black market." Jerry said, "If I'd have known mimics were as versatile as Poli, I'd have sprung for one, though."

 

[Fangs9090]

The lockbox in the corner spoke up. “Wait, what?”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Don't act so surprised," Jerry shook her head, "You're the first talking mimic I've ever met. Out of... I guess you'd be in the nineties at this point, you're the first that was more than a stupid animal." She held up a cup, "A tiny mimic this size, trained in locks? Skeleton key."

 

[Fangs9090]

“Mm... Fine.”

Corona shrugged. “Even then, slaves are a thing on the black market as well. You could buy a centaur if a horse doesn’t suit you.”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"That's the part I don't like," Jerry shook her head, "Servants are one thing, slaves are another. Bought loyalty is better than loyalty through fear."

 

[Fangs9090]

Corona nodded. "The latter will stab you in the back if they think they can get away with it."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Fear only earns loyalty until another can provide more fear," Nalla agreed, "With money, at least there is a transaction that guarantees loyalty."

 

[Fangs9090]

Niudisa glanced over. "Unless someone else makes another transaction with even more money to make them turn."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Then they are even weaker than their employer," Nalla sighed.

 

[Fangs9090]

Niudisa shrugged. "All my underlings are stripped of their will, with good reason. The undead can't be bought or scared."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Until someone learns Turn Undead," Ellone shrugged, "But that's a divine caster spell, not arcane."

 

[Fangs9090]

Niudisa nodded. "Every spell has a counter, but that's a relatively small group I need to worry about. I'm also a really small target, and I've yet to reanimate something that could actually hit me if it tried."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Ellone shrugged, "Whatever flutters your..." she frowned when she realized the state of Niudisa's wings and then shut her mouth.

 

[Fangs9090]

Niudisa paused for a moment before holding a hand up to her ear. "My what? I didn't quite catch that."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Nope, not stepping in that mess," Ellone shook her head.

 

[Fangs9090]

"Mmhm. I was born a nature fairy. I picked up dark magic and became a dark fairy, lost my connection to nature magic. This is the result."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Stupid," Ellone muttered, "You mutilated yourself for power."

 

[Fangs9090]

"That I did. And I have the power. Anything I lost from that, I can do without."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Oh, sure that's easy to say now," Ellone rolled her eyes, "While you're young and your power isn't waning, but in twenty years, then what? What are you gonna do when you're old and gross because of what you've done to yourself, and the only way people will talk to you is out of fear of what you'll do to them if they don't?"

 

[Fangs9090]

Niudisa just grinned. "I'll deal with that when I get there."