Malcolm Tent
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Wish Upon the Stars chapter 650
🕑 Added 2024-06-19 00:00:21 +0000 UTCThe rest of the night was fairly uneventful, and when we woke up the next morning it was time for us to make the trip back to the Central Location, this time for the unenviable task of being questioned about everything we’d seen and done in the Temple and Aetherbright Academy. I used up my wishes (Fantasy, to improve my technique foundation) and after getting those seventy points, we just headed out.
“Are you ready for the questioning?” My mother asked nervously. “Did you do as I suggested and go back over the events in your head? Any missing detail might raise anger them. Your grandfather will try to make things easier on you, ostensibly as a friend of Chelsea’s, but by the very virtue of that assistance some of the others will act counter to your interests. You can expect Deathwish to be as obnoxious as possible.”
Callie gave her a bright smile from beside me. “Don’t worry Sasha. We always have each other. It’ll take more than some edgelord in a stupid robe to throw us off our game.” We were all seated in a lift headed for the Central Location, and we were going over the details one last time so we were as prepared as possible/
“I’m surprised they didn’t ask for everyone.” I said bluntly, scanning the few people who had been requested. Bethy, Gabe, Callie, and myself. “Is this some kind of credibility thing? Like only people from factions are worth talking to?”
“Yes.” Said my mother bluntly. “This interrogation will set the stage for the negotiations to come. The representatives will want to use your actions to paint your factions in a negative light, and use that leverage to further their own interests. The worst part is that everyone except your grandfather will probably be targeting you specifically.”
I blinked in surprise. “Wait…what?” Then I closed my mouth. “Shit. Zeke mentioned this. Wishes are an indispensable strategic resource. Aiden sent Harrison because he’s a ruthless bastard and will negotiate the most valuable repayment for the wishes they sell. The worse they make me look the more damage they do to the WCP’s leverage.”
“Exactly.” She said with a sigh. “Which means analyzing your every movement and questioning your every mistake.”
Bethy rolled her eyes. “Daddy says no one likes a back seat adventurer. Annoying old busybodies who poke holes are the worst.” She gave us all a bright smile, showing off her fangs. “Don’t worry, daddy will be on your side too. I already told him that if he’s mean to my friends, I’m going to find a way to turn myself into a werewolf next time I rank up.”
My mother burst out laughing, covering her mouth when we all turned to look at her. “Sorry, it’s just hilarious to know that even Morgan Lark has problems controlling his children.”
I wanted to keep up the banter, since it was helping me relax, but sadly we came to a stop. With a grimace, mom gestured for us to go. I turned to shoot her a reassuring smile, then realized I was wearing a mask and she couldn’t see it. “We’ll be fine.” I said emphatically. “We’re bringing Felicity along, since we need to get her assignment parameters anyway. She’s the toughest C-ranker around, and anyone higher up can’t mess with us without invoking the wrath of Zeke. Or grandpa. Or both.”
Giving us a fretful look, she dove forward, giving me a tight hug, then Callie. “You both be careful.” She shot my fiancee a stern look. “If you’re going to be marrying into this family you have to learn to stop him from doing stupid things. That’s half the reason his father is still alive.”
“Sure.” Said Callie with a wry smile. “Ask me to do the impossible.”
I frowned. “I don’t enjoy this. This is a suboptimal dynamic. I didn’t think this whole ‘mom liking my girlfriend’ thing through.”
Everyone chuckled as the four of us climbed out and headed into the building. We followed the same path as the last time, only when we arrived at the chamber we’d last been to there was no arena, just the throne room from before, minus any seating.
We were stopped at the door, and the massive armored black knight towered over us menacingly. Andrew, who was guarding the door with him, stepped in front of him. “Welcome.” He said cheerfully, ignoring the dreadful knight. “They’re expecting you. I’m sure no one would want you to be later meeting the representatives. Would they?”
I got the impression the knight had been planning to menace and fluster us so we came off worse inside, and Andrew had saved us. I shot him a grateful nod, which he returned, and we entered the room. Felicity, however, was stopped outside, Craygen appeared to hand over her guidelines, and we only left once Zeke stepped from the shadows to escort her to hear the verdict. He nodded solemnly to me, and I nodded back. He wouldn’t have been able to help against S-rankers in any case.
We headed to the center, where a table had been erected for us to sit at while questioned. After we took our seats, a herald called the meeting to order, and a stenographer confirmed they were keeping the minutes. Finally, the first of the representatives spoke. “Welcome.” Said Princess Liliana kindly. “We’re glad you could join us. You know why you were called?”
“Of course.” i said with a nod. “You’re hoping to question us about the circumstances of the god war. We were deeply involved in multiple aspects of its beginning, and have insight that might prove helpful. Would you like us to start with our actions in the Moonsong Glade, and continue from there?”
She beamed at me. “That would be lovely, Mr. Wyndham, thank you. Proceed with your recounting.”
And so I did. I told her about the Glade, about the ritual, about the mountain and the battle and the dew and everything. She stopped me occasionally to ask questions, with the others butting in to interject their own questions about the events. Once I finished I continued on, telling them about the Ruined Soul Temple, Travis, the experimental substance that they’d been aiming at, and everything else that had happened on that absurdly long trip.
As I reached the point of entering the Academy, the Deathwish Pope spoke up snidely. “Are you a traitor, boy, or just stupid? You admit to turning your back on a downed opponent like a fool and allowing him to slip past you and trigger a mass teleportation.”
“In my defense, at that point in my cultivation journey, I hadn’t seen nearly as many scary people.” I said bluntly. “Prior to that point, when someone got a hole the size of a bowling ball punched through their chest, they usually didn’t get back up right after. Or ever. On account of being dead.”
Deathwish glared hatefully. “Don’t speak to me as if I’m your equal boy. Show some respect.”
“For what, your ability to dress like you live in some kid’s closet?” I smirked at him, knowing he could hear it in my voice. “I’m like…nineteen. I don’t have all the answers, or much experience at all. Did I make a mistake? Sure. I’m positive you made mistakes at my age, and I’m not going to sit here and let you try to make me sound like a moron because I screwed up once.”
He snarled, eyes blazing as his hand shot forward, but I wasn’t worried. The wave of darkness that erupted from his hand was consumed by white flame almost before it left his hand.
Now, at first blush, antagonizing the S-ranker who represented the goddess who would want me dead just for existing was probably a bad idea. But this was all about appearances. He was trying to make me look like a moron, and there’s nothing more embarrassing than being tricked by a moron.
Deathwish had lost it, and that weakened his position in the negotiations. Harrison would rake him over the coals for that, and the Black Sorrow Cult would pay dearly for that little slip of temper.
“It would be useful.” Said Harrison in annoyance. “If you did not BAIT beings who might snuff out your life in an instant, Shane.” Then his gaze turned to Deathwish. “As for you, an attempt on the life of a candidate, much less a champion of the games, in full view of half a dozen representatives of major factions is an insult to the prestige of the Wish Curse Palace. Reparations WILL be extracted.”
Deathwish glared at him, but said nothing, just leaned back imperiously.
As I’d seen in the banquet, the Deathwish Pope had a nasty temper and a sadistic streak. One of his big problems was that being an S-ranker, he’d long since forgotten what consequences were like. Aside from his goddess and maybe a fellow disciple or two, he was at the top of the heap, and the Cult let people like that get away with anything.
I’d seen that in his behavior when Lark shut him down. He did look afraid, but he also seemed angry. It wasn’t that he had no self control, but more that he never had to use it and was out of practice.
His attack on me had been impulsive and reactionary, but in his mind, it was also warranted. I was an E-ranker talking shit to a Pope. Killing me would be a matter of course in the Cult, and whoever was in charge of me would have waved it off as being a matter of self defense. The Black Sorrow Cult was that kind of place.
Even a few months ago if he’d managed to kill me he could probably have just paid a fine or something to sweep it under the rug, but now he NEEDED the WCP, and things were different.
“Continue your story please, Shane.” Said Lilliana warmly. “Apologies for the interruption.”
Partly because she was being the nicest and partly because I wanted to rub it in Deathwish’s face, I did. I took them through the rest of the journey, into the academy, into the room with the chalice and down to the portal chamber where Travis had betrayed us and escaped.
That one didn’t seem to get blamed on me, they just treated it like the cost of doing business. I suppose they’d mostly been betrayed before on their way to the top.
When I finished, Harrison turned to the others. “I think we can all agree that without Shane’s heroism, we’d never have learned about this impending threat. His involvement may have been a bit haphazard, but his ignorance can’t be blamed on him. He stood against our enemies to the best of his abilities and brought back invaluable intelligence.”
“Gabriel.” My grandfather said. “Tell us your story next. Shane said that you were separated for a quite a while.”
Gabe nodded, then proceeded to recount the events of his own journey. I was interested to hear more about what he’d run into. Mostly Wolfhornigators and some other nasty creatures and a few of the cultists.
After him it was Callie’s turn. To my surprise, Captain Cataclysm lead her questioning, the big man gently coaxing the details of her own tale and asking questions about her impressions of things. Apparently the Unity highly valued their new godslayer, and I wondered if we’d see her receiving some more overt support from them in the future.
Finally, it was Bethy’s turn, and she happily filled her dad in on everything she’d seen, stopping for commentary at multiple points. It was funny to watch the group of terrifying S-rank monsters sit quietly as Bethy excitedly narrated her adventures, like the harrowing tale of finding her squirrel army, or learning the secret of turning into winged cats.
Morgan seemed interested, and when she finished, he smiled and told her she did well, then turned and glared around the room, daring anyone to try to pick on her about the details. No one met his eyes, which was even more hilarious.
With that, we were excused, and our parts in the proceedings had ended. There were still two days of the meetings to go, and we obviously wouldn’t be sitting in on those. We would find out from my grandpa how things were going, and then hear the final compromise at the banquet on the last day. Now, we just had to wait.
Comments
JJB4345_80_815
Thank you for the chappy! Friendly possible edits: Any missing detail might raise anger them. might raise anger ==> might anger “Of course.” i said with a nod. i ==> I
CringeWorthyStudios
Honestly didn’t expect the Princess to be on their side that much. Or at least genuinely be a nice person. Props to her for that. Thanks for the chapter!
Kevin McGuire
"I am Lark the big scary vampire able to make a God bleed. Don't you dare hurt my daughter's feelings!" 🤣
