A Most Agreeable Bargain

I

o0o

"Badru, you and your men stand accused of disturbing the peace." The elder glared at the young man and his companions. To the sides, the families of the men stared at them silently, awaiting judgment. Nalaisi glanced at Badru, wondering if this would mean the end of their betrothal.

"For countless decades, our people have existed peacefully with the cliff-dwellers. So long as we did not disturb them, they left us in peace and even traded valuable items to us and offered us protection against those who would destroy our tribe. You threatened that balance."

The crime was indeed serious. One observer sat in silence, and Nalaisi was almost unaware of her gaze shifting over to the silent one. He was a somber figure, garbed in flowing robes that had elegant, intricate designs along the hems of it. Every time she had ever seen him, he evoked an aura of quiet dignity, and what was more, a certainty in the power he claimed to hold. It was hard to see why Badru and his companions would seek to antagonize such a one, for any reason other than the brashness of youth.

The observer turned his head, the pale grayish-blue protrusions from his face flowing down his chest like a beard. Their eyes met, Nalaisi finding herself becoming lost in the seeming abyss of Yorigthi's stare. A warm knot formed itself in the pit of her stomach, and she shifted.

"We were only trying to defend the village!" the leader of the small group protested.

"What provocation did the ones amongst the cliffs offer us?" the elder demanded.

"They... were planning something. We're certain of it!" one of Badru's companions declared. "How can we trust those who shroud themselves in secrecy?"

If there was any observer who might have agreed to this, they were wise enough to be silent. Yorigthi rose from his seat, and the others in the chamber turned towards him. Standing a head taller than the tallest person in the village, the figure was impressive as he stared down at the others, his wooden staff clutched firmly in his hand although he did not lean on it.

Nalaisi took a slow breath as the being from the cliffs took several steps forward. The understated elegance of his robes lent gravity to his presence. The tentacles that grew from the lower half of his face were slightly taut, their ends curled almost imperceptibly in what passed among his kind for a smirk. Several syllables ground from his throat, carried through the air in the way only magic could. A rumble came from deep within the earth, not enough to cause the building to collapse, but more than strong enough to make itself known.

"Give it up, boys." A sigh rumbled from the Teuthid's throat as he shook his head. "Initially, this amused me. However, you are now a mere annoyance. My kind has responded to such insults with death." His words hung in the air, and she heard a small sob from one of the women she recognized as the mother of one of the men.

"Baseless accusations have been levied upon me, and attempts were made to intrude upon the peace of my home. Reparations will be made."

Nalaisi leaned forward, eyes wide as Yorigthi took several more steps forward, now standing near the condemned as he stared down at them. With morbid fascination, she wondered if Yorigthi would eat their brains. There were rumors that the tentacled ones would flay minds and devour what lay inside the skull.

"My inheritance! I give it to you," Badru begged, seeing his folly.

"What need have I of your inheritance, boy? A bit of farmland, a few pieces of gold?, a handful of livestock?" he scoffed. The family estate was worth considerably more than that, but then with the mystery that surrounded the cliff-dwellers, who know what really had value to them? They seemed content with living on the shore, away from the fertile valleys and wells that sustained the village.

The men looked perplexed as they considered what they could offer him. All together, they were a group of men with various abilities. Some were more inclined to the ways of sword and steel, but her brother Njau was skilled in the arts of magic, and had used his powers to challenge Yorigthi. If the Teuthid wanted, he could demand that they become enslaved to him and serve him in whatever capacity he deemed fit.

"Mercy, please!" Badru's mother wailed. Several people looked at her, others at Yorigthi to see how he would react. Nalaisi opened her mouth, about to say something. What could or should she say? Badru was her fiance, as his betrothed did she not have a duty to stand up for him? And a good sister should also come to the defense of her brother.

Yorigthi lifted his cane in the air, and there were several gasps. Then everyone became still.

Nalaisi blinked as she glanced around. After a couple of moments, she realized that time had basically frozen, as if the passing moments had been encapsulated in the silence that surrounded her. There was no rustle of palms, no singing of the birds, or the distant chatter of the marketplace. She looked at her mother, gently touching the older woman's arm. There was no indication of a response. Not even a blink of an eye.

Was she the only one here who could move? But why? Her attention was captured as Yorigthi lowered his staff to the ground and moved towards her.

"Your betrothed, brother, and their companions believe that I plotted against your village. That I intended to devour their livestock, enslave their men and children, rape their women, eat their brains, claim the salt flats as my own-"

"I did not believe their claims," Nalaisi argued. Her few interactions with him in the past had always been respectful. Despite his appearance, she had never sensed ill intent from him. Yes, the ones who lived on the cliffs were secretive, but many of the humans would tell you that it was better that they live apart. Their appearance simply was too alien for a good amount of the villagers to be comfortable with. The villagers lived life as they had always, farming, fishing, and harvesting salt to augment their trade.

"Badru was not wrong about one thing. I do desire you."

"... Oh," was all she could muster as comprehension of his words begun to dawn upon her. He advanced toward her with several more steps, moving past Badru and his companions. She shifted slightly on the smooth stone upon which she sat, but did not move back in fear of offending him.

She knew she should remind him of the fact that she was betrothed, but Yorigthi already knew that, didn't he? Afternoon sunlight filtered in through the latticed shutters of the hall, casting stripes of shadow as he moved. And then she noticed that the dust motes had stopped moving as well, tiny flecks of gray and white illuminated in the shafts of light. He stopped at the edge of the floor, and even though she was seated several feet up the stone platforms, he still looked down at her. It was one thing that made the cliff-dwellers so intimidating - all records of them had them at least a head taller than the average man. Her father recalled one with purple-tinted skin, and her grandfather remembered one with rust-colored skin from when he was just a boy. But all of these cliff-dwellers had been tall, even to the biggest persons in the village at any given time.

And this one desired her. For all the collective knowledge the village had of the Teuthids, she could recall nothing about them having interest in women. What did the desire of a cliff-dweller entail?

Desire. She knew what would be expected of her when she married, and she wondered what Yorigthi would ask of her in this respect. Her thoughts inevitably shifted to what he had under his robes. Were the anatomical differences down there, between a human and a Teuthid as drastic as the difference in their faces? What if he had another tentacle down there, or a bunch of them, or...

"My lord?" she asked, his movement pulling her attention back to the present., who was staring off with a mixture of fear and consternation on his face, his eyes fixed at the space where Yorigthi had been standing.

"Did you consent to this betrothal?" he asked, gesturing to Badru with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"My parents arranged it. As our people have always done." She glanced at the man in question. He was tall and while not quite handsome, was good-looking enough. He was healthy and had a sizable inheritance. As far as anyone knew, he had no major faults like excessive drinking or gambling. From the eyes of the parents, it was a good match, and Badru had actually been a prospect for several girls and women. Nalaisi knew that she was considered lucky by her rivals.

Yorigthi stared at her, considering her words as he twisted one of his tentacles around a finger. Nalaisi knew how many there were, she'd counted them the first time she'd ever seen him. Eight tentacles that extended past his chest to his waist, and a pair that were nearly twice as long, sometimes loosely looped around his shoulders. Where the nose and lips should be, the tentacles started.

"Yes. I have observed some of the traditions of your people, and others." He paused, lightly tapping a finger of his other hand against his staff. "It is as I have told these men, I have no need for their lands or gold. What I would find much more valuable, is time with you."

"And this... in exchange for your mercy towards them?" she ventured.

"If that is what you wish to call it..." He shrugged. "Yes."

"What are your terms?"

"A day and night with you. From one sunrise to the next. In exchange, I will demand only a favor to be called from them, at a future time."

Nalaisi stared at him thoughtfully, and he raised the ridge above his eye in a gesture she recognized as a quirk of the eyebrow. It took a moment to notice because Yorigthi, like the rest of his race, was devoid of hair.

A day and a night, she mused. From one morning to the next. That did not seem like much time to her, and she wondered if there was some trickery.

He lifted a foot, placing it on the level closest to the floor, lightly resting his hand on his knee. She noticed the long, strong fingers, her gaze moving up his arm and back to his face.

"Am I so repulsive to you that you hesitate when the life of two people who should be important to you, are on the line?" he asked. She blinked and shook her head.

"I... was just surprised that you ask for such a short span of a time," she admitted. "For what they have done, for what you could demand of them-"

He chucked softly. "There is nothing wrong with a healthy dose of skepticism. However, I assure you that I shall honor that agreement, to the first glimmer of the sun's light at dawn. And that you would come to no harm."

She looked around the room again, taking in the eerie stillness.

"They hear and see nothing. We have stepped out of the flow of time for a moment, but we can not take too long in this stillness."

Nalaisi swallowed as she looked up at him. What power, she mused. The folklore of her people had heroes, gods, and monsters who performed incredible feats, but one such as this... A general could step outside of time to assure victory for his soldiers. One could face an army of assassins and dispatch them all before they could blink.

"Very well." She bowed her head slightly. His hand moved into her field of vision before she felt fingers gently press her chin up. His stare was calm as he lowered his other hand, stretching it out in the almost universal sign of offering a handshake. She reached out, feeling his palm against her own as his long fingers squeezed around her hand. His flesh was somewhere between warm and cool, and she felt wiry muscles flex under the pale skin.

"Then it is decided. Tomorrow, be at the Salt Gates at sunrise."

"Very well then." She wondered what she'd just gotten herself into when she felt Yorigthi's thumb lightly stroke her cheek. "There is one concern... my family would notice my absence and come looking for me, or question me if they saw me leave." Not to mention what her betrothed would think of her, if...

Oh, no. If it was known that she lay with Yorigtho, that would almost certainly mean an end to the betrothal, and her family would be shamed. Her prospects for marriage would be very poor, for no decent man would want a woman who had been spoiled by someone else. Her heart pounded at this realization, and she wondered if it would be too late to take back her agreement.

His thumb passed along her cheek again as he pondered her comment, and he nodded. "I shall clear the way for you. It would do us no good to have you get in trouble, hmm?" he asked dryly. She nodded slowly as he pulled his hand back, his fingers sliding along her own. "My family..."

"What about them?"

She looked down, swallowing thickly as she pulled her hand to her chest. "What you want from me... my people would consider me disgraced."

He was silent for a moment. "As I said before, I will clear the way. I promised you no harm would come to you, and I do not mean that simply in the physical sense." His voice had become softer and kinder than she'd ever heard. "There is no need to be afraid."

He strode back to where he had been and lifted his staff. Time started again, and Yorigthi looked at his would-be attackers.

"Gold or land I have no need for, but favors have a way of being the most valuable at the right times. As an amend to me, each of you will swear to me one favor to be granted any time I deem it," he stated in a stern, gravelly tone as he stared down at Badru and his companions much like a stern grandfather would scold a pack of unruly young boys.

"Oh gods..." The relief that washed over Badru's face illustrated what he had expected from this powerful mage. "Thank you for your mercy. I shall never forget it!"

"See that you don't. I will not be so lenient if there is a second time."

As Yorigthi's gaze swept the room, they came to rest on Nalaisi for a moment, and she felt a shiver pass along her spine. Then he turned and left the chamber.

o0o

Nalaisi stirred about in the darkness, exercising care to not wake her sleeping family as she moved from amidst the bedrolls where her younger siblings rested. Her father's snores quietly punctuated the stillness as she walked down the vestibule to the kitchen, collecting some food into a basket. The predawn air was cool on her cheeks as she stepped out into the night. A light breeze rustled through the leaves of the palm trees.

The Salt Gate was a large break in the rocky areas that jutted out into the shore to the west of the village. It was a place for humans to come trade with the occasional cliff-dweller, and just to the north of it, in an area open to humans, were the salt flats. The cliff-dwellers laid no claim to it, but on an extremely rare occasion in the evening or the morning, a human might see one of the tentacled beings out collecting salt.

Unsure of what she might need, she packed a bag with a change of clothes and some provisions. She'd never seen a Teuthid eat, come to think of it. She hoped she'd packed appropriately, but what was more, wondered just what the next day would entail. This was a being of ancient and powerful magic, what if she inadvertently did or said something to displease him. She sat down on a low boulder, tucking the wrap under her chin as she looked around, her eyes becoming accustomed to the slowly shifting light.

A day and a night. That was all he had asked for, yet a lot could happen in a considerably short time. The predawn air was chilly, and she wrapped her scarf more tightly around her head and shoulders, feeling a crisp sea breeze blow between the cliffs and rustle her skirt against her legs. She wondered if she should pull the extra wrap from her beg when a shadow moved across her field of vision. The sky was already hued with rose, orange, and gold, the stars making their retreat pas the horizon.

"Good morning, Nalaisi. I trust you are well," she heard Yorigthi say as she made out his silhouette in front of the approaching sun.

"I am. And you?" she asked politely before she slid off the rock to stand before him.

"Better now that I have you to occupy my time," came the utterance. "Let us tarry no longer."

She felt his hand on her shoulder, guiding her forward as they passed through the Gate.

o0o

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