Shobek closed the door to the inn, feeling rather confident that Kasey would be safe there. He slowly walked back up the path, walking past a few empty tents or ones where the Vendors were hiding under their table. Unsurprising. He let his wings reappear as he neared the newly arrived figure. Mammon turned to meet his eyes. He looked to be in his late thirties, his brown shoulder-length hair was tied in a messy bun behind his head. His face was covered with stubble. Shobek stopped roughly five feet away. His eyes looked over the two girls that stood to the side of Mammon. They were twins and both wore matching maid outfits. The only difference between the two was the fact that one had a small heart under her eye on the left cheek, and the other twin had the same design on the right cheek, and that one twin had their black hair had parted to the left, while the other had it parted to the right.
"Shobek! It has been a while. What brings you to Royal Ports? You never come here. You usually go to Firedust City! And usually, you are dressed more-" Mammon looked over Shobeks messy look and frowned slightly. "Well...Put together."
Shobek met his red eyes after they finished inspecting his appearance. "Well, usually I am not kicked out of my home in the dead of night."
Mammon looked surprised and intrigued, "Oh? What made you flee? Surely you could've defended yourself!"
Shobek stared at him for a second, "I want to make a deal with you. Shall we find somewhere more private?"
Looking pleased, Mammon gave him an award-winning smile, "But of course! Shall we dine as well? I can get some...Proper clothes for you arranged."
"I want it to be quick. So no thank you. Just a private room will do."
Mammon nodded, "Then how about we take a portal to my meeting room?"
Shobek shook his head, "No. I have come with someone and I will not leave their side for long."
Mammon, surprised by this, nodded and glanced around. After a moment he sighed and started walking down towards the port. Shobek almost panicked, thinking he was going to go to the Inn where Kasey was, but Mammon went by it without a glance and walked over to a more tattered building. The Drunken Demon. A tavern.
All four stepped inside and Mammon silently asked the ghost-white demon for a private room, they hesitated before stating that it was already occupied. Mammon frowned, "By WHO?"
Pyro stepped out of the hallway, and smiled, "by me. Hello old friends."
Shobek was instantly on alarm and hissed out his displeasure, Mammon kept a calm look but his aura was seething in rage.
"It seems a few rodents got into the building." Mammon smiled briefly at the tavern keeper, who gulped audibly as they moved as far back as they could get.
Pyro frowned, "Oh come now! We're all friends here! Isn't that right, Sonneillon?"
Another figure slowly stepped out of the shadows, that smile he usually carried gone. He set his eyes on the pair and frowned, "I wasn't aware you two knew each other."
Pyro nodded along with Sonneillon, "Indeed! I thought Shobek didn't converse with anybody!"
Shobek smoothed out his expression with much effort. One of Pyro's gifts was the fact that he was a walking lie detector. Thinking quickly, Shobek did the best lie he could, "I make the occasional deals on video games. A little demon told me that there is a lot of hype behind a new game and I want it before anyone can get it." Although that was not why Shobek was here, it was technically true. Sometimes he does make deals over video games. And there was a new game he was interested in.
Pyro smiled wider, "I didn't take you for a gamer!"
Sonneillon watched the pair closely, he didn't like the idea of the two knowing each other, worst yet, that they already make deals. "Indeed. You'd think that a god that destroyed half of hell once would spend his time in a more... useful manner."
Pyro frowned at Sonneillon at that, "I would much prefer that that very god to prefer video games than ripping other demons apart."
"I do that too sometimes," Shobek replied nonchalantly. He turned back to the Tavern Keeper. "So where is the room?"
Pyro scowled a little before changing his expression, "I see. Hopefully not high-tier demons though! Don't want to start another territory feud!"
"Only when they annoy me," Shobek glanced back at Pyro as if to say, 'like you are doing right now'.
"I...I see. Well, the room is down the hall to the right. I and Sonneillon were just on our way out anyway. I hope you get a good deal on your...video game." Pyro smiled wearily and dropped the key on the front desk before steering Sonneillon out the door with him. "Goodbye!"
Mammon muttered some insults after the door to the tavern closed and he picked up the key, leading the four to the directed door. As he unlocked the door to the room, he paused to look at Shobek, "You don't really kill other demons nowadays, do you?"
Shobek stared at him with a contemptuous look, "I live off of untamed islands. Of course I do."
Mammon stared back at him for a moment before saying, "Girls, please stay out here for now."
Shobek snorted and pushed Mammon to the side to finish unlocking the door and pushing it open, "I am not going to hurt them." Idiot is what he didn't add.
Mammon smiled at his helpers and repeated, "definitely stay out here. Watch the door for me."
He swiftly closed the door at the two girls' pouty expressions and turned back to Shobek, "Now, what is this about a deal?"
"I need safe passage from here to Red District Port." Shobek carefully scanned the area, looking at the goblet left on the table; from Sonneillon, no doubt.
"Why don't you just teleport?" Mammon slowly walked over to one of the chairs, thought better of sitting in it, and manifested his own golden chair to sit on. Shobek looked at it with an annoyed expression. "I didn't want to get my dress pants dirty, stop scowling."
"I'm not," Shobek pulled out one of the wooden chairs across from him and sat down. His eyes occasionally, indeed, scowling at the chair.
"You-oh whatever. Anyway, why not just teleport?"
"Because I fear my magic will be tracked. They usually don't care since I mind my own business, but I... I have something they want." Shobek looked Mammon over carefully, again questioning if this was a bad idea.
"So those rumors are true? You stole Samael's pet?" Mammon leaned closer and absent-mindedly rested his elbows on the table, his fingers crisscrossing each other.
"If you want more information, you'll grant me-US, safe passage."
Mammon frowned and leaned back in his chair, "That's a long trip to be housing two stowaways that are on the run. Especially if you think some measly information will pay for the trip."
"I'll let you meet her." Just as he expected, Mammons eyes flashed in curiosity. Sure, he's heard rumors. But he hasn't yet met the human girl with the powers of a demon.
"And why should that interest me?" Mammon, though indeed curious, knew that gained no ground in the rumor mill. No one will be impressed just because he met the girl. It gives him nothing but a fleeting glimpse of something that will go hell-wide eventually. The rumors are already picking up speed, another seed in a field of seeds is nothing unless his seed is already sprouting.
"We both know it interests you." Shobek smiled lazily, though inside he knew it wasn't going to be enough to win him over. He was undoubtedly going to have to let Mammon lay out the cards, and most likely... Shobek was going to lose the pot.
Mammon carefully looked over the dragon, though he seemed confident, his eyes kept darting towards any sound. The girl is definitely in the town. And he was becoming more and more protective. "Is it dragon instincts?"
Shobek paused at that, his eyes leveling on the red of Mammons, "What?"
"Like a fire drake protecting its gold. You're becoming rather... Anxious. Is it because you've been away from your gold for too long? Is she that much of a treasure to you?" Mammon's smile slowly grew, whether Shobek realized it or not, his eyes were becoming more guarded, his body tenser. "You know what? I would LOVE to meet her."
Shobek stared at Mammon, his hands were starting to sweat, thinking of all the things that could possibly go wrong with this...
Shaking off his sudden fear, Shobek smiled and stood up, "Shall we have a drink and go meet her then?" Maybe ten fuckin drinks.
"Excellent!" Mammon put his hand out for the final seal and Shobek, pretending to dust off his pants, wiped the sweat from his hand before finalizing the shake. A small flash of light happened between their hands and invisible gauntlets clasped around each other's wrists.
"I am glad these come off at soon as the deal is complete. Otherwise, I would've run out of room for them years ago due to those video game deals we make." Shobek chuckled, hoping to mask his fear with a bit of amusement.
Mammon laughed and clasped him on the shoulder, "True! Now let's go get some drinks!"
Shobek smiled, "After you!" He slowly followed behind Mammon as he opened the door and greeted his girls with kisses on the top of their heads. Following them down to the bar he watched as both girls fanned over their boss, their little batlike wings fluttering.
Sitting down at the bar, Shobek instantly ordered some hard liquor on the rocks.
Shobek had a funny feeling, that this meeting between Mammon and Kasey, was not going to go well. Not at all.