About 4 hours later and a new face walked through the door. I glance down at her and use observe.
[Observe lv20]
[Victoria Neuman (formerly Nadia Khayat)
Tier 9A - Small building level.
Alignment - Lawful Evil
Kill count - 27
The current President elect for the USA, working in close partnership with Vought due to her personal relationship to Stan Edgar. A ruthless politician with only a soft spot for her daughter. Haemokinetic.
Currently irritated and resigned.]
Whilst she gets her bearings, I evolve observe, there's nothing else to merge it with after all.
[Google lv1 -evolved-]
Google? Isn't that what Hughie keeps telling me about? I push it out of my head and focus on the situation on hand.
"Ah Neuman, I wondered if you'd show up." I silently led her to a private booth and had my clone take over, bookmarking my page for me. "So why are you here? I get you want to use me to propel your campaign and that but I can't be bothered to learn your world's politics." It's simply too tedious to learn it with no payoff.
"I got your messenger, I'm going to say it here and now. Though we can't end you, we can make life hell for you, I don't know what you can take but I'm willing to bet a gigaton of radiation will cause you some issues. If not you then your customers?" Her fingers interlinked and she leaned forwards onto the table.
"Oh wow, you don't realise how out of your depth you are." I feel genuinely surprised, a true visceral shock.
"Excuse you?" She gave a look of pure confusion, almost matching my own.
"I'm not even trying to be mean, genuinely you are so out of your depth. With my power, why would I fear war with you? I don't rely on your economy, I don't rely on any policies in place. I can click my fingers and wipe out all reigning bodies, so please I ask, why on God's green earth would I be threatened by you?" No anger, no malice was in my words. Everything I said was a fact or a genuine question.
"The virus you utilised on soldier boy is already being examined, we will find a cure shortly. The only validity to your claim is your fight with Homelander, who was also prone to comments like yours." Her eyes glowed white for a moment, a testament of sorts to her own ability.
"How about this, when you find a cure for my 'virus', I will turn myself in. Until then, if you come near me or my customers, I will petrify your body and have you as a conscious, thinking statue placed in the wine cellar. I think that's a fair deal, all things considering." Unless she makes a deal with Hunson, the Pestilence will never have a cure. In fact, since it's so far from his specialty of souls it might even be too much for him, probably not but it's nice to imagine.
The matter ended soon, with her agreeing to my terms. No doubt self-assured in the vast sample quantities of my necrotic, poisonous rot that they are analysing.
I sat back into the seat, unoccupied now and finishing the second book of the Hellraiser series.
[Time Skip]
(Melina POV)
At long last, it is time to burn the erdtree. A new Elden Lord shall take the throne. Pity I shan't see it, how my home reclaims its former lustre.
"Tarnished, place thy hand on mine, just for a moment." The Jar wearing lunatic of mine rolled on his back unconscious. The great forge of the giants lay before me, the end of the new beginning.
My arms spread wide, my legs guiding me to the edge. What felt like an eternity later, a soft, warm embrace of the fire brushed against my face, and now my feet find no purchase. Nought but a drop faces me now.
Just as I feel the wind hit my face, I get suspended in the air, held by the scruff of my dress.
"Not happening Melina, Ranni told me where you were off to." Oh Marika, why did this become complicated. I am lifted back to the forge rim and dropped like a runebear cub by its mother.
"Why do you impede me so Oliverick?" I look up at the man, the one I oh so ungraciously spill my mind to.
"You're my customer, basically a day 1 customer to me as well. Look leave it to me, does it matter what kind of fire burns the thorns?" He patted my shoulder, I couldn't even bring myself to argue with him.
I sigh, "The fire symbolises what is to come, should it be one of malice or madness then it is a harbinger of bad omens."
"Right so none of my usual ones, I don't really know that guy's whole deal so I'll just go for blue flame." He waved his hand and a swathe of blue fire beamed out, bypassing the forge entirely and hitting the erdtree. Though the flames were lost in the distance, the view of the grand blue erdtree burning bright reached every corner of the lands between.
Beautiful.