Chapter 98: A Familiar Face Joins the Fray

The Nomad team had to tread carefully on the platform otherwise they would wind up in the path of Accelyn who was stomping around and throwing a small tantrum. It was unknown whether she was annoyed at being played for a fool by Ares' undead shtick, or because Dirk's name had come up when she least expected it. Either way, her foul mood was self-evident and the rest of the team made a concerted effort to get away from the psychopath. She herself really wasn't the issue, but if she summoned her family to right whatever she deemed wrong; that's when things would get ugly. They'd probably be locked up and donated to Accelyn as torture guinea pigs for her to toy around with. Really, Bricky, Rocky, Sado, and Maso just wanted to get as far away from the woman as possible and go back their old lives back before they started getting dragged around by her.

Meanwhile the Red Sun group were exiting to the sound of roaring applause from the citizenry. It had been a while since Red Sun looked good going into an international... Then again, even getting to the international was usually a rare occasion. Having a team that could be considered a 'powerhouse' was a new kind of thrill for Red Sun and they were basking in the glory of having won the nationals. Maybe, just maybe, they could overlook Ares being a cocky perv... Maybe.

On the way out, Ares was trying to figure out what to make for dinner for everyone. Technically the real celebration had been yesterday's pizza party as they were basically a shoe in to win at that point, but that didn't mean he couldn't cook again today for anyone who wanted to show up. He told everyone to think it over in his stead as he was going to be busy for a while visiting the Nick clan with Li Li and Dirk. Speaking of, Li Li was already here, and Dirk was waiting outside the coliseum. Dirk's father had probably also been at the venue, but the meeting ought to take place back at the clan as he was a busy man and holding him up here would just be rude. Plus talking about this kind of infiltration stuff out in the open was a braindead manoeuvre if ever there was one. Poniard had gone ahead so Ares bid the team goodbye and went off with the scarred mosquito and the bubble-gum boxer.

They chatted about this and that, mostly ways to further optimise Blockbuster and what they could have for dinner, before arriving outside the clan's gates. Two upright guards bowed to Dirk and Li Li and opened the gates. The two kin of patriarchs waltzed in only to realise Ares was being detained and whining at the guards.

"Oi! I know I look suspicious, but I was clearly with them! Did you think they were politely ignoring a stalker or something?!"

"Shut up bastard!" One of the guards spat as he started dragging Ares away. "We remember you and your evil brother hanging around our clan and stealing from us!"

"I'm glad I live rent free in your head, now let me go you shmuck! I'm here with benevolence! Benevolence, I say! Do you want your young master's heart back or not?"

The guard stopped lugging Ares away and turned to Dirk with a questioning look.

Dirk shrugged. "Just for today, let him in. Any other day and you can go wild though."

Tsk 

With a kiss of his teeth, the guard pushed Ares away and almost bust a nerve when the smug bastard turned around and stuck his tongue out at him. "See if I don't come back with my brother and steal from you again!" Ares skittered around the corner as his laughter tormented the guard who was tempted to leave his post and show this punk what for!

Two flat gazes awaited Ares as he caught up to and followed Dirk and Li Li. They just sighed and shook their head before walking onwards. After passing down a few hallways and exiting the main building, the trio arrived near a secluded corner of the clan in the back where the patriarch tended to a bed of flowers on most days. It was an open courtyard with a small fountain in the middle and four benches surrounding it in each of the cardinal directions. Dirk took the lead and walked up to his father who'd just finished pruning the branches of an oak tree.

"Father... Shouldn't we have this conversation inside?"

Poniard was a tall fellow, sharply dressed and pointed as can be. His goatee was razor thin and triangular in shape to compliment his gunslinger moustache. His palms were always straight and his fingers only ever bent to curl around objects. Poniard's unhunched back gave the impression of a proud man. With a twirl of the end of his moustache, Poniard turned around and raised an eyebrow as he saw two others alongside his son. "We will." Poniard's voice was elegant but quick and clear. Rather than rhythmic, it was as if he lacked any rhythm altogether. His words were punctual. "I'm waiting for someone else to arrive before I head on in. You can go and make yourselves comfortable in the meeting room while I finish up here. Feel free to have the workers bring you tea and or snacks if you so desire. As for your two companions, I'll greet them properly whence we are all properly seated." Without further ado, Poniard turned around and returned to the task at hand. Although any normal person would be uncomfortable in a situation like this, Poniard seemed entirely unbothered with the people behind him. The trio could stand there and stare at him for eternity if they wished, Poniard would treat them like air until he deemed his job done. It wasn't even because he had a green thumb or anything, he was just always this hyper focused on whatever task he was working on. In fact, Poniard didn't even really like greenery, he just did it to practice his precision with various sharp objects. Although he wasn't the greatest with every blade, he was considerably above average in each. Of course, when wielding his namesake poniard... That was a different matter altogether. He could pierce metal with a light, effortless jab. He wasn't the patriarch of a huge clan for nothing.

The trio of scamps skedaddled, entering the building once again as they were lead by Dirk to the aforementioned meeting room. Ares asked the obvious question. "So, who's this guest then? Is it gonna be our little baby sitter on our expedition?" There was no way these three could go it alone, and so they would need to be supervised by an adult! This made it sound like they were infants, but in the cultivation world they kinda were. Someone like Poniard could have poked them all to death in under a second if he had any inclination to do so, and even he wasn't the end all be all or anything. It wasn't unreasonable to think there would be strong cultivators guarding Accelyn.

"Dunno." Dirk replied. "My man's got connections out the wazoo, could be basically anyone."

"It might be a bit late to be asking this, but are you sure Accelyn even has the heart on her? If she didn't bring it for the tournament, maybe she left it back in the Nomad region?"

With a shake of his head, Dirk assured Ares that wasn't the case. "Nah. First off, all the strong cultivators in Accelyn's family would have come to watch her compete. They wouldn't leave such a treasure at home unguarded. Also, they probably want to put it up for auction at the Myriad Masks so they will have brought it for that. They can't do it yet 'cos they auction house isn't taking valuable items until the national is all wrapped up. It just finished, so they'll probably start accepting items either later today or tomorrow at the earliest in prep for the international auction. An enabler would be some good stuff for all the rich folk to bet over and Accelyn would earn a massive chunk for selling it to the auction house... That's my guess at least... My father didn't agree to work with me but he did tell me all that so I'll trust him on it. He's stubborn, but he ain't a liar at least."

Kathunk

The folding screen door behind the trio opened and in entered Poniard. He left the door open as he took a seat opposite Dirk and looked to the door. When Poniard heard the tinkling of his maid's giggling, he kissed his teeth and yelled, "GET IN HERE, YOU OLD BADGER!"

"Ah alright alright, I hear ya. Spoilsport." An elderly man, but spry as though he were in the spring of youth, strolled through the open door and winked at everyone. "I just wanted to chat with the young'uns and all. You know, offer to give them some pointers in private!"

"Dad?" Li Li blurted out. "Oi! The hell are you doing here? And why are you perving on the staff, you creepy old geezer?!"

THUD!

Fray, Li Li's 'old man', gave his daughter a knuckle sandwich to the dome and twisted his fist on her skull. He was visibly old, but had a muscly body hidden beneath his excessively baggy robe, and his steps were light. He seemed to be the type to act like a dunce but really know how to throw a punch when push came to shove. He was the stereotypical 'don't mess with old guys' trope personified. "Bah, you little bumpkin. Why do you think I'm here? To put you brats straight! Specifically that one!" Fray pointed his bony but sturdy finger at Dirk. "Runt's gotta come to grips with reality and do as his pops is tellin' 'em, and I'm here to seal the deal. What about you though? I don't recall you knowing the Nick brat? And what about this explosive menace? I know 'em 'cos I've seen the nationals, and I get you're on the same team yeah, but what's 'e doing here?"

"Same as you geezer, but in reverse. Were here to plead on behalf of this numbskull Dirk, the guy with all the negotiating prowess of a virgin going up against a bandit."

Fray took a seat next to Poniard and stroked his chin with a wry smile. "Interesting."

"What's interesting?"

"Ha, well let's find out, eh little missy? Well, go on and kick off the discussion Mr Pony Yard."

"Hmph." Poniard ignored the old heckler and turned to face the trio. "Right, well, Dirk I'll get to you in a minute. Li Li, it is good to see you again, and your presence here will help speed along the discussion, so I'm happy to have you... And then there's you, Ares... Could you explain to me why you're here?"

"Moi?" Ares pointed to himself as he puffed up his chest with a grin. "I want these two to owe me a favour, so I decided to be their negotiator saviour. I'll also help in getting the heart back. It's not really any skin off my back and the reward is worth it."

"And that reward is?"

"For these two to stick with the sect. Its basically pre-ordained that I'm gonna be the next sect master, and having pools of talent to pick from in creating a group of worthwhile elders will make my life easier. It's a pretty minor request all things considered, especially seeing as how they were going to stick around anyway. Plus they get positions of power so, if anything, I'm the one getting scammed here."

"Ok... But what on earth makes you think your presence here is going to make a lick of difference? I fail to see what bargaining chip you can bring to the table... Even if you're going to help get the heart back, why are you here right now?"

"Well why don't we start the discussion and you can find out the hard way? I'm not so lenient as to give the game away before its even started. That would just sap all the fun out of it, and that's nine-tenths of why I'm even here!"

"Hahaha, I like this kiddo!" Fray butted in. Ares rock, paper, scissors trickery had won over the old man earlier and he liked what he was seeing here too! birds of a feather flock together, and these two were basically both mischievous children at heart.

Poniard sighed and decided to put Ares to the side for now. "Dirk, son, I have not changed my mind. I will aid you if, and only if, you agree to the marriage proposal. I've already told you its a member of the Li clan, and that's why Li Fray is here. That was where we left off last time, and its where we should continue on from today. Don't bother trying to evade the topic, I won't change my mind or forget about it."

Dirk's finger tapped against the floor as he stared at his father. "Look, I made a mistake with Accelyn, that I agree with. But I can't agree to this. If you're dead set on it, I would rather just give up my heart."

"Why not? You aren't in a relationship with anyone else, are you?"

"I am..." Although his glance towards Li Li was subtle, there was zero chance it went unnoticed in this kind of atmosphere. Also Li Li blushing was super obvious. Like giant, blinding neon lights obvious.

"... I see..."

"Hahaha, well that's..." Fray started chuckling but his next sentence was interrupted.

Smack

Poniard's back hand was swift and effective, with his hand landing perfectly on Fray's mouth and silencing him mid speech. "It's not what we had in mind, but this could work too. Still, if we're going to make this concession, you'll need to make some as well?"

With a kiss of his teeth, Dirk accepted the loss here. It was unwise to push his luck any further as this was already a good enough outcome. If all he had to do was do some things here and there for his pops then really, he had no reason to complain... "I..."

"OBJECTION!" Ares raised his hand with a toothy grin. "It seems my time to shine is now!" Ares gestured to Dirk with his upturned palms. "My client does not accept your terms and conditions! He will not barter nor will he bargain with crooks and liars."

"You're rather brave, asserting me to be a liar in my own home." Poniard stared daggers at Ares. This wasn't an understatement either, if Poniard wanted to he could convert his gaze into a pointy mental attack and riddle Ares' mental realm with lovely little holes...

"Nah, not brave. I just know the truth is all. Li Li was the marriage candidate, no? You're just trying to swindle benefits out of your kid to teach him a lesson."

"... What makes you say that?"

"Well, for starters, Fray over there had one hell of a shifty reaction. You gotta work on your poker face, geezer..."

"Bah!" Fray pouted and turned to the side with his arms crossed.

"Also, are you familiar with Enyo from the Heaven's Path sect?"

"Yes..." Poniard connected the dots in his head. Enyo was well known for having one of the few available lie detectors in Sheryashka and she was frequently beset on all sides with requests to use it. She was on the same team as Ares and all it would take for him to have the lie detector too was to inherit it via a romantic relationship, which wasn't even remotely unfeasible. In short, Ares was a human lie detector himself just like Enyo. Poniards quick with brought him to the correct answer without the need for an explanation. Ares' trap had been triggered and he'd blindly stepped into it. It would seem he held a seat at the table for a reason after all. "I see. Fine, you win. Li li was indeed the original candidate. Fray and I had promised each other to tie our clans together at the hip via our youngest when they came of age. Of course Dirk ignored me and went and ruined it all... But fate seems to have a funny way of playing tricks on people. Li Li, I am terribly sorry, but would you accept my used-goods of a foolish son?"

Dirk's eye's twitched in indignation and he spoke up before Li Li could. "I'M NOT USED GO..." When he realised everyone was staring at him, he hushed himself and scratched is chin as he stared at the wall in embarrassment.

"Hmph." Poniard rolled his eyes. "My son is correct. He may be used, but he is not good in any sense of the word."

"Actually..." Ares had a dumb smile on his face as he smirked at Dirk's trembling back. "He wasn't lying! Hahahaha, couldn't even get laid before you got robbed? That's kinda pathetic, not gonna lie. What kinda chump are you?"

"Are you serious?" The disappointment in Poniard's voice was piercing. This was objectively for the best... But man was it humiliating. "Useless..."

"Hahahaha, kid, ya got no game!" Even Fray joined in on the ribbing because this was too good of an opportunity to pass up on. "You must have, like, negative charm. What? D'ya give her your heart after she let you cop a feel or something? I mean, I get it kid, I got eyes too. I saw the size of them hooters. Almost fell in love myself but, come on man, have some pride! Fight!"

Dirk groaned as he curled up into a ball and hid in his knees. The three other guys in the room were insulting his masculinity, BUT! At least Li Li was happy? He'd peeked out of a crevice in his knees and she seemed more pleased with this revelation than anything else. So what if everyone else was mocking him! The one person who mattered didn't care!... He was still going to hide a little longer though...

"Well... now that that's been sorted and we're all on the same page, let's discuss the finer details, shall we?" Poniard redirected the conversation back to the important topic. "It's true you'll need someone capable to act as your guardian angel of sorts. If you're trying to be stealthy, then limiting the number of people you send in is key. To that end, it needs to be a single, strong cultivator. Part of why I asked Li Fray to come over was because his daughter was directly involved, but it was also because he's owed a massive debt by someone who fits the bill. I'll leave it to Fray to explain."

With a yawn and a stretch, Fray got himself comfortable. "Right, so you all already know this guy. He's a real troublemaker, but he's competent. As competent as a bucket o' bolts like him can be anyway. I brought 'em with me and had 'em wait outside so... YO SLICK, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!"

Clunk Clunk

Dull, heavy footsteps followed by a metallic body poking around the corner all but confirmed Slick's presence. "Yo flesh bags. Been a minute since I last pummelled ya."

"Tsk, tin can..." Li Li grumpily spat at the robo that had insulted her the first time they met. "... Yeah, I get it now. No wonder you were fighting in that stance during the trial when you beat me up... So what? Fray taught you how to fight and you repaid that favour by beating me up with the Li's very own style?! Oi, dad, you should kick the crap outta this guy, you know? He's misusing your teachings!"

"Me? Beat him up yourself, twerp." Fray grinned and gave his daughter the middle finger.

"Nah, but really, what's the boombox doing here? Kid's just gonna alert the security when we go do our business aint he?" Slick pointed at Ares with one hand and gave a thumbs down with the other. 

Ares held up his pinkie finger and curled it repeatedly to mock Slick who'd lost his during their last engagement. "I'll have you know stealth is a new specialty of mine. I've worked for Hans for years now so slinking around comes naturally, but I also got my grubby paws on this bad boy..." Ares whipped out the Nyxian Prowler and Poniard's eyes lit up, showing emotion for the first time in years.

"That... May I please see it? I wouldn't try anything funny knowing you have Hans' backing."

"Yeah sure, but it ain't Hans you should be worrying about. I'm a revenant, so keep that in mind when you're inspecting my treasure, yeah?"

"... A revenant, huh? That's as good a threat as any..." Poniard was aware of how much influence the Umbra wolves had and he knew their overall strength was not to be trifled with. If Ares was anyone even remotely influential Poniard would bite the dust in an instant; not that he had any intention of doing anything scummy to begin with.

Ares handed over the dagger as Slick spoke to him.

"Ah yeah, Yulo did mention something 'bout that. Is it ok for you and Enyo to be, ya know, like two peas in a pod?"

"Yeah it's fine. Not like I'm hiding it anymore or anything. The situation's a little more complicated than that though, and explaining it would take the whole day, so don't worry your pretty little circuits about it."

"I see that mouth of yours is still running full steam ahead. If no one smacks some sense into you, one of these days Imma have to do it myself. Can't let a brat like you get out of hand otherwise we'll all be doomed... What is that dagger anyway? Anything good or ya just fibbing? Looks pretty sweet though, not gonna lie." Slick eyed up the shapeshifting dagger as Poniard mouthed the word 'incredible' to himself. Poniard's reaction was understandable, his entire clan could be summarised by this symbolic weapon.

Ares smugly smiled at Slick as he proudly declared how awesome his treasure was. "Oh yeah, sweetness overload you could say. Not only can it change shape, but its an enabler of the darkness pillar to boot. I got the bad boy from the tomb that opened recently and its killer, pun intended. Before I was an explosive pest. Now I have become sneaky explosive pest, destroyer of worlds!"

"Oi seriously? You got yourself an enabler? Fuck, I'm jealous actually. Always wanted one myself. To think there was one hiding just a few miles away from the city this whole time. Damn. Still, that'll be crazy good for sneaking into Accelyn's place. Hate to say it, but you got me good there."

Poniard handed the dagger back to Ares. "I've not had the pleasure of seeing many enablers but I can tell that one is very valuable. I imagine you aren't going to sell it, but if you ever change your mind, please keep the Nick clan in mind. Also, if you're ever willing to borrow it, we'll be more than happy to pay you handsomely."

Ares put the dagger away and nodded. "Sure, I'll keep that in mind."

"Now that we're all agreed on who's going, let's discuss the plan itself. I've already sent some scouts to get a lay of the land and the security detail. They worked together with a local cartographer to produce this map." From out his spatial ring, Poniard unfolded a map across the entire length of the table in front of him. The talks on how to go about successfully infiltrating and stealing back the heart continued for a couple of hours until the plan was set in stone, at which point the trio left to return to the sect. It was decided they'd go later at midnight, when security was at its thinnest. To destress and reduce their anxiety before then, Ares, the one person in the group who actually seemed to be raring to go, was going to cook a scrumptious meal first. As for what everyone had decided, in their down time back at his house, they wanted to eat today; the answer was quesadillas and burritos... And beer... But it was pretty obvious who asked for that.