The Bargain

"Or maybe, I can show you the path home."

"The path home?" Laz asked suspiciously.

If there was one thing he wished since his difficulties in this world started, it was to go home. He knew life struggles were more severe, though, due to his less privileged background, but he only wanted to satisfy his hunger.

He didn't finish the pizza he ate, so it should still be waiting for him. That is, if only the thugs weren't mangers. And, to solidify the wickedness of the challenges in this world, he had become thirsty as well.

'Oh, I see where this could be leading.'

He rolled his eyes at the creature trapped inside the magical prison and licked his lips. Instincts were kicking at him to accept the offer immediately, but he still needed to be sure his plan would work.

If he accepts and somehow helps this dragon snake to escape the prison, will he stand a chance to cut out some crunches of its scales for snacks at least? Earlier, the brews tasted sweet, meaning that if the scales were edible, he was good to go.

But, he wouldn't be able to do that without approval from the creature. Maybe, he would use it as his end of favour for the bargain. Or, better still, find a way to kill the creature.

After all, no creature in this Land of Call is a Bearer's friend. They are all trials and temptations set before them.

Waiting long enough for Laz's response, the voice of the dragon snake came again.

"I can see that you seek a return. The gate I'm promising you can lead to what you want. It changes with each person who enters. But, its magic is solely dependent on showing you what you need the most."

'What do I need the most?'

Laz bit his lower lip, tapping it speculatively.

'I am hungry, and I wish to go home. No. I wish to go home because I am hungry.'

Which of these was the gate going to consider as his most essential need? He would have preferred going home to avoid more tests and monsters, but the former might be most beneficial. It could breed more food, right?

His mind spun with questions, his mouth finally giving way for words. "Even if you are saying the truth... how am I supposed to 'save' a massive creature as you locked in a magical prison?"

The creature's eyes dimmed in joy the moment Laz said this. A glint of hope settled in its voice.

"The seal that holds me can only be undone by a willing touch. But this can only be done by someone who possesses the energy of the seal."

Laz was quiet.

Is this monster trying to ask him to make use of his core? If only it knew how he got those cores.

His eyes dropped to his palm, where the remnants of that sweet brew from the creature's scale still lingered, then he licked it, surprising the monster all the while.

After satisfying his momentary thirst, he looked up at the dragon snake with a disapproving look.

"Why me?" he asked at last. "I mean, if there was anyone who could save you, I'm the least you should expect."

The dragon snake's tongue flicked once more, but no sound came.

"I mean, I don't possess any energy within me yet," Laz added.

Another silence followed, this time longer.

At first, Laz had misunderstood what the creature meant by one who possessed energy. Of course, he knew that one of the best ways to generate energy within a body was through the possession of cores; he had a few and was not willing to reduce the number.

But, he recalled the creature's statement, '...someone who possesses the energy of the seal.'

Was it trying to say that Laz now bore the energy of the seal because he was able to pass through it, or is there any other means of possessing the energy?

Then Laz exhaled deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. "And, how do you know one who possesses this kind of energy you're talking about? I can't remember being one of those ancients who locked you in this magical prison, so how am I supposed to have this kind of energy within me?"

The dragon snake gave a faint hiss of amusement.

"You can gain energy by simply absorbing them. And the only way to have the energy of the seal is by absorbing its surrounding energies."

'Absorbing its surrounding energies?'

Laz brought his eyes down to the mark of Ellipse on his wrist. He had absorbed cores from the dead monsters in the forest through the mark, but the truth was that he didn't know how it worked. It had happened on its own.

Agreeing to this bargain might cost him, since he wouldn't be able to have the energy the monster talked about. If only he could command the mark to light up again with its glow, and do the magic instead.

In fact, that was the only thought that occurred to him because he didn't want anything that was going to stress him. He could have easily asked the monster how he would possess this energy.

'However, if I save this monster, what will I gain?'

Thinking of it, the promise the monster made to him was only going to lead him to his need at the moment. He was hungry, and also wanted to go home, but they weren't needed when compared to the notion with which the Land of Call is known for.

What if this need was going to be to face more monsters?

Laz raised his bent head towards the dragon snake and approached the barrier, close enough.

"I will save you, but only on two conditions."

The dragon snake, which relaxed its neck on the coiled body, awaiting Laz's response, moved closer to the ends of the invisible barrier. The sight of the massive creature and Laz could be attributed to a beveled short ruler, with its tip as the dragon snake's uppermost, and its base as Laz's head.

"What could these conditions be?"

Laz opened his palms and studied them for a while, like he wanted to decipher a pattern. "Well, I don't know how to absorb and possess the energy of the seal to save you. But I will save you.

And if I do, one, you will promise not to eat me, or even swallow me whole. Secondly..."

Now, he focused his gaze on the monster, which, if not for the barrier, was on par in distance with Laz's face.

"...I will be your master."

"..."

"..."

***

Logically speaking, the dragon snake was going to accept the first condition if that was the only case, but the second condition could be seen as close to impossible.

Laz knew a few things that could cause its disapproval — pride or soloness.

One thing he already discerned from the creature before him was that it possessed the characteristics of two monsters, but they were geared towards similar goals.

Dragons don't typically love to have masters. They are always moved and portrayed as proud and independent. In every environment they find themselves, they either dominate or leave space for any force against them. But relenting because a force is against them was a rare case.

While snakes are mostly solitary and act on instinct. They don't even wish to respect the ideas of a foreign body or recognize a human as a "master". In fact, in a situation where a snake becomes trained or tamed, they lack loyalty at last.

'But they can be tolerated, or conditioned.'

Laz cleared his throat. "I have my reasons."

The dragon snake only crumbled into its coil, leaving only a short part of its neck with the head to poke out, listening.

"Let's say I finally possess the energy of the seal that trapped you for more than a hundred years, and you end up consuming a bearer of this kind of energy, what do you think will happen?"

Not waiting for an answer from the creature, he continued. "You will be trapped forever, unless, after another very long year to come, you fall into someone like me. But, you won't want to bet on this choice, you know, because once I cease to exist, my entry into this domain will be erased, and you will only suffer in anguish."

Narrowing his brows to study that the creature was getting him, he added. "Well, at least I know you value your freedom."

HMPHMM.

Dragon snake muffled but didn't say anything.

"And, for the second condition, do you think you can break out loose without being slighted again by your former captors? The reason is simple and very important. If you want to gain freedom, then you need a protector."

After rolling his eyes at the creature to make sure it heard him pop and plain, he turned his back on it and grinned.

His first reason could be justified to mean that he was indirectly assuring his safety if he released the monster, but the second was, in fact, ironic.

The truth might become that once he succeeds in this Area of his trial, or... dies, the Area ceases to exist. Well, he was not exactly sure, but this was based on his assumptions. Cause why will an Area devoid of trials exist? Even though he assumed this for selfish purposes, he couldn't be entirely far from the fact.

Also, in as much as a protector was needed, it was he, Laz, who needed someone to ensure his safety, especially if the gate claimed to be safeguarded by the dragon snake, bore more monsters.

Not getting any response from the creature, he regained his composure and turned to it.

"So, are you suggesting I take my leave, now?"