Chapter 21: A Jade Seal's Price

At multiple times in his life, Rick had thought he was surrounded by luxury. Some of the earliest times, when he had barely made it out of his family's trailer park, were a bit embarrassing now that he thought back to them. Other times he was correct in a limited sense, as when he'd entered the buildings of some of the largest firms.

Yet now, as he walked into the palace, he realized that this was a display of wealth like he'd never seen before. There was nothing ostentatious because they had absolutely nothing to prove to anyone. He walked on ancient marble past walls of rich cedar paneling, all of it thoroughly enchanted with ether. When there was a statue or a tapestry, he had no doubt that they were invaluable originals, not copies. Somehow he had imagined that immortals lived like celebrities, but now he understood how wrong he was.

A set of attendants funneled everyone entering into a central raised chamber, which prevented him from wandering through what was no doubt a huge estate. There Rick found himself slightly overwhelmed by a room absolutely filled with fighters. He didn't see a single untrained person, even the waiters carrying drinks having six figure generation rates.

Almost everyone else looked like they belonged, like they were actually comfortable there. Most were wearing the same formal robes he was, but those who weren't looked far more comfortable than he did. Whether the outdated clothing of Josiah or H's scruffy look, they didn't have a single care for what anyone thought of them. Rick felt completely out of place and was sure he looked like it.

"Hey, Rick!" Raggest pushed out of the crowd, grinning. He was wearing robes but hadn't even bothered to tie his belt. "Did you just get here? It's pretty boring. I thought that immortals would have all kinds of amazing training rooms, but they won't let us into that part."

"Are there..." Rick had to swallow to wet his throat, and was surprised when a waiter handed him a glass of what looked like wine. "Have you been here long? Is there going to be any kind of conflict?"

"Oh, I wish. No, everyone just wants to talk. I can totally see why Alger didn't bother coming along. But at least we have a chance to meet all our rivals!"

"Rivals?"

"The others who are going to be in the big fight tournament thing, of course. They didn't tell you? The immortals are resolving some kind of conflict indirectly by having us fight. The Showdown three days ago was just like the first round. Now we all get months to prepare and see if we can do better."

"Huh." Rick took a sip from the glass and found it surprisingly sweet, but decided not to drink any more. "So it isn't scheduled yet?"

"Not yet... but I'll see you there!" Raggest grinned and hit him on the shoulder. "You did pretty great in that match. I figured the medics would have to drag you out, but you actually survived a beam! I mean, I can do a bit worse than that, but even the weakest version is nothing to joke about. I'm really glad we met in Branton. You might be a rival for real."

Rick really had no idea what to say to that, but at that moment he was pulled aside. H gestured for him to follow and headed deeper into the party. Once they were away from Raggest, H spoke in a low voice.

"Josiah insisted on everyone being introduced. I don't like it, but it's not my choice. That's the only important thing you'll do this party. After that, just don't make a fool of yourself."

"How about I just keep my mouth shut?"

"Good plan."

H took him to a gathering circle containing a number of both fighters and immortals. Rick immediately saw James Travis, who gave him an unpleasant smile. The conversation was idle, but Rick quickly figured out that all the young fighters were those who were part of the immortals' bet and decided to look over his competition.

It seemed that each of the major powers was represented. A huge blond man carrying a lance was likely from Siberia, a woman whose age he couldn't determine represented China, and the thin man in traditional Nokan robes could not be easier to identify. From the conversation he gleaned that James was from England, but representing Germany and Europe. Several of them seemed to scorn the USA, though he held his tongue instead of pointing out that it was represented by two different people.

That meant that other than Rick, Alger was behind the only representative from the US. Maybe this was just an idle bet between immortals that meant nothing on the global stage, but that fact left Rick just a little uncomfortable. Eventually Raggest joined them, which only made the conversation more awkward due to his singular focus. It did take some attention off him, at least.

"What a fine collection of lads and lasses." Josiah entered the conversation, joining them with a wine glass in one hand. Rick automatically tensed. "But you... you there, lad, dark of countenance. Who do you represent?"

"I was born in the World Sculptor's court." The Nokan representative spoke with a sharp accent, apparently not offended by the blunt question.

"Ah, good show, then. You will forgive me my prejudice, but you must know how many savages surround the Nokan Empire."

"It has been our battle since time immemorial." The Nokan man's tone was impossible to read. Not that Rick thought he was great at reading people, but the man struck him as unreadable by anyone. His words could have been sincere, mocking, or bitter and Rick would have believed it.

Even if the Nokan man wasn't offended, several of the other representatives were clearly taken aback by Josiah wildly throwing out stereotypes. It would only be a matter of time before James or someone else linked the two of them, and Rick did not want to be in a position where he was trapped between insulting his sponsor and defending whatever outdated thing he said next.

As soon as he got an opportunity, he slipped away from the group. He'd seen his rivals now, though Rick felt no real animosity toward anyone but James. And honestly, even that vendetta was entirely one-sided. This wasn't his bet, after all, he was just a tool. His job was to try to gain as much as he could in the process.

Still, he felt just as uncomfortable everywhere else in the party. Rick wandered away from the central room, hoping to find a path that wasn't blocked off. To his surprise, he soon stumbled across a garden. The region nearest the main building was exquisitely kept, with perfect paths winding around several pagodas and a lake. There were people walking or seated there, but he saw fewer in the distance.

Once he got to the other side of the lake, Rick found that it was far quieter. No one was trying to talk to him now but he also saw no sign that he shouldn't be there. After setting down his wine glass, still mostly untouched, Rick stretched a bit and just stared skyward.

Honestly, the wine didn't tempt him because part of him just wanted to drink more Formula T. He had resisted taking the extra dose, but it was burning a hole in his inner robe pocket. His plan had been to take it if things went bad and his life was at stake, or at least that was what he told himself. Rick rubbed the vial through his robe, then continued wandering.

An enormous dog emerged from the garden ahead of him. Its head came up to his chest and the rest of it was huge, bulky with muscle and fur so dark it was more blue than black. Though he didn't know the breed, he thought it looked similar to a Tibetan mastiff. He could only just see its eyes through the fluff, but they glittered darkly at him.

Rick decided it was best to walk away before it could become aggressive. Maybe he wasn't supposed to be there after all. He took several steps backwards, only to have the dog shuffle forward, closing the distance.

His first instinct was to defend himself, but Rick realized a moment later that it was obviously a pet. Aside from the fact that a place this fancy wouldn't have wild animals roaming around, its fur had clearly been well-groomed. That meant that it was owned by their hosts, and they wouldn't take kindly to him touching a hair on its body, much less killing it.

Instead Rick turned away to run back to the party... only to find the dog rushing in front of him.

There had been so many powerful people at the party that Rick had stopped thinking too much about anyone's generation rate. Yet now he realized that his instincts weren't failing him: the dog was holding lucrim. Unless he'd gone mad, it had over six digits of lucrim, roughly 225,000. Was a dog stronger than him?

Taken off guard, Rick decided to escape as quickly as possible and find the attendants. He used a Bunyan's Step to leap part way across the pond, where he could chain several more together and reach the main party.

The dog let out a loud bark and then suddenly it was blurring in front of him.

Unsettled, Rick tried to Bunyan's Step in another direction, only for the dog to cut him off again. Impossible as it seemed, it wasn't just using raw lucrim or aura like the animals at the Peakless Wildlife Refuge, it was using a technique.

Its jaws opened, revealing a maw filled with large teeth, drool beginning to roll down. Panicking, Rick used another Bunyan's Step to shoot over the dog's head, then changed direction in midair. That bought him a moment of freedom, but suddenly it flashed in front of him again, barking loudly. Rick desperately used several more Bunyan's Steps, but each time he caught a glimpse of dark fur in front of him. Eventually his core was burning out and the dog was almost on him.

Crouching low to the ground, it began wagging its tail fiercely.

"Are you... playing?" Rick faked moving in one direction, but used his new footwork to cut off the movement. The dog partially leapt to block him, let out a happy woof, then hopped back. As they faked back and forth in several directions, Rick found himself smiling.

When the dog came forward, he didn't retreat. Though its jaws could probably tear off an arm, even without lucrim, it merely bumped its head against his chest in a friendly way and then licked his cheek. Rick automatically raised a hand to rub its head, then hesitated. It was clearly a pet, so perhaps touching it would be unwise...

"He likes if you scratch behind his left ear." He recognized the soft voice as the elderly Chinese woman who had granted him the seal. The dog did too, apparently, woofing happily at her.

"I hope it's okay that I played with him," Rick said, scratching the dog behind the ear. It leaned into his hand and let its tongue loll from its mouth.

"It's probably good for him. Too many strangers cause him stress, so he's happy to have someone to play with."

"Ah... I'm sorry, but I don't believe I've ever caught your name."

"You may call me Qing Shan."

Something about that name and the way she said it made him hesitate. He didn't recognize it, at least not consciously, but it might not be her real name. In any case, it was still a token of trust, so he inclined his head to her. "Thank you for your seal. I hope you don't regret it, now that I'm part of the bet."

"Oh, these bets are never simple things. I would not concern yourself over it." Qing Shan stepped closer, stood silently for a time, then placed a hand on the dog's back. "He also enjoys being thrown, since relatively few have the strength and the nerve."

"Thrown?" Rick glanced at the huge dog dubiously and it nuzzled at his hand. Yes, it was huge, but it was true that his strength was vastly increased with lucrim. Since the woman had clearly made a suggestion, he decided to try it, bending down to pick up the dog.

It immediately began to climb up into his arms, as if it was a tiny lapdog. Rick chuckled as it licked at his face, struggling just to get a solid grip. Eventually he managed it, then heaved, sending the dog sailing through the air into the empty part of the garden.

For a moment, he worried that the dog would hit something and he would be in trouble, but it flipped around in the air to land on its feet.

Then it charged. Rick's eyes widened as he saw the dog streaking toward him like a freight train. His instincts screamed to leap out of the way, but he braced his feet, summoned the Triune Golden Spheres, and let it collide with his chest.

So much weight slamming into him sent him staggering back several steps, but it hadn't been an attack. Enough to kill most people, but the dog was still just playing. It scrabbled at him, licking his face while he tried to get a better grip. After it let out a deafening bark into his face, Rick was fairly clear on what it wanted.

The second time, he threw the dog as hard as he could, sending it sailing so deep into the garden that it was lost in the trees. Rick heard a thump, then a rustling, then had to brace himself as a blue-black streak came for him.

After throwing the dog several times, it only seemed more eager, but Rick was starting to feel a bit tired. Fortunately, before he needed to make an awkward decision, Qing Shan uttered a single word in Chinese. The dog immediately dropped down onto all fours beside her, body completely still except its mouth, which panted in a doggish grin.

"Some laugh at the idea that animals can be good judges of character, but I have always found it useful." Qing Shan scratched the dog on the head and then began to walk deeper into the garden. "He clearly likes you. We should talk."

That sounded ominous, but he had no real choice but to follow. Since she didn't immediately ask him anything as they walked, Rick searched for a question to fill the silence. "I've never seen an animal with this much lucrim."

"Yes, I noted that you had experience with wild animals." As they walked, Qing Shan kept her hand resting on the dog's fur. "The stories are filled with mystical creatures, but they are later inventions. The truth is, the way that humans use lucrim is not natural, not in the sense of evolution. It is ultimately technology, allowing us to use natural lucrim in ways that far surpass any animals."

"Perhaps for you, but this dog here definitely surpasses me."

"Ah, but I meant wild animals. Dogs have been our companions for millennia, likely raised from aura wolves. They have been bred for a great many purposes... including, at times, effective use of lucrim. This one is a companion and guardian, but others are bred as true war dogs. Though never equal to the strongest warriors, they are the best companions a human could ask for."

"What about cats?" Rick asked. To his surprise, Qing Shan immediately sniffed.

"Cats should never be bred to use lucrim."

"You don't like cats?"

"I like them well enough, but if they gain that much power, they will kill people." Qing Shan smiled warmly and ruffled her hand through the fluff on the dog's head. "Not like our good boy here. Such a loyal beast, yes you are." She continued praising it in Chinese, her content obvious from her tone, and the dog woofed happily.

Seeing her speaking to the dog so casually made Rick relax a little. That immediately made him suspicious, wondering if she was manipulating him - even monsters loved their dogs, after all. But whatever else was the case, he thought her affection for the dog was genuine, and she had twice helped him. As they approached a pagoda separate from the others, Rick decided to ask another question.

"Other animals can do things that we can't, right? I thought some of the most lethal lucrim-based poisons couldn't be replicated even in labs."

"Oh, the natural world has produced a great many wonders." Qing Shan waved the issue aside, her face suddenly serious. She took a seat inside the pagoda and gestured for him to sit as well, the dog already placing itself over their feet. "But I did not call you here to discuss science lessons."

Rick swallowed. "Why, then?"

"Truth be told, I gave you the original seal for one primary reason: to disrupt Alger. Your performance was adequate, yes, otherwise I would not have bothered. But what concerned me most was his interest in you. Minor investigation into your past has revealed nothing of note, however."

"I... well, that's because I'm not really anyone of note. Alger just likes people he says have a warrior's spirit."

"Actually, I lied." Qing Shan gave him a narrow smile. "There is one notable thing: it seems that you've nearly been involved with Alger several times, but always escaped his orbit. That is unusual. His proteges tend to be like Raggest, overflowing with power and lacking in questions."

"Just how many have there been?"

"I couldn't tell you. The man seems capable of accomplishing so much at once that some have speculated he has an entire organization of agents, yet he seems to work alone. What I can tell you is that those he trains tend to have short and explosive careers, but they don't end well. Some of them have simply disappeared, and all evidence points to their deaths."

"That's... I knew something was off about him, but I didn't know anything about that." It was insane to think that Alger, the wackily-dressed man who had welcomed him to the Underground, could be someone so notorious. "But if you want me to tell you about him, I'm afraid I don't know much of anything."

"A pity. I suspected as much, but it was worth asking." Qing Shan regarded him coolly, the weight of her gaze making him wonder if she was even older than she appeared. Immortals usually adopted a young appearance, but perhaps... "Because Alger seems to care about this little bet, we care as well. One of my younger sect sisters is actually participating, but I am less concerned about that than in making sure that it ends well."

"What would that look like?"

"Alger's candidate not winning, of course. We would take a victory, but truthfully, a Nokan or Siberian victory would be equally satisfactory."

Rick waited a moment longer, but she didn't say anything about him and it obviously wasn't an accident. "But you don't want me to win?"

"I would weep no tears if you did. But this H who trains you has a poor reputation for breaking those he trains, and we are unclear on who he serves. Anyone with unclear loyalties is suspect."

"It isn't Josiah Craw?"

Qing Shan was silent for a time, staring out into the garden. "Josiah Craw hired H, and we don't know why. He has always been an eccentric, but it has been some decades since he participated in any such contests. My master believes that he must know something we don't about the contest, perhaps some reward or consequence."

Though Rick was curious who Qing Shan's master could be, the cool look in her eyes suggested this was not the time to ask questions. After a long pause, she continued.

"I would not ask you to be a spy, at least in part because I believe it would be ineffective. But for this moment, you have deniability. Any information you can give us would be useful."

So that's what it was all about. Rick considered carefully, since it was entirely possible that he was handing intelligence to his enemies. But Qing Shan had actually stood up for him first, before H had stepped in. Telling them a little wouldn't hurt.

"First," Rick said carefully, "I think that you might want to know that Alger was meeting with the Global Lucrim Authority..." He went on to tell what details he could, focusing on Alger since he didn't want to betray H directly. Still, the rumor that had been mentioned... even if it was meant to make him distrust H, Rick had to admit that he had other reasons to distrust the man.

When he finished, Qing Shan nodded slowly. "Anything else?"

"Well, there's this. It might be proprietary, but..." Rick reached into his robe and revealed the vial, but to his surprise, Qing Shan immediately waved it aside.

"Formula T? Perhaps a secret for most, but a known quantity to us. You are taking a great risk in using it, but I suppose you can make your own decisions."

"Huh." Rick hadn't expected it to matter so little, but didn't quite want to let it go. He had an impulse to drink it, and that was what pushed him over the edge. "Could you send this to someone? Secretly, I mean, without H or Alger tracking it."

"It's within our capabilities. Why?"

"There's a woman I know who does this sort of thing professionally. I think... she would like to see this. I've been meaning to send it to her, but I've never had a real opportunity."

An odd smile played on Qing Shan's face, but she reached out and took the vial from him. "That is a small favor to grant, after you have been so helpful. Yes, give us the address and we can send it to her."

Rick did so, handing over the vial with only a little regret. The night had gone in several different directions he never would have expected, but he thought this was a good result. Though he hadn't spoken to Lisa enough due to the recent chaos, he knew she would enjoy studying the Formula T. Before he could wander far into his thoughts, Qing Shan rose to her feet.

"After this, we will not contact you. Compete in the Showdown, prepare for the final contest, and do whatever benefits you personally. However, please keep in mind what I said. If Alger was interested in you once, he may still be. Believe me when I say that his concern for your well-being is more harmful than our self-interest."

With that, she swept away without a farewell. Rick was left thinking about everything that had happened. He still tried to tell himself that everything was great, since he was still being paid to train and had gotten through the crisis period. That was little comfort when an experienced immortal was expressing so much discomfort. It was hard to know what to do.

An enormous head dropped into his lap and the dog whuffed eagerly. Rick smiled and rubbed it behind the ear. Well, there was one thing he could do.