Chapter 60 - Bargain - The Gold

As Skalain stepped forward, his presence commanding and enigmatic, the young mages couldn't help but be taken aback by his appearance. His black mask, adorned with the symbol of a black book, added an air of mystery to his figure, while the imposing skeletons flanking him sent a clear message of power.

"I believe this mask should add a more mysterious aura around me; I found it in the Dark Archive, so it should be useful."

Skalain's voice was firm yet calm as he addressed the three mages. "I am Skalain, a necromancer who lives in these lands," he declared, his words carrying a weight that demanded attention. "You trespassed into my domain and destroyed one of my skeletons."

Cardian, feeling the gravity of the situation, spoke up with a hint of remorse in his voice. "We apologize for our actions. We didn't know that the skeleton belonged to you. We were merely seeking answers and didn't realize the consequences."

Cardian was feeling the worst, as he was the one who used his spell to destroy the skeleton this mysterious mage was talking about.

Ezekiel and Layla nodded in agreement, their expressions reflecting a mix of regret and understanding. "We're truly sorry for any offense we've caused," Layla added, her voice sincere.

As they spoke, they both looked at Cardian with evil eyes. It was clear that they were swearing at him in their minds.

Skalain studied them for a moment, assessing their words and intentions. His tone softened slightly as he asked, "Which organization do you belong to?"

Ezekiel, with a touch of hesitance, answered, "We belong to The Tower of the Black Sun. We seek knowledge and understanding."

Skalain's mask hid his emotions, but his voice betrayed a hint of curiosity. "The Tower of the Black Sun, you say? A respected organization," he remarked.

"So, they belong to an organization that I know; in the majority of cases, this would make them my friends, and so they should not be killed or harmed."

"Instead of this kind of behavior and execution, I can talk with Jareth in this matter. So they will need to pay me to let them go."

"This is better for me; in the end, they all know that we are all dark mages, and no dark mage is a good individual at all."

Ezekiel, Leyla, and Cardian exchanged a glance, realizing the opportunity that lay before them. Ezekiel took a step forward and spoke with sincerity. "Master Skalain, as my friend said, we are really sorry about entering your domain and attacking one of your minions."

"If we knew-"

Skalain cut off Ezekiel and started talking with a condescending tone.

"It is just common sense if you knew you would not be attacking my minion. The truth and what you people must do is not attack everything you saw, especially a non-aggressive skeleton."

Ezekiel gulped and did not know what to say.

Skalain's gaze held a flicker of contemplation as he listened to their words.

"Let's see if they know Jareth." Skalain thought as he spoke.

"So, you people belong to The Tower Of Black Sun; do you guys know Jareth?"

The young mages exchanged glances, a mix of hope and determination reflected in their eyes.

Cardian, his voice filled with hope, responded, "Master Jareth is one of our teachers, especially when it comes to magic practice and theorotical file elements."

Skalain nodded, acknowledging their words.

"Go back to him and tell him that he owes me thirty gold coins for the life of you three; also tell him everything that happened between us."

"If you guys lie, I will find you."

"I have connections with your organization, and these connections are good."

Ezekiel, Leyla, and Cardian exchanged smiles and nodded. Ten gold coins per person is a good result of this encounter. Ten gold coins is not a huge amount, but it is not small either.

Usually, student mages are paid one gold coin per month if they regularly perform weekly missions.

A mage like Jareth would be paid five gold coins per month; basically, what Skalain wanted was a yearly salary for themselves and six months salary for Master Jareth.

Considering that on the other end there was a chance to lose their lives, this was not something they could refuse.