The bargain

"You think that I will have to give up something dear to me in exchange for creating what they want; you may have a point but what guarantees you are saying the truth. I don't believe some little boyish girlish creature that comes into my space and threatens my serenity," he chanted something and a red orb formed in his palm.

Stephan eyes the parchment where the project Alpha was written in big letters then returned his gaze to the mage who was visibly offended. With a swift movement, he grabbed the parchment and used it as a shield while stepping back.

"I understand your fury but, can you put the spell aside? We can negotiate. We can certainly negotiate. Why fight when we can reach a ground of satisfaction."

"Ah yes!" the mage said slowly, rubbing his chin. He remembered the existence of a powerful mage who had never shown her face to the world. She was known for doing the unexpected. He recognized the recklessness of the boy as hers and closed his palm making the fire shut down. "What do you need from this old man that you had to disturb me this much? What are you ready to offer for something of mine? Your time? Your soul? Someone dear to you? What can you give me?"

Stephan didn't have any choice but to explain what happened to the dwarf and the elf. He said the human kingdom was in danger because of that incident and he wished to help both the dwarf and the elf to make the exchange successful.

"Ah yes," he replied slowly. "You want to play the heroes. It's not easy, lad! If you are an apprentice magician, you will understand that indulging with mundane matters is a waste of time. However, considering the traits of your teacher, you might be deviated. Don't follow her advice! She is known for being the worse teacher ever. Since you have been truthful to me and I don't see a hint of a lie in your words, I will overlook your offence and research more this project differently. I will see the stakes and decide again if I should keep going."

"Since you are such a great mage, may I know why do the elves and the dwarves need those weapons back?"

Ah! I heard about it before. It seems they had a negotiation then a peace treaty; they had to exchange their favorite weapons and exchange it again after fifteen years of peace. You must know that both those races are not what you call on the best terms. They all need those parchments of peace to keep going and trust each other. However, lately it seems there was a rumour going on. Rumour has that a human king was asking for a weapon but the dwarves didn't listen to his plea and he lost a land called Revampirina. He lost it because he didn't have strong weapons to protect his land. Taken back by it, he wanted to seek revenge. I think this must be it."

"So since a human had caused this, a human must fix it."

"We, mages, are not affiliated with any race. We are on our own. If you want to be affiliated with a race, so be it. Don't drag the mage name into it. I do not wish for anyone to come and plague my residence."

"Do you have any idea where it is?"

"I can get you what you need but I need something in exchange, a payment, something of your own, I cannot proceed and waste my time over nothing."

"But you are already wasting your time."

His eyes opened wide realizing the apprentice made him waste time. "You are like that hurtful teacher of yours. So disturbing and so… stupid. Do not go against the flow boy. If it's meant for the humans to lose, they will. The king didn't have to be stupid and cause all this."

Stephan didn't understand who this teacher mage the old man was talking about. However, he thanked her internally for existing and being the excuse and lie to save his life and have an advantage in the conversation.

"Still someone has to do something."

"Playing the heroes, you will die boy. If you didn't die by my hands, someone else will take your soul. If you keep this attitude, you will lose everything. I'm afraid your problems are doubled. All I can tell you is that this quest seems a lost cause. However…" he glanced back at the door. "I can see that you changed something in this flow of time. Very well, what can you give me? Just say anything? It does not conform to my principles to do something for free."

<You are good, lad. I thought your insolence might make you fail this quest quickly but I see you are using it wisely. This mage is called Yizurma. He is an ancient mage that excelled in dark magic so taking your soul would be easy for him. Yet, he used a fireball to threaten you. I see it as he didn't want to harm you from the beginning.>

Stephan searched between the parchments the mage had and the books. If he were a mage from the same game, then the apprentice knew a lot of potions he could give the recipe as payment. The old man watched him look thoroughly but he didn't mind it. He wanted to understand what the boy was searching for. In the end, Stephan found a failure potion the mage couldn't get well.

"I can give you the recipe of this potion of focus. In exchange, I want to know the exact location of the hammer of Justice the bow of Greenlush."

"Are you trying to lie, apprentice? There is no way your master would teach you that recipe. It's her life work, she came up with it. She even challenged us to recreate it but no one succeeded. You looked through my failed projects. Don't lie to me lad."

"I know how to make it. If you want to accept the bargain in exchange for the location of both weapons, I am ready to give it up."