Pallez glanced at Alaric, suspicion lingering, but opened the iron box. He froze.
Inside was a translucent Worm of Time... not just any, but one belonging to Amon, likely from a clone killed mere days ago.
"Satisfied with my gift, Ancestor?" Alaric's voice carried the earnestness of a descendant seeking approval.
Pallez gave him a deep look. "Very satisfied."
He meant it. Though unclear about this "Alaric Zoroast." Pallez genuinely appreciated the gift. A Worm of Time, its characteristics returned to Amon, wasn't highly valuable... useful for high-level charms at best... but it meant Amon had lost a significant clone.
For Pallez, hounded by Amon to the ends of the earth, this was delightful news, the perfect gift.
Who didn't love seeing Amon suffer?
Despite his wariness, Pallez couldn't help but warm to Alaric.
"Glad you like it, Ancestor." Alaric said, smiling, pleased by Pallez's reaction.
"How did you find me?" Pallez closed the box, cutting to the chase.
"My Lord guided me to your trail." Alaric said with a smile.
"Can you tell me about this Lord you serve?" Pallez pressed, unsurprised.
"My Lord is the great Lord of Chaos, the Retrograde of Time, the Shadow of the World, the Embodiment of Delight." Alaric said, his face devout, referring to himself.
A classic Lord of Mysteries move... worshipping oneself, embodying believer, favored one, and deity in one. Alaric had to try it.
It wasn't entirely a lie. Thanks to the Nyarlathotep fragment within him, though lacking a gray fog for meetings, Alaric possessed divine traits, able to connect through honorific names and answer prayers.
Pallez frowned. He recognized the standard three-part honorific name, pointing to at least an King of Angel if not a true god. But he'd never heard of such an entity. Even considering disguised allies, no deity matched this description.
Chaos… Pallez thought of the Son of Chaos, but dismissed it. That entity, screwed over by the old Lord of Mysteries, was in no state to track him down.
After fruitless pondering, Pallez gave up on guessing Alaric's deity. "What does He want?" He asked directly.
"My Lord doesn't wish for Amon to become the next Lord of Mysteries. Though He doesn't favor your odds, Ancestor, you share His goal of stopping Amon." Alaric said with a smile, deliberately aligning himself with Pallez to lower his guard and boost rapport, while mentioning the Lord of Mysteries to lend credibility to his persona.
Not just anyone knew of the Lord of Mysteries.
"Your Lord isn't one for tact…" Pallez said, unsurprised but wryly amused.
Even he admitted his chances of claiming that title were near zero.
"Will you cooperate with my Lord, Ancestor?" Alaric asked, eyes expectant.
"…I have questions. Why me? You know how weak I am right now." Pallez said, his expression serious.
"My Lord seeks you for simple reasons." Alaric replied unhurriedly. "First, your long feud with Amon gives you unmatched insight into him... information is a vital resource. Second, your enmity with Amon is irreconcilable. Third, as you said, you're weak."
He met Pallez's shadowy gaze with a shy smile. "You likely guessed, Ancestor... my Lord is also in a predicament. Your weakness is actually a boon for this partnership."
For a struggling deity, a too-powerful ally could be dangerous. A weakened one ensured mutual safety.
"You're bold." Pallez said, giving Alaric a long look.
"My Lord is merciful and won't punish me for speaking truth. And you, Ancestor, are a good person." Alaric said with a grin.
"Hah." Pallez laughed, eyeing Alaric. "You think too highly of high-ranking beings, child. Ever heard this? Trust in a god's might, but not their mercy."
For the first time, Pallez exuded the aura of the former Zoroast family head, an angel loyal to the Black Emperor.
Leonard, watching from the sidelines, instinctively bowed his head, his mind blanking momentarily.
Alaric just shook his head, meeting Pallez's gaze unfazed, smiling. "You're wrong, Ancestor. I don't trust my Lord's mercy. I trust He won't waste anyone's value. If He grants me death one day, it'll be because my death outweighs my life's worth."
Pallez studied him, intrigued. "I'm curious why you serve your Lord."
Those weren't the words of a devout believer.
"Are you worried about me, Ancestor?" Alaric asked earnestly.
"As your ancestor, I'd like to know why my descendant serves a god." Pallez said, dodging a direct answer.
"Simple. My Lord saved me. I would've been Amon's snack, like my parents. Because of Him, I'm here before you." Alaric said truthfully, his gaze settling on the iron box. He paused. "That's a trophy from when He saved me."
***
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