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queenmuzz · 4 years

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Deep Blue Sea: Chapter IV

The way to a merman’s heart....

For a link to the full story on Ao3, click here

“You gotta be more specific than 'small silvery fish with spots' when describing the type you like, Vergil. That covers dozens of groups, let alone individual types.” You sat, back to the glass, while on your laptop, pulling up picture after picture of similar looking fish. Vergil floated behind your shoulder, steadily dismissing each picture.

“Well, the issue is that you humans seem to have picked a different name for it than we have” he almost seemed faintly amused at your frustration.

“What does the name 'Cordina' mean anyway?” You closed the browser window with the latest batch of rejected pictures. Well, it wasn't herring... what if it was a fish that humans just didn't eat?

“It is just a name in Old Mer. Do your names of your food staples have to mean something?”

He had a point. A cow was just that... a cow. You grumbled, this was going nowhere... You slammed the laptop shut, and spun to face him. He had been a lot closer than you expected, nearly plastered to the glass, and he quickly darted back, as if he had been caught doing something bad. Had there been no glass or water there, you would have been able to feel his breath on the back of your neck.... the thought of that made you feel warm...

“Alright wise guy, tell me something else about the fish, like how it moves, where it lives, any peculiar oddities it doesn't share with any other fish.” He cocked his head to the side, and his eyes looked upward as he recalled the information.

“It prefers cold water, and usually stays in the far south, ” He said, which was no help. Quite a few species were like that. “But...every so often, when the seasons make a full cycle, a current of cold water juts far north, and the Cordina follow it, to forage in the new territory. At the same time, the warmth of the Ringed Sea pushes against it, forcing the fish into a long narrow column, close to the coast. And since the water is shallow, the fish are easy picking for both the birds above and the predators below. And thus, the feeding begins”

Hmmm, that sounded familiar...you wracked your brain, trying to remember where you had heard of that phenomenon. A memory of a professor, showing an image of the east coast of Southern Africa...AHA! You yanked open your laptop again, and typed in words, bringing up the image of a fish that fit the description. Flipping it around, you showed him.

“BEHOLD! The Sardine! Specifically Sardinops sagax, South African Sardine ” You watched as he cautiously approached the glass, peering at the image, scrutinizing it. You felt a sudden nervousness, as if you were waiting for your exam marks to be revealed.

And then he smiled.

It was a small smile, barely visible, but it was genuine, and beautiful. Something you wanted to see all the time.

“You're very knowledgeable about such things, I hadn't thought that you, a human, would know about something so far away, and in the ocean, to boot.”

“Well, it's what I studied in university” you watched the confused look on his face, “That's where some people go to learn things so they can specialize. Some want to learn about computers,” you tapped the laptop, “Some learn to teach children, and some, like me, want to learn and explore the ocean. Migration patterns of Sardines aren't my specialty, but we did learn about them from about a lecturer who had studied it.”

“Not your specialty?” He asked.

Well, the ocean is vast and for the most part, we don't know what's down there...so a lot of us just focus on one Ocean, one particular ecosystem, hell, sometimes one type of individual fish. I prefer to study the deep ocean, it's a whole new world out there. We know more about the moon-”

“The moon?”

“The thing in the sky, usually you see it at night, cycles between getting bigger and smaller...”

“Ah, the Tidemother....”

It had a nice ring to it, you thought... very romantic, you'd have to ask him more about terms he used. “Anyways, the cutting edge of what we don't understand is the deep ocean, since we can't just... go.. there. Not to mention, it's an entire ecosystem that's not dependent on the sun...the Moon's daytime counterpart.” you clarified.

"Tidefather” he responded, “and no doubt, once you scour the sea floor, you will find a way to exploit it, as humans are wont to do. Never satisfied with their lot in life, they take, and take, and take...” His fists balled up, and even though you were separated by thick glass, you felt the urge to scoot away. The old look of hatred you had first encountered came back with a vengeance.

“What? No!” you responded. “I mean, humanity as a whole has done a lot of damage, I'll admit to that, but we're trying to get better...bit by bit.”

“Fitting words for the daughter of a murderer...” he shot back, an you winced. He had a point. Your father's company (and soon to be yours) harvested thousands and thousands of tonnes of fish each year. But something didn't make sense...

“Not that I'm accusing you or anything, but you've been going after my father's fishing vessels, but I remember that during the Sardine Run, fishermen from the villages on the coast come out in droves to harvest the fish as well, why not attack them?”

A pregnant pause, and you were afraid you had offended him “They merely harvest to feed their families, and their fellow humans, and besides, they are merely one fish in a shoal. I do not feel ill will towards them anymore then I do against any of the other predators.” he calmly explained, before returning to his anger “However, when those ships, with nets that can envelop and harvest countless fish, can scour the oceans clean to feed their hungry maws, that's what I take issue with...”

“Point taken...but if I'm going to get you some of the fish, I'm going to have to buy it from someone who most likely participates in that sort of thing... so it's either kelp, another fish I can get locally, or... this.” He hesitated for moment, before bowing his head in defeat.

“If this is the price for keeping my sanity, so be it”

******

You sat on aquarium platform, with a plate of fresh sardines splayed out in an amateur design, as if it was a plate of hors d'oeuvres at a fancy dinner. Unfortunately, there hadn't been much choice at the market, so you were only able to procure a little over a dozen of the fresh ones (and had managed to finagle a deal with a bemused fishmonger to get a regular supply, citing that you were rehabilitating some sea mammal, it was technically true) but it would take a while to get the supply going. So, you attempted a substitute, which you stacked beside the plate. Cans, and cans, and cans of Sardines. The look the cashier gave you, and the way her eyes darted down to your stomach, to see if you were pregnant, was worth it, even if Vergil ended up hating the stuff.

“So, it doesn't look like sardines are in season, so the ones I got might not be the best condition,” you apologized as you opened one of the sardine cans, one packed in salt water. Perhaps he would like the canned ones that tasted as plain as possible, and then you could try out the more flavourful combinations.

Vergil pulled himself up onto the platform, scaring the bejeesus out of you. “Sheesh, give a gal a warning before you do something like that!”

The merman chuckled...his voice, now 'real' echoed through the room “Apologies, I take it you thought we do not surface.” (you made a mental note to attempt to make him laugh again.)

“Well, it doesn't seem very practical,” you said. “You seem to be specialized for aquatic travel, while being rather clumsy on land. The inverse is true for humans.” You realized how dry and clinical that sounded, how close you were to sounding like Doctor Griffon. Your hands covered your mouth “Oh God, that sounded so bad, I'm really... really sorry!”

Vergil chuckled again (tingles went down your spine, perhaps the tales of the merfolk's alluring voices had a kernel of truth.) “It is forgiven, you cannot help how you think. You seem to be a person who is constantly observing, eager to learn. There is nothing to be ashamed in that, as long as you realize your limitations. Something the 'Good Doctor' could take a lesson on...”

He picked up one of the sardines by his tail, and with a quick motion that surprised you, he swallowed the fish whole, bones and all. At first you thought it was because he was famished, but then one sardine turned into two, then three, then half a dozen were gulped like a baleen whale gulping an entire shoal. You were used to animals eating like that, but the image of someone so humanlike.... well, you excused yourself, and went into the kitchen to get yourself something to eat (and hopefully settle your stomach). You weren't sure what you wanted, but you wanted something quick and easy.... And as you checked your cupboards, you found it... a plastic package. Pulling out a pot and filling it with water, you began to cook.

Five minutes later, you came out with a steaming bowl of ramen in salty broth. And what you saw nearly made you laugh. Vergil had devoured the entire plate of sardines, the opened can of of sardines in salt water, and was attempting to open another can, one with sardines packed in olive oil. He wasn't having much luck with it, frowning intently as he rotated the can, attempting to find out how to open the treasure box. You stood back, allowing him to explore, until he finally figured the pull tab, and with a bit of effort, he ripped open the top. He grinned at his success, but in his attempt to grab the reward within, he gripped the can by the sharp, recently opened edge. The can was dropped onto the platform with a clatter as he hissed in pain. A stream of blood bloomed on his palm. Quickly setting your bowl down, you ran over.

“Oh no, are you alright?” and before he could protest, you grabbed his hand to inspect the damage. Vaguely, you realized this was the first time you had touched him. His hands were remarkably soft, especially considering the salt water that he spent his life in. A thin red line on his palm indicated a pretty nasty cut....Or it would have, if it was not rapidly healing in front of your eyes.

“How in the...”

“We heal fairly rapidly, especially compared to you humans, we're not sure why, but it grants us a resiliency that most creatures in the ocean lack. How you humans survive without that ability, I have no idea” He, huffed, amused as you used your ratty old shirt to wipe the blood away to reveal that, yes the cut had healed within a few moments, leaving not even a scar. “You didn't have to do that, I would have licked it off.”

“You...lick your own blood?” you asked, part appalled, part intrigued.

“The less blood we shed, the less likely predators will be attracted,” he explained, and you realized that was probably the same reason for his super-healing. Or if a shark or something did approach, the merfolk would be healed enough to fight back or flee. You were learning more and more things about these people, and just by having a conversation, and treating him as an equal. The 'Doctor' was an idiot, he could have gained so much more knowledge, but no, he was compelled to be a douchebag.

As Vergil (carefully) opened another can of sardines, this time in tomato sauce, you went back to your bowl, now reasonably cooled off, and began slurping away. You watched as he swallowed the sardine, and resisted the urge to laugh at the face he made.

“Not a fan, eh? Ah well, you can't like everything.”

“Indeed, a bit too...sweet for my taste” He looked at the other cans, his brow furrowed, before he looked at you, no, he was looking at the bowl in your lap. The tip of his tongue stuck out, as if he was attempting to mentally form a sentence.

“Would you like to try some of my ramen? It's very salty, probably right up your alley”

“My alley?”

“It means I think you'll like it”

He hesitated for a second...before he nodded, and twirling your fork, you wound a small sized portion, before handing the fork to him. You'd expected (foolishly, in hindsight) that he'd take the fork from you, but instead, he shimmied a bit towards your direction, and carefully, fed off your fork. You couldn't resist giggling as he politely slurped up the noodles. “So, how is it?”

He didn't answer, his smile did more than words ever could

#Devil may cry #Merfolk AU #Vergil #Mergil #Vergill #vergil x reader #DON'T JUDGE READER FOR EATING RAMEN WITH A FORK!

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duhragonball · 5 years

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[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (106/?)

Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation. This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.

Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.

Previous chapters conveniently available here.

[17 February, 233 Before Age. Hubler IV.]

Ryloth Windraker's office was as inviting and friendly as the man himself. Whenever a client entered, Ryloth greeted him with a warm smile, a firm handshake, and a hearty pat on the back as he led them to a comfortable-but-professional-looking chair in front of his expensive-but-practical-looking desk. After several interminable minutes of small talk about the client's family and various vacation plans, he would finally ask how he could send the client home with a smile on his face.

"I should like to hire a mercenary," Dr. Topsas said frankly. His arachnoid frame was too large and ill-suited for a chair designed for humanoids, so he simply stood next to it while he spoke. "As my mouth is anatomically incapable of smiling, I fear that does not truly answer your question, but it does state my business plainly enough."

"Yes, of course, Doctor Saspot," Ryloth said. "It's easy to forget just how diverse the galaxy is. Putting a smile on your face is just an expression I use for making the customer happy. I'd change it to something else... but then I'd have to order new stationary!"

He laughed at his own joke, which Topsas found profoundly irritating. "You do arrange contracts for this sort of thing, yes?" he asked.

"Yes! Oh, yes we do," Ryloth said with a chuckle. "Well, officially speaking I have other people arrange that for me. Keeps certain parties from asking too many questions. Let me just take a look at my records.... Now you'll have to bear with me, our computer system is acting kind of slow today..."

"By all means, take your time, Mr. Windraker," Topsas said.

"What sort of military solution did you need, Doctor?" Ryloth asked.

"It's something of a real estate matter," Topsas said. "And there is a bit of a personal grudge, so I'm reluctant to wait for the courts to settle it."

"Keeping your options open, is that it?" Ryloth suggested.

"Something like that," Topsas said.

"Something like that?" Ryloth repeated. Topsas genuinely had no idea how to respond to this, so he waited quietly for Ryloth's computer to catch up.

"So what I have here is probably a good fit for your needs," Ryloth began. "He comes highly rated by past contractors, and he should be available starting..."

He stared at the screen for what seemed like an eternity. Topsas began to wonder if the poor man had suffered a stroke. Why wouldn't he finish his sentence? Why had he started speaking when he didn't know the information he was trying to communicate? He hadn't even asked Topsas when he would need the man, so why was he keeping him in suspense on his schedule? What especially galled Topsas about Windraker was that conventional wisdom would hold this man up as an example of a "great communicator." Except most of what he said and did was pointless showmanship and had nothing whatsoever to do with conveying information the other party wanted.

"Do you have any warrior species in your files?" Topsas finally asked. There was no point in waiting to broach the subject.

"You prefer them, Doctor?" Ryloth asked.

"I find them to be very sympathetic to matters of honor, Mr. Windraker," Topsas replied. "There may be more professional soldiers in your ranks, and many others with greater technical expertise, but I like to establish an emotional connection with the people I hire. It helps to make it about more than just money."

"I understand," Ryloth said firmly, though Topsas strongly doubted that. As he pulled up more records, he launched into a lengthy anecdote which had more to do with his family's history with appliance repair than anything remotely connected to the matter at hand. "Now, I do have the Thundertoads open for next month. They're very formidable. Have you heard of them?"

Topsas had dissected a Thundertoad cadaver in pre-med, but he saw no point in volunteering that information. "I was thinking of something... stronger, Mr. Windraker. Perhaps a Saiyan or two."

"A... Saiyan?" Ryloth asked.

"A friend of mine once told me that you had arranged contracts with Saiyan mercenaries in the past. I was told to ask for a Mr. Jolok, if he was still in the business."

"Jolok?" Ryloth repeated. "Now there's a name I haven't heard in a while. You have to understand, Dr. Saspot, that the market hasn't been good for Saiyans lately."

"And why is that?" Topsas asked innocently. "It was my impression that violence was a key component of their culture."

"That's true," Ryloth said, "but there's been a lot of scrutiny surrounding Saiyans ever since an internal dispute broke out. You've heard of the Legendary Super Saiyan, haven't you? Well, she's been aggressively pursuing any Saiyan she can find, hoping to track down their missing king."

"I don't have much interest in alien politics, Mr. Windraker," Topsas said.

"Yes, well the bottom line is that Sayians are radioactive right now," Ryloth explained. "You might as well be asking me to sell you two hundred pounds of weapons-grade actinium. At least that way you wouldn't have the Super Saiyan looking over your shoulder."

"What business is it of hers?" Topsas asked.

"It's not a matter of jurisdiction, Doctor," Ryloth tried to explain. "You see it's..." There was another long pause, which Topsas found doubly-annoying, since he already understood what the man was struggling to say. "Okay, so... If you had a Saiyan mercenary, and word got out about him, sooner or later she'd come after him, and if he managed to give her the slip, then she'd probably start following the money, shaking down whoever paid the guy. Now I don't want that kind of attention, and I don't think you want that kind of attention."

"Quite so," Topsas said, "which is why you have others to make those kinds of arrangements for you. That is what you said, is it not?"

"Well, er, yes, I see what you're driving at," Ryloth replied. "But I don't think--"

"Mr. Windraker, I have a great deal of money to spend on this venture, and I believe that the wisest investment would be on a Saiyan warrior," Topsas said. "If they prefer to work discreetly, so much the better. Now if you are unable or unwilling to put me in contact with a suitable candidate, then I respect your decision. Perhaps it might be best if your intermediaries were to contact me directly. There would be no risk to your own business, though you would also receive none of the reward."

Ryloth seemed duly impressed by this, and held out his hands to concede the point. "All right, all right, Doctor, I see where you're going with this. If you're willing to accept the potential consequences, then I might be able to help you out. A lot of Saiyans have gone into hiding though. The one you were asking about, Jolok, was killed in the Quadzityz War. Even so, I know some people who know some people, and they could put you in contact with some Saiyans, but it won't be cheap to get them involved."

"As I said, Mr. Windraker," Topsas answered, "I am prepared to pay handsomely, though I should like to see some proof to support your claims."

Ryloth nodded and turned back to his computer. "You'll have it," he said. "I'm putting together a file of all the Saiyans that my people can reach, and how to get ahold of them. Of course, you'd still need me to make those arrangements. They won't just agree to meet with an unsolicited client. It's too dangerous."

"Naturally," Topsas said. "I appreciate your cooperation on these matters."

Ryloth finished creating his file and handed a portable data unit to Topsas. "Now you don't need to make a decision right away," he said. "Look it over and decide which ones you'd like, and I'll see about setting up payments."

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Topsas said. "You see, I've already decided which ones to contact."

Ryloth was about to ask whom Topsas had chosen, when suddenly a blue humanoid with red hair appeared beside him, aiming a firearm at Ryloth's head.

"We'll want to speak with all of them, Mr. Windraker," Zatte said. "There won't be much of a finder's fee in it for you, but if you cooperate, we can make sure the Saiyans don't find out it was you who led us to them."

Ryloth looked at them both, then slowly raised his hands in surrender.

*******

[18 February, 233 Before Age. Toblerone Prime.]

Guwar was a mathematician by trade, but he was also a Saiyan warrior, and like most Saiyans, he was frustrated by the lack of good battles to fight ever since the Super Saiyan Luffa began cracking down on Saiyan activity. Eager to change his fortunes, he had joined forces with two other Saiyans, Lesseri and Endive, to pursue a rumored power that would make them all stronger. The technique, known only as "Jindan", was thought to have some ties to alchemy, so most of their progress had been achieved with the help of Treekul, an alien historian specializing in alchemical artifacts and ancient texts. Guwar had been pleased to find that his skills in differential equations had been helpful to the geomantic calculations she used to locate items and sites relevant to their quest. As the weakest Saiyan on the team, he liked having some way to make himself indispensable, just in case his partners decided to start trimming dead wood.

Together, Guwar and Treekul had managed to trace the secret of Jindan to a pair of ancient artifacts: a scroll of formulae written by a legendary alchemist, and a copper retort inscribed with sigils and runes. Both contained elements of the alchemical theory upon which Jindan was based. Guwar wasn't entirely sure how this could be, but he trusted Treekul's geomantic ability to trace modern mysticism to the ancient teachings that inspired it. While recovering these artifacts, Lesseri had made another discovery. Another Saiyan, a man named Salziff, had tried to obtain them for himself. Was he after the Jindan secret too? What had he found out?

Guwar was more concerned with how they would find Salziff, and how they would convince him to tell them anything. Lesseri was confident that they would have no trouble with either. Since Salziff wanted the scroll and retort rather badly, she reasoned that Salziff would be eager to arrange a meeting. As for getting Salziff to talk, Lesseri was even more confident of her answer to that one.

"There's three of us, and one of him," she had told Guwar after slamming her left fist into her right palm. "You and Treekul will take the goods with you to meet with him, while Endive and I scout the area for any tricks. If he tries anything funny, we'll gang up on him, and beat him until he begs to tell us what we want to know."

Guwar found her plan somewhat glib. Of the four of them, he alone had met Salziff, and he knew the man to be devious. No matter how desperate Salziff was for the retort and scroll, Guwar was certain that Salziff would find some way to take what he wanted while giving as little as possible in exchange. As they rode and elevator to Salziff's apartment, Treekul listened patiently while Guwar tried to warn her about Salziff's guile.

"You have to give Lesseri some credit," Treekul said. "We put that ad on the subspace network, and he responded to it immediately. 'As soon as possible,' the message said. The guy really wants what we've got."

"Maybe so," Guwar said, "but if I know Salziff, he picked this meeting location very carefully. He's got something up his sleeve. I don't know what it is, but I'm sure he's mapped out three or four escape routes to use once he gets ahold of the scroll and retort."

"Why would he try to escape?" Treekul asked. "As far as he knows, it's just you and me coming to meet him, and you said he was stronger than you. He's probably planning to beat you up and take what he wants."

"Maybe," Guwar said, "but he'd be a fool to assume that we're coming alone just because we told him we would. He may not be expecting us to have backup, but he'll still be prepared for it. Just follow my lead." Guwar handed her a handheld communicator. "If we run into trouble, signal the others with this."

Treekul shrugged and clipped the device to her belt, then she removed the backpack she was carrying to take out the scroll and retort that were stored inside. "If we're so worried about this guy," she said, "maybe it wasn't such a great idea to bring these things with us."

"And leave them on the ship with no one to guard them?" Guwar asked. "No, that'd be playing right into Salziff's hands. This way, we look vulnerable, so if he tries to take advantage of us, Lesseri and Endive can swoop in and stop him."

"I thought you said he'd be expecting us to have backup," Treekul said. "Is being a Saiyan always this complicated?"

The elevator door opened and Guwar let out an annoyed groan as they stepped out into the hall.

"Right, sorry. Follow your lead," Treekul said. "Got it."

They arrived at the door number Salziff had specified, and Guwar knocked four times, as Salziff had instructed. There was no answer.

"Where is he?" Guwar wondered aloud.

"Maybe he went out and lost track of time," Treekul suggested. "No, wait, he might be putting the finishing touches on some deathtrap."

She leaned in and put her ear against the door to try to hear what was going on inisde, and then she looked up at Guwar with a puzzled expression.

"What?" he asked. "What is it?"

"It sounds like snoring," she said.

Guwar put his own ear to the door to hear for himself. It did indeed sound like snoring. He pounded on the door again, and this time, he didn't bother keeping count.

"Salziff!" he shouted. "Wake up or I'll break down the door!"

Treekul listened again. "He's not snoring at least," she said.

"Then why isn't he coming to get the door?" Guwar asked. They hadn't even started yet, and he was already fed up with Salziff's games.

"Wait, I can hear... it sounds like he's coming this way," Treekul said. "Not really footsteps. More like he's shuffling across the floor very slowly."

"Shuffling?" Guwar asked, but before Treekul could explain further, they heard the door being unlocked from the inside. A moment later, the door opened, but only by enough to let the occupant see Treekul and Guwar outside.

"Is that you, Guwar?" he asked. Guwar could recognize Salziff's voice, but it sounded weak and hoarse.

"That's right," Guwar replied.

"Who's she?" Salziff asked.

"She's with me," Guwar answered curtly as he took Treekul's backpack and opened it.

"You have the retort?"

"Yeah."

"And the scroll?"

Guwar held them up for Salziff to see. "Look can we come in?" he asked. It's been a long trip, and my lady friend is tired.

The door slowly opened, allowing the light from the hall to reveal the Saiyan, or what was left of him. He looked pale and sickly. His hair had turned white, and some of it had fallen out. A thin layer of stubble lined his jaw and upper lip, perfectly framing his hollow cheeks and sunken eyes.

"Come on in," Salziff muttered. He turned and led them inside, shuffling across the floor in a pair of slippers. The only other clothes he wore was a pair of linen shorts. It disturbed Guwar to be able to see the outline of Salziff's ribs under the skin of his back.

"Hey, Guwar," Treekul whispered as she elbowed his arm to get his attention. "What's up with this guy? I thought you told me Saiyans don't age for most of their lives. So how old does that make him?"

"He didn't look like this the last time I met him," Guwar murmured back to her. "As far as I know, he's two years younger than me."

"Yikes," Treekul said through gritted teeth. When Salziff turned to face them so that he could collapse into his recliner, she tried to make her grimace look like a friendly smile, though Guwar doubted that it was worth the effort. Salziff seemed to be too weary to care what anyone thought of his appearance.

"Well, you're here," Salziff said as he stared down at his feet. "You've got what I want, and you knew that I wanted them, so that means I must have something you want in exchange. Name your price. I'm in no position to haggle."

Guwar's first instinct was to suspect a trap. This was all too easy, and too suspicious by half. He didn't know how or why Salziff looked the way he did, but Guwar had learned a long time ago never to take things at face value. It was much easier to believe that Salziff was only feigning weakness for some reason.

Then Salziff began to cough, and he kept on coughing. He reached for a box of tissues and continued coughing, until at last he expelled something from his mouth. Guwar couldn't tell what it was, but he noticed a trickle of blood on Salziff's dry, cracked lips after he threw the tissue away.

It was then that Guwar realized that he rather hoped this was some kind of trick. He never liked Salziff, but the idea of him really wasting away like this was horrifying to contemplate.

"All I want is information," Guwar said.

"Good for you," Salziff said. "That's about... about all I have these days. T-tell you everything I know."

He began to cough again, and Guwar was grateful that it didn't last nearly as long as the last time.

"First, I want to know why you want these trinkets," Guwar said, gesturing at the retort in his hand and the scroll in Treekul's.

"I'm dying," Salziff said bluntly. "I think they can save my life."

"How?" Treekul asked.

"I don't know," Salziff said. "The man who owned them, he could tell you."

"He's dead," Guwar said. He wondered if telling Salziff that was a good idea, but the severity of Salziff's condition was throwing off his negotiation skills.

"Then so am I," Salziff said after a long pause. "Guess you didn't need to bring those things with you after all."

Guwar pointed at Treekul. "The woman knows a thing or two about this stuff. Maybe she can do something for you."

"I doubt that very much," Salziff said. He didn't bother looking at Treekul. "No offense, babe. If we'd met a few months ago, I would have been happy to make your acquaintance. These days... well, I just don't have the stamina."

Treekul ignored his comment. "You're right, I probably don't know enough to help you," she said. "I'm an alchemical historian, not an alchemist. But I have some contacts. Maybe I can put you in touch with someone else who can figure out how to use these."

"I don't have time for 'someone else'," Salziff said. He stopped to catch his breath. "I didn't have time when I went to Quadzityz to beg Dorf Portendav for his help, but he was the only one I could find who had any experience in prolonging life and restoring vitality. He is... was... a hundred years older than he looked, you know. There's other people who claim to do what he's done, but he's definitely done it. But he wouldn't lift a finger for me. Too bad... maybe if he'd cooperated with me, he wouldn't have run into you guys and gotten himself killed."

He started coughing again, and he reached for another tissue. When he was finished with it, he tried to put some force behind it as he tossed it into the trash, though it was hard to tell the difference. "Serves him right, that stingy bastard," Salziff said. "Wanted to be immortal, well look how far you got. Couldn't even outlive me. Me, I just wanted to live long enough to see another worthy battlefield. Guess that won't be happening now."

"What did this to you, Salziff?" Guwar asked.

"Performance enhancing drugs, to start with," Salziff said with a weak sniffle. "I wanted to get stronger, but I didn't want to train, and I couldn't find enough action out in space. Things were peaceful enough before the Super Saiyan started this crackdown, you know?"

"I've never heard of any PED's that could do this much damage to a body," Guwar said.

"Then you haven't looked as hard as I have," Salziff said with a laugh. "Too busy sticking your nose in those math books, Guwar. Maybe you're better off, now that I think about it. Pharmaceuticals weren't getting the job done, so I started looking into the black market. A lot of it's snake oil, but some of it really works... for a while, anyway. Before I knew what I'd done, I'd managed to screw myself over pretty badly. I had to use most of my ki just to keep myself alive."

Guwar and Treekul exchanged a look. Lesseri had been floating outside the apartment window for several minutes now, charging a ki blast aimed at Salziff's chair. If he noticed her presence at all, he never acknowledged it. Either his ki senses had faltered along with the rest of his body, or he simply didn't care whether Lesseri killed him or not. Guwar nodded at Treekul, who pressed a button on a communicator hanging from her belt. A few minutes later, Lesseri and Endive answered her signal, and stepped inside the room.

"He's dying," Guwar explained to them. "I don't think he knows anything, but even if he did, we can't really force it out of him."

"Oh..." Salziff said when he finally saw the other two women. "I had you figured all wrong, Guwar. You're pretty popular with the ladies, after all."

"Never mind that," Lesseri said as she stepped towards his chair. "What do you know about Jindan, old man?"

"Jindan?" Salziff said with a gasp. "Don't tell me that's what you all wanted from me."

"We simply wish to get stronger, Salziff," Endive said in a crisp, even tone. "Just as you did."

"If that's what you three want," Salziff said with a weak cough, "then you'll take my advice and forget you ever heard of Jindan."

"You're saying it doesn't work?" Lesseri asked.

"What I'm saying," he said before another coughing spell came over him. "What I'm saying is that it isn't worth it. Look at me, woman. I'm younger than Guwar, but look at me now. Is this how you want to end up?"

"Then you have used it," Lesseri said. "And everyone who does ends up like you?"

Salziff looked away from Lesseri, and shook his head. She grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted him out of his chair.

A trickle of excrement spilled from his shorts. Guwar winced at the smell.

"Tell me!" Lesseri demanded. "You're not so close to death that I can't make you suffer before you go!"

Endive stepped in to stop her. "Lesseri, this is pointless," she said. "We still have the scroll. Treekul can find another lead to Jindan with that."

"Back off, Endive," Lesseri growled. "This guy's seen what we're after. He's been there, and he can tell us everything we need right now. But he won't talk, and that makes me upset..."

Suddenly, Salziff made a strange noise. At first, Guwar wasn't sure what it was. He had never spent much time around the sick, and so for a moment he wondered if it was a special noise people made before they died. Then he saw a thin smile on Salziff's face, and he realized that it was laughter, or the closest thing to laughter that Salziff could muster.

"Oh what the hell?" Salziff said. "You four won't take no for an answer, so what do I care if you ruin your lives? I'll talk. I won't bore you with the whole story, but I'll get you where you need to go."

Lesseri set him back in his chair and crossed her arms impatiently. Salziff took a moment to compose himself, and finally said the word: "Mundokuul."

"What is that?" Endive asked.

"It's where I went to contact the Jindan cult," he said. "They have their own planet, but I don't know where it is, or what it's called. No one does. You go to Mundokuul, and they take you the rest of the way. If you're worthy, that is."

"Go on," Lesseri said.

"Well there's not much more to say, is there?" Salziff said. "There's a ritual, but you'll see that for yourselves. You'll rue the day you heard my name, but when it's over, you'll receive the power of Jindan. And you'll be stronger.... Yes, you'll be so much stronger than you've ever been. Oh, it's glorious..."

"Then what went wrong?" Guwar asked. "What's the catch?"

Salziff turned and stared at the window, as though trying to look at the stars in the sky. The curtains were drawn, and so if this was his intention, he had to satisfy himself with the gesture instead of the view.

"The cult is the catch," he finally said. "They don't give that kind of power away for free. You accept it from them, and they own you, body and soul. Step out of line, and they take it back, only you're not quite the same when that happens. The Jindan power merges with your own, and after a while, it's no so easy to separate them. So if you make them mad, and they decide to take back what they gave you, they end up tearing away a piece of what you started with. That's why I'm dying. My health was shot before I went to Mundokuul, and Jindan made me strong enough to recuperate, but I couldn't follow their rules, and when they took Jindan away from me, they took with it some of my own strength, leaving me too weak to keep my body from falling apart."

Guwar looked at Lesseri and Endive, who looked back at him, and then each other. There was a grim silence in the room as the Saiyans considered what they had just heard. Then Salziff started to cough again. By the time he stopped, there were tears running down his face.

"I grew up with my great grandfather," Salziff said. "He told me all sorts of crap. Used to knock me around when I wouldn't listen. I just thought he was a foolish old man. Now I look older than him, and I finally see where he was coming from. I thought he just liked bossing me around, but he was trying to warn me. He just wanted to make sure I didn't make the same mistakes he used to make. He told me how nothing in life is free. If it doesn't cost money, then it takes hard work, and if it's not either of those things, then it must be something else they want, like your freedom, or your health, or your soul. I wish I had listened to him now. He wasn't such a bad... such a bad guy. Wish he was here... so I could tell him I'm sorry... Sorry that I didn't listen, pop. But maybe you three will listen. It's not worth it. Please, it's just not worth it..."

But the four visitors had already left. He rambled on anyway, oblivious to his solitude, and eventually drifted off to sleep.

*******

[18 February, 233 Before Age. Interstellar space.]

Aboard Luffa's star-yacht, Luffa herself appeared on the main video display at the fore of the bridge. At first, when she had answered their subspace communication in a bad mood, mostly due to the passenger accommodations on the transport ship she was currently aboard. Apparently whoever had designed the seats had not considered humanoids with tails, but as she listened to Zatte's account of Dr. Topsas' performance, her expression brightened considerably.

"You should have seen him," Zatte said. "For a while there I thought he really was looking to hire a Saiyan mercenary. I was beginning to think he might storm out of Ryloth's office in a huff if he didn't give him one."

"I took an acting course at university," Topsas said. "It helps when the role isn't terribly challenging. To play a pushy, entitled customer, I only need to think back on so many of the patients I have encountered in my career as a doctor. Demanding a Saiyan is not so different from demanding prescription painkillers."

"He's just being modest," Zatte said. "He was amazing. You would have been proud."

"I was already proud of Doc," Luffa said. "I only sent you along in case he got too rough with Ryloth."

"For your information, I am only 'rough' on persons who fail to keep their appointments," Topsas said. "There is one I could mention, whose wife has told me of all manner of old injuries which really ought to be examined by a physician." He raised one of his eight limbs, and revealed a small data drive held in his fingers. "I was hoping that I might use Mr. Windraker’s Saiyan contact list to lure her back to my care."

"So that's it, huh?" Luffa said. "You two are ganging up on me now?"

"Hey, he just asked me how you've been," Zatte said. "It's not my fault that you keep getting into fights and picking up strange diseases."

"All right, Doc, I'll turn myself in," Luffa said, "but I want you to look at someone else first."

"You mean that fortuneteller you told me about?" Zatte asked. "You're bringing her back with you?"

Luffa nodded. "Zatte probably already told you, Doc, but Jolok had a defense against telepathic attacks. He called it the Mindworm, and it did a number on me, but he said that he tested it out first by tricking a fortuneteller into trying to read his mind. Her name's Dotz, by the way. I managed to bring her out of her coma, but she's still having trouble shaking off the effects. I thought maybe you could do something for her."

"Brought her out of her coma?" Topsas repeated. "I wasn't aware punching and screaming had any therapeutic value."

"Oh, they do wonders for me," Luffa said, "but for Dotz, I used my telepathy to go inside her head and fight off the Mindworm for her."

He stroked his pedipalps thoughtfully with his forward left hand. "Impressive," he said. "I didn't realize your powers could be used to heal."

"You should see what she can do for birds," Zatte said.

"Very well," Topsas said. "I've waited this long to give you a checkup, little mammal. I suppose I can take the time to see too your friend first."

"Good," Luffa said. "We're on a transport ship bound for the Lubegev System. You can meet us there. I don't know anything about the local cuisine, but we'll figure something out for dinner."

"That's fine, Luffa," Zatte said as she and Topsas exchanged puzzled looks. "But why there? What's in the Lubegev System?"

"Nothing... yet," Luffa said. "But after I got Dotz out of her coma, she had a vision." Her lips curled into an excited grin. "It wasn't much, but if she's right, there's going to be a Saiyan attack on Lubegev in three days. I thought I'd drop by, and if any Saiyans do show up, I could give them a proper welcome..."

NEXT: The Pause at the Threshold.

#dragon ball #fanfiction #lssjluffafic #luffa #zatte #dr topsas #ryloth windraker #guwar #endive #lesseri #treekul #salziff #toblerone prime #hubler iv

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