Chapter 22: Too Good to be True
A hidden tension filled the room, and pure relaxation emitted from a particular chair, the kind of relaxation after eating a hefty meal. “Ahh, that was good tea and hot biscuits Peat.”
“Be quiet you traitor, you’re lucky I even let you in here.” Peat replied toward Senior Po.
“Don’t act like I didn’t save ya ass in-front of the Indigo Sect.” Po replied, using a toothpick to clean biscuit granules out of the gaps.
“Hmph. Why’d you bring the Giaths here, you know the trouble they’ve caused me Po?” Asked Peat, all but ignoring the Zar and Tar, Tar was simply observing the discussion.
“Think I ate too much to speak.” Po said, struggling to get his words out.
Whilst Po was continually adjusting himself and his now bloated belly to be as comfortable as possible in his sitting position, Peat examined Po’s overall demeanour, making a rather curious observation... “You look good Po. What’s your secret?” Peat asked cryptically.
“You know my secret. That’s why you let this happen, didn’t you?! Old man at deaths door would do anything for a life extension ha *burp*.”
Peat repositioned his eyes toward the Giaths seeing no further merit in continuing his discussion with Senior Po. “Hmph. What’re your names again primitives?”
Zar and Tar looked at each other, Tar seeing how nervous Zar was begun. “My name is Tar, I also remember you. We are here to do ‘business.’”
“What’s that nervous one's name over there again?” Peat asked, hardly caring anyway.
“My Brother, Zar.”
“Brothers, I see.” Replied Peat. “Good, go on, I know what you’re here for, Po told me everything when he came to visit a day ago, bring them out, these ‘youth-restoring foods,’ let me see them.” Zar, somewhat surprised by Peat’s prior knowledge, went into his basket and lifted out a container which therein was cooked and contents of food, he also lifted out some raw vegetables from the selection they grew, cabbage, sweetcorn, broccoli predominantly, he then passed them toward Peat who reach over and grabbed them. “Well, would you look at that, it is just as you said. They are HUGE! HA! Well, I'll be damned, they smell DAMN good. You cooked some, let me try it!” Following this statement, Peat took a deep breath and shouted toward the door, “MAID, CUTLERY! PLATE! HURRY IT UP!” He was obviously in his natural element being in a position of power, not struggling for oxygen this time as he did before. Tar almost found it funny to watch a fat man shout for food, but kept his questionable humour to himself, Zar was slowly beginning to relax as things were progressing smoother than he predicted. 160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4PQqv12FZ
A maid suddenly swooped in, delivered a plate and cutlery, and rushed out like the wind. “My maids are scared of me... Now then, let’s have a taste.” Peat naturally started with the container of cooked foods, opening it; aromas of steamed vegetables wafted into the air, filling the room with an incredibly intense ambience of sweetness and umami. “The smell is so intense, no vegetable grown around here smells this wonderful. I’ll indulge with the Gods under me.” Peat took a bite, then another bite, trying the sweetcorn kernels, then the cut broccoli, then the cabbage, then all of them in combination, he was like a fat man in the flow state, dancing the fork and knife across the plate like a professional, finishing the entire thing and drinking the juices that remained puddled in the corner of the plate, he licked his lips and sat back... Tar and Zar observed the entire thing and did not know what to make of it, they had somewhat seen this reaction before. “Something is coming over me...” Peat said, there was a subtle euphoria in his voice that was hard to detect.
Po was now sitting up straight and looking directly at Peat quite sternly, “You feels it, right Peat?!”
“Yeah... What is it?” Peat asked, his eyes closing and opening more and more slowly.
“If I told ya, ye‘ wouldn’t believe me.” Po replied with a cryptic smirk.
“Stay for tonight ‘hermits,’ I need to retreat, i feel overwhelmingly tired suddenly.” Peat got up very slowly, left the room and what remained was Zar and Tar, Po and his rapidly debloating stomach.
“Ya done it now gentlemen, the ball is in motion, there is no return...” Po broke the silence.
“What do you mean?” Zar replied nervously...
“There is a lot about the world you clearly do not know, if the Gods are in your favour, you will be fine. I pray for your success...” Po changed the tone of his voice from mysterious to playful. “Now, I need some more floral tea and hot biscuits, suddenly I am hungry again, my appetite increased dramatically after I ate those vitatoes, now I eat like a pig and just can’t stop, not that I am going to complain keke!” Po laughed to himself and motioned to go in search of a maid, deciding he would milk the professional service of a Grand Housing for as long as he could whilst he was a ‘special guest’. “Men, i am going to head back home after my hot tea and biscuits, you gentlemen will stay here the night, you will be well accommodated.”
“Wait, Senior Po! You CAN’T leave! We NEED you!” Zar said desperately. Po, however, grew serious for a moment, a rare thing.
“You don’t! ALL is set in motion now, go with the *flow*. Again, you ‘hermits’ clearly know nothing of our world, but you’ll be fine, I think? That old fart already intended on taking your deal when he saw what happened to me. Come visit me before you head back to your sect, okay?”
“Right.” Said Zar, trying to display some manliness and confidence.
“Good Zar, good, don’t be so nervous. I understand, when you are out of your comfort zone everything feels like a step between life and death – there's something special about you two brothers, I think you will be important for the coming conflict. Goodbye gentlemen, for now at-least.” Po then left the room leaving Tar and Zar. They spoke for a brief while, nothing of significant importance, just trying to get their bearings and time passed.
*Knock knock,* “Grand Zar, Grand Tar of the Giath Sect, please come with me when you are ready.” A maid had knocked on the door which once housed 4 men making a deal, now only two who were in mid conversation but too scared to walk beyond the room into a mansion of the unknown.
“Alright, let’s get up and leave this room, smells like food and some kind of strange smoke anyway, the mix is not suitable for our noses.” Tar said wisely.
“Agreed,” so they both stood up and headed for the door where the maid was waiting just outside. After opening the door, the maid begun to speak.
“Come with me, to your rooms, our Grand Master, Peat, is currently in his quarters and has asked not to be disturbed, mhm, mhm. After you have made yourself comfortable in your rooms, you have free reign to explore the mansion as you please, enjoy your stay, tomorrow, you will be asked to leave once you have concluded your business with Grand Master Peat.” Tar and Zar listening intently, then proceeded with the maid to the desired location, they got to their rather incredible rooms and rested inside, only Tar was tempted to venture outside the room, Zar motioned that he could, but that he wished to rest inside the room instead. Tar left Zar and Zar was left with his thoughts...
Time passed...
“Welcome again gentlemen, I trust the maids treated you well?”
“Ye-yes, they did, thank you Peat.” Zar replied politely.
“Good, good. Gentlemen-” Peat got up and proceeded to walk back and forth, around and around in the room they were in yesterday, “-I am a man of business, but I am also a man who has amassed great power over a long, long period of time. I started as a humble Greater in the Ploughing Sect and clawed my way to becoming the Grand Elder of this sect, I had my ways of doing this.” Peat said sinisterly with a dirty smirk. “Here I am, an old man who should be in the heavenly realms by now due to my weightily disposition and nightmarish acts, yet somehow, I have survived. I have committed atrocities I can NEVER be forgiven for, yet I have not been sentenced to my death, which could only mean ONE thing! The Gods favour me and my deeds! I am FREE of guilt! In that case, I seek one thing in these mysterious lands, eternal life! I desire to rise in power with each decade, but as old as I am, that won’t be possible. At-least, that was until YOU showed up! 160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnB6PBjQTS
It was in a dream, you know? I was desperate to not die of being overweight and of old age, then I had a dream, what was the dream you ask? Me observing you, you Giaths! I saw in the dream, vivid as daylight, a guard stationed to watch your every move, post-dream, I employed a random commoner for the job and had a Greater keep that young Guard in check. I followed a whim, perhaps it was coincidence, chance, but eventually you Giaths land on MY doorstep with vegetables that rejuvenate an individual's cells and youth. Ha, the Gods MUST favour me! I MUST be loved. Do you believe in Gods Zargiath, Targaith?”
They both looked at each other, and looked at the old but now, slightly younger looking old man who was ever so slightly less fat and exuberating vitality. Tar replied first, more so out of the desire to motivate Peat to keep talking, for as far as Targiath was concerned, collecting this information was pivotal. “Our Giath Sect does indeed believe there are great beings beyond our world, yes.”
“WELL, you SHOULD! I guess you primitives were not taught very well by your ancestors, given how your Sect was completely destroyed. Ahh, I do remember visiting your sect from time to time before the war 70 or so years ago. You call him Pagiath right? Keke, oh how ignorant you are.” Zar’s hand smashed into the table and Peat jumped scared for a moment. Peat tried recalibrating himself, fixing his fancy suit in the process, “Feisty one, aren’t you?”
“Shut up and talk Old Man.” Zar stated, this was a complete change of personality than what Tar and even Peat were used to.
“Very well, you do technically have the upper hand in this exchange so I will let that one slide. The Gods, oh, the Gods. So many legends, so many fables, all centred around the mysterious power of Qi. Let me cut to the chase. I want you to grow these crops for me, I do not care for now what techniques you employ to make these crops, all I care about is that I get an inventory of them.”
“Indeed, we had hoped for this.” Tar replied, trying to maintain the peace in the midst of tension.
“What are the grow rates?” Asked Peat.
Zar was too angry to bother replying so Tar took over, thinking deeply for a moment and then saying. “Two months per cycle.”
“Alright, that is very fast considering crops take usually three to five or so months to grow. I’ll take 20% of your harvest, with that, you’re forgiven! Aren’t I a good man? To be favoured by the Gods, I yearn for more dreams! More power! Your vegetables will give me that. Can you grow fruit too?”
“Ye-… no.” Tar replied carefully.
“Fine, would be nice to have some variety. Very well, shall we conclude?”
“Wait!” Zar interrupted. “Give us an acre.”
“AN ACRE?!” There was an in-depth pause... “Well, I suppose in the boonies an acre isn’t worth much. Why though?! I don’t owe you an acre!”
“You want our crops.” Zar paused and said in a most serious tone, piercing into Peats eyes, “don’t you?”
“Well yes...” Peat paraphrased.
“Then you will give US an acre of our LAND back!” Zar replied.
“Gah! Fine, but I take 100% of the food produce you grow in that acre.” Peat replied.
In a deep and rather scary voice, Zar replied “80%.” This was no typical reply, there was something ominous about it. Peat paused and thought.
“80 is better than 20 percent... Fine I agree. The land with all that foliage on your East gate that I came through is all yours. Now, you can extend the gate to account for another acre, but you will have to deal with cutting down the trees and flora yourself.” Peat replied happy with his deal, but definitely scared of Zargaith.
“Good, then we are through, Tar, let us depart.” Zar stated, finally regaining his composure and formality. Tar seeing there was no room to argue got up and politely addressed Peat, leaving in the wind of Zar.
Peat, slopped back on the chair. “MAID! HOT TEA, BISCUITS, NOW!” Zar and Tar heard the echoing demands of Peat as they were winding down the mansion, a maid suddenly came rushing with pre-prepared hot tea and biscuits.
“Greetings Grand Zargiath, Grand Targiath, I must rush-” she was gone carrying but never spilling the tea, carrying but never dropping the biscuits, all neatly laid on a silver tray. Zar shook his head and looked as though he couldn’t wait to get out of what seemingly was a hellish experience to him.
*Knock knock,* “Yes, yes, come in maid – yep, just leave it right there, indeed you can go, hurry along, oh, but take this note and have it delivered to the Inverted Star Sect.”
“Yes, Grand Elder, mhm.” The Maid left, with the note and Zar and Tar were finally in the open air.
“Too good to be true.” Zar broke the silence.
“How do you mean Brother Zar?”
“The entire thing was too smooth, something is going on, when we get back to the sect, we instantly start working on the new acre, we get his crops planted, imbue them, they will grow in a week, we store them for the rest of the two months and during that break period I need to think and cultivate. I have a bad, bad feeling.”
Tar, ever curious, wanted to ask Zar what his thoughts were, but knew that it was not the right time. Instead, he asked. “Shall we visit Po?”
“You can if you wish Brother.” Zar said solemnly. “I however, need to go home.”
“I think I will Brother, I will be back with the villagers perhaps on the morrow.”
“Very well, we will go separate ways when we get back to Greater Po’s residence.”
The journey was quiet, but at-least the worst of the day was over.
End of Chapter 22.
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