Ultimate Trickster Lord Reincarnation

Unspoken, Unspeakable Contract

The wind came to an eerie halt, the shadows from the surrounding trees almost seeming to darken despite the bright light of the day. Yiriel's hat fought against me as I pried it from the thorns, brushing it off and then tossing it back to her lap.

"What...sort of deal?" Yiriel gulped. I held back a wild grin. This habit of mine was getting worse. No one would want to make any agreement with a crazy-looking street urchin. I had to keep the devilish smiling to a minimum, and the showbusiness at a maximum.

Hands clasped behind my back, an energy began to course through me. The air was practically seething from it, crackling with every pump of my heart, desperate and aching in my fingertips.

It was just like last time.

"This will be our gospel, Yiriel. You will become my assistant, answering my questions with the promise to never use what I don't know against me. To keep what I tell you a secret, and to always tell the truth when I need it."

Yiriel's eyes darted around, pale face dotted with a cold sweat. Her long ears twitched at the sound of every rustle, at any cracking branch in the woods around us.

"And in return," She continued for me, "You won't tell anyone about me."

I grinned, my long shadow looming over her.

"How is that fair?" Her voice was louder than before, the Ilicher sap doing its job well, "What sort of assistantship is that? I'm not stupid. I know what you freaks want with elves. I would rather die here."

Lips curving into a disgusted frown, her eyes watched me like I was scum on her shoe.

'What did I do?! I haven't touched you!'

"Herbs, answers, and tight lips. That is all I will ever ask of you." I stated, making it clear I wasn't going to abuse her for her body. There was nothing attractive about a lack of consent. "In return, I will not only heal you from this poison, but I will keep your secret, and protect you with everything I have."

"Why...?" She questioned, confused at my apparent dedication. A silly question. There was nothing unusual about protecting one's own. She was about to become my second little chick after all. The coop was growing in size already.

"All you have to do is agree." I encouraged, kneeling and taking her limp hand in mine. The energy was practically sparking now, heating the air around me like my back was to a roaring fire. I couldn't stand it. I couldn't wait.

'Take the deal-'

"What do you have to lose, Miss Elf? I could offer you so much more than what you can make in that herbal store. Money, protection, influence, revenge...a family, even, if your heart desired it so."

It was a strange sensation as I held her hand, but I could almost sense what she wanted. Truly wanted. Through the connection drawn between us by the power swirling in the air, her heart became clear to me. Loss, grief, anger, loneliness, family, riches, resentment, loathing-

My head became a pounding mess as each of her feelings, her blurred experiences connected with mine in a calamity of emotion. This hadn't happened the last time. I struggled to keep hold of who I was and what I knew, but at the same time to greedily latch onto those things she craved more than anything and pluck the strings.

She must have felt it, fresh tears pricking at her eyes as I accentuated her emotions. The wild winds picked back up as the world faded into a fierce shadow.

Her face contorted deep in thought. Then, her eyes shot open.

"Deal." She rasped, emotional and breathless, gripping my hand as tight as she could despite her paralysis.