Bend Around the Wind by Scyllaya

Chapter 14: The Tale of Galand [2]

Chapter Fourteen

The Tale of Galand Part II

Andromeda Galaxy

Janoth System

Planet Galand

Loki was irritated. It was like an unwritten cosmic law, whenever he tried to bargain honestly, it came back to haunt him. It was like the universe itself was trying to tell him that he was better off cheating people for what he wanted. Trickery may have gotten him in trouble many times, but it also helped him escape. Honesty on the other hand...

He contemplated whether he should just kill the stupid reptiles for daring to take such tone with him, but in the end he decided against it. He was not threatened per se, the threat was only implied. Normally that would be enough for him to grab the blade that was securely tucked in his boots, but in the end he decided that the situation did not call for it... for now. The one he bargained with before said that he had to "meet with the owner" about the trade. It did not sit right with him, but if the owner was the leader of this little group and Loki managed to find the right tone with him, maybe they would get even more out of this little deal than previously expected. Or things will turn much worse. He would soon find that out, but he was willing to take the risk. It was always better to bargain with a leader than with a servant after all.

The group of reptiles led him to the edge of the city, where storage-like buildings lined up. Where of course more of the damned creatures waited, they had some sort of vehicles with them as well. They reminded him somewhat to the ones he saw on Midgard, although they were less angular and had no actual hood, only brackets and support pipes at the upper portions. They seemed to have metal-wheels as well, not rubber ones, six of them, not four. Dune-runner, it was called, if he heard it correctly back in the city.

There was a bigger reptilian man standing by one of the dune-runners and Loki was lead to him. Most likely the leader he was here to talk with. As he looked at him he was absolutely convinced that he was not an upstanding citizen. Why couldn't he just stumble upon a simple merchant? Why did everything have to be difficult? The reptile eyed him for long moments. He was a bit taller than Loki and quite big as well, his skin dark brown like mud and his eyes orange. That one unpleasantly reminded Loki of the guards in their prison. The man pulled a tarp off from the vehicle's backseats, which revealed two larger boxes and a bag. He opened the bag and showed Loki its contents.

'That's what you've been asking for, right?' the reptile asked.

'Yes, although I do not see why we couldn't meet for the trade like it was agreed upon.'

'My men agreed to the bargain hastily, the goods are mine and they promised them in a too low price.'

Oh Loki knew where this was going, these were worse than the dwarves.

'That is something you need to discuss with your men then. I was promised a trade, if you decided not to follow through, then good day to you.'

There was a large hand on his shoulder before he could turn and Loki sent an icy glare to the one that touched him. He stared him in the eye unblinkingly until he let go.

'I am more than willing to trade,' the reptile continued. 'Only the price has changed.'

'Really? How much?'

'I want five crates from the supplies you have.'

Loki scoffed. 'That is ridiculous,' he stated. 'What we need from you is not worth that much.'

'But you are obviously in need of it,' the reptile said. 'And you will not get it from anyone else.'

'We'll see about that,' Loki answered and turned to leave again. The one that grabbed him previously didn't reach out to him this time, but the big one did. He grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer.