|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Samael points to the floor in front of him, and one of the women immediately crawls to where he pointed and arranges herself on knees and hands, allowing Samael to use her as a footstool. He leans back in his chair, fingers steepled right under his chin, and studies Taylor for several moments before speaking
"Indeed. What sort of power and ability do you imagine might be required to right this situation, and what would you be willing to give for such power and ability?" Samael asks.
Observing the amount of control Samael wielded as displayed by commanding a living thinking human being into being nothing more than a footstool, Taylor knew that this man was not something natural -- much like him/herself. For now the masquerade could be set aside. "No doubt you already know the nature of my kind, Mr. Samael. We gauge our power through the power of what we refer to as the 'beast', and we can tell such power through the beast's expression through our blood. We also have a wide array of abilities that can do anything from warp minds to change our very shape. That is what I seek to gain my spot back." Taylor's normal smooth-talking confidence was lacking; he/she was not used to talking about this topic. "I see you like service," His/her eyes look down to the footstool, then back to Samael. The Galloi hesitated before continuing, but pushed him/herself to say it. "...and I would be willing to put myself in your service for this boon."
Almost too eagerly, Taylor ignores the first tradition again to answer Samael's question. "As you may already know, I am a creature capable of outliving generations of mortals. And given that no overly-intense harm befalls me, my life will continue on ad infinitum. If you can grant me the power I seek, I will life the rest of my days under your servitude, doing your bidding whatever it may be -- so long as you allow my leash to be long enough to still conduct my own plans. That is the personal sacrifice I am willing to make."
Next Taylor gestures to him/herself in an overly ornate way, obviously showing off the unnatural beauty he/she has. "I also have a way to make people just as beautiful as myself," Taylor looks to the footstool Samael is using, and then recalls Silk and the two nuns from his/her previous visits. "and judging by your style you seem like a man who appreciates beauty. I can make some people, of your choice, this beautiful with my ritual. Granted, I can't do too many people -- but I'm willing to do quite a few for you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Beauty I can grant easily enough," Samael says, dismissively. "But servitude such as you offer... this is a valuable thing. Let us be clear, though, what you mean when you offer to do my bidding so long as you are free to conduct your own plans. Offering to serve, but only if you wouldn't rather be doing something else, is not much of an offer."
He's clever...
"Perhaps I was not clear enough in my offer. I offer servitude in exchange for power, but that power is useless if I am too caught up in perpetual servitude to enjoy it. What is a good ratio of my time to myself to time spent in servitude that would be agreeable to you? Or do you have a different offer? This is a discussion, Samael, not a one sided thing. Let's hear what you'd want from me."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Samael says to Taylor, "What I require will depend on the magnitude of the boon you seek. I can enhance the strength of your blood and increase your mastery of the powers it grants you, even unlock powers yet unknown to you, but the more power you are granted, the greater the cost. In addition to service, you will be required to sacrifice something in exchange for what you seek, some bit of what you are. Be aware also that entering this pact will weaken your connection to what you once were. Those conditions are inescapable, set down by ones far more ancient and powerful than myself."
As Samael speaks, Taylor gets a sense of a power roiling within him. It is not akin to the Beast one might sense in another powerful kindred, but it is a great and terrible power nonetheless, and one quite alien to Taylor's previous experience.
The sudden rush of power was something Taylor definitely noticed, and that much impressed him/her. Samael obviously had power, power he was willing to share -- however it came at a cost. Suddenly the power he/she felt brought him/her to a grim realization that this was all over a petty position in a group. Was trading such a magnitude of service really worth it? The power was too intoxicating, and the doubt was quickly washed away in its wake.
Still, Taylor was a shrewd bargainer; an escape clause would be needed. "Then let's try this, grant me increased blood and the powers it grants me -- but not as much as you could. Then, allow me a period of time to experience the cost of that boon. At the end of that period of time, allow me the ability to renew or decline your gifts and perhaps even increase their potency -- at the cost of increased loss on my side, of course."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Samael shakes his head, though smiling as he does so. "I would certainly be glad to grant you a certain measure of power at an appropriate cost, and with the option of you negotiating for more at some point in the future, but I'm afraid I can't grant the sort of power you request as a temporary thing. Because you are not a mere mortal, reversing so deep a transformation to your basic nature would require power beyond my own."
Taylor considers Samael's words for a moment. "So the agreement would be one with no way out once agreed to?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Yes," Samael says. "But you did mention the possibility of eternal service, and that attractive proposition would be taken into account in determining other costs."
Contemplations on the Soul
Draft this Post