Setting Sun

Deal With The Devil
Delst and Palmer began to make the long journey home, exiting through the strange entrance they'd come through, able to forgo the blood payment. Both of them felt relatively pleased with the day. "Things really did go well." Delst smiled to himself. "Even if I can't..."

"....shake this feeling of shadow lurking?" A crisp, sharp voice caught their attention, and Delst and Palmer quickly turned, seeing a man in a white baboon cloak standing behind them. "Such a beautiful place, Nethran Forest." Underneath the jaw of the baboon, he smiled. "Greetings, Delst LaHote. Palmer Solidad. My name is Mr. E, and I have a proposition for you."

Palmer remained on guard. "...This guy reeks of evil. I wouldn't trust him. Let's just ignore the bastard." Truth be told, nobody should associate with him.

Delst frowned, readying himself in case the man chose to make a strike. Palmer was right. This man reeked of both evil and....something else. He couldn't quite pinpoint the strange waves coming off this man.

"You can relax your guard, both of you." E said, raising a hand calmly. "I'm not here to fight either of you — today."

"...We refuse. I don't know about Delst, but all I can hear is dung spewing from your mouth, rear-face." Palmer was surprisingly....violent-mouthed.

"Now, now, now." E admonished. "Is that any way to treat someone whose come so far...just to see you?" He titled his covered head, looking at Delst. "Specifically you, Delst LaHote."

"What!?" Delst hissed. "Me? What do I have that interests you?"

"A child." E said simply. "I believe you named him Jason?"

"My son!?" The black haired man felt a shock riddle through his body as he snarled, his eyes narrowing with rage as he glared at E. The normally polite, kind Delst was gone. In it's place was someone prepared to rip Mr. E to shreds right here.

Palmer slowly began to withdraw his gun from it's holster. "Watch out, Delst. Just knock him down already. We need to hurry and get back to your family."

"Good point." Delst agreed, rising to full height slowly, never taking his eyes off of Mr. E as he did so. "We have no business with someone like him." The two began to take their leave, turning their back on Mr. E, who smiled.

"Are you so sure you want to ignore me?" He asked quietly. "I said I had a proposition for you — I never said what would happen if you refused to listen, did I?"

Delst paused for a moment, his ears twitching. "....I'm all ears."

"Your son." Mr. E said simply. "Give him to me. The boy has potential you can only dream of. Something like him....I can foresee many uses for that boy's latent power."

Palmer was tempted to pop a cap in the man's ass right about now. "Kids aren't just yours to be used. Grow up and realize that you can't just manipulate everyone."

Mr. E smiled, trying his hardest not to choke on the irony of that statement. "Oh, but I already have. I've already manipulated the past to reach this crucial point...and now the future is mine to mold as well. So...am I to take it your answer is no?"

"You'd have to be an idiot to think I'd say yes." Delst hissed, his eyes glinting. "I'm going to give you three seconds?"

"Oh?" Mr. E sounded surprised. "Three seconds to what?"

"To run." Delst replied, lunging forward, leaping into the air as a ghostly, blue, skeletal arm several times his size manifested from a ribcage that looked similar, raising it above his body. Within an instant, he slammed it down upon E, crushing the man into the ground, landing on his feet and hands, a primal look at he glared at where E had been standing.

"So fast." E's voiced echoed around the area, however, Delst could not pinpoint his location. "It's such a shame we were unable to talk business. I suppose it's to get...proactive."

"Do you think I'll let you get away!?" Delst's eyes began to glow, and the ground began to shake under the stress of his magical pressure.

"Delst...should you really spend your time searching for me?" Mr. E chided, his voice mocking. "I would think your attentions are much better focused on your precious human girl and son."

Palmer just responded, "C'mon, let's go. We don't have time to waste." Palmer was decidedly serious about this affair.

"We're not wasting time." Delst replied quickly, forming a circle into the ground. "I wanted to enjoy a peaceful walk back..." The circle began to glow, erupting a brilliant white light. "This will take us right back."