The Matten coven sat around the dining table, staring silently at the phone lying at its center. And right now, it was their only link to the Necromancer, and one of the possible ways of recovering what he had stolen from them.
The only sound in the room was the occasional creak of the wooden chairs as they all shifted in their seats, deep in thought. Or at least, until Gen spoke.
"So, we're just supposed to wait on him?" She asked.
"Of course not." Ezra said. "We'll make our own moves but I'll still have the phone with at all tis. Whenever he calls, we'll be ready."
"At least, we cloned the phone before coming here." Red said, turning to Olivia who had contacted the right people and done it in less than thirty minutes. "I didn't even know that phones as old as that could be cloned."
"It was a matter of our safety. We cannot slack off when it cos to that." Olivia said.
"The original phone will stay in a secure location, far away from us, and we'll use the clone for any communication. It should protect us from any potential tracking or tattoo influence the Necromancer might have embedded in it." Ezra said, leaning forward.
Gen crossed her arms and eyed the phone with suspicion. "Are we seriously considering playing along with his ga? It feels like we're letting him dictate the terms."
"We have to." Olivia said, her voice calm. "Playing along, at least partially, could give us valuable information. But we shouldn't rush in blindly. The more we know about his intentions, the better prepared we'll be. If you know your enemies and yourself, you need not fear a hundred battles."
"Ooooh, Bruce Lee." Gen said with a grin. "Tight."
"I thought that was Master Oogway." Red frowned.
"Sun Tzu." Olivia said.
"Anyways," Red said, waving away the digression, "I agree with Olivia, but I think we need a compromise. We follow the Necromancer's ga, but only to a point."
"We drag things out, frustrate him, make him think we're on his terms. Then, when he's overextended, we spring our own trap. We force him to look at the farr's market and then capture him."
"Think about it. This is just another elaborate design to kill you, Ezra. You can break his rules and he'll be forced to adapt to you. He needs you to play the ga but we don't necessarily need the ga. That doesn't an we can't use it for our own ends."
"True." Ezra nodded, his gaze shifting from Red to the others. "The Necromancer's strength is in manipulation. If we let him think he's in control, we can lure him to the farr's market. His own arrogance turned into a weapon against him."
"But what if he sees through it? The Necromancer is a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them." Gen said.
Olivia t her gaze, her voice calm and reassuring. "That's a risk we have to take. We have backup plans in place, and if things go sideways, we'll be ready to adapt."
"Alright." Ezra stood. "That's settled."
**********
Ezra walked through the dark corridors underneath the farr's market, escorted by Elliot.
Tonight was a special auction, designed to draw the rich and elite criminal figures, all eager to bid on the items that would soon be paraded in front of them.
Unlike the last ti he'd been here, Ezra's presence didn't go unnoticed. As he walked into the chamber, several of the masked attendees paused in their conversations to acknowledge him, their greetings respectful.
"Overseer." One man said, dipping his head slightly as Ezra passed. His voice was smooth, practiced. Like a rchant who had long mastered the art of negotiation.
Another, a woman draped in expensive silks, smiled from behind her expertly designed mask. "Overseer, it's an honor to see you here tonight." She murmured breathily, moving in a way that emphasized her breasts.
Ezra nodded in acknowledgnt, his expression protected by his now distinct silver mask. Each greeting was a sign that his plan was working. A sign that the role he had carefully constructed was gaining recognition in the right circles.
He'd taken the title of 'Overseer' of the farr's market to stand out and create a beacon that would draw the Necromancer's attention to him.
As he continued toward the VIP section, more whispers followed him, so carrying admiration, others tinged with envy. So were from the plants he had among the attendees but all of them were calculated, just as he had planned. The more attention he drew, the more likely it was that the Necromancer would take notice.
The whispers grew fainter as Ezra finally reached the entrance to his VIP section. Elliot bowed slightly, gesturing for him to enter. With one last nod of appreciation at the man, Ezra stepped inside.
In the privacy of his alcove, he watched the auction happening below. He poured himself wine, normal wine, and took a sip, savoring the taste. One of the perks of having a human soul.
He leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh. From his position, he had a clear view of the bidding wars taking place, the bidders competing over the rare artworks, stolen goods, and other illicit items.
He watched as an old dagger, the sa dagger that was used to kill the tyrant of the United Stars, was brought onto the stage. How had the thief even stolen it? He'd heard that it was guarded more closely than the president of the Republic herself.
The bidding started at an exorbitant price, and the room imdiately beca charged with the familiar tension of a high stakes affair as masked figures raised their hands, one after another, driving the price higher and higher.
"Lucky bastard." He grinned, raising a glass in the direction of the dagger. Whoever the thief was, he was about to beco very rich.
Suddenly, the phone in Ezra's pocket rang, cutting through the noise of the auction like a knife. The sound was unexpected, jarring, and it drew the bidder's attention to Ezra imdiately.
Quickly, Ezra reached into his pocket, pulling out the cloned phone. The screen glowed softly, the number unrecognizable but that was to be expected.
Either way, the Necromancer was calling.
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