Chapter CCCLXI: Visitations, Formulations, and Confrontations ~Multehx

The sun shone across the land with its fiery oranges of evening. The denizens of the village milled about their work peacefully as ever. The professor had excused himself from the presences of Lich, Naaro, and the other villager or so in the hut, explaining he wanted to calculate the precise spot where they would await the rogue they were after.

He adjusted his safari hat as he made his way out of the village and began tracing down the steps of the behemoth. So intent was he that he did not take notice of the air splicing violently, a rather rounded figure carrying one hell of a vicious naginata, stepped through. His hovering eyes narrowed as he scanned the horizon. Then, they gazed, stopping upon the tribal village in question. Several unusual symbols and sophisticated characters blinked by his vision. Slowly he grinned. Taking a firm grip on the weapon again, he set off for his destination.

* * *

Nonth groaned slightly, adjusting to reformation with sensations that a mortal would experience stretching their arms and legs. It took him a moment for him to readjust.

He looked around for a moment, then focused in on Ark, how cowered beneath him...quite literally. Bending forward slightly to stare at him with a disembodied firm glare, he folded his arms.

"Well?" he asked in an irritated voice, "Have you acquired more metal for assimilation, or developed the launch device?"

Ark nervously mumbled some excuse, to which the metallic titan groaned quite loudly, standing up straight again.

"Pathetic. I suppose I must do ALL the supervising, inefficient bio-form." Thinking for a moment, he pointed in a direction not too diagonal from them. "There is the largest source of metal; a downed craft I am vaguely sensing. I estimate, from what I read of it, there are adequate laboratory equivalents aboard it. You will complete your work therein." The last line was definitely a command and not a suggestion.

Ark would have asked a question or two, but instead he simply marched off, knowing it was impossible to try with his current "master".

Nonth was about to head in the same direction as another thought crossed his mind when he was abruptly stopped by a figure nearing from over the grassy plains. He watched as it drew near, not attacking it as it was unusual enough to have someone approach him openly. Much less, they tended not to be smiling. So this one was unique enough to merit safe passage to converse with him.

The gent stopped about a good three feet away from him. An oddly sinister yet sly grin was present on his face. Wasting no time, he got straight to business.

"Now, Nonth I believe. I am right, I know, so I'll just continue, no need to reply. So, Nonth, I estimate it would be in our best interests to combine our efforts, as we could greatly 'assist' each other. Are you following me?"

Nonth tilted slightly in fascination. "...Yes, I am listening, inform me as to why you make such a strange suggestion."

"Quite simple. You have your desires, and I have mine to fulfil. We can both help each other get what the other desires by simply lending each other a hand."

Nonth scrutinized this, but came to the logical conclusion that what this fellow was saying made perfect sense. So, instantly, and a bit confusedly still, he went into the first partnership he had ever been in since creation, much less thought of.