Chapter 2: The Deal
Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, only my OC.
The Enchanted Forest
In a valley, nestled among rolling hills, the winding roads lined with tall trees, with lush fields and a shimmering river flowing through it, there was a village known for its prosperity. And this village was prosperous, not simply because of the people who dwelt within it, but because of the man who watched over it.
High atop a hill overlooking the valley, stood a majestic castle, and within that castle, dwelt a powerful mage, known as the Blue Sorcerer, by the color of his clothes. From his castle, he watched over the people of the village and protected the valley with his magic.
Although, he was often found in his castle, studying spellbooks and experimenting with magic, sometimes, he would take on the guise of a traveler, and wander the Enchanted Forest, and occasionally traveled to other realms, seeking more magical knowledge to add to his already prodigious store. Although some of the villagers often wondered if there was an ulterior motive to some of his self-imposed quests. If there was, however, none knew what it was. None, except the Blue Sorcerer himself.
Inside his castle, Azuron sat upon his throne, which to a casual observer, appeared to be a quite ordinary, elaborately carved wooden seat, skillfully fashioned from unremarkable wood.
This, however, was not the case. His throne was carved from an enchanted tree, and it's magic allowed him to see into any realm, at will, as long as there was magic in that realm.
It was also one of his favorite places to think, which was precisely what he was doing now, he had for years now, endeavored to find a way to reach what was often referred to as the Land Without Magic—for reasons that were known to him alone—and so far, he had been unsuccessful.
It was maddening.
Portals were out of the question since they required magic to make them work. Magic beans were rare, and in the passing years, had become almost nonexistent. He had poured over many books and read through countless tomes. But still, the answer remained elusive, he looked into the future once or twice, hoping to divine an answer, but still nothing. He was frustrated beyond measure.
Azuron knew he was a very talented sorcerer, he was also extremely clever and intelligent, and possessed much wisdom, which he had accumulated and cultivated over the centuries he had lived. But for all his skill, knowledge, and resources, the answer to his dilemma eluded him still.
Once more, he sat upon his throne, attempting to think of something, anything, that may help him in his quest, but so far, like other times before, he had come up with nothing, he remained lost in thought, until he felt a tug at the back of his mind, the wards around the castle were alerting him of an intruder.
Which was almost impossible, the wards that protected the castle were practically impenetrable, only certain beings possessing powerful magic could hope to pass through them so quickly, his mind raced, trying to think of who or what could possibly have breached his wards, and for what purpose.
His question was soon answered, when Azuron heard someone call out, "Hello dearie. I hope you don't mind, I let myself in."
It was then that he noticed a man clad in leather, with glittering skin, standing at the opposite side of the room.
Azuron stood up from his throne, holding his staff in his hand, taking in the man's appearance. It was then that he understood. This man before him was no ordinary intruder, nor was he a simple conjuror.
This man was the Dark One… well, the latest Dark One at least. He had occasionally heard whispers and rumors about this one, apparently he had a penchant for deal-making. He searched his memory for a name. He had heard his name somewhere before, but it escaped him.
Having come up with nothing, he decided to try the courteous approach, "You have the advantage of me," he said, politely, "I can tell, by your appearance, that you must be the current Dark One, however, I fear your name escapes me." He said.
The Dark One giggled and bowed, "Of course, where are my manners? Rumplestiltskin, at your service," he introduced himself, "and you are correct, I am indeed, the current Dark One."
Azuron stepped forward and conjured a table and a set of chairs and gestured toward them, "Would you care to sit down?" He asked calmly, he was wary, unsure of how to proceed, every Dark One was different, and he knew very little about this one.
"How courteous." said Rumplestiltskin, sitting in the proffered chair.
Taking his own seat, he sat down on the opposite side of the table, and the two of them sat in silence for a few moments, before the Dark One spoke, "How strange, usually whenever I appear in someone's home, they're terrified."
"Everyone, that is, but me." said Azuron.
" Everyone, but you." conceded Rumplestiltskin.
"Yes, well, I've seen too much in my long life to shock easily," said Azuron, "and you are hardly the first Dark One, I've encountered over the years."
"So it appears," replied Rumplestiltskin, "but, are you not, at least curious, as to why I am here?"
"Given your reputation, it's obvious why you're here, you wish to make a deal." said Azuron, "Although, what sort of deal, and to what end, is unclear."
The Dark One laughed, this one was sharper than his usual clients, and would offer him a challenge, and he did love a challenge.
"Indeed, you are, in all forms, correct. I have come to offer a deal, one which I think will be mutually beneficial to both of us."
"And pray tell, what could you have to possibly offer, that would benefit us both?" asked Azuron, cautiously.
"We share a common goal," said Rumplestiltskin, "we both seek a way to reach the Land Without Magic."
Azuron was surprised, although he didn't show it, his face remained impassive. His mind, however, was racing, it appeared Fate was favoring him, this was the chance he had been waiting for, however it felt almost too good to be true, it was suspicious.
"And just how did you to come to know that?" he inquired.
"How I know matters not, what does matter, however, is the opportunity I am presenting you." said Rumplestiltskin.
"And what exactly, are the specifics of this agreement?" asked Azuron.
He had to be careful now, this Dark One was notoriously cunning, and could twist any agreement to his advantage, while Azuron himself was not known for making deals, he was clever too, and he was still able to watch for any potential loopholes that either side could exploit.
The Dark One laughed, "They're quite simple: I propose that we share our respective resources, and work together as needed to ensure that our shared goal is reached." he elaborated.
"In other words, we work together, to reach the Land Without Magic," said Azuron.
"Precisely." said Rumplestiltskin.
Azuron thought it over internally, verbal agreements were looser in structure than formal contracts, but no less binding. It seemed harmless, there were no real loopholes that could be abused by either party. And, this was the opportunity he had been seeking for years.
After a few moments, Azuron made his decision, "Very well, but let me be clear, Dark One." he said, and he leaned forward and straightened up, and the tension in the room increased, and for a moment, Azuron did indeed, look what he truly was, a powerful, centuries-old sorcerer, " I am working with you Rumplestiltskin, not for you," he stated clearly.
Rumplestiltskin was impressed, and although he would never admit it–slightly unnerved–by this sorcerer sitting across from him, he was clearly powerful, and he had seen and experienced much in his centuries-long lifespan, and he was not easily intimidated, but that didn't matter, what mattered was that he had agreed.
He gave a reptilian smile, "you've made your point clear, dearie. So, do we have a deal?"
"Would you like me to sign a contract?" asked Azuron.
Rumplestiltskin laughed, "Normally, that would be the case. However, as a show of good faith, a simple handshake will suffice," he said, reaching a glittering, scaly hand across the table for him to shake. Azuron reached out, clasped it, and firmly shook it.
It was done, they had a deal.
A/N: There you have it, the basis of the partnership, between Gold and Azuron. And here's some additional information, regarding their respective ages, according to the series, Gold is approximately 300 years old, but given the show's timeline, this is improbable. More likely, he is 200 years old. And Azuron is over 400 years old, so he's been around for some time. Next chapter, we return to Storybrooke.