I do not own this story, all credit to Sunjinjo.

An Overlady's Audiences Part 14

The next visitor was a tall man in a dark green garb, and the scarlet flame dropped him on the trap door in the middle of a jaunty bow. As he rose from that, he first looked up at the remainders of the fiery magic. "Fascinating," he muttered. "Harmless fire? More teleportation?"

"Greetings," Jinx spoke coolly.

The man looked at her abruptly, and Jinx beheld dark eyes underneath a green top hat.

"Greetings, Milady. Apologies. My name is Jack, a wanderer, banished from Nordberg. I come to your magnificent domain with a request, an application of sorts even, which you might find useful."

"Talkative," Gnarl remarked.

"I like that," Jinx replied from the corner of her mouth. "Saves me some trouble." She looked on as the man stepped off the trap door, talking all the while, and placed a bag down beside him. She smiled. Could he have figured out the meaning of the circle? It was rather obvious, but even so… Nobody ever really realized what they were standing on.

"You see, I heard all about your conquest of Nordberg and Everlight, and your prowess as an Overlady, and want to offer you my services as an engineer and chemist."

As he spoke, a fat blue Minion came up the stairs from the lower levels, wearing an apron and carrying a large platter of meat dishes. Behind him, Quaver followed, lugging a cauldron with him. Jinx glanced at them and realized it was indeed time for lunch by now, but to her surprise Thud put down his platter at once as he saw Jack, and a shiver passed through him.

"Thud, what's wrong?"

"I don't trust him," the blue replied as he shuffled closer to her, eyes narrowed, Quaver close on his heels. "You get in the pot, or you get back on the pit," he spoke bodefully, still staring at Jack. Quaver briefly backed away, but Thud pulled him and the cauldron closer.

Jack studied the pair, and seemed disheartened by Thud's staring gaze. "Ah… very well." He stepped back onto the trap door, but he didn't seem happy with it. Jinx cocked her head. So he did figure it out.

Simultaneously, a young red Minion scampered towards the visitor, briefly sniffed the bag he'd placed before the trap door and then made off with it. Jack tried to catch him, but too late. "Hey now, those are dangerous!" He sighed, then smiled at Jinx again. "Well, he'll be fine if half the things I've heard about these red creatures is true. What he took was intended to be a form of tribute, some of my earlier works. Explosives which spread a highly flammable liquid in a large area around them, enhanced to make the flame very difficult to snuff out."

Jinx leant forward. "I appreciate that, Jack, this is a pleasant surprise." She followed the red with her eyes as he ran across the balcony. "Nitro, don't hold that for too long. Not all of us are fireproof."

"So, do you accept my offer of servitude, or will I be dropped into the pit below?"

Jinx turned back to Jack. "Do you still have to ask that? If your gift does what you say it does, I'd love to have more than just that bag."

"And that's hardly my best work," the green-clad Nordbergian grinned. "Thank you, Milady. I do have a second question, one which I thought an Overlord or Overlady might be able to answer… in my banished travels, I recently passed through an area of the Wasteland, where I noticed a large depression, like a drained lakebed, which gave of a feeling of residual magic. In fact, a feeling very much like what I feel in this Tower, although there's more here, several other magics it seems mixed with…"

Jinx listened to him quietly, her hands on the armrests of the throne. Gnarl cast her a glance. "Talkative and with treacherously keen senses…"

"We'll have to keep an eye on him, but we have so many eyes," Jinx silenced his concerns.

"…so I was curious, what was that place? I assume you would know the answer, Milady, although if it is not my place to ask then please ignore the question."

Jinx folded her arms. "That was the uppermost part of Lord Atrej's Tower, Jack. With your surprising knowledge of Overlords and magic, I assume that's enough information?"

Jack's eyes started gleaming. "Oh, yes. Really? Have you been inside?"

"I've had my opportunity to look around, and take a few souvenirs with me."

"You're done there, then? Could I perhaps be granted permission to venture inside and do the same? The ooze and its magical potential, the aura of a Darklord…"

Jinx kept silent for a moment. The same went for Gnarl and Kniff, and even Thud, though the blue was still staring at the visitor suspiciously. Atrej's Tower was almost hallowed ground… but if Jack was able to concoct such interesting things with simple fireworks… and if things went awry, he probably wouldn't survive his own curiosity anyway. Jinx made her decision. "I will grant you permission, but I am sending a few Minions with you. I'd think reds are a good idea, and a few blues just in case you manage to restore the ooze's former qualities. And I will escort you there myself so nothing eats you beforehand. The Tower is swarming with carnivorous eels and giant beetles."

"Most interesting," Jack rubbed his hands. "I cannot thank you enough for this opportunity… wait, an escort? Right now?"

"No," Jinx smiled. "Tomorrow, or later. Until then you'll stay here in the guest quarters. Grot, would you be so kind as to show him to his chambers?"

"Even better," the inventor beamed. He was already keenly studying every new sculpture his eyes met as Grot took him up the stairs to the balconies, and then the higher levels. "I hope to see you soon, Milady…"

"This is going to be interesting," she agreed with him. "Soon, Jack." She turned back to Gnarl. "This will give us a nice advantage, whoever our next opponent turns out to be."

"And elseway it won't be hard to get rid of him," the advisor shrugged. "Nicely done."

Jinx scanned the balconies. "Nitro, could you drop that bag now?"