(POV James)
"James, since you wanna save us money, be a man, talk your way into doing exactly like you said." My wife's tone was anything, but encouraging.
Soon enough, they reached the entrance of the old hotel. Its doors were made of brown oak wood, the walls weren't even painted as it was an old place brown wood place with the base being made of cobblestone. The roof looked even older as it was made of... red clay and brown straw...
'Something wrong, but we're in the middle of the city, for Christ's sake... James, calm yourself down... Those feelings you're getting right now are simply just you worrying about looking like a fool in front of your wife. When you meet those traders! Even if something comes this way, I can activate my domain and kill them with a few binding vows if needed.' I thought as I tried my best to push those feelings down.
I started having second thoughts, but the allure of possibly traveling for free was too much to pass up. I pushed the door open to let my wife go in first, only after taking a good look inside first to make sure it was safe.
I saw a basic reception area with only one person inside. The floors on the hand were made of cobblestone, like the foundation outside, with black rugs placed about every so often. The walls looked the same as the outside but had dozens of paintings on them.
They had many different art styles seemingly coming from all over the world. Some were just literal pictures, but every picture had one thing in common... The old man in the photos was sitting in the reception area. He was looking them up and down before speaking.
(("How may I help you Mr. Bellaster & Mrs. Bellaster. Are you looking to use our services today?")) An old man asked with a smile.
The room seemingly froze as the married couple looked at each other in shock. The old man watching this happen giggled in glee.
{{"Emma, did you tell him our names, or did you book it in advance? If you are joking with me... Honey, you can stop now, this isn't funny."}} I asked her while using her communication spell.
(("No, she didn't, James. You see Emma, and you are kind of famous on the other side. Well, famous since Emma's relatives brought some attention to you.
Greed Internationals has an expansive library full of all kinds of books. Family history, notable events, and notoriety are also held within its collections.")) The old man smiled as his teeth were as white as pearls.
'He has 40 teeth... His giggling earlier made him open his mouth a little. My analysis of my memory during that time counted 40 perfect teeth. My zoom spell activated, and even though his skin is perfect, he doesn't have any sweat glands, pores, or micro hairs. Even as my spell goes deeper, the man does not have a single germ or piece of dirt on his body...
He only has hair on his head, beard, and mustache. All of them are solid structures... His wrinkles are fake, his skin is a solid surface without any imperfections.' she backed up a bit before tightly holding her husband's arm.
*"GOD"* My wife screamed as she fell to her knees.
(("You clearly are talented, not sure why your grandma rejected you. Not like I need to know anyways.")) The God spoke causally as if her fear didn't matter.
I looked down to see my wife on her knees in fear. She seemed to have a panic attack as her position shifted to sitting flat on the ground.
I suddenly felt a mysterious pressure surround me as it was forcing me to kneel, but I REFUSED. But the pressure won against me as even with my newfound strength it pushed me into a kneeling position.
I just thought of a way to leave, but doing so would be shameless, cowardly, and generally, something I would never do. I wanted to kill the God, before me, but I held myself back.
'James, he is a God, your domain expansion will only kill you faster if you activate it. Mortals can't fight Gods... It seems fate hasn't completely abandoned us just yet, he seems to be a Natural God.
If he was a Beyonder God we would have turned insane from just seeing him... It's time... to swallow your pride, James, beg for your life. Be the dirty worm you hate... Be the disgusting worms you hate to LIVE. If not for yourself, BEG FOR YOUR WIFE AND SON!' I thought as our fates seemed grim...
'I looked beside me to see my wife was freaking out even more than me. It seemed the mysterious pressure had affected her even more since her body was weaker than mine. She kept saying God over and over again.
I felt like I was about to eat my own fucking teeth with my bloody gums as I was about to beg for this random God to spare our lives & not harm us.
If he wouldn't spare them all, I would beg them to at least spare his wife and son waiting in the car.' I thought as I tried to think of a few more plans to get my family out of this. Even if I died, they needed to live, so any plan that included my own death wasn't off the table if they could live.
'If all else failed, I would ask this God to be merciful and grant them a quick painless death without suffering. If even that failed I'll say King Paradis's true name AND SACRIFICE MY EXISTENCE TO HIM TO SAVE MY FAMILY!!!
I should be worth enough for them to save my family from their terrible fate. Even if it's under this god's watch... If I'm lucky my family might and get them out of here alive.
Ya, no even if this god promises a quick death, I'm still going to sacrifice my existence to the King of Paradis. I trust that man more to be merciful than whoever this god is.' I thought as I kept going over the plan to execute depending on the answer this god gave or didn't give.
(("You guys aren't any fun. Yes, James, you can leave no. I'm not a common occurrence in spirit node-associated locations. This was a whim the other buildings in San Francisco are safe but are rather quirky."))
Before long, the random god watched the interesting couple leave before talking to the air.
(("Yes, I saw the child had your mark you damn witch. YES, I told you it was a whim, nothing more ok... Make my minions lower their prices for that family alone. If James & Emma got mentally scarred from this, how was that my fault? You're asking too much in the form of compensation, you dirty witch."))
((Witch Of Greed)):~~~~~~~~~
(("What kind of business do you think I am running here? Don't think you can threaten me like the rest... My minions deserve the courtesy, to decide their prices freely. )) The god replied.
((Witch Of Greed)):~~~~~
(("They are like my children, so they deserve the right to have their freedom. HOW DARE YOU, I was there when the first stars formed, why would I fea---")) The god said as it roared at the pair of black eyes looking at him from across the room. The being in the corner body was covered in a thick screen of white mist.
. . .
(POV Narrator)
Not long after, James and Emma got into the car, shaken by what they found themselves in. They drove away soon after getting into the car. Emma started speeding away, trying to distance her family from the old hotel.
Emma used her magic to mentally seal the negative emotions she & James went through before getting in the car. She couldn't deal with that mess today, she & James had to slowly deal with that cluster fuck of a disaster another day. She and James would keep the knowledge of what happened but not the trauma.
Five minutes after they left the building had been destroyed, everyone who saw the destroyed building tried to call the police, but all their eyes dulled as they kept going about their business ignoring the scene before them. None of the recordings of the incident were left, all the data and memories about it were erased mysteriously.
An old man with some scratches got up from the wreckage. The old man had started to cough a bit and some golden blood fell to the floor after he stopped coughing.
The old man looked at the destruction before his eyes and got annoyed. He merely waved his arm, and before long all the damage was restored, but his injuries remained.
(("Fine, three years for free ok, you damn greedy witch.")) The moment he said that. His wounds instantly healed like they never existed. But the golden blood that fell to the floor was still there. Almost as if it served as a reminder of some kind.
The old man looked around the hotel he just fixed to find a white spider with black eyes drinking the few drops of blood he shed on the group.
(('Her title as the witch of greed is well deserved. She is greedy for knowledge, possibly power as well. Her followers vary in the types of greed they hold.')) The God thought.
(('Just look at her follower over there she is devouring the blood I shed with a ferocious greed. Did she think her master's blessing had hidden her when she was behind Emma & James watching them?')) The god thought as it smirked a bit looking at the spider.
This continued as the little spider finished her meal. Soon enough she transformed into her human form but kept her six extra eyes on her head as black jewels instead of full-blown eyes. Her regular human eyes were still normal black eyes.
"My master has already warned the pagan pantheon before, are loner gods going to be an issue now too? The eyes of a God can see all, but a god such as yourself should know when to stay away from another's territory." Arachneras Rachnee replied as she started to point and laugh at the god before her eyes.
(("Spider, don't think you can talk down to a god, servant of the witch of greed or not Gods deserve respect.")) The god said.
How dare that witch think I'm below a simple servant.
(("Goes both ways faker, or what do you go back nowadays.")) Arachneras Rachnee said as she released a bit of her master's seal on her powers.
(("Sequence four already, impressive for a mere servant.")) The god said as it smiled at Arachneras Rachnee.