Unfathomable [Gate in the Deep]

[Magus]

“Fuck you.”

She’d said it after she punched him in the face, and though he found the response quite unfair, Magus was apt to try a different tack than his usual ‘scorched earth revenge’ play. Partly because the punch had sent him hurtling through what remained of the huge desk he’d only partially destroyed before she sent him smashing through the rest like a human wrecking ball. Partly because it was just good business.

Coercion was risky and he was close to his goals; the idea of fucking up and being tossed into a prison cell now didn’t sit well with him.

“I understand your frustration,” he said, rubbing the already swelling flesh of his cheek. “But if you’d simply direct me to Rapture, I’d be on my way and out of your life.”

Vi looked at him with eyes that threatened to bug out of their sockets. “The docks are not even two fucking miles from here!! There’s ships all up and down them! Just go there and charter a boat! What is wrong with you?!”

Magus’ teeth grated against one another, not unlike tectonic plates colliding against one another. Only if he decided to tear a San Andreas fault into Vi, he suspected he’d have a much harder go of his journey.

There were things he could have said. Like how chartering a boat – a vessel designed not to sink –  wasn’t something that seemed particularly advantageous to a man trying to get to the bottom of the ocean.

“I’m leaving now,” he said instead. “But I’d like you to look into the Demon King of Camelot. Just… gather an idea of who this person is.”

“Why? You need someone to hold your hand to find him, too?”

Magus smirked. “Heh,” he snorted. “Something like that.”

He strode out of the ornate lobby, now diminished by the scattered debris that had littered the place. At least this was one mess he couldn’t be held accountable for.

Though Vi would be repaid for that punch. In time. After accruing one serious amount of interest.

- - - - -

He’d tried to speak with many of the various ship’s captains and deckhands, all of whom seemed to shut down upon the mention of ‘Rapture’. It took entirely too long to weed his way through the miserable chaff who seemed nonplussed by his inquiries, but he’d finally found a man working a rickety old boat by himself who’d seemed willing to entertain him.

He was an unfortunate-looking soul; thin wisps of hair barely covering his mostly-bald, mostly-sunburned head. He was short and squat, with a big paunch and few teeth, and those that he had were yellowed and rotten.

“Whatcha want in that forsaken place?” he’d asked.

It wasn’t the positive response he’d wanted, but at this point Magus was willing to accept any sort of progress.

“I have business in Rapture.”

The old sailor didn’t seem satisfied with the answer, but he didn’t press the issue. “Difficult sailing. Expensive. Could be real expensive.”

Magus’ lips curled into the slightest frown. “Is this thing even seaworthy?”

“She’ll get where she needs to go.”

“For a price.”

“Aye.”

“I’m a Prime,” Magus responded. “What would satisfy you? Gold?”

“Gold?” the ugly old sod perked up at this. “Yeah, gold’d do.”

The wizard’s haunted eyes grew colder, and he watched the homely man shrink from his gaze.

“Get this boat ready immediately. By the time you do, there’ll be more gold here than you can carry.”

“Aye, sir. I’ll go rouse a couple of mates straight away, I will,” the ugly fuck blustered before scrabbling away. Magus scoffed. What the rabble wouldn’t debase themselves for in exchange for wealth.

The former Demon King strode across the rotting deck boards of the boat he’d chartered and leaned onto the railing, resting his palms on the seasoned wood. The sea was calm and dazzling, an azure tapestry filled with a million stars. The salty sea air floated from it and across Magus’ flesh, carrying with it a cool, fresh scent. He took a deep breath and relaxed.

How long had it been now, since he’d come to the Omniverse? What an adventure he had. Was he really this close? Was he really almost home?

Schala, he cast his eyes down, away from the water. Be strong. I’ll be back in our reality soon, and I will find you.

He turned back to the ship and held out his hand. He didn’t even know the boat captain’s name, but he was going to make him rich. Magus snorted a repressed chuckle; he could topple the economy if he wanted to, just by pumping an endless supply of valuables into it.

The thought was worth a moment’s entertainment; it would serve, if nothing else, as a pretty fun middle finger to Omni – that was, if Omni even cared about his Secondaries, and Magus had an inkling that he didn’t. Besides, crashing the economy would only hurt people and wouldn’t benefit him at all.

For now, he’d settled on only a few hundred pounds of gold ingots for the ugly sailor.