D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

After Kamiko explained the testing they did for the flowers Boss said. ”Please pass me one. Just one.”

Nodding, Kamiko separated out one of the flowers to hand over but just before Boss grabbed it, the flower burst into fire. Boss collected the ashes on his gloved hand and moved them to his face to breath in the ash. ”Hmm, I’ve not encountered this before but I have heard tails. I believe this are super sensitive plants. Any change in higher energy, or perhaps just demonic energy results in them catching fire. I produce significantly more excess then either of you two so it caught fire.

”Still, I’m a little surprised that it didn’t catch fire from your own handling. Perhaps they do have some low level of tolerance before the change takes place. Please leave them all in my office. I’ll find a suitable way to contain them. Just, keep them in the far corner. I’d hate for them all to catch fire because I walked past.”

Kamiko nodded and packed them into a box and moved them to the side. While this was happening, Kat brought out the golden whip. ”We aren’t sure what this does. It drains energy from the wielder so it has to be doing something, but we can’t figure out exactly what that is. Neither myself or Kamiko felt different when it was around us.”

Boss held out his hand and Kat complied. Boss seemed to weigh it with his hands, lifting it up and down, while peering at the glow. ”Hmm yes, that is quite the drain considering it isn’t doing anything.”

Boss gave the golden rope a hefty tug and their was a crack as the room shook from the force of the wind. The little trinkets in the room shifted and lightly chimed out when they hit each other. Kat took a slight step backwards to keep her balance and Kamiko hid behind Kat out of reflex.

”Very tough” said Boss, ”that was something close to my full strength and there was no give in this once the rope was taught. That alone probably classifies it as something worthwhile but this drain isn’t enough if it was only powering some durability enchantments.”

”We tried striking me, and wrapping each other in it to minimal affect.” Replied Kat.

”Hmm, I’ll keep this on me as well I think.” Boss tapped his desk twice and an unsee drawer popped out of the side. Boss then proceeded to carefully wind the glowing whip up and place it in the drawer before closing it.

Kamiko took this as her queue. ”Here is one of the wands we mentioned.”

Kamiko handed over a gnarled and twisted wand that looked the most like a branch out of the entire lot. Really only the fact it was lacquered and with the rest of them convinced Kat it was of the same make.

”Fire” said Boss and a light flame came out of the end.

”Well it clearly works,” huffed Boss, ”but how is it powered? I didn’t feel the slightest drain on my own reserves when I did that. Must be internal, but I wonder if there is a limit. How many of these are there?”

Kat and Kamiko shared a look, where Kamiko motioned towards Kat, knowing she had the better memory. Kat wanted to sigh, but decided not to in Boss’ presence and tracked back to the recent memory of the box. It didn’t help all that much. Pushing some energy to her mind time slowed down as she tried to count the number of wands she could see.

*Ok so it’s about five by three wands per layer and I know there was at least six layers per wand so… call it a hundred maybe? That might be the simplest measurement and not all wands were the same size so a few more here a few less there, and maybe one or two more layers.* 

”I’d guess around a hundred Boss. I didn’t stop to count them but my memory was good enough to check. From what I could see, and guess from the glance I took at the box one hundred is the number I’d guess.” Stated Kat in a slightly robotic manner as her mind wound down from the energy use.

Boss tapped the wand lightly on his desk a few times as he thought about the information Kat had provided him. ”Depending on how quickly these recharge as well as if they can be recharged at all, they might need to be in a higher tier box. Just the one would probably be find, but even for the water ability alone having so many is probably pushing the limit there…”

Boss trailed off and looked off to the side. He seemed willing to let the moment hang there for a while. Neither Kat nor Kamiko made a move to introduce any further items as it seemed he wanted to take his time to think about the current issue. Finally, seeming to reach a decision. ”Is there any other items where you think their box needs to be upgraded?”

Kamiko spoke up in answer. ”Not especially so. There were some items that seemed unbreakable but they lacked the ability to be properly worn by demons and had no other properties so that limits the value in a big way. Still, depending on the exact strength at which they would break… well there might be some that do qualify as a higher tier item.”

Boss waved Kamiko off. ”That’s fine. I was going to need to test those all separately anyway. I can’t expect two Rank 2’s to determine what is and isn’t indestructible. I’m glad you didn’t bring any of those with you. Right. What’s next?”

Kat brought forward a seemingly ordinary looking sword and Kamiko winced at the sight of it. ”This was able to cause me pain even though I had the amulet on.”

Boss took one look at the sword and waved it away. ”Don’t worry I recognise that. One of the pain swords an idiot made a while back. Not particularly useful because all they do is cause a bit of pain. Getting stabbed with them would normally hurt more and the pain doesn’t stack. I didn’t think it would work through the amulet, which is at least interesting, but otherwise I’m not too concerned.

Kamiko didn’t really seem to know how to react to that one. Kat however was looking over the sword with a raised eyebrow. *Who bothers to make something like that? We held the blade edge, so it isn’t just contact that causes pain. You need to stab someone with it. But if Boss is right, and let’s be honest with myself, having been stabbed I know he’s right. The sword just isn’t that painful. Actually… a question…*

”Boss, a question if you don’t mind?” asked Kat

Kamiko looked at Kat out of the corner of her eye liked she’d just walked up to Boss and slapped him in the face. Kat, trying to ignore the unease she was now feel, let out a breath when Boss nodded in her direction. ”Does the sword override the pain? You said the pain was less then getting stabbed and it doesn’t increase it… but does it decrease it?”

Boss paused. ”That’s an intriguing question” Boss himself straightened completely and looked at Kat with an unreadable expression on his face. ”That does bear further investigation. I’ll make a note of it for someone to do if we get time. It’s not terribly important but that sort of thing is necessary if we ever sell the thing.”

Kamiko nodded and brought out the last item they had for Boss. It was in a gold banded box instead of normal wood like the most, or the upgraded tier two boxes of a few. Boss’ eyes grew wide as he looked at it. It was a staff with minimal adornments, being made of smooth wood and ending a clawed grip with a massive clear gemstone in it.

”This-” Before Kamiko could even get started she was cut off.

”Return that to the box.” Said Boss with a surprisingly cold air to him. Kamiko froze like a dear in the headlights, and Boss’ glare intensified, Kat moved swiftly, and grabbed the staff before putting it away as quickly as she could.

”How much testing did you two do on that?” asked Boss.

Kat was going to answer so that Kamiko didn’t have to when Boss held up his hand once again, stopping the answer before it had even begun to form. ”No, actually I don’t want to know. You need to forget that staff. Don’t think about it. Don’t ask other people about it. Don’t talk about it. Even I won’t be doing any of those things. Shit I hate when this happens. Just. Shut the box, and leave it. Don’t move it. Don’t touch it. Don’t look at it funny, and for the love of my little daughter, DO NOT put any more energy into it.”

Kat swallowed and complied, slamming the lid shut perhaps harder than necessary. Boss then tapped a button and the room vanished.. Kat looked over at Kamiko, questions clearly in her eyes, but Kamiko gave a hard shark of her head before grabbing Kat’s arm and taking them back to her home.