84 Ashan 722
When you showed up with eleven other people who were, as far as Balthazar could tell, totally loyal- it was easier to say you had resources. At least it was easier than when you showed up alone with nothing but your own knowledge to offer. They had set out from Scalvoris Town and been on the path for three trials when the mountains finally seemed to grow near. Of the three mountains, Balthazar had only ever been on Ornthrus but he hadn't come up from the base. They were in for much more of a climb this time.
Balthazar was not deaf to the grumbles about having to move slowly with a rupturing mage. Some of his company had expected that he would just be able to open a portal into the mountains but he had to explain to them that the magic didn't work exactly like that. He made sure to try and resonate with the area as they traveled, though, in hopes he could help them get back faster. He knew he could at least cut a hundred or so miles off the journey if he took the time to bridge the distance in his mind. It wouldn't be the fastest portal, but it would be faster than a three trial journey. It might actually be the slowest portal he'd ever made though.
The whole party grew a little more anxious, or perhaps they were just tired from the journey, when they saw the various tents and small structures that had been put up near the base of the mountains. It looked like whoever had come to study the strange metal had set up a basecamp at the bottom. He chose not to speculate further until he knew who had set the camp up... and whether or not he was going to take it over.
Balthazar had the company stop a few dozen feet away from the tents and he dismounted his scalvwing. Hardly a distance the archers would struggle with. "Robin, on me. Everyone else, hold." He ordered simply before leading Simula, Robin, and Nimbus towards the tents that they had seen. The group of twelve hadn't gone unnoticed on approach and a few people began emerging from the tents. Some were armed and they all seemed a little bit more concerned by the approaching company than the unarmed individuals. Balthazar had assembled the group to work as mercenary company so he supposed if they didn't look intimidating they were probably doing something wrong.
Balthazar and Robin were greeted by a few unfamiliar faces. They weren't armed and they looked soft so Balthazar estimated they must have been from the university. The scholars approached and a small number of the guards they had with them moved carefully behind them. "Hello there," Balthazar called out to the approaching party, "are you from the university? Who is in charge here?" He figured there was no harm in voicing his assumptions and he felt it would invite them to ask him similar ones.
Of the three scholars who emerged from the tent, one stepped forward with a slightly raised hand to indicate it was him. He extended his hand to Balthazar and the mage shook it. One thing he really didn't like about academics was how they stared at his mutations with their scientific curiosity every time they met him for the first time. "Chancellor Manyon is in charge but he isn't here right now." The man said without introducing himself. In fairness, Balthazar hadn't introduced himself either.
"The chancellor was here?" Balthazar asked the question with a little surprise. It seemed strange that the chancellor would go so far from the university for such an involved process.
"He was, now Dean Wagstaff is in charge." The man said before holding out a hand to Balthazar, "I'm August Powell, one of the geologist working on our excavation effort here. I work with the university but I'm not a professor, so don't call me one. I presume you've come because you heard the same news as us." Powell made a good assumption but only because it was vague. Balthazar decided to play dumb for a moment to see if Powell was talking about the metal or something more. Perhaps a situation arose that called for extra muscle and in that case, Balthazar had it easily available.
"It depends on what news you heard?" Balthazar replied. Something seemed to light up in the geologist's eyes. The opportunity to teach or the opportunity to manipulate. Balthazar wasn't sure which one it was but he was a cynic at times. It was indeed the former.
"Last arc a team of miners discovered a new metal at the base of the Syper mountain, by the time we'd organized a team for the expedition, those who'd found the metal were long gone and they took what they'd found with them." Powell explained, "We've made our base camp here where the weather is manageable but we intend to get a few forward camps up as we find deposits."
"Then it would seem we did hear the same news." Balthazar confirmed for the geologist, "I've come to offer whatever aid I can in return for a portion of the metal we harvest." Before he went any further, he needed to know if they would find such a deal agreeable by any means. If not, he would have to work around them and he wasn't looking forward to that.
The geologist scratched the back of his head for a moment and peered beyond Balthazar to the armed men he had brought with him for a trill before looking to the mage again, "Come with me, you'll probably want to talk to Dean Wagstaff about that. It'll be his decision to make." Well, at least he hadn't refused the help outright.
"Is he on site?" Balthazar asked Powell as he and Robin followed the geologist underneath one of the various canopies they'd set up to protect themselves and their gear from the weather. They moved from the canopy into one of the larger tents that had been secured to the ground with some heavy rocks to resist the push of the wind. Based on Robin's reactions, the inside of the tent felt far warmer than the outside but Balthazar's forging made him more or less immune to the bite of the cold. Even late in Ashan and at the base, the mountains were cold.
Having made a habit of avoiding the university until now, Balthazar was still able to identify Dean Wagstaff in a few trills of entering the tent. You couldn't quite tell from where Balthazar had asked his men to wait, but the basecamp was positively teaming with energy and life. Researchers, geologists, scientists of different fields, and professors of fields that Balthazar wouldn't even have thought applied were moving to and fro, writing reports, taking accounts, studying the smallest things for any sign of the metal that they were looking for- but it wasn't even just that. They had a much more elaborate operation running than simply looking for the metal. The mountains could provide a wealth of knowledge and it seemed that they were going to try and wring as much knowledge from it as they could while they were there.
But back to Henri Wagstaff.
Balthazar could recognize the Dean of Science easily because he was surrounded by people bringing him different reports, samples, and problems. Wagstaff seemed to take everything in stride though. He didn't seem panicked, he seemed thrilled. Powell stopped behind a different geologist explaining something about the composition of the rocks that they had found in an open-pit mine and Balthazar quietly listened to try and learn a little. When the geologist was done she scurried off out of the tent and Powell stepped forward. "Dean Wagstaff, could we have a moment of your time?" Powell asked too timidly for Balthazar's liking.
The Dean turned and recognition flashed across his eyes when he saw Balthazar, but he addressed Powell first. "Of course. I have a moment now. How can I help you?"
"Mister Black would like to help with the excavation." Powell said, "He's brought ten men in addition to... I'm sorry, I never caught your name."
"Robin." The silent partner said when it was finally mentioned that Powell had ignored him. The Dean inclined his head to Robin and then looked over at Balthazar.
"Is that true?" The Dean asked.
"It's a little more complicated but yes. I think I could be valuable to your efforts here," Balthazar said, "if we can come to an agreement that benefits us both."
Henri grinned. There was the rub. The inevitable request. If not for Balthazar's reputation he might have been humored but he had Henri's curiosity and with it, a foot in the door. "Well then, have a seat and let's talk."