Mer looked at her with confusion and astonishment as Stare moved the goblet back. With simple ease Vitruvion took from the air before it settled.
There was a small pause before Vitruvion looked over at Mer. Before her was an empty plate and he nodded at it. “Mer if you are finished, then please go. Mr Aimaparapoiitis, Stare and myself need to talk.” He paused, then added. “In private.”
Mer’s lips parted. She glanced with disbelief from Stare to him, and then with near rage at Nevin before she stood. With a last haughty glare at Stare she strode out the room, muttering curses under her breath. The god's brows rose but he said nothing, swinging back some wine into his gullet. When the door closed behind Mer he spoke flatly.
“Colourful. She cursed your feathers to … wither I believe would be a good translation.”
Stare grunted and began to take the last of what food was on the table. Vitruvion smiled slightly, then set the goblet down and looked at Nevin. “Raevin is currently on his way to the brewery. We are currently recruiting more mercenaries, which may not be enough, but they will be something. What Stare got for me in the forest was the guts of the ophiotaurus. Guts, that after being burnt, are said to be able to kill a god.” He folded his hands before him, then finished with a grunt. “Should do some damage against a half god.”
Well, there went his need to study and find out just what the bull serpent thing was good for. Nevin folded his hands on top of the table and stared at them, his brow furrowed in thought. The glow in his eyes receded as he considered the situation. Then he looked up, to the two of them, a frown on his face.
“That’s a bit lacking in practical applications, isn’t it. ‘Guts that have been burnt’. What, are you meant to carry that entire mass around with you after scorching it, and bury him? I know burnt offal has a powerful odor, but I doubt throwing it at someone would affect even a normal being, much less a god. So, what do we know about how to actually weaponize it? Is it some kind of power released in the burning process perhaps, and you have to burn it near the intended victim? Or is it like certain kinds of creatures and their weakness to wood, where having part of it in a wound will prevent it from healing?” And how could it be applied if that was the case? Would Stare - or Vitruvion himself - have to be the one to deal the blow with the guts nearby, or could it be done by anyone so long as they were properly equipped?
“I understand if you don’t feel comfortable talking about it with me, but if you haven’t already, you might need to look into that post haste. I’ve never heard of intestines being used as a weapon before, except to strangle someone, or to infect them. I suppose burnt intestines might work, perhaps there is a unique weakness that they generate?” He frowned and drummed his fingers on the table. This was why magic made science difficult. There was no chemical you could point to here and say “Ah ha, here you are, this is the god-slaying chemical!”
