“Hmm,” Adam said, rubbing the cloth between his fingers. He glanced between all the rolls of fabric, each of which were slightly different. He wondered how they blended the various fibres to form such soft fabric.

“Dark reds, a dark blue, and a lighter blue, almost grey,” the owner said, finding the swatches of the colours Adam had requested. The dark reds were exactly the kind which Adam had thought. He glanced between the several shades of darker blue, some even reaching indigo. The lighter blues held a hint of grey, but some were more like grey with a hint of blue.

“What do you think?” Adam asked.

“They are all wonderful colours,” Vonda admitted. “Which colours do you enjoy most?”

“I’m no painter, Sir Vonda,” Adam mumbled quietly. “Which colours look the most pleasant in your expert eyes?”

Vonda glanced between the reds especially, since they were nearly identical. Adam thought about praying to Baktu to guide her. ‘No. That’s too weird. I should also put some coin into the temples. I’ve made well over ten thousand, so I should donate a little at least…’

“Which colours would you like for accents?” the merchant asked.

“That’s a good question…” Adam looked to Vonda.

“Black.” Vonda had thought about silver, but it would have been awkward to match the lighter blue she had picked. Adam also followed Lord Sozain, and this business was in partnership with the Iyr, so black suited the most.

“How many outfits could the rolls make?”

“For someone of your height and build?” The merchant eyed Adam up, trying to displace the armour away. “Eight, nine, or ten?”

‘Considering I’m a beefy boy, let’s say ten,’ Adam thought. “How much for each roll?”

“Ten gold.”

‘That’s pretty expensive, but it is pretty quality fabric.’ “Alright, let’s go for that. I’ll buy… three bundles of each colour, and one for black?”

“You should buy three bundles for black too,” Vonda said.

“Let’s do that then. So that’s what, one hundred and twenty gold?”

“That’s right.”

“Do you take gems?”

“I do.”

Once Adam had finished paying for the cloth, he glanced around to the little walkers. Several had darted towards him before stopping nearby, standing tall and strong with their packs made of wood or rope.

“Just a moment,” Adam said, motioning to them all, before turning back to the cloth merchant. “Could I buy some more cloth? I need yellow, blue, purple, red, and… no, just blue, purple, and red. One of each. Vonda, could you pick the nicest colours of each?

After a short while of Vonda perusing the various colours, she picked her favourites for each, and Adam paid an additional ten gold for each roll.

“I need one walker for each bundle of cloth,” Adam said down to the young urchins. “I’ll pay you each two silver.”

“Yes, boss!” The urchins scattered.

“Ah! Find me at least two more too!”

“Yes!”

Adam made his way through the market, only to stop and let Vonda lead them, realising he barely had any idea where the particular stall was.

“For you? Only nine gold, but you pay me ten, yes?” said the young boy, who had yet to reach even ten years old.

“You will charge me?” the older Devilkin woman asked, standing tall and proud with her hands clasped behind her back. She stood with such authority, Adam almost didn’t realise she wasn’t even a head taller than Kalid.

She wore a long dress of yellow, with a golden sash around her waist. A myriad of golden jewellery scattered across her entire body, from earrings, to necklaces, to rings, each formed in such a way that they appeared to be made of liquid gold.

Four other Devilkin were about, two sitting near Kalid, and two standing near the old woman. Each carried sabres at their side. These Devilkin wore simpler uniforms, reminiscent of the Iyr’s style of clothing.

Kalid narrowed his eyes, as though making calculations within his mind. Did he really need to sit down for the rest of the day? Would the spanks be worth it if he was busy thinking of the pain rather than working hard? “Charge you? You think I am son of a cat that I charge my own nana?” He cursed out in the Devilkin tongue before tutting at the old woman.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

‘His nana?’ Adam eyed up the woman, before finding the eyes of one of the nearby Devilkin falling across him. Their eyes met.

“What are you looking at?” the Devilkin guard asked, widening his stance slightly.

“Just, uh, perusing the wares,” Adam replied, cautiously. “I need some yellow and gold cloth.”

The guard glanced behind Adam at the large baggage train of young walkers. Where typically one might have only expected five at most, Adam was followed by seventeen. “It is busy.”

Adam narrowed his eyes slightly, before glancing towards Kalid and his grandmother. The commotion had drawn the attention of both of them.

“Sir Vonda! Adam!” Kalid called, standing up and throwing up his hands towards them. “You have come for yellow cloth?”

“That we have,” Adam replied, though his eyes remained glued to the guard.

The guard, however, looked to his companion, and bowed his head gently, before he shifted his stance once more, relaxing ever so slightly.

“Come, Sir Vonda,” the older Devilkin called, reaching out a hand towards the young noblewoman. “I have heard that you saved my Kalid’s life when he was a babe.”

“It was as Mother Soza willed,” Sir Vonda replied, taking the woman’s hand in her own. They didn’t shake hands, but rather, the old woman held Vonda’s hand within her own gently.

“I could not hear his vicious cursing if not for your efforts.”

“I only hope that he lives a long, healthy life.”

“Yes,” the old woman replied, smiling. “Who is this companion of yours?”

“Adam Fateson. He is a friend of mine who I have adventured with. He placed third within the tournament.”

“Unfortunately I only arrived today, so I was unable to watch. Come, Adam Fateson. What business do you have with us Yellow Turbans?”

Kalid stood up taller, but he did not dare to interrupt his grandmother’s words. However, he fixed his yellow turban, which was not the creamy yellow it was previously, but a far more vibrant yellow, almost the same yellow as his father’s.

“I just wanted to buy some cloth,” Adam began, before pausing. “I was also hoping to request a meeting with Yellow Turban.”

‘Hmm?’ The old woman thought, though her face did not give up her thoughts. ‘He believes he can request a meeting?’ “Do not let me stop you.” The old woman stepped aside.

“Oh, no, you can finish your business first,” Adam said, chuckling nervously. “Don’t let me interrupt a meeting between grandmother and grandson.”

“As a Yellow Turban, I should not get in the way of business,” the old woman said, still standing to one side.

‘I can’t just offend her…’ “Thank you kindly.” Adam stepped up in front of Kalid, clearing his throat, feeling the gazes of six Devilkin upon him. “How are you doing today, Kalid?”

“How can this Kalid complain? Food in stomach, roof up head, gold in bank.” Kalid threw up his arms towards the sky, and stated a prayer in their tongue. “How can this Kalid help you today?”

“I’d like to buy a roll of your best yellow, and a roll of Salifi gold,” Adam said.

“All my yellows are best, yes?”

“Then the yellow that Sir Vonda picks, since her eyes are the keenest, yes?”

“How can this Kalid disagree?”

“And what about a roll of Salifi gold?”

“No problem, no problem,” Kalid said, eyeing Adam up. “You have bet much gold, yes?”

“I made quite a bit betting on myself and the Iyrmen,” Adam replied, catching the young man’s eye.

“Kalid only make ten thousand,” Kalid said, closing his eyes and shrugging his shoulder, sighing as though it was too little. He peeked through his nearly shut eyes to Adam, whose smirk was wider than even Kalid’s.

“I made about the same,” Adam replied, winking at the young Devilkin. “I think I can afford a roll or two.”

“You have made more than ten, yes?”

“More than ten, yes.”

“More than fifteen?”

“No.”

Kalid narrowed his eyes. “I bring you my best roll of Salifi gold.”

“Aren’t all your rolls best?”

“You see this handsome man? He is so smart, so handsome, what can this Kalid say?” Kalid placed the swatches of yellow on the counter before slipping away to bring a roll of Salifi gold.

“Which is the cutest yellow, Sir Vonda?” Adam asked, noting one of the sitting Devilkin had followed after Kalid.

“There are many yellows which go well with greyish green,” Vonda said.

“What about red?”

“Red?”

“They need to match little Kavgak and Tavgak too,” Adam stated.

“Are you buying rolls for your Cousins too?”

“Of course! This yellow needs to be all the little babbies,” Adam said. “They need to be bright and vibrant.”

Vonda picked a vibrant yellow, though glanced around to see if there were any which caught her eyes.

‘The kids should all match.’ Adam thought about how cute his children would look. ‘What should I bring back for their first birthdays?’

‘Does he always look so stupid?’ the older Devilkin thought.

Kalid returned with a roll of the Salifi gold, which almost shimmered with the light. The roll of Salifi gold was almost as thick as the others, however, the fabric itself was slightly thicker, meaning it was probably only a little over half as much in terms of usable fabric.

“How many you buy? One? Two? Ten rolls?”

“I’ll buy five of each,” Adam said.

“No problem, this Kali-,” Kalid stopped, eyeing Adam up. “You buy five rolls?”

“Yeah.”

“Salifi gold is best gold, you wish to buy five?”

“Yes.”

“Each roll is twenty five gold,” the young boy said.

“How much for the other five yellows?”

“Ten gold each.”

“Make it six Salifi gold then,” Adam said, placing down gems worth two hundred gold.

“You want meeting with Yellow Turban?”

“Yes.”

“Then you buy two rolls,” Kalid said.

“Hmmm.” Adam thought about it. The roll was only good enough for roughly five people, he assumed. If they were babies, then it would probably be closer to fifteen or so? No, wouldn’t it be silly to waste all that money for clothes which would no longer fit? Then he would just gift them to his Aunts and Uncles. ‘Eh? Why’s he trying to downsell me?’

Once the business was conducted, Adam swiftly retreated, allowing them to continue their conversation.

“You sold two rolls of Salifi gold for fifty gold, and set a meeting with Yellow Turban?” The older Devilkin stared down at her grandson. “A bronze deal.”

“My father will say gold deal,” Kalid stated.

“Why is that?”

Kalid shrugged his shoulder in a way which suggested he didn’t know, but his smirk and his eyes said otherwise.

‘Should I flick your forehead, you little son of a cat?’