CHAPTER 43 – THE MARKETPLACE

The main building was made of the same stone as the road. The marketplace looked like one big box with a circular roof overhead where the stone thinned into translucence. There was constant chaos going on within the building. Trades and deals being bargained and bartered everywhere.

“Excelsior are you familiar with this arena?” asked Bridger.

“Um…I have not been here in years. But it should still work the same. We need to go to the inner circle for jewels and currencies.”

The team made their way to the inside of the market and reached a table covered in all sorts of diamonds. Excelsior led the conversation for them.

“Excuse me, we are looking for Conroy.”

“Conroy, huh? And what would it be concerning?”

“Our business is our own, kind stranger.”

“He is not one to accept random calls. I need a reason.”

“We are old friends. That should be enough.”

“As you wish. I will go get him for you. Wait here.”

After a short while a man with a tunic dirty with gem-polish and torn with holes came out of the back.

“Are you Conroy?”

“I am him.”

“We have been told to come to you by my mentor, Demascus. I am Excelsior and we are in search for the Carbon Terra-”

“Ssshhh! I must stop you right there. There is no such thing!” Conroy blurted out, and then continued in a whisper, “We must seek private council if what you say is true. Meet me tonight here inside the market tower. Knock four times on the door, after the third knock pause and wait a moment before the last knock.”

“Okay...”

“Now get out of here, and don’t talk to anybody else about it!”

As they left the marketplace the same man who had gotten Conroy for them yelled out after them, “What, you come and go without buying anything?”

Bridger turned around and took a stern look at the man. Something was not right about him, something was off. The company returned to the tavern where they spent the previous night and got something to eat. They ate and talked around the table about their hunt for the diamond until sunset.

“Alright I think we have waited long enough, let us return back to the market,” Anilithion eagerly suggested.

The group walked back to the Southern Tower and came upon the door. Excelsior tried to knock the code, but upon the first knock he pushed the door open. It must have never been locked…

“Be very wary,” Tron repeated the advice of Demascus.

“This does not feel right, cousin,” Anilithion warned Mitakahn.

They slowly walked in one by one. As light as a breeze, they made not a sound. They walked through the hollow marketplace, a shell of what it was just hours ago. They approached the backroom where they first saw Conroy walk out of. It was pitch black. Anilithion was right... something was wrong. The seven warriors entered the room. Excelsior searched for a source of light while Orion nudged him earnestly, which usually meant…something was coming.

Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind them. The torches on the walls lit. Mitakahn could now see that twenty thieves surrounded the group. The company quickly drew swords as Orion got low, growling furiously, showing his teeth. Mitakahn’s white metal gauntlet cascaded out of his left hand as it gripped his sword, clicked into place, and returned to its darker grey metal form. Those still not familiar with his new armor noticed it, but in the heat of the moment could not address it.

“You are looking for the Carbon Terra.”

“What are you talking about?” answered Excelsior.

“We are not stupid, your friends have told us all about it.”

“Friends…?”

Just then, Conroy was pulled from the corner, bound and gagged. The man holding him was the same guy earlier that afternoon that went and got Conroy for them.

“You!” blurted out Bridger who jumped after him, only to get pulled back by Tron and Anilithion before anything happened.

“We demand to know where the Carbon Terra is.”

“We don’t know.” Spoke Excelsior on behalf of the group.

“If you lie to us one more time we will kill him.”

“We are not lying. We came here to find it.” Mitakahn stopped before he said too much and gave Conroy up. But it was too late. The thieves set their eyes upon the beaten and bound Conroy. They took the gag out of his mouth.

“So…why don’t you tell us all where the Carbon Terra is…”

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“I…I don’t know where it is.”

The thief took out his small knife and slammed its handle into Conroy’s fingers, breaking his knuckle.

“By the gods! Please stop! Please I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you.”

“Well then, go ahead…”

“Long ago, when they began mining the southern slopes of the Atlas Mountains they did not find much. Many of the miners were of the Canine Kingdom. Back then we were poor and one of the lower class kingdoms. To find anything would be a stepping stone for the nation’s quest for success. The miners dug deep into the earth, the more they came up empty, the deeper they mined.”

“GET TO THE POINT, OLD MAN!” One of the thieves yelled out.

“One miner fell through a crevasse, down a tunnel. It is said that he fell to the center of the earth. There, in the pitch black was the Carbon Terra. He lifted it out of the ground without struggle and brought it back to the surface. The Canine Kingdom brought it back to the City. From there it was decided that it would be broken up into separate pieces. The pieces would be sold into the world market and bring about a new age of wealth for the Canine Kingdom. It is how our country got back on its feet.”

“Is that true?” Bridger whispered to Excelsior.

“A touching story, and not a bad conspiracy theory I might add. But that does us no good. Are you saying that it is gone...assimilated into the world’s economy?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t believe you. Why would you bring these men here at night just to tell them that?”

With a head nod, the sword handle ran back into Conroy’s hand and broke another knuckle.

“Do not lie to us!”

“What’s the difference? You’re going to kill me either way.”

“If he tells you everything, will you release him to us?” interrupted Mitakahn.

“You’ve got a deal.”

“They broke the Carbon Terra into four pieces and hid them underneath each tower in the city. The smaller pieces that fell off in the process were sold and worth tremendous wealth.”

They cut Conroy’s bounds and threw him over to Mitakahn.

“You are a fool!” Conroy spat as he rubbed his knuckle, “They’re still going to kill us.”

The leader turns to leave the room, smirks, and mumbles out of the corner of his mouth…”Kill them all.” The door closed with the company surrounded by thieves.

Mitakahn looked over at his cousin. Not sure if this would be his first real fight. “Anilithion! Do not hesitate to kill these men. They will show you no mercy.”

Anilithion shook his head earnestly and braced himself. Orion without hesitation lunged at one of them and bit their neck immediately bringing him to the ground. Kunezar blocked a sword strike and cut his opponent’s arm off, finishing him with a killing stroke. Humbler took out his opponent’s legs leaving him helpless on the floor.

Anilithion cut one thief down while his cloak blocked a sword-strike like a shield on his back. He clenched his sword tight and uppercut another, knocking the opponent on the floor unconscious. Another thief tried to take advantage of his blind side. Tron threw his sword into the thief sneaking up on Anilithion. A thief seeking to increase his odds attacked Tron without a weapon. Tron had only seconds to react to the attack after saving Anilithion. Luckily, Tron was no stranger to hand-to-hand combat. He dodged the sword and slipped behind the enemy, grabbing a firm grip on his chin and the side of his head, and snapping his neck from his back. Tron recovered his sword by Anilithion, taking it upon himself to look after Mitakahn’s cousin.

Bridger pulled out his bow and arrow and fired off several arrows putting down an opponent with each arrow. No one else would dare risk switching from the sword. One rushed him as he spun down low, dodging the opponent’s knife, and tripping the thief.. He finished his opponent with a killing stroke to the back with an arrow. Excelsior wielding both of his short swords danced with three thieves. He threw his swords into the ceiling, jumped up, grabbed onto them as he dodged sword strikes flailing his legs, and kicked one square in the face knocking him to the floor.

Orion bit at the heel of another. As Excelsior fell back to the floor, swords in hand, he decapitated his last opponent. Mitakahn backed Conroy into the corner to protect him. He kept his fighting simple: Parry. Dodge. Cut. Kill. They came at him looking to kill Conroy and finish any chance of the company retrieving the treasure. He tossed his sword into his off-hand and blocked the remaining two foes, one with his sword and the other with his silver gauntlet, but got caught off guard by the third, who punched Mitakahn right across the face.

Mitakahn, instantly infuriated, cut down the other two in a quiet rage. He brought the last enemy to broken knees and opened his throat with his sword. The final body fell, lifelessly leaking a puddle of blood in front of Mitakahn and Conroy. Mitakahn rubbed his head and asked Conroy, “Are you okay?”

“Now that that is over with. I hope you did not tell them the entire truth,” interrupted Bridger as he re-sheathed his sword, pulled his arrows out of the dead carcasses, wiped them off, and put them back in his quiver.

“No, I did not. Thank you so much for saving my life,” praised Conroy.

“You do not have to thank us. It is our fault to begin with. We brought this upon you, and for that we are truly sorry. Now, what didn’t you tell them?” asked Mitakahn.

“The four pieces are not located at the bottom of the towers. When the towers were made… at the top they created beacons of light to be lit in times of war. They could never figure out how to emit the light from the beacons… that is until they discovered the Carbon Terra. The reason its discovery was kept secret all these years is because this country could not afford to have the beacon's source of light become public knowledge. As you can see there are many people in this world that seek out the crystal for selfish gain. Once there were many of us but in the later era of this world we have grown few in numbers. I am one of the last members.”

“Of what?” asked Bridger.

“The warlocks.”

“You are a warlock?” Excelsior asked while he was slowly putting it all together, “Demascus has told us of their crusades for ancient treasures and artifacts. But I’ve always wondered…how could he know all these tales? As if they were common knowledge…unless. . .” The young wanderer drifted off in his thoughts as he came to an obvious conclusion, “…Demascus is a warlock too!”

“Yes. It has been too long, and I am out of practice. In my golden years, I would’ve made a spectacle of tonight. There is real power in these books, boys. Without Demascus I will be the last of our kind here in Epitaph. This is truly a sad day.”

Excelsior’s face dropped in utter disbelief. His despair took over in a wind. He did his best to contain it. And chose his next words very carefully. “You speak to me as though Demascus is dead. Is there something you know that I do not?”

“They have been following you since you entered the city, who knows how long before that.”

Mitakahn felt a brief chill run down his spine.

“By the time they ambushed me he was already… There was nothing I could do to help... I failed Demascus, but I will not fail you. I will show you how to ignite the godstone. I made a promise, a vow to take my brother’s place at the ceremony.”

Excelsior did not need him to say it outright. He knew deep down, in his heart, that Demascus was dead.

“But that would make you-” Bridger interrupted Anilithion before he could finish with one simple word that would have a tremendous impact on the situation at hand…

“Bait.”