Each Eihkand is known to have a leader, known as a High Eihk. How they decided upon their next generations leader, is something that I’m not too sure about. But I do know Prophecy was involved somehow. The ruins show as much.
-From Professor Shokolov’s Journal, 13th Entry
AxEl leaned against the wall, a wrapped burger in his hand and drink on the window sill. BannIh had set up his operations here, so AxEl had decided to pay a visit. A simple house, clinical in its look, stood in one of the many neighborhoods that comprised Barksight.
Couldn’t have picked somewhere more remote? AxEl thought to himself. BannIh had kept him waiting outside in the cold, something that irritated AxEl as the people passing by mistook him for a miscreant…But he was one now, wasn’t he?
“Huh,” he said to no one in particular. So obviously, BannIh had taken that moment to interrupt his meal and slam his front door open. He glanced around, and then settled on AxEl’s face. “You can come inside now,” he said to AxEl.
“Finally,” he replied, grabbing his drink in his free hand and walking inside. The furnishing spoke a different story of the place than what the outside did. It almost looked homely with the decorations. BannIh noticed his eyes wandering and commented, “Ignore that, AxEl. The real work goes on below.”
“Haven’t you found somewhere else to grow it?” AxEl asked the man.
“Why fix a working solution?” BannIh chuckled, before opening the door that led downwards to his basement.
“Did you find out something el-“ AxEl began to speak, but stopped immediately after noticing the other people standing around down there. They looked to be idling around, or messing with the equipment already there. One of them swatted another’s hand when he tried plucking one of the Prophecy mushrooms.
AxEl grabbed at BannIh’s coat and stopped him. “Who are these people?” he said, low enough not to alert anyone, but still demand answers. BannIh scoffed.
“Just some of my underlings. You don’t need to worry too much about them. I don’t pick anyone who won’t let me have my fun, master AxEl,” he punctuated the last part extra loud, which reddened AxEl’s face.
“Fine, but next time warn me ahead of time,” AxEl conceded. He was led to the back of the lab, which looked remarkably similar to the one he had found in Shokolov’s basement. BannIh had also managed to procure equipment that AxEl didn’t even tell him about. It uneased him, that was for sure.
“Production is up and running. I’ve put some of my workers on it. But,” BannIh said, as he held up a finger,” I will not have your dealers pick it up from here. Creases formed on his forehead as he glared at AxEl and waited for a response.
“I’ll…get something sorted out for that. A location for pickup,” AxEl answered.
“Good,” BannIh replied before turning back to his equipment and engrossing himself in some process or other.
“Is that all you called me here for?” AxEl asked.
“What other thing would I have to show you? If I make a breakthrough, you’ll be informed of it. Until then, you should focus on other parts of your little ‘business’, master AxEl.”
Putting your trust in him isn’t going to turn out well, A part of him said. But he’d wasted enough time here. He dialed up Nook’s number on his impressive looking phone as he made his way out of the house.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
****
Move here, then there. Bring the product. Distribute it. Gather the money. It was all so bothersome.
Maybe you’ve made a mistake? A piece of him advised. But AxEl remained determined. The desk in front of him was full of figures that he needed to keep track of. It felt foolish leaving papers everywhere that so clearly displayed his crimes, but what was really the harm in keeping them so long as he didn’t show them off haphazardly?
Nook sat by on a couch near him, working on some homework they’d received from school. AxEl, in his tired state, walked over and looked at the math problems evident in front of him.
“What’s up, AxEl?” Nook asked.
“Clearing my mind,” He said.
“Maths clutters the mind, buddy. Doesn’t clear anything out except your schedule,” Nook quipped back.
“Maybe you need the distraction more than me, then. Help me sort out how to work this,” AxEl gestured over to his pile of documents.
Nook grabbed at one of them and looked at it for a few moments. “You invented a new language?”
“What? No?” He grabbed the paper. It looked perfectly legible to him. Though the longer he stared at it, the more garbled it did look...
“Maybe? Just help me, would you?” He asked, irritated. They both chuckled and began organizing them based on similarity of contents. By the time they were done, the sun had risen up over the horizon and they had figured out the semblance of a system for delivering Prophecy to their dealers.
“Most dealers don’t read a terms and conditions paper before dealing out drugs,” Nook said.
“We agreed on it. Not too many repeats, not to kids,” AxEl said. A silent agreement had formed from the start, and they’d intended to keep it, lest darker ambitions arise. AxEl clutched at the beads around his neck one last time and settled back in his comfy chair. Drowsiness overtook him immediately.
The old man sure knew how to treat himself. In but a moment, his mind wandered and he fell asleep.
****
The news spread like wildfire. For the past few weeks, the town of Barksight had seen a new menace. A drug that could let you see the future for a few moments. If it weren’t for the fact that the location was remote, it would have made it onto the national news.
And with the spread of Prophecy came something else. A man stepped out of his vehicle, a long and slender mobile with shiny chrome plating. He looked around, his stern gaze focused on the people around him.
A few children playing in the park stopped to look at the man. He was tall, with a long coat wrapped around his frame and a fedora placed on his squarish head. But above all, what they noticed was the mans growing grey eyes, looking like shifting smog under the brim of his hat.
He gave them barely a glance before turning aside and walking towards his destination. Though when he arrived to the location he was tipped off about, he found no one there.
Curious, he thought to himself. The Questor was accustomed to these sorts of investigations, so he took to the area around and began talking to the locals. As usual, they regarded him with a sense of fear and awe, something he leveraged in his favour to gain more information.
By the end of the day he found himself with many leads, but no concrete evidence. No matter, he’d find out wh-
Crunch. He turned around and found no one.
Branch broken underfoot.
Noise sounded like stepping.
Area around empty.
His mind bombarded him with multiple bits of information at once. A consequence of his addiction, but something that had benefited him in the past. The Questor rubbed at his eyes and put away his pen and pad. They knew he was here.
****
AxEl awoke to a ring on his phone. That was becoming customary for him by now so he adjusted himself on the chair before answering. On the other side, someone began blathering on. AxEl made out barely a few words before getting annoyed.
“Can you shut up for a moment!” he screamed into the phone, stopping the tirade in its tracks. Though he could still hear heavy breathing. “I-I’m sorry, boss. But you really need to hear about this. They brought a Questor here! A real one!”
AxEl rubbed at his eyes and thought for a moment. Questor? Where’ve I heard about those before? And then the realization hit him. He searched all over for Nook in the house before realizing that the other man had left.
AxEl’s blood ran cold as he dialed up his friend’s number. Someone picked up thankfully, so AxEl began speaking.
“Nook, where are you?” he asked immediately. A moment of pause.
“At school? Where you should be, too?” Nook answered back.
“Never mind that. Did you hear about the-“
“The Questor?” Nook asked. His tone seemed to betray the intensity of the situation.
“Yes! How?” AxEl responded, confused.
“He’s here, AxEl,” Nook spoke, his voice quieter.