Emma made her way between the numerous informal merchants plaguing the street and reached the local store for her first job in weeks.
“This will be good; the fancy ones always pay better…” mumbling to herself as she looked up at the two story building.
Above the clean entrance, a colorful sign advertised with big letters the pride of the owner for everybody to see. [Rael’s Jewelry] The elf publicly recognized as the second best stonecrafter in town, first if you asked a conservative channeler.
“But then again he must be desperate to call for someone like me.”
She took one little stone from the bag hanging at her waist and checked inside to find only two more. The depressing view of her funds made her sigh and clench her fist around the stone.
She made her way in and a comfy store way lager than the outside revealed appeared.
Emma walked straight for the main counter and called the attendant pointing the insignia stitched at her chest. A small shield with a gray pebble that certified her as a free channeler; a mercenary.
“Hello.” She called but the pale man sited in front of the stairs only spared her a glance before returning to organize the carved stones in the counter.
“Ahem…”
“We do not sell second hand goods here girl and certainly neither want the likes of your kind in the store.” He snapped
“I’m here because your Boss called. Specifically; for one of my kind.”
“We will see. Do not touch anything.” He grumbled as he went upstairs.
As soon as he got out of her sight she swept her hand over the counter and felt delighted the smoothness of the fine and shiny wood.
‘Whew, Nicole would love a table made of this. Whatever it is’
Turning Emma detailed the rest of the first floor. In the middle of the room five counters displayed different sizes of stones of varying colors, each one marked with neat runes and identified with a corresponding tag written in equally fluid calligraphy.
She almost drooled thinking how much channel could each of those get her but that was not the main dish. At the border walls was a much more impressing display of wealth.
Two big shelves were filled with precious stones engraved in shiny metal necklaces, chains and bracelets.
Red, amber, blue, green… Different qualities but every one of them rare and expensive as hell and above all at the top of the biggest shelf was a clearstone, polished almost perfectly and reflecting with white splendor all of the noon’s light.
“Martin’s one…” she whispered.
“Beautifull aint it?” A deep voice startled her out and she turned to find an old and small elf wearing a ridiculously huge monocle and comfortable yet elegant clothes.
“E-excuse me?”
“The clearstone gal, a craftman’s pride’s in it” He said smiling.
“And it is really expensive I guess” she answered.
“Not that one” he shook his head “that lil one aint for sell. Only one of those I gave away and it was for an ol frien’ o mine, the one in that shelf’s but a shadow of the other one. The name’s Rael by the way. Ron tells me you’re here to answer my request?”
“Yes sir, I’m Emma; Emma Baskerville. Picked the request and came here as soon as it was posted at the stand.” She said showing a small piece of parchment with the request written in it.
“Good. Come upstairs. Don’t wanna have someone else messin’ round right now.”
She followed Rael past the main counter ignoring Ron’s glare and took the stairs to the second floor of the store.
“I take it he doesn’t like free channelers”
“Ron? Hehe; he calls em’ loose stones gal. You tell me. But’s not his fault though, a lot of rantins and rumors being spread by the crown. They want folk to hire only royals, but ya know? They get paid whether the job gets done or not. I rather have a loose stone, no offense, than a royal. The whole no job no stone thing ya get me?”
They got out of the stairs to a small dining room with view to a small corridor.
“This’s the place where we were when it happened. Two of my apprentices and me havin’ lunch here. In the corridor there is a small bathroom and at the end is the studio. Windows were closed by myself before lunch and closed we found em’ after.”
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She checked the bathroom, it was a small room with a window the size of a man’s head above the toilet. Unless someone was made of smoke or a critter that was not a way in or out.
Looking at the end of the corridor the only part of the studio visible was a big window with view to the front of the store.
They entered the studio and she found a tall and bulky man wearing a raincoat and a hat talking with two skinny elves.
“Won’t you get cooked wearing that with this sun Smith?” She said with mockery.
“It is always nice to see you Emma, even if you don’t like me anymore.”
“I’m not friend with any royal. Got here for a job.”
“And a job you have gal” said the old elf getting in the middle. “At the left of the door are my apprentice’s desks; the window there’s get you to a blind alley. Only two major stones got lost from there, not engraved nor carved. At the right however; is my desk.” And what a desk it was. Huge. Filled with stones and mirrorwork scattered in disorder around a big mirror framed in motherstone. The Crown’s most famous and sacred emblem.
“You don’t look like the typical royalist sir.” Emma blurted.
“And I’m not. That mirror is part of a big deal lass. Was supposed to be delivered today to a nobleman with a set of engraved jewels. A present for his daughter’s birthday or something like that. The problem here is that every finished piece in the set besides the mirror got lost while we had lunch”
“So you are telling us that in the middle of the day. When the streets are busier someone got in here climbing the building and opening the windows and no one saw it? ” said Smith.
“And closed the windows afterwards too. Don’t forget that.” Emma added.
“This is ridiculous. How do you expect that we get something without a single lead?” Smith complained.
“Look lad, bastard took every last one of the charged major stones and the deal is due today I need at least the two my boys had to complete a decent set. Ya get me something and I’ll pay you handsomely”
“I won’t lose my time” Smith said walking to the door.
“I, I can try. Won’t be cheap though” Emma smiled cunningly.
“Just try Lass, I’ll pay what you spend and add a small bonus for the trouble. A big one if you succeed.”
She just nodded and step at the door to get a full view of the studio. Holding tightly the small stone she had been playing with before getting to the store she channeled her mana inside it and took it back almost immediately. She felt depressed as half of the stone crumbled into dust but had no time to cry because when the mana got back in her a surge of pressure stroke her.
World seemed to slow down a bit and every sense she felt was amplified.
‘Think Emma, no time to enjoy now. Thief got here to take something specific, the nobles present? Then why didn’t he break the mirror? Makes no sense. He got in at this side, fancy stones engraved in shiny metalwork yes, at the old ones desk every piece taken had metal attached. Then at the apprentices side?’ She took a quick glance and saw lots of metalwork there. The only missing pieces were the major stones waiting for engraving. ‘Odd; ones with metal and the others without work. If it was one person then it doesn’t make sense. There were two robberies. First thief gets inside. Right side of the study. Wipes out every finished piece because it is something personal but for some reason can’t get to the left side. The middle of the study can be seen from the dining room. So afterwards they get in and in the disorder someone takes a chance. The other two stones were…’
“Taken by a little rat” she said turning at the apprentices.
‘One of them is sweating a little bit more, hands clenched this is it!’
She ran straight at the smaller apprentice but when she was about to grab his arm he suddenly accelerated and punched her in the eye and immediately jumped at the biggest window directly into the street.
“Che! Full speed channeler? Let’s see if I don’t get you!” She screamed while jumping after him leaving a pair of master and apprentice very confused in the studio.