Emma arrived to The Drowned Stone dragging her feet and hiding her face from the sun. As soon as she slammed the door open a familiar scent of alcohol welcomed her. The only other client in the place waved her a wrinkled hand that held an empty bottle without rising his head from the bar mumbling half heatedly. At the other side of the bar a young bartender yawned at her and stood up slowly from his chair.
“It’s good to see you too Mark.” She answered at the drunkard while walking to the bar.
“It kind of hurts that after three months without coming you greet Mark before me.”
“Who cares Jhon? He greeted me first! Just hurry up with it, the headache is killing me!”
“Hmm. How much was this time? Your eyes look red” He asked while taking a yellow bottle from the shelf behind the bar.
“Half a stone; a dirty one. oow.” she complained and took the chair beside Mark while rubbing her forehead.
Jhon frowned and put back the bottle to take an orange one instead.
“Didn’t said you would take care the last time? Nicole won’t be happy if she learns you are using that trash again.”
“If, is the key word. And that is why I came here first. Besides; this time really made it big. It will only be clean stone for some time now”
“Hope so. Ice?”
“Please. I love you.”
“You and half of my clients. Mark here confessed three times just today. Here; drink it before the ice melts”
“Thanks!” And she gulped it down without pausing.
Ignoring the initial bitter aftertaste Emma breathed slowly and felt the coldness spread from her stomach to the rest of her body making her tremble slightly. When the coldness reached her head the throbbing headache faded to left only a sense of fatigue with a bit of freshness.
“Better?”
“A world better!”
“Your eyes are still red though so you should wait a little before going.”
“Yeah. Expected as much.”
“So how was it? The great job you completed?”
“Did not complete it. However; I helped the client and got paid some sweet stone. Big client that one. You know Rael?”
“Rael? Ar Rael? The Gemcrafter?”
“That very one. Well; his study got robbed but it was in a strange way.” She said tilting her head.
“Phew. If it is what I think, then it is rather interesting. Tell me more about it.” Jhon said pouring her and himself a glass of rum with ice.
“What you think?” She asked arching one eyebrow and taking the drink he offered her. “Mhm. There were two robberies. I stopped the second one. Apparently one of Rael’s assistants saw the things gone from the first rob, thought himself smart enough to get away with it and took his chance. Got the bastard really well hmph! That’s what I got paid for.”
“And the first one?” Jhon asked.
“Things got missing; just like that. Middle of the day in a full warded studio with the only open entrance right in front of Rael and his guys. No one goes in nor out of the studio that way. Nevertheless, all the ready to deliver stones got lost; vanished in the air without a single trace!” Emma said while hitting her forehead against the bar.
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“When you say ready to deliver means carved and engraved in metal?”
“Yep. They told me the stones were part of a set for a noble’s daughter birthday party. His assistant was escaping with the only two major stones the first thief left.”
“Hmm. You might have been screwed haha.”
“What do you mean?!” She asked rising her head and staring him.
“You see, that birthday party is actually the younger princess’ coming of age. And I bet that pair of stones you got Rael back is going to be one of the few presents of that kind she will be getting”
“The princess’ party?! How comes no one said a thing?!”
“Where were you the last three months? Holed up in your house leeching from Nicole? People is talking about it everywhere!”
“Cough cough. Whatever. Rael’s store is not the only one in the city with good stones. Sure every big one is to the top with orders for it.”
“Oh yes. They were…” And he smiled
“Were?”
“Until today it is. You see; that thief of yours? Must have been really busy because Rael’s was the fourth store that got hit today. Hahaha”
“Fucking elf! Should have asked for six middle stones! And how do you know that? That it is the same thief in every case?”
“Because each client today before you complained about the same things haha. No clues, middle of the day and full warded place with all the engraved stones lost. By the end of the week I bet half of the nobles will be looking for him to get his head and the other half to hire him!”
“Him?” she asked squinting her eyes.
“A little girl saw him. She said he wore only black clothes with a weird mask which was also black and had a metal club.”
“In full black with a club? What is up with him and the church outfit? Is he a mugger priest or something?”
“Don’t know.” And he took a gulp from his glass and lifted his index finger “but the people is already calling him the ghost priest though. You should go and talk with the girl if you want to know more. They had her in the main temple with a ridiculous amount of guards but that shouldn’t be a problem right?” He said smiling.
“Hmph. What do you know?” she snorted. “And why did the church take her?”
“Word’s spread that the thief left her something. The kind of shiny something that nobles and wealthy merchants go killing people around for. Luckily for the girl the church got to her first and apparently they are canonizing her together with the princess’ ceremony”
“Thief gets spotted by a girl and gives her a gem? Don’t buy it.”
“Gives her a gem and still takes the engraved major stones with him. You don’t have to buy it though, just remember to come back and tell me what you find after asking her hahaha.”
“Who says I’m going to ask her?” and she gulped the rest of her rum.
“Who knows? Your eyes should be good by the time you get to your house now.”
“Hmph. I’ll think about it. How much is it?” and she stood up to left
“The potion fifteen pebbles the rum’s on the house.”
“Yeah. Still not sure of sneaking in the temple.” She said passing him the small stones. But Jhon only took the pebbles and smiled at her.