Swizze opened his eyes to the veil of darkness, momentarily disoriented.
"Where...where am I?" His voice echoed through the desolate alleyway, under the silent watch of a starlit sky.
He found himself alone in the murky lane, an eerie silence hanging in the air. A fog of oblivion clouded his mind. What was he doing here?
It felt like he had been abruptly pulled from a deep reverie, the remnants of memories slipping through his fingers. Swizze crossed his arms, delving into the depths of his mind for a sliver of recollection when a subtle rustling broke his train of thought.
He looked up to see a hooded figure approaching with a brisk gait. Even with the shroud concealing the figure's visage, the unique cadence of their steps revealed their identity.
Ah, it all came rushing back. He had been waiting for Jean here to tally up their weekly meeting. How could he forget? How peculiar.
With a swift motion, they both pulled back their hoods, revealing the youthful visages underneath. As Swizze's gaze locked with Jean's, an unexplained melancholy welled up within him, threatening to overflow. All he could do to barricade the surging emotions was to fixate his gaze on Jean's face, reading the stories etched on it.
"The usual wager?" Jean's voice cut through his thoughts.
…
Swizze? You're so captivated by my presence that you're speechless?" Jean teased, breaking the brief silence.
Swizze managed a small smile, "I can't even explain it myself, but am I glad to see you well."
"And I’m glad to see you tool. So, the usual wager?" Jean nudged, a playful glint in his eyes.
"You bet."
With a friendly fist bump sealing their usual pact, they made their way into the establishment.
"You’re in for a surprise, my friend. You won't believe the treasure I've snagged this time," Jean boasted with a smirk.
"Oh? Do tell," Swizze retorted, his curiosity piqued.
"You’d like me to spoil the surprise? Nah, you'll see. You'll be gobsmacked along with the appraiser," Jean chuckled as they approached the end of the alley where a quaint little hole in the wall awaited them.
"Well, I wouldn't write off my chances just yet," Swizze retorted with a smirk, relishing the friendly competition between them.
At the end of this back alley shop sat what could be assumed to be a middle-aged man with an ever-yellowing grin. He sported an all-black outfit, covering him from head to toe, leaving just a single eye and his mouth for the world's viewing pleasure.
His name was Abrim, or so he was known by in the circles that frequented this corner of clandestine trade. But his real name? Who knows.
Prejudice was a cruel mistress, Swizze mused, where one was judged for circumstances of birth, over which they had no control. But these musings were of no consequence to him. What mattered was that Abrim was a reliable merchant, one who dealt in silent discretion.
“Well, well, well, if it isn't two of my favorite customers. What do you two have for me today?” Abrim’s voice was a cocktail of greed and delight.
“Swizze, do indulge him first. If I were to unveil my find, there'd be no competition left to speak of,” Jean said with a wink, nudging Swizze forward.
With a chuckle, Swizze reached into his back pocket, producing a small blue sapphire that pulsated with a rhythmic cadence of magical energy. Despite its modest size, the power it held was a force to be reckoned with. In a world where the arcane held sway, magically imbued gems were a gold mine, coveted by craftsmen and merchants alike for their rarity and potency.
Abrim’s eye visibly bulged as he eagerly reached for the gem. Swizze couldn't help but notice the long and yellowing nail that hadn't seen better days ever, he dropped the gem on the table before those hands could reach him. Abrim examined it closely, his eye scrutinizing the dance of magic within.
“You really know how to pick em, the market price is about twenty two, no—twenty five I’d say. Let's make it easy, how about thirteen gold pieces?”
“Fifteen,” Swizze countered, his tone firm.
Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!
“Oh, come now, moving a gem like this isn't without its risks. Fourteen, and we have a deal,” Abrim said, placing the gem back on the table, his fingers dancing over fourteen golden coins.
“Abrim, a risk with a gem like this? Do you take me for a fool? Fifteen or I'll take my business elsewhere.”
His words hung in the air for a moment before Abrim, with a resigned sigh, snatched the gem and added an extra coin to the pile.
Swizze pocketed his coins and turned to look at Jean, half expecting a look of bewilderment, but Jean’s smirk stood unwavering.
What could he have gotten?
If he relieved someone of something even more valuable than this sapphire, it would spell nothing but trouble. Swizze furrowed his brow, contemplating what the item could be as a strange feeling of dread slowly creeped into his mind.
His worries materialized in physical form when Jean pulled out a particular golden coin engraved with a soaring hawk that caught both Swizze and Abrim’s gazes in an instant. There was no mistaking it, the level of detail carved onto that coin was marvelous, even under the closest scrutiny there will not be a single flaw to be found. From the hawk in the center to the thirteen unique insignias that surrounded it, it was the real deal.
“Where the hell did you find this?” Abrim blattered, his voice visibly shaken.
Even a fool could tell that it was no ordinary coin, but only few could understand the implication behind the ownership of a Piece of Thirteen. And of course a man well versed in the merchant world would be of the latter.
This is bad. The hawk’s owner… his name was Th.. Tho… Thomas, yes that's it.
Jean seemed taken aback by the sudden change in Abrim's demeanor but held his ground, "Why does it matter? Since when did the source of goods concern you? Tell me its worth and let's strike a deal."
It doesn't matter how he came across it, eventually someone will come to take it back.
"You bloody imbecile! Do you have any inkling of what this coin represents? How did a street rat like you come across it?" Abrim bellowed, his face contorting with fury and fear.
When they find him, they won't care how he came to possess it. They will kill him without any hesitation.
Jean slammed his hand on the table, the coin rattling against the wood, "It's none of your concern how I got it. Are you buying it or not?"
We need to find a way to return it immediately before it comes to that, but how? They wont listen to the likes of me unless…
His thoughts were interrupted by Abrim's shrill voice, "Out! Get out of here, and take this poisoned chalice with you!"
“What the hell is your problem!? When did you start turning away any opportunity for gold and customers like this!?” Jean raised his fist and swung, but his fist found nothing but air as Swizze pulled him by his cloak towards the exit.
“What the hell? Swizze what are you doing?” Jean interjected, clearly still irritated.
“We’re leaving.”
The words left his vocal cords without any trace of warmth, Jean seized up and was carried out like a log to the dark streets without any further complaints. Swizze placed Jean down and stared into the sky.
“What's gotten into the lot of ya, what’s the deal with this coin? Isn’t it worth a ton of gold? What else even matters?”
“Jean, to put it simply, your life may depend on your answer to my question. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Jean raised an eyebrow incredulously but nodded nonetheless.
“Alrighty then, how did you come across a Piece of Thirteen?”
“Is that what the coin is called? A Piece of Thirteen?”
“Yes, now answer the question, while there is still time for this situation to be salvaged!”
“Relax, I found it on the side of a road, I didn't steal it or anything.”
“How could you have possibly found a Piece of Thirteen on THE SIDE of a ROAD!?” Swizze could no longer contain his annoyance as he gestured his hands wildly.
“Well it wasn't all that I found.” Jean’s eyes fluttered and darted around avoiding direct eye contact.
“Go on, spit it out already.”
“Where I found the coin… there might have been a uh—destroyed caravan and uh—a few corpses here and there.”
Someone attacked a holder of a Piece of Thirteen but left the Piece and the remains for the world to find… Who would dare such a thing!? None of that matters now, there might still be a chance we can still get ahead of this.
“We need to take the coin to my father, if we can get to them before they get to us, we will get through this in one Piece.”
“Your old man? You never spoke of him ever and now we’re gonna see him? What's so important about this coin anyways?”
It will be a three day journey to the capital, he could only pray that the seekers aren't on their trail just yet.
“Follow me, I'll explain as we go.”
Swizze sprinted towards the closest stable with Jean in tow.
“That coin belongs to the thirteen heads of THE merchant guild that operates without impunity in every nation. They are called the Pieces of Thirteen and are acknowledged by all. They are the heart that moves goods across the continents allowing the development of new frontiers. They only pass their coins onto the next generation that has been carefully selected and groomed to inherit the position.”
“What? Who on the heavens’ green earth would incur the wrath of every single nation by attacking someone that important!” Jean exclaimed.
“A fool, which is why we need to bring this to someone who can return it to the merchant guild and explain what happened. Then perhaps help them in the investigation to come.”
Swizze sensed the energy before he saw it, instinctively drawing his dagger as tethers of blue energy reached for them. He managed to deflect the tethers aimed at him, but Jean wasn't as quick to react and was quickly entangled. At the source of the tethers stood two figures shrouded in a cold white mist.
“Help!” Jean’s cry echoed through the silence.
The tethers probed around Jean’s cloak, revealing the coin gleaming ominously in the night.
In a single fluid motion, Swizze sheathed his dagger and raised both hands in the air, signaling his intention for a peaceful resolution. Yet, the blue tethers showed no mercy as they tightened around Jean’s neck. Jean’s cries for help were smothered as the tendrils covered his mouth, his eyes wild with terror.
The tendrils Swizze had initially deflected were creeping closer once again.
There's only one way out of this now.
“My name is Swizze Frenier Kiznkas, second son of Chedarr Kiznkas,. This has been a bad misunderstanding. If you let my friend there explain what happened, I’m sure we can come to a more peaceful resolution.” his voice echoed with a firm authority.
The two seekers exchanged a glance, seemingly pondering Swizze’s proclamation. The tethers loosened slightly from Jean’s mouth, though the grip on his body remained unyielding.
As the taller one nodded, Swizze exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
“Very well, go on boy, tell me how you came into possession of this coin,” the taller seeker demanded.
“I found it on the way back to my village the other night, everyone was already dead! I didn't know who they were and the coin was laying there. I just took it and ran without thinking too much, I had nothing to do with their deaths! I swear!” Jean's voice trembled with every word.
The shorter seeker tilted their head while the other continued the questioning.
“Where did you find this coin?”
“Less than a day's travel on the eastern road out of Yver village,” Jean replied, his voice barely above a whisper.
A tether touched Jean’s forehead, leaving a small enchantment before dissipating into the night. Jean crumbled to the ground as the seekers vanished as silently as they had appeared, leaving Swizze and Jean alone under the cold, indifferent gaze of the stars.