Quil was an unusual fellow. For a head, he had one round, bobbly one that belittled his body, but he did not seem to care. He had the lanky body of a monk that had been on fast for a long time. But his eyes were alert. They were big and beautiful, adorned with long, dark lashes. They were probably the most beautiful feature on his body.

Tum was the first person to get to his house, a cave that Quil had managed to make bigger by carving into the body of the rock. Quil was an artist, and all over his room were different sculptures that he had made for different purposes.

Most were neat and intricately done. Others were experiments. Tum spent his time walking around these sculptures, some of them life-sized, and looking at them like he understood a thing about sculpturing.

"None of my friends have gotten it here, Quil?" Tum asked.

"Keep your hands off my work!" Quil yelled. He was older than Tum by a few years at least and did not waste time in lording it over him.

Tum moved away from the work and turned to stare outside. The cave was on a mountain bordering over the city of Mora. It was a good place to escape the city from.

"What have you rascals gotten yourself into again?" Quil asked.

"Nothing, just the usual," Tum replied.

"One day, the nobles would set a manhunt for the little urchins that keep stealing from them."

"That manhunt would find no one at the end of it because the crown has created too many small urchins that they would not know where to start."

"How about they round all of you up?" Quil asked.

"You speak like you are not an urchin yourself."

"How dare you? I am a respectable artist."

"A respectable artist living in a cave. Very respectable."

"What matters is what I bring to the crown, not where I live."

"Indeed."

"Speaking of street urchins, where are your friends?"

"They should be here any moment from now."

In truth, Tum was beginning to feel concerned. Bonnie and Buckle were already supposed to be here. He considered the dreadful thought that they could have been captured by the knight that they had stolen from. Maybe Quil was a prophet.

"Are you sure nothing has happened to them?" Quil asked.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"They can take care of themselves."

As if on cue, Buckle pushed the cowries Quil hung around his door and stuck his head into the cave.

"Hey," he said, excitedly.

"Buckle!" Tum screamed with great delight. He did not know he would be that glad to see any friend of his.

He ran up to Buckle and embraced him, then starting dragging him inside. Behind Buckle, Bonnie appeared, breathless with her face full of color.

"Bonnie!" Tum exclaimed and released Buckle, running to hug Bonnie.

He dragged his two friends into the room and dangerously close to the sculptures while Quil protested, struggling to cover his works and prevent them from getting trampled over by the excited kids.

"You rascals should really watch where you are going," Quil complained.

"Cranky as hell now, Quil, ain't you?" Bonnie said.

"Am I now? If you keep robbing royalties, they will come for you. They might decide that I have something to do with you, which would be unfortunate," Quil complained.

"What are you so afraid of?" Buckle asked.

"Dying without letting loose my talent."

"Well, you know there is always something in it for everybody, right?" Tum asked, fumbling through the knight's bag. There were some coins there, enough to last them for a while and keep the sun off their back. In fact, with the money in there, they could afford to live like rich merchants for a couple of weeks.

"No, I don't want any of that," Quil said.

"Getting judgmental now in your old age?" Bonnie asked.

"I am not yet old, I just…"

"I have always thought you were old from birth," Buckle said.

"Well, I'm not. I just think you guys need that more than I do," Quil said.

"Selfless in your old age?" Bonnie asked.

"I am not old!" Quil screamed.

The three friends broke into laughter, watching the worked-up artist. Realizing that they were trying to get him rattled, Quil hissed and walked away from them towards the window.

"But seriously, Quil, why won't you accept our offering? It is the least we can do for the type of friend you have been to us rascals," Bonnie said, stressing the last word.

"It is okay. Thing is I got paid for one of these sculptures. It is supposed to be a knight." He pointed at one of his works, and the three friends crowded around it.

"I would be damned if this isn't Sir Mount, the criminal that would not let the traders rest," Bonnie said.

"It is him, the bastard," Buckle exclaimed.

"Why are you working for him?" Tum asked, turning to Quil.

The knight was one of the big problems of the traders in the streets of Mora. He was constantly overtaxing them in the name of the king and his one true advisor. The trio had had few run-ins with him, but they had never been able to punish him for the wrongs he had done to them.

"Well, we are peasants. We cannot survive by ourselves," Quil said.

"So we make noble allies?" Bonnie asked. "You think the nobles are interested in being your equal?"

"I thought you said you were not a peasant," Buckle asked, turning to his sister and sweeping his curly hair from his face.

"Zip it, Buckle, not now," Bonnie said, heatedly.

"I don't want noble allies. That would be stupid," Quil said. "I want their money. We should all go for their money. Or treasures." His voice became lower at the mention of 'treasure'.

The three crowded around him.

"Did you say treasure?" Buckle asked, remembering the knight they had tricked. He was going to find something greater than treasure for the king. What could be greater than treasure if not more treasure?

"Tell us, Quil. What treasure?" Tum asked.

"Is there something you know that we don't know?"

"Of course," Quil said. "I know a lot of things that you don't.

"I highly doubt that," Bonnie rejoined.

"Tell us about the treasure, Quil," Tum urged.

Quil looked undecided for a while. They were at an opening that served as a window, looking at the city of Mora.

"I don't think you lot should know. It is dangerous," Quil said.

"You can trust us with danger. You know that," Bonnie said.

"Yeah, you can totally trust us," Buckle said.

"I don't know. What do you think about the struggle for liberation?" Quil asked.