Kaden was itching to use his new [Negotiation] skill, and this was as good a chance as any. “Oberix is working for me, finding a spell book. On the side, I’m considering buying an artifact from them. And now you’re saying Oberix wants me to take a side job. Is this even legal?”

“Each of those is completely separate,” the man said. “Brokers have dozens of clients at a time. They buy as often as they can, but at times, individuals make unreasonable decisions. They refuse reasonable offers. Brokers then are forced to use other methods. Oberix is nearly certain you want this job. It was forseen, you accepting.”

Kaden’s Negotiation skill immediately discarded the last bit, calling it out as irrelevant. “Tell me what the job is, then we’ll discuss taking it.”

“In a more private situation.” He waved for them to follow, and soon found a tent where coins exchange hands, and Kaden and Sara could sit alone.

“First, assurances you will not speak of Oberix’s goals. Agreed?”

Broker Oberix’s goals must not be exposed to those who would work against them. You may not reveal details of this job until it is complete. Accept? [Y/N]

Kaden accepted.

“You are probably familiar with the Salish Sales Emporium. You’ve spilled their blood, bought trinkets, shoplifted a child’s musical toy—”

“No.” Kaden said. “I bought that fairly, and a tin of candy.”

“And yet the Emporium is certain you stole from them. They’re just not sure what. Regardless, Brokers are exchange points. Their value lies in knowledge and access. We have a client who needs to purchase two very rare spells. Oberix—and their employees—cannot approach the Emporium. However, since you recently viewed both scrolls, you buying them wouldn’t raise any alarms.” He said it like it was so simple.

“What would we get paid, assuming we decided to help by purchasing these items?” Sara’s tone held all the suspicion either of them needed.

“Gold. A ten percent fee. These chrono-scrolls were a hundred and fifty thousand gold. The client cannot in any way be associated with this purchase. Oberix would face armed hostility. The client faces death.” His pause was probably meant to let Kaden sympathize.

“You’re about thirty minutes too late,” Sara said. “We just sold all the weapons we got from the Emporium employees we murdered. We’re now absolutely banned from the Emporium.”

“Are you? I don’t see that.” The man yawned. “When did you last check your map?”

Sara activated the scroll. “I don’t understand. I just looked at this. I just looked. Why are we neutral with the Emporium?”

The man stood and dusted himself off. “I’m sure I have no idea. So, are you willing to do it? Buy two chrono magic scrolls on behalf of Oberix and deliver the scrolls to them?”

“No.” Sara spoke absolutely. “This is too convenient. I have no desire to upset Oberix, but everything about this feels off. There’s danger here you’re not telling us about. There’s no reward without risk. What’s the risk you had no intention of mentioning?”

“The Salish Emporium has commited a grave crime against the Necromancers. No one is paying us to care why the Emporium doesn’t simply return what they took and sue for peace. It’s believed that there’s a pending strike that will utterly destroy the Emporium.”

Fifteen thousand gold. He didn’t expect ‘favor’ from Oberix, this was a business transaction. “How do we pay, if we agree?”

“You’re familiar with assuming debts. I’m assured you hold another [Authority.] If you agree to buy the scrolls, it will work. I have to warn you. Try and buy anything else and you’ll regret it.” The man held out his hand.

Kaden looked to Sara. “You don’t have to come, but I’m willing to try. Except I have more conditions. All we’re agreeing to do is try to buy the scrolls. If we can’t, I don’t expect to get paid. If the Emporium isn’t open, or is on fire, or filled with skeletons, no gold for us, no scrolls for you.”

Your skill with Negotiation has increased!

That made Kaden really pleased, and the way Sara smiled said he’d done decently, if not as well as she would.

“Done. You should know, you’re only one of five Oberix approached. Only the one who succeeds gets paid.” The man shook Kaden’s hand.

You have recived provisional authority: [PURCHASE_ONLY_CHRONO_SCROLLS].

He looked to Sara. “We need to move. We need to run.”

“Toward the Necrosium,” she corrected. “They’re allies—as close as anyone can come to allies here. If we don’t get paid, we don’t get paid, but if they know we’ll be there, perhaps they’ll give us time.”

It made sense. Way more sense. He headed to the Necrosium. “All the skeletons are still here. That’s a good sign.”

Sara led through, searching for Duggarn, Ymersist, or any of the senior necromancers. Only Dannae remained, working in her lab, reassembling [Walking Graveyards]. She looked up. “Oh, you just missed first feeding. You’ve only got three [Carrion Crows] but there’s already a new set of eggs maturing. The first set is weaker because they’re generated so quickly.”

Kaden peeked into Skully—and jerked back as a pair of razor-sharp beaks emerged from the heads. He focused on [Beast Soul]. “I’m not an enemy. Stick with me, and you’ll get fed. Fed well.”

Skully wasn’t a Beast and would fit in Inventory. The [Carrion Crows] were more like Mana Birds. The nests on the other hand were skirting the edge of rules. If something lived in something that went in Inventory, did that automatically imply he could fit any Beast in his soul via Skully?

He pushed Skully into Inventory and breathed out a sigh.

Meanwhile, Sara explained about Oberix’s offer of a job, one that would involve purchasing from the Emporium. That got Dannae’s interest, and not twenty minutes later, Kaden stood in a room surrounded by Centurion Necromancers, explaining over and over how his job was to buy scrolls, not burn it down.

Or maybe both.

The longer he listened, the happier Duggarn got. “It sounds like you will be shopping. But how would you like to make the deal sweeter?”

“Always,” said Sara.

Duggarn produced a literal chest of gold.

Kaden had always heard the term “chest of gold” and thought of small boxes. Or maybe boot holders. This box was so large Kaden wasn’t sure he could carry it. Gold coins spilled from the top, clinking as they fell to the floor.

“We want to punish the Emporium in a way they’ll never forget. In a way that makes them crawl to us. To do that, we need to hit them where it hurts,” Duggarn said.

“Inventory,” Sara answered.

“I want to take their storehouse. Empty it. Leave them with nothing.” The senior Necromancer didn’t exude clouds of darkness, but his tone said the man was deathly serious. “To do that, I need them to open the way. Do your business. Buy whatever it is. Then you look them in the eye and tell them you want to buy a Tier-Up scroll.”

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“Those don’t…” Sara trailed off, staring. “You really have scrolls of experience worth an entire tier? Which tier? Seventy five to a hundred is a thousand times more XP than one to twenty five.”

“Yes.” He pushed the chest forward. “Something like that won’t be on the shelves. Something like that won’t be in stock holding. They’ll call the head of security. He’s a righteous prick named Emir Cook. He’ll open the Secure Portal to their treasure vault.”

“How will you get in?” Sara asked.

“We’ll bust in through the front,” Duggarn said. “Timing will be tricky.”

Kaden saw so many ways it could go wrong. And one way it might go right. “You ever hear how a [Ranger] named Viktor took down the seventh Abyss Lord?”

###

Even knowing his standing with the Emporium was neutral, Kaden couldn’t help being nervous. He’d checked Trinity over twice, let her char meat, explained the plan, and stored her in his soul. Duggarn’s chest of gold made every step heavy, as did the sixteen Inventory cubes he carried, [Resurrection] potions, a silver ring with [Resurrection] as a spell and a last-ditch skill-scroll which would probably kill Kaden if he used it on a Centurion. No, the plan would be to resurrect one of the healers whose corpses he carried.

Necromancers believed in being prepared.

Duggarn had personally killed each of the Necromancers using a skill called [Mortis’s Grip]. It made Kaden reconsider ever making an enemy of a Necromancer. There wasn’t a resist. There wasn’t a light or fireworks or anything. The victims simply slumped over. Dead.

It would be to conspicuous if they went straight to the Emporium, so Sara charted a careful route that involved small purchases from various vendors and even paying [Bribes] to guards. But soon, Kaden saw the multistoried stone of the Emporium, and down the street, Ms. Anderson’s red pagoda. *Ready?*

*I’ll handle negotiations. I’ve got level seven,* Sara said. *Remember, if there’s any sign something is wrong?*

*We unleash the dead,* Kaden said. It wasn’t as good as the plan to get into the Emporium’s treasures, but it also was the safest thing for Kaden and Sara. The door way was lined with guards. Level fifty guards. Level seventy-five guards. No doubt there were Centurions nearby. The doors themselves didn’t open automatically.

Two guards pulled them back, and in the doorway stood Emir Cook.

He crossed his arms and stared at them as though he could sense the cubes in Kaden’s Inventory.

Kaden didn’t breathe.

“You took your sweet time. Fourth floor.” Emir stepped aside and then clamped a hand down on Kaden. “What did you take, last time you were here?”

“I paid for the kazoo and the candy. If you think I stole, you must be losing your skills.” Kaden hoped his heart wasn’t beating as loudly as it felt. “And obviously, I had no qualms about…you know.”

Kaden still wasn’t sure what Oberix had arranged to allow him in. But as he passed through the doors, a wrenching feeling hit him. A gasping grasp like the claw of Mortis itself rested on his stomach. He couldn’t help blinking as flashes of images hit. Swarms of guards. An agony like the Thornling. Emir Cook laughing. *We need to leave.*

Sara slipped her hand around him. *What are you sensing?*

*I don’t know. But it’s bad.* Prophecy was immensely unreliable, but Kaden had always believed these feelings. *We buy, we unleash. I think I can portal us out, I know the entrance to the Necrosium.*

Sara’s nod was nearly imperceptible.

The portal to the fourth floor was guarded by two more level fifties, and when Kaden emerged on the white stone floor of the spell floor, the walls were shockingly bare. Only a handful of scrolls of every type sat in the thousands of slots on the walls.

Nervous mages stood near empty cases, but the one who had met Kaden before waved. At the small table he sat with a tray. In it sat a single scroll. “I was pleased to hear you had bought this! Chrono Skills are so rare. Truly for the discerning magic user.”

In that instant, Kaden understood exactly what Oberix had done to reset his status with the Emporium. They’d bought [Relive the Moment].

Kaden reached for the scroll. “I’ve been thinking, when will I see Chrono spells again? I have money. But I might not have opportunity. I should buy the other two as well. When I finally reach the right level, I’ll already have them.”

“Excellent decision. First, we deal with this one.” The [Mage] pushed Kaden the spell.

He wasn’t keen on [Relive the Moment], but refusing would mean failing on every level. He took the scroll and absorbed it. Who knew there was such a thing as a bad spell?

“I’ll buy the other two, as well,” Kaden said.

The Mage stood and left them there, taking a azure portal off the floor. After several moments, he returned with a scroll tray. Kayden recognize the two singed scrolls. “I accept the debt.” Mentally, he forced it toward the [Authority] Oberix had granted him.

It activated, linking to the scrolls momentarily.

This purchase is approved.

Oberix is very pleased.

They look forward to seeing you again.

“Now, these are higher tier. You can acquire the skill but you won’t be able to use it until you meet the requirements,” the mage said.

Kaden picked up one—then set it down. Then picked up the other. “Which should I do first?”

The mage looked exasperated. “Either. It doesn’t matter.”

Before the man could speak, Kaden stored them away. “There we go. Excellent. I’ll use them when I’m at the right level. Good things come to those who wait.”

“But the warranty!” The Mage’s shout brought all the wrong kind of attention. “You don’t—”

“We release you from your warranty concerns,” Sara said. “Besides, I think we should make the real purchase. The one we discussed. My father is a King. He won’t approve of me marrying anyone who hasn’t made level fifty.”

King? No, Kaden was fairly sure her father was a [Mage]—oh. “Yes, dear. I’d like to buy a tier up scroll.”

The man’s jaw dropped. “We don’t—you couldn’t possibly afford it.”

Kaden dropped the chest of gold on the floor. “One Tier Up scroll, please. Wait! Hitting 50 together sounds good, doesn’t it?”

“It does,” Sara said. It wasn’t an act. “Do you have two?”

Their mage spoke quietly, an intoned spell.

A moment later, three more level fifty guards arrived, along with a low level mage in white robes—and Emire Cook. He turned and pointed at the portal to the ground floor. It disappeared in a crackle.

To his credit, Emir didn’t assume anything, instead guiding the white-robed mage over to test Kaden’s gold.

“It’s real. There’s not even a strength enhancement on the chest. Four hundred thousand gold.” The mage backed away as if that much gold might burn him.

Emir Cook probably smiled less than Eve.

Kaden had seen Eve smile while casting spells that caused monsters to bleed and die horrible deaths, so it did happen.

He looked to Kaden and back to the gold. “This kind of purchase requires approval from our owner. You’ll be staying here until it arrives. If it’s not approved, we’ll have a different kind of discussion.”

He drew a silver mirror from Inventory and set it on the table next to the empty scroll case. “Mirror, Mirror, on the desk, connect me to Diggus.”

“That doesn’t rhyme,” Sara said.

“Why would it rhyme?” Emir squinted at her.

“THE BROKER YOU ARE TRYING TO REACH IS NOT AVAILABLE. TO LEAVE A VOICE MESSAGE USE A MESSENGER BIRD. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE REACHED THIS IN ERROR, PLEASE CHECK YOUR PRONUNCIATION OF THE NAME ‘DIGGUS.’ TO MAKE ANOTHER CALL, END THIS AND USE ANOTHER NAME. TO SPEAK TO AN ADMINISTRATOR, ASCEND AND ENTER THE DIGITS OF PI.”

Emir snatched the mirror back into Inventory.

*Diggus is the owner of the Emporium.* Sara’s message contained her worry, but it was too late to back out. Plus he’d already decided the Emporium could rot.

Back and forth, the head of security paced. He tried the mirror three more times. And swore under his breath. “Fine.”

Emir invoked a Skill. Then moved to a new position in the room and invoked it again—and again—and again. The fifth time, a gleaming diamond-bordered Portal opened in the center of the floor.

*Go?* Kaden sent to Sara.

But before Emir could step through, he stopped, holding his hand to his ears. “Attack on floor two. And Floor three. And Floor five.” He turned to look at Kaden and Sara. And with a glance, the diamond portal winked out of existence. “Five floors. Four attacks. And you here to buy skills you didn’t even use.”

“Kaden did use them. Check his [Status].” Sara’s voice trembled. “Just how many Tier Four Chrono scrolls do you think there are?”

For a moment, Kaden’s skin tingled as Emir focused on him. And again. And again. The man’s scowl didn’t relax. If he scowled any harder he was going to have to grow additional mouths to convey his displeasure because there was only so much any one set of lips could do. “You, stay here. Everyone else, we have Necromancer Centurions approaching the front doors. Get to staging points.”

One thing for sure, the Emporium trained its employees well. They scattered, leaving Kaden, Sara, and Emir alone. And the moment they left, he turned on them. “It’s not a coincidence. You’re here, buying those spells with money I’m certain you didn’t have. You didn’t get that much from any tube of Mana Dust. What was your task?”

“Distraction,” Sara answered. “We were already going to buy a tier up scroll. We were offered a thousand gold to buy it at this exact time. I don’t meddle in the affairs of Centurions, but they were probably expecting you on the first floor.”

“[Moon Sparkle].” Emir invoked the spell and split into five. “Such a terrible miscalculation they made. I have ten levels in this. I’m everywhere.”

One of him disappeared through portal after portal.

Kaden reached for the chest of gold—and before he could touch it, Emir stood before him, hand on his. “The gold stays. The necromancers die, and you get your scroll and get out.”

*He has a spell called [Blink],* Sara sent. *It’s a short range teleport. His [Identify] protection is weaker while using [Moon Sparkle].*

A smile was the best Kaden could force. “Well, scroll time. I want to hit level fifty today.”

Emir reactivated the diamond portal as the building shook and swayed. “Someone’s having a bad day. Hope you got your gold up front, we knew they were coming two days ago. We knew when they were coming two days ago.”

Sara produced a bag of coins. “Always get paid up front. Give us our scroll, let us leave. After all, we’re simply good customers.”

Emire stepped through the Portal.

In a flash, Sara and Kaden pulled Inventory cubes and poured in potions.

[Resurrection Potion] is blocked by [Hex Fiend].

Sara activated her ring. “Artifacts don’t function here either. We’re screwed.”