“Welcome to Malek. Please state your Name and what you want to do in our humble Town.”
Humble? This is the direct City cornering multiple Kingdoms. Merchant Mecca. The Las Vegas of trade in this world! Whatever…
“The Name is Ava and this is Snow. We are just here to buy some wares and maybe look at some other things.”
“Please wait a moment.”
While looking into a book he seems to check our credentials for might be Robbers or Bandits? I do not really know how they work here, they are completely different than the other Border Towns, maybe because they were originally a part of the Merchant Republic. I bet deep below they are still but no one wants to just tell Telk about it. Crafty guys.
“We have heard of you. A request from the Peddler King was sent for you to be asked for a visit. If you have time, please meet their Headquarters. It is in this street on the corner. You might not miss it.”
He shows a rather detailed Map and just waves us through. Wow, the Guards are not from the Mages, but the Merchants? Maybe they are from the Mages, but the Merchants are scarier and therefore they just do, what they tell them to do. This City is seriously different than the other two.
…
“Welcome to the Peddler King. Can I help you?”
While the greeting is the same, the clerk holds his Nose rather high. Maybe he thinks we are not worth to be in their headquarters? Well there are a few branches on nearly every gate into the City for normal Mercenaries to use, but I am not one of them.
“My Name is Ava and this is Snow. We were asked to come to you for a visit from the western Gate.”
We could have taken the northern Gate, but why not just mingle with the Mercenaries and not look that much out of place. Did sadly nothing, as we just got caught and asked to visit anyways.
“One moment, I will look into it. Please wait over there.”
Where we are send to were some rickety chairs to rest on. Finer chairs were seen somewhere else but we get those… Well I will remember that, as they first want to meet us but suddenly show us not even a bit hospitality.
…
“Excuse our meager welcoming, but we could not see on your look your status of being a supplier. Might we know if you are Lord Ava Null, the producer of a special kind of produce?”
“Either Ava or Lord Null. Those are two different Names. And yes I am the producer of the Vegetables you are selling across Telk right now. You wanted to speak to me?”
“Ah, yes. We would like to ask about a new contract with our Headquarters directly. The security will be way tighter and benefits will be higher for either of us. Might you be interested in higher profits and easier transport?”
“Not interested.”
“...what? I am saying, that you would get more for less and we would even take more than what is sold right now. I heard you could still produce more and we would be delighted to take everything you have to offer without any complain.”
They just want to boot out Rendlar. The demerits will be less honest peddlers visiting, pissing of my direct neighbors, who need to play coy, as they get something out of it and having a way shakier place to sell. I bet they think I would just fold for quick profit and not see how they would have the Monopoly of our Produce, so having the power to crank the prices down later. No thank you, I keep Rendlar.
“As said, not interested. I am right now working with a trusted merchant on my own, and for betraying his trust would be more of a slap in his face. My trust in him is way higher than from someone I just met.”
“I see… If you might rethink your decision, please just come to us. Albeit I believe the merchant you have is capable, he might not be able to handle some complications. We will wait with open arms for you.”
“Do not worry, if there are complications I will find out who or what made them and eliminate it.”
“...is that a threat? You might be careful about threatening the Peddler King, as we are not a small business.”
snicker “If you believe that was a threat, then you just told me you would mess with the selling of my products. Also I am working with the Peddler King, how am I able to threaten the Peddler King by protecting their profits? You might be careful yourself of what you insinuate, as I do not believe it is wise to threaten the profits of your own business would go over with your Superiors. Are we finished?”
Well he looks uncomfortable. Does he think I do not see how he tries to use the brunt of this place, while I am already working with them under another person? If he really cuts into our trade, it might be seen as competition, but if he tries something that hampers the profits of the Peddler King itself, there might be a nasty awakening.
With that we just go and never look back. So many greedy people. I make what? A couple of Mithril? They make hundreds of that and for one of their higher ups to try to gobble it up from under Rendlar he might not even that high up in their corporate ladder. Such waste of time…
…
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“I do not care about what Sister Annette is thinking, we will not just give someone our protected to go somewhere we do not have seen ourselves.”
This was rather brazen but maybe a good thing for me. Not any more children for us, as they are against it. Still…
“Can you explain why, so I can tell Annette about your opinion?”
“She does not need my opinion, as I am the Sister in charge. The Children are safe here and will be staying under our protection, as long as they need it. To just give them away for… to people we do not know even a little bit is against our consciousness.”
She wanted to say something else. Might be a slight slip of the Tongue, but I think she has other intentions. While grabbing a handful of large gold coins I just ask.
“And if we donate a bit, so the rest of the children will be better off?”
Her eyes look at my Money. There is a slight glint of greed inside. She is definitely thinking about it.
“While we would accept the donation, we would need to think about the proposition further before we even could give the Children to you. There are many different aspects we need to think about before just giving them to you. Please understand.”
So taking the Money and ‘maybe’ giving us Children. She sounds like she sells them more than thinking about their safety.
“For now I leave a donation of three large Gold for you to reconsider. I hope we can see the children before we go?”
“We can show them to you, but please be cordial.”
Walking the hall we come to a door to the dormitory. Right after opening it the children inside twitch rather scared and assemble. Their clothes are dirty, but this could be seen as normal. The problem is more in the category why the largest and maybe one with the most donations is that cheap in cleaning and repairing their gowns.
Mostly the children seem well groomed, while I see more than one with blue and purple spots on their arms or backs through the small holes. They definitely are not as well here than in the other two. What is going on?
“Children, this is Ava. He has donated a rather large sum of Money. With this we will be able to give you more food and even repair your clothing. New toys are maybe even possible.”
“Thank you, Sir Ava.”
The chorus sounded happy, but not genuine. As that Sister told them about food, clothes and even toys, no one sparked up. Would you not be happy, if you knew you would get more than before? Most children would be elated to hear about presents.
I would say the reasoning is clear. They heard it already and it never came true. The whole spiel is drilled into them. The promises get told but never were they fulfilled.
I am really lucky right now Snow is a bit dense in that aspect. She would rip the Sisters apart before we could really save the Children. We might be able to take on Halk or Kilt but Malek? This City is a notch higher than I am comfortable to maybe hold down.
Nothing against the other Cities, but here are so much commerce, they have not simple Knights but the ones they call trained Knights. Telk really wants to hold this City, otherwise they had not stolen it from Ulk after Illstin lost it.
We need to be subtle for now.
…
So much work to do. First asking of Snow to make sure she can do what she needs to do… Well, if there is no light and she does not show herself it will do, otherwise it will be a disaster.
Next the plan. How to at best be conspicious. There are some rather sad looking haulers and bums around… I got an Idea!
It needs to be made into something big for it to stick, but should work. So let me prepare…
Food, check.
Bribe, check.
Location, check.
Hearsay, check.
Workers, check.
Tables, check.
It seems I have everything ready for now. This should be funny. Maybe I am a bit too paranoid, but to keep all of those Children in check there must be some of those kinds between all of them. Snow is surveilling, but still no sight of one behaving differently.
I will not risk it, I’d rather be oversensitive than being unprepared. Let the games begin!
…
A week later, deep at night. The caretakers are already sleeping while the children are locked in. Why looking after them if locking them in works fine it seems. Well because of what will happen right now.
A slight smell is emanating form the darkest corner of the Sleeping quarters. Some already wake up from the smell of food and even meat.
“Hush. Be quiet little children. If the caretakers hear us. I can not give you delicious food. Stay quiet and sneak to me.”
They might remember her voice. It is Snows voice coming from the dark corner. While most of them are scared, one used up all her strength and bravery to go there.
Others tried to dissuade her, whispering it is a trap or a child eating monster, but were still quiet. They were scared, but making ruckus might lead to lashes from the Sisters, so better not being too loud, if it is just some dream or maybe nightmare.
“Good girl, just reach out. I will not do anything, just giving you food.”
The small child was scared, but still did it. Something warm was felt in her little hand and when she pulled her hand out of the dark… there was a piece of bread and some meat on it.
At first she thought she was dreaming, but after tasting it, she knew it was real. Quickly she ate it and put her hand again into the darkness.
“You already had. Go sleep. I come again. Promise.”
“Who are you?”
“Snow. Remember Ava? Little Sister of him. The rat girl.”
“I remember. Thank you. Please be careful, those Sisters are not nice.”
“I know. I just want to help. Go sleep. Let others eat.”
With the first another came, and another. After a while the whole room silently made a row for her to give them food and while there were some who tried to stand in line twice she just said they already had. Telling her Name and who she is to everyone. After all the children had their morsel she vanished like a Ghost.
While the children thought of it as a dream at first, the warmth inside their stomach said different. They rarely slept that good in a while, comfortable and not so hungry. Many hoped she would come back as promised, but were not that optimistic as many people already said so many promises and no one held them.
This happened in all four sleeping chambers. Not one chamber shouted or screamed. Some Children did not trust her and did not move from their place, but many did. The night was slowly coming to an end and what was expected happened.