Theft, Murder, and Crystals

by Benjamin Duke

  Erice tried to get up, but her limbs felt as if they were made out of lead. “I’m just going to lay here and sleep,” she mumbled.

  “I’ve got a meeting,” Cimir replied as he stood over her. “You’re adapting quickly, but you need to meditate more. After you sleep, spend the next 24 hours in this building. Sit in one spot and do not move for the entire time. Concentration is the most important element of magic and it begins with stillness. Understood?”

  Erice nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good,” Cimir said. “Come on, Groth. We’ve got to go listen to Elias bitch about something.”

  “It is most unfortunate that we must,” Groth said as he followed after his master. “But let us draw comfort in the fact that Samuel will be there to mouth off to him and make jokes.”

  Their voices faded away as they left the building, leaving Erice to her own thoughts. Meditation sounded nice. While she had been hoping to get a security position, for some reason Cimir had seen fit to give her the gift of magic. There were stipulations of course, things preventing her from going rogue and escaping with her new power. Not that she would want to leave.

  The real question for Erice was whether she had any intention on following through with her deal with Captain Markov. He was an old friend, for certain, but she could guess that he hadn’t been expecting this arrangement. The Sun had blessed her, it would seem, by proclaiming her power to Cimir and showing that she was worthy of such a gift. To waste it by tattling to Markov seemed like a misstep.

  Still, she had made a deal. Going back on her word wasn’t honorable in the least. And besides, a new temple rested on her ability to report all that she had learned to Markov. The methods Cimir had taught her were more than just wielding magic. In the mornings they would practice expanding her prowess, in the afternoons, they would study theory, and, in the evenings, she would make crystals.

  Cimir had imbued her with spells already. They were burned into her mind and she could cast them at a moment’s notice. His method of production was simple. He had taught her the method of creating crystals, how to fuse, how to shape and whatnot. Then, by providing her with specific spells, powerful spells, she would aid in production of more crystals. At the end of the night, he would revoke the spells, causing her to forget them. This was to ensure she would not be able to use them.

  This isn’t to say that she wasn’t learning magic on her own. Cimir seemed more fascinated with magic than anything else. He could never stop talking about it. The deal was that she would work for him and produce many batches of crystals and in exchange, she would one day be given freedom to use her own magic without any tethers. He would have no control over her.

  Her entire life, Erice had been a fighter. She wore armor, carried a mace and fought with an intensity that few in her guild could match. The addition of magic would turn her into the perfect weapon. She could leave Glimmer behind and go somewhere else, fully unleashed. The possibilities of her future seemed endless.

  But…telling Markov would most likely cause serious trouble. Markov had already indicated he was worried about magic falling into the wrong hands. If he knew that Cimir was the mastermind who wanted to recruit other apprentices, he would throw a fit. He might even send in a raid. For whatever reason, Cimir saw tremendous benefit in running this operation. Erice didn’t understand why he even cared about something like money when he had such power, but then again, she wasn’t one to question him. There were far more important things for her to ask questions about, at least for now. Magic was too interesting to be concerned with other details.

  Ultimately, she would have to delay her choice. Thinking about Markov did nothing for her in the immediacy, instead, she chose to clear her mind and begin to focus once again on the spell that she had been failing at for the last week. 24 hours to sit in one place was a long time, but she’d need all the mental practice she could get if Erice was to wield the power of the sun in her hands. And she’d spend any length of time to have such a spell.

  The doors swung open as Samuel barged in, smiling widely at the three concerned men who were sitting at the table, waiting for him. They were in one of the fancier meeting offices in the Docks District. This office had been specifically designed with multiple entrances and exits, so that Markov would be able to throw off anyone specifically following him.

  Samuel was excited to finally have a face to face conversation with the Captain of the Watch. Elias spoke quite reverently of the man, with an honesty and fondness that gave Samuel a good impression.

  “Sorry for taking so long, I was on the other side of town,” Samuel said, bowing to the room. Elias, Cimir and Markov were all sitting at a round table. There was no spread, no food or wine, just the three men staring him down with a grimness that indicated this meeting was not a simple meet and greet.

  “Yes, well, have a seat, Samuel,” Elias chittered as he nervously tugged at his shirt collar. “We have an unfortunate bit of news.”

  “Indeed,” Markov said. “And I thought it prudent to speak with all of you. I know we agreed to having a bit of a wall of separation, to keep things professional but things are starting to change.”

  “Change how?” Cimir asked. While his expression was just as dire as the rest of the group, he seemed especially agitated. Samuel wondered why.

  Samuel sank into his chair across from Markov and braced for the news.

  Markov continued. “The Kalimar stooge, Lord Prax, has discovered the presence of these crystals. Apparently, there is tremendous zeal in their desire to see these crystals eradicated. They have left the task of determining the source of this new threat to me.”

  “Ah, crap,” Samuel groaned. “That’s not great.”

  “It can’t be that dire,” Elias said. “He’ll have to go through the courts in order to affect any serious changes.”

  “Well, that’s the problem, he’s already made quite the impression,” Markov said. He tapped his hand against the table impatiently. “I think we might want to quit this endeavor. Prax has made it clear that the presence of magic is an offense worthy of invasion.”

  “Let them come,” Cimir muttered under his breath. “I’d like to see them try to kill us all.”

  “Even if they don’t kill you, they’ll kill thousands of innocent men, women and children,” Markov growled. “This enterprise might have been ill-conceived. I was willing to look the other way but…Prax has made it clear that if this magic isn’t’ gone, Kalimar will invade.”

  “Of course, he would,” Samuel said. “Because he’s afraid.”

  All heads turned to look at Samuel as he grinned at them. “Doesn’t anyone else understand why magic was banned? Why they hauled a big-ass magic blocker over the city after we surrendered?”

  “They’re savages who fear what they cannot understand,” Markov said. “It isn’t that hard to get.”

  “Come on, seriously?” Samuel chuckled. “Think about it. They don’t want us to have magic because it would give us an even keel against their giant hordes. If Cimir threw a fireball at an army of a thousand people and killed half, then numbers really don’t matter do they? Kalimar’s just running a scam.”

  Elias nodded that. “This has been discussed before. Go on.”

  Samuel continued. “Kalimar’s got numbers and fighters who are unbelievably strong. They ban magic because it levels the playing field. So, he uses his large numbers to cow other nations into submitting, offering only a few changes. Banning magic is one of them. And here’s the kicker – “

  “Kalimar wouldn’t have a chance of winning a fight without magic disabled in major countries,” Cimir finished. “That makes sense.”

  Markov crossed his arms. “His empire spans across the entire continent. I highly doubt he simply conquered through a simple scam.”

  “Nah, the scam came after he grabbed all the smaller nations,” Samuel said. “I’ve been doing some light reading on the subject.”

  “There is no chance you’ve been reading anyth
ing,” Cimir countered.

  Samuel glared at Cimir. He wanted to make a good impression on Markov. That was an unfortunately timed jab.

  “Well, if you wish to live long enough to learn to read, I would suggest that we go our separate ways here,” Markov replied. “It is unfortunate, but we don’t stand a chance in hell against Prax’s men. If I can’t give him what he’s looking for, he’ll conduct his own inquiries. That translates to his men marching in the streets, dragging people out of their homes and killing them until they get what they’re looking for. I cannot allow that to happen to the city in good conscience.”

  “Of course not!” Elias said. “But we can’t just give up here. We’ve made tremendous strides in the last two months, making clients and connections. There’s a lot of gold flowing our way right now. To walk away would be ludicrous.”

  “Yeah, why don’t we just bribe this Prax fellow?” Samuel asked. “I mean, it worked with you, so why not him?”

  “I wasn’t bribed,” Markov growled. “I was given the tools necessary to keep this city safe.”

  “And those tools came from our money,” Samuel said, leaning forward. “We had what you wanted, and so you bent in our direction. Why isn’t it the same with good old Prax?”

  Markov nodded slowly. “I fear I would be unable to have that kind of conversation with him. But it might be worth exploring.”

  “Perhaps I should reach out?” Elias said. “I can be quite convincing.”

  “No,” Cimir said. “This is Samuel’s specialty.”

  “How so?” Samuel asked. He was secretly celebrating the fact that Cimir was sticking up for him but wanted to keep his cool in front of Markov.

  Cimir smiled at him. “You’re going to be walking into a conversation that has a large chance of you getting killed. You should be adequately prepared to escape from Prax, should it come to blows.”

  Cimir wasn’t wrong. But then again, the idea of sitting down, one on one with a magic-hating warlord was less than appealing. Still, Samuel knew he had a better shot of bribing Prax than Elias did. At least, he had a better chance of escaping should things go horribly wrong.

  “Alright, fine. I’ll meet with him,” Samuel said. “And I’ll figure out some kind of agreement.”

  “You’re playing with fire,” Markov replied. “Prax is a dangerous man on an important mission. Whatever you offer him, it better be good.”

  The rest of the group agreed to that. Samuel nodded. “I’ll need some tools. Cimir?”

  Cimir nodded at him and stood. “That concludes our business?”

  “For now,” Markov said. “But I’m going to warn you all now. You get one shot at this. If you fail, disband this operation immediately. I cannot and will not allow the city to suffer so you can all make a few gold coins.”

  “Is that a threat?” Cimir asked.

  “It is a very unfortunate fact,” Markov replied as he stood and bowed to them. “And a sincere threat. I would rather see you all dead than watch this city torn to shreds.”

  And with that, Markov took his leave, moving through one of the hidden entrances that led to the outside world. This left the three partners alone.

  “Well that wasn’t ominous as hell,” Samuel said.

  “I don’t like his tone,” Cimir said. “It’s not our problem if Prax starts trying to crack down on us. He’ll never catch us. Not with how Elias has been structuring our operation.”

  “He doesn’t need to catch us.,” Elias protested. “If Prax starts a serious investigation, he’s going to be killing our clients. Those who survive will stop ordering from us out of fear of their lives. Everything hinges on Mr. Samuel’s talks going well.”

  Samuel winced at the mental picture of the Maelian family being dragged out of their home to be executed. “Our customers could be in trouble here if we don’t do things right,” he said.

  “So, we just roll over and do what the mean city guard says? Cimir asked.

  “Not exactly. Let’s send out a free shipment to all of our clients,” Samuel said with a chuckle. “Iron skin, strength and life regeneration, all rolled into one crystal.”

  “No!” Elias shouted. “Absolutely not! If Prax’s men go after our clients- “

  “Our clients will win without any hesitation,” Cimir said. His face was beaming at the suggestion. “I can even modify the crystals, so they only work when they sense fear of danger. To prevent abuse.”

  Elias put his hands up in protest. “I cannot allow for you to do this. Think of the implication. Prax sends a band of soldiers to raid a client’s facility, maybe the construction workers. These workers, impervious to weapons, easily overpower and kill Prax’s men. What does Prax do next?”

  Cimir shrugged. “Whatever he damn well wants to.”

  “He calls for Kalimar’s hordes. The city goes under siege. Everyone dies.”

  “Or, Kalimar, realizing that his anti-magic tricks don’t work, makes a lot of noise but never actually does anything,” Samuel replied. “Because I’m pretty sure we hold all the power.”

  “You’re playing a very dangerous game here, a game where the stakes are impossibly high,” Elias said. “I hate to agree with Markov, but if we can’t convince Prax to look the other way, our actions could very much so cause the destruction of Glimmer.”

  Samuel looked at Cimir. They were both skeptical of this reasoning. “Look, I’m going to talk to Prax,” Samuel said. “But the fact is, our clients are at risk right now. By giving them protection measures, we should be able to adequately prevent them from getting killed.”

  Elias sighed. “Self-defense only. Nothing that can be used to kill or fight back. Is that fair?”

  Cimir glanced at Samuel, a question written across his face. Samuel nodded to him. “Yeah, fine. That’s fair. I’ll leave it to Cimir to figure out what would work best.”

  “I have some ideas,” Cimir mumbled. “I suppose that’s all then?”

  “Yes, for now,” Elias said. He let out a nervous sigh. “We need Markov on our side. Please, Samuel, please don’t screw this up.”

  “Yeah,” Cimir warned. “Don’t blow this.”

  Samuel laughed, trying to keep his nervousness hidden. While he had some ideas, there was a lot of pressure riding on this. He stood up and shook hands with the men, then parted ways. After about ten minutes, he slipped back into the meeting room to see Cimir sitting alone, waiting for him.

  “So, how are we really going to handle this?” Samuel asked.

  Cimir grinned fiendishly. “I’ve got some ideas. Tell me what you think…”

  Chapter 21:

  First Lord Prax sat down in his office and began to pour his first cup of tea for the evening. Tea was a wonderful concoction, but it was hard to come by in Glimmer. This specific tea leaf had been imported from his homelands, in Yergen. While he didn’t miss the hills and backwater people, Prax had often missed the tea. Acquiring a case was not cheap, but it was worth it.

  As he poured the tea, the licorice aroma began to rise to his nostrils, reminding him of home and hearth. He smiled and let himself relax. The evening was just about finished and soon he would be able to retire and get some rest.

  There was a pounding on the door, interrupting him as he went to take his first sip.

  “I am not to be disturbed,” Prax barked. Yet, in spite of this, the pounding continued.

  Prax gently placed the tea cup down and stood, grabbing his axe that had been laying on a side table. Whoever this interloper was, they would be in for quite a scare for ruining his nightly ritual.

  “I warn you, unless you have arrows sticking out of your backside, there is no reason to be bothering me,” he warned as he swung the door open. A young man, wearing elegant red robes and a red feathered hat to match stood before him.

  “Hi there,” the man said. “I’m Samuel Goldenwine. And I believe you’re wanting information about these crystals?”

  “Indeed, I am,” Prax said, narrowing his eyes. What an odd way to
make an introduction. He relaxed his grip on the weapon and put it to the side, behind the door so the stranger couldn’t see it. “Come in, please.”

  “Thanks. Now, you are Prax, correct?” Samuel asked as he waltzed in and plopped himself down onto one of the chairs across from the desk.

  “I am. So, tell me, Goldenwine, what do you have for me? Are you a messenger from Markov?”

  “I don’t know anyone called Markov,” Samuel said. “But I do know this much.” He reached into his coat pocket and produced a small, glowing crystal. “These babies are easy to make.”

  “What is the meaning of this?” Prax shouted as he stood up. A small pulse emitted from the crystal, but nothing else happened. His heart began to pound as the adrenaline surged through his body. It was time for a fight. His instincts took over. This smug, cocky man was an assassin, here to end his life. Prax’s garish display in the courts must have made waves.