Damnation of Xyal [Story] [Original Work]

[CHWIV]

It was a peaceful morning just like any other in a peaceful town...no, scratch that. It was supposed to be a peaceful morning. A normal wake up to the warm glistening sign of the sun through a window like any other, followed by the same plain routine they we're accustomed to. The routine was as followed; they'd wake up from their bed, grooming their hair or washing away any specks of dirt on their body, and then making their way to the living area to be greeted by the smell of food being prepared while seeing one of their friends laying down and reading a book, or doing their morning chores. It was somewhat a boring routine, but one that each person there enjoyed.

So, with a deep breath. The long-haired brunette could only ask one simple question towards her housemates.

"What the hell are all these?!"

Ari. The other adventurer of their group and their third housemate looked in disbelief at what her two friends had in their hands. Crazie held two gems in his hands, one being a light blue color under the light and one being a yellowish golden color. It seemed he was debating which one he liked more based on their color. All the while Dan was attempting to juggle the other three gems. However, he was startled by Ari's sudden intrusion and dropped one, having it make a dent into the floor without even showing a scratch. He quickly picked it up and sent the red, green, and purple gems back into the sack he had them in. Crazie did the same upon learning that Ari was wide awake, standing beside Dan with a nervous smile.

"Hey Ari, Arianna, the best badass bard we know. H-How'd you sleep?"

Crazie's question to divert their situation fell on deaf ears as Ari just walked towards the two men and glared at them.

"Save it, Crazie. Now I ask again, what's going on?"

"What do you mean? I don't even know what's wrong, neither does Danny."

"Oh, so you or Dan nothing's going on? How about...THE FIVE GEMS! WHERE DID YOU BOTH GET THOSE AND WHY DO YOU EVEN HAVE THEM?!"

Crazie went silent as him and Dan shared a look while nodding towards one another. Dan then turned towards Ari and took a deep breath before starting to speak.

"Well, you see Ari. This is all a big misunderstanding as I thought they were apples at first-"
"It was all Dan's fault. He stole them from a vendor thinking they were apples."

...

"Really. Really Crazie? I thought we nodded to agree that I'd say what really happened. Y'know, that I thought these...gems were apple!?"

"Oh sorry! I just thought you'd pin it on me!"

"WHY WOULD I DO THAT WHEN IT WAS INTENTIONALLY MY FAULT?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

"BOTH OF YOU, BE QUIET!"

Ari was at her limit, slamming her fist on the table as it shook but barely budging the gems that were on it. Crazie and Dan both looked at her with fear at their ally. Although she is a bard at heart and occupation, they always wondered if she was once a barbarian or fighter due to her sense of brute force when persuasion was off the table during their battles. However, one would say this is the wrong time to worry about if your friend could beat you half to death but if they WOULD. With that though crossing both Dan and Crazie's mind, they were right to me scared shitless when Ari peered down at them with rage.

"Now, I'm going to ask you both one last time and I better hear an answer or both of you is going to end up somewhere unpleasant underground...Am I clear?"

Without muttering a word, both the two men nodded their heads.

"Good. Now Dan, you said you thought they were apples?"

"Yes..."

"Did you pay for said apples?"

"...Okay so when you mean pay-"

"BY THE- Oooh, I'm this close to caving your skull in! So, help me gods if you say you stole them."

"I...I stole them."

"Why?! I know for a fact we had enough for basic produce and more! And now you're telling me even with the money Crazie gave you for groceries yesterday, you still stole, and not only that because stealing is already a bad offense here. YOU STOLE, GEMS WORTH INFINITELY MORE THAN OUR SALARIES COMBINED WHEN THEY WERE DISGUISED AS APPLES?!"

"That is a...way of explaining the situation. In great length I might add."

"...Oh god, if the person you stole these from finds out where they are. No...where we are? We're done for, absolutely dead. We've had near misses before, getting the wrong target, or nearly killing a famous figure by mistake! BUT THIS?! BY GODS! YOU'VE OUTDONE YOURSELF WITH THIS ONE DAN!"

As Ari was understandably losing her mind on the topic of being hunted down mercilessly for Dan's miscalculated thievery, Crazie carefully stood up and walked over to his room of the house. He then emerged out of it, holding a bag sizable enough for travel and began to put the gems into the bags. As he was doing this, Dan and Ari both looked in confusion on what their eagle-eyed friend was doing as he tied it carefully.

"Crazie, Crazie what are you doing with those? We're already in a heap of trouble and possibly going to be executed."

"Plain and simple Ari. I'm returning them to the market in the hopes of them thinking I retrieved his stolen goods from said thief."

"Wait what?! Are you insane?!"

"Listen, we only got a few other options about this, both are either having one of us dead, or all of us dead. With this, we can at least try to do the right thing before they throw us in the chambers forever."

Ari and Dan both wanted to argue on Crazie's plan to get them all out of a world of trouble until they really thought on the issue at hand. Dan was the only person to be seen with the bag that held the stolen produce and only them and the merchant know what they truly are. So, the problem now would be to hand over the bag to the merchant himself while guards are kept posted around the area. And another question added to that;

"How can we make it seem like you got them from 'The Thief' in the first place though?"

Crazie smiled at his companions once Dan asked him on his plan once more. And if Dan and Ari know anything about their fellow archer, he was always up to something...
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At the market, the merchant felt an uneasy feeling as to where his 'apples' have gone and if someone had found out about them. He however kept that feeling sunk for the mean time as he handed out fruits and veggies by the barrel to his regulars with an occasional servant of Royals also collecting a barrel or two for one of the bigger household names in town. And of course, He had some luggage backed and ready for the squads of guards that picked up their daily meals and snacks once they are called for duty. If it weren't for the harrowing problem he was direly wishing didn't happen, this routine of his would've been just as peaceful has it always been. That is until...a certain buyer came to his stall. He had no doubt about it either, a familiar face that he has always welcomed.

One that always gets the same order from the merchant. Every, single, time.

A barrel of produce.

Not just any other, a particular kind of fruit.

A barrel full of red apples.

This. This was a huge shock to the merchant, he thought he had more time. He thought he they weren't coming for another two weeks almost to a month since their last business deal. Why are they here now? WHY SO EARLY? WHY, WHY, WHY?!

"Ahem."

All was lost as the merchant snapped back to reality, with the buyer looked at him with a stern look, taking off his hood to show his face off, bright as day. If the wrinkles or few losses of his blond hair wasn't enough to prove his age, the rest of his appearances did just that. Sporting some makeshift glasses to see, made up of sticks and twine with expertly cut crystals to act as lens. A slight hunched back that he relatively does to seem frail only to be able to stand up straight, nearly towering over the merchant himself. And his signature robes were also worn and torn. Its brightly dark blue coloring was all but faded, with patches and small holes leaving their mark on it as well.

The merchant still was in disbelief, it was too perfect to be a doppelganger. The unique robes, the physic, the facial structure and uncommon movements he's prone to see from...him. It was really him. No doubts about it anymore. The merchant mustered up the courage to finally speak to the man,

"Uh...sorry sir. I didn't know you were coming so soon. Was the last delivery not enough?"

"Afraid not. Not on your part, only due to unfortunate events."

"Oh dear, what happened if I may ask?"

"Not a problem, merely half of it was almost stolen by bandits even though my caravan was prepared for such an ambush. Most of those 'apples' you've given us were slightly damaged or nearly destroyed, but usable still. I'm sorry to say this dear friend, even with all the work you went through to get us those, but I shall need another shipment immediately. I see you already have a full barrel and hope it's not too much trouble if me and my colleagues take it off your hands."

"Oh, not at all! It's just that I misplaced a few however..."

"A few missing is not a problem, as long as we get them all, there is no issue."

"I fully agree but...its not the fact that I lost them around the stall or travels but more on...who has them now."

With those last words coming out of the merchant's mouth, the mysterious man looked at him with a look of concern mixed with confusion. Although, it was clear to see that anger would be a suitable alternative.

"What do you mean, 'someone has them'?"

The merchant, not risking someone to hear their conversation went from behind his stall and gestured the man to him so he could whisper the problem. fluently.

"I mean, someone stole five of the gems mistaking them for apples. I tried to keep a good eye on them but, but they got away. I even risked the guards help in finding them but no luck!"

The robed man wanted to scream out in anger but merely looked at the merchant with a glare that could only be described as wanting him dead on the spot. This was no normal merchant of food and wares; this was his most trusted and valuable smuggler. Able to convince kingdoms, big villages, even towns like these to let him in for trade deals of prices so affordable for all people who lived there. He had routes to travel quickly, working with other caravans to help aid him on journeys to dangerous lands and some even say he has a deal with bandits to smuggle weapons for them in return, grant him a safe passage with no ambushes.
But most of all, he was trusted in collecting precious minerals like gems, diamonds, and more valuable to him specifically as they are being used for a 'project' of his. A secretive one, in which no one even knows about not even the merchant who as a key part in making sure it would run smoothly with his supplies. The only clue to it even being real was the mysterious man hinted on the fact that no one should know about it, and none shall be given any idea of its existence.

And now, someone knows of it. Someone who is possibly incompetent enough to know what they are truly known for and what they could possibly do. If words get out on these gems existing at all and what their purpose is, then his plans can go straight down a ravine. He would be hunted down relentlessly, and so would his base of operations. However, all is not lost.

"You said...not even the guards found the culprit?"

"No sir, they've been keeping an eye out for anyone matching his description and all. Having more guards at the entrances and exits to make sure no one stole em. And none turned up so far."

"I see. Then, we shall exit the premises, after we take of...witnesses."

With that, the merchant's eyes illuminated with a bright orange glare as his sorrowful face was replaced with that of a blank one. He went back behind his stall and took out a dark blue robe from a box, putting it on and putting the hood over his head, hiding his face except the ever-glowing eyes. At this point, a guard saw him put on his hood and then vanish from behind his stall. Sensing something was up, he marched to where the merchant was and hit the hilt of his sword against the stand.

"Ey, what's going on down there? Speak now or I'll come behind their myself!"

The merchant merely loomed his head above a board, peering at the guard with no emotion.

"Didn't you hear me? I said state what you're doing behind there, or I'll-"

"YAAAAAAAAH!"

With one swift action, the guard's neck was pierced as the merchant let out a blood curdling war cry. A hidden dagger from underneath his sleeve punctured the guard's throat, and with one swift tug, it was out. a small line of blood with the common spurts covering the wooden stall with a red crimson color as onlookers could only process what they had seen. A few more guards saw what had happened and rushed over to the stall, swords and bows drawn as the robed merchant merely laughed.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"You dare murder one of our own in broad daylight!"

"We'll make sure you die starving in a cell for this!"

But as they inched their feet closer to the stall, the mysterious man held his hand at the guards while saying something under his breath. And within minutes... they felt hot. And hotter, and the hot sensation merely doubled and tripled once they realized their own armor was cooking them alive. Their screams echoed the market as bystanders fled the scene, with few seeing the gruesome demise of the three brave guards not only piles of melted iron seared onto the flesh of what once was a person.

The merchant walked towards the mysterious, still having a blank face plastered on his head as he took out a devilish looking blade.

"Shall I?"

"Leave none standing. No man shall be left alive, nor women or children. All are a target here."

"Of course, at once."

With their brief conversation dealt with, the mysterious man and the merchant both walked onto the now chaotic town square as terrified people alerted guards or others to what had happened at the market. The duo just looked upon the crowds of innocent men, women, and children. All of whom may be witnesses to their deeds, and not a single one would leave here alive.

"Shall we get more followers, sir?"

"Hmmm."

As the mysterious man pondered, he saw a guard rushing towards them and instantly fired off a fireball from his hands, incinerating the guard in an instant, and others that we're foolish enough to not move in time.

"Not yet, unless a bigger threat shows up. But these people...are ripe to slaughter."

"As you wish...

Master Calib."

As they began rampaging through the streets, painting homes and pathways with gruesome slashes as blood seeped onto the ground, the town was left defenseless. The guards could do little to nothing to the duo less they be sliced in half or burned on the spot. And the civillians could only hide and stay silent, waiting for help to arrive. But who? Who could help them fight such terrifying foes?

They needed a hero.

NO!

They needed several, groups of fearless men n' women who can stand up to the mysterious man and his follower at this time.

But the question still remains on...who?
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"Crazie are you sure this'll work?"

"I already told you Danny, the more cuts the better-AH! Okay, that's enough...I think I'm ready, is it clear out there Ari? You've been standing by there for awhile."

"Uhm, you guys might wanna take a look at this...