Kyero
Three Thousand Club
Date: August 4th, Present Day
Location:Aquestrian Border, Western Highlands
The sun was high on this midsummer's day in August. The temperature was soaring as heat waves above the earth shimmered and fluctuated creating mirages and muddling the ability of the eye to discern truth from fiction. The winds were low, almost extinct, only increasing the heat as a pair of black boots trudged along through the rocky outcrops of the Western Highlands on the Aquestrian border.
The individual whom the boots belonged to was a young man in his early twenties wearing a white V neck shirt, white pants, black undershirt and boots. His brown hair waved gently in what little breeze graced the lands, and as he looked about all he could see was rocky and dead land devoid of much grass, herbs, or trees. It was a desolate place, and had it not been a commonly traveled trade route, he'd not have taken it at all.
His destination was entrance to the mountains in the north, just off to his right in the distance. They were a good three days walk from where he was, but there was a city nearby called Linxeh where he could rest and restock his supplies. His water was running quite low and he was out of food. Along the way he'd encountered a group of bandits whom demanded the remainder of his food stuffs, and given his already dehydrated and exhausted condition, he gave it away to preserve his physical well being as the bandits went off with his food. Now two days on an empty stomach, he was desperate for a cold drink, a warm meal, and a place to lay down.
He walked for what seemed to him like hours, and finally the city of Linxeh came into view. He saw it below him as the rocky outcroppings came to an end and gave way to the first grasslands he'd seen in a good while. Behind him was nothing but a rocky desert, and ahead lay a lush grassland. How the Gods managed to create such vastly differing yet side by side environments was beyond him, but he didn't complain. The temperature on the grasslands was immediately lower than that on the rocks, and the relief was a most welcome one. He took a second to stand still and rest his eyes before making his way towards the city gates.
Upon arrival, he was asked to display his belongings to ensure he wasn't an unsavory character. All he had was a dagger at his hip for self defense, a nearly empty water jug, and a pouch with some basic provisions and medical supplies. Once cleared, he entered the city.
Linxeh was a large city despite how well hidden it was beyond the rocks he had come from. It was home to nearly 60,000 people, which was the fourth largest in Aquestra. The city was a well traveled trade spot, and a great place to rest and resupply given how many vendors and shops were available. The young man made his way towards the first inn he saw where he used what remained of the coin in his pocket to pay for a room for a single night. After receiving his key, he made his way to his room and fell asleep on the bed almost immediately. Upon awakening, it was already the next day and he realized he had no more money for food.
He thanked the innkeeper for his hospitality and left, wandering the city until he saw an opportunity to gain some coin to help pay for a meal. There was a vendor selling goods at over the top prices, and the boy smiled as he saw a young woman preparing to buy a jeweled necklace. The necklace was of a silver chain with a large purple gem in the center resting on what appeared at first glance to be platinum, but something caught the youth's eye as he inched closer to observe the sale.
"Pardon me, but you should not pay for that." He warned her as he approached.
The girl looked at him, confused, as the vendor himself walked around from behind the stall and confronted the young man.
"Do you have a problem with the good lady's choice my lad?" He asked forcefully.
The youth shook his head.
"The choice she made was wise, but the price is beyond unreasonable." The youth countered.
The vendor's eyes widened in anger as he placed his hand on his stall.
"These wears come from lands beyond our own boy, and they are of the highest quality and value. You wish to tell me that I do not know the price of such goods? I have spent a lifetime acquiring them and preparing them for sale. What do you know?!" He demanded.
The boy cleared his throat.
"What I know is that the jewels on the young woman's necklace of choice are fake. One can easily discern this by the shape and texture of the gems." He said, asking to hold the necklace.
The vendor was a bit reluctant to let him hold the item, but relented when the young lady insisted.
"Now, see here?" He asked the girl, pointing to the largest jewel in the center.
"This gem is known as a Midnight Sapphire, or at least it would be if it were the genuine article. This replica is nothing more than a substance known as Ventil Cors, a glass-like material which can be colored rather easily to replicate the appearance of almost any known gem. If this were a genuine Midnight Sapphire, this would not happen." He said, taking the jewel and giving a single good bash on the wooden stall next to the vendor.
Against wood, the jewel cracked upon impact. The vendor's eyes widened and the boy held it up for both the vendor and the young woman to see.
"A true Midnight Sapphire is hard enough to withstand up to five full force swings of a common smithing hammer. Not only that, but the texture is, as I mentioned before, inaccurate. A Midnight Sapphire has a rougher surface as if it were a liquid bubbling under extreme heat. The so called platinum is nothing but painted steel, as proven here." He said, scraping it on the wooden stall and taking off small streaks of paint from a now shining silver-ish surface.
The young woman took in a breath and looked at the vendor, giving him a cold glare before turning and walking away.
The vendor, while not as tall as the young man before him, was none the less an imposing man. He took a breath and glared at the young man with ire in his eyes as he slammed his hand on the stall.
"Where do you get off doing this to me boy?! Do you have any idea who I am?" He yelled, drawing the attention of a few nearby onlookers.
"I know that you're a man who's going to be spending a great deal of time in prison once your wears are exposed as the fakes they are. Is anything here genuine, might I ask?" He asked, looking again at the assortment of jewels.
"I can think of some very interested parties who would pay me to turn you in right now. I spoke with the guards at the front gate upon my arrival but yesterday, and they informed me that a handsome reward is promised to those who turn in con men and thieves. You… My good fellow, are both." The young man said, giving a confident stare in the vendor's direction.
At just over six feet in height and having a superb muscular structure, the young man clearly daunted the vendor who could only glare back at him. The vendor said nothing as he looked around at those watching the conversation, and smiled at them as he waved them away assuring them that there was nothing to see. As they began to leave, the vendor looked again at the young man with ire as he walked closer.
"Fine… You win. Just stay away from me and my stall and I'll give you coin enough to pay for that necklace." He said.
The youth gave him a glare.
"You mean, coin enough to pay for what the genuine article would bring. Correct?" He said, straightening his head a bit.
The vendor shot him a look and was about to protest before the boy gestured to a pair of patrolling guards. The vendor's mouth shut immediately as he looked at the youth and gritted his teeth before nodding his head vigorously as he walked behind the stall.
"You seem to know everything about all this, so what is it worth to you?" The vendor asked.
"Such a piece, at full and genuine price, is worth no less than 2,400 gold coins." He said.
The vendor was dumbstruck, his mouth slowly hanging agape as he looked at the boy as his suggested price. The boy again motioned to the guards and the vendor cursed him under his breath as he handed the youth a small chest filled with coins. The boy set it down on the stall and opened it, examining the currency within. Once confident it was genuine, he took a mere one hundred coins for himself and closed the chest, handing it back to the vendor. The man was perplexed as the boy turned and began to walk away.
"Wait! What is this?!" He demanded.
The youth stopped in his tracks, turning slowly and giving him a rather sinister glare.
"You'd prefer I take full payment?" He asked.
The vendor was about to protest until he realized just how foolish that would be, and shooed the youth away.
Satisfied with his deed, and satisfied with the coin in his pocket, the young man wandered the merchant quarter searching for food, water, and other necessary supplies to reach the mountains. He had received a strange scroll which was sealed until his flesh made contact with it. Once it opened, inside was a summons to the Aquestrian Mountains in the northwest along the border between Aquestra and its neighboring kingdom of Durhum. The young man didn't know what lay within the mountains, but he had a feeling, given the strange writing style and a rather unique and intriguing symbol on the bottom of the letter that it was an invitation to the Dragon Kingdom.
Why the Dragons would seek him out was unknown, as he was just a humble tradesman. Still, it was a summons he could not very well deny. Doing so was the epitome of foolishness. After all, how often does one receive a summons to the Dragon Kingdom? Not often at all. He knew his father had, but that was the only instance he'd ever heard of. He'd even researched the topic during his teenage years, yet he found almost no records beyond that of his father's experience. He also knew from reading the letter that there were going to be others traveling to the same location, and that they'd know their destination when they found it.
For now, he resupplied his basic necessities and prepared to depart for the mountains. It was another two days walk at least, and he had no idea what to expect upon arrival.
Last edited by a moderator: