When Bafroki sees what the Vern is holding it makes him chock on the smoke from his pip.
Throvona quickly pats him on the back and asks, “What is it?”
“Something that is incredibly rare, hence his reaction,” expresses Dusk holding the stone out towards his old friend. “Do you have any idea what it is?”
Yè fēng takes hold of the lovely slightly translucent, white stone, that has a hit of blue to it and shakes his head. “No, no idea at all. What is it?”
Bafroki points a hand at the stone and stresses, “I dear not even speak what that is aloud. We need to make sure it is the raw deal.”
Dusk nods in agreement and asks, “Do you have someone you can trust.”
“Aye, our father, ye can trust him to check them,” answers Bafroki beckoning them follow him.
The group make their way over to a set of buildings where inside they see a table which has a set of small scales on one side and a pile of papers on other and seated in the middle is an elder dwarf who is busy inspecting a crate of black rocks. When Bafroki quietly informs him of what the Vern has found the eyepiece drops from the elder's right eye and he turns to face him.
“It can’t be true, those are too rare,” he babbles rising from his chair and walking around to the visitors. “Please, let me see it.”
Dusk leans down and opens the lid of the box and the elder quickly shuts it and gasps, “All of them!”
“Yeah, I know,” replies the Vern all clam. “The thing is no Valley Elf or any elf for that matter would know what they are.”
The elder nods and brow deepens. “Valley Elves… they wouldn’t happen to be the crew of the Yulescissa which sales from Buttervine Keep?”
“How come you know the ship?” Yè fēng enquires. “Dose she dock here?”
The elder nods and answers, “Yes, sir, they sometimes dock here to take on copper and some iron. The reason I remember them is because their captain Fenric is a generous tipper.”
Dusk glances to his old friend as he responds, “Is he now?”
“Oh, yes, gentlemen, the owner of the Black Pearl is always happy to have them,” replies the elder opening the lid of the box. “Well, I had best make sure the beauties are authentic.” However, the Vern is not about to let go of it and his amazing red copper eyes, that reflect like weapon bronze in the sunlight look directly at him, making the elder quickly say, “I can assure you, sir, they will not leave my sight. After all they are evidence.”
Dusk gives him a firm stare and says, “I mean it, if any of them go missing I will toss this place, got it?”
“Yes, sir. I can assure you, sir, I will take very good care of them, I promise you,” answers the dwarf watching the Vern’s hand realise the box and the elder quickly returns to his table.
Yè fēng taps his good friend’s arm to get his attention and whispers, “You remain here, and I will go and have a word with the owner of the Black Pearl.”
Dusk knows from experience the Crystal Master often results to using his abilities in order to get information from people. He gently grips his arm and whispers, “No snowstorm or freezing them half to death, hmm?”
“What you talking about? I have never done anything like that,” answers Yè fēng trying to keep a straight face.
The Vern just smiles and points a hand at him as if to say behave and his old friend responds with a wink as he walks away.
Once Yè fēng is outside he looks around to see the inn is on the other side of the dock, he trots up the steps and enters the establishment to be hit with a thick smoke from the dockworkers pipes. The teacher quickly places the sleeve of his robe over his mouth and nose and makes his way over to the bar. All of a sudden a woman is shouting, “Get those windows and doors open, now! Let’s get some clean air in here.”
The thick smoke begins to dissipate and the next thing Yè fēng feels is a sharp tug on the front of his robes, makes him look down to see it is a lady. “Sorry about the smell, Healer, what can I get ye? A nice glass of mountain water or Puff Berry Juice?”
The teacher takes his forearm away from his lower face and replies, “Water will be fine. Tell, my dear, have you had the crew of the Yulescissa in here recently?”
The woman narrows her eyes at him and bluntly responds, “So what if they did, what that got to do with you, Healer?”
“My dear they could be infecting anyone they came into contact with for they sailed from Moonlit Cove.” The woman’s face grows pail and she is unable to speak and the Healer leans down to look her dead in the eyes. “Now you understand why I need to know.”
It takes the lady a moment to compose her fear and she replies, “They were here nearly a fortnight ago. Are we in danger, Healer?”
Yè fēng shakes his head. “So, that means they went to it after they were here. Did they meet with anyone? Come now, I need to know for they could be responsible for sending them to their doom.”
The lady’s eyes dart around as she searches her mind and she answers a moment later, “Yes, come to think of it, there was a lass with them.”
“A girl?" Yè fēng questions his scowl deepening. "What did this girl look like?”
The woman points her hand at him and replies, “She was an elf, half your size, chestnut hair and wearing a dark green dressed that matched her eyes.”
Yè fēng can tell the lady is telling him the truth, which leaves him a little baffled. “It can’t be a Woodland, they are extinct,” he says in a soft voice.
The lady is shocked to hear this and she promptly asks, “What? How come they are extinct?
“Oh, it's due to a number of things, inbreeding, War, the ripple wiped them out. If she really is a Woodland it could explain why she picked on the Valley Elves for they have hated each other long before the War. It goes right back to the Great Divide, the Calamity. Wait, surely they would have known…" he sighs and shakes his head. "What am I saying they are around the same age as Uthrorn, so they would have no idea what they were looking at.”
“Also they wouldn’t have told you they were negotiating with an elf woman, that is highly improper,” stresses the lady resting her hands upon her hips. “I tell you now, Healer, it certainly got some tongues wagging.” This outburst gets the Snow Elf to lean down once again to her eye level and question, “Since when has it been highly improper for a girl to negotiate, hmm?" The lady does not know how to respond for she is only going on what she has been told and she is quick to apologise, “Sorry, perhaps I have been miss informed.”
Yè fēng starts to laugh as he rises up. “My, that is an old fashion view. Even so it is not entirely wrong,” he says with a smile spreading across his face. “For even to this day there are not many women in the trading business. Have you seen the girl since?”
The woman has a think and shakes her head. “No. But if she does turn up I will detain her and get my son to find you.”
“I am afraid I need to report back to Raven in Longthorn. I tell you what if she dose reappear have the guards escort her to the castle so the queen can contact us.”
“Yes, I will do that, Healer. Anything else I can help you with?”
Yè fēng shakes his head. “No. Thank you though for your help, my dear,” he answers setting the empty glass down on the bar.
The lady cannot recall seeing the Snow Elf take a drink. She is not about to question him and instead performs a shallow bow. “You’re welcome, Healer.”
The teacher gives a nod before he walks out of the inn and back over to the appraisers to find Dusk seated upon the floor eating what appears to be a small pie. “I see, I return to you with an interesting devilment to find you munching. Where do you pack it all?”
Dusk chuckles, wiping his lips on a napkin and replies, “What I get hungry when I’m just standing around. What’s this interesting devilment you have?” He listens to his old friend and quickly rises when he speaks of the Woodland just as the elder returns with an expression which makes him ask, “Let me guess, Mr Onyxpike, they are real?”
The elder returns the box to him and replies, “I ran the tests twice to confirm it. And I still can’t believe there are six of them.”
Yè fēng crosses his arms and states, “Dusk, you are yet to tell me what they are.”
The Vern leans in close so he can whisper in the Snow Elf’s ear, “Blue Moon Diamonds.” He washes the teacher’s eyes briefly grow wide, then he frowns. “I know what you are going to say, they wouldn’t have a clue what they were carrying.”
“You are right,” answers Yè fēng gripping Dusk’s arms. “Oh no, that’s what they wanted, they knew the Valley Elves would be blurting it out what they had been paid in so they got killed, thus releasing the curse into the population.”
The colour drains from Dusk’s face and he releases a soft, “Shit.”
“Yep, shit indeed. The question is was that the real intention to take down Norven’s Gate or just the Valley Elves?”
The Vern puffs his cheeks and turns his gaze to the open doorway as he thinks. “Either,” he responds a little while later. He looks at the contents of the box and says, “Well, I’d best get these beauties where they belong before someone tries to murder us for them.”
“It’s hard to think something so innocent could courses so mush trouble,” remarks the teacher pointing his hand at the diamonds. “Come to think of it, aren’t they restricted?”
“Yep, seeing one in circulation is bad, but six is not a good sign. It is going to be interesting to see what grandmother makes of this.”
“Shame I cannot come with you, give her my best.”
“I will do.”
Yè fēng gives him a pat on the arm and says, “Right, whilst you are getting those beauties back where they belong, I will see if I can find out more about the Woodland and see if I can draw a picture of her.”
Dusk pats him on the back and replies, “Excellent idea. Right, back in a bit.” He trots off outside and notices there is a gate at entrance to the dock, and makes his way over to it. The Vern opens his right hip bag and gets out a key that is different to the others. This one has a slight orange tint to it instead of the soft blue the regular keys have. He places it in the hole on the right hand side and waits.
When the symbols upon the lock begin to flicker into life, it course stones which make up the lock begin to creek, like stone rubbing against stone and they too have taken on a more orange glow. The odd noises coming from the gate makes the dockworkers stop and watch as each symbol around the arch seems to groan into life coursing a small amount of dust to trickles down as the veil, instead of floating down from the top, comes in from the right-hand side. It is almost like a curtain is being drawn very slowly across the archway and when it reaches the other side a deep boom echoes through the land around it. Then a ripple which starts in the bottom right-hand corner begins to grow larger as it extends upwards and the moment it touches the top left corner there is another deep boom and the portal opens revealing a desert with large sand dunes, and nestled in the centre is an oasis where a white dome building lies.
Dusk steps through and the sand crunches under his boot as though he has stepped on a load of eggshells and he makes his way down the dune to the building. The dockworkers who are not even that close to the open gate can feel the heat radiating through, is way hotter than any summers day. All of a sudden the veil is released from the top of the archway which makes the image flicker away and the veil begins to change into a glittering dust, then a loud boom shatters the rest of it into a massive cloud of dust which gets blown away by the breeze.
All Dusk gets on his side is a gust of wind and a small popping sound similar to that of a champagne cork being popped. He glances over his shoulder to see a small wave of sparking dust is drifting away into the pinkish blue sky, then he continues on. The building is made from a similar white stone to that of his home Moon Tower, except these have been batted and changed by the sand to appear light grey and the once stunning reflective pearl-like surface has all been eroded away, making them appear cold. Dusk passes through the dome barrier to enter the oasis and is met with a cool, sweet smelling breeze. The gardens are filled with strange large flowers that range in colours from pale green to yellow and white. The centres of them though are nearly the same colour as his skin, flaming red with a hit of rose gold. When he passes a pool a three eyed toad is seated upon a lily pad, it croaks before it hops into the water, the sound makes him chuckle as to him they always sound to him as though they have terrible wind.
Dusk is not far from the ornate door, covered in small flowers and birds with lovely long tails, when he sees a lady is on his way over to him. It is Queen Ruby’s only daughter Eydís, who is dressed in a long flowing light yellow dress which shows off her figure. This is normal for mature Vern women in their society to show the male they are right for breading. Dusk though would have preferred to have been greeted by one of Eydís’ ten brothers. He sighs and thinks to himself, luckily I am here to see her mother.
“Dusk,” calls Eydís taking hold of his arm. “What brings you here? I hope it is me?”
Raven’s husband gently pats the side of the lady’s face and replies, “I am afraid not. I am here on very important business to see grandmother.”
Eydís stands in front of him to study him. She points to the box he is holding and questions, “What’s in there?”
“Nothing for you, Eydís, now step aside, please," Dusk responds quickly placing it behind his back.
“No,” answers Eydís shaking her head, “not until—”
“He does not have to show anything to you, sister,” comes a firm smoky voice. Dusk breaths a sigh of relief when he sees it is Kári the eldest who is quick to whisk him away. “I thought I’d best come and rescue you.”
“Thank you, Kári. I really need to see grandmother, it’s very important.”
“You do not need to say that me, dear cousin, for you would not be here otherwise. Come, mother is in the drawing room.”
Kári continues to lead Dusk through the palace to a grand open room where the staid-glass windows make the white walls dance with colours of rich purples to blues and reds. The queen of the Fire Plans is seated in a high-backed wine red chair, that over shadows her thin frame and her tail twitches by her right leg.
“Dusk, my boy, this is a wonderful surprise, come here and give me a hug,” announces Ruby throwing out her arms.
They hug and Dusk replies, “Yes, it is wonderful to see you too, grandmother. I just wish it was under better circumstances.”
The queen grows concerned and gets him to sit in the opposite chair. “Kári, be a dear and pour him a drink. Come on, tell me, Dusk.” Raven’s husband makes sure he tells them everything and when he opens the box his grandmother calls for the guards. “Where could they have possibly got six of them from?” Ruby stresses as a group of palace guards come bursting into the room. “General, take that box my grandson is holding with the upmost care to the vault to be kept safe for it is evidence to a crime. Understand?”
“Y-yes, your majesty,” replies the general performing a deep bow and holds out his hand towards the man who shakes his hand and clutches the box to his abdomen.
Then Dusk starts to check around it and questions, “Why give Valley Elves something so alien to them?”
Ruby nods in agreement. “You’re right, it is really peculiar. It can’t be their payment.”
Dusk slips the side of his face and say, “Idiot, it’s a puzzle box, the base is deeper on the on the outside than in. Now the question is how to open it?”
Ruby, Kári and the General watch him carefully begins to slide back hidden panels on the side and the back of the box and they all hear a muffled click and the bottom of the box opens. Dusk claps his hands and says, “Now that’s more like it, three strips of the finest white gold along with two strips of blue Jade.” He hears the others gasp and he continues, “Yep, there is enough here to buy a town. I will take it back with me to Moon Tower to log them as evidence and give the rest to you, General.”
“If this is meant to be some kind of payment for a job,” questions the General crossing his arms. “I can assure you no Valley Elf would be pleased about it as they hold no value to them.”
Dusk is a little puzzled and asks, “I thought that was just Western Valley Elves?”
The General giggles as he shakes his head and replies, “No, your grace, it appears to be all of them. It’s why everyone hates trading with them. You can give them the highest prized pearls and they will look at you as if you’ve given them pretty pebbles. Valley Elves really are the worst in everything they do and don’t pay them what they want, which is hard because they have a habit of not telling you what it is, they will do everything within their power to find you and hold you until you give them what they want. Most of the time it is something harmless, but there has been a few where poisons have been exchanged.”
Dusk eyes blink in surprise and he says, “My, I am impressed you seem to know a lot about them, how come?”
“Forgive me, your highness, I should have said I was a trader once and had my fair share of dealings with those pesky Valley Elves.”
Ruby gives the General’s arm a pat and remarks, “You never mentioned this, Sǫlvi.”
The General notices their expressions are filled with curiosity. It make him feel a little uneasy and he is quick to answer, “Oh, it was just something I did when I was young.”
“I see, interesting,” says the queen giving him a happy smile. “So, that means they would have gone after the Woodland. Then I am thinking she didn’t give them this payment because she would know how, in Sǫlvi words, pesky Valley Elves are.”
“You are right, Mother, when both sides have mutual understanding of each other,” stresses Kári taking hold of the box. “This is dull for a Woodland and isn’t puzzle boxes a Grey Elf thing?”
Dusk’s head tilts slightly to the left and his eyes seem to study the box. “I will tell Yè fēng what we have found. But if he gives me a blank expression I know of a man who will go ah, and might be able to tell me more about it.”
Ruby giggles and states, “You wouldn’t even need to go that far. The moment he hears you found a plan wooden box in a barrel, his eyes will light up, his left eyebrow will rise as he releases that curious, hmm and keep you in suspends as he makes you run through a checklist, only then will he answer your question.”
Dusk shakes his head and tells her, “Oh, he is not like that with me he is always straight to the point and will mostly likely say, what is a Grey Elf box doing with a Woodland, then will come that curious hmm before he does the check list.”
Kári chuckles at his mother’s baffled and slightly cross expression, makes him remark, “Of course he is going to be different with the man he holds dear.”
The queen laughs and pats her son’s arm as she knows he is right.
Then Sǫlvi points his hand at the box and suggests, “This is to flush Raven out. They knew the Valley Elves would go to complain to him carrying with them the curse.”
Dusk glances at the box then back at the General and gasps, “Fuck!”
Ruby would normally tell him off for swearing, not this time for she is just the same shocked by what Sǫlvi has said. She clutches her hand to her chest and says, “That has made me feel quite ill.”
The General performs a deep bow and apologises, “Sorry, your majesty.”
“No need when you are absolutely right when we all know of Raven’s kind nature. I take it, Dusk, there is no way to stop the curse?” When her grandson shakes his head she pulls him close. “You need to get back to that lovely teacher whilst we put that box in the vault.”
Dusk closes the secret compartment and hands it to Sǫlvi. “Thanks, grandmother, see you all soon.”
Kári goes on to escort him out of the palace and when they reach the barrier the prince gently takes hold of Dusk’s arm. “Tread carefully, cousin, your life could also be in great danger.”
“It already is the moment I took that box from the barrel as I bet someone was watching. That is why I need to return to Yè fēng, even though he is quite capable of looking after himself. However, I need to be there to help him to keep a level head for he is far worse than a curse, believe me. And the last thing Raven would want to hear is Flintbrow Dock is nothing other than a frozen block.”
The prince can feel the hairs on the back of his neck beginning to rise at the thought of everyone being frozen to death, he coughs and puffs as he responds, “Wow, I wasn’t aware he could do something like that.”
“Seriously, don’t let his calm and wise character fool you, he is one of the most powerful Head Crystal Masters of all time. His abilities with snow and ice are off the scale, which can cause instability and I have witnessed a few times ice appearing upon his right hand and snow fluttering down around him. My son Jiéjīng is just the same.”
The remark causes a flashback within Kári's mind of when he first met Jiéjīng, the room was bitterly cold and snow drifted down over a small cot. All Kári could see of the baby was a tiny hand reaching for the flakes. It was a sign of how powerful the baby was and he loved the way Jiéjīng's wonderful loving parents just took it all in their stride even though they could have been frozen to death.“Ah, in that case I’d best let you go. Later, cousin.”
Dusk gives him a hug before he steps through the barrier to be hit with heat of the Fire Plans. He takes breath before he runs back to the gate to use it to return to the dock.
ns216.73.216.253da2
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