章 8: If I Were Your Enemy...
Night had descended once more. The lights of the city were as brilliant as before, but this time the man with the smiling mask ran along one of the walls bordering the city. He sighed as he counted with his fingers, as if trying to jog his own memory, the thumping of boots echoing with his pace.
"The center, the six interiors, and four more... that makes eleven. Should only be eight more. These guards are persistent though..."
Three men in mage robes were floating a few meters behind, shouting commands to stop. Unlike before, the masked man completely ignored them, as if they didn't exist. He continued running as they cast various spells to slow or stop him. However, every time a spell was cast it either seemed to bounce off the cloaked man, or it simply disappeared. One of the mages had given up using spells, and was now trying to shoot a bow while gliding, with little success.
The masked man continued to hop from building to building, his agility crossing into superhuman feats as he crossed entire streets with a single hop. Luckily, very few people were looking up, and the commotion was kept to a minimum as the man passed. The mage guards giving chase, however, were quite a spectacle, and they were making sure all eyes were on the pursuers and the pursued. Some people on tall buildings with a better view shouted jeers at the masked man.
"I wonder what they think this is all about," the man said aloud, musing at the turmoil he was causing. As he jumped onto yet another roof he continued to stay vigilant. "And I wonder how I'll get away from these three. I've made myself pretty noticable. I guess I could outrun them, if push came to shove..."
An arrow flew past the cloaked man and clattered to the street below. He clicked his tongue disapprovingly at the outcome. Another spell slapped against the cloak and caused the hood to shake loose, but he didn't bother fixing it because it hadn't skewed the mask. Slick gray hair spilled out of the hood, tumbling down to the masked man's shoulders.
"Surround him! Close off his escape!" A few shouts echoed. Three more magical guards floated towards the masked man, each one holding an additional bow.
The masked man clicked his tongue again. This wasn't going well.
An arrow loosed itself from a bowstring, and the masked man extended his left arm. With movements too quick to be normal, a hand plucked the arrow out of the air and snapped it, the fragments falling harmlessly onto the roof below. "Watch where you're shooting!" The masked man shouted to the bowman, an aura of anger radiating outward. "We're in a populated area!"
Several guards grumbled in response, but they also acknowledged his reasoning by lowering their bows.
The masked man took the chance to hop over the three new guards and start running to another part of the city.
The chase continued.
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Cyn smiled as he sold his glass ornaments. Occasionally, someone would come with a custom order, and he would try to fulfill their desires to the best of his abilities. After only a day, his talents for turning glass into unique gifts had already spread to some degree, perhaps due to the fact that he made them there on the spot. Even people who didn't buy an ornament would give tips, a bit like watchers in a street performance. After a while, Luperan suggested he upped the prices, but he continued to sell them at the same base price regardless.
The trouble came on the second day, just after noon. A merchant dressed in exotic silks and adorned in glittering jewelry appeared. His beard was drenched in sweet-smelling oils, and he had two large bodyguards in tow. His hair was set in a formal bun.
"Is this the ornament seller I've been hearing about?" he asked, a smile painted on his face as he looked over the basic stand. It was just after lunch, so Cyn had stopped making ornaments and was enjoying a light meal when they arrived. The number of ornaments was relatively low due to the pause, and the table was a bit barren. "Some of my men have brought back some glittering treasures. When I asked around, I was pointed to this paltry little stand. Is this the famed ornament seller I've been hearing about."
Cyn finally noticed he was being addressed, and smirked at the well dressed merchant as if he was a standard customer. "Yup. I've got glass ornaments for sale. Want to buy some, friend?" He waved a hand casually at the ornaments that he had left, and named a few arbitrary prices. Just as quickly, he went back to his meal, ignoring the bodyguards as they frowned in his direction.
The merchant grimaced for a moment, then leaned forward and spoke in a low, business-like tone. "You have the pleasure of addressing the honorable Julias Santalude Protego the Third. I am the most prosperous merchant on this side of the continent. I suggest you act with some respect."
Cyn responded by picking at a bit of ear wax, his tone unchanged. "That's great, friend. Anyway, if you want some ornaments, you came to the right place. Feel free to ask for custom pieces. For someone like you..." he trailed off and finally started to look the merchant up and down, as if sizing up a piece of meat. "I will sell ornaments to you for a mere five hundred gold coins. Each."
The mood took a turn for the worst. After naming his price, the merchant's face looked as if he had just had dung smeared on him as he watched. "Th-that's ludicrous. Are you charging me because you know I'm wealthy? To insult me so blatantly!"
Cyn shrugged and his smirk deepened. "I figured a man of such high prestige as yourself, coming to see me personally, you must have seen a piece that took your notice. After you questioned the man in detail, you probably bought it off him at a reduced price by intimidating him with your guards. After that, you probably went around gathering up as many as possible while using underhanded methods. Once you decided my craft was something you wanted, you had me watched this morning until you figured out my craft isn't something you can just steal. So you came to me hoping to buy my current stock and then scare me into not making more or putting me under your employ. However, you also checked around and found out my only associate is the father from that infamous church. So instead of kidnapping him and making an enemy of the church, you decided to bribe me. I assume afterwards you would sell my pieces as collector items and make a good bit of money. Honestly, assuming all of that, a few hundred gold is a steal to just finish it all here and now, am I correct?"
The merchant opened and closed his mouth several times. His plans had been exposed in an instant, and this ornament maker was making a fool of him. Had one of his men tipped him off? Had he planned this from the start? The glass ornaments were beautiful, and certainly they'd fetch a high novelty price, but how did he manage to know just what would happen when a merchant of his level got wind of them? After a moment, the merchant's face reddened and he glared at the man. "How do you presume to know all of this?"
Cyn shrugged as if all he had done was say the obvious. "You could say I've seen this kind of thing play out before. Don't worry, if you pay me off I'll make sure to stop production. That'll allow you to make the distribution a limited supply. Should make you plenty of cash. But in exchange, I ask that you promise not to harm any of the previous owners, nor will you allow theft of the ornaments just to get your way. If they don't want you to have it, you stay away from them."
The merchant grinned. He had never met someone so easily tricked, despite having knowledge of secret dealings. "Very well. I promise to gain the items I seek legitimately."
Cyn leaned forward and shook the man's hand. While the merchant didn't see it, people with the eye for such things might have noticed a faint light appearing between the two gentlemen.
The merchant nodded, and one of the bodyguards produced two bags of coins, trading them for the few remaining ornaments.
"Here. For you. My last work." Cyn stated, tossing a glass ornament at the merchant. "Free of charge. Consider it a parting gift."
The ornament was a life size glass fist. The detail was exquisite, including several glass coins clasped in the glass hand. It looked like some horrible totem of greed, but the smiling merchant took it happily.
After they had left, Cyn turned towards the woman who had been waiting so patiently to talk to him. Rosa looked very awkward, with her hand clutching the phoenix ornament he had made her yesterday. Sighing, and with his business concluded, Cyn smirked knowingly at her. "So, here to learn more about pyromancy, is it?"
Rosa nodded bashfully. Cyn picked up the bags of coins left behind and tucked them into his cloak before following her.
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