Chương 3: Chapter 3: Punishment, part 3

Walking in, he noted the fine porcelain vases that lined the corners. They were tall and elegant, with cranes painted on them.

Nikola remembered how the crane was thought of as an animal in which people's souls lingered after their bodies passed on. It was only fair that the first animal he saw in this shop that offered him a new beginning was the crane.

"Do you like them? Will you buy?" Came a rasping voice from the front of the shop. Nikola moved towards the man, and he took the spear off his back.

"I'm here to sell, actually. Nuo Nuying, send me to you. I want to sell you this here. It's from pure gold," placing the spear on the counter, Nikola watched as the old handler's eyes lit up. Then the man traced the engravings on the side of the spear, and his face darkened.

"Where did you find this…?"

"Nikola," was quick to fill in the former emperor. "Nikola of Troy. I found it in the sea."

The old man's frown deepened, and he pointed to the engravings.

"This here says that this was the Emerald Emperor's spear. The foul wretch of Atlantis, may there still be some meat left on his bones, so the maggots could continue their feast! I will have to melt it down or else one warlord or another will steal it from me. That means I can only pay you for the gold itself."

Nikola looked down at the spear, his brows furrowing.

Azazel had crafted it for him, a thousand years ago. This was his scepter. He had stood on more than one battlefield with this spear strapped to his back.

This was the last symbol of his power.

But he needed to survive, as much as he didn't deserve it, and repent. He nodded at the trader.

"Fine, so be it. However, it's still quite a bit of gold. Can you pay me for it?"

"I sure can, but not at once. This can set you up for life, Nikola of Troy. Both of us, in fact. Sure, some of it will have to go towards taxes but once I sell this gold, I would be able to close this shop for good. I can pay you a hundred silver upfront, and then I'll get in contact with my agent in the imperial city. I'll take the taxes out of your share, and you'll get the full profit. You are looking at a five thousand silver pieces at the least. Do we have a deal?"

Nikola ran his fingers over the spear. This was the last time he would be seeing it; he knew. Then a thought struck him.

"You said you'll close the shop, yes? Sell it to me instead. With the house, I saw attached to it. I'll pay you double what they are worth. And I want one copper more with the hundred silvers. I need to pay for the second steam bun I ate."

Hua smiled happily and placed a copper into the overflowing leather pouch and handed it to Nikola.

"I'll move out when I get the money," the handler said.

"I would need you to point me to a tailor or a seamstress, good man Hua," at the respectful way he was being addressed Hua, who turned out to be Ying Hua, smiled.

He sent Nikola to the seamstress, telling him to place the clothes on Hua's tab. To be paid with Nikola's winnings.

Happy that his silver would remain in case he required it, Nikola first returned to old lady Nuo Nuying and gave her the copper.

When she found out he had no place to stay, she cursed handler Hua, calling him a grabbing old geezer, and she offered to host Nikola in her home for fifty coppers per day.

That was a bit much, even to Nikola, but the lady had been nothing but kind to him, and he felt like she deserved the money. How long could Ying Hua take to melt and sell the spear anyway?

Thereafter, it was to the seamstress. She didn't fleece him. Although, she attempted to offer him clothes made of silk. It must be hard for her to sell them in such a small village, Nikola supposed.

Still, Nikola was adamant that he wanted cotton. And soon his measurements were taken, and he received the promise that if he were to come back just before the shop closed, he would receive his first bundle of clothing.

With nothing better to do, he returned to old lady Nuying and offered to help her sell the rest of the buns. She was skeptical that he could, but when Nikola showed her a magic trick, in which he made a stone spin without touching it, she enthusiastically welcomed him.

She told him that if they sold all the buns, she would lower his rent to thirty coppers. So, here Nikola was, having fun performing magic tricks for the passersby.

He didn't do anything fancy. At one point someone brought a deck of cards and Nikola ended up telling the women of the village their past and, once they confirmed to the nonbelievers that he was indeed right, their future concerning their love life.

He did so in exchange for them buying a steam bun, and some of them demanded he read their future more than once.

And so, the buns were soon all sold out, and yet the women kept crowding around Nikola. At a loss for what to do, he looked back towards old lady Nuying, who had written a sign and was holding it up.

Learn your future for a copper!

The old woman was grinning like a child. Nikola resumed reading the fortune of the surrounding women, and he was relieved when the sun began to set for, he had an excuse to get away from the women.

"Gege, don't go! I want to learn my great-grandson's fortune next!" Mei Chang said, to whom he had been telling everything about her future grandchildren and their wild love affairs.

"I have to pick up my clothes, Madam Mei. Maybe if you come back tomorrow, I can tell you in exchange for a steamed bun," Nikola said, a soft smile on his lips. A smile which did not reach his eyes.

At this, Nuo Nuying's face lit up.

"Ok now, kind flowers, do let the oracle go about his business. He will be here tomorrow and for as long as he stays under my roof! But if you want to get your future told so badly, I suppose I can arrange meetings for a silver per reading."

The women were shouting at the old bun seller, who merely cackled. Nikola shook his head at his benefactor's opportunistic nature, and he continued towards the seamstress.

"Why don't you sell me your clothes?" the seamstress asked him as Nikola was changing into his new ones. "They are from wool, so they are unclean. I can make rags from the fabric. But the gold and silver I can take out. Sell it and give you a cut of the winnings."

Nikola's breath hitched. He wasn't going to wear the toga ever again anyway. However, it was of fine Atlantean make. He gripped the fabric of his new clothes and then looked at his old tunic.

Someone could recognize it.

It was too rich by far for someone, even a Trojan noble, to have. He needed to get rid of it. And yet…

His spear he knew he had to get rid of because of its value and markings. But the toga?

The seamstress was running a finger over the gold plate near the neck area, and Nikola gave a sigh. If he could gauge out his eye and kill off his people, then he could also give up a simple toga.

"Fine. I'll leave it in your hands. Just keep making me clothes. And keep putting them on Hua's tab."

"Will do, will do, Gege. Good night to you now," she then unceremoniously pushed Nikola towards the exit. Now dressed in traditional clothing, still more expensive looking than he would like, he fit in better.

Calm now, that he was sure that he won't be found out, he made his way towards the home of the old bun seller.

Two streets from the stall, no turns. A brown door with a yellow lantern in front of it.

The old woman had told him, and he looked around himself. The house was small but looked well-kept. He knocked on the door.

An exited Nuo Nuying opened it and ushered him in.