Respeton Wagers a 26 coin
“What’s happening, Jamce?” asked Dorama as she rubbed her arms to keep warm.
“I’m not sure, best to keep that medallion of yours hid though. Those men at the roadblock aren’t soldiers. So we must be careful with our words,” said Jamce sternly as he turned to Saycha and buttoned up his jacket concealing the medallion.
“Understood, they could be thieves. They don’t look like Cornerme’s men though,” said Saycha.
Cornerme is the local land baron and is notorious for using his men to steal from the Beba.
Very few people have ever actually seen him in person or knew where he lives. The Beba fear him nonetheless.
“Possibly, but Cornerme’s men usually strike at night. No…this feels different,” said Jamce as he looked at the men in black robes searching the wagon in front and then he said,” Saycha, why don’t you foot it through the woods and meet us down the road a distance.”
“You’re right, I’ll meet you at the windmill, wish me luck,” said Saycha as he ducked into the woods.
“Luck,” said Dorama quickly.
Saycha walked a hundred feet into the woods and turned to see the men in black robes talking with Jamce and Dorama. The men started searching the wagon.
“What are you looking for?” asked Saycha quietly to himself.
“Look, you’ve got no right to search through our things and not even tell us who you are,”
said Dorama boldly.
“Who we are is none of your concern. Who we can be is more trouble than you can stand.
So shut that mouth of yours ‘til we’re finished!” said Prines as he squeezed Dorama’s mouth.
Jamce pulled Prines’ hand from Dorama’s face and said sternly,” Watch it.”
Prines smiled smugly and stared at Jamce. Prines has glowing red eyes and large white teeth.
His hair is short, jet black, and spiked straight up. His face looks like pure evil. He has a long crooked nose and a scar on his chin. His skin is pale and he is tall and thin. His cheek is pierced and has a yellow diamond pin filling the hole.
“Watch what, Peasant. I could break you over my knee,” said Prines snidely as he walked right up to Jamce then asked angrily,” How would you feel about dropping today? You know your lifeless body dropping into a hole of my choosing.”
Jamce stared at Prines for a second and then blew a quick burst of air into his face, whereby Prines was startled, but then he pushed Jamce’s face back. Jamce pulled his dagger and was instantly surrounded by three men in black robes with swords drawn.
“I wouldn’t try it, Peasant. I’d hate to see this beautiful lady feel such a loss,” said Prines as he ran his finger across Dorama’s chin. Dorama froze for a second, then looked at Jamce who gave her a look that suggested she bite her tongue.
“We found nothing, Lord Prines,” said Coma as he walked out of the wagon and up to Prines.
Coma is pale skinned with spiked and slicked back blonde hair. He is a grown man with the face of a teen-aged boy. He has one green eye and one brown, and also has a sickle tattoo under
his Adams apple. His lips are round and larger than normal. He is slightly shorter than Prines, but had a stockier build (thick through the chest). His hands have large knuckles and his fingernails are seal black.
Prines smiled and said,” Well then, our new friends can continue on their journey. Keep your eyes on these woods friends, there filled with Canto and I’d hate to see you be feasted upon, not so much you though,” said Prines as he pointed to Jamce.
Jamce and Dorama boarded their wagon and took off immediately. Jamce glanced back at Prines and then said,” That man is a terror, best to steer clear of him and his men in the future.”
“Agreed, he chokes the air with his ego,” said Dorama as she put her head on Jamce’s shoulder.
“I wonder how Saycha made out?” asked Jamce.
Saycha had worked his way through the woods and wasn’t far from the windmill. He started to jog when a Canto jumped out from behind a boulder. Saycha in his hurry to leave had forgotten his blade. He felt sheer terror as the Canto stocked him. The Canto was growling and had froth dripping from its mouth. The Canto lunged at Saycha, and as it went to sink its teeth into his neck the medallion shot a red stream of fire into its face. It completely melted the Canto’s head to ash and its body slumped over dead.
“What just happened?” asked Saycha nervously as he looked down at the medallion. The man in the medallion was laughing at him. He started shouting again and waving his fists.
Saycha was perplexed by this and then realized he had to keep moving. He sprinted the last 50
yards to the windmill, where Jamce and Dorama were waiting.
“You won’t believe what just happened to me,” said Saycha as he climbed into the wagon.
“You’ll have to save it we’ve got to get moving. We need to put some space between us and those men,” said Jamce sternly as he helped Saycha into the wagon. Jamce blew his golden whistle twice (this told the Palant to get moving double time). The wagon tore down the road with Jamce at the helm. Inside in the kitchen Dorama could tell that Saycha was troubled so she asked,” What’s bothering you, Saycha?”
“Something happened, something that couldn’t happen and now I think the medallion is cursed,” said Saycha nervously as his hand pulled at his jacket.
“Well I won’t lie to you I’ve had my suspicions. Last night I had a vivid nightmare where the man in the medallion got out and killed Lord Beba and took over Evare,” said Dorama plainly as she brushed back Saycha’s hair.
“Oh, Dorama, that’s terrible, I had that same nightmare last night.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No I’m not, but in mine the man in the medallion killed Lord Beba and…”
“Wait, tell me!” said Dorama as she put her hand son Saycha’s shoulders.
“And then he had all three of us pushed off a mountain cliff. Then I woke up suddenly,” said Saycha quietly.
Dorama put her hand over her mouth and felt shocked at what Saycha had said. The two just stared at each other in terror. Then in came Jamce and he said urgently,” Get your blades we’re being followed.”
“Who does it look like?” asked Saycha.
Jamce searched in the bureau frantically and pulled out his sword and said,” I think it’s those men from before. If they want a fight, we’ll give it to em’, right!”
“Right,” said Saycha as he raised his sword.
Jamce’s sword is 4 feet long with a red and yellow handle and has the name Rodgee written on it (it was formerly his father’s). Saycha’s sword is 4 and a half feet long and has an intricate design on the blade of Movery’s stampeding (Movery’s are similar to horses as far as their bodies are concerned, but their heads are twice as wide, square, and menacing with large snarling red teeth and vacant yellow eyes. The handle on Saycha’s sword is black leather with the word MOMBE written in silk (Mombe is Saycha’s childhood friend who passed away when he was 14).
Saycha and Jamce hurried up the stairs to the back of the wagon, while Dorama grabbed her crossbow and whip and made for the front. Saycha peered through the peephole and saw three riders on Movery’s wearing flowing black robes. Jamce took a look and said,” It’s Prines, let’s send em’ ah little present.”
Jamce and Saycha took a glass bulb filled with kerosene (known as a Tipsa) and lit the fuse and hurled it at Prines. The Tipsa exploded in front of Prines and he and his Movery leapt over the burst of flames. Prines shouted,” Careful Fools, I don’t burn easy!” Prines whipped hi Movery and then said sternly,” Coma, you go around to the front and take the reins! Wostok, you’re with me. We’ll see who wants to play.”
Prines and Wostok pulled to the right side of the wagon and Prines jumped from his Movery onto the stairs. Wostok pulled alongside and jumped through a window and into the wagon. He was met by Saycha, who sliced at his chest, gnashing him. Wostok tried to cut Saycha’s legs, but Saycha jumped over the blade. They blocked each other’s swings and sparks flew off the blades.
Back and forth they dueled at torrid speed. Wostok grabbed Saycha’s blade with his gloved hand and shot his blade at his throat, but just as the blade touched the skin a green light came out of the medallion and turned Wostok into a mouse. Saycha paused for a moment, smiled, and
crushed the mouse under his boot and said,” That’s twice you’ve saved me. There won’t need be a third.”
While this was happening Jamce and Prines were engaged in a sword fight of their own.
“Is that the best you’ve got, Peasant,” snipped Prines as he blocked Jamce’s volley.
Jamce sliced his thigh and said,” Not even close, Lord Wines!”
Prines grimaced and then came at Jamce viciously with blinding speed. It was all Jamce could do to keep him at bay. Prines kept putting on the pressure and had Jamce on his back.
Prines raised his blade and was just about to do Jamce in, when Saycha burst through the doorway and threw a spear at Prines. Prines sliced the spear in half with his sword, then walked over to the edge of the wagon and jumped off the side with a smirk on his face.
On the front of the wagon Coma was just drawing even with Dorama. She saw him and raised her crossbow and taking dead aim. She fired, but Coma caught the arrow in his teeth and bit down on it smashing it in two.
Prines yelled,” Leave that wench for another day. Follow me, Coma.”
Prines shot into the woods and Coma followed after him. They disappeared quickly into the dense forest. Jamce and Saycha joined Dorama on the front of the wagon.
”We all in one piece?” asked Dorama plainly.
“I’m not sure I was before,” Saycha quipped as he smiled.
“Thanks for coming to my aid. That bloke was faster than I thought. I’ll be ready for him next time,” said Jamce as he put his hand on Saycha’s shoulder.
Saycha nodded and said,” I did what I could. You know the man in this medallion’s got a few tricks up his sleeve.”
“Really, what do you mean?” asked Jamce.
“It was my death for certain, but then a green light came out of the medallion. It turned old black robe into a mouse and I squashed him good.”
Jamce looked at the medallion and said,” Maybe this will end up helping all of us. It could be completely positive, all and all.”
After a few more hours on the road they pulled into Ragne village and decided to stock up on supplies. They parked the wagon and went in a store front to barter for goods. Ragne is a small village with only two stores and the stores are two story clay buildings with grass roofs and star shaped windows. There are also a dozen huts where people live that also have clay walls and grass roofs. It is notorious for gambling though. There isn’t anything you couldn’t bet on, if you had the salt.
Saycha walked up to the counter and perused the wares. They had salted Cory tongues (Cory’s are a pig like animal but with rounded noses and brown skin). They also have Yeha cakes (which are chocolaty with baby Cogo skin frosting, a favorite for any palate). There is also blueberry Guros sandwiches (Guros are made from boiled Palant droppings and packed quite a punch). Finally, there is Xstepy (Xstepy is a delicacy made from shredded Rowe birds testicles and is wrapped in a flaky pie crust and is very flavorful).
“We’ll have 2 Cory tongues, a dozen Yeha cakes, twenty or so blueberry Guros’ and 30
Xstepys. What’s all that worth to you?” asked Saycha as he put his brown burlap sack of coins on the counter.
“Well do you want to just pay or possibly wager for the goods?” asked Respeton with a wry smile on his face.
“What’s the wager?” asked Dorama as she slid in beside Saycha.
Respeton smiled and said boldly,” I bet I can snatch a coin off your head before you know it’s gone or for fare’s sake within 10 seconds.”
Saycha looked at Dorama for a second, then at Respeton and asked,” Alright, what are the stakes?”
“If I win I get that whole sack of coins. And if you win, you get all the food you can carry liquor too,” said Respeton.
Saycha opened his burlap sack and counted his money and said,” I’ve got 26 coin here, not a small sum. Alright you’ve got 10 seconds, Friend. Where’s the coin?”
Respeton pulled a gold coin up from under the counter and handed it to Saycha. Saycha inspected the coin and then shrugged his shoulders and put the coin on top of his head. Respeton started waving his arms spastically in front of himself.
“1,2,3,4,5…” counted Saycha.
Dorama saw a small hole in the ceiling above Saycha open up and a small hand reach down.
Saycha was too preoccupied with Respeton’s wild antics to notice. Dorama pulled him by the shoulders towards her and away from the little hand before it had time to grab the gold coin.
“6,7,8,9,10,” said Dorama as Saycha looked at her perplexed.
Saycha looked at Respeton who looked very unhappy and said,” Alright, Friend, a bet’s a bet,” then Saycha grabbed the coin from his head and handed it to him.
“A bets a bet, take whatever you like,” said Respeton glumly as he slumped over the counter. A few minutes later Jamce came into the store where Saycha and Dorama were, only to find them sitting on two crates of goods with 12 more surrounding them.
Jamce asked,” Who’s stuff is this?”
“It’s all ours,” said Saycha proudly.
Jamce smiled and asked,” But we only had that sack of coins, what happened?”
“Your brother and I bet it all on a sure fire bet,” said Dorama as she took a bite from a Xstepy.
“But what if you lost, that was all we had!”
“But we won, we’ll worry about losing some other time,” said Saycha with a smirk.
“Well I can’t argue with that logic,” said Jamce as he laughed.
“That’s right you can’t, so throw us a hand with our ill gotten gain,” said Dorama with a smile.
They loaded all 14 crates onto the wagon. All told they walked away with all the Xstepys, 60 Cory tongues, 150 Yeha cakes, 92 blueberry Guros’s, and 8 bottles of wine, 6 bottles of bourbon and their 26 coin.