Four Horsemen: Chapter 15 Part 3 of 3

“Yes, but in extreme cold they can begin to crack and unleash the power within, creating mind-altering issues,” Mya was two items along, creating piles as she went. “And that one has been exposed to cold already.

Limos picked up the item, adorning his monocole, his expression turning something absolutely monstorous.

“A finer eye as ever miss Asmani. It seems that one of my suppliers was less that scrupulous in their sale.” Limos’ smile was an ugly thing that vowed blood.

Mya finished her inspections, a pile of gear on the table. Petor held onto the spear, not sure of where to put it down.

“That should be good,” Mya nodded. “A fine selection indeed.” She drew out a low table and put it on the ground.

“The gear,” She waved to the others.

They pulled out the armor, purses, rings and other items they’d looted, Mya rooted around in the pouches and in the storage items that they’d stuffed into pockets.

Valter pulled out pieces as Mya placed them on the table. Limos’ monocole shining as he studied each item.

Mya quickly organized goods, storing some and putting others on display.

Armor and weapons made a pile onto themselves.

“Petor have a look,” Mya flicked him what looked like a silver coin.

“Ah, whoop, huh,” He juggled it, catching it just before it fell on the ground, still with the spear in the crook of his arm.

Cheeks burning he studied the coin, opening its storage space.

Rather ingenious hiding it as regular coin.

It had some spears, arrows, various ingredients as well as some books some with a sigil of the different gods on their cover.

Petor placed his spear on the table and drew out the different spears. He didn’t have the information that was in Limos’ book.

He only had himself to rely on as he tested out each, moving them around, testing their weight, their balance and their materials.

“May I?” Valter pointed at one of a red wood and carved spear head.

“Sure,” Petor held it out.

Valter flicked the shaft, listening and shook his head.

“Not that one.”

Petor frowned and flicked it too, the hell did he hear?

“Okay,” Petor moved through the other spears, until he reached a spear of white wood and steel sharpened razor fine. Petor went through several moves and grimaced.

“What’s wrong?” Valter asked.

“I like it, but the spear head, its finely made, I’m not sure if it can withstand the punishment.”

“May I?” Valter held out his hands.

Petor handed it over.

Valter pulled out a small hammer and tapped the side of the spearhead, a few more taps.

“It will work.” He flipped it over in his hands.

“Low gold I would guess,” Valter shrugged and handed it back.

“Any you don’t want, give them to me,” Mya said.

So focused on the weapons she’d completed the bartering and trading with Limos. Desari was gathering up her books as Mya did the same with the other gear.

“Valter grab some healing gear and potions.”

Petor drew out spears and laid them on the low table that he’d already passed over. He held onto the white and steel spear, as well as some sturdy spears made with lower quality materials.

Limos ran a hand over the spears, examining each intensely.

“This one has a crack through the wood.” He tapped the spear Valter had flicked.

“Yes,” Valter said.

“The metal is still good though and the wood can be used for arrows.”

“I’m no smith.”

“But you know some.”

“I’ll take it if you don’t want,” Valter said.

“There we are,” Mya hit the bottom of the spear, making it flip over, Valter caught it.

“Please don’t do that.”

“I knew you’d catch it,” Mya shrugged, irrepressible grin on her face, her hands stuck in her pockets.

“What are you looking for?”

“Thirteen gold, fourteen silver and thirty seven copper.”

“You’re already scraping me clean with your other deals.”

“We both know that you can resell the gear back to the churches, the devout need more than just belief to protect their lives. They’ll be calling you their savor for returning their gear.”

“You don’t think that they might ask where the gear came from.”

“Well I didn’t say sell the churches their own gear. The priests might be interested to learn the blessings that the other gods give and wouldn’t they love to steal the other god’s armor to fight them in?”

Limos’ eyes flickered to her and back to the armor.

“Fight the other believers in their own armor.” Limos’ smile grew. “Nine gold, forty three silver and sixty seven copper.”

Mya clicked her tongue and sighed. “Fine, but you give us two more cards.”

“Portals are no cheap magic.”

“Then be happy I’ve given you so many great deals today. You also forcefully burned one card.”

Limos held his chin and studied them all as if they were goods.

“This Devil must be getting too old,” he spread two cards between his fingers and flicked them out, Petor and Valter caught them.

“Write on them if you have information to request, write to me about the goods you have to sell. If you rip them it will create a one way portal here, but I’m not wasting a trip through the veil just for your whims. If you call me into a fight you will regret it.”

His last words were cool, the threat buried within, he caught each of their eyes and flicked his hand, a sheaf of papers appearing as he held them out to Mya who took them.

“The contracts.”

He hopped up the stairs to his carriage, taking off his hat in a sweeping bow as his beasts pulled him forward, a blood red line opening into the swirling ink of the veil.

“Until we meet again horsemen.” He turned as if to close the door. “Oh, and watch out the little god hunters are on their way.”

His eyes flashed as his stairs folded back up and the door closed behind him. His beasts and carriage disappearing through the veil.

It closed, leaving them in the forest.

“Well, at least we have some answers,” Desari said, retreating back to the logs they’d been sitting on.

“Low gold spear,” Mya lowered her glasses. “It’s called the moonlight spear.” She trudged back to camp and stretched, yawning. “Nothing like a good haggle!”

Valter snorted.

They re-organized in their seats. Mya hummed to herself, pulling out vials, bandages and trinkets. The others lost in their own thoughts.

I started a rebellion?

He reached up and pulled out the scarred medallion around his chest, rubbing his thumb over the scratch that ran through it.

“Okay, there we are,” Mya pulled the corners of cloth together over two bundles, dropping one off with Desari and another with Petor, holding out her hand.

“Coin?”

He passed it to her.

“Keep these.” She dropped the spears on the ground, checked her pouch, and dumped out a collection of silvers and coppers on the bundle, two sides had opened of the cloth, revealing trinkets and potions.

“What?” Petor looked at the wealth as she moved to Desari.

“Arrows, ingredients and your share.”

“Share?” Desari asked.

“Well we’re a merry band of idiots, as much as I hate giving out gold it was our loot I just did the negotiating.”

“What about the weapons and gear?” Petor asked.

“Well if you’re watching my back, I don’t want you exactly using a spear that’s going to break in half!” She grabbed the last cloth wrapped bundle and put it next to Valter, dumping out pieces of the blessed armor and several different ingots, then his coins.

“Thank you,” Valter said.

“Anytime sweet cheeks,” She gave him an outlandish wink and dropped the last copper into his hand with a grin.

Valter raised his eyebrow-it did seem one of his more common ways of communicating- in the way a brother might admonish a little sister.

Mya chuckled and headed back to her perch.

“Okay you all got some health potions, bandages and poultices, oh and soap, personal preference there.  The bracelets, chains and earrings are illusion trinkets, they won’t make us invisible, but it will make us forgettable so we have less chances that people recognize us. I also got nails that can go into our mounts horseshoes to change their appearances too. It’s not infallible, you punch someone or do stuff to draw attention and people will see through it.”

She dropped onto her log. “Way I see it, anything undead comes my way, as well as ammunition for my guns. Metal and ingots over to old fire puncher.”

“That’s not how you-“

“Ingredients for boom powder and multicolored, nonalcoholic, weirdness over that way, as well as arrows, darts, knives. Assassin-y shit and magic book things. Oh!” Mya flicked the coin over. “There’s more books for you and Valter in your book club.”

“Thank you?” Desari put the coin away with a frown.

“Then the spears and all the shiny marbles, to our fellow over here. Oh, and seeds?” Mya shook her head. “Any gear is up for grabs, then the rest of it, or stuff you don’t need goes into the pot,” Mya leaned forward, her smile spreading into something predatory. “Then just let ole Mya here work her magic. Let me know if you need anything else and I’ll be on the lookout. Otherwise I’ll just go for more gear I think will work for you and stuff that I think could be useful.”

Mya shrugged and went checking through her rings, pulling out what she’d bought for herself, adjusting her earrings on her left ear.

“Thank you,” Petor said.

“Ah stop it will you,” she waved them all off. “Just saving my ass by saving yours.” She grumbled, but Petor caught her smile as she tried to shield her face in replacing earrings.

Petor shared a look with Desari, their eyes flickering back to their embarrassed pirate.

“What of the contracts?” Valter asked, a band added to the ones he wore already.

Mya pulled them out, gathering everyone’s attention as they put away the gear for later.

“There’s eight in total. We can join an army as mercenaries, explore a city that has been rediscovered, then there are a couple of trader protection contracts.”

“We don’t know the area and there are five gods looking for us and they’re not going to like the answers we give. We should get clear of this place as soon as we can,” Desari said.

“There is a river merchant leaving from Gilhem. We track there and take their ship out of here.”

“We don’t have the best reputations, if we’re defending a group we’re going to need to come up with something to hide who we are,” Valter said.