Galvin waited patiently. The long line he stood in seemed to stretch endlessly. People waited in crowds, extending out onto the streets and far beyond. To the right of him, Darius stood as well waiting.

  “I don’t understand this,” he said. “Why do we have to give up our igians? We’re the rebels!”

  Galvin laughed. “Not so loud!”

  Of course, no one but them could hear each other. The entire streets were bustling with noise.

  “Trust me, this is the right course of action. If we don’t want to be accused of being in Justicar, we should give up our money,” Galvin said.

  “But how will they know we were here?”

  “This isn’t just some event to exchange currencies,” Galvin said. “Last night Lord De’Shai was preparing ledgers at the ready. Hundreds of them, able to fit hundreds of thousands of names. You think we just give in our diamonds and then we get money back? No, they want to get our names as well and then see who didn’t turn in any gemstones and investigate them.”

  “Oh,” Darius said. “That’s actually really smart.”

  “Yeah so we have to blend in with the crowd. Unfortunately. I’d rather keep these diamonds too.”

  “Yeah but you don’t have to turn them all in.” And by all, Darius meant the three igians he had from before. One that Morwin gave him (well more like he took it) and the two he stole from Lord Demarian’s dead Dragikiri.

  Galvin chuckled. “You’re still not quite catching on are you?” he said.

  Darius raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  “There is a benefit to collecting all of these diamonds,” Galvin said. “One advantage that they’re providing for us. These will all be in the same place. It’s why I brought you along.”

  “Wait what’re you talking about?” Darius said, folding his arms. “You want me to steal these diamonds?”

  “Not so loud,” Galvin said, more seriously this time, his voice reduced to a whisper. He wasn’t even sure if Darius could hear him since everyone else was so noisy. “But yes. Not here though. After the collection, I am going to find out where they keep all of these diamonds, leave a couple gemstones for you behind so you can go in and get out without being detected.”

  “You have me do the riskiest things,” he said, grumping.

  “Yep, it’s why I brought you along.”

  Galvin scanned the massive crowd. Some of them seemed ecstatic, talking about how smart of an idea it was to outright ban gemstones. There were others who remained silent, however. They bore solemn looks on their faces. They knew that either their husbands or sons or even themselves would be eligible to be drafted into the army.

  Galvin hated the king for that. Not only would he drag innocents into his battle, but Galvin and his men might have to face those people on the battlefield.

  That’s why Galvin’s plan involved as little bloodshed as possible. The citizens of Agnius, are innocent to all this. Even the soldiers. The one who needed to pay is the king and his Ministers.

  The king knows that Galvin knows this. He’s using it as a deter, throwing people’s lives away. Galvin clenched his fists. Oh how he dreamed of the day he would be able to ram a sword through that twisted man’s neck.

  The line inched slowly. Every minute Galvin took maybe two steps forward. With this many citizens in Rathalin, he would expect them to have more people stationed for the collection.

  Thankfully the weather in Rathalin isn’t like the rest of Agnius. It felt more temperate here since it sat on a bed of grass. Galvin always wondered how the greenery got there, and if it affected the weather or if the weather affected where grass grew.

  The line inched forward again. Galvin waited what seemed like hours until there was only three people in front of him.

  “Finally,” Darius breathed. He felt bad for making Darius tag along with him on this, but truth be told, he didn’t want to feel lonely doing this. Mr. Axwel would never allow Morwin to wait outside like this, a job mainly designed for his servants.

  The three in front of him were served and then it was Galvin’s turn. A soldier sat at the table with a quill, his helmet resting on the table to his right.

  “Name?” he asked.

  “Galvin,” he replied.

  “Last name?”

  “Don’t got one.”

  The soldier put down his quill and looked up. “Seriously?” he said.

  Galvin nodded. “Seriously,” he affirmed.

  The soldier picked up his quill and grumbled under his breath, muttering things like how he hated his job and just wanted to go home. Galvin stood and waited as his name was written down.

  “And what’re you turning in today, Galvin without-a-last-name,” the soldier said with a snarky tone.

  Galvin frowned. What had gotten into him? Perhaps it was working all day in the heat with his armor on, doing a mundane task he didn’t much care for that was starting to get to his head. Galvin felt bad for the man. Judging by the empty seats next to the soldier, there was supposed to be more. That’s why the line had been moving so slow.

  “Three,” Galvin said. “And can you write that down with Darius’s name as well?” Galvin thumbed the brute standing next to him.

  “And what’s your last name?” the soldier asked, not looking up from his ledger. Darius remained silent, arms folded.

  The soldier waited for a moment and then scowled. He threw his hands into the air. “Does anyone here not have a last name anymore?” he exclaimed before furiously scribbling on the ledger. After a moment, he picked up a sack on the ground and placed it on the table.

  The sack rattled and shook as the soldier moved it, the bottom bulging out. It looked like it was about to burst any moment.

  “Are you just exchanging currencies or do you have gemstones to turn in as well?” the soldier asked, one hand gripped on the rim of the sack.

  “Just exchanging currencies,” Galvin said. He pulled out his three igians and bade farewell to them before tossing them into the sack. A clink sounded out as it flew in.

  The soldier reached underneath him and pulled three replacement igians. They looked just like what Galvin just turned in. He placed them firmly on the tablle and pushed it towards Galvin.

  “Thanks,” Galvin said, taking the diamond.

  “Sure,” the soldier said. “And get a last name before you come back.”

  “Will do,” Galvin nodded, stuffing the new currency into his pockets and leaving the line, Darius trailing behind him.

  Galvin pulled out the igians and held it out towards Darius. “Now, here’s another thing I can deduce from their new currency. What can you tell me about this new igian?” Galvin said.

  Darius thought for a moment. “It looks just like the old one,” he said.

  “Correct,” Galvin replied. “Everyone must be aware of the similarities by now. It shines the same way, it has the same texture to it, and it has the same weight. The only difference is…”

  “There’s no essence inside,” Darius finished.

  “Correct. This is a fake, manufactured out of artificial materials. And why would they do that, do you think? Wouldn’t it be easier to just create a new kind of currency and call that the new igian instead of allocating more resources to creating this?”

  Darius thought for a moment then shrugged. “You and I both know I have no idea. You’re the tactician so you tell me,” he said.

  “It’s because they want us to think they’re similar. So they can catch people who just don’t turn in igians. Those people likely aren’t rebels, but they will be technically breaking the law, so the king or Lord De’Shai or whoever can arrest them. They’re going to have Dragikiri stationed in hidden spots so they can detect essence of gemstones. Same thing with the other gemstones, they’re offering alternative. So the only reason for the change in rules is because of people like us.”

  “Those bastards,” Darius muttered. “It’s genius.”

  “Yeah, so we have to be vigilant,” Galvin responded.

  “What about the rest of your gemstones?”

  “Hidden away somewhere outside Rathalin beyond the campsites,” Galvin said. “I hid them when we came back. I only kept the igians on me since they’re the main currency.”

  “And how do you want me to go about robbing the king?” Darius asked as they continued to walk.

  “Stand by on that,” Galvin replied. “I’ll meet with you and give you the layout of the palace, then we can discuss.”

  Verona was free. They didn’t notice her slip away from the group of soldiers. She’d been there “guarding” while one of the other soldiers collected gemstones. But now that she’d slipped away from view, she could finally escape!

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  She maneuvered to a dark alley way and took the armor off her. She stowed it somewhere nearby, hidden from sight. She still had her spear and pondered where she should stow that as well or walk around with it. It would seem a little bit suspicious if a girl like her was casually walking around with a weapon as big as that.

  She decided to keep it. She took a strap and tied the spear to the strap against her back. Now all she had to do was wait. Wait until Lord Demarian was out of the city. Then she’d be free to do whatever.

  Only problem was she didn’t know how long the Minister of Labor would remain in Rathalin. How long would she have to wander in the shadows for? After walking for a couple of hours, she decided against her better judgment to throw away her spear. She didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to herself. Being a stranger in this city, that was the last thing she wanted.

  Although she does remember a little bit about this city from when she was younger… But her memory fails her. Those years in servitude, doing the same monotonous thing over and over has caused her to forget. He couldn’t even remember her father and mother’s faces. That didn’t bother her though as they’re dead.

  She wandered around the streets until eventually she stopped a pub. Her stomach growled. She sure wished she was back in the hobbit hole and go hunting with…

  No, forget about them. Every time she saw their deaths flash before her eyes, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. She’d been the only one to survive.

  She opened the creaking wooden doors and the scent of baked bread slapped her across the face. At the scent of it, her stomach let out a howl and she started salivating involuntarily.

  It smelled absolutely delicious. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her ruby. She stared into the gemstone. What value would this hold? Only one way to find out. She hadn’t wanted to sell the ruby, as she can do amazing things with it, but right now, her satiety takes priority.

  She placed the ruby on the counter and waited. The bartender looked busy wiping away at a mug with his towel.

  Verona waited patiently until he’d notice her there. One of the patrons next to her sat with a hunched back, sipping on his mug. Verona noticed him immediately. He was an older gentleman with some scars on his face and a goatee. He looked… dead inside.

  The older man caught Verona’s eye and leapt at her. Well, at her ruby.

  Verona moved to stop him from taking the ruby, but she was too slow. She leaned back and almost fell out of her stool as the man stole her gemstone.

  “Give that back!” she yelled.

  The bartender stopped with his mug cleaning and turned around. All eyes in the bar were on the two of them now.

  “Haha, sorry folks!” the older man exclaimed, keeping the ruby balled up in his fist. He slipped it into his pocket inconspicuously.

  Verona was about to protest but the man shot her a death glare. She wanted to jump up and fight him, but at the same time she had to keep a low profile. So she sat down and folded her arms, frowning.

  “Bartender!” the old man said. “Give this young girl something to eat, will you!” He placed some golden coins on the counter. “Whatever she wants, I’ll pay for.”

  Verona turned to the old man. His expression had changed. He didn’t look as empty as she originally thought. Instead, he looked… kindly.

  “Thank you,” Verona said, not sure of what to make of it. “But why did you steal from me?”

  The bartender collected the coins and asked Verona what she wanted. “Some scuttling meat with bread please,” Verona replied and the bartender walked away. Only in Rathalin would you have a pub and a kitchen in the same building.

  “I’m not stealing from you, kid,” the man spoke. “I’m protecting you.”

  Verona frowned. “I can protect myself,” she said.

  “You haven’t heard the recent decree of the king, have you?” the man spoke. “Just today, he outlawed all gemstones. If you presented this to the bartender, he would have called the guards the moment you weren’t looking, so consider yourself lucky I was sitting here.”

  Verona gave him a scowl. “That’s a lie! You’re just trying to steal from me!”

  “So I’m trying to steal from you and then buy you food?” the man said. “That doesn’t make much sense to me.”

  Verona ended the conversation there and looked forward, arms folded and a scowl on her face.

  “Hey hey don’t look so mad,” the man said. “What’s your name anyways?”

  “V-,” she was about to say but bit her lip. “My name is Jocie.”

  “Nice to meet you, Jocie. I’,m Jules,” the man said. “There now I’ve told you my name. Would a thief do that?”

  “You could be using a fake name.”

  At that, Jules let out a laugh. Then he moved a finger to his lip. “Don’t tell anyone I’m here though, I’m not supposed to be here.”

  “I won’t if you give me my ruby back,” Verona said.

  “An ultimatum huh? A devil you are.” He thought for a moment before nodding. “Fine, here. But don’t go around showing it off to everyone you come across.”

  The man reached into his pocket and was about to hand the ruby over when the doors slammed open.

  Verona turned to see who it was. Soldiers, holding spears, sauntering into the pub as if they owned the place. They set their spears down on one of the tables and sat down, waiting for one of the servers to come and bend to their will.

  Verona ignored them and turned back to Jules, but the man was gone. She knew it! He’d ran off with her gemstone!

  She gripped her knuckles. She should have known. He was waiting for the perfect moment of distraction to run away with her property! She would scream and cry out if she wasn’t trying to be invisible.

  A couple minutes of her waiting and a server brings her her order. That cleared her mind instantly. It smelled wonderful. She drooled at how crisp and brown the scuttling meat looked. And the bread was soft and stretchy to the touch!

  She began digging in, devouring her plate within a couple minutes.

  The bartender let out a hearty laugh. “Your parents need to feed you more, kid,” he said.

  Verona looked the bartender in the eyes and said, “My parents are dead,” before continuing to devour her plate. A sympathetic look crossed the bartender’s face before he walked off.

  That man hadn’t been the first she’d told about her parents. It won’t be the last either, but she enjoys the reaction when she tells them about her parents’ deaths.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she can see a man lingering in the shadow. She frowned. With the last bite of the scuttling in her stomach, she leapt off her chair and ran to the staircase, into the shadows.

  Jules had his back pressed against the wall, watching the other patrons of the pub. “Don’t bring any attention to us,” Jules said.

  “I won’t if you give me back my ruby,” Verona protested. To which the man reached into his pocket and produced the red gemstone, tossing it over to her.

  She fumbled with it a little but eventually caught it. She hastily shoved it into her pocket.

  “I’m not supposed to be here,” Jules repeated. “So I would really appreciate it if you kept me being here a secret.”

  “All I wanted was my ruby,” Verona answered. “Besides you’re not that interesting.” She turned around to walk away. “And thanks for the meal.”

  She could feel eyes on her as she walked away from this man. Before the man could catch up to her, she was already gone from the tavern.

  Many soldiers patrolled the streets. In the main square, she could see Lord Demarian standing there, talking to someone.

  Nope, still too dangerous. She turned around and headed back into the inn, right back into the shadow where Jules stood, hiding.

  “You’re not supposed to be here either, are you?” Jules asked.

  She nodded.

  “What will happen if you’re found?”

  “I will probably go back to being a slave,” she whispered. “And I really don’t want that.”

  “Don’t worry kiddo. Just stay by my side and I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen to you.” Verona wanted to tell him no, to push him away. After what happened to the ex-slaves, the same fate would befall him. After all, anyone who comes into contact with her has bad things happen to them eventually. She wanted to protest and walk away, but something glued her there. She remained standing, unsure of what to do. What does she tell this strange man?

  “You don’t want anything to do with me,” Verona whispered. “I just witnessed an entire band of ex-slaves killed, and it’s my fault. If you want to remain alive, then stay away from me,” she said.

  “Kid,” Jules spoke. “If all I cared about was staying alive, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today. So shut up and let me help you.”

  And from that, an unlikely alliance had been formed.