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[1406] – Y06.306 – The Heart I
🕑 Added 2025-10-19 17:00:11 +0000 UTC‘Impossible!’ Sabreen thought, for the half elf was far too young to face against the likes of Vaseera and Rook. No, he was too young to defeat the likes of Vaseera and Rook simultaneously, a feat which even the Sabres of Dusk would find difficult. The Faro’s mind raced with the thought of how the half elf could possibly manage such a feat? Was he lying about his age? He was a half fae, after all. Perhaps he was a dragon in disguise? Then again, he could have just been that kind of legend, the kind who would usher in a new era, a generation to be named after him.
“In terms of payment…” Adam smiled innocently.
“Is twelve thousand agreeable?” Sabreen thought, still half distracted by her thoughts. She assumed that was an acceptable price, and they would enchant a fine enough weapon worth that coin.
“What do you think, Executives Jurot and Kitool?” Adam asked, though he was fine with the price. He had expected a little more, but four thousand for each weapon was fine enough for him. ‘Should it plus D3 damage to each?’
“The enchantments will match the price,” Jurot replied simply.
“If twelve thousand is how much you wish to spend, Faro, it is enough,” Kitool added.
Dunes turned to acknowledge the Executives, wondering why they were picking a fight with the Faro. Somehow, even when he didn’t need to worry about to Adam, he still needed to worry.
Lady Sabreen could feel the accusation within their words. The Iyrmen, they were always so audacious! ”If the enchantment will match the price, then is fifteen thousand more acceptable?”
Adam threw a look to Jurot and Kitool, who nodded. “That seems agreeable, Your Grace.”
Even the way the half elf spoke, it swung towards the woman’s pride. However, if he was the kind who was no doubt at least a Grandmaster, or perhaps greater, there was little in which…
‘Is it an act?’ Sabreen thought, realising the most obvious solution to her issue. ‘Since they work for the group, the half elf could have defeated them in order to send word to me. Is this what they wanted?’
“If you are willing to trade our preferred payment, I will reduce the price to fourteen thousand,” Adam informed. “I would like gems, especially diamonds worth three and five hundred specifically, high quality ore, some firesteel, any other special ore, then the remaining half in gold and silver, and perhaps some beautiful paintings like that one on the wall.”
Sabreen remained silent, pondering his words. She motioned a hand towards a servant, calling for her granddaughter, while remaining silent, deep within her thoughts. It was a simple enough reason, to earn coin from her, but there must have been something else the group wanted. Perhaps it was to take her granddaughter hostage? No, that was impossible, the Iyrmen would not do such a thing, it was unheard of. So…
A small girl adorned in blue approached, a scarf loosely hung around her head, the kind with a hundred suns, each emanating vibrant rays across the scarf. She was small, a girl of six, perhaps, with a shy smile as she approached her mother. Her companion was a woman adorned in white, carrying a longblade at her side, a silent guard who remained ever vigilant.
“Lady Grandmother,” the girl called, standing at the woman’s side.
“Hassa, greet the merchants,” Sabreen said, lifting the girl onto her lap, wrapping an arm around her, like a belt, pinning the girl to her.
“Asaym, I am Lady Hassa.”
“Walay, I am Mo Adam, High Alchemist of the United Kindom,” the half elf replied, beaming brightly.
‘He is the High Alchemist?’ Sabreen thought, and upon hearing the title, she understood how the half elf could defeat the likes of the pair. ‘If he was under the affects of various pills…’
“Where is the United Kingdom?” Hassa asked.
“The United Kindom is a business that is at the Iyr’s border, all the way far to the west,” Adam replied.
“That is a great distance, High Alchemist. You have travelled a long way, I hope your journey has been well?”
Adam smiled even wider. “It is a far distance, even more so since we passed by from Arisa to the Jabal Adh Dahab, then north and around, and then we returned all the way back to here. Also, yes, I am very tired, but within a month or two, I shall return home.”
Hassa looked to the Iyrmen. “Are you strong warriors?”
“We are Masters,” Jurot replied.
“Wow! Masters? Are you forty years old?”
Jurot winced lightly. “I am twenty four.”
Though both Kal Fadi and Lady Sabreen were shocked by the revelation that the pair were Masters at the age of twenty four, Hassa tilted her head slightly, her face incredulous. She pulled back towards her grandmother, glancing up towards her to see if it was just a joke, but even she had been taught Iyrmen did not lie, but joking wasn’t the same as lying.
“Hassa, the Mo wishes to buy some of your paintings,” Sabreen said, wishing to quickly continue along with the conversation so she could be free of such a figure, and so she could sort out her thoughts.
“How many paintings can I buy from you, Young Lady?” Adam asked.
“Umm…” The girl hummed quietly in thought. “Five.”
“How much will you charge?”
“One hundred gold.”
“We’ll consider each painting one hundred gold and we’ll accept five, we will pay you directly from the coin the Lady pays us.”
Hassa raised her brows, since she had meant one hundred gold for the entire amount, but she smiled and looked up towards her grandmother, having sold her paintings for so much!
“As you wish, Mo,” Sabreen said. “You are in Aswadasad now, so I will pay you the entirety by the evening’s end.”
‘Man, Aswadasad is pretty baller, huh?’ Adam smiled wide. “What a wonderful saying.”
As the woman sent the servants to bring the chest she had prepared with the thousands of gold, mostly in gems, an older servant approached, whispering something into the old woman’s ear.
“I apologise, it seems some esteemed guests have arrived,” Lady Sabreen said, smiling politely. “I hope you enjoyed the luncheon.”
“It was wonderful, thank you.”
“I will allow you to remain until the hour’s end to complete your meal,” the woman said, standing, smiling warmly before carrying Hassa away. The girl looked over to Adam, who waved towards her, and the girl shyly waved back.
‘I suppose I can’t bully her too much in front of her granddaughter,’ the half elf thought, returning back to his meal. His eyes met Dunes’. “What?”
“I am annoyed that you are able to behave well but continued to trouble me this far.”
Adam winked, and the group finished their meals and made their way back to the inn. Adam furrowed his brows. ‘Did she bring her granddaughter to this place or is this her estate?’
The inn welcomed the group, Adam dropping down beside a particular old Iyrman, a sleeping baby within his arms.
“Good fortune?” Vasera asked, leaning back within her chair, enjoying the after effects of her meal, which settled so heavily within her stomach.
“Good fortune,” the half elf confirmed.
As evening approached, Adam wondered if it was good fortune, when Kal Fadi approached the half elf. This time, however, even Dunes was confused, since the half elf hadn’t done anything wrong. Unless, of course, it was to try and court him?
“The esteemed guests wish to see you, and to take the girl,” Kal Fadi said.
“Huh?” Adam replied, returning back to the Adam of yesteryear, his eyes sharpening, as if daring to bear his teeth towards the faris. He was so ready to make the Faro an enemy when he blinked, flashes of thought entering his mind. “Oh?”
“Tell your esteemed guests to wait until the twenty second,” called a voice, who had been missing for most of the day, but had just returned. The half dragon smirked.
“I must insist.”
“If you must insist, then you may escort me, and I will discuss with this esteemed guest of yours,” Bael said.
The faris paused to consider, but he couldn’t offend the likes of Bael. He turned towards the rest of the group, and with a nod from the half elf, he accepted Bael’s offer.
“Kizwolima, you may remain with mister Adam,” Bael said.
“Okay!”
As Adam watched him go, he could only wonder one thing. ‘Why’s he smiling like that?’
The large merman sat opposite the Faro, allowing her to accommodate him while he was within this forsaken city. He was tall, with long curly hair, and a golden trident rested to one side, though he was no longer adorned in his golden scales. A single guard remained nearby, also a merman, though an appropriate distance away, while a group of Aswadian warriors remained near the Faro.
‘To think he would have me come all this way,’ the merman thought. ‘How dare he, that damn-,’
The merman’s thoughts were broken as his eyes darted to the side, holding overt disdain. He blinked. His eyes turned from disdain to alarm as he saw the figure, his horns, and those azure scales. As the half dragon approached, the merman guard shifted, only for the Prince to raise a hand.
“Fall back,” the Merman Prince said, holding Bael’s gaze, his eyes wide, abject terror emanating from the Prince’s expression.
Bael held the Prince’s gaze for a moment, his smirk growing into a wicked grin, all the while basking in the knowledge that the merman understood. “We are leaving on the twenty second.”
Merza tried to speak up, swallowing, but thankfully for him, Bael showed mercy and stepped away, returning back to the inn after a moment with the Prince.
“Your Grace?” the merman guard called, his own heart pounding wildly within his chest, having never seen his liege so shaken before, he who was considered at least a Grandmaster across this land.
‘What is he doing here?’ Merza thought, his heart still pounding painfully within his chest, his lungs barely shifting for breath, his entire body heavy, as though he was moments from passing.
The Faro remained silent for a long moment, realising Bael was not a blue half dragon, but an azure half dragon. ‘…’
When Bael returned to the inn, he noted Kizwolima playing dice with the half elf. “Adam, you should play with Kizwolima for the next few days.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Adam replied eagerly, his eyes beaming, ready to take the girl to the market and spoil her, even as late as it was.
Meanwhile, Bael would need to do that.
