Valkyrie's Shadow

Winter's Crown: Act 4, Chapter 6

Winter's Crown: Act 4, Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Furry legs pumping wildly beneath him, Zu Chiru made his way breathlessly through the Demihuman Quarter. Terror flooded his mind and he dared not glance behind, lest he discover the Crimson Harbinger stalking in his wake. His panicking heart would surely explode in his chest if it were the case.

Zu Chiru did not know why she had come, only that she stood before him: eyes glowing with vermillion radiance across the threshold of the door. When next he woke, the Dragon was being murdered, and Zu Chiru slipped out of the door amidst the commotion. She was not a bad Dragon, he thought, but she was soon to be a dead Dragon, and he did not wish to be next.

He ran and he ran, past the Goblins and the Ogres; the Lizardmen and the Dwarves; along the street with its rows of tables. He ran until he found himself at the western gatehouse, near the grounds of the Azure Sky, Iron Fist Sect. Squinting out at the painfully lit streets of the Human city beyond, Zu Chiru knew he could go no further. He scurried off to the side; into the cold, dark space behind the Dwarven Inn, weeping alone quietly over his harrowing ordeal. He wanted to go home, back under the mountains where it was dark and warm and wet and the world was not so terrifying.

Regaining his wits sometime later, Zu Chiru poked his head out of the alley to look upon the street. Along the road, he saw the tables from before, now arrayed with many things. Behind them stood members of different races, most of whom he was entirely unfamiliar with. Sharp, green scents filled the air, unwelcome to his Quagoa senses.

Residents of the quarter moved alone or in small groups, walking up and down the long row of tables. Some stopped to exchange various items, but he could not make sense of how their bartering worked.

“ROCKS!”

A bellow nearly startled him witless again.

“BUY ROCKS!”

An Ogre a few tables away shouted out into the night. Several Lizardmen had already gathered at his stand; why did he have to be so loud?

Zu Chiru watched as they spoke with the Ogre, holding up several items in turn. The Ogre stopped them at a coil of narrow rope and nodded after a moment. The Lizardmen picked out small, smooth stones from those displayed on the table, placing them in a bag while leaving the rope behind. Curious, Zu Chiru came out of hiding and waddled over to the table.

“D-do you have ores?” He asked.

“I have ROCK!” The Ogre’s fetid breath blew back Zu Chiru’s whiskers.

Well, maybe he shouldn’t expect too much from a surface dweller. He stood on his tiptoes and sniffed around the table. His nose led him to a stone roughly the size of his head.

“What about this one?” Zu Chiru pointed to the stone that bore traces of ore.

“Show.”

“Show? Oh.”

It occurred to Zu Chiru that he had nothing to barter, not even a scrap of worn hide. He pulled his hand back and stepped away from the table, shuffling up the street.

“ROCKS!” The Ogre bellowed out again, “BUY ROCKS!”

Zu Chiru let out a great sigh – he couldn’t even afford rocks. If the Zu Chiru of today told the Zu Chiru of months past that this would be his future, Zu Chiru would surely dismiss Zu Chiru as a lunatic.

“Zu Chiru.”

A warm, familiar voice from nearby stilled his steps, and he turned towards its source.

Several tables away, standing on the back of a wagon, was the Human, Florine. He made his way over and found a second Human sitting on the edge of the wagon, legs swinging idly as she looked around. Zu Chiru looked up at Florine.

“Y-you remember me?”

He had only given her his name once: back when a few of his people had gathered to learn about the city after having food brought to them.

“Of course – you were quite attentive back then,” her eyes scanned the street briefly. “No one else from your clan came to see the market?”

“They...this is not a place where they would come.”

“Why not?” The other Human asked.

Zu Chiru shrunk away from her sharp, inquisitive voice. This second Human female was the same height as Florine, but thinner, and had a devilish gleam in her icy topaz eyes. Unlike Florine, whose eyes glimmered like warm amber pools, this other one caused him to shiver from an intangible chill.

“Who…who…”

“This is Liane,” Florine told him, “a close friend of mine. Don’t let her scare you – she’s here to help everyone here, just like me.”

He looked back and forth between them, then recalled something he heard Master Tian mention.

“Someone said that there is a Lady Gagnier and a Lady Wagner here…”

“Hey! Why does she go firs–”

“That would be us,” Florine said. “Liane is Lady Wagner, and I’m Lady Gagnier.”

“I-if you are styled in such a manner,” Zu Chiru said carefully, “does that mean you are Human Lords?”

“We are Human nobles, yes,” she replied.

“Then…your clans – how large are they?”

“Our clans…? If you’re referring to how many subjects we each have under us, hmm…including the ones in the merchant companies, there should be around 11,000. Liane should be around 12,000?”

“Something like that,” Lady Wagner said. “A quarter of mine are in the merchant companies, though.”

Zu Chiru’s eyes threatened to roll out of their sockets, and he felt himself backing away. These two Human Lords had clans that rivalled even the great Quagoa clans from before the day of sorrow. Why did Lady Gagnier call out to him? Was he actually allowed to speak to them? If he uttered one wrong word, the Zu Aygen clan might be mercilessly crushed.

The words spoken earlier in the night by the dead Dragon must have been true. The people of this city were sly: veiling their strength and playing games of power that he had no idea about. He glanced over to Lady Gagnier – he didn’t want to believe it, but…

“So…back to my question,” Lady Wagner said. “Why won’t the Quagoa come to the market?”

“T-the smell…” he hoped the answer would not offend, “my kind will stay away from it.”

The two Humans looked up and started sniffing the air.

“Uh…which smell?” Lady Wagner asked.

“The smells that were brought in tonight,” Zu Chiru explained. “Our people live underground, so scents drifting down from the surface are a sign of danger. The smell of trees and other green things, like much of what these people have brought with them.”

“Your people never visit the surface at all?” Lady Gagnier frowned.

“The surface is a dangerous place,” Zu Chiru’s voice was grim, “for the day is bright and full of terrors.”

The two Humans exchanged glances.

“Does that mean the Quagoa won’t ever come to the market?” Lady Gagnier asked.

“Of this, I am uncertain,” Zu Chiru answered, “but even the scent of the timber being used for construction here makes many of my clanmates nervous.”

“Hm…why are you here then?” Lady Wagner said.

“I was…on another errand, and saw what was happening here.”

Zu Chiru didn’t want to admit that he was fleeing for his life; even the kind Lady Gagnier might turn her gaze away. Such a coward had no right to speak to clan leaders. He shifted from foot to foot nervously as Lady Wagner leaned forward as if to examine him.

“In that case,” she said in a low, conspiratorial tone, “did you see anything you liked?”

“I-I was looking at a stand with rocks,” he replied, “but then I realized that I had nothing to barter.”

“That so?” Her voice returned to normal, and she straightened in her seat, “Well, let’s go take a look.”

Lady Wagner hopped off of the wagon and strode off, and Zu Chiru felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Lady Gagnier smiling down beside him.

“Shall we see what she’s up to?” She asked gently.

They made their way back to the Ogre and his rocks, but, by the time they reached the head of the line, over half of them were gone. He poked his head over the counter, but could not find the one he had sniffed out previously.

“I-it’s not here anymore.”

He looked down at his feet. Now he had wasted everyone’s time.

“May we take a look in the back?” Lady Wagner asked.

The Ogre gave them a nod, and they went into an alley behind the table, where a large cart full of rocks awaited. Lady Wagner motioned to him, and Zu Chiru hopped on and started digging around.

“Pick out a half dozen of the best ones,” Lady Wagner said.

Ten minutes later, a small row of rocks was placed on the table before the Ogre.

“How much?” Lady Wagner asked.

The Ogre held up a hand.

“Wow, discounts already? Or maybe he miscounted…you know there are six rocks here, right?”

The Ogre frowned down at the row of rocks, but, in the end, held up five fingers again.

Lady Gagnier placed five copper coins in the Ogre’s hand, and they went on their way. Lady Wagner led them to a clear spot on the nearby terrace, where she plopped the stone she had been hefting onto the ground. Zu Chiru placed the two stones he had scooped up beside it, and Lady Gagnier followed suit. The three stood around their purchase, and Lady Wagner put her hands on her hips.

“So,” she asked, “why’d you pick these ones out?”

“Because they had the best scents,” Zu Chiru replied.

“Quagoa senses are probably much keener than Human ones when it comes to this sort of thing,” Lady Gagnier told him. “Could you please explain to us what each of these stones is, Zu Chiru?”

Zu Chiru lifted the closest one between his claws, holding it out.

“This one is mostly iron ore,” he said. “Our children need ores to grow out their fur, but it is expensive to deliver here.”

He set the rock back down and pointed to three others.

“These also contain iron ore, but not as much.”

“Hum…” Lady Wagner stroked her chin, “what about these two that are left?”

“There is something inside them.”

“Something…?”

Zu Chiru picked one of them up and started nibbling away at the stone. After several minutes, all that remained was a white, oblong lump with traces of purple veins. It was about the size of a riding lizard’s egg, and he held the object up for inspection.

“You could smell that?” Lady Wagner furrowed her brow.

“Yes?”

“Okay…then what about the last one?”

Zu Chiru placed the lump on the ground and took the last stone. He turned it under his nose, trying to figure out the best way to get at what was inside. Gnawing away from the nearest end, he eventually produced a cloudy, red stone that fit in his paw.

The two Human Lords looked at one another.

“Is that one Dwarf still here?” Lady Gagnier asked.

“The lapidary?”

“The lapidary.”

“Should be around until the end of the week,” Lady Wagner said. “Want me to do it?”

“Yes, please.”

Lady Wagner picked up the two items and walked off.

“W-what’s going on?” Zu Chiru asked, “Where did Lady Wagner go?”

“She went to sell what you found,” Lady Gagnier told him. “They’re worth more than what we paid for all of these rocks.”

“Truly?” He gaped.

Lady Gagnier offered a smile at his wonderment.

“If you know where to go with what you have,” she replied, “there’s much that you can do. Was it very hard for you to locate those stones?”

“No, it is normally done this way when we go out foraging in the tunnels.”

“I see…would you be able to do this for shipments from the Azerlisia Mountains?”

“I do not think it would work so well,” Zu Chiru said. “The ones that send the ores will have already kept such things for themselves.”

“I suppose that makes sense…”

Lady Gagnier shivered and drew the long piece of cloth draped over her shoulders around herself. So surface dwellers could get cold in this exposed world as well…

“The Ogre that brought the rocks is from a tribe that lives deep in the Great Forest of Tob,” she told him. “I’m the one that went and suggested that they collect stones from the gullies and streams around their home, so I’m happy that he was able to find customers as soon as this market opened.”

“You went to them?”

Zu Chiru looked at her with wide eyes. Lady Gagnier was truly a Human Lord, to be able to brave such strange and dangerous places.

“I’ve been all around the Great Forest,” Lady Gagnier said, “trying to connect all the tribes living under His Majesty’s rule. Most of them are satisfied as they are, but a part of me thinks that it’s just because they haven’t seen how far they can go now. I managed to encourage a few dozen to come and bring the things that they liked from their homes to the city, thinking that they could provide what we Humans wouldn’t be able to think of for this quarter. So far, it appears to be a success…for those who have participated, at any rate.”

Lady Wagner reappeared, walking down the way towards them.

“That was quick,” Lady Gagnier said.

“The guy was right up at the front of the tavern,” Lady Wagner replied, “and I didn’t haggle too much.”

She held out her palm, upon which several silver coins rested.

“Twelve silver for the amethyst geode,” she said, “and ten for the carnelian. Mmh…I guess I should break some of this up into copper…”

“This becomes copper?” Zu Chiru resisted the urge to lean forward and sniff at the coins.

“One silver coin is worth thirteen copper ones,” Lady Wagner explained. “Well, with Re-Estize currency anyways – that’s still the majority of what’s circulating around the city–ow! Has anyone told you that you’ve gotten more and more violent recently, Florine? I know you’ve been spending a lot of time around Demihumans and all, but…”

“You shouldn’t go off on tangents like that,” Lady Gagnier told her. “They barely know what currency is, never mind all the different types and what’s in circulation. We can leave that sort of knowledge for later.”

“Feh. We really should have pushed for trade currency: the faster we get away from these nonsensical exchange rates, the better.”

Lady Wagner counted out a number of untarnished copper coins, then deposited everything into Zu Chiru’s paw. There were twenty silver coins, plus twenty-one of the copper ones. He looked back up again.

“W-weren’t the rocks from the Ogre only a single one of these copper coins?” He asked.

“That’s right,” Lady Wagner nodded. “He’s selling in bulk, so it’s up to people to pick out the ones that they want. His goal is to sell as many rocks as he can, so he can go buy some stuff for his tribe and go back to get more rocks. Those things are weirdly popular…”

“That’s why I started him off doing that,” Lady Gagnier said. “The local quarries are all tied up with the construction going on everywhere, so bringing them in during the night market will ensure that the residents get some of what they need. It’s a good thing, too – I had no idea that some of these items were in such high demand here.”

Zu Chiru looked down at the coins again. There were perhaps a half dozen more rocks in the Ogre’s cart that had a decent amount of ore in them, but he thought he should also buy some plain stones to make his family’s den more homey. At the thought of the warrens, he stumbled across an idea.

“There is limestone beneath the city,” he said. “Can the Quagoa use it to barter?”

“The city and the land that it’s on belongs to His Majesty,” Lady Gagnier said, “so you’ll have to obtain permission to do so first.”

“I doubt they’ll let you, though,” Lady Wagner said. “Pulling up the foundations of the city probably isn’t such a great idea. E-Rantel will just collapse and slide off the ridge if you guys dig up enough.”

“We’re on a ridge?”

“Yep. This is a fortress city: it’s built overlooking the surrounding areas.”

That would explain a lot of his clan’s findings while digging around. It was dry and desolate, but they never realized that the city was basically built on a tuft of dirt sitting on a hill.

“I see,” he looked down at the four remaining rocks on the ground. “I am not sure how I can thank you for everything. This would not have been possible but for your help…I am curious, though – why do this at all?”

“His majesty desires prosperity for his subjects,” Lady Gagnier told him. “As nobles, we follow His Majesty’s directives, and we also desire a prosperous realm. I believe His Majesty made a personal promise to your highlord, Pe Riyuro, did he not?”

“…those of Zu are far from Pe Riyuro’s inner circle,” Zu Chiru said. “We do not know what agreements they have made: only that our entire clan was sent to this place, away from our beautiful homeland.”

“I’m uncertain of your clan’s circumstances,” Lady Gagnier said, “but we’ve been worried about your people here since they arrived. Many of the other residents are slowly taking steps to find their own place here, but the Quagoa have some unique qualities that present barriers others would not have.”

“You…you’re worried? For us? But we are not of your clan.”

“You are citizens of the Sorcerous Kingdom,” Lady Gagnier smiled her warm smile, “and that is what’s most important.”

Her words were in drastic contrast to those of the Dragon and felt far more substantial than those of Master Tian. Zu Chiru’s mind told him that the Dragon’s words made more sense, but, somewhere in his heart, he wanted Lady Gagnier’s words to be true. His whiskers twitched as the words tugged at him. In the end, however, he could not forget the Crimson Harbinger and the day of sorrow. The world was a cold and brutal place, and it was better not to be drawn by such warm and comfortable feelings.

“A-anyways,” he dipped his head, “you have my gratitude. I will work hard to repay your favour someday.”

Zu Chiru looked down at the four ore-bearing rocks, trying to figure out how to carry them home with a paw full of coins.

“Hold up.”

He looked up at Lady Wagner.

“We’re not done with you yet,” she told him.

His hesitant gaze went from Lady Wagner to Lady Gagnier, who only beamed back at him.

Several hours later, Zu Chiru shuffled back home. Along the way, he crossed the elder watching over the disciples and their training.

“Oh, Chiru, you’re back – rumour is that you were eaten by a Dragon.”

“Ehm…not quite, Zu Loru,” he replied.

“Well, that is good. Will you be joining us now?”

Zu Chiru looked over at the group practising up on the terrace, then shook his head.

“It has been a long night, honoured elder,” Zu Chiru said. “I should go home and rest.”

The elder waved him off, and he continued on his way. He entered the clan warren, closing the stone portal behind him. After following the winding tunnels for a few dozen metres, he entered his family’s den. His sister looked up from tending to her children.

“Chiru!” She said, “You’re home early – you better not be slacking off…what’s that on your back? The odour will disturb the babies.”

Zu Chiru walked to the middle of the den, working the burden off of his shoulders. His sister came forward curiously.

“This is, um, a ‘wicker’ basket?” Something made out of woven surface plants, “I bought it from the market to help carry things.”

He undid the cover and laid out the stones between them. His sister leaned forward, sniffing at each.

“This is…how did you get these, brother?” Her voice was tinged in disbelief, “Did you find more work somewhere?”

Zu Chiru looked down at the row of stones, scratching his chest in thought over the night’s events. After making up his mind, he gathered his courage and looked back up.

“Sister,” he said. “This Zu Chiru will become a merchant.”