Aliyah squinted, raising a hand as the day’s last light slipped beyond the horizon. A bead of sweat glistened as it...
Aliyah squinted, raising a hand as the day’s last light slipped beyond the horizon. A bead of sweat glistened as it ran down her dark skin, and she hurriedly wiped it away, her tight curls bouncing as she did. Breathe Ali, she thought. This time’s no different than the others.
Except it was. Flashstone dealers were a rarity throughout the Empire, perhaps as rare as the Unbound themselves — the only people that could move faster than thought. And Aliyah made a living selling to them. Sometimes she thought she was mad, but at least it made good coin.
She leaned back, resting her head against the stone wall of the alley as the daylight rapidly disappeared, and went over the details one last time. I am Layella, a merchant from the outer reaches. We are a minor house — he probably hasn’t heard of us. She adjusted the bulky coat she was wearing, a fine mauve piece with filigreed gold. It was so much colder near the capital — or that was the excuse she’d tell him anyway. The garment hid her figure well. I took a loan from my father several years ago and travelled the outer reaches, buying and selling Flashstones from the mines. I’ve made something of a name for myself now, which is how I came across this. She fingered the large pouch at her waist, anxiously checking it was still there. Her hand tingled as the stone’s energy thrummed through the thick leather pouch. Most of them didn’t do that.
Aliyah breathed out, relaxing her shoulders and adjusting her posture as she stood upright. Layella was confident. She moved carefully out of the darkened alleyway, stepping over the dirt and mud onto the pristine cobblestones of the main thoroughfare. It was always clean near government buildings. She continued down the road at an unhurried pace, and it wasn’t long before she rounded a corner and saw it — the trade hall. Government run and sanctioned, of course. Aliyah had seen many trade halls in her travels, but she'd never been this close to the heart of the empire. It’s so big! She thought, as she started up the stairs, trying to keep the awe from her face. The stairs alone were larger than some of the buildings she’d seen in her home town. Great white columns rose on either side, supporting elegantly carved arches above that seemed to disappear into the night.
She entered through the large double doors — the trade halls were open at all hours — and scanned the large rotunda inside. A few workers carried stalls and benches, and several merchants were still haggling away over the day’s deals, but Aliyah ignored them. You can be impressed another time, she told herself, climbing the large staircase circling the room. Stay in character. She reached the top, and saw the meeting place ahead — a large, open room housed an enormous stone table with enough chairs to sit a generous crowd. Ahead, a large balcony overlooked the forest beyond, exposed as if to demonstrate they weren’t afraid of Unbound. That and the gorgeous view.
Aliyah stepped into the room, and took a seat, feeling rather small at the grand table. She sat upright with a dignified expression on her face and began waiting. It was getting well past dusk — he should be here soon. But officials were busy of course, and often ran late. She went over the details in her head again, staring up at the domed ceiling. And still no-one came. She fidgeted in the seat, shifting the unnecessarily voluminous coat under herself, and unconsciously started tapping her finger on the table. Nothing. Maybe they’re not coming. What if I was too cryptic? She thought. No, I was clear it was a very large Flashstone. Hm. Maybe I oversold it? She looked around anxiously, turning her head to look at the entrance.
The sudden scraping of stone on stone made her jump, and when she turned around he was there. A bald, thin man with sharp features stood, pulling out the chair opposite her. His deep robes draped around the furniture as he sat, studying her with an imperious look.
‘Miss Layella. A pleasure.’ he said in a thin, piercing voice. The sentiment did not reach his face, nor did he apologise for his tardiness. She shivered inwardly, but sat up straight.
‘Registrar Terst, the pleasure is all mine.’ Aliyah said with a poise she didn’t feel. She was used to keeping her facade despite her unease — even her trades with the faction in Tileth had gone well. ‘Thank you for inviting me to the great trade hall of Eoric city. Please be assured it will be well worth your time — you shan’t regret hearing the offer I bring.’
He stared at her flatly, and her calm faltered slightly. It’s just a negotiating tactic, she thought, though he didn’t respond. She pressed on, ‘I have, of course, brought my ledger of trade, stamped with the proper procedure.’ The ledger of trade was a formal document issued by the empire’s trade halls. Sales observed by government officials were given a stamp using rare, crimson Flashstones. Not impossible to fake, but very expensive. None of Aliyah’s were fake of course. Well, not many. ‘And if you require references, Fared Sarsir in Calac has dealt with me many times.’ she said, pulling out her ledger.
Has he blinked yet?
He waved his hand dismissively. ‘The ledger is unnecessary Miss Layella. We have checked our records extensively and have also been in contact with Mr Sarsir.’ he said, still not breaking eye contact. She knew it was a power play, but something in his eyes made her look down, and a glint of dark metal at his hip drew her gaze. Was that a dagger? If he’d noticed her looking he didn’t show it. ‘In fact, I also talked to another friend of yours just yesterday — I forget his name. Young fellow, blonde hair, rather large scar on his cheek.’ Her head whipped up at that. Yter was a merchant, barely, and not always an honest one. His methods were brutish, but he was tolerated for the riches he brought the empire. She was surprised that the government would so openly admit to dealing with him. They certainly are thorough, she thought. And bold. Yter is a bit too close to the truth. Time to change the topic.
Her hand tingled with energy and the pouch clunked heavily as she set it down on the table in front of her, finally drawing Terst’s scrutiny away. She smiled inwardly.
‘You seem a man who values directness, Registrar, so I’ll be concise. I offer a Core Shard of particular value today, for its former keeper was largely unknown to the nobility.’
While anyone could uncover the ability to flash, the trait was passed genetically. As a result, noble families across the entirety of Aredel made unions in attempts to pass the gene. That, combined with the rarity of Flashstones, meant the power was most concentrated with the rich.
‘The shard is of the vermillion type, and indeed holds a fraction of the Core Stone’s special properties. It is quite a unique item.’
‘Vermillion? Well, it is fitting you have brought it to us, isn’t it? The empire does value its symbolism.’ Terst said with a smile, gesturing to the scarlett banner on the wall. To us? Does he know? Oh shards she thought, holding down her panic and returning the smile. ‘And what are these special properties? Is it an endurance core? Or perhaps a shock core?’
‘Endurance cores are often emerald, good Registrar, and shock cores are usually cobalt from the mines. No, this vermillion core relates to how Unbound draw from the stones, though I could not tell you how unfortunately.’
‘Ah, so it is a haste core?’
‘It very well could be, however that would require an Unbound to test.’
‘You mean to say no Unbound has used the shard?’ He raised an eyebrow.
‘The previous owner was somewhat unusual in his usage, and did not want to bring undue attention to himself.’ she said, ignoring the bead of sweat forming on her brow. ‘I believe he came to rely on the shard for what little flashing he did, so much so that his judgement of its enhancements became difficult to distinguish. It is my understanding that this is commonplace among the higher nobility.’
‘Yes, they do tend to become rather reliant on their cores.’ he said, nodding. ‘Though that can be advantageous if one can utilise it to their advantage. In any case, I find myself rather impressed, Miss Layella. You exhibit a rare insight into the usage of such a scarce resource — for a merchant from the outer reaches, that is.’
Her mouth went dry. ‘That is most kind of you to say. I am honoured to receive such praise, Registrar.’ she said, clearing her throat, and reaching to open the pouch. That would certainly ameliorate him at least a little. His hand shot out though, laying atop the leather drawstring as he peered at her, and a tiny shimmer shot from the bag up his arm. It reacted to him. That means he’s… Shards, shards, shards. This meeting was turning out to be a whole lot more dangerous than she’d bargained for.
‘Who exactly did you get this from?’ said Terst, his eyes narrowing as he pulled his hand back. Aliyah paused for a second.
‘I’m afraid I can’t disclose that. I’m terribly sorry — as a small trader I must protect my sources, you understand.’ she explained. The silence stretched on as he stared at her. He really was quite unnerving. She tugged at the oversized coat — it was getting rather hot — and continued.
‘In this case I work as proxy on behalf of my client, a minor noble from the outer reaches. Suffice to say his family have held onto it for many years, but are in dire need of the money. And who better than the empire itself to hold such a magnificent stone.’
Aliyah pushed the shard free of its pouch, and was relieved to see Terst’s surprise as the warm light reflected in his eyes. He wouldn’t be one to stare open mouthed of course, but she could see the awe in his eyes. Even among core shards it was a thing of beauty. The gem’s round edges were like a sparkling gateway to another dimension, shimmering and refracting the dancing orange hues within. Where the round edges cut sharp — for all shards were only fragments of a larger core — the light inside seemed to bunch up, ricocheting internally as if trying to escape.
They both were entranced for a moment, the tension of the meeting falling away beneath the stone’s radiance. Aliyah blinked, coming to. Now was the time to push.
‘Twenty-thousand marks.’
‘...it certainly is a beauty.’ Terst said, seeming to ignore her. ‘Oh, what we could accomplish with it.’
‘Such an offer is quite generous of my client. He is a staunch supporter of the government and wishes to see it in the right hands.’ Still no response. ‘I believe twenty-thousand should be an appealing bargain.’
‘Eight thousand.’ he said, drawing his gaze from the shard, his flat look returned. No, he had a slight grin, like that of a hunter stalking its prey.
‘Eight thousand? Registrar, I would do myself and my client a disservice to give away such an important piece at this price. Perhaps fifteen would be more amenable?’
‘Ten thousand.’
‘That is still a rather modest sum, if I may so say.’ She almost flinched as he sat back in his chair, but still pressed on. ‘Fourteen thousand seems like a good compromise.’
He scratched his chin, and his deep robes ruffled as he moved. It almost looked like he was wearing something underneath it. She reached for the shard and tucked it back inside the pouch, feeling the familiar tingle from its touch. ‘Fourteen thousand.’ he agreed, nodding. Just like that, she thought. I’m lucky.
‘And you tell me who your client is.’
She froze. ‘I couldn’t—’
‘You will tell me, Miss Layella.’ He put far too much emphasis on the name for her liking. ‘You see, Core Shards are enough to warrant quite an extensive investigation, and the Chancery does not like unanswered questions. We’re rather good at digging up information — it is our job after all.’ he said, shifting in his seat.
‘Please let me assure—’
‘As you well know, the Chancery legally must record the history of all Flashstones larger than a half-hand.’ he said, lifting a cool eyebrow. ‘And this is certainly larger than that, wouldn’t you say?’
Aliyah froze, speechless. At every other meeting the officials had accepted her vague explanations of her sources. But I’ve never dealt with an official ranked as high as a Registrar before. Fool girl, she thought.
‘But, as a well-respected merchant you know this of course. Everyone who deals with Flashstones does.’ Terst said as he leant forward, a dark insignia poking out of his collar. That symbol looked familiar — not the Chancery’s. ‘Yes, one might be inclined to believe that obfuscating a stone’s history indicates it was obtained via illegitimate means. There certainly are rumours, with the affairs in Tileth and Menar as they are. Rebels are very bad for business.’ Terst said with a satisfied grin. He knew she’d been in Tileth, she was sure of it.
And then it hit her — that’s where she’d seen his insignia, on a corpse in the palace — a white wolf on a dark cloak. Crack my crystals, he’s a blackcoat! The blood drained from Aliyah’s face. The blackcoats were no mere bureaucrats, they were the empire’s most elite killers. The common folk thought they were just a myth. The boogeyman. Hunters sent to track down renegade Unbound. But they were real, and she was facing one right now.
Hidden under the coat, her toned muscles tensed as her body prepared before her mind could react, and Terst’s hand twitched towards his dagger. She stared at him. He already knew everything else. She was sure. Did he know she could—
He didn’t give her time to think. Light streamed up Terst’s arm as he began to draw from a Flashstone pouch hidden somewhere on his body, and he reached to yank the dagger from its sheath. Aliyah breathed in a sharp intake of air as her fingers clasped around the vermillion shard. He’d started before she had. But she had a haste core. Light exploded from the pouch, and the shining, sparkling mass of energy shot into her in less than an eye blink. But where would she go? She turned her head as Terst lunged at her across the table, dagger glinting in the light.
The balcony. His dagger met air and he growled as a vibrant stream of light streaked out of the balcony and into the forest beyond. Aliyah flashed into the clearing, and turned to the hill in the distance. She was there before Terst even finished drawing once.
She stopped on the mountain leagues away from Eoric city, and turned to survey it. She paused for a moment, before walking up the rocky path.
Goodbye Layella.