Story by: Jmanchu
Edited by: Winter_Fare
"Do you worthless street scum know whose place of business you trespass!? Whom you rob...!?" hissed Aphonse the merchant. He didn't exactly cut an intimidating figure, this older man adorned with extravagant clothes and lavish jewelry. "I'll make sure you bastards pay for this!! You will regret what you have done tonight!!" The self important old buzzard's voice grated louder and louder, "No one steals from the great merchant Aphonse Ben'ari!! NO-ONE!!" he roared. In his outburst of indignant rage, spit flew out of his mouth and flecked his bejeweled beard.
The youthful yet hard-featured rogue that Aphonse threatened carried a small scar on the side of his chin. He pressed a long dagger against the throat of the angry merchant as he stared intensely back at the old fool.
"How about you shut up old man?" he said with sinister calm, "Or I'll give that skinny neck the trimming of your life, starting with that stupid looking beard you got."
He flicked the end of his blade against the merchant's gaudily styled orange beard, and smiled grimly when the old man flinched. He eyed the little gems that decorated the merchant's over-styled facial hair, and the numerous ornaments on the rest of his person. "All your jewelry, off. Now!"
Aphonse stiffened up and squeaked as the young man's blade prodded hard enough to make him bleed. He turned his gaze down and fell silent, meekly removing the jewelry from his body. He placed the baubles reluctantly on the shop counter beside him and cursed silently to himself. He didn't think to remove the gaudy trinkets that adorned his beard.
It had been mostly dark and quiet that evening, and Aphonse hadn't expected anything but an uneventful night. Should it have stayed that way, he would have quietly retrieved his precious treasure which he'd so jealously hidden since obtaining it. He had made sure no-one but himself knew of its whereabouts. Not even his most "trusted" bodyguards or servants knew, as it was for something of utmost personal importance. Yet those street urchin bastards had to come tonight, of all nights. Why, damn them!
The young cutthroat was getting impatient. He quickly pocketed the old man's jewelry, and shouted to his accomplices in the back. "Hey! You guys! Find anything good yet? Let's finish up before the city guard dogs come say hi!"
"Prince?" an irate voice called out, "how 'bout you shut up and let us do our jobs? Or better yet, ask the old fart over there where he's keeping the goods?"
They were taking their sweet time. Perhaps it was for the best, a thorough search. Prince turned back to the captive merchant.
"So... wanna tell us where you hid it?" The young man stared intently at Aphonse. Old man probably a hidden safe back there, maybe more than one.
"I... I don't know what you're talking about...!" The merchant said, his voice trembling.
He nervously eyed Prince's dagger as it danced in front of his face. The finely honed blade reflected shards of moonlight that cut through the window of the otherwise dark shop.
Aphonse wore a stony facade, but deep inside he started to panic. They didn't know, they couldn't know about... it! The rogue had murder in his eyes. Even if his stash stayed hidden, what would they do to him if they had to leave empty handed?
"I think you do know what we're talking about..." the young man said as his dagger tip rested lazily against Aphonse's chin, "And you're going to talk if you want to keep yourself in one piece."
"T--there's nothing here...!" Aphonse whispered.
"Unlikely. We have good reason to believe you have something here. Something real good, that you want nobody to find out about..."
"W--what do you know..." Aphonse stammered. His heart sank. When these cutthroats had busted in before, he'd barely had time to hide his fortune properly. Surely it was just a matter of time...
"Hey Get a load of this! Found it in a hidden safe that was open. Almost missed it too. Looks like our info was right, Prince. Check it out!".
The mouthy one was stout and short, the other tall and lean, neither seemed much used to hard labor. The two thugs struggled to carry the small chest between them.
"No!! Don't you little bastards dare put your filthy hands on―!" The merchant cut off his rant with a terrified gulp, as the dagger pricked his neck again.
"Stay," Prince commanded with a glare.
Aphonse cursed under his breath as Prince turned his back, but didn't dare move an inch. The chest was simply stuffed with beautifully ornate jewelry of renowned provenance, pieces the merchant had spent years collecting.
The robber sauntered over to where his accomplices were manhandling the goods up onto a countertop. He unhooded their lantern to get a good look inside. The gems and gold gleamed beautifully: necklaces, fine rings and intricately embroidered armlets encrusted with precious stones. Gold and silver crafted by the most skilled artisans from the four corners of the world. Aphonse could have wept.
The fat one picked up a fine gold brooch set with a clear gem. He held it up to the lantern and whistled, barely believing his eyes.
The piece stood out even among this haul. It was so masterfully and precisely crafted it couldn't have been made by the hands of mortals. The setting was a delicate tangle of living vines cradling the precious stone. The gem itself was clearer than the most transparent glass, until the moonlight struck it. Then a metallic resonance shon from within and it shimmered like liquid silver. The famous Moonstone Gem.
The thug chuckled with pure glee, "The laughing fat God of Fortune himself favors us today, boys!"
"I will bring down the wrath of all the Great Hells themselves on your heads if you dare..." Aphonse began, but he soon tailed off and bowed his head. He was more angry with himself, anyhow. He cursed his foolishness for dropping his guard and not taking proper preventative measures. He should have carried a magic charm or wand to keep himself safe, or at least a weapon, but it was pointless to worry about that now. Threats were pointless with these cretins. This situation needed a different tack.
He looked up beseechingly at his captors, "Listen... You can have anything else in my possession, I have rare goods locked in a warehouse nearby... They would fetch you a very fine price, I assure you! But spare the jewelry... please... it's sacred to me..."
"Oh...? Important is it?" Prince responded distantly. He had no interest in the dumb merchant's pleading, as he mentally tallied the staggaring value of the haul. Just the scrap value of the silver would keep them going for weeks.
"So do we just bail now, or what?" The fat young man gestured at Aphonse as they put the gemstone back in the treasure box, "Do we take up on his offer and have him show us his warehouse?"
