You won't do business with anyone ever again!”
“No!” Dave calls “I didn't...
You betrayed me, Nate!
Damn it all! Just great!” Without another word, Dave
hobbles away
I turn back to Traf
Who is trying to escape
Before I can even take a step
A blue blast of flame nails him in his chest
Stumbling back
He's off balance
As another blast hits him
Forming a callus
Shaking the ground, he crumbles unconscious
I look back and see
A hooded man
His face hidden and dauntless
As he looks to me
More flames strike like a match
Surrounding and caging me
Locked in a patch
Of dried ground, but the flames don't spread
They're elegant, controlled
As the man sifts through Traf's garments
Then the hat on his head
At last pulling out what looks to be ashes of the dead
Embrazened with a rune
Which should activate an effect
But with one finger, his flames have it vexed
He takes the urn and walks away
As I can only watch, trapped by the flames
Trial 11: Debt of the dead
A drizzling rain begins to pour
But the flames surrounding me burn even more
As up runs Leigh
Her face dark
She dissipates the flames
With her hands arched
Suddenly, she approaches me swift
Grabs me by the collar
And has me pinned
“Who was he?” She asks
“What did he say?!”
Looking deep in her eyes
All I can think is to save
“This has got you torn up inside, doesn't it?”
She steps back and looks away
“Blue flames,” She begins “Are unique to my family.
For one of them to...
It pains me.
I will not rest until they're arrested.
Or until they're dead and bested.”
Suddenly Traf begins to groan
Saying simply one word “Vito.”
I sigh heavy
There's only one I know
With ties to the black market
Off to Italy we go
Finally, the burning town dies out
Leaving nothing but wreckage
Charred and brown
Tom comes stumbling up
With our luggage in tow
Three backpacks filled with food and clothes
“A Currier came and dropped these by.”
His tone frustrated and dry
“Nice to know Jewl's looking out.” I say
“And the Sin?” Tom's face looking colorless – Grey
“Gone.” I reply “But we do have a lead.”
“Then what are we waiting for, let's leave.”
“First things first.” I step to the stall
“I believe this is mine.” My words directed at Traf
As I pull out a box in a bag
“This'll come in handy.”
“What is it?” Tom asks
“It's a T.O.A.D..” I smile “It used to belong to Jack.”
“Are you sure we can trust it?” Tom's question sincere
But he doesn't make an effort to hide his displeasure,
sheer
Leigh steps up, smacks him on the back of the head
“Let's get out of here.” She looks at me sad
“Nothing more needs to be said.”
“Wind!” I shout
“You know what to do!
Take us to the Rings.
And Vito too!”
Suddenly, we're swept up in a gust
Touching down to an empty lot full of dust
“Wrong location?” Leigh's tone confused
“No.” I respond
“This is the place.
It's under construction, you can tell by the base.”
“You got a lot of nerve showing up here!”
Vito approaches in a worker's helmet
“I'm under no obligation to respect you now.
So, killing you is free and clear!”
Suddenly the mirror burns cold in my pocket
I pull it out as Jack's voice sounds
“Tell him to put a sock in it!”
“Silence Vito!” I bark
As he's taken aback
Jack continues
“He's putting on an act.
He knows like I do
Upon my death
My heir, you, inherits all my debts.
Not to mention my fairy gift.
So, try as he might, he has no way to grift.”
“Really?” I ask “Great.”
I grin
Guess I no longer have to worry about the wind
“Vito, looks like it's my win.”
“What do you mean?” He growls
“Did you think,” I begin, putting the mirror away
“Your debts had been wiped out?
Upon Jack's death, her dealings fell to me.
Along with her fairy gift. Don't you see?
Killing me is not free and clear.
In fact, it breaks every deal you made.”
He lets out a growl through gritted teeth
“Damn you Seer.”
His lip begins to bleed
Instantly, he takes a breath
“Since the truth is all but said,
You also have to honor our debts.
Time for me to call in a favor.
You or Jack, which one's greater?”
“Name it.” I respond
He grins “It's simple really.
Babysit my daughter.
Make sure her boyfriend doesn't get touchy-feely.”
“You're kidding, right?” I ask “That's it?”
“That's it. Fair warning though,
The guy's gonna be ticked.
I recently brokered a deal
For an item of his.
It was quite the steal.
Literally.”
“Fine.” I reply
It's easy enough
“Then I'm calling in a favor of my own.
Any info you have on The Seven Sins,
Whether or not they are yours is moot.”
He clears his throat
“Well, shoot.” He looks around
“You're referring to the thefts.
Worried one's inbound?”
“You know something!” Leigh bites
“Maybe I do.” His tone formal and trite
“You'll get your information after you complete this
task.
Now, go on. Get.” He turns his back and walks away
His posture going lax
“What was that?” Tom asks
“He didn't give us much to go on.”
“He gave us more than enough.” I answer stern
“Come on, let's get this done.”
As she fumes
“He knows something about the thief.
He can give us a clue.”
“Don't push it.” I say
“He'll give us what we need.
He's all about deals.
So, let's accomplish the deed.”
Off we head
His daughter's easy enough to find
Just follow the mess and respond in kind
Trial 12: A twist of the knife
We track the Don's princess to a vacant lot
Surveiling from a distance so as not to get caught
Waiting back, passing the time
With a game of words
As with a question Tom chimes
“Tell me again why we're doing this?”
“Because I owe Vito,
And it'll get us information.”
Instantly, in my eyes there's a tingling sensation
It seems my sight is returning slowly
Watching the daughter, waiting fully
As he treads up, a massive troll
In a biker's jacket, with his mouth full
Up he approaches, but something's not right
He seems angry
His fist tight
“Hey babe.” The goblin daughter calls
He leans down, right in her face
With a booming voice “How could you Grace?!”
“How could I what?” She asks confused
“Where is it?!” The troll snaps unamused
“Where's what?”
“The sin! Where is it?!”
“I don't know what you're...”
“Don't lie! One of our Pa-trolls saw a goblin make off
with it!
To think that you would sink so low.
All to please your father no doubt.”
“That's a low blow!” She bites back
“You know better than anyone
I have no desire to please that man!”
“Then explain it to me.” The troll growls
“If you can!”
So this is what Vito meant
He stole their Sin of glutony
Out from under their nose
Guess that's the way their business goes
As the young couple continues their spat
A hooded human approaches
This could be bad
Tom and I both jump to our feet
As Leigh calls “Wait!
There's something I want to see.”
“Are you kidding?” I respond
“That guy's gonna die.”
“I'm not so sure...” Tom's tone uneasy
“Something's not right...
That guy – His mana's making me queasy.”
The human continues on his course
As the troll catches a whiff
And charges before...
The guy has no time to act
Man, that troll is fast
Instantly, blue flames erupt
Halting the troll
But he won't die
His skin is tough
The thief?
Before I can think
Leigh's already on the move
She heads straight for him
Flying fast and smooth
“Time to go!” I call
Tom and I follow in pursuit
Myself becoming a shield
For the goblin youth
As we're all close enough to see
He lets down his hood
So this is the thief?
Abruptly, he lets out a scream
Chaotic red hair
Clothes ripped at the seams
His face dark and sunken
Like he needs to sleep
But his eyes are blacked out, save for the green iris rings
Leigh's now frozen dead in her tracks
She doesn't even move
Let alone attack
Tom takes a step, ready to fight
But Leigh yells “Stop!”
“Troah!” She cries
Troah? Her brother?
The thief merely growls
Tilting his head to the side
His step-like prowls
It's clear he doesn't know her
What is this?
Her brother's long dead
Yet here he is?
Leigh reaches out her hand and takes a step
As the thief lets out a howling scream
Blue flames erupting from the depths
Tom knocks Leigh out of the line of the blast
Then hit's the thief directly in the chest
Instantly, the flames all cease
Did he just block the mana of the thief?
With one last growl Troah begins to retreat
Tom begins pursuit
“No!” I call “Stick with the team!”
“But...” He starts
As Leigh drops to her knees
“Who are you people?!” The Don's daughter shouts
“We were sent by your father.”
She immediately starts to pout
“Of course. He doesn't even trust me.”
She grumbles and groans
“Come on. “ I say “We need to get you back home.”
I approach Leigh
And help her to her feet
Tears flowing down her cheek
“What happened to him?” She sobs
Hugging me swift
Her face buried in my shoulder
For all her fire, right now she's colder
“I don't know, Leigh.
But I promise we'll get him back.
Let's go talk to Vito and give him a smack.”
She looks at me and wipes her eyes
“Thank you, partner.
I know you'll try.”
Back with Vito
I pin him against the wall
“You knew!” I snap
“This isn't a game Vito!”
He smiles wide, not the least bit afraid
“And if I'd told you what would you have done?
The world's quickly becoming a lot less fun.
Death's influence is spreading, I did what I had to.
Now let me go if you want what we agreed to.”
Releasing him, he gives a grin
“In the end, you have no chance to win.
Death and his Seers are four moves ahead.
Why do you think it is they brought back the dead?
They wanted you off balance.
So as not to see the full picture.
Their grip is tightening like a boa constrictor.”
Suddenly, Leigh pins him again to the wall
“You will tell me how to break the spell on my brother.
Unless you'd rather I put you under.”
“I'm afraid that won't do young miss.
You see, I'm protected by our sin of greed.