I spent some time wandering through the springtime forest. Well, kind of. I can clearly see the trees and the dirt path I am walking down. I hear a bird singing, leaves rustling in the wind, and other animals scurrying around. The cool spring breeze blows in my face, carrying the scents of flowers and wood.

But, on the other hand, I am painfully aware that I am sitting on my knees, my skin and feet pressing against the cold stone floor, and smelling the pungent combination of rabbit stew and dust.

I continue walking in the forest, following the path. After what feels like an hour of walking, it starts snowing. The forest darkens, and the previously colourful trees appear to transform into tall, dark pine trees.

I shield my face from the falling snow, but I soon find myself lost in a snowstorm. Hailstones fall around me, pelting my body and my blue dress.

And then, as if someone flipped a switch, the storm vanished.

I am standing on a stone staircase carved out of a giant mountain. A large army is standing in the valley in front of me. The soldiers are all wearing black armour.

Their leader, a massive humanoid dressed in the same black armour, takes a step towards me on the stairs. I try to back away, but I seem to have frozen. The creature then removes its helmet. Its head is rotten and missing several large chunks. Its eye sockets are completely empty.

I stand frozen in place, staring at the zombie. It kneels in front of me, one leg raised, and looks up. It then speaks in a loud tone.

"All hail Sapphire, the undead queen."

I suddenly hear a loud knock right next to me. I turn towards the source of the sound, only to realise that the knocking is real, not imagined.

I break out of my trance, open my eyes, and look around. Marl is no longer sitting in front of me; he has moved to the white mat.

He appears to have awoken at the same time as me, as he looks around tiredly. He suddenly comes to his senses and leaps to his feet.

I look at him. "I want to thank you; I have never been able to meditate for this long in my life."

Marl ignores me and grabs the folding screen. He places it in front of me, isolating me from the room.

“Marl, what is going on?” I ask.

"Sit here and remain silent." He snaps at me.

I peek around the folding screen as he opens the door. He welcomes a tall man inside. The man has short grey hair and wears a silvery rope. The man's snake-like green eyes scan the room, as if memorizing every detail. For a brief moment, his gaze seems to meet mine. He takes a brief pause, maintaining eye contact, before continuing his gaze. If he notices me, he does not acknowledge it.

He takes a chair and sits down, while Marl keeps standing.

“Sorry for disturbing you at this early hour.” The man speaks. "But word on the street is that you are the person to go to for very specific magical items."

Marl nods. “You heard right. However, my price is very high. What are you in need of?”

The man crosses his arms. “I am looking for something that will grant me access to the citadel prison.”

Marl frowns. “Why?”

"That is my concern, not yours. Do you have such an item or not?”

Marl rummages through the mess on the table for a while before pulling out a silver ring with a large emerald. He holds it up for the man to examine. “This is a key ring. I belonged to a high-ranking castle guard. Opens any door in the citadel. You can have it for one hundred gold pieces. However, be warned. The citadel is protected by more than just locks.”

The man grabs the ring and raises it to his eyes. “Does that even work? I seem to recall that only elves can use them.”

Marl nods. “That is right.”

"So I am going to need an elf. I suggest you accompany me.” The moment he speaks the word “suggest,” I suddenly can smell the sweet scent of honey, and hear snakes hissing in the background. The sounds and smell disappears as quickly as they appeared.

“No way.” Marl takes a step back. "That is a one-way ticket to the afterlife. Not for all the gold in the world.”

The man points in my direction. “How about your elven companion, who is hiding behind the folding screen? Would she be interested?”

Marl vigorously shakes his head. “No, she isn’t stupid either.”

I emerge from behind the screen and approach him. “Actually, I am interested.”

The man smiles, while Marl looks at me in shock. “Sapphire, you shouldn’t do that.”

“Marl, you are not my mother.” I snap at him.

“What is your price?” The man asks.

"My mother has been imprisoned," I say. "I want her to get broken out."

The man nods. “Our goals appear to be aligned. All right, I can do that. I will let you in on the plan. But not here; I have a safe place to talk. We can go there now. I am afraid time is of the essence; we have to complete the prison break before dawn."

He pulls a pouch from his belt and throws it on the table. It produces a metallic jingling sound.

“That is for the ring.” He tells Marl. He turns to face me. “Let’s go.”

“Wait,” Marl says. "He bends over to grab the snow boots from the lower shelf. He pushes them into my arms. “I understand they were meant to be payment for your stay here, but you can keep them. "You will be cold without them."

I smile. “Thanks, Marl.”

He looks over to the man. "Will you please bring her back safely?"

The man shrugs. "I will do my best."

I follow the man out of Marl's room and down the twisting corridors until we arrive outside. It is completely dark, and the full moon is high in the sky. The wind is harsh, and I shiver.

“Wait.” I motion for the man to stop. “Let me put my boots on.”

I place my boots on the ground and try to slide my feet into them. Strangely enough, my right foot hits some objects lodged inside the shoe.

I turn the boot upside down, remove the object, and hold it up to the moonlight. The purple bottle reflects the sky and stars beautifully. Right, the ever-smoking bottle. Marl must have accidentally left it in there. I put the bottle in my pocket. I will return it to Marl when I see him again.

"By the way, my name is Sapphire," I say as I tie my boot.

“I know.” He responds. “The magic broker already told me.”

“What is your name?” I ask, while tying the other shoe.

He sighs deeply. “Eztli.” He walks on and glances back at me, “Can you keep up? I have a job to do.”

I. 6. Trades and Bargains

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