Deceit

Rune was speechless. He watched Bane drink the remaining water in large gulps.

"And what prompted you to embark on such a suicidal mission?"

Bane stood up as he went to take a peek through the window curtains. He turned back to regard Rune with a level stare, his face no longer anxious.

"Silus was saying there was something wrong in the Rye shipments he had been receiving North of here had something else mixed in them. Since the commander also gets his Rye crystals at the same place, he wondered if someone tampered with the Reaper's quotas."

"And why did you think intercepting the crystals was the best solution to Silus's request?"

"So you can take a look at it."

Rune slapped his palm against his forehead.

"Bane, Silus asked you, you who are a part of the Reapers, not me."

"I figured you'd say that." Bane scrimmaged through his vest as he pulled up a crumpled paper, spreading it out on the desk.

"This is why," Bane said, pointing at the large sheet.

Rune leaned closer to the map, confirming it was Alta City. Across it, red ink circled multiple locations in Driftwood and Upper Alta City. He observed these circles pinpointed the areas where the Reapers and the commander obtained their Rye crystals from the Northern shipments.

At the center, question marks surrounded the iron clock, and a name was circled in black ink more than once, written in rushed, sloppy writing in the corner of the page: Hector. Why was the merchant's name Rune had met four years ago on this map?

Rune felt as if he had seen the map but couldn't remember where.

"Where did you get this?"

"The Madam's old place."

"I thought the guards sealed the place?"

"When you're as famous as I am, you find your way through nooks and crannies. The point is, I discovered this in a room hidden behind a wall. There was a mechanism that activated when you pressed an indent behind this large painting and behold—the map. I found it odd since it was the only thing she left behind."

Rune was about to attribute Bane's findings to coincidence, but when he mentioned she only left the map, Rune didn't know what to make of the map not being found until now.

Rune remembered the day the Madam had him run his last delivery, a couple of months after he started living with Elsie in their mother's old home. He recalled that the Madam behaved oddly, her legs crossed and her hands tightly clasped around her knees. She appeared composed, except for the sad, grief-stricken look on her face as she gazed at a crate resting in front of her on the wooden table in the sitting room.

"It'll be the last you deliver," the Madam had told him as she carefully took a box from the crate and placed it in his hands, "and the most significant."

Her cold eyes lifted from the box to his dark ones, void of the glumness he had seen, replaced by a fierce gaze.

"You are not to give it to the courtyard maids or the butler. Request Paula and state that I sent the box."

"Once you ensure it is in her hands, there is one more thing you must do: report back to me and repeat the words Paula said to you after she received the package. Word by word. Then, I will walk you out to the door and tell you goodbye."

Rune felt puzzled by the orders but didn't question her words.

"With your right hand, place the tips of your fingers on your head using the East Nythian symbol for farewell, then turn and walk away without looking back."

"Understand, Rune?"

He nodded.

The Madam didn't seem satisfied. "Speak with words, boy. Do you understand?" She demanded, a crazed look seeping into her face.

"I understand, Madam."

The Madam closed her eyes, then stood, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on Elsie, who was sleeping on his back. "Good. It is good you understand."

"Go now. May Terra's swiftness guide you."

It was strange. Rune didn't know what compelled him, but just before he left through the door, he looked back at the woman who had sheltered them for the past six years.

He bowed deeply, showing the respect he had for her, and studied her face, giving her one last look. A slight smile seemed to be displayed, but her eyes crinkled down in sadness once more. It appeared as if she had aged over the last couple of months.

Then he left, not knowing it would be the last time he would see the Madam.

It suddenly clicked to him as Rune recognized where he had seen the map.

"It was the Madam's. The night of the light show four years ago."

"The night Frendil died?"

"Yes."

"But why would she have marked the Rye Crystal unloading locations four years back when the areas were elsewhere during the time?"

The same question floated around in Rune's head. Something didn't add up. With the Madam's involvement thrown in the mix, he could tell something was not right.

Throwing on his worn-out boots that were a little too small, he grabbed the sewn bag Elsie had made for him, securing it along his chest. He then rolled up his completed sketch, placing it into the bag, but paused.

"So, where did you say you put the stolen crystals?"

"First, I didn't steal them; I intercepted them. Second, there's no way you're getting me back out there in daylight. They're going to shoot an arrow my way the second they see me. I have a record, you know—"

Rune grabbed his black oversized cloak, briskly throwing it to Bane, muffling his voice.

"Problem solved."

Bane pulled the cloak off his face and glared at Rune.

"I should've sold more people your location back then."

Despite Rune's and Bane's initial hatred towards one another, after having the Madam and the Reaper's leader, Tor, instruct them to carry out deliveries together following several kidnappings, they were forced to put their hostility aside, forming an uneasy alliance that was still intact to the current day.

Rune opened the door, ignoring Bane's comment as he went out. Only a few steps into the streets, he heard him follow his sandals slapping the cobble streets in quick succession as he caught up to his side.

"Do you even know where you're going?"

"No."

"Then why are we going this way?"

Rune stopped, "Because Bane, I think I have a good idea where you hid the crystals."

"You're wrong."

"Okay then, lead the way."

Bane turned to look at where they'd come from, then back at where they were heading. Realizing Rune was correct, he grumbled angrily and stomped off, following Rune's lead.

Yes, I can't stand you too.

*****

They arrived at an abandoned bakery, entering through a broken window.

Bane jumped from the sill, Rune following suit, landing softly on his feet, having done it many times before.

The smell of crystals had Rune coughing as he wrapped a scarf from his satchel around his nose and mouth, leaving room for only his eyes.

Just how much did you steal?

Bane went behind a set of bread shelves, coming out while dragging two sacks of crystals.

Rune's mouth opened from behind the scarf.

"How?"

"How what?" Bane asked, looking at him quizzically.

"How did you drag two sacks of crystals unnoticed through the guards? Forget about me, but even you don't have the strength to do such a thing." He motioned at the other boy's arms.

Bane shrugged, "They weren't that heavy. All it took was telling some of the orphans I'd give them money if they could distract the guards. It took only two trips."

It wasn't normal. Rune knew the average orphan kid, no matter their age, had difficulty lifting a sack of Rye crystals. He'd seen it while Frendil ran the crystal purification process. It took five orphans to move a single bag.

He stood in front of one of the sacks, tilting it to the side as he attempted to lift it from the ground but couldn't get it to lift an inch off the ground.

He's unnatural. The voice didn't catch any lies, so Rune put the fact aside for him to ponder over when he was among stolen goods.

Taking one Rye crystal from the sack, he brought it to his eyes, holding it up against a stream of light coming from the window. Having been taught by Caster to differentiate real from fake, he examined the commander's batch.

"It's not completely blue; there are tiny gray specks in the shard. Look here. There are slight ridges where equal cuts made by a metal forger are visible. An authentic Rye crystal would have precise cuts of various sizes and would be vivid dark blue."

Bane still looked at him in confusion. "And that means?"

Rune sighed, putting the fake crystal back in the sack. "It means someone has been swapping fake crystals for the real."

He continued. "Silus already knew this but sent you to confirm."

Bane crossed his arms, leaning against the shelf. "Anyone come to mind."

Rune turned as he started to pace. "We would have to go through who would benefit from having both the Reapers and Ajax distribute tainted Rye."

"West Nythos has always hated East Nythos, especially Alta City, where most of us Eastern Nythians are."

He shook his head. "No, it can't be the West. If that were the case, why would they give fake crystals to Ajax, who is also Western Nythian? And before you mention the Madam, she's in Alathan, plus she has nothing to gain since she sold all her Rye to Ajax and Tor before she left."

"Right."

"Wait, you think it's Fellora?" Bane asked as he brought a bag of crushed crystals to his nose and inhaled, his posture becoming much more alert as his eyes dilated.

"Fellora already controls Western Nythos. They caused a civil war, secured a marriage alliance with the current Nythian King, and convinced half of Nythos to worship their deity. What more could they want? Rye? They consider the crystal poisonous and refuse to approach it."

"So it's not the West Nythians, the Madam, nor the Fellorians. Who else would want Nythos' crystals?"

Rune stopped his pacing, coming to a halt as he turned to look at Bane, who now had his eyes halfway closed, dazed, and halfway out of it, a contrast to the alertness he showed moments prior.

"Who wouldn't be left untouched if the news of Tor and Ajax distributing fake crystals were to come out?"

A sloppy smile formed across Bane's face. "Caster said he found a pouch of silver coins the other day."

Paying no mind to the 12-year-old's ramble, realization dawned upon him.

"The merchants. They could earn much more if the news came out since everyone would think they would have some of the Rye.

Rune's eyes widened. "Meanwhile, Tor and Ajax would be at each others' throats, thinking the other tampered with the crystals. They would be the only ones untouched."

Awareness slowly crept back into Banes's eyes, his brief moment of haze disappearing.

"I see less of them on the streets each day."

Rune had also noticed their dwindling numbers but hadn't considered it concerning.

Pocketing a crystal in his satchel, he walked to the window sill, pulling himself over.

"Where are you going?"

"To Silus."

"Why would you be going to him?"

Rune held up his satchel. "To make money."

"What about the crystals?"

"They can wait. Money can't."

"You do know that Silus doesn't care when you bring him the sketches? He only wants to have them by the end of the day."

"Habits Bane, habits."

"What, you're going to leave me here with these Rye sacks? I gave you all my coins, so how am I going to bribe them to distract the guards?"

Rune threw 20 coppers at Bane, not bothering to use his extra pouch.

He watched as Bane followed the rolling coins with his eyes as they scattered.

"Seriously? That'll only keep one of their mouths shut?!"

Rune tossed more, the coins clinking as they hit the floor. "There, 30 more coppers, 20 for the other kid, and 10 for your empty pouch."

"Who do you think made it empty?!"

Leaving Bane in the empty bakery, Rune took off, heading toward the docks where the Reapers dwelled, his newly done sketch tucked neatly in his satchel.