Grand Game 455: The Under-Dweller (Patreon)

“He’s alone,” Ghost said, confirming what I myself had sensed. Nodding minutely, I drew to a stop beside my visitor’s wagon. 

“Are you him?” Nicola growled.

“What?” I asked with a frown.

“Are you the one Tyelin sent me for?”

“Ah, yes, I am.”

Swinging himself off his high seat, the merchant planted himself before me and held out his hand expectantly. 

I glanced down at it. His palm was empty.

“Well?” he demanded. “What’s the delay? Hand it over!”

I stared at him. “Hand what over?”

“Your chit, of course,” Nicola said, gesturing impatiently. “Give it here.”

“You must be confused,” I began slowly. “I have no chit to—”

The merchant harrumphed. “Are you or are you not a denizen of the underworld?”

“Huh… umm…” My words trailed off as I realized I’d erred earlier by letting Tyelin believe I knew what the hell he was talking about when he mentioned the underworld. 

Nicola’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You’re not, are you?”

I shrugged apologetically. “I’m not.” 

The merchant swore ferociously. He didn’t stop either, seeming to find new and more elaborate phrases to spew out every time he threatened to run aground.

“I don’t know what half those words mean,” Ghost said in horrified awe. “Did he really just call you a—” 

“Look,” I began, interjecting myself into Nicola’s monologue—both to distract him and the all-too fascinated Ghost, “why don’t you just tell me what the issue is?”

Breaking off abruptly, Nicola stared at me. “The issue,” he said scathingly, “is that I only deal with the underworld’s denizens. Tyelin knows that. Why by damn did he send me here?”

I shifted. “Err, that might have been my fault.”

Nicola folded his arms across his chest. “Tyelin thinks you belong to the guild?”

So the underworld is a guild. “I may have given him that impression, yes.”

The merchant’s expression did not change, but one corner of his mouth twitched. Was he suppressing a smile? I thought so.

“Well, best of luck, young man,” he said, turning around. “Tell Tyelin that next time he should—” 

Placing a hand on Nicola’s arm, I stopped him from walking away. “Hold on. Surely, we can come to some sort of compromise?”

The big merchant glared down at my hand. “I don’t compromise.”

“What’s the big deal anyway?” I asked, ignoring his pointed look. “I have bought from one of your kind before.”

“You have?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yes, his name was Hamish from—” 

“Hamish,” he muttered, then shook his head. “Nope. Never heard of him.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Mind you, it makes no difference. Unlike some, my clientele is exclusive.”

“Hmm, sort of like Kesh,” I mumbled under my breath, not expecting him to hear.

But Nicola’s hearing was sharper than I thought. “You’ve dealt with Kesh?” he asked, swinging back around to face me.

“I have,” I said. Then, sensing his keen interest, asked, “You’ve heard of her?”

He snorted. “Every merchant worth his salt has.” Distrust flared in his eyes. “But anyone can claim to know Kesh. It doesn’t prove anything.”

“True,” I agreed. Withdrawing my Emporium access card, I flashed it under his nose. “But this does.”

Nicola stared at the card, then squinted at me as if truly seeing me for the first time. He still, however, bristled with suspicion. “If you have access to that worthy’s stores, what do you need me for? Kesh can supply you with everything I can and with far less of a surcharge.”

I winced at his mention of a surcharge. Somehow, I didn’t think Nicola’s prices were going to be pretty. Still, it was not like I had much choice in the matter. 

“I’m in a bit of a predicament,” I said, answering him forthrightly. “Circumstances prevent me from visiting Nexus right now.”

His look turned sly. “That on account of your Power Mark?” 

I sighed. “You could say that.” I studied Nicola speculatively. His demeanor had softened and no longer did his refusal to deal appear so adamant. There’s an opening here. Time to push. 

“So, it seems we’re at an impasse. You won’t sell to me, and I don’t have time to go looking for another merchant. Looks like we have no choice but to wait for the envoy’s return. Perhaps, he can resolve matters between us.”

Nicola grimaced. “What, you mean spend the rest of the day waiting for that smug bastard to reappear? No thank you.”

I shrugged. “Then what? At a guess, it took you half a day to get here and will take you just as long to get back to wherever you've come from. A whole day wasted, and what do you have to show for it? Nothing.”

The merchant’s lips twisted sourly, no doubt realizing what I was driving at, yet the next words out of his mouth were not the ones I expected. “You have the look of a rogue about you.”

I blinked. “I do?”

“A scrawny runt like you, with no robes, leather armor, and a shortsword strapped at your side, what else would ye be?” Before I could respond, he leaned forward intently. “Tell me straight. Are you?”

“I’ve stolen a thing or two,” I admitted. 

“Answer the damn question straight,” Nicola demanded, looking unimpressed by my response. “Yes or No?”

“Yes,” I said bitingly.

“Good enough.” Flicking his thumb up, he tossed me a small object.

I caught it easily. 

You have acquired an apprentice rogue’s underworld token. This is a writ of authorization, marking you as a minor denizen of the underworld. This item cannot be stolen, traded, or lost, even upon death. Note, if your membership is revoked by the guild, this writ will be destroyed. 

 Opening my fist, I studied the small round object in my palm. It was the size and weight of a gold coin. The numeral “1” was stamped on one side and on the other  a closed eye symbol.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“You’re one of us now,” Nicola replied, confirming my suspicions. “Show that to any underworld merchant and they will deal with you.”

“And what exactly does it mean to be a denizen of the underworld?” I asked.

Nicola sighed. “You really know nothing, don’t you?”

I didn’t dignify that with a response.

“It means you are a member—a provisional one, anyway—of the underworld,” he explained. “Which itself is a vast network of burglars, pickpockets, bandits, robbers, and the like that stretches across the length and breadth of the Kingdom.”

My lips thinned. “A guild of criminals,” I summarized.

“Not quite,” Nicola disagreed. “The underworld deals in theft, we do not deal in death. There are plenty of other guilds and factions for that sort of thing.”

A thieves guild, then, I thought.

“Still, as you can imagine,” he continued, “our members are not openly welcomed in the Kingdom’s towns and cities. Our kind keeps to the shadows and away from those who fancy themselves the law.”

I scratched my chin thoughtfully. Despite my initial misgivings, being a member of such a guild was certainly advantageous. After all, by the new Powers’ reckoning, as someone who had awakened his blood, I was likely an even worse sort of criminal than the rest of the underworld.

“How do the under-dwellers fit in?” I asked.

Nicola grunted. “They don’t. The under-dwellers are… call us a band of traveling merchants. We roam the Endless Dungeon peddling our wares and are rarely, if ever, seen above ground.”

“Hmm… so you’re both an under-dweller and an underworld denizen?”

“I am.”

“But you say the two are unrelated?”

“They are,” he replied smoothly, but his eyes didn’t quite meet mine as he said it, leaving me to doubt the veracity of his words. This was not the time to pursue the matter, though. “What’s so special about the under-dwellers then?” I asked instead. “Tyelin made a point of mentioning you were one.”

Nicola barked a laugh. “He did, did he? Well, we are known for our honor. An under-dweller will sooner suffer final death than break his word.”

“I see.” I rubbed my chin. “But that doesn’t explain your Mark.”

“The under-dweller is not just a designation, he is also our patron.” 

I blinked. “The under-dweller is a Power?” It certainly hadn’t sound like that from the Game’s response to my analyze. 

“We’ve ventured far enough afield, I think,” Nicola declared, changing the topic abruptly. “Let’s get back to the matter at hand.” When I didn’t immediately respond, he demanded, “Do you want to deal or not?”

“One more question…” 

Nicola’s brows drew down.

“It’s the last I promise.” 

Scowling, he stayed silent which I took as acquiescence. “What are the rules?” I asked. 

He stared at me. 

“For the thieves guild, I mean.”

“You intend on joining them fully?” he asked skeptically. He pointed to the token in my hand. “And not just use that as a means to trade with us merchants?” 

I shrugged. “Why not? My talents might be suited to such a guild.”

He snorted but didn’t gainsay me. “I cannot properly induct you in the ways of the underworld. For that you will have to visit one of the den chiefs.” He eyed me thoughtfully. “You’re from Nexus, you say?”

“As much as I am from anywhere,” I replied lightly.

“Then the next time you are there, visit the ‘The Crooked Man’ inn in the plague quarter. Ask for Dinara and show him the token. He’ll know what to do.”

The Adjudicator has allocated you a new task: The Seedy Side of Life! The merchant, Nikola, has accepted you as a minor denizen of the underworld. Fulfill the thieves guild’s requirements to become a full member. Objective: Visit Den Chief Dinara and complete your induction.

I smiled as I dismissed the Game message. “Thank you,” I murmured.

He grunted. “Now, are you ready to shop?”

I grinned. “I am.”

✵ ✵ ✵

 You have entered a tier 7 shielded chamber.

 A minute later, we were both sitting inside Nicola’s wagon. All manner of items were crammed on the shelves lining three of the four walls. Craning my head left and right, I studied the wooden, box-like interior. It appeared tiny, especially with the hulking figure of Nicola crammed opposite me. A small table stood between us, and we sat on stools so low our knees were tucked beneath our arms.

“What’s the shield for?” I asked.

 “Privacy,” Nicola replied laconically. “When you deal with one of my kind, your confidentiality is assured. No player will be able to scry into this room.”

I nodded appreciatively.

“Before we begin, let’s see your gold,” Nicola said.

“I don’t carry much on me,” I admitted. “Most of my wealth is stored in a bank. If you show me your keystone, I can—”

I broke off. Nicola was shaking his head. “What’s wrong?”

He sighed. “I should have realized this would be a problem.” He met my gaze. “Underworld merchants do not carry keystones.”

I grimaced. No keystone meant no access to the funds I had stored in the Albion Bank. “Why is that?” I rasped.

“There is no guarantee of anonymity in transactions involving them.”

My brows rose, ire forgotten. Loken, I recalled, had used his keystone to track me, but I’d considered that situation unique, a result of the trickery he’d employed. “Are you saying,” I said slowly, “bank transactions are monitored?” 

“Not ordinarily,” he said, reassuring me somewhat, “but for the right price, and in certain situations involving ill-gotten goods of high value, the banks have been known to… reveal compromising information to affected parties.” 

“I see,” I murmured, not liking the implications. “So, what are the alternatives?”

“Hard cold cash is always best,” he replied promptly.

“And in the absence of that?”

“We can barter. Or you can open an account with the thieves guild.” He held up a hand, forestalling my follow-up questions. “And before you ask, I cannot help you with that. Only a den chief can authorize such.”

I pursed my lips. “Barter it is then.” Reaching into my backpack, I’ve pulled out the four legendary artifacts I’d purchased in New Haven and laid them on the table. I watched Nicola closely as I did. 

He didn’t give much away, but from the almost imperceptible widening of his eyes, I knew I had surprised him. “Nice,” he pronounced after carefully inspecting each object for a full minute.

I chuckled. “They’re a bit more than that.” 

“Maybe,” he said, conceding nothing. “What do you want in exchange for them?”

“First tell me what they’re worth.”

He scowled, not liking that. “Five thousand gold for each,” he said after a pause.

 “No way,” I said, thinking of how much I had paid for the wayfarer’s glove. And according to Kesh, it had been the cheapest item in the set. “Thirty thousand gold—each. A legendary artifact is worth at least that much.” 

Nicola snorted derisively. “Is that how much Kesh charged you for one? You overpaid. I’ll give you forty thousand for the lot, and that’s only on account of how generous I am.”

I didn’t believe him. Sweeping the items off the table, I began packing them away. “Very well, if you don’t want them, I’ll sell the artifacts elsewhere. I have other stuff to trade.”

“Whoa there,” he said, stopping me before I could stuff the items back into my backpack. “No need to be so hasty. Sixty thousand.”

Cocking my head to the side, I considered his offer. It was an incredible amount of money, and more than I expected to get. But then again, I had no way of ascertaining the true value of the four legendary items myself. 

Still, considering the cost of the items I wanted to purchase, it was not like I had much choice about selling the artifacts. “How do I know you won’t just overcharge me for the items I buy in order to recoup your ‘loss?’”

“I guess you’ll just have to trust me,” he said with an evil-looking grin.

“Not a chance,” I rejoined. “I know the true cost of the stuff I want.” Which I did—mostly—having purchased similar items from Kesh before. “We will agree on your ‘surcharge’ first.” I paused. “Ten percent for—”

Bending over, Nicola clutched his stomach. He was shaking so hard that at first I thought he was dying. 

Then I realized he was laughing.

“Not on your life,” he wheezed when he finally looked up. “Fifty percent.”

“Ridiculous,” I scoffed. “Twenty,” I countered.

He shook his head, his humor fading. “You’ve no comprehension of the cost of doing business in the underworld, my friend. Fifty percent, and not a penny less. I won’t sell at a loss.”

I scrutinized his face, trying to pick out truth from lies. “Very well, I’ll agree to your fifty percent—” Nicola began to smile—“but I’ll sell you only three of the legendary artifacts. The last, I’ll exchange for another legendary item, one useful to me.”

He frowned. “What if I don’t have such an item or if the cost is greater?”

I shrugged. “Then we begin negotiations anew. Deal?”

He pondered my offer for a moment, then nodded decisively. “Deal.”