Paragon of Destruction

Arran got up at first light, already feeling excitement at his plans for the day. If all went well, in just a few hours he would have enough Essence Crystals to last him months, perhaps even years.

Even so, he did not follow his urge to rush into the city straight away. Instead, he spent several hours going through his belongings once more, depositing everything he was willing to sell in Panurge's void bag — the only one he had that was large enough to accommodate it all.

He went over the mass of items several times, making sure that it contained nothing he might need or want in the future. He also set aside a portion of the gold and jewelry, knowing that it would be foolish to part with all of it.

Still, when he finished, the bag with goods he hoped to trade held a staggering amount of treasure. With this, he thought, he should be able to get all the Essence Crystals he would need for the foreseeable future.

When he was finally satisfied that he had sorted out everything as well as he could, he left the keep, asking the guards for directions to the trading houses as he departed.

The main trade district turned out to be fairly close to the castle, and Arran quickly made his way there, though not without taking the time to examine the city and its many stores, shops, and markets.

From what he could tell, Goldhaven must be the main center of trade for hundreds if not thousands of miles around, and the people in its streets seemed to come from a wide variety of regions. Just as varied as the people were the wares they sold, and a number of times, Arran found himself standing before storefronts, wondering just what the objects on offer even were.

There were more familiar wares too, of course — weapons, armor, books, clothes, and a wide variety of foods both familiar and foreign to him. Yet although some of the goods aroused his interest and many of the foods whetted his appetite, he remained focused on his task for the day: acquiring Essence Crystals.

Yet tempted though he was to head straight for the Golden Hall, he knew that doing so would be a bad idea. Perhaps the golden badge would prevent him from being cheated by Lord Sevaril's men, but he would not count on that before making sure himself. With that in mind, he would first check the rates other merchants offered, and only then make his way to the Golden Hall.

When he reached the main trade district, it was immediately obvious that this was where the bulk of the commerce in the city took place. Numerous large stores lined the wide streets, each more splendid than the last, and a steady flow of people moved to and from the stores, with many of the people wearing the garb of scholars, mages, or wealthy merchants.

Ignoring the splendor and focusing on the task at hand, Arran visited well over a dozen stores and trading houses across the trade district, soon gaining an understanding of the general price level. Although he did not know the value of most of his treasures, it seemed that just the gold he carried would buy him a least a few dozen Essence Crystals.

When he was finally confident that he knew the regular prices of Essence Crystals well enough not to be taken advantage of, he headed for the Golden Hall.

The moment he saw it, he knew that it had to be the foremost trading house of the city. It was considerably larger than the others he had seen, and while the others were ornate, the Golden Hall was something else entirely, with a white marble facade that was covered in designs of what seemed to be genuine gold filigree.

Arran made his way inside, and as he entered, he could see that if anything, the interior of the building was even more magnificent than the exterior. Yet he did not allow himself to be dazzled by the surroundings — he was here for a reason, and it wasn't to be overwhelmed by the trading house's grandeur.

He took a quick look around, then approached one of the few sales clerks who weren't busy with other customers.

"I'm looking to buy some Essence Crystals," he said when he caught the man's attention.

The phrase 'Essence Crystals' seemed to carry some magical power within the building, because at once, an obsequious smile formed on the man's face.

"Then you have certainly chosen the right place," the man said in a sugary voice. "We offer the best prices in the city. Now, if you—"

"Lord Sevaril sent me," Arran interrupted him, holding up the golden badge.

Instantly, the man's expression changed once more, this time to one of slightly fearful respect.

"Ah," he said. "Please follow me, young master."

He led Arran to the far end of the store, then guided him to one of the backrooms — a small but luxurious room with a hard-wooden table and several comfortable chairs. At a guess, Arran thought this room was normally reserved for the store's more important customers.

"Please have a seat," the sales clerk said, gesturing to a chair. He waited until Arran sat down, then took a seat himself. "What may I do for you?"

"I have gold and items I wish to exchange for Essence Crystals," Arran said.

"Please put them on the table, and I will see what we can offer you," the sales clerk replied.

Arran pulled out the void bag and put it on the table.

"If the young master would be so kind as to remove the items from the bag, I would be most grateful," the man said, unable to stop a slight look of annoyance from appearing on his face. "I am not a mage myself," he added by way of explanation.

"There's too much to fit on the table," Arran said. "Or this room, for that matter."

"Then I shall get one of our mages," the sales clerk responded, the look of annoyance disappearing as he appeared to understand the situation. "Please wait for a moment."

He left the room, then returned a few minutes later, this time with a blue-robed man in tow — a mage, Arran knew.

"If you could remove your binding of the void bag, I'll take a look at what you have," the mage said to Arran, smiling politely.

Arran did as the man asked, removing the binding — a simple matter of withdrawing the Essence he had poured into the bag to bind it — and handing over the bag.

The mage accepted the bag with a nod, after which a short look of concentration appeared on his face as he bound the bag himself.

The thought of someone else binding his bag caused Arran some annoyance, but it was the fastest way for the mage to discern its contents. Binding the bag, the mage would instantly know what was inside, and the only alternative was for Arran to empty it himself — a task that would require several hours and a sizable warehouse.

"Let's see what we have here…" the mage said, seemingly more to himself than to Arran.

A moment later, a look of utter shock appeared on his face.

"You!" he said to the sales clerk. "Get Master Xu! Now!"

The sharpness of his reaction caused Arran some wonder, but then, he knew that what he carried should be quite a bit more treasure than what the trading house's customers usually brought.

That was his plan, after all — to take full advantage of Lord Sevaril's badge to get as many Essence Crystals as he could at a steep discount.

"Is anything wrong?" he asked, feigning a smile.

"Not at all," the mage replied, an uncomfortable look on his face. "It's just… it's so much."

"Lord Sevaril said I could trade all I wanted," Arran replied. "Surely that won't be a problem?"

"I'm sure it isn't…" the mage replied, although, from the sound of his voice, he did not seem convinced of the words himself.

Some minutes later the sales clerk returned, this time followed by a fat, bald man in ornate black-gold robes.

The man gave Arran a polite nod, then turned to the mage. "What's the problem here?"

"Master Xu… you should see for yourself," the mage said, handing over Arran's bag.

Master Xu raised an eyebrow at the response, but he did as the mage said, his eyes going blank for a moment as he bound and inspected the bag. His eyes went wide instantly, and now, Arran was beginning to feel some worry.

"Send word to Lord Sevaril immediately," Master Xu said to the mage. Then, he turned to Arran, a barely veiled look of shock in his eyes.

"Lord Sevaril sent you here?" he asked, eying Arran warily.

"He did," Arran replied, forcing himself to stay calm. "I'm a guest at the keep."

As he looked at the man's panicked expression, he began to think that perhaps, he should have been a bit more modest in his quest for Essence Crystals.