Chapter 1

Traders Guild
Kyle
West Gate

"Everyone in this world has a price... So what is your price, eh?" He spoke in statement rather then question, planting his hands on the wood counter as he leaned closer with a coy grin across that convincing face. I watched as the female trader behind the counter raised an eyebrow. Then she turned her head from side to side seeing if anyone else was around or hiding from sight. Her eyes then focused in on me, narrowing. Peter turned to follow the lady's eyes and shrugged casually "He's with me you don't need to worry, most trust worthy guy I know" He wasn't lying, for it was true that I was trustworthy, to him at least. So in trying to follow suit with Peter I gave my best shot at tossing a charming smile her way. From her other quirking brow I figured I had yet again failed at the skill that is facial expression. The lady turned her attention back to Peter

"Alright, I'll do what you have asked, but like you stated I do have a price."

"Well that's grand! So what's this price then?"

"I have a sister in Bowerstone I would like to contact, but with my job here I never have time to make the journey. So I'll get you the documents you have requested as long as you agree to take this letter to her on your next journey into Bowerstone." I blinked; I thought her price would have been higher, more difficult. Peter nodded then flashed a smile

"We are traders, be it in the shady or not, we keep our word, as long as it benefits us. Also it so happens we will be heading to Bowerstone after our business here." Now it was the lady's turn to nod, she then asked exactly what documents he needed and basic check out information, well fake information, but information none-the-less, which was needed to sign out the documents, officially.

This part always bored me; so I took my leave from that run down sandstone building, town hall. The dry heat lapped across me in an unforgiving grace. That's what this town was to my eyes, a dry heat that in some manner held a strange concept of grace to it. The desert town of West Gate, oh how I loathe this town: this heat. Even with it's odd grace it's still just a town of faded stone and sand. Kicking at the sand, watching the small grit scatter into the air only fueled my frustration with this town. I couldn't help but direct my anger at Peter and his idiotic Traders Guild. They had the nerve to drag me all the way out here! I could have been back in the Inner Kingdom; in Lythindor, with Victoria. But I can't direct my anger at Peter; after all he is the one that opened the gates of Lythindor to me, the one that fought for my citizenship of the Inner Kingdom. ARRGHH It was so frustrating, yet there was nothing I could do with my troubles with the guild. There was even nothing I could do about being stuck in this God forsaken town of heat. At least they still had a Spring of Eden, and despite where we were the springs always seemed to give me this inner warmth. Tossing away my troubles for the moment I flopped onto a batch of dead grass, drowning my worries in that warmth.

"Kyle, Kyle! Heh Day dreaming again are we?" Peter chuckled as he towered over me. "Well friend it's time to get up, brush those dreams from your eyes. We are needed over at the Spring of Eden, well not needed but I hear there is a very rich hero looking for some fine wares! I told you stocking up on the exotics was going to pay off." Blinking I looked up at Peter, looked into his sharp rosy face, feeling uncomfortable under that warm stare from under his glasses. Taking his hand as support, I replied