The Gatekeeper: Realms Of Afterworld

01. Blood, Sweat, And Tears

The market bustles with people scrambling from stall to stall and vendors calling out the prices of their day's sale. As I make my way through a swarm of negotiations, I skim the signs of the stores.

"It's got to be here somewhere" I muse.

"Oii! Mirae! Wait up, I'm coming! ," Jade bellows from behind me. I sigh, annoyed. She's slowing me down and I cannot afford anymore delays at the moment.

As I walk a little further, I spot it. Store of the town's goldsmith. Finally. I push aside the beady curtains and step in. No one's here yet.

"Hey!"
Looks like Jade caught up, alas.
"Did I not tell you to wait for me?"

"Jade, I-"

"Riven will be here any minute, so please think this over until then."

"Jade. My decision is final. I'm selling this necklace." I choke a little as I complete my sentence.

"Mirae" Jade says softly, her voice almost caressing my ears. "I know why you're doing this, but reconsider it, will you? It's the only thing you have as a remembrance of your mother."

I know. And it hurts to let this go but, "She isn't here to mind this, is she? Jade, I need to look after Amara and myself. And you know Karl is a shark. If I don't return his money before midnight tomorrow, he's going to butcher the both of us. Amara is too sweet to ask this favour of me, so I'll have to step up and do it myself. There's no other way out! It's a hundred and sixty gold coins, Jade. I don't have that kind of money. We're barely living off of our day's sale. Please. Don't try to talk me out of this."

Jade gets it. She hates to see how helpless I am. I know she and Riven would've chipped in for me already, if they could. We're all helpless.

"You're here, I see" comes a calm, familiar voice from behind us. Speak of the devil.

"And so are you. Aren't you a little too early, Riv?" I taunt.

"Cut me some slack, Rae. You know I'm the lone hunter of the house, while this one" he points at Jade accusingly, "still can't hold an arrow and a bow together for Creators' sake. Hunting all alone, from dawn till noon tends to wear one out."

"Such a whiner, brother" Jade rolls her eyes at him. He ruffles her already dishevelled hair.

"Right." I smile. I can't help but smile like a silly mess around him. Although, he probably thinks of me as just another person in need of his protection.

"Anyway," I pull myself back, "why isn't Felix the goldsmith here yet? You're sure he said he'd come today?"

"Yes, he did. I wonder what's taking him so long-"

"Ohh look who's here!", coos a despicable voice from the store's entrance. Why now, why today of all days, at my most desperate hour, must I bump into Reath Bolten, the town's horrid bully and a scheming seductress?

"My, my. We have us a little party here. How may I help you all?"

"And why would you help us? We're here for the goldsmith, Reath. Mind your own business." Jade hisses.

"Tsk. Tsk. Such courtesy. Ever so pleasant to see you, Jade. Well, If you must know, my sweetheart of a lover, my Felix has asked me to take care of his store for a day 'cause of, you know, the whole 'what's yours is mine' theory". she smirks

"Get Felix back here, Reath. We don't have time for your balderdash." I'm barely holding it together.

"No can do, Mirae darling. It's my sweet little pumpkin's nap time. You see, he sleeps like a baby once you pour him some warm ginger tea. So how about you leave him a message and I'll deliver it to him, for a reasonable fee, ofcourse." she grins from ear to ear. Oh those grisly, ghastly buck teeth, may I just punch them in for her?