Curse of the Crystals

Chapter 1: Itzal Fusun - part 1

"Ah, there you are, my friend! How can I help you?" The voice of a chubby bartender in one of the many shady bars in New Haven called out to Itzal. The long-bearded bartender reeked stronger of alcohol than the brews he was serving, but it didn't stop Itzal from approaching him.

For all intends and purposes, Itzal Fusun was a perfectly typical citizen of New Haven. A Forest Elf, not too tall, not too short, with typical brownish hair and green eyes. He was dressed slightly better than average, as most of his clothing didn't have any holes in it and his attire wasn't covered in layers of grime. That was about anything positive that one could say about. The original colours of what he was wearing had all faded long ago. Itzal's voice was what stood out the most, as it instantly seemed to match the tone of the bartender. "Ah, Fredrico, how great to see you! I've come to listen in on this week's freshest rumours, of course!"

"Same as always then, would you like anything to drink with them?"

"The usual!"

"Coming up!" The bartender said, as he poured Itzal a strong red liquor brew made by fermenting berries native to the Forest Elven autonomous zone.

"So, what's the news?" Itzal said, as he downed it in a single go. The burning sensation as it went down his throat made him breath out slowly.

"There are a few pretty odd rumours going around, and somehow they seem to be tied together. It's exactly the type of thing you're into."

"Sounds great." As the bartender didn't proceed to say anything, Itzal knew what was up. "Another drink please."

"Alright!" As the bartender poured it, he proceeded talking. "A lot of people are talking about suspicious behaviour from some of the guards themselves. They're patrolling areas they normally don't even go to, they're telling people to keep their distance at random, and some folks claimed a few of them left the city in the dark of night."

"That's really odd indeed." Itzal was already trying to figure out how to turn this into a profit. Normally, he would crack down on criminals and deliver them to the guards for a bounty. However, if the guards themselves were acting suspicious, whom would he get to pay him? That was a tough one. "What other rumours did you say relate to this?"

"There's a rumour going around that a lot of people have gone missing."

"Oh, do you know who?" Missing people were the type of cases that were perfect, as Itzal could normally fetch some decent money from their families or loved ones upon finding them. As the bartender remained silent, he got the hint. "I'd also like another drink please." He quickly downed his second, ready to receive the third. It'd be waste to just let it sit there, after all.

Fredrico spoke up once more. "That's the odd thing. They say it's only homeless people with little to no family. It can't be a kidnapping for money, as I don't think anyone here is willing to pay ransom for them. They can't be kidnapped for their beauty or strength either, as a lot of them are sickly old hermits and whatnot. Some say that it's the guards that are doing it in an attempt to clean up the city by murdering those at the bottom."

Itzal raised an eyebrow. "That's a pretty heavy accusation."

Fredrico shrugged. "I'm only sharing the rumours."

After a sigh, Itzal still wasn't sure what to go by. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, I'll give you this one for free." The bartender said with a smile. "A guy calling himself The Liberator has apparently managed to sneak into the town. He used to try getting the Forest Elves in the autonomous region up in arms to get back control of their country, but once that wasn't all that successful, it seems he's trying his luck here. This is the city with the highest amount of Forest Elves outside of the autonomous zone, after all."