Shadows of Avarice (BxB)

Chapter 38

Xia walked through the streets of Rasea, not sure where to search for Dariya first. She said she would send a letter when they were almost ready to leave again, but she never told him where she was staying. He had no way of contacting her besides waiting for her, and he didn't want to wait until the last moment. She might not be able to help him if they cut it too close. He needed her help before she left again. He didn't know when she would return if he waited, and Osiris' curse wasn't getting any better. He was determined to rescue the sultan.

The best place to get information was the market, where Xia dreaded to go. He didn't bring any guards with him and Xia had plenty of enemies in the marketplace. He was a notorious thief, so his reputation wasn't very high with those people. Plus, Xia dreaded the idea of running into his family. By now, Alishba would have returned home. His siblings would know what he was up to, and by now his grandmother would as well. After all, word of the sultan's fiancée being a man would have gotten around. Gossip spread like wildfire and Xia would be the talk of the town.

It wasn't as though he had much of a choice, though. As he neared the marketplace, Xia put up his hood to cover his hair and ears. His attire was fit for a noble instead of the rags he always wore before, so he hoped he wouldn't be discovered right away. He would try to get information from the merchants who barely knew him. Someone must have had some information on Dariya and her family. Not many people were willing to brave the desert sands, but this was Dariya's job. Her family would be well known for getting people and goods across the desert.

Xia stopped at one of the stalls run by a mother and her two children. She sold fabrics while her children played amongst each other. Xia had seen this merchant a few times, but he never hit up her stall. Fabric wasn't something worth stealing, so he always passed this stall before. She might know about the elf who was a thief, but his voice and face wouldn't be known to her. He wore a pleasant smile on his face while making sure his hood was covering him up.

"Sorry to disturb you, miss. I was wondering if you perhaps know Dariya and her family. They're traveling merchants, who often cross the sands. I need to hire her, but I'm not sure where to locate her," he said truthfully. He wished he would have asked for her location before departing ways with her. Then he wouldn't have to go on this hunt for her.

The woman seemed to think for a moment, before shaking her head. "I apologize, but I'm not sure where you can find her. I know about her, but I've never had any need to hire her family myself."

Xia nodded and thanked her anyway, before going to the next stall to ask that merchant. Not many of the merchants needed to seek Dariya out. From what Xia gathered, Dariya and her family came to them when putting in orders. Before traversing the sands, the family stopped by each merchant and asked them what they needed. They were efficient, so there was no need for the merchants to seek them out themselves.

It took a few more tries before someone was finally able to point Xia in the right direction. He would need to go to the noble district, a part of the city he hardly ever went to. Even though he lived in the palace, it wasn't as though Xia explored the city much. Xia knew the marketplace and the slums, but not the noble district. He would figure it out, though. If Xia was able to survive the harsh desert, then he could survive among the nobles. At least now he looked the part.

As he tried to leave the marketplace and follow the directions he was given, Xia had the unfortunate luck of being bumped into. The force was enough to knock him off his feet. Xia fell to the ground, and when he glanced up at his assailant, he couldn't help glaring up at them. His glare disappeared when he noticed who it was who knocked him over. Why did this have to happen to him now?

The merchant looked apologetic at first, until he saw Xia's face. It was the merchant Xia ran into before when coming to the market with Osiris. Unlike the others he spoke with, this merchant knew all about Xia's bad deeds. Xia wanted to avoid confrontation since he didn't have any guards to protect him. He should have known better than to come without protection, but Xia was stubborn. He didn't like the idea of being followed and protected, even if it was for his own good.

Xia got back on his feet and tried to run for it, but the merchant roughly grabbed his arm before he could make his escape. The merchant forced Xia close to him, his eyes filled with rage. The elf caused too many problems for this man, and the merchant planned to finally make Xia pay for his crimes.

"You have a lot of nerve showing your face around here after everything you've done." The merchant scowled at him.

Xia couldn't help rolling his eyes. "You're being dramatic. What happened to you wasn't even that bad."

"Are you being serious right now? You ruined my life and I'm still trying to pick up the pieces. Do you know how much profit I lost because of you? You've stolen more from me than any other merchant and I lost all of my goods when you 'accidentally' burned down my stall. Trying to rebuild has been hell." If looks could kill, then Xia would have died multiple times from the expression this man was giving him.

"Well, maybe if you didn't make things hard for my grandmother then I wouldn't have had to go to such extreme measures. You tried to publicly humiliate her because she's old and doesn't move as fast as you. She's doing the best she can to keep her job without you making it hard for her. What I did was justice after how you treated my family." Xia glared back. If he had the chance, he would ruin this man's life again. No one messed with his family and got away with it.

The merchant gave a short laugh. "I have the mind to hire mercenaries to take you and your family out. Continue being a little shit and see what happens."

"Is that a threat? Do you really want to speak this way to the sultan's fiancé?" Xia would have liked to avoid pulling this card. He didn't want to rely on Osiris' name for protection, but it was the best option he had right now. Xia wanted to keep his family safe, and no one would go against the sultan.

He hesitated for a moment, before finally letting go of Xia's arm. "You're lucky to have the sultan as an ally, but don't count on it forever. Once he catches on to your little tricks, he'll have you thrown out, and then I'll do whatever I want with you."

Now that Xia was free from the merchant's grasp, he gave him the middle finger before fleeing. If that man thought he would get back at Xia, then he would be waiting for a long time. Osiris already planned on marrying Xia, so he wouldn't get rid of him. Any enemy of Xia would just be disappointed.

"Xia?" A voice from behind called him.

He glanced back at the voice and relief swept over him. Dariya was behind him, carrying a basket of food. She gave him a small smile when he looked at her, and she chuckled.

"I'm guessing you're not very popular with the merchants. I witnessed the whole thing," she said.

"It's a long story . . ." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. He didn't want to get into the reason why, and he didn't want to sway her opinion of him even more. Especially not when he needed help. He added to get down to business, "Actually, I was looking for you. I need your help with something."

She nodded. "Let's walk together. You can tell me what you need as I finish my shopping."

Dariya took the lead with Xia walking alongside her.