Grow!

Pencil woke up to see Aila getting dressed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to chase you out of your room."

Pencil got up and started to get dress too.

"You are not chasing me out, I've been invited to my first Hashin. "

Aila pushed Pencil who had her pants halfway up her legs. She fell on the bed and pulled all the way up.

"It's a errand we run for father. It differs, sometimes it's some as easy as Escorting someone other times it killing a corrupt official."

Aila explain seeing the blank expression on Pencils face.

"Wait killing, are you sure you are ready for that? Taking a life is something that change a person forever."

"Of course, people like that don't deserve to live. It's not like they are innocent."

"It doesn't matter, even killing in self defense takes a toll. I still see him."

"Who?"

"When I was sixteen, I wasn't actually making good decisions. I ran with a couple of other kids. Mostly orphans, we picked pocket, we knew it wasn't right but that was the only way we could survive. One day when we were picking pockets someone died. We usually picked in groups of four. A spotter, someone who watched from a distant, they usually pick the target. The Simp also know as the sympathy seeker, someone who the target will pity. They distract the target for the claw, the actual pick pocket to unburden the target. The last is the courier, the one who transport the stolen goods.

That day I was the simp, and kind of the claw. The actual claw took some valuables and so did I . When the man realised his purse was missing. He grabbed me and accused me of stealing his purse, This caused a scene, the transporter was already gone. I passed my loot to the claw. After searching me and finding nothing he let me go, but the claw bumped into someone and the loot fell. The man noticed and grabbed him, it all happened quickly.

I don't know where I got metal bar from but it had blood on it and the man was on the ground. The claw grabbed me and dragged me out of there as a watched in shock.

Later I heard he was dead and adventures were searching for us everywhere."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that at that age. You should not have being on the street, doing all kind of things to survive."

"That was not the point, I want you to know killing someone comes with a toll."

"Yeeah, it's not the same these people are bad people. They deserve everything that comes to them and more."

Back at Applease, Ryan was being rocked haphazardly. He heard mumbling and opened his eyes. His sight was murky but saw a figure standing over him. He quickly got up and and puked leaning at the side of a cart.

"He is awake."

Helton shouted.

"What's going on?"

Ryan wiped his mouth with his sleeves.

"We are going to get you cured."

Ryan heard Lawhey voice from in front of the cart.

"Cured?"

"Yes, but first we need to slow down the progression of the leach."

"Well, I need some ingredients to create a suppressor, it hasn't been easy getting the ingredients."

"Where are Shoto and Kemi?"

"You don't remember what happened?"

"I remember Lawhey grabbing me before I fell into the pit."

"Yes and then?"

Helton shone light into his eyes.

"Then nothing."

"Your memory loss might be caused by the leach activation. Lawhey, whip it, I thing he might deteriorate further, we need to hurry."

"What happened to Kemi and Shoto, are the dead?"

"I wish, they are still alive. We don't know where they are and it's good. They don't know where we are either. "

"Where are you taking me?"

"To vampire territory, most of the ingredients to stop the leach activation are there."

"You said I had years before it activated."

"I honestly thought you did, I don't know why it activated. It not too late, we can still stop it. You've started to loose your memory, soon you will start to gain your masters memories. You will fade gradually until you are no more."

"I thought the vampires were walled in to protect other species. You two can't do it alone."

"They built the wall and you are right we can't do it alone. Shoot gave me a name in the moment of his clarity. Misty, I think she can help us."

"We are here."

Lawhey stopped the cart and Helton and Ryan got down.

"Are you sure this is the place, there is nothing here. Shoto might have given you directions to an ambush site."

"We have no choice, we'll just have to go and see for ourselves."

They got to a cave in the middle of nowhere. Immediately, they were surrounded by a group with guns.

"Told you, trap."

Two among the group, escorted them into the cave. They threw them at the feet of a plus size woman sitting at a table. She said nothing, she munched on food as the watched her from the floor.

"Excuse me, we are running out of time. We need your help to get to Vamp territory."

Lawhey said and the woman slammed the table with both hands.

"Stop interrupting me."

Whiles they were still on their knees the same came back with Ryan.

"Look what we found in their carriage."

He threw Ryan also at her feet.

"What do we have here?"

She signaled and two men brought him closer. She looked in Ryan's eyes then prick his hand with a pointy metal.

"You should have lead with this, I know some people who will pay a fortune for this."

"He's not for sale."

Helton said looking at a man who had his bag.

"Then how did you guys intend to pay for my services?"

"We didn't, like we said Shoto sent us."

"Is this some kind of scam?"

Misty said before one of her men whispered in her ear.

"Lock them up."

They put Helton and Lawhey in the same cage and put Ryan in a different cage opposite them.

Aila, Pencil and four others got to a town surprisingly they heard nothing. The place was quiet, they opened the town gate to see corpses everywhere. The walls were smeared with blood and the whole place smelled like death.

Pencil took of her yashmak and started to puke. They saw smoke and walked in that direction. One of the ladies picked money from a burnt pile.

"Who will burn money?"

"Grow"

A voice said from behind and they all turned around point their swords and arrow in that direction.

"The merchant guild, they did this?"

"Grow is not a merchant guild. It's different from anything I've seen."

"It is a merchant guild, they give you money in exchange for valuables."

"They don't give you money they lend it to you. Let me explain, the town was hemorrhaging money.

"We are exhausting our Susu, we gave an arm and a let to Yuko and her husband."

"What are you talking about, is not like the intensionally burnt their house down."

"I know but the tornado already made a significant hole in the towns pocket."

"Okay, Okadu what do you suggest we do?"

"I suggest we grow our own money."

"It won't work we are only a town, no one will accept your money. Especially all those who trade with Red and everyone trade with Red."

"What if we grow lad, as you said everyone trade with Red."

"Santo, that's actually a good idea."

"Okadu, Santo, Majid , I don't think the chief will not agree to this. Exchanging our golds and crystals for paper."

We will convince him.

The elders sent the idea to the Chief.

"So you discussed this behind my back? It seems you have already decided, what else do you want me to say?"

"It just came up when we were talking and decided to come to you. The town chose you to be chief, we can't make any decision that affects the town without your say."

Majid said looking at the others.

"Okay, no"

They were all quiet then Fin cleared his throat.

"Your majesty, I think it's a good idea. We give all our valuables to Grow and use their paper. Later in the future we give them their paper and take back our valuables."

Fin explained.

"Wait, we can go back for it? "

The chief asked looking at the others.

"Yes if only we return their money with ten percent annual interest."

"Okay so how my papers will me get, if we do this."

"It depends 1 lad is 1 silver coin, 1 red is 2 silver and 1 dark is 4 silver. The other currencies are a mess today it can be 2 to 5 and the next day it's more or less that."

"Let's go with the Dark, that's the Elf's money right."

The chief asked with a smile on his face.

"Sire, I think we should grow Red."

"Elves are honest, they won't cheat us and we get four silver for their money."

"No sire, we will give Grow 4 silver for a dark."

"Four silver, no that's too much. I know some important people in the elf territory, I'll talk to them about the price."

"Sire, Elves have no say in how it's sold or bought."

"Why, it's their money, they should have a say."

Okadu sighed.

"Okay then let's get the Lad it's 1 to 1 , that's fair."

"Yes but that's the vampires money. They don't usually trade, they drink blood and have everything they need. Besides, they have walled themselves from the rest of the territories."

Okadu looked at the others for support but they all stayed quiet.

"Fine let's buy the red."

So they bought the red and things were good for years until it wasn't.