Forging The Fire

31 ⚔️ Oldest Trick In The Book

"An offer?" Shez said, raising an eyebrow. "What could you possibly offer me?"

"Anything you want," Terra replied, not lowering her guard. "We want you to assassinate someone."

Diato stared at her, hauling himself to a standing position. "What does she think she's doing?" he thought. "They were definitely not here for Shez's help. They were here for Shez himself. They wanted to use Shez, not his help."

Terra paused briefly, waiting for Shez's reply.

"Go on," Shez finally said, settling into a resting position. He didn't care if Diato stood up now.

"We want you to assassinate a dragon," Terra explained with her teeth. "Perhaps we should talk about this in private."

Shez nodded and gestured for them to follow him. He led them to a rusty-looking tent that matched the atmosphere, with its pale yellow color palette and giant, corroded nails holding up the strings. Shez opened the curtain, which served as the tent door.

There was no one inside, just some wooden chairs scattered around. The ground was unsurprisingly sand, and the tent was lit with a dim bulb hanging from exposed wires. It seemed the current could escape any moment, but luckily it didn't. The chairs were layered with thick dust, making their brown color look paler than ever.

Diato didn't seem to notice the dust. Perhaps he didn't care. He grabbed the back of a chair and dragged it near the bulb on the central ground, turning it away from the light source. He threw himself onto the inverted chair, his legs dangling from the sides of the middle rail.

Terra gently brushed her hand against her seat, clearing off as much dust as possible before taking a seat. Diato rested his palms on the top rail, his chin propped on his knuckles. Shez grabbed the chair's top rail and banged it against the sandy ground once. It didn't make much noise. The dust from the seat slid off the chair as Shez placed it near the bulb, where Diato and Terra sat.

Shez took a seat and glanced at Terra, completely ignoring Diato's presence. "So, what is the offer?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Diato wants you-" Terra began, but Diato interrupted.

"Stop right there," Diato cut in, showing her his palm. "This Giant Troll Tower guy" - he pointed his palm towards Shez - "knows you more than he knows me. So please don't drag me into this mess, even if I'm part of it."

"What makes you think he knows me?" Terra turned to Diato. "And why are you sitting like that?"

"Diato's correct, Terra," Shez said, his body rigid. "You might only have heard about me, but... I know who you are."

"See?" Diato spoke with satisfaction, puffing out his chest with pride. "I told you he knows you better. I bet he also knows your friends, and James."

"But..." Terra wasn't ready to accept the reality. "How do you know me? We've never met, and I've never done anything that would make me famous or anything?"

Shez sighed with a slight chuckle. It was hard to tell if it was a chuckle or a light grunt due to his deep voice. "Matter of fact, I also know you, First Qualifier; or should I say Nose Breaker!"

Shez's words hung heavy in the air, causing Terra's breath to hitch. Diato's eyes, however, widened comically.

"Whaaat?" Diato blurted, eyes wide with a mix of surprise and misplaced pride. "How do you know me? Perhaps I'm too famous!"

Terra rolled her eyes, a familiar exasperation creeping in. "Oh shut up," she muttered.

"Don't you ever feel hot?" Diato tilted his head inquisitively, completely oblivious to the tension. "Even inside this tent, you're wearing those bulky cloaks and mask... Oh wait, are you a dragon?"