The Mercenary's Valkyrie: Book One

Whispers

Dear readers, it has been eons I know... I have been in the mountains as of late and have just found myself some time to give you the next chapter. I hope you enjoy and I imagine updates will be more frequent this week.

We found ourselves outside of a familiar wares store.

The Jester's Drawers. No less.

This was a fond memory of our time in Vayleron. Anything under the sun could be purchased within these walls... you only need know where to look.

The short bearded shopkeeper dropped us a nod in recognition as if we had only visited yesterday. But instead of tending to ambling customers as he would usually do, he edged into the backroom.

Kaden, John, I and the immortal all followed him through to the back. When the door shut behind us he strode up towards a giant painting of a colourful jester. It grinned wickedly at us all and I had to frown at its leering eyes. The shopkeeper ran a hand along the edge and flicked a catch on the side. He pulled the large painting open like a door and a staircase appeared behind it.

I dropped a nod and flicked him a copper for the trouble.

The shopkeeper merely mirrored the nod in acknowledgment before walking past and returning to his store front.

"Curious." The valkyrie noted.

"Whenever we needed certain... products during our time in this beautiful city, we would come here." John said with a respectful smile at the staircase dipping down past the painting.

"Weapons the guards sure as shit wouldn't want our mits on." Kaden snorted as he stepped up to the painting and saluted it.

"Yes, yes we are terrible beings. Let us hurry, I dislike lingering out in the open." I said quickly, pushing John towards the opening.

We all crowded down the staircase before John sealed the painting shut behind. Only small candles were lit into holes in the stone walls. But we did not descend for long. Soon we were before a thick wooden door.

Kaden rapped him knuckles on it thrice, then twice, then twice once more.

A moment passed and I let out a sigh of impatience.

"Perhaps they have changed—"

A deadbolt slid away with a clang and the door swept back to reveal a hooded man obscured in shadows. He gave us all a once over before stepping aside and letting us pass. The warmth and interesting scents of the underground black market flooded my senses.

I heard the door shut behind us but my focus was on the many stands going deep into the cavernous room with crowds of hooded buyers calling out prices or haggling or perhaps just discussing wares.

John and Kaden groaned in unison at all of the forbidden fruit in the place.

"There is no place like criminal home." John sighed.

Kaden slapped his shoulder and pointed animatedly at a pair of lethal looking spiked maces hanging from a wall.

"You could reduce a man to a leaky cauldron!" John cackled, appraising the glinting spikes.

"No unconcealable weapons." I hissed at the pair. "We still must return to Xerxes' in broad daylight."

Kaden grunted with a huff. "Perhaps just the dual spike, tipped daggers then."

"Much better." I told him.

The Valkyrie stared at us like we were insane. I shrugged and tugged her away from the boys who eagerly ran for the weapons table. Before I could speak I saw her glare on my hand and instantly retracted it.