A Realm of Sun and Shadow

Chapter 2

Startled, but still unseen, I mindlessly ducked behind a trash can to hide out of sight as he came bumbling down the alley in my direction.

I heard the back door of the Blue Diamond fly open again and peeked over to see the balding man spin around only a few feet away to find out who had followed him.

The alley was dark and the man had his back to the light, but even in the dimness, there was no mistaking his yellow eyes. It was the same asshole that had bumped into me at the bar.

"Quinn... Why've you come?" the bald man asked, keeping his distance. His voice was a deep gurgling sound more than a real voice. 

Quinn strolled a few steps closer, but also seemed conscious of keeping space between them. "Hello to you too, Bert. It's been a while," he said trying to sound friendly.

Bert snorted. "Not long enough."

Quinn raised an eyebrow and ran his hand through his dark hair. "Fair enough."

"Why've you come here?" Bert asked again. "Or have you sunk to hunting your own kind now too?"

Quinn's face went rigid. "Just tell me where it is and I'll leave you here in peace," he said his voice becoming colder. 

"Tell you where what is exactly?" Bert asked, shifting his feet. 

Quinn sighed and scratched the side of his stubbled cheek as he eyed Bert closely. "I know you took the stone. I know you came here to hide it. And I'm not leaving without it."

"I-I haven't taken any stone?" Bert said with a half step back. I was no ace detective and even I could tell he was lying.

Quinn narrowed his eyes and reached into his jacket. I froze as a bolt of sheer panic surged through me.

Oh shit! Was this guy going to shoot this dude right here in the alley with me hiding behind a trash can over some stupid stone?

But it wasn't a gun he pulled out of his jacket. 

My panic was replaced with befuddled anxiety as I blinked for a moment trying to figure out exactly what I was looked at. It was a gold necklace with what looked like a giant fang the size of my palm hanging in the middle.

Bert straightened his back and cocked his head to the side like a curious dog. "Where did you get that?" he asked finally, his gurgly voice in awe. 

"Give me the stone and I'll give you the tooth. A trade," Quinn offered, holding out the necklace. 

What? I mouthed to myself in confusion. I felt like I was trapped in the middle of some crap Indiana Jones knockoff where instead of cool hats everyone wore colored contacts.

For a second I debated making a run for it, but my anxieties got the better of me. If I ran now there's no way they wouldn't notice me, and somehow being seen seemed far more terrifying than waiting out whatever this was. 

"No," whispered Bert after a long while. "Staying out of trouble."

"You stole the stone and fled to Morheim!" Quinn snapped with impatience. "You're just lucky I came for it and not somebody else!"

Bert took a few sliding steps backwards and Quinn sighed as if he knew he shouldn't have yelled. 

 "Take the trade, Bert," he offered again holding out the necklace. "Take it and give me the stone... and I promise no harm will come to you."

"No trade," Bert said shaking his head, his voice cold and distant. "They left me to rot. Beat me and starved me in that prison... No one came."

Quinn sighed and reluctantly put the stone back in his jacket pocket.