Converging Destinies: Part 1

Chapter 92

       Ara' Sei awoke early the next day. The back of her neck was cold with dread, and yet she was excited for the coming day. Today, she would go to Zerai and they would get the diamond.

       "It's good I'm finally getting it." Ara' Sei reassured herself. But one fact loomed over her. The divine were specifically asking her to go to a place where Eris had said they didn't want to go. What would she tell them? Would she convince them?

    What would she do if they didn't want to go with her. She couldn't imagine this group lacking one of its members. And if Eris left, so would Cedric. After all she could easily recognize that the two of them were in love. If both of them were gone, would the group be able to go on? She took a deep breath, and set aside her doubts for the moment. 

     After using her magic to clean herself up for the day, she took the gold she had left with Ella and knocked and Zerai's door.

       "Who is it?" He asked through the door.

       "It's me, Zerai." Ara' Sei answered. After a few shuffling noises were heard, Zerai opened the door.

       "So, whaddya need?" He asked. Ara' Sei showed the gold.

       "I'm ready to buy the diamond. I want to take care of it now as opposed to later." Ara' Sei said.

       "Alright, well. You seem ready, so let's go then." Zerai said. The two left. Ara' Sei hid her gold on her person. The two spent an hour searching the town before they came to a spot that Ara' Sei could identify as a jewelry artisan. The two entered the establishment and she approached a dwarven man who wore a dirty apron that had jeweler's tools hanging from it.

       "Hello sir, are you the one who owns this establishment?" Ara' Sei asked.

       "Yes. Whaddya need ma'am?" The man asked.

       "I need a large diamond. I'm looking for something worth around three hundred gold." Ara' Sei said. The man's eyes widened.

       "Any color preferences or cut preferences?" The jeweler asked. She shook her head.

       "All I need is the actual diamond itself." Ara' Sei said. The man pondered for a moment.

       "I know 'yer type. You've got powerful magic dontcha! Well, I got two things for ya. I've got a diamond that fits 'yer needs, and I got a request." The man explained.

       "Very well, we'll start with the diamond." Zerai said. The man nodded before going through a door in the back. A few minutes passed before he came back with a strangely shaped, dark colored rock. It was about the size of a pebble.

       Ara' Sei extended her hand out, and the dust fell off the diamond. It almost looked like glass. The man lifted his hand to give her the diamond. Ara' Sei inspected closely, then, she threw it as hard as she could against the ground. The diamond merely bounced off of it.

       "Don't worry ma'am. I wouldn't scam ya, not when I need a favor." The man reassured her. Ara' Sei picked up the diamond off the ground.

       "What's your favor?" Zerai asked.

       "Ye see, I get my jewels from a certain mine about thirty miles South a' here. 'Bout two weeks ago they stopped supplyin'. Say they've encountered somethin' nasty. Since ye seem powerful, I think ye could help them out." The man explained.

       "Alright, I get the feeling they would be paying us for this?" Zerai asked.

       "Certainly. They would pay handsomely to get it back." The man said.

       "Thank you sir." Ara' Sei said, giving the man the three hundred gold as well as one more. The man took a few minutes to count it before nodding.

       "Thank ya! The mine's South a' here. There'll be signs for it!" The man instructed.

       "Thank you too!" Ara' Sei replied. Then, the two walked back to the inn. Ara' Sei hid the diamond in a pouch. Now she felt more confident. She had power now, power to fix things if they ever went horribly wrong. She was ready, ready for what she had to do.