Tales & Treasure

Interlude - Zidane

Zidane gently tugged the reins of the carriage, slowing his horse. The familiar walls of Haran seemed different, taller, and more threatening. The salty air brought back memories of his childhood, his only joyous memories. The sun vanished from the sky; a faint orange glow reflected off the violent waves. His leg throbbed. The brutal wound Vidmar gave him was getting worse. Yellow puss oozed from underneath a bubbly black scab. He needed medicine. I have to see Alcin first, though, he thought as he approached the gate.

"Halt," the guard said. "The city is closed."

"Niare? Is that you?" Zidane said, straightening his hat. It seems my luck has changed.

The guard tilted her head. "Zidane. I should have recognized that dumb hat from a league away, but that's a different carriage. What happened?"

"Do you like it? I thought my carriage should better reflect my elegance, so I bartered, traded, and sold until I could afford this one."

"It does suit you. Where's your crew?"

"Oh, you know mercenaries," Zidane lied. "They follow the coin, and since I spent a hefty sum on this carriage, I could no longer afford them. So we parted ways near Vicus."

"The city is closed, Zidane. Mayor's orders," Niare said, her tone much less convincing than moments ago. "I can't let you in."

"What's this? I seemed to have saved a few coins for you, Niare," Zidane said, untying a pouch from his belt. He tossed it to her. "My favorite guard."

She caught it in her gauntleted hand, weighing it carefully. The coins jingled pleasantly like the wind chime hanging in his mother's window. "Seems a bit light for a person of such elegance," she said mockingly. "But fine. Be quick, and..."

"And if anyone asks your brother, let me in. I know," Zidane said. He carefully tucked his red-stained shirt into his new doublet as he ushered the horse through the gate.

After he stabled his new horse and stored his new carriage, he changed into a new shirt. Tarver had excellent taste in clothing. It's a shame that only fish, snails, and crabs can admire it now. He smiled as he adjusted the gray doublet's gold buttons, a perfect complement to his hat. His newfound wealth was a much-needed distraction. I might be joining Tarver by the end of the night.

He paced up and down a dimly lit street and cursed as he distractedly stepped into a puddle near a black iron lamp post. He kicked water off his new leather boots and caught a glimpse of his reflection in the muddy puddle. Dark stubble shadowed his sharp jawline. I need to shave, he thought. His breath fogged in the cool night air as he attempted to muster courage. I should run, but I've worked so hard to get here. Alcin will understand. It can't all be for nothing. Zidane's feet ignored his thoughts of escape and walked down a narrow alley that ended at the base of the city wall.

The door to lead thee
Lies between diamonds three

He always felt like a child when he recited the rhyme, but he couldn't open the door without thinking of it. He approached the wall, the gigantic, ominous wall. To common folk, it looked ordinary, a barricade from the outside world, but to his guild, this was the front door. One only needed to know where to look. The first two marks were relatively easy to find. They looked like notches in the stone, but upon closer inspection, they were perfectly shaped diamonds. The two diamonds were engraved at eye height to the average man. Zidane had to look up slightly to find them. They were uneven and spaced about ten feet apart. The third diamond was harder to find. Some thought it was a star in the night sky. Others thought you needed to offer a diamond at the foot of the door, but the path to the third diamond required knowledge and courage. Between the two diamonds at waist height was a small hole in the mortar, just big enough for a man to stick a finger through. A thin piece of canvas camouflaged the opening. It was easy to find if one traced the line of mortar with a finger, but otherwise, it blended identically into the wall.