Worra releases Bosque's wrist. They look into each other's eyes seeing anger fade and reason return. In a somber moment, Bosque returns the three coins to Worra.
Worra asks, "How did you get that coin?"
"I will not tell you," Bosque said. He places the coin back into his pouch on his leather necklace.
"You must, Bosque. There are a powerful few that seek these coins and a great deal of dangerous beings that have them. If you possess one of the coins, you have entered into a deadly game of last one standing."
"Then tell me how you got yours if these are so dangerous. Why would you hold on to them?"
Worra hesitates, thinking. She holds her three coins in her hand, places them in the pouch and ties her belt on.
Confused Bosque says the words back, "Urraedi Arimavor?" At this time Bosque notices that Loxly, Austri, Lecham and Wolfenstein are gone.
Worra gives Bosque a stern look that makes him yield and understand the serious nature of uttering the murderous group's name.
"If you must mention them at all, call them coin-seekers or coin-followers. Coin-followers scrye for their name said out loud. Coin-seekers scrye for these coins as they scream into the astralos^ when they appear."
"I don't believe you." Bosque says wanting to no longer listen. "I have killed dozens of creatures and people since I have carried this coin. With how you are talking about it, the boogyman should be here by now. Already killed me."
"I'll tell you where I found them then," Worra finally reveals. "One coin found was where Gundren was ambushed in the mouth of a green goblin. One coin outside the cave of King Klag in the mouth of a red goblin. The last coin in King Klag's mouth with his face pulled off." Worra then says, "I figured a great killer, a monster, was on our trail seeking the Rat King or the Moondiver Mine."
"I did not carve King Klag's face, that was Loxly."
Worra continues, "The face doesn't matter! Who delivers the kill, gets the coin. The soul taken in trade, the deposit left in the dead's mouth. Given to you instead of Death as the soul is stolen from the astralos. You have left a trail for them to follow."
"No, no, no," Bosque says as he places his hand on the latch of the door. He then turns back, "This is some ploy. You know too much about this. A person who is afraid of these men behind the coins would have left them where they lay. Your aim is something else? This is an opportunity for you, no?"
Worra releases some tension in her body. Bosque notices she seems more relax and maybe out of this Worra will tell him a little more than half truths. She adjusts her cloak. Yellow trim brighten to the color of gold and the blue shines for a moment then deepens into the color of night.
"I need killers, Bosque. Even to generate coins, you needed to have killed someone carrying one that wanted you dead. No small feat."
"I am no killer," Bosque says, more to himself then to her. "I'm just a man, looking for work. And this coin, I stole it from a deadman."
"Who are you try to make believe you? Me? No." Worra moves closer to Bosque, her hand on the latch Bosque is holding. "You're on a quest, a quest for vengeance. Probably because of the man you said you took that from. And I'll tell you, only killers can walk that path and be successful."
Bosque looks away. He can feel her gaze going right through him. Worra keeps speaking.
"In truth, I need killers to keep the Lost Mine of Moondiver lost. You and your friends, they can help. I know enough gold or platinum will make you all forget this mine exists. The eynuier, I might be able to buyoff, if not you will need to find a way to keep them silent. I know they are close with Floed Rithal and the Carracque** of the Cross Kingdom cannot have the mine. The eynuier cannot profit because Rithal will profit. Rithal is a monster, breeding a court of monsters. All petty and prideful. All ruling in the name of greed and gluttony. They would rather murder their own people then feed them. That is why Rithal ignited the Long War. His coffers need war, his sychophants need war, all the profiteers need war. The mine will let Rithal finally clench the Blood Coast, flood it will material and weapons, turning everything south of here into battlefields and unmarked graves of undesirables like indeguier^^, bloodfolk^^^, trauti^^^^, and onceti. Till finally, the Green Isle is taken and he breaks the Onci Treaty***. After he devoures the Oncet he will move his boomstocks, firejacques, farroquins, all his terratine and nautrine**** to the next continent."
Bosque looks into Worra's eyes, "I have goals and you have goals. Turth. What does it matter?"
Worra opens the door, "If that is not enough, does it matters if you find your mentor's killer?"
"You cannot know that."
"Austri was right, I'm a vendishona," she smiles dryly as her arm blocks the door. "I know many things. I am many things. I am whatever needs to be done and what needs to be done now is for you to follow me. Your friends are about to have a meeting you need to attend."
----------End---------
Notes
Urraedi Arimavor, Carracque, Carraque Floed Rithal, Onci Treaty of 333, Bloodties Treaty of 371, Carraque Goldbrau Alexidrina Hanotter, Crosian-Oncet Beachlands, Straight of Oncet,
boomstocks, firejacques, ferroquin, terratine, nautrine, farronaut, Astralos, Trauti, Bloodfolk, Blood Coast, Calendar - Eye of Praise
*Urraedi Arimavor, urrea (gold, basque), dirua (money, basque) arima (soul, basque), voor (for, dutch), an elusive and mysterious group of assassins from the Masoka continent, mas (snake, samali), inyoka (snake, zulu).
**Carracque(named derived from Carrack sailing ship from 18th century), Emperor, King, Czar.
***Onci Treaty Armistice treaty signed in the year 333 by Carraque Goldbrau Alexidrina Hanotter (Queen Victoria Alexanderia Victoria Hanover) say troops or ships from the Cross Kingdom cannot enter the waters within 1000 leagues of an Onceti Island. Onceti and Crosian ships, citizens or troops are not allowed within the Straight of Oncet or occupy within 100 miles of the Crosian-Oncet Beachlands. Dwarves-Eynuier are allowed to transport and occupy within unoccupied lands and seas if both Oncight Council and Carraque of Cross have given permissions. A similar treaty was made with the Boltian, called the Bloodties Treaty of 371. Broken by Floed Rithal (Adolf Hitler) in 407.
****boomstocks, firejacques, ferroquin, all his terratine and nautrine (crude breach-load cartridge rifle), (direct fire artillery), (iron golem-like armor that can carry various firejacques and close combat weapons, controlled by a noble-warrior called ferronaut), (land forces, army, 100K combatants), (sea forces, navy, 1000s of ships with 1000 sailors per ship, galleys/triremes as favored ship).
^Astralos, a combination of outer space, the plains that spirit reside, and the multiverse.
Indeguier^^, Onceti for Boltian (gybolts, dibolts and orbolts).
Bloodfolk^^^, Humans of the Blood Coast, many settlements and city-states prosper from self rule and trade with Boltian, Onceti, and Trauti.
Trauti^^^^, a species of anthropoid with bifurcated horns emerging from their foreheads or temples. Variety of skin colors including Human tones and every color in nature. Some have deer-like facial features. Know for abilities in magic, trickery and moving large amounts goods over land and sea. Tribal, mysterious, nomadic, generally good in business to a point some think of them as thieves and running confidence schemes.
+Fursa, Furca, the yoke, Y cross. Located in the southern March of Coarsica.
++Current year/season/month/day is 410 Halfall Hexadane Balsday
Calendar of Eye of Praise
Seasons - Forwinter Winter Halwinter Halspring Spring Forsummer Summer Forautumn Autumn Halfall
Months - Henalish Dilish Trilish Unlish Tetradane Hexadane Septadane Leviathane Octover Novemver Decemver
Days - Monday Tuesday Wednesday Loknesday Thursday Friday Balsday Valsday Sunday
36 Days/Month, 11 Month/Season(Earth year), 10 Seasons/Year(Earth Decade).
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