This is a series of vignettes centred around a fictional Tavern in the Magic Multiverse.
A brand new day, a brand new sun. The star rode up its celestial rollercoaster to mark the advent of the biting winters that came with the territory.
The Planeswalking Tavern was on a short visit to this world, obtaining some cold supplies that it could not otherwise have obtained from any other plane, at least, not of comparable quality. There was one object in particular that Jéne E. sought from the frigid kingdom they now visited. Simply put, it was a crystal, and one of great and enormous value to the right buyer. Now was the right time to be stocking up on one of these, and Jéne E., ever the enterprising man, knew how to offer the right price.
Into a secured container the crystal went, the container masking outside onlookers from its vibrant beauty and its sharp and piercing angles. Special attention was given to the atmosphere into which the crystal would be stored, for it much preferred to languish in the dark and the cold than under the warm gaze of summer sunlight. Jéne E. was kind enough to grant it such a request.
After about five hours on the wintry plane, the captain of The Tavern ordered the planeswalking engine to be activated, and in the space of a second the building left behind the likes of ice and snow for the frying sun of the tropics, situating itself next to a beach of golden sand and blue-to-green water. Even the sky itself radiated a godly aura of crisp blue and bright white puffs of unbridled clouds.
Standing on the observation deck of The Tavern, a man in a classy business suit breathed in the stunning seascape air before turning around to watch another man struggle with a piece of paper, blown across the deck by the wind. The sudden change in location sometimes brought about nuggets of moments like this.
Truth be told, he was a man on a mission of conquest, and that conquest was about to be completed. Today, of all days, he was going to get his prize.
He sauntered to the ground floor of the building, not to obtain anything in particular, but instead to begin his task of people-watching. It was more of a hobby than a duty, really, but it helped his relax like some form of therapy assigned to him by a doctor.
Just relax. Don’t get nervous. You’ll get your reward in the end. Relax….
A man in a similar suit appeared on the other end of the room, holding a glass of some expensive drink which he imbibed casually. The two people nodded and each other and simultaneously turned to look in the direction of the main entranceway. Almost like it was a predetermined event, in walked a group of vedalken wizards, swishing their long luxurious robes and bobbing their complicated headgear as they made their way past the crowd towards some inner chamber. The two men observed the group but didn’t react to their presence in any other way, taking into account that the vedalken had with them a couple of human escorts.
Vedalken were interesting creatures, sentient and intelligent in all aspects. Their pale blue skin was hairless and their assortment of arms, two on the left and two on the right, worked in unison with one another, a remarkable feat to behold by those who normally had only one pair to control. Vedalken were quite lanky and most certainly quite tall when it came to their outlook on life. They much preferred intellectual resolutions than violence to achieve an end, often resorting to severely deep calculations and some degree of trickery to grasp their goals. That’s not to say they are bad people in general. It’s just that they abhorred violence and embraced intellectuality to the point of fanatical devotion.
Waiting for the group of visitors outside a strong room of some kind was Jéne E. and a small reception party. Jéne E., a peddler of renowned stature, offered his greetings and proceeded to ask if all arrangements were in place. The vedalken leader answered positively and in return asked if ‘the item’ was ready for transport. Happy to hear a good answer, the peddler ordered the strong room’s doors to be opened and allowed the vedalken group to enter.
Under the gaze of bluish light and the grasp of icy air, the crystal was kept secured inside a metal safe with the lock on the top. Jéne E. the peddler entered the combination which caused the safe to fall away on all sides, revealing the beautiful crystal, raw and unpolished, to the naked eye.
Two vedalken inspectors got out their tools and began their work of inspecting the purity and genuineness of ‘the item’, watched over by an excited Jéne E. and a nervous vedalken leader. What if the deal went sour? the leader thought to himself. He didn’t believe Jéne E. would do such a thing, but what if the supplier had tried to con the both of them with an inferior product? Such events were not uncommon, and both he and Jéne E. would be on the loosing end.
“It’s genuine,” one of the inspectors announced, “and in a state of perfect hibernation.”
The vedalken leader released a breath of relief. Of course Jéne E. would have inspected the goods himself. Of course.
An aide to the vedalken leader marched forth and stopped in front of Jéne E. showing him a small and heavy chest, and then a second aide undid the chest’s lock so that he could open the container. The peddler picked up one of the currency inside the chest for inspection, smiled, and said he was grateful to be able to do business with them.
The safe holding the crystal was relocked while the chest was passed to one of the peddler’s helpers. As the two possessions exchanged hands, we shall return our attention to the two men in business suits that had been observing this entire transaction.
Both of them had a plan. It was risky, but it was a plan nonetheless and they were daring enough to try and pull it off. First, they will take Jéne E. or the vedalken leader hostage. Then, in exchange for his life, they will steal the crystal. Finally they will dump the hostage in some remote location and speed off into the sunset, congratulating themselves for the way things had gone.
The two men powered up the devices that they wore on their arms and counted to three before bursting into the room. One… two… three!
And they rushed right into the trap of The Tavern’s security personnel who quickly relinquished them of their weaponry. The commotion was short-lived as the two men were pacified and eventually led to the brig. A nod by the vedalken leader indicated that he understood the perils he had placed himself and his associates in by agreeing to buy the crystal.
“My men and I will personally escort you back to your transport,” Jéne E. said.
The vedalken leader agreed to that decision. Then, once the crystal was safely loaded into the cargo bay of his flying vehicle, the leader confronted Jéne E. and mentioned his thanks, bowing deeply and sincerely with his words.
“It is a trade that is profitable to both of us. May our futures be bright and peaceful.”
“May they,” Jéne E. replied.
The peddler now watched the visitors board their airship in respectful silence. And as it flew away across the ocean towards their floating castle hidden in the depths of the clouds, the peddler stepped towards the waterline, stopping just a foot out of the reach of the lapping waves. He lifted his right hand, making a coin magically appeared out of it.
“Enjoy your merry present,” he whispered to the billowing air, and thus he tossed the coin into the water, making a wish that the Universe should be kind enough to grant.
>End of story.
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