When I was… abandoned, they took me in, they trained me and… trusted me. They trusted me, but I couldn’t save them. Does being a god make you better suited to fight your enemy? Perhaps, but they were different, they had lost their humanity. I was in my five hundredth year when I realized that I had lost mine aswell.

 

Chapter 14 Friend

 

              Simian Friend sat around a fire staring into death itself. It came in the form of a large dark-skinned man with a shiny bald head. Large was an understatement, he had to be seven feet tall with a build that the gods designed to be terrifying. He wore only simple leather skins but the intensity in his eyes spoke more; this man was no savage from the wild lands.

              Behind his was his dog, Bane he thought the man had said. It was a fitting name for the devilish looking creature. It looked like a simple stray dog, except the thing was massive, even taller than the strange man himself. It sat behind him panting, and Friend felt that the creature was doing that on purpose just as an excuse to display the double row of canine teeth dripping with green ooze. His hair sat up along the neck and back just like an agitated dog, and one thing was for sure, Friend was glad that he was so well trained.

              Of the two, the dog was the more visually terrifying to Friend, but he knew, and he saw with great acuity. That was no normal blade Atlas fought him with, it was a magical blade, that was the only explanation for why his first blade had been shattered so easily. That angered Friend, that sword was a gift and he had killed many with that blade that rightly deserved it. But Friend saw, that was no normal blade, and it explained why a lone man could survive out in the wildlands, for no one else would ever allow him in their group.

              “Is your name really Friend?” the man asked.

              “You didn’t answer my question.” Friend replied.

              The man spoke with a clear Elkin accent, though he used words that sounded odd, even possibly and older dialect.

              “Atlas. This is Bane.” The dark-skinned man said.

              Bane growled when hearing his name.

              “Calm down. Lay down boy.”

              Clearly Bane did not like the order, but he complied with a large thump! Friend could feel the ground shaking with each of his half breath. Friend could clearly see though that the dog was not actually lying down, he was barely propped up on his massive paws, well hidden by his thick coat of fur. Apparently, Atlas also noticed this and just shook his head.

              “Umm… I guess I will start.” Atlas said. “I am sorry for crushing your tent.”

              The big man turned his gaze over to the tent, Friend’s tent, that was thoroughly crushed. He had some people trying to salvage what he could from it now, but Friend was just happy that he had stepped out only a few minutes before to do some sparing.

              Friend just stared back at him, trying to assess the big man. Why was he here? Especially one of his kind? If he hadn’t been hunted down, then he would have escaped somehow. Why come back to society?

              “This is where you go.” Atlas gestured to Friend.

              “Me?” Friend asked incredulously.

              “Yes you.” Atlas said waving his hands in the air.

              “For what?”

              “You attacked me.” He said.

              That was true, but that was the way of the land, especially this close to the walls.

              “So… I thought you were attacking me.” Friend said.

              Friend didn’t think Atlas was attacking him, in fact he made it clear just before Friends went after him, but he wouldn’t admit that. Friend’s whole motivation was elegant sword the man held; he wanted it. But that was moot now, knowing just what that sword was. It would fall apart if Friend tried to hold it. He could tell that Atlas was trying to hide what he was by leaving the sword summoned, only Friend here could sense the magic in it, and if Atlas wasn’t a fool, he would know that Friend knew.

              “No, you didn’t.” Atlas rolled his eyes.

              Friend’s lips drew up in a wide grin, and he laughed.

              “No, I didn’t. Tell me Atlas, why are you here?” Friend asked.

              “Wait, if Friend your real name?” Atlas asked.

              “Your name is Atlas, is that your real name?” Friend asked. “Kind of a red flag you know?”

              “It is my name, and I don’t understand.” Atlas asked sounding curious.

              Did he really not know? He had a clear Elkin accent despite its older dialect. No way he would be this dull though.

              “Atlas is the common name for Earth Users.” Friend explained.

              He was explicit in not implicating Atlas in such a potential accusation. The large man flinched, it was slight, but Friend caught it, he was very good at spotting body language.

              “Yeah, named after the last Hero of Elkin, an Earth User by the name of Atlas.”

              Now that Friend thought of the stories, there was something about this man. He was from Seton himself, so his view of the hero Atlas was more of a villain. From what he could remember of the stories, and the pictures, Atlas was a huge dark-skinned man, just like the man in front of him now. He was said to have brilliant white eyes and yellow eyes, but he could see that this man’s eyes were as black as the night sky.

              “When was this?” Atlas asked.

              Friend looked at the big man, he was visibly uncomfortable about something, but he answered him.

              “Few hundred years ago.” Friend replied.

              That didn’t help Atlas’s anxiety, if anything, he seemed to be more tense. Friend knew about people like him, though he had never met any, he heard the stories. Friend couldn’t help but feel that he could have matched this man, power for power, if only he hadn’t been so easily bested with a sword. That was a scary thought, no one had defeated him before but his master. Friend looked down at the remains of his sword, the last thing he had from that old man now laid shattered by his feet.

              Friend sighed and decided to change this man’s train of thought, which was clearly causing him some mental anguish.

              “Yes, though Friend is my last name. Simian Friend, nice to meet you Atlas…” Friend trailed off waiting for a reply.

              “Atlas… I… I don’t know.” He replied.

              He looked worried; how could someone not know their own name? Friend could understand just how frightening that could be, if you were cognizant enough to know that you didn’t know.

              “Well, Atlas I don’t know, what brought you over the wall and crushing my tent? I will require some reimbursement.” Friend told him.

              “I only have a few copper pins.” Atlas replied.

              Copper pins? Only the wild folks from across the Storm Sea still used copper pins, here in civilization, they had cycled them out almost a hundred years ago. They were in fact, a collector’s item if anyone could get a hold of them, potentially worth much more.

              “Let me see those pins.” Friend said.

              He was sure to make it an order, but he did not come off aggressive, this man was a cages monster.

              After a few tense moments, he reached into the leather pouch on his side. Friend heard his men reaching for their arms, and he raised his hand. They quieted, so he lowered his hand. After pausing for a moment, he saw that Atlas also had his hand on his own sword, and Bane was staring Friend directly into his eyes. That sent a shiver down his back, but he steeled himself and turned away from the dog. Atlas withdrew his hand and held two copper pins. He tossed them towards Friend. A purple haze shot from his chest and caught the pins in the air. He then drew them closer to study.

              Hovering in front of him were two ordinary pins. About an inch in length and conical shape, they were only a quarter of an inch at their thickest point. Yes, they were copper which immediately made them worth around ten silver pins each. When he studied them closer, he could see the unique etching along the thicker portion of the pin of a double-bladed sword, and at the top of the pin was a face. It was the face of the Immortal king of Seton. When he flipped the pin, the flat side of or the narrower portion had a face stamped in, one of the founders of the Elkin Hegemony, Mariki Doomhand.  

              “You know what these are worth?” Friend asked.

              Atlas shook his head.

              “A normal copper pin or a common copper pin; there are many different makes of each pin, will go around ten silver pins or one iridium if you can find someone to make that trade.”

              The big man just tilted his head at that.

              “Do you even know how the currency works?” Friend asked.

              Atlas sighed and answered.

              “I have been out of touch in society for some time.” He replied.

              The more they spoke, the more Friend was sure he was speaking to the Last Hero of Elkin. He wasn’t serious about that thought, but this one was way out of sorts.

              Friend turned to a woman standing a few feet back, it was one of the ones who came after him but paused when seeing Atlas’s blade on Friends throat.

              “Fray, can you explain this to him? I always get my proportions off.” Friend called to her.

              She stepped forward, glaring at Atlas, then turning that glare on him.

              “How many times do I need to explain this?” she huffed.

              “As many times as needed. I’m a thief, I don’t need to know how much I’m stealing, that is why I have you.” He replied with a grin.

              She rolled her eyes, then sat down beside him.

              “Well, base currency is a common silver pin now. Back in the day it was a common copper pin. It was ten common copper to one common silver, ten common silvers to one iridium…” she explained.

              “This is where she loses me.” Friend joked and she slapped him on the back of the head.

              “Hey, I’m still tender up there from the dog…”

              “Anyways, it is a hundred iridium to one gold, a hundred gold to one platinum and one platinum to one iridium. Most people will go their whole lives and never see a gold and most things cost at least ten copper, so that is why the silver is the common currency you will see.” She explained. “And most platinum and especially the rhodium are used in high, very expensive magic spells or rituals. Seton is protected from Elkin’s armies thanks to one of these rhodium spells.”

              Friend grinned. “And what do you think this is worth?” handing her one of the copper pins.

              He laughed when she stood so abruptly that Bane jumped up and started to growl. He placed a protective paw in front of Atlas and leaned forward over the fire menacingly. Fray quivered, and Friend just kept laughing, even over the smell of the dog’s hair singing.

              “Back UP!” Atlas yelled, and Bane reluctantly listened.

              When he backed up, Atlas turned towards his dog and placed a calming hand on his snout.

              “We both know that you can kill them all, they know this. So, don’t worry, alright?” He told his dog.

              To everyone’s chagrin, that calmed the dog almost completely. He turned and hopped off and just ran around like a… well, a puppy would.

              “Can you please tell him not to eat the sheep?” Friend asked.

              “Don’t worry, he will probably go find a bear or something.” Atlas said.

              He was serious, of course he was serious. His dog was worse than most monsters that existed outside the walls.

              “Alright, Fray?” Friend prompted her.

              “Where did you get this?” she asked.

              “Not just this, these.” Friend said handing her the other one.

              She quite nearly fainted.

              “I would happily accept this as payment for the tent, though I am an honest man, a fair man. Its best to tell you what they’re worth.” Friend said.

              “Didn’t you just say that you’re a thief?” Atlas asked.

              “I did, and I am, but an honest one. You see?”

              “No, I don’t. “Atlas replied.

              “I steal from bad people, or idiots. Well…I guess from good people sometimes, but that is only because they shouldn’t have what they have.” Friend explained.

              “Still don’t understand.” Atlas said.

              “No one understand that kid.” A thick bearded man said from behind him.

              “Oh, shut it Grox.” Friend scolded.

              “Anyways, Fray?” he prompted her again.

              He could see her contemplating something and making up her mind. Before she could do anything that she would regret, Friend called forth his telekinetic mist and grasped the pins out from her hands. She glared at him, and Friend made a slight head tilt to the side. Fray turned and screamed out and Bane was only a few feet behind her.

              Bane shoved his snout in her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

              “He is quite a playful boy.” Atlas said.

              Friend could see that the other man also noticed hat she was going to do.

              “Why don’t you tell me what they’re worth?” Atlas asked.

              She turned and sat back down, forcing herself to calm. Friend watched the large dog thump down again with his head shoved up next to Fray sitting at the edge of a log. She continued her explanation.

              “Well…”

              As Frey continued her explanation, she absently rested her hand on Bane’s large head. She began to scratch at it, and the dog began to… was that purring? What a strange sound to come from such a beast.

              “I used the term common pins for a reason. Every hundred years or so, there is a reprint so to say. It usually changes with whoever is king or ruler or whatever of any given area. These ones are the common pins, even so, most of the old prints aren’t worth much more to a collector than what the pin is physically worth. Here, you have something very unique. The one side if the original stamp of the Immortal king Seton. The other side is the original print of Mariki Doomhand, the founder of the Elkin Hegemony.”

              The other men behind began to stir, as Fray continued her examination, as if to verify the pin.

              “You have the double-bladed sword, and the inscription of twenty two nineteen ten.” She explained.

              The rest of the men stood quickly and drew their weapons. Thankfully, Bane remained lying down purring under her scratches.

              “Everyone, stand down now or I will kill you.” Friend told them.

              Something about his tone told them that he was not lying.

              “These are nearly twenty-thousand years old! Only one exists that I know of. They are worth something around…”

              Fray continued, not noticing the men’s aggression or choosing to ignore it. She pulled out a small notebook, and when she set it down on the top of Bane’s head, it expanded into a huge volume, thousands of pages thick and nearly two feet wide. She fished through a few pages, then turned back up to them with wide eyes.

              “They’re worth around ten platinum a piece.”

              Friend whistled to that.

              “But I wouldn’t expect to get anything out of them.” She said.

              Friend stopped whistling. “Why’s that?”

              “Because they are technically illegal to own. I think it is because they don’t want the common man to know that the founder of the hegemony and the immortal king were brothers, twins in fact.”

              “Wait, really?” Friend asked.

              Fray roller her eyes.

              “I have told you this many times.” She said exasperated.

              “Was I listening?”

              “Probably not.” She signed. “Anyways, if you can find a collector to buy it, he won’t pay nearly that price.” She explained.

              “What would they pay for each?” Atlas asked.

              She thought for a moment.

              “Perhaps, a gold.” She answered it like a question.

              “So little?” Atlas asked.

              “Well, that is still a lot of money to the common man but think of the collector. Most of them are gaudy and want to show off their stuff. Thy won’t pay full price for something they will need to hide in a safe or a bank somewhere.” She explained.

              Atlas was nodding at this, it did make sense, but Friend felt a little deflated.

              “And many states across the sea won’t recognize them and won’t pay much. It’s a tough spot to be in.”

              “Well… perhaps you all can help me.” Atlas said.

              “Hmm? And pay us with what?” Friend asked.

              “You are a thief; I assume you have someone that could sell those pins.”

              That was true, but it would even be less than the gold pin per copper. That was also something that he would need Fray to take care of herself, he couldn’t trust anyone else not to just run with it. He pointedly ignored that she was going to do just that earlier. But she would have returned to him… probably.

              “I can pay you in something else. Something that may be a bit hard to deal with, but easier than those I believe.”