Multi-Dimensional Merchant System

Andras leaned against the tree, crystal ball in hand, as he waited for his brother to return from picking up their next job. 'Our next regular job', he amended in his mind as his eyes were drawn into the swirl of mystical energies within the softly glowing sphere. With a bright smile on his face, he quickly tucked the crystal ball into his pack and turned face his disgruntled cousin that stood nearby.

“Peace, Rafan. Their words mean nothing... And growing angry over them only feeds their sense of superiority.”

Rafan irritably stamped a hoof before turning to look away from the travelers on the road, muttering under his breath. “Damn pointy-eared bastards, treating us like beasts...”

“Rafan!”

Rafan shrugged off the restraining hand on his shoulder. “I know. I know!” He huffed before slowly loosening his clenched fists. “One of those... Elves... asked if I would pull their plow! I'm ten times the warrior of even their best, yet they insult me! I'm a Centaur, not a damn draft animal!”

Andras sighed and patted his cousins shoulder. “I know, cousin. But we bear with it... Because even if each of us is more capable than even their best, they outnumber us by too much. If our ancestors hadn't fought so fiercely for the peace...”

He shook his head slowly before quickly shifting the topic. “It doesn't matter. Once Leklan returns, we will be off to Mage Weaver's Hold for our next jobs. The Humans there are much more pleasant to deal with-”

“Wait.” Rafan interrupted as the words registered. “You said jobs. I thought we only had one... The Ancestor's spirit showed you something?”

Andras laughed loudly as he waved down the exuberant younger Centaur. “Calm, cousin. I will explain it once Leklan rejoins us.”

The pair only waited for a few minutes before the last of their trio rejoined them, bearing a heavy bag slung across his back. Leklan hid his emotions well, far better than their young cousin, but Andras could see the annoyance in the set of his shoulders and the swish of his tail.

Without even uttering a word, Leklan waved for the pair to join him as he quickly trotted away from the Elven city of Cedar Spring.

The trio moved without speaking for only a moment before Rafan couldn't contain himself further, his voice laced with excitement and impatience. “Well? Are you going to tell us about the jobs or not?”

Andras shrugged apologetically at his brother, as he was the one that had insisted the trip would be good experience for the young Rafan. “I was going to wait until Leklan had put behind him whatever insults the Elven Lord had heaped upon him...”

“It is fine, Shaman. It is already behind me... Though now I find myself curious about what other 'jobs' we suddenly have before us.” Leklan rumbled, his deep voice filling the air around them.

“Must you always address me so? We are brothers, are we not? Besides, I am only an apprentice until we complete our Spirit Journey and return with wealth and treasure enough to honor our Ancestors...” Seeing the resolute look in his brother's eyes, he waved it off with a chuckle. “Fine, fine. Have it your way as usual... War Chief...”

Seeing the hint of amusement in Leklan's eyes, Andras smiled. “Very well, I shall explain. While we awaited your return, I gazed into the Orb of Wisdom, seeking guidance from our Honored Ancestor-”

“This isn't going to be like the last time, is it? When we did all that work only for our offering to be passed over for another's?” Leklan interrupted, skeptical.

Andras shrugged, though his smile didn't waver. “Who knows the ways of those beyond? But!” Knowing his brother's frustration over their last failure, he cut off any argument with a raised hand. “But I have a plan.”

Leklan snorted at his brother's antics, but waved for him to continue. “Please, do tell us your plan... Brother.”

Andras practically beamed at the response. “Thank you, brother... As to my plan, it is quite simple. The Ancestor's spirit has connected with a man from far distant lands. This man wishes to acquire Spell Tomes, and is paying quite well for them.”

“And Mage Weaver's Hold is likely to give us a decent price for them, this I can see the logic in... But what if our offering is not selected? Our funds cannot sustain such a loss.” Leklan rumbled as he considered the possibility. While he was clearly still skeptical, they all knew he would ultimately do whatever his brother asked of him. He always had.

“That is the beauty of my plan, brother!” Andras cheered, nearly prancing along the road. “Even if our offering is not selected, the Ancestor showed me that there are others that desire these Spell Tomes! Though, they are not paying quite as well... And, even if none of them select our offerings, the people of Demon Crag will certainly buy the Spell Tomes. We would simply have to hold on to them for a few months of our journey.”

“Are you certain we would be able to sell them at Demon Crag? For a profit?” At his brother's emphatic nod, Andras smiled and gently ruffled his younger brother's hair. “Well, then what are we waiting for? It is only a few days to Mage Weaver's from here...”

Rafan was stunned by the series of rapid revelations. A man from Beyond? Buying and selling Spell Tomes? And their journey was going to take them to the legendary Demon Crag! It took him a moment to realize the other two had picked up their pace and, with a whoop of excitement, he raced to catch up.

Maybe this Spirit Journey would be more interesting than he thought... As long as he could stay far away from those damn arrogant Elves...

Words flashed rapidly across the digital display of Breaker's cybernetic eye. Breaker wasn't her real name, of course. Simply the name everyone knew her by, as she had long since buried her real name... And most of the people that knew it.

“Damned traitors!” She hissed before once again suppressing the painful memories. Should couldn't dwell on that, not anymore. And especially not when she was searching for a new job. Preferably something dangerous and exciting, but she would settle for one that payed well.

A girl's gotta eat, after all.

Breaker leaned back against the neon billboard, idly watching the passing hover cars that filled the night sky. She didn't envy these people, locked in the drudgery that was a life working for a Mega-Corporation as they were. They may have had nice cars, elegant houses, and more money than they knew what to do with... But could they really do anything with it? Every day was work, home, eat bland food from whatever 'top of the line' food processor they had bought, then sleep... And wake up the next day to do it all again.

“Capitalist slaves, the lot of them. They call me a criminal, but THAT is the real crime... Fucking stupid...” She scoffed softly.

“And why the hell are all these jobs so boring? Fucking fetch quests, I swear. Where are the assassinations? The chaos? The fucking mayhem!” She screamed into the night, a manic glint in her eyes as she tightly gripped the hilt of her katana. Her hands itched to draw the plasma pistol from her other hip and fire upon the corporate fools above...

Before she gave in to her violent urges, a number caught her attention as it flashed by in her display. “Pause. Scroll up slowly. Stop!”

She carefully scanned the job description, a sneer stretching at her scar lined face. “Fucking Spell Tomes? I mean, the pay is decent... But that's so fucking boring! I could buy a couple from Mama Schmee to pass off to this jack-hole...”

She trailed off slowly as an idea formed. “Wait... Why buy a couple... When I can hit Spellman's? Bust in to their research and development department, steal a couple of their cutting edge Spell Tomes... Maybe wreck the place a bit while I'm at it?”

A feral smile flashed across her face. “Yeah, that sounds like fun. And those ass-hats deserve it! Fucking experimenting on people in the slums with their spells... Using us like fucking lab rats... Fuck 'em.”

Standing suddenly, breaker howled into the night, nearly causing a pair of hover cars to crash into each other. “Yeah! Fuck 'em! Fuck those sick fucks! And fuck you Violet City!”

Breaker leapt down to the fire escape below, eager to begin preparations for her heist.

“This is going to be fun!”