Peddler, Map & Grandma

“…what do you want from me…” I asked nervously.

“Hm? I think you might be misunderstanding me. I am just a humble peddler. I heard from one of the shopkeepers you were looking for a map,” he said. “There aren’t many in circulation anymore, but I do have one. You are welcome to take a look,” he added, spreading the map on the floor for me to see.

Is this person trustworthy?

How can I possibly buy anything from him after the dream I had…

I guess I will just pretend to take a look and leave.

I bent down, but to my surprise, the map quality was excellent, even though the source was questionable.

It was detailed and showed everything I could possibly need on my trip and more.

Even mountains and dangerous regions…

But I knew what this meant. This map was going to cost me a fortune.

I wouldn’t be able to afford it, even if I gave away all my possessions.

“…what do you say, kind sir?” the peddler asked, rubbing his hands together.

“…how much do you want for it?” I asked, looking at his squinting face.

“…I don’t ask for much, sir…” it rasped. “…just a small piece of yourself…” it drooled.

“…what the fuck…” I backed away.

“…NO, SIRE… not skin or something painful… only a wisp of hair…” it said.

“…how is that enough… and what are you going to do with that…?” I asked concernedly.

“…I assure you that is enough… no need to give away your precious belongings…” it whispered.

I looked at the map, then back at this creepy peddler.

I didn’t know if I would ever have an opportunity to get my hands on a better map than this.

It could also be the only map I would encounter…

“…alright…” I took out a knife out of my bag and cut off a little bit of hair from the side of my head.

I handed the hair to the ecstatic stranger and took the map.

“…thank you for your patronage…” it hushed, slowly fading out of view as I walked away.

I shivered from disgust and increased my pace.

This whole encounter made me forget about the grandma and her shop.

I checked if I still had my bounty on me and made way to her building.

I knocked, what would be just 15 minutes later after our previous meeting.

I heard slow, tired creaking behind the door. Shortly, she was out standing there again with the same piercing gaze.

“Did you get lost, child? Or do you have your proof already?” she asked angrily.

“Yes, I have it,” I replied, rummaging in my bag for the poster. “Here…”

“…what are you doing?” she asked, confused.

“…this is the proof… I brought it to you, like you requested…” I said, flustered.

“Am I supposed to see something here?”

“…well yeah, I have a bounty, so I am not working for the world government…” I explained hesitantly.

“I am blind,” she said, “this won’t do, bring me something else.”

“WHAT? How am I supposed to prove it to you then?!”

This was getting ridiculous… She was the one who wanted me to prove that I wasn’t working for the world government and now she tells me she is blind?

“…like I said child, not my problem… figure it out yourself…”

She was about to close the door, but I forced it to stay open.

“WAIT! …I am not from the world government… I know what they did to … uhm… our monarchy and that they are bad people!” I attempted to explain.

“That… will not suffice…” said the old grandma.

“I knew the person who was supposed to take the throne in Neveria... that he was framed to have killed his own mother, the Queen…” I said desperately.

She slightly eased up on her attempt to close the door.

“…continue…”

“Uhm… he has jade-colored eyes and brown hair… uhm… he also has a daughter…” I said as I quickly ran out of things to mention.

I quieted down nervously, looking at her out of the corner of my eye, and waiting for her decision.

“I see… Xaxy is still alive…” she said melancholily, tearing up.

My bewildered expression was too strong to contain, and my jaw dropped to the floor.

Xaxy?

Who the hell is that?

She let me in and I entered the old house with a warm fireplace illuminating the room.

“Uhm… do you know him?” I asked for clarification while she was still sobbing to herself.

“Yes… I used to be a servant at the palace quarters…” she explained, “…what his parents did to him was horrible… then after many years when he finally came back, he disappeared that same day, while everyone with ties to the family was executed or exiled like I was…”

She was lost in deep thought.

“…still… he is alive… and even has a daughter… I wish I could see him all grown-up…”

I looked upon her gloomy face that bore a faint smile.

I was glad I met this granny. She knew who Xax was and cared for his wellbeing.

“You said you needed a map?” she asked. “I am afraid—”

“No, it’s alright, I already got one,” I replied.

“You did?” she asked, “…from who? There’s no local that sells geographical maps of our entire continent…”

“I got it from a peddler,” I replied.

“Oh? They must’ve not been from around here then,” she said, pausing for a short while. “Say, child… you mentioned you have a bounty on your head. Is that what you need the map for?”

“Yes. For now, I was going to travel to a neighboring country,” I replied honestly.

“I knew it… so young and you already have a bounty on your head… poor boy…” she said sympathetically, “how old are you?”

“Twelve.”

“…and what did you do to get a bounty…?” she asked.

“…nothing... I was visiting the Oracle in Neveria for my 12th birthday as per ‘tradition’ and she told me that I was sentenced to… uhm… imprisonment… I never even set foot out of my village before that…”

“…imprisoning a young child… what a depraved world we live in… tell me, now that you decided to leave Acolatum, did your parents not come with you?” she looked at me sorrowfully.

“…oh… I am an orphan…”

She tilted her head and began silently whispering under her own breath, just audible enough to hear – she was cursing the world government on my behalf.

“Alright… I can help you plan where to go next from here, if you want,” she offered gently.

“Are you sure? I appreciate it…” I said gratefully.

“First, since you are escaping, I take it the bounty is large... how much?” she inquired.

I thought for a couple of seconds, deciding to scale down the true number.

“…it’s… ten thousand yul…”

“…boy… I like you and I want to help you, so I want you to be truthful with me…” she said, “no one receives an imprisonment sentence for such a low bounty.”

Despite being blind, she saw right through me and my lie.

I felt bad for deceiving her, but I didn’t want to make her worry, so I went in for the second attempt.

“I am sorry. I didn’t want to alarm you, so I lowered the number. It’s 500 thousand yul...”

“That is more believable now… with that on your head, you should be most careful. People might be traveling from all over the continent to get you…” she warned. “That said, if I were you, child, I would definitely head for Ors Juna… the largest country on our continent.”

Her warning about possible assassins made me sweat profusely. If what she said was true, then with my actual bounty, I might be looking at worldwide guests any second.

I will never sleep in an open place again.

“…Ors Juna… I see it on the map. Thank you for your kindness and suggestions,” I said.

“…Thank you, my child… because of you, I now have a reason to live longer. If you ever need anything, come back to this town and find me… I will land you a hand,” she said warmly.

“But are you sure this was all you need?” she confirmed.

“Yes. I wish you all the best, goodbye.” I said from the doorway, leaving the confines of the cozy house and entering heavy rain.

I made my way for the city to buy some food before I set out.

I arrived at the same place where the kind shopkeeper was stationed.

“Ughh… you again, kid?” he said disappointedly.

“…sorry… are you willing to take more crystals in exchange?” I asked him in an apologetic tone.

He sighed deeply.

“…it’s fine, just take this and leave,” he responded.

“I can’t jus—”

“…take it, you look like you barely eat as it is…” he said.

“…but… are you sur—”

“Take it,” he said sternly, “I don’t pride myself in starving kids. Eat up and grow stronger.”

I froze for a moment.

“Thank you…” I bowed deeply.

I don’t know what it was about the man, but his attitude reminded me a lot of Gyorn.

To escape the storm, I found some cover and filled my stomach.

I resupplied everything I needed for my trip and checked my route one more time before leaving so I wouldn’t soak the map.

Shortly after, I left the city and departed for Ors Juna, the largest country on the Validae continent.

I would never know of this having left Acolatum, but the kind shop owner who accepted my crystal as payment would eventually sell that thing for a generous sum of money and get rich from it.

Then there would be the peddler who appeared in my dream and sold me his map. He knew who I was from the beginning, so he asked me for a wisp of my hair so he could prove to the world government that he had killed me, naively hoping to receive my bounty.

Of course, his ludicrous plan would not work, and he would end up being executed for having attempted to trick the government.