Harbinger: The Four Knights

A Devastating Blow

Marcus and his group did not meet an inconvenience  on their way back to the capital and after arriving after an hour of travel, they headed immediately to the merchants and other shops to sell their goods and the news of it storm the entire market but Marcus devised a plan to make the merchants bid a higher price for their benefits. And now they are looking all over for the three kids who sells the goods.

               “Wow- I never thought that you are that wicked master Marcus. Your wickedness is terrifying.” Abel covered his hands as he looks at Marcus who is grinning like a maniac. “I couldn’t agree more Abel, I thought we are going to sell the goods once we arrive, I never thought that we are going to make this turn at all. How far have you planned ahead?” Amon supported as he ask his older brother of the depth of his plans.

               “Kekekeke! Hahahah! I never thought that I would be able to do this in my lifetime! Hahahaha! I wonder how the market is storming right now especially when we did not leave any identification. They must be going crazy looking for us! And down worry my apprentices, this big brother here will show you how to make big bucks.” Marcus let out a despicable laugh as he showed them a money sign. Both Amon and Abel felt really uncomfortable seeing him being like that for the first time but since it can’t be unseen because they are all in the bath, they resorted to marveling their eyes on his despicable figure.

               After taking a bath, Kassandra who is waiting anxiously in the dining room for her little kids to come out of the bathroom and join her to eat. [What is taking them so long? I want to hear what they have gone through after those days, especially when they returned looking so haggard.] she thought to herself as she bit the tip of her nail in anxiousness and before long, the boys arrived and look so well dressed that Kassandra let out a sigh of relief. “At last you three have decided to come, you don’t know how worried I was. Come now and eat! I’m sure you are all famished after all that hunting in the hunting grounds for a few days.” She said as the assistants rush to pull the chairs for them.

               They all sat down and right after before they can get a bite from their food, Kassandra asked them what happened and look like she is eager to know about their  experience. “So what did you three experience there. The hunting grounds is infamous for many murders and missing persons, did you three encounter anything like that at all?” she ask with an enthusiastic and interested expression and before saying anything, Marcus, Abel, and Amon look at each other with a little hesitant expression on their faces.        

               “Well? What happened?” Kassandra ask again but none of them had answered her question. It is then that Kassandra felt a little suspicious of their silence that she had to ask them again. “Marcus? Nothing really worthy of worry happened right?” Kassandra asked with a piercing gaze at her son who is staring to break some sweat. “Uhhhm- something happened but its not really worthy of getting our attentions to right?”  Marcus said with a weak voice as the turns to the other two to have their permission and they both gave it to him. “Yup- nothing really bad happened, just a few fights for our goods here and there, nothing serious.” Abel said with a smile on his face. “Yup, nothing happened.” Amon supported. “See mom? No- !” Marcus’ face turned pale after hearing what Abel said and by the moment he turns to his mother, she is already showing signs of hostility. [Oh shxt!] Marcus cursed himself after seeing the very figure that he is trying not to see.

               Amon and Abel had witnessed how terrifying a worried mother can be and even they were not spared and in the end they told her everything except for the fact that there is a plan created by the royal guards to murder the royal prince and princess, they hid this only thing from Kassandra who is mostly convinced of their words. “Are you sure that’s all of it?” she ask to confirm everything and they all nodded their heads. “Sigh! No wonder the market is in chaos right now. I never thought that it would be your doing, the head of the merchants sent a messenger to tell me about it since I acted as your father’s proxy while he is away. You three created a chaos out there so I hope you are at least responsible to seeing things through.” She said as she calmly eat her breakfast.

               After interrogating them for a few more minutes asking them of how great the experience was, they all said the same thing. “That was great, I would like to do it again next time.” A response that is within Kassandra’s calculations. They three left and went to the market wearing something to cover their faces and hid their identities. “Is this really necessary big brother Marcus? We looks really off with these things on our faces you know.” Amon said as he constantly touches his face.

               “Well, we don’t have a choice you know? If they knew that the son of the person who govern this place is one of the persons who created the chaos, my image of being weak would be destroyed and I want to maintain that as much as I can, and I think that would be a good thing for you to do as well. You don’t want to attract too much attention to ourselves.” Marcus explained while Abel looks at him with a blank expression, Marcus notices this and ask what’s the matter.

               “I don’t know, your remark just now is a little questionable you know? We did not get to see you go all out so we can’t really call you strong yet.” Abel said with a calm tone while Marcus’ nerves started to bulge like roots on his forehead. “Look at this guy- you want to have a go huh?” Amon stop them before they started bickering with each other.

               “I don’t think we should be doing something like that right now, didn’t you say that there is something important we need to do from your room earlier? We should be focusing on that today. You said we are going to be rich after all.” Amon said as he gets between the two who immediately withdraw their hostility against each other.

               The market was already busy before they made a fuss and it is even more busier now by the time they arrived, they merchants recognize their figures and immediately know that they are the ones who made the fuss so early in the morning that all that knows them stop what they are doing and just stare at the three figures that are walking towards the head merchant’s shop. Some of them followed behind them to see what they are about to do and just watch outside the entrance of the shop.

               “We are here to meet the head merchant, is he available?” Marcus said while trying to change the tone of his voice. The assistant of the head merchant got out of the room and told them that the head merchant had been expecting them. “Please come this way.” The assistant said as he opens the door. Amon and Abel flinch the instant they stepped inside the door and warned Marcus of the situation. [Ah! So typical of merchants. So you want to walk on that path huh? Why don’t I play with your game thought we will be on the winning side that is.] Marcus thought to himself as he let out a chuckle.

               “Welcome my dear patrons, I have been waiting for your arrival for a while now. I heard that you have the goods that caused chaos in the market, would you be so kind and show me the goods so I can inspect their price accurately?” he said as he as Marcus to show him the goods but the three of them had come to a conclusion that it was not the right time nor the right place to show them the goods and there is that situation that arose the moment they entered the room.

               “That is a good thing on its own but shouldn’t you be telling your dogs to hide their presence good enough next time? Do you pay them enough to be doing their jobs properly?” the moment Marcus pointed back to the hidden rooms beside the door. The merchant’s face then suddenly turned pale and could not believe that his men were found out immediately and tries to deny Marcus’ claim but to confirm it, Amon walk closer to the spot and knocked on the wooden wall and the sound it made proved to be hallow and here is something inside it.

               “Do you still want to deny it? My subordinates here are young but I am confident enough that your dogs will run away with their tails between their legs. So I advise you to stop with this nonsense and call the real head merchant for me before my subordinates here does something that you will surely not like.” Marcus said with a cold tone that made the merchant flinch even though the one talking to him is a low shorter than he was.

               Seeing that the person before him had already figured out everything, he surrendered and let out a disappointed sigh while in one of the hidden room where Amon knocked, someone let out a hearty laugh as the door opened and revealed the real head merchant smiling towards them. “What did I tell you Percy, your acting skills plummeted. You even told me that this way, we can get the odds in our favor but to think your plan would fail so miserably. I can’t suppress my laughter at all. Hahahaha!” Lee said as he pat his apprentice’s back.

               “I’m sorry for the unsightly view just now, it’s just that my apprentice wanted to try something that he said would raise our odds from negotiations. So as payment for the trouble, I will hear your demands out.” He said with a smile and offered the three of them a seat. “Just as my apprentice told you earlier, we need to see the goods to appraise them accurately did you bring all the goods with you?” he added as Marcus nodded hid head.

               “But this is not place is not appropriate to be doing such thing- we need a little spacious one.” Lee’s face strained trying to understand what he meant and then realize that the space of the room might not be enough. “Is that so? Then why don’t we move to the place where we usually appraise the goods that other merchants bring to our shop.” Lee stood up and opened the door behind him and revealed a spacious room.

               They all went inside, Marcus ask Lee to close all the open doors before he shows them the goods and so they did. Seeing that there is no problem now, Marcus opened his now heavy dimensional ring and the goods that they are talking about came flooding in the room, almost occupying the entire empty room that it was earlier. Lee and the others beside him were caught by surprise by what they’ve seen and marvel their eyes on the various kinds of large animals that the three brought.

               “Impossible, there are countless rare and impossible animals to hunt. How the hell on earth did you manage to hunt these goods?!” Lee exclaimed as his assistant and apprentice shook in excitement as they look at the goods. “Well, we have our ways.” Marcus replied. [Well, its because of these two. I didn’t know they were going to hunt till midnight when we should be sleeping. We almost devastated the entire community of animals there, good thing they exhausted themselves on the third day otherwise I doubt if there will be animals there left.] Marcus told himself hiding away this fact from everyone.

               “These are all in good conditions but there is one thing that bothers me the most, are you the leader of your group? The other two seems to be quiet and you are the only one doing the talking-“ Lee wanted to say something but Marcus stopped him. “I’m sorry for interrupting you, but we are whole. I do the talking since I am confident enough. And they two do their talking in their own ways, but trust me, you don’t want to pry about that.” Marcus responded immediately shutting up Lee from questioning any more about them.

               “Very well then I will raise another concern about another problem, I don’t think we can appraise all of them in just one day. You see, there are animals that we are seeing for the first time and there are some rare ones, not to mention that one in that back. If I’m not wrong, that is an animal that is considered a monster with that huge body, a great ox, one of the largest things of it’s kind and it looks like it reach the max height a great ox can grow. I can’t appraise it on my own since none of it’s kind met the market for almost 3 years. I will need the help of other head merchants to appraise them. If I may suggest, I would like to ask of you to give me your contacts or a place that I could ask if I were to tell you when the appraisal is finished.” Lee said with a concerned tone.

               [Well, that would be really hard to appraise everything with all of these in just one day.] Marcus thought of it himself that appraising everything in just a day is too much for the head merchant’s man to handle so he allowed it to be appraise for 2-3 more days. Everyone is about to leave the room after siphoning it all back to the ring that the head merchant will use for the next  few days when Lee called out to Marcus. “Rest assured young master, I will keep your funds safe after we appraise it all.” Marcus froze in place right after hearing those words.

               [Damn it! I underestimated the capabilities of the head merchant. To think that he can recognize me with a cover on my face. No wonder I have a bad feeling about it earlier the moment I saw him.] Marcus cursed his incompetence and turned to Lee who is smiling. Marcus called the other two and told them to come as he takes off the cover on his face. “I guess there is no se in using these things if you already know who I am. Nice to meet you again Mr. Lee, I’m sorry for the late greetings.” Amon and Abel saw this and they also took the cover on their faces.

               “Its nice to finally see those faces, is there a proper excuse for doing something like this young master?” Lee said as he flash a smile. “And I have been wondering where you get these kids with you?” Amon looks at Lee with a curious expression on his face while Marcus answer his question. “They are my younger brothers and don’t even try to ask, I already know what you have in mind.”

               The head merchant drops his jaw after hearing Marcus’ claims. “Hahaha! The young master, surely you jest. If the madam conceive then I would have knowledge about it.” Lee said with a bitter smile on his face. “You do not even look that similar to each other.” He added as Marcus stare at him blankly. “There is no need to be digging that much Mr. Lee, If you want to know that much then you should go ask father and mother about it. That would be all for today Mr. Lee, and if I may ask of you to keep this from father, I will greatly appreciate it.” Marcus said as he outs back the covering for his face, Amon and Abel did so as well and left the shop.

               But before going back home to the residence, Marcus made a little detour in the shops that they are going to be selling their other goods and tours them along the way. The three sold some of the cores that they harvested and enjoyed a hefty amount of money for them to spend around. Marcus lead them to a*****e that sells well made clothes and told them to buy at least three for themselves but seeing that the two had no idea which to pick, Marcus did all the trouble to pick for the both of them and after that, they went to the local shop to eat.

               A few hours later

               “Ugh! I’m stuffed. I can’t believe we ate all the things on the menu!” Marcus exclaimed as he rubs his belly full of food. “That was the first time that I over ate. I can’t stop myself from eating those wonderful food.” Amon said with a gleeful tone as he lick his lips. “Young master, I don’t think we should do this constantly. The bodies that we have been cultivating will be for nothing.” Abel on the other hand covers his mouth like he is about to vomit when all of the sudden at the corner of the road they saw some familiar faces.

               “Aren’t they the ones from the training grounds? I wonder if they have any business with us.” Abel’s keen sense of sight saw the figures standing far away from them and immediately recognized their faces. “Talk about rotten luck. Why do they have to appear when we have our bellies full?” Marcus complained as he relies in the wall to keep his balance. “Well, I guess I have to apologize to them for beating them up.” Amon said as he walks faster than the two of them but before they can even voice their opinions, Amon is already standing in front of the guys that Abel saw.

               “You’re the guys from the training grounds right? I would like to-“

               BAM! KSH!

               Someone from the group immediately bash Amon with a piece of wood but luckily Amon defended against it with his arm. “You’re quite tough, no wonder my boys could not do anything to you.” The man said with a smile on his face while Amon on the other hand is tilting his head in confusion. “Hmmm, you’re not from the training grounds that time-“ Amon immediately tilted his head out of the way and dodge the punch that was coming to his face. Then the man wanted to follow up with a kick but Amon is one step ahead of him, Amon’s feet was already stepping on the knee that he wanted to use for the kick. “I came to apologize but it looks like it wont be necessary.” Amon said with an enthusiastic expression on his face.

               BOOOM!

               Both Marcus and Abel rush towards where the group and Amon was when a large explosion shook the ground and a cloud of dust covered the entire area. Amon and the guy came flying out of the dust of cloud and bare their fangs at each other. “To think that those guys have someone above them, now I am looking forward to the person above you as well.” Amon said as he wipes the dust off his face when all of the sudden the man accelerated in front of him and threw a punch, Amon brush it off with his left hand then another punch is already coming straight for his stomach, he smiled. “Immortal Body”

               BAAAM!

               The punch is so strong that the ground shook yet again, Marcus and Abel saw the man landed an attack to Amon’s stomach but what confused them more is why Amon is not flinching even after taking that attack as the man immediately retreated while shaking his hands. “What the hell- his skin is as hard as a metal.”  The man complained a he stare at Amon’s stomach and saw that there is nothing of some sort. “So how did it taste? Was it to your liking?” Amon ask with a smile on his face as he pull his sleeves up. “Why don’t we do this properly.” Amon revealed the bracers on his arms along with his built up muscles.

               “Hah~ so you are the one that they were talking about. The kids with the bracers, it would be bad if I don’t respond to you without my full strength right? Then why don’t you take those off and we’ll see how strong you really are.” The man said with a grin on his face. [There is no way I will get defeated, I am strong enough to rival my master in terms of strength. A kid like him is still a kid after all.] he thought to himself when all of the sudden, a sound of heavy metal dropping on the ground reach their ears.

               CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!

               “You seem really confident, are you able to handle me?” Amon said as he twist his wrists but before the man could say anything, Amon’s feet is already flying towards his left arm. [What the- in just a split of a second-?!]  

               BAAM!

               The man could not dodge the attack and just endured the impact but it was too much for him to handle. He was sent flying to the direction where Amon’s kicks are directed to while his underlings stood in shock after seeing what happened to the person whom they put their faith in to avenging them, then all of them move their eyes to the bracers and saw that they were partially buried to the ground. Their expression turned even more pale after seeing the bracers and thought of how heavy it was  to be wearing all four of them. “I was looking forward to take off those bracers but I think I regret it now since it is hard to control the power that I can produce.” Amon said as stretches his legs.