Black Market Merchant

"War is coming?" The Skull gangsters murmured amongst themselves.

The entire room from all three floors sounded like leaves rustling in the wind derived from all the muffled chatter and slighted speculation. They had endured countless battles with other gangs and civilians before, but a war was completely a different matter altogether. Especially now that news of the peace deal had been broken was known to all, many were wondering what was going to happen next.

The Skull leader, Daivat Bellona the Undertaker, raised his hands with a regal gesture and the room quieted back down in a near instant. "What I have said is true. A Great War shall be coming to our lands and will spread like a fire in a wheat field. Far and fast. It has been seen by our soothsayer, Lady Cassandra."

Hearing her name sent another wave of excited chatter into the crowd. Lady Cassandra had been a soothsayer for the Skull for untold years and had never failed in her predictions. She had been performing her arts for the past five leaders of the Skull and never lost their favor. Those that listened to her prospered, while those that chose to ignore her suffered. Her words might as well have been considered to be rivaling that of the Oracle, from Greek Mythology.

"As tradition has taught us, do not take my word alone as truth." Undertaker continued and the room returned to silence. "We must hear it from her lips, so that we may all know of what shall come to pass. Even I have not heard the full account."

The Undertaker then stood up from his Mammoth bone throne and spread his arms wide. Ornately carved bone trinkets and gold jewelry tinkered together around his neck and waistline as he stood. All eyes were transfixed on him, waiting breathlessly for what might come to pass. Alan was no exception.

The Undertaker's face held its natural light, proud smile and his voice rang out strongly as he spoke. "Behold our great Soothsayer, Lady Cassandra!"

Suddenly, every torch in the whole building nearly died out, as their flames dropped to just the red glow of the embers. The air temperature dropped as result, giving an eerie feeling to all inside the drafty mall. From the back of the bone-built stage came the sound of a low drumming. Its low boom started slowly, and it sounded far away, but it was clearly coming from down a hallway somewhere in the inner depth of the mall.

What followed next was an astounding sight. Even those that had seen it before still felt awe and wonder. The Soothsayer Caravan was approaching.

The hallway that the deep drums sound was coming from, started to glow. It was an odd mixture of dark green and vibrant purple that continually oscillated all around the approaching procession. Though they were forced to stay in their respective rows, everyone eagerly tried to see what was about to happen. They would try craning their necks and standing on their toes; all while swaying back and forth like blades of grass in the wind, for a better view.

The strange glow soon illuminated the main room revealing two dozen blindfolded and muzzled men, all carrying a large wooden and steel structure on their bare shoulders. Alongside these men was an equal number of similarly blindfolded and muzzled women beating drums to unify the Caravans steps. They wore almost nothing in regard to clothing, it was only their shame that was covered with loose russet cloths.

Across this impressive structure was an assortment of bones, skulls and strangely carved demonic like symbols. Censer bowls were scatter randomly around and their incense sticks burned slowly. The smell that they gave off was a mellow sweet sent, that one could almost taste in the air. A large freshly burned and still smoldering tree trunk was propped up on the back end of the structure adding even more to the bazar procession.

At the top of this terrifying looking structure was the source of the eerie light. A glass sphere, that spanned approximately two meters wide and tall, was fixed on top of a pedestal of femur bones. Inside appeared to be a strange light radiating liquid. The odd green and purple liquid didn't just slosh around at the bottom of the sphere, but rather it slowly floated around inside, like some trapped spiritual being devoid of gravitational pull.

At its base stood the unbelievably ancient Lady Cassandra. Her boney wrinkled hands were raised up and pressed tightly against the glass spheres surface. Her milk white eyes were open but saw nothing. Nothing, but what the sphere showed her. Her body appeared to paper thin, nothing but skin clinging to uncomfortably visible bones. The ragged russet and sliver robes she wore looked like they could fall off her at any given moment. How this ancient woman had survived in this condition was simply beyond reason.

The Soothsayer Caravan slowly ascended the bone stage from the rear of the sandy pit. It was now in full view of all that were in attendance. No one dared move. No one dared speak.

The Undertaker, along with both the Eyes, approached the caravan with an air of clear respect. Once they reached the edge of the structure, without any audible signal the two dozen bound men dropped in unison down on one knee. To the astonishment of all, nothing atop of the structure was disturbed by the movement.

Together the three stepped high onto the Caravans structure. The two Eyes went no further than that first step, only the leader of the Skull was ever able to appear before the Lady Cassandra. The Undertaker approached the Soothsayer from behind because she was always facing the ominous sphere and dropped to one knee. The leader’s actions told all that the Soothsayer truly held great authority and reverence.

With his head bowed low the Undertaker spoke with respect. "Lady Cassandra, please tell us, tell us the prophecies you have been granted. Tell us what the future might bring!"

The Skull members all held their breath as they watched all that was happening. Then the Lady moved! Alan nearly let out a gasp as what he saw was indistinguishable from reality. The Lady Cassandra never let go of the sphere, nor did she grab onto anything, but the sphere appeared to roll, lifting her up off the structure and rotated her about so that she would be facing the Undertaker looking down at him from above!

The Soothsayers milk white eyes looked down at the kneeling Undertaker like a hawk watching its prey. Her wispy white hair drooped towards the sphere and wavered in the passing air drafts. There was a dry sucking noise as the old lady opened her mouth to speak. Her voice crackled at first but showed no sign of further weakness. "Faithful current Head of the Skull. I have heard your request. I shall tell you and all here of what has been seen."

The Undertaker raised his head to look up at the impossible sight before him. He showed no signs of fear as he spoke again. "My gratitude knows no bounds. Whatever you say, it shall be done."

Then the Lady Cassandra spoke even louder now, nearly to the point that she was nearly howling. "The prophecy has already begun this very day!" A mysterious white light shown out from her eyes now and her rags swayed erratically.

"A Twisted vile horde ravages the wild lands; its presence shall continue to curse the world even amidst defeat. Sparks from its flame will scatter to burn brightly before all. One will show themself and save life in this wretched town. Sparing it from extinction and giving purpose to many. That same person will then build this place up from the ashes it wallows in, to soon reach to the very stars themselves. The very heavens will hear of the promised one’s deeds. Fighting alone against insurmountable odds will prove the validity of the promised one and bring prosperity back on Earth. The Speaker must act now if this is to come to fruition!"

"Who is this Speaker? That we might send them!" The Undertaker replied urgently.

"The one that had broken the peace of this land shall be punished to complete this task. Should he fail, all will be undone. The Speaker will go to the Sun People of the south to convince them to fight with you here against the Twisted. Then upon returning, the Speaker is to find the one that desires to avenge the lives of traitors. That same person is the one foretold." Immediately after saying these things, the Lady Cassandra suddenly closer her toothless mouth. The white light died from her milk white eyes and her body appeared to calm noticeably. Her body started to rotate again until she returned to her first position on the structure, standing with her hands on the sphere facing away from the Undertaker.

The Undertaker then spoke out in obedient reverence. "It shall be done!"

The Lady Cassandra finally came to a rest. Then she spoke gruff and softly, as if greatly tired. "Ashen One and Wind Talker, come forth."

Two russet cloaked people came up and on to the Caravan Structure from behind the burning tree and approached the Soothsayer quickly. They stooped low once reaching her scatter robes edges. Then in unison the spoke, "Tell us your commands."

"Go with the Speaker. See that he survives until I speak once again." The Lady Cassandra spoke even softer than before.

"It's shall be done." They spoke again in unison.

The two russet cloaked people bowed and then proceeded to walked past the Undertaker, who rose up to follow with them off the structure. The Eyes saw them coming and quickly stepped back down off the structure and then to the side for the others to pass by.

Again, with no audible signal, the two dozen blindfolded men stood up in unison. Then they rotated around so that they were facing the way that they had come. Again, without causing the slightest jostle or disturbance to that which was on the bazar structure. The blinded and muzzled women then started to slowly beat their drums and the entire Caravan returned down the hallway in unified steps.

No one among the onlooking crowd moved for the longest time. Everyone was frozen in awe by what miracle they had witnessed. It wasn't until the oscillating green and purple light had finally disappeared from their sight and all the buildings torches had returned to normal, did the Undertaker finally become the first to move.

"You have heard the words of the Soothsayer Lady Cassandra! Now you are to obey them! It shall be done." Undertaker shouted with authority. His words cut through the silence far sharper than any knife could.

The entire room burst out into a single chant, "It shall be done!"

The entire crowd then started shouting with great excitement and cheering with exuberant enthusiasm! It was so loud that dust was shaken loose from the roof and bone chandelier above. This went on for a few moments, until the Undertaker once again raised his hands high to calm them down.

"It is time to discover who our Speaker is." The Undertaker shouted over the crowd, who in turn, simmered into moderate silence. Once the noise was acceptable Undertaker continued, "As most of you know, our peace deal had been broken with the Mad Dogs a few days ago. Normally I would have killed the person responsible for breaking my promise, but it was the Lady Cassandra that spoke to me first to spare him." The Undertaker stopped looking around at the crowd as he spoke and looked into one place in particular.

He was looking right at Alan!

"Bone Flayer!" Undertaker boomed out. He raised a ringed finger at Alan. "You broke the peace and should be punished. By the decree of the Soothsayer, you are punished to be the Speaker that shall undertake this great task!"

All eyes turned to look at Alan. For the first time in years Alan genuinely felt nervous. He could feel the cold sweat dripping down his back as the crowd’s gaze struck him from all sides.

His voice faltered unintentionally as Alan shouted giving his reply. "I-It shall be done!"