When the King is Killed.

"Why are you so angry today?" Bell ask as they walked in the large familiar city of Aberstand. 

"Because fate fucking hates me." Ren said. Both of their cloaks were pulled over their heads.

Three days. 

They have been looking for three days. 

None of the knights had any skill that would be anywhere near useful enough to not to mention that none of them would ever be willing to listen to the truth. She was wanted for murdering the King and kidnapping the princess. 

"We'll figure it out." Bell said. "Why do we need a swordsman anyway?"

"Because." Ren said. "If there are times where I can't be near you, we need to have someone who is capable to protect you, at the very least until you're capable of fully defending yourself."

Caw.

"Lindt..." Ren sighed as the raven started to peck at his head. "I'm going to fry and eat you."

Caw!

"Whatever." Ren said. "Bell w-" Her eyes widened. 

Turning she went to grab the wrist of the thief. 

But her staff was already vanishing into the crowd.

Snapping his fingers he held out his hand but the staff didn't reappear.

"No..." Ren muttered as he started to book it after the thief. 

She was about to cast a spell, but stopped as she felt the gaze of guards. 

She followed the last line of sight she had on the mystical weapon. She turned and looked at an alleyway.

"Damnit!" She yelled slamming her fist into the brick wall beside her. 

"R-Ren!" Bell said running towards him. "W-What happened? Where's your staff?"

"..." Ren sighed and took a few deep breaths. "I hate this fucking city." 

______

"Holy crap!" The boy said. He looked at the staff and grinned. "Fucking score!"

Taking the leather wrappings off his grin widened even more as he stared at the large onyx and Sapphire. He pushed his Blue hair out of his eyes and started to examine it."

"That's got to be a high grade channeling Gem." He said, picking up a few tools and blinked at the gems embedded down the side. "Are these... all channeling gem? Looks like I'm finally free."

______

Audrey took deep breaths. 

"Hey, We can still find it right?" Ralline said with confidence, The small room they rented in the Inn nearly shook with the rage Audrey felt.

"No... we wont." She said as a shaky exhausted breath left her. "I..."

"Why not?" Ralline said. "It's not like they can use it right?"

"The staff? No... The materials in the staff? Totally different story. I had to fight tooth and nail to get those channeling gems. And now their going to be sold on the market. I fucking hate this city." 

"I-I'm sorry." Ralline apologized. 

"You're... you're fine Ralline." Audrey said. "I'm just... I've had that staff for a long time. I figured I wouldn't ever need to replace it." 

"Where did you get the staff?" 

"Dreftnell, from the Rabbit family forges."

"Rabbit family?" Ralline said.

"Yeah." Audrey sighed. "They're rabbit that run the forges. Dreftnell... is our next stop after we find a partner. Maybe I can have the old man forge me a new one if he doesn't try killing me."

"This is starting to become some sort of routine isn't it?" Ralline asked.

"That's what life's like on the run." Audrey said, taking a breath she looked around the room. "Stay here for a while and go through our exercises. I'll know if you skip out."

"Yeah yeah." Ralline said. "Where are you going anyway?"

"I'm going to try and find my gems," Audrey said, pulling her cloak over her head. "Hopefully that idiot doesn't blow himself and my gems up." 

'I have no idea how his power will interact with the gems.' Audrey inwardly frowned. 'He really could blow up with one wrong move.'

______

Tink

A silvery stone dropped out of the staff and landed clumsily on the floor. 

"Whew..." The boy sighed, rubbing sweat off of his forehead. "Finally, half done."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

He went pale and felt sick. 

Quickly he grabbed the staff and shoved in into his secret wall, sealing it back up and scooped up all of the gems from the bed, shoving them into the chest at the foot of his bed. He slid it under his bed and stood up just in time for someone to rudely enter his home. 

"M-Mr. Gibble!" The boy said, nervously. 

A shorter man on the chubby side stepped in, his greasy black hair matched only by his tacky suit.

"Doesn't a boy like you know manners?" Mr. Gibble asked. "You answer the door when someone knocks."

"I-I'm sorry sir!" The boy said bowing down to the ground.

"I just came to talk about your contract." Mr. Gibble said. "I-" He stopped as he spotted a certain silvery gemstone. "Now what's that?"

The boy paled further as Mr. Gibble bent down and swiped the silver gemstone off of the floor. "Who'd you steal this from?"

"A-A new person in town." The boy answered fearfully. 

"Do you know what it is?" Mr. Gibble asked. 

"A... Magic Channeling Gemstone sir." The boy answered. "I swiped it from their satchel when they weren't looking."

"I see." Mr. Gibble frowned. "So you really don't know what this is?"

"W-What?" The boy asked. "I just told you? I even felt it try channeling my magic as well! I'm not lying s-"

"Not calling you a liar." Mr. Gibble said. "But, have you ever felt your magic try channeling itself, in any other channeling gem you've touched?"

"Not... not exactly." He admitted.

"This gem isn't for channeling magic." He looked at it disgusted, tossing it onto the boy's bed. "Best for you to burry that cursed rock before something happens."

He stopped and looked at the nervous boy. 

"Unless of course you were planning on selling it Crutch." 

The boy, Crutch, palled further.

"Now why in the world would you need any more money." Mr. Gibble said. "You're not... trying to buy your way out of my contract are you?"

"N-Never sir!" Crutch said desperately. "I-I just saw this really cool dagger I wanted to buy is all!" The lie quickly slipped from his lips.

"A new knife yeah?" Mr. Gibble asked. "You outgrowing your old one already?"

"It's getting pretty worn out." Crutch admitted, pulling it out from under the back of his shirt. 

Mr. Gibble took the knife and looked at it. "I see. I'll have to get you a new one." 

"T-Thank you Mr. Gibble." Crutch said. "B-But I would much prefer you to use your money on my father. I can provide my own weapons sir."

Crutch's eye widened in pain as a boot stepped on his hands. 

"Is that how you treat someone offering you a gift?" Mr. Gibble said. 

"I-I'm verry sorry Mr. Gibble." Crutch said. "I'll accept your gift and pay you back for it by lengthening my contract."

"Very good." Mr. Gibble said, getting off of Crutch's hands. "I'll be back tomorrow with your new gift."

"T-Thank you very much Mr. Gibble." Crutch thanked on his hands and knees, bowing. 

'I've got to get out of here.' He thought as he heard the door to his room in the castle close. 

He opened his chest and stared at the gems. 

Scooping them up, he pulled loose the special brick in his room and stuffed them with the other hundreds of gemstones. 

And he got back to work.