The Trade

      With their quarry subdued, the raiders take their time plundering the caravan. One by one, they take what they can carry and retreat.

      Making one last sweep, their leader pauses at an already pilfered cart. A partially unfurled scroll has caught her eye. With a flick of her wrist, she unfurls it completely to reveal an ink wash painting. Art is not a part of her life, but this painting arrests her for a moment. It’s a scene she knows well: the mountains fill the scroll in a majestic sprawl, low clouds floating across their peaks.

      The purpose of these raids is to sell their plunder. Art is an uncommon commodity and will prove tricky to make a profit from. She knows this, but it isn’t profit that she is thinking of now. In another moment, she furls the scroll and takes it with her. Like the mist that gives these bandits their name, they disappear into the mountains without a trace.

      It had been a week since Korri had shipped her first painting to Roo Island. It had been several years since she established herself as an artist in Shenkuu. But Roo Island was the place to become recognised on an international scale. It had been a lucky break when a random visitor to an art gallery in the Imperial City had liked her work. They had offered her the opportunity to have her work displayed on Roo Island, and she’d jumped at the chance.

      So, her heart sank as she got word that the caravan that was supposed to be taking her painting had been attacked by bandits.

      “What happened to my painting?” Korri asked the merchant she’d entrusted it to anxiously.

      The Poogle merchant shook his head, not meeting her eyes. “Gone with the rest of the shipment.”

      “Gone!” she cried. “Gone where?”

      He gave her a funny look. “With the bandits, of course.”

      “Why didn’t you stop them?”

      He barked an incredulous laugh. “Stop them? You don’t stop the Mist. You count your losses and thank your lucky stars that they didn’t take your life along with it.”

      Bandit attacks were commonplace in Shenkuu. Merchants took that into account whenever they travelled beyond the Imperial City and didn’t take anything they couldn’t afford to lose.

      But Korri was an artist, not a merchant. She knew about bandits, of course but only in the way she knew about river surfing or the rules of Yooyuball; distant but not something she really needed to worry about.

      The Green Nimmo groaned, burying her face in her hands for a moment. Then, she looked back up at the merchant. “Take me there.”

      The merchant scoffed. “Are you out of your mind? That’s three days' travel from here. Your painting is long gone. I’m not going out there for nothing.”

      “Please.”

      Korri could see the resolve in the hardness of his eyes and the set of his jaw. She walked away, knowing it was a lost cause. But her mind was already working out her next option. She couldn’t go alone. She didn’t know the way or even where to begin.

      But she knew someone who did.

      The nightclub was already poppin’ when Korri arrived. Normally, she slipped right into the crowd and let the vibes take her. But tonight, she headed straight for the DJ booth. Even with the bright, flashing lights, she knew her friend was there. Being a Glowing Buzz, he couldn’t help but stand out.

      They had both grown up in Moss Falls, a small mountain village but for different reasons, had made the move to the Imperial City.

      Lou’s face lit up when he saw her but quickly changed as he saw the look on hers. He said something to the DJ next to him before leaving the booth and beckoning her to follow him with a tilt of his head. He led them down a short hall to a quiet room.

      Once he shut the door, he turned to face her. “Korri, is everything okay?”

      Korri sank down on the sleek couch against the far wall and buried her face in her hands for a moment before looking up at Lou. “You know the painting I sent to Roo Island? It didn’t make it. The caravan got intercepted by bandits, and now it’s gone.”

      Lou’s face crumpled. “Oh, Korri, I’m so-”

      “I want you to help me find it.”

      Lou’s expression changed from concern to unease. “How?”

      “Your cousins are a part of the group that stole it. It’s the only connection I have.”

      Lou flinched, looking away from her.

      She wanted to say something but kept quiet, letting him think. She knew this was a big ask, a huge ask.

      Finally, he looked back at her. “They may be my cousins, but I don’t keep track of them. I don’t know how to get a hold of them. I’ve never wanted to.” He ran a hand over his colourful mohawk.

      “So, you won’t help me.”

      “I didn’t say that.” He frowned. “I just don’t know how, and I’d like to tell you to let it go, but you won’t, will you?”

      “If you had your best work stolen from you and you had even a slim chance to get it back, would you?”

      They looked at each other for a moment before Lou dipped his head, conceding the point.

      “The Mist are everywhere but they find you, you don’t find them.” He still looked thoughtful. “Let me ask around before you do anything reckless, like walk down a dark alley by yourself or poke around abandoned buildings.”

      “Alright, but if you haven’t come up with something in a few days…”

      “Then we’ll regroup, okay?”

      Korri nodded and got up to leave but paused at the door to look back at Lou. “Thank you.”

      Her friend offered her a small smile. “It’s a bit early for that. This may all come to nought.”

      “I know,” she said, returning his smile. “I meant thank you for being willing to try.”

      A few days later, Lou gave Korri an update. “I got the word out, and my contact said they’ll pass on the message.”

      “So now we wa-”

      Before she could finish, a near-silent figure fell into the alley between them. “I heard you were looking for me?”

      A Speckled Buzz stood facing them, his sightless grey eyes uncannily fixed on them. It was Zan, one of Lou’s cousins.

      Zan and his twin sister, Zin, had been notorious troublemakers in Moss Falls. Several years older than both Lou and Korri, they had terrorised everyone in the village except for the two of them. Lou was family, and they had eventually stopped bullying Korri because, try as they might, they never could get a rise out of her. It had been well over a decade since Korri had last seen them, but Zan at least hadn’t changed.

      “Well?” Zan asked, impatient. “What is it that you want?”

      “The Mist took something from me, and I want it back,” Korri said, taking a step forward.

      Zan narrowed his eyes. “And you think we’ll just give it back because you what, ask nicely?”

      Well, when he put it like that…

      “No, but what you stole is too important to just let it go,” Korri said.

      Zan pursed his lips for a moment and then shrugged. “Alright, I can’t give you your former property back. Heck, it may already be sold. We don’t exactly hold onto goods for long. But, since you’re insisting, you can take it up with our leader.”

      Korri thought she detected a hint of amusement in Zan’s tone, but she was more relieved than anything. “That’s all I want.”

      “I can’t guarantee your safety. Our leader doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and you may not walk away from this.”

      “I understand, and it's worth the risk.”

      “No, wait,” Lou said, curling a hand around Korri’s wrist. “Korri, are you sure about this?” He searched her gaze, the worry clear in his eyes.

      Korri felt nothing but resolve. “Yes.”

      Lou dropped her wrist and looked at his cousin. “Then I’m coming with you.”

      In a heartbeat, Zan cut between Lou and Korri, facing his cousin. “This doesn’t concern you, little cousin.”

      “Except that it does. Korri is my friend, and I can’t just let her walk into danger alone.”

      “I could stop you, you know,” Zan said quietly, the threat clear in his voice.

      Lou took a step forward, eyes never leaving Zan’s face. “But you won’t.”

      Zan snorted and turned away. “Suit yourself.”

      Korri gave Lou a grateful look. He only nodded before she returned her attention to Zan. “When do we leave?”

      “It’ll be a few days of travel to reach our destination. I have no other business in the city, so we can leave now.”

      “I need to pack a bag and need someone to take care of my Petpet and plants, but give me an hour and I’ll be ready,” Korri said.

      “I’ll see you in an hour then.”

      “Where?”

      “I know where you live.”

      Before Korri could respond to that, Zan was gone. She looked at Lou in stunned surprise.

      “Of course he knows. You really think the Mist don’t have information as basic as that?” Lou jerked his head. “We better go. If Zan says an hour, he means an hour.”

      An hour later, Korri and Lou met outside Korri’s place and Zan appeared immediately after. The three of them didn’t speak as Zan led the way out of the Imperial City.

      “Keep close. I won’t slow down or stop if you get lost or tired,” Zan said over his shoulder once they were on the road. Then, he shrugged. “Or don’t. I’m not responsible for you.”

      “I’ve travelled the mountains before,” Korri said.

      “We both have,” Lou said, sounding a touch offended.

      “There are dangers in these mountains that will take out even the most prepared,” Zan said.

      “What? Like bandits?” Lou muttered.

      “I meant,” Zan said, voice hardening, “things like sudden storms, landslides and the mist so thick that you can’t see your own hand in front of your face.”

      “Not really a problem for me,” Lou said with an exaggerated flutter of his bright, glowing wings.

      “Let's just hope for safe travels, shall we?” Korri was tired of the argument. All she wanted was to reach the bandit leader as soon as possible. She hoped that the Buzz cousins wouldn’t argue the entire way, or else she’d rather Lou stayed at home.

      Seeming to sense the impatience under her light words, the Buzz cousins at last fell silent, Zan leading the way with Korri right behind him and Lou bringing up the rear.

      Thankfully, the next few days went smoothly with the three of them falling into a mostly easy rhythm. There were still moments of tension between the cousins, much to Korri’s chagrin. She was used to being a peacemaker, though she didn’t relish the role.

      Then, on what was supposed to be their final day of travel, a steady rain began to fall in the late afternoon.

      “We need to get off the trail,” Zan said.

      “I thought you said we were close?” Korri asked.

      “We were, but not anymore in these conditions.”

      Korri frowned, but it had only been a few minutes, and they were already soaked through. She knew from experience that rain showers could last upward of thirty minutes, and it was already getting dark. Conceding the point, she nodded. “Lead the way, Zan.”

      Zan veered off the trail without hesitation and led them a short distance to the shelter of a small cave. He set about making a fire to get them warm and dry while Korri prepped something for them to eat and Lou laid out their bedrolls.

      After they had eaten, Korri sat at the cave mouth, nestling her head on her knees as she listened to the rain that still hadn’t let up.

      So close.

      Lou came to sit beside her. “At least we’re almost there.”

      Korri sighed. “Just one more day.”

      “And you’ll get the answer you’re looking for.” Lou paused before continuing. “What will you do if they don’t tell you who they sold it to? Or if they don’t know?”

      Korri tensed, biting her lip as she considered. “I don’t know. Keep looking. Maybe offer a reward for information.” She turned to look at her friend. “What I won’t do is give up. I need to know where my art ended up.”

      Lou studied her quietly for a moment. “Well-”

      “Well, what I suggest you do is shut up and get some sleep. Tomorrow won’t come any faster or be any easier if you keep talking and end up tired instead,” Zan groused from his bedroll.

      Lou shot a glare at his cousin, not that the other Buzz would care, even if he could see it, and they both knew it.

      “He’s right,” Korri said, amused, rising to her feet.

      Zan could be harsh, but he wasn’t so bad. It had taken no time at all for Korri to get used to him again.

      Lou, on the other hand, struggled to hold his tongue when his cousin was involved. It was strange, given that he was normally easygoing and almost impossible to ruffle. Clearly, his bandit cousin got under his skin like nothing else.

      Korri wouldn’t know. She was an only child with only her parents and grandparents as far as relations went. How would she feel in Lou’s place? Probably the same way. She shook her head, settling into her bedroll, the sound of the rain soothing her to sleep.

      The rain stopped sometime during the night, washing away the residual snow and leaving a thick, sludgy mud in its wake. Waiting for it to dry was not an option. They would have to continue their journey despite this new difficulty. So, they set out, and things went as well as could be expected given the circumstances. It was early afternoon when things took a turn.

      Zan froze ahead of them on the trail. Slowly, he scanned the narrow path they were on, as if listening for something.

      “Zan, is everything al-” Korri began before he interrupted.

      “We need to move, now!”

      “What? Why?” Lou asked.

      That’s when they heard it: a deep groaning, as if the very mountain were coming alive. Then, the ground began to shake, a rumble of dirt and stone.

      Looking up, Korri’s eyes widened in horror as she saw the mountainside moving. Straight. For. Her.

      “Korri, look out!” Lou exclaimed, but even as he moved towards her, it was too late.

      The landslide overwhelmed her, sending her tumbling over the edge of the mountain.

To be continued…