"No, no. Not the market. Just some cheap fools who cannot afford any shit and waste my entire afternoon," he said, looking up, and when he realized who was standing before him, his fury instantly disappeared.
"I hear that you have been having some problems with gangs recently." Felix rested his elbow on the counter and continued in a calm voice. "Stealing your stones without paying even a silver."
"And who informed you about that?" Rodrick asked, narrowing his eyes at him.
"News spread pretty fast," Felix shrugged and continued. "I am Felix and I may be able to help you with those guys, if you can tell me something more about them."
"These damn thieves," Rodrick angrily got up from his seat and clenched his fists. "They come every time and ask for the heat stones but never pay even a single silver."
"Whatever." Felix leaned on the counter. "Tell me everything you know."
"There is this one guy, claiming himself to be their leader. Hakimi Morrow," Rodrick spat out the name as if it had an unpleasant taste in his mouth. "With always these three other men rotating around him, accompanying him. Very proud this guy is, telling everyone about how he serves the Duke’s daughter, since before she even started walking and was selected personally by her dead mother."
He shook his head. "And the master of the water fighting techniques, according to him. Saying he is invincible and there is nobody else in the kingdom who can defeat him." He screamed his last words. "This guy is always wearing a sword at his hip and boasting about how he is going to slash everything down right after drawing the sword. This bastard is loved by Duke Osbel very much and his daughter is apparently enchanted by him."
Felix slowly rapped the tip of his index finger against the counter, mulling over all he had learned. "So do you know where I could find them? Or at least when they show up?"
"They always show up during the hot afternoon." Rodrick nodded thoughtfully, folding his arms over his chest. "Right around the time that the wagons are passing through the western gate." He stared at Felix. "What is it you’re going to do with these guys?"
"Not sure just yet." Felix managed a half-smile as he stepped back. "Just a few things that I need to clear up with Hakimi Morrow." He nodded politely. "Thanks for the information."
"No problem." Rodrick waved him away, already shifting his gaze back towards the shelves behind him. "They definitely need some kind of education." He picked up a cup of water from one of the shelves and drained it in one swallow.
Felix made his way westward, still plenty of time to go until afternoon really started to set in. He shrugged, grimacing slightly, still feeling that sharp pain in the joint.
"Well, let’s hope these guys aren’t the real deal." He took a long breath. "Because if they are, I’m going to be the one eating dirt."
He continued walking down the street, his eyes lazily glancing around at the various merchants until he noticed a small potion stand wedged between two bigger tents.
The afternoon came slowly, thickening the traffic through the streets as the day hit it’s peak, people bargaining, each trying to make one last deal before the goods entered the proper market. That was when the wagons entered through the west gate, and the mob headed towards them, all of them scrambling and fighting for the first choice of picking. City guards warned but the sound drowned out their warnings and they did not even try to enforce any kind of order.
That was how things were every evening at this hour and no one even pretended that it was different.
"Move, move." Sharp voice came from behind and people scattered without being ordered.
Four men approached the incoming wagons, stepping heavily on the packed earth and dressed better than their companions, with silk collars and polished buckles, swords slung on their waists just for the show, the leader with sharp jaw and head held high scanning the stalls with eyes of the man who owns everything.
"Andrew, take that crate before the fat one reaches it." He snapped his fingers pointing towards the nearest wagon.
Andrew moved quickly, pushing away two merchants without a word, taking the crate down before the actual buyer counted the money. "Got it, Hakimi."
Merchant protested but David stepped close and cracked his knuckles slowly. "You got a problem with me?"
"N-no, sir." Merchant took steps back raising his hands.
"Good man." David smiled, slapping his face, hard enough to hurt.
William moved to the row of fabric stalls, taking a piece of dyed silk from the pile and putting only one copper on the counter, much less than it is worth. "For the trouble of our presence."
"That is—" Owner of the stall stopped talking the moment William moved his hand towards his sword hilt.
"Be careful now." William smiled but it did not reach his eyes. "Don’t want anyone thinking that you are disrespectful to the Duke’s household."
Hakimi sauntered through the wagon with his hands behind his back and took a good look at the disorder his people were causing with great satisfaction. He stopped in front of a spice dealer who was already perspiring through his collar.
"Protection fee." He offered an opened hand casually.
"I paid last week already—"
"The prices have risen." Hakimi’s fingers moved impatiently. "You might say it is inflation."
The dealer rummaged through his apron with trembling hands and handed him a heap of silver coins.
"Pleasure dealing with you." Hakimi put them in his pocket without counting and headed towards the next stand.
Behind him an old lady who sold dried herbs tried to get her cart out of the way too slowly and Andrew roughly pushed past her, knocking her over and spilling herbs all over the ground.
"Be more careful when you move around, old lady." He did not even glance back to see whether she fell or not.
Several people murmured quietly and quickly glanced away once they felt anyone of the four looked in their direction.
"This is a good harvest we have collected so far." Hakimi glanced at the rapidly increasing pile of stolen goods being carried to their wagon which was hidden behind the last line of stands. "Go on. Wagons will not stay unguarded forever."
David chuckled and already eyed the next stand. "I love my job!"
"Mighty, mighty!" A man wearing casual clothes hurried through the crowd.
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