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Ruby runs through the crowd thinking what went wrong. Ten minutes ago: she said bye to the rest of the group and walked into the nearby alley, checking the time: Thirty minutes early. It takes a lot to unnerve her, you do not because a veasty without guts, but in the last 24 hours she had nothing but a growing feeling of fear in the pit of her stomach. A last-minute job during one of the biggest events of the year to get a monster skull for a rare arcane stone. It was weird enough that the job was requested in person with no warning beforehand, but the fact she does not even have the guy’s name, most in-person jobs give a name. She stops in front of a dumpster, checking the time again twenty-five minutes now. Everything is fine she told herself, I am getting great pay for this simple job. She thinks back to what happened next what she should have remembered was the Ten Veasty Commandments:
The alley was isolated and out of the way. 1. Meet in public and out in the open. When setting the price he didn’t even try to haggle 2. Never expect the buyer to take the first price if they do: they are either an idiot or have an agenda, watch out for the second use the first. Her buyer showed up early 3. Time, always know the time, if someone is early stay on your toes. He was in front of the only exit 4. Never have only one exit. She asked about the stone and he showed a small brown pouch. 5. Always assume you have less than one-third of the needed information. She gave him the skull as he handed her the pouch. 6. If it is a goods exchange check payment before giving your end. She opened the pouch looking away from the man. 7. Never take your eyes off someone you don't trust. The old chip bags church under his feet. 8. Never trust your implores. It wasn’t an arcane stone it was a piece of rock candy. 9. Price means importance and if someone can not pay they will cheat you. He ran before Ruby could stop him. 10. Always get a name.
Now she was running through the crowd chasing after the thief. Ruby stops when she realizes that she lost him. “I need to cover more ground. I need more people. I can’t set a veasty alarm this will tank my rep if this gets out.”
“Hey Ruby,” a voice calls from behind her.
She turns grabbing her sword hilt on reflex. “Jackson hey.”
“That me,” he says with a wide grin. Ruby missed this side of Jackson the fun-loving chill nerd. He continues “I thought you were heading to Belance City.”
“Yeah, I got a last-minute job.” Scanning the crowd.
“I know that look what happened?”
Ruby thought I really couldn’t hide anything from him. “The job went south, and I got scammed.
“Oh well, I can help.”
“Okay he is middle-aged and average height, has long greasy black hair and bread, he is wearing green robes and flip flops,” she explains, at least she got a good look at the guy.
“What shade of green?”
“What why?”
“I need a good mental image.”
“You have got to be kidding me. I don’t know, a medium green.”
“I’ll just guess emerald.” Jackson runs the other way. Ruby heads toward the inventions booth hoping to find more help. And that is just what she finds. Lizzy, Morning-Glory, and Sid at a booth for pocket tool kits.
"Isn't that just a swift army knife?" Sid asks, looking at the kit.
"Nope, it has a tiny hammer, wrench, three different screwdrivers, and any tool someone would need," Morning-Glory explains, looking at the price. "Five hundred dollars! That is way too far out of my budget. There goes my mess of tools problem being fixed.”
“Guys,” Ruby says walking closer.
“Ruby, I thought you had a job,” Lizzy asks looking back.
“I did but I got scammed, have you guys seen a middle-aged average-height man, with long greasy black hair and bread, wearing green robes and flip floppes?”
“Nope, but we’ll keep our eyes out,” Sid answers looking around.
“Thanks.” Ruby left the invention area and headed towards the games. She looks at everyone and everything, and she knows how to refine her senses in any situation that comes with the job. After about ten minutes of looking she found King and Chris playing whack-a-monster, Chris was clearly winning.
New High score! The game shouts as the attendant hands Chris a stuffed animal bear loin with a crow.
“Yay, King can play again?” Chris asks jumping up and down.
“Yeah,” he answers giving the attendant two tickets.
“Can I but-in here real quick?” Ruby steps forward.
“Ruby, do you need something?” King asks picking up his mallet as the game starts up.
Ruby explains what happened as Chris got another high score smoking King again.
“We’ll help you pretty lady,” Chris replies as she gets her new prize a stuffed frox
“For sure, after one more,” King gave another two tickets to the attendant.
Ruby left as the game started. Within about twenty minutes she, Lizzy, Sid, Morning-Glory, and King met up and were standing together near the convection hall.
“Where are we supposed to find this guy he could be anywhere at this point,” Sid states looking annoyed.
“Like up there,” a male voice answers.
Everyone turns to see Jackson pointing to the door to the convention hall. When they look where he was pointing they see the man slipping into the hall.
“Great, how are we going get in there, the Q’n’A has been sold out for months,” Morning-Glory explains.
“Well it’s a good thing that I have a universal backstage pass, let go,” Ruby says reaching into her jacket pocket and pulling out a small card. Before the bouncer could even ask about tickets she should him and he moved aside no question. The group ran up the set and into the hall looking for the man they noticed the open basement door.
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