[TJZ'S EXPANDED VERSION IS NOW AVAILABLE IN MY PROFILE!] Believed to be created by the founder of Zecaj, the Jewel of Opulence is said to curse whoever possesses it with endless riches beyond their wildest dreams.
Desperate to get his hands on more...
A faint beam of light filtered through the cave's roof as the last of the Khadysians fell with a strike of Idris' double-headed spear.
Panting, Idris turned to assess the surrounding carnage. It was a long night, but they made it. Not a single haris remained standing, but it wasn't a victory. There was nothing to celebrate, not when he had lost people of his own.
Idris brought along almost half a hundred young men among the crew to no man's land. Most of them were orphans, either taken away from their families by the hands of slave traders or had their families killed in cold blood. The youngest of them were ten years old. He and Ayaz were the ones who brought them into their care and gave them someone to turn to. A group of friends. A new family.
But now, Idris could count with his fingers the only ones left. They were scattered in the cave, bruised but alive. Barely.
They never lost this much people in one mission before, and it carved a large hollow in his heart.
Idris would definitely make sure that Ayaz would get some talking to. Even if he had a fatal injury, the idiot thought it was a great idea to charge into battle by finding a stupid loophole in his orders. If he didn't know any better, Ayaz was looking for a death sentence. But at the end of the day, Idris could change who he really was. A cloistered prince, yet selfless and loyal to his friends.
Ayaz better get out of the cove alive and with the jewel. Idris could use a new turban and clothes and an additional weapon in his side, and he could buy all that with the riches they would get from the jewel.
Besides, he still owed Ayaz a life debt. He wouldn't be able to repay him completely if he were gone.
The whole cavern suddenly trembled, making Idris bristle. His senses alarmed him to shout at his remaining crew and get out of there, but rocks didn't rain overhead, nor did cracks appear under his feet.
Instead, the quake was coming from the cove.
A cloud of dust blew out of the cove's dark entry, and a girl came stumbling out and crashed face down on the floor, one of her hands clenched into a fist. A rumbling boom came after, and the dark portal vanished.
As soon as Idris crouched to her side, he helped her up.
"Are you alright?"
The second she was sitting upright, she quickly wrapped her arms around her knees while pressing her closed fist to her chest. Her clothes were filled with cuts and bruises under them. She had a crescent moon mark on her ashen face, a trait that Ayaz told him about the girl he had left when he asked for his help.
"You must be Badriya," Idris said.
The girl, Badriya, gasped, as if she were unaware of his presence until now. "W-who are you?"
"The name's Idris," he said, letting go of his weapon. "I'm a friend of Ayaz."
Her breath hitched at the mention of his friend's name. Tears started to stream down her face.
"It's gone," she said between sobs, almost gibberish to Idris. "It's really gone."
Idris' face softened. "What's gone?"
Badriya shook her head vehemently, then she spoke, "He's gone. I-I. . . it's my fault."
He's gone.
No. It can't be. Not Ayaz.
Impossible.
"I'm s-sorry," Badriya said, her hands still over her heart. "I. . . tried to—but I couldn't. . ."
Idris felt as if his whole body was more battered than when he had fought the Khadysians. He tried not to let the words sink into his mind, tried not to admit the truth.
But it was the truth, he knew deep inside him. Ayaz wasn't with the girl. He didn't get out in time.
His closest friend—his brother by choice—didn't get out alive.
Badriya clamped her mouth shut, her eyes wide in apprehension. She let out a shaky breath. Then, she slowly brought her hands closer to him and opened them, revealing an oval-shaped, golden gemstone with streaks of ruby red staining its surface.
It looked. . . somewhat unimpressive.
Nevertheless, Idris was curious. "So does it really work?"
Badriya gulped. "I— yes, I think so, but I haven't used it because of the earthquake so. . ."
"Well?" Idris gestured for her to continue. "Try it."
It better work, he thought in slight anger. I don't want Ayaz to have died for nothing.
Sighing, Badriya closed her eyes and rubbed two of her fingers onto the gem's surface. A part of her face, where the mark of the moon lay, gleamed. Idris felt his skin tingle. Coins appeared out of thin air, levitating around them before settling down on the floor with a clink.
Idris grabbed one of the coins. "It is real."
He began to hear footsteps approaching from behind. His surviving crew slowly drew near, fascination and relief replacing the grief and exhaustion in their faces while they inspected the money that magically appeared before them.
The glow soon faded, prompting Badriya to open her eyes. She sagged a bit, but quickly straightened her back while pocketing the gem.
"It worked?" she said, her tone hinting surprise. "I-it really worked."
Idris enclosed his hand on the lone coin. He should at least be grateful that the legend was real, but he couldn't. Not with Ayaz gone forever as a price. There was no use for riches if you couldn't enjoy it with someone you cared about.
If only money were able to buy a life back. . .
"I know Ayaz is. . . gone," Badriya mumbled, as if reading his mind. "But I think. . . I think there's a way to get him back."
Idris narrowed his eyes. He just met her, and it was normal to be suspicious of her—even Ayaz told him that she herself didn't place her trust in people easily—but she didn't seem to be someone who dabbled with dark magic. Was she giving him some false hope to make him feel better?
"How?" he finally asked her.
Her lips quirked up. "What do you know about the Crescent Order?"
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