"Shut up!" Kitra hissed. "We're not Skan, Thom, and Kitra. We are Gary, Moemi, and Mat, OK? NO realation to the Guild, we just want some parts for resell!"
"Will both of you shut up?" said Thom. "I think we're here."
The three of them had left the Guild not an hour after Kitra's suggestion. They all donned masks of odd creatures, and everyone but Skan changed clothing. Kitra and Thom argued that it was too close to what Skan wore, but Skan argued that many people in the Black Marker wore trench coats. He just didn't want to admit he was not willing to take it off.
"It's bright..." Skan grumbled. He had to take off his sunglasses, too.
"Can I help you, sire?" said a man's voice. Skan's head snapped up. There were three rouch looking men, each one wearing trench coats, too. Skan refrained from saying 'see!?' to Kitra and Thom. The man who spoke gave a small smile. "Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Fish?"
"Wha-?" Skan started, but Kitra cut him off.
"You're name is Gary Fish!" she hissed again. Then, in a louder voice, "We need a water valve gaude for the left knee of an XXXG model military Gear. Do you not remember my appointment?"
The man smiled. "Yes, I remember, for the left knee... follow me." The man walked into the building he stood in front of, and Skan, Kitra and Thom followed. The other two men came closely behind, bringing up the rear. Suddenly, Skan felt very uncomfortable.
"Here," said the man. He pointed to three gauge valves, all over seven feet long and two wide, leaning up against the wall. To the untrained eye, they looked identical, but Skan could tell a difference.
After a quick inspection, he motioned to the middle one. "I want that one."
"Really? That is the best one, Mr. Fish. I'm afraid it will be very expensive."
Skan opened up a checkbook. "Yeah, yeah, how much?"
The man made a small smile. "I will accept no less than thirty grand."
Skan almost dropped his checkbook. "What!? Thirty thousand dollars for a five thousand dollar part!? Hello, no!"
"You are supposed to negotiate," Kitra whispered in Skan's ear, but he ignored her.
"I am not paying such an obscene amount!"
"Yes, Mr. Fish, you will. You will buy it, or you will not leave."
Skan bristled in defense. "Was that a threat!?"
The man laughed, and Skan began to be slightly afraid. "Yes, Mr. Fish! It was a threat!" The man's laughter cut off short, and he snappde his fingers. Out of the darkness, where Skan never would have though, emerged several dozen men with large muscles and tight shirts. Several cracked their knuckles.
"Skan!" yelled Thom. No one had brought their weapons, and only Kitra's magic was enough to fight with. But even so, she ran along with Skan and Thom.
Skan was the slowest, and the last one to start running, so lagged behind. Neither Kitra nor Thom noticed. Finally, a flying tackle from one of hus pursuers dragged Skan to the ground. His head was hit, and Skan's vision faded into darkness.
* * *
The man Skan had talked to earlier greeted him with a very villainous laugh. "Welcome, Mr. Fish. Or should I say, Skandranon Erreden! MY, won't you go for a nice ransom! Or perhaps we should kill you, for putting our suppliers, Bart's Company, out of business!"
The man grabbed Skan by the collar of his trench coat. Skan tried to knock him off, but his hands were tied behind his back. "You destroyed Bart's Company! Our Gear parts go high in price, people don't buy it, and we end up poor! All because you need to boom your own fucking business!" snarled the man, and threw Skan against the wall. Then he began kicking Skan in the stomach.
"You're a little bastard, Skan!" the man spat. "Say it! You're a bastard! SAY IT!"
Skan remained silent, until he was turned on his back. The man cut off the binding ropes that were tied around Skan's wrists, and bent one of Skan's arms at an unnatural angle. "SAY IT!"
Skan was braced for pain, but he still felt it full on. Someone screamed in pain. Not Skan. Not... Skan. "I'm... a bastard..." someone said, still screaming. It took Skan a moment to realize it WAS him!
After what seemed hours but couldn't be more than minutes, Skan was thrown back against the wall, blood trickiling from his mouth. His arm was most definatley dislocated, and broken. He had never broken his arm before.
It took Skan a minute to realize he was fingering his Zodiac Stone, and his hand flinched away. Skan wanted vengeance. His stress, his pain, and his anger all boiled as one and erupted.
After a few minutes of Skan's emotions boiling, a bright flash of blue light from his coat got everyone's attention. Including his.
The Zodiac Stone hovered a few feet above Skan, and stayed there motionless. Then, it began to speak in a very reminding way.
"Holder of the Holy Stone... Promise me..."
"What the hell is that!?" said one of the thugs. Skan shook his head, mouthing the word 'no'.
"Holder of the Holy Stone...Your anger and resentment summoned me.. Now promise me... that your body will combine with my spirit to live forever..."
Skan bit his lip. Had his day not been so bad, perhaps things would have been different. But they weren't, and it wasn't, and his response was one that he never even imagined possible.
"Help me..." Skan croaked.
The stone flew down to Skan. "We shall be as one, Skan... As is our destiny..."
Skan surveyed the scene. Dead bodies, everywhere. After his transformation into Tirkul, everyone was in a mad rush to escape, only a few were brave enough to fight. But whether they fought or ran, every single one of them died.
Skan donned his sunglasses and looked around once more. This was his true power. The power of the Zodiac Stone.
Whistling to himself, Skan stepped lightly across the dead bodies to the exit. He didn't want to get his shoes dirty.
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