This choice: Anna tries something else... • Go Back...Chapter #16Wily merchant reaps the rewards by: Arnsley   Anna was about to replace the jewel. But then she remembered something.
“Back when I first shrank, there was an indentation on the wall, wasn’t there?”
She glanced around, though couldn’t see much in the gloom. So she felt her way along the wall, groping for the indentation.
“It didn’t appear until after I had taken the gemstone. And after I shrank to half my size, which made it way harder to put the stone back in the pedestal where it was. So maybe… ah ha!”
Her fingers found the small indentation. As she had suspected, it was perfectly sized for the stone. With enthusiasm and confidence, Anna thrust the stone into the hole.
The chamber reacted immediately. It rumbled, shaking violently, dizzying its tiny occupant as it took on a green glow. It shook so much that she didn’t notice she was growing at first.
“I-I’m getting bigger!” she cheered, though her growth was brief. She merely doubled in size, rather than growing all the way back.
“Hey! Where’s the rest of my height?” she demanded.
There were voices from outside, audible only because they were so loud.
“Wh-what’s goin’ on?”
“The bangle! It’s shaking like it’s possessed!”
“That’s got to be… the curse! Aiiiieeee!”
The pounding footsteps only shook the ground even more, the bangle now rattling atop the bedside table.
“Oi, wait up! We invented the curse, didn’t we? No way that’s real mate!”
“Look, the bangle… it’s growing bigger. We have to run!”
“…yer right. But there’s no way the curse is real, is there?”
“Shut up and move, unless you want to be crushed!”
“Good riddance,” Anna huffed as she heard the men flee. Their words confirmed that the chamber was growing. And, since her surroundings did not appear to be getting any bigger, Anna with them.
A creaking groan sounded through the air. Then loud snapping, and the chamber fell. It crashed through another solid barrier, smashing through everything in its path as it descended.
“Oof! Must’ve fallen through the floor!” Anna deduced, “I guess this thing is growing all the way back!”
Eventually, the rumbling stopped. From a quick glance outside, it looked to Anna that she had grown all the way back to her normal size.
“Thank you!” she said to the metal chamber.
But then her eyes were diverted elsewhere. With a click, the green gemstone sank into the wall, vanishing. Anna was about to react with dismay when a seam opened in the wall. It split in half, retracting into the ceiling and floor. Beyond that, as light seeped in, Anna caught a glimpse of another chamber.
But the one who is brave and wise,
Through a great trial may take the prize.
“Could this be…?”
Gold. That was the first thing she saw. The gleam of what could only be treasure. Anna hurried over, entering the chamber to discover there was so much more than that. Jewels, treasure chest, scepters, golden swords. Just about everything she could have dreamed of.
“So… so much gold! I… I’m rich!” Anna cheered. She was so happy she could cry. But before she rushed in and took armfuls of treasure, she stopped. She looked around for traps, taking greater care than last time.
“This had better not shrink me again. I only just got my height back!”
After careful inspection, Anna found no more traps. Just an encouraging inscription.
“This is the treasure of a king whose name will soon be lost. His heirs foolish and brash, he leaves this magical chamber as a test,” she read aloud, “only one who can claim this treasure is worthy of the kingdom… ooh! I could become a queen!” Anna giggled, though the gold was a much greater reward to her mind.
“…actually, I can think of a good ruler who might have use for some of this. Wouldn’t be fair for me to keep every bit for myself, would it?”
She turned around, glancing out to the world beyond the chamber.
“Repairs for the inn are coming out of his cut.”
It was much, much more than Anna could carry, but she had her connections. With a little assistance from some like-minded merchants, she was able to transport her gains across the land. Though there was significantly less treasure left at the end of her journey, despite her haggling to get the best deal for their services.
“Who goes there?” Asked the guard at the gates of the castle.
“It’s me, Anna! I’m a friend of the exalt,” she announced.
“A friend, eh? What are you doing here at this time of night?”
“Figured I’d drop by, leave a gift for my boy in blue,” she told the man with a wink. Turning to her cart, she unloaded several bags. One of them slumped open, revealing shining gold to the stunned guard.
“Th-this is… so much…”
“This one’s on me,” she said, “forty-five percent of my recent earnings, after certain deductions. Generous, I know. Here, your fee,”
She flipped a coin towards the man, though he was too shocked to catch it.
“Tell Chrom to put it towards a good cause,” Anna turned to leave.
“W-wait! Where are you going? Aren’t you going to—”
“Where else would I be going? Off to make more gold, of course!” |
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