A preface, you ask? What preface could this story possibly need? It's a wager, isn't it? Well, yeah. A wager— but a wager made at least twenty five years before the game. Which means that this involves a lot of Kilroy and Agrias Khazabas and a little less Ashley Riot. You'll have an AK&K scene, and then an Ashley chasing Sydney, and then AK&K, and then it all goes to hell.

Little note: A Valen or Valen gold is another word for Valendian. Thought it'd be neat. Yes, a Valen is a currency! Rather like a pound or a centime.

And notice how I use place names? I'm really proud of that!

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A Wager of Noble Gold

Intro

The sun sets over Dina's Walk, sets in a blaze of color; it makes the last two wealthy inhabitants seem to emblazoned in color, and stand out all the more.

"But I tell ye, Kilroy, dear friend, there be no gold that ain't noble," says Agrias Khazabas, laughing and jiggling the small pouch of Valens.

"Aye, mayhap no, but there do be gold I shan't touch with a Spanish Tickler, and that be Valen gold. We of Lea Monde ne'er did accept them Valens as our leaders, and I see no reason to start now." Kilroy replies, not smiling.

" 'Tis gold, brother— gold, I tell ye, why do ye not take it?" asks Khazabas.

" 'Tis Valen gold— and I told ye that I'd not accept Valendian gold! Not e'er!"

" 'Tis a sack of Valens, for Iocus' sake, Kilroy, 'tis the weight we agreed on."

But Kilroy turns away. "Let it rot wither we placed our wager, Agrias. I'll 'ave none o' it."

"Very well, then. But 'tis fifty Valens double heavy," the last of Khazabas' words have an appealing ring to them, as though he is trying to convince Kilroy to take the gold.

"I'll ne'er use a Valen, Agrias and well ye know it. For a moment, I didn't ken you were a trying to cheat me, but now I do."

With this statement, Agrias' laughter rings throughout the way, and they walk arm in arm to hide the gold in a corner of the hall they made their wager in.

1

Ashley sneaked into the dusty corner, and found himself thinking of dogs sniffing in the dust for things that weren't there, although he knew that a place such as this was a most excellent hiding place for things of value.

That corner! He had thought upon entering— it was too nondescript, too untouched by the writing 'pon the wall.

But upon coming into the corner, he discovered with dismay that those of Lea Monde had been fond of writing, but at least this was in Valendian.

~ And dust shall rot and wither

At the sack we have placed hither,

Hidden before your eyes and 'neath your nose

Money trees grow not in rows

So take what you have found,

We'll have none of it. ~

How benevolent of them, Ashley thought as he scanned the writing. Money tress grow not in rows. Rows! Rose! He would have laughed at the simplicity of it, for simple as it was, it would be confusing enough to confound those block-headed Crimson Blades.

He scanned the bricks in the wall for a row of roses, and finding one, discovered it to be loose.

Pulling it revealed a grimy cloth sack, full of double heavy Valens. He whistled quietly; fifty Valens, but their age and purity made them worth more, not to mention their weight— they were worth a month of Le Sait's pension, probably. Le Sait hadn't mentioned not finding gold— hell, he'd basically given him permission to take what he could scavenge from anything no one would miss.

Considering the Knights hadn't gotten it, Ashley doubted they'd miss it.

2

Kilroy laughed and scratched his name into the stone block, watching Agrias begin to sweat. They'd already defaced the Wagering Room, as they'd called it, but here as well?

"Better to claim the room as mine, Agrias. 'Tis naught to worry about!"

"I feel to be acting as a child, Kilroy. A child."

" 'Tis no' childish!"

" 'Tis!"

" 'Tis not!"

" 'Tis so!"

" 'Tis not so!"

" 'Tis so!"

" 'Tis not so!"

With that last remark, Agrias stuck his tongue out at Kilroy and both laughed.

They slowly filtered out of the room, with one last look at the inscription, written in Valendian.

Kilroy was here!

3

Slowly, Ashley turned 'pon the wall, to find three skeletons hanging from the wall. He chopped off their legs to find that inscribed in the same handwriting as before,

Kilroy was here!

This Kilroy fellow got around a lot, Ashley thought, continuing on to Fool's Gold, Fool's Loss.