So, this chapter begins with Diamond in the Rough quest content. While yes, this does rely heavily on dialogue from the quest (though parts have been changed to make things flow better and get rid of some unneeded information), a story is more than just the conversations (and yes, I wrote down all that was said while doing the quests). There are sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that we miss out in the game, and I've tried to bring that into this story. I have found that my 'formula' for these is two in game quests, then my own ideas. So, naturally, for Arianna the two quests are Stolen Hearts and Diamond in the Rough. Read. Enjoy. Review. Thanks.
Arianna was gently shaken awake. She rolled over and sleepily tried to push her waker away. The soft, cotton sheets and plush, down mattress were just too comfortable, and she had no intention of leaving bed any time soon. But whoever stood over her bed had other ideas.
"Ari, come on, wake up," they said, shaking her shoulder again. Through her drowsiness she realized it was Ozan who was standing over her.
"Ozan, what time is it? What are you doing in my room? How did you get in my room? Where have you been?" she asked, waking up and stretching away her sleepiness.
"We'll talk, but come on, get out of bed," he said. "There's something I want to show you."
Arianna sighed and pulled away the light sheets and set her feet on the cool floor. "So, what do you want to show me?"
He walked over to one of the windows of her room. One of the wooden panels that covered it was open. The sky on the other side was still dark, though the horizon was lightening as sunrise approached.
"Just follow me and I'll show you," he said, climbing out of the window onto the ledge on the other side.
"Alright, Ozan, just give me a minute to change," she said.
"Hurry, Ari," he said as she shut the panels so she could change in peace.
A few minutes passed as she changed, and she finally opened the panel and stepped out after Ozan. He was leaning against the wall, waiting for her. He pushed himself off as she came out.
"Okay, so, where are we going?" she asked, adjusting the belt and daggers.
"You'll see," he said, flashing her a quick smiled, and started off across the roof. He led her through Al Kharid via the rooftops once again. They ended up on one of the taller buildings of the city.
Ozan sat, dangling his feet over the edge. She sat beside him and looked out on to the city below. It was simply breathtaking.
The sun was just beginning to peek over the rocky mountains to the east. The sky was a beautiful mix of oranges, pinks, gold, and blues. Clouds dotted the sky, reflecting all of the colors. The sun-bleached buildings seemed to be golden in the light of the sun.
Slowly the city below was beginning to awaken. The smell of strong spices rose up from below as the kebab vender began to cook a new batch for the day. Many women were already up and hanging out washed clothing to dry out in the desert sun. Soft murmurs came up from the marketplace as all of the stalls were being set up for the day. There was a strange sense of familiarity that Arianna already had with the city. Al Kharid already felt more like home than Yanille ever did.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Ozan said, taking in the beauty for himself.
"Absolutely stunning," she said, unable to pull her eyes from the scene below her.
"This is what I woke to every morning as a kid."
"You must've been heartbroken to have had to leave," she said, shaking her head. "They would've had to drag me out of this place."
"If it hadn't been for the threat of execution, I would say that would have been the case for myself as well," he said with a chuckle. He reached into his bag that was set beside him and pulled out two strange fruits. He passed one to Arianna, who was unsure at to what to do with it. It was larger than her hand and brilliant red in color. The texture felt similar that of an orange. Two leathery leaves stuck out from along stem.
"What's this?" she asked.
"It's a sq'irk," said Ozan, as if that explained everything.
"And what exactly is a sq'irk?"
"It's a fruit," he explained. "You peel away the rind, much like an orange, then cut it into sections and eat it." He pulled a knife from his pack and demonstrated just that.
Arianna took of her daggers and peeled away the rind of the sq'irk. She cut into the meat of the fruit, only to find just how juicy it was. She cut away a small section, and with Ozan watching to see her reaction, she popped it into her mouth.
The fruit was incredibly sweet and juicy. It tasted like no other fruit she had ever had before. "It's delicious," she said, smiling.
Ozan nodded, smiling as well. "That they are. They're from the garden of a sorceress to the south of here. I used to sneak in and steal some of these all the time when I was a kid."
The two of them sat in silence as they ate the rest of their sq'irks and watched the sunrise over the waking city.
"Where have you been, Ozan?" she finally asked. "No one has seen you for nearly three days."
"Yeah, I'm sorry I slipped away after the Emir's death. Had to clear my head, you know? Got myself officially reacquainted with Al Kharid. Karim's still has the best kebabs around."
"Osman and I have been talking these past few days. He told me to pass on that your past actions are forgotten, and that you're welcome back to Al Kharid as a full citizen."
"Really? Even after all that business in the palace?" he said, sounding very surprised.
"Ozan, nobody blames us for the Emir's death," she said. "You saw how sick he was, it was a long time coming. And Osman knows we were trying to do the right thing .In fact, when we spoke last night, he said he wants to talk to the two of us once you showed up again."
"You think maybe he's come up with a plan to rescue Prince Ali?"
"It would seem so," she said, finished up her sq'irk. "By now I'm sure Osman is awake, we should head back."
Ozan nodded, taking one last bite of his fruit before following her back down to street level of the city. They made their way back to the palace, passing the guard who had denied them entrance a few days previous. He looked none too pleased to be letting them in now.
Osman was passing through the entrance hall, looking over documents as he walked. He looked up as the two entered, looking mildly surprised. "I didn't know you had left," he said, then looked to Ozan. "And you found Ozan, good. The two of you can come with me." With that, he was off again.
The two thieves followed and they quickly came to Osman's office. The office was just off the main hall. The walls were lined with shelves, all full of scrolls. Arianna had expected it to be cluttered, what with all of the information that Osman had to keep track of, but the room was all organized and completely spotless. Osman took a seat behind the desk and set aside his papers.
"I am wholly convinced your aim has always been to rescue Prince Ali, and that you were only trying to steal the diamond in order to pay his ransom," he said, "but I caught you in the act. And that was just as well, for- if you recall- the first part of the ransom message says to 'follow the path of the sun'."
Ozan nodded. "And 'into the lion's mouth'. Yes, I remember it," he said.
"Forget that second part for the moment," Osman said, waving away Ozan's comment. "I have yet to find out what that alludes to. But what I do know is that 'the path of the sun' is somehow linked to the Kharid-ib…the REAL Kharid-ib."
"The 'real' Kharid-ib?" questioned Arianna. "Are you saying that the one on display is a fake?"
Ozan looked at him skeptically. "I've handled enough precious gemstones to know that was a real diamond."
Osman smirked. "True enough, what you got your hands on was a real diamond, but it is still not the real Kharid-ib. And if you had succeeded in stealing the fake, you would not have been able to find the prince."
"What do you mean?" Arianna asked.
"Come, let us walk and discuss this more," Osman said, standing. The three of them left the spymaster's office, and set off through the palace. "By getting you to follow the path of the sun, the kidnappers ensure that they are delivered the real diamond. There is no way to even find Prince Ali without taking the Kharid-ib, let alone rescue him."
"So give us the real diamond," Ozan said loudly enough to cause a few nearby servants to turn and look at the group, but he didn't care. "We'll go save him."
Osman gave Ozan a very serious look. When he spoke, it was in a very quiet, deadly tone. "I shall not dishonor myself or the Emir's memory by disobeying his last order."
The tension between the men mounted greatly until Arianna said, "Then why tell us all of this?"
Osman finally pulled his gaze from Ozan to look at her. "Because I understand how the two of you think," he said calming and continuing down the halls, "and I did not want you to attempt another theft…especially if all you ended up with was the fake."
"Is it that you don't want us to steal the diamond at all, or just not the wrong diamond?" Ozan asked Osman as they stopped just inside of the treasury.
Arianna glanced around the ornate room, noticing something. "Who put our rope to the roof back up?"
But neither man responded to her question.
"Is this how spies ask for help?" Ozan asked.
"I'm not asking you anything. I'm not telling you anything," Osman said, his tone very serious once more. "And I'm certainly not helping you to steal anything. Are we clear on that?"
"Yes," said Ozan, "about as clear as swamp tar."
"If the diamond is the statue wasn't the real Kharid-ib," said Arianna, "I don't suppose you can also not tell us where the real diamond is?"
Osman paused, pondering her question for a moment before replying. "What I can tell you is that by placing the heavy weight on the diamond display, you triggered an alarm, which is how I caught you two before. So, maybe you ought to just keep hold of it."
"Right…the heavy weight," she said, glancing at the nine pedestals around the Het statue. The ambassador jars had been set back into their places. She sighed as she knew they'd have to redo the process once more.
Ozan seemed to have something else concerning him. "And what would happen to someone if they were to steal this diamond?"
"Well, let's just say that your banishment was a lenient sentence. Whoever steals the diamond best not return to Al Kharid without it," said Osman, giving both of the thieves a look of complete seriousness.
Ozan nodded. "Right, of course. You're a crafty one, Osman," he said, "I'll give you that. I see how it is you became spymaster. You'd make for a great thief."
Osman nodded at the compliment. "Indeed. And you a great agent. Maybe once this is all done with, we can talk," he said. "But now, I shall lock this vault, and it shall not be opened again until the prince is safely returned. And remember: I was never here; this conversation did not happen. Good luck to you both." He gave them both one final nod, then pulled the doors of the vault closed. A key scraped into the lock, and it clicked. They were locked in.
Ozan sighed. "Well, no use hanging around here. We've got a prince to save."
I swear I haven't died. The holidays have just been so busy.
So, for the wait, you all get a new chapter with our dear Arianna. I'll also have you know that I'm trying to quickly finish a holiday story for you all (I know, I know, it's late, but I should be worth the wait), so keep an eye out on that. Until next time, cheers!