The wagon rattled over the wooden bridge, dust trailing behind them as they rolled into the border town of Greycross—a place where everyone had a bounty and no one asked why.
The streets buzzed with noise—blacksmiths hammering, merchants yelling prices, and bounty boards filled with wanted posters fluttering in the wind.
Rowan's name was on one of them.
Big letters. "1,000 Gold for the Outlaw of Bluefire."
Cass grinned, nudging him. "See? You're famous!"
Rowan pulled his hat lower. "Yeah. My favorite kind of fame."
They stopped at a worn-down shop tucked between an inn and a saloon. The sign above the door read "BRON'S TRADING CO." — half of it missing from a bullet hole.
Cass hopped off the wagon. "Home sweet chaos."
Inside, the smell of gunpowder and roasted coffee filled the air. Shelves lined with mana crystals, monster hides, and weird relics glowed dimly in the sunlight.
Behind the counter stood Bron, a broad, scarred man with a beard that looked older than the kingdom. One of his eyes was mechanical—powered by a faintly glowing crystal.
"Well, look what the sand dragged in," Bron rumbled, arms crossed. "Two idiots and a fox."
Lynx, perched on the counter, flicked her tail. "Careful, old man. I bite."
He chuckled. "That's why I like ya."
Rowan dropped the beast's crystal onto the table. The orange glow lit up the room.
"Howler Beast, huh?" Bron said, examining it. "Fire-type, stable quality. C-Class, I'd say."
Cass leaned on the counter. "And what's that worth to my favorite godfather?"
Bron smirked. "To my favorite headache? Eight hundred gold pieces. Maybe nine if you stop talking."
Cass grinned. "Make it nine-fifty and I'll sing you a song."
"Make it eight-fifty and I'll shoot you where you stand."
Rowan sighed. "We'll take the eight hundred."
Bron chuckled and tossed them a bag of gold coins. "Still the reasonable one, huh? You remind me of your father."
Rowan froze slightly but didn't answer.
Bron's mechanical eye dimmed a little. "He was a pain in my ass too… but a good man. Saved my life once."
Cass cleared his throat. "Anyway, before this turns into a funeral—what's the exchange rate on beast crystals these days?"
Bron nodded, setting out a chart on the table.
---
🐉 Beast Classification and Crystal Value
Rank Beast Type Example Crystal Value (Approx.)
F-Class Small critters / weaklings Dust Hares, Mana Frogs 20–50 gold
E-Class Wild mana-infused animals Fang Boars, Ember Lizards 100–300 gold
D-Class Minor corrupted beasts Ash Wolves, Venom Stalkers 400–700 gold
C-Class Regional threats Howler Beasts, Sand Wyrms 800–1,500 gold
B-Class Advanced, intelligent predators Ironbacks, Blight Raptors 2,000–4,000 gold
A-Class Mana-touched monstrosities Mana Drakes, Shadow Krakens 6,000–10,000 gold
S-Class Ancient or divine creatures Phoenixes, Void Serpents 15,000+ gold (or kingdom bounties)
---
Bron leaned back. "You boys are sittin' in the middle. Not rookies anymore—but not suicidally brave either."
Cass grinned. "We're working on that part."
Lynx rolled her eyes. "You're already halfway there."
Bron crossed his arms. "So, what's next? You planning to keep scraping crumbs from the desert, or finally do something stupid?"
Rowan looked at the wanted poster behind Bron's head—his father's old one, faded and torn.
"Cass," Rowan said quietly. "What if we went to the Capital?"
Cass blinked. "The Capital? As in—center of corruption, palace of lies, execution central?"
"Yeah," Rowan said. "If the Phoenix Family's behind this… that's where we'll find answers."
Lynx frowned. "You know what kind of heat you'll draw there."
Rowan holstered his gun. "Doesn't matter. I've run enough. Time to stop hiding."
Bron grinned faintly, his metallic eye glowing brighter. "You sound just like your father did before everything went to hell."
He tossed Rowan a small pendant made of faded steel. "Take this. You'll need it when you reach the Capital."
Rowan caught it. "What is it?"
Bron smirked. "A favor from an old ghost. Don't lose it."
Cass sighed dramatically. "Guess we're going to the Capital then. Can we at least get lunch first?"
Lynx stretched. "And a bath."
Rowan smiled slightly. "Fine. But tomorrow… we ride."
---
💰 Economy Notes
Gold Pieces – main currency used in all border towns and guilds.
Mana Crystals – traded for coin or forged into equipment; prices depend on purity, color, and rank.
Black Market Rate – Beast cores sell for double, but the Phoenix Family owns most of that trade.