MCSM Origins Book I: The Trade, the Gem, & the Storm - Part 1
Summary:
Several years later, Jesse and her best pal Reuben support their friend Petra in a trade with Ivor and Emerl - a wither skull in exchange for a diamond. However, the trio are conned when they receive an odd lapis necklace instead, and Jesse quickly learns that itâs no ordinary necklace either...
Previous Chapter: Here
Next Chapter: Coming SoonâŠ
A Few Years LaterâŠ
ââŠwhâŠwhat happenedâŠ? I can barely remember anythingâŠI canât see anything. Where am IâŠ? âŠI rememberâŠEmerlâŠI was stopping her from doingâŠsomethingâŠwe were in the NetherâŠshe was makingâŠsomethingâŠwe fought andâŠI was poofedâŠwhy did she poof meâŠwhy canât I reformâŠ? Somethingâs wrongâŠI can hear voicesâŠwhatâs going onâŠ?â
 âDark. Dark. Very dark in here.â
Two figures and a small pig snuck into an alleyway behind several brick buildings. One of the figures was a woman with long black hair with part of it dyed yellow, and dark green eyes. She wore a red and white t-shirt under light blue dungarees and brown boots.
Right by her side was a small pig with big eyes, a dark patch on his back and a black eye.
They were both following a woman with pale skin, long auburn hair and grey eyes. She wore a turquoise bandanna, a black vest, dark blue shirt, black shorts, and black boots. She also had a long black sleeve on her left arm, and a finger-less glove on her right hand.
âThatâs weird â they said the dark, creepy alley close to the gates, but theyâre not here.â Petra glanced around the alley with a confused expression, âMaybe theyâre late.â
âAre you sure THIS is the dark, creepy alley they meant?â Jesse asked. âHmm. I WAS.â Petra muttered before turning to face Jesse, âOkay, new plan. You stay here just in case this IS the spot they meant, and Iâll look around.â Jesse seemed a little hesitant but nodded, âOkay, Iâll hold down the fort.â
âThanks, Jesse.â Petra smiled as she turned to leave, âIâll be back before you know it. If they show up while Iâm gone, just stall for me.â
 Jesse watched as Petra left they alley. Something felt off about this ordeal, but she just pushed it to the back of her mind as her attention was grabbed by a small chest that sat in the corner of the alley. It was strange. It felt like something was drawing her to it; like something inside was calling out to her. She and Reuben slowly walked over to the chest and crouched down to open it when-
 *SHINK!*
 Jesse whipped around only to be met with the point of an emerald blade inches from her face. Jesse looked up from the blade at its wielder. A woman, who was silhouetted by the lights of the street outside the alley, stared daggers at Jesse with piercing yet tired emerald-green eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness of the alley. As Jesseâs eyes adjusted, she could make out short, side-swept, black hair with bright green tips and bangs that looked like it hadnât been brushed in a long time. She wore a black and green coat with frilled sleeves and an opening in the centre that revealed a shining emerald on her chest she wore trousers and gloves that matched her coat and dark green shoes. She seemed to be in her late 40âs.
The blade she held was an emerald sword with a golden hilt, its point aimed right at Jesse. âAt ease, Emerl.â A voice spoke from behind Emerl. Emerlâs eyes narrowed at Jesse in suspicion but complied, dismissing her sword and stepping to the side, allowing another figure to step forward. Ivor glared at Jesse and Reuben, âAnd just who are YOU?â Jesse just glanced between Ivor and Emerl in surprise for a moment. Emerl glared at Jesse as she growled, âHe asked you a question, kid.â
âThe nameâs Jesse.â Jesse replied, breaking out of her shocked stupor before glaring back at Ivor and Emerl, âWhatâs it to you?â
âIâm supposed to meet with Petra,â Ivor replied with a snarky tone, âNot whatever youâre supposed to be!â
âYou best give us one good reason not to walk out of here right now.â Emerl growled as her hand hovered over her gem which was glowing now, prepared to summon her sword, âOr you might not be walking out of here at all.â
Reuben let out a frightened squeal as he ducked behind Jesseâs leg. Jesse stood defensively in front of Reuben as she replied, âIâm with Petra.â
âOur deal is with her â not her partner.â Ivor replied, looking fed-up.
âSheâll be here. But we can get started without her.â
âDo you have the skull?â
Jesseâs tough act shattered as she glanced around nervously, âUhâŠwellâŠâ
âYou do or you donât.â Emerl snapped, her hand still hovering over her gem with her eyes trained on Jesse. âPetra has it â and sheâll be back any minute now!â Jesse confessed. âWell.â Ivor seemed to calm down a bit, âAs long as sheâs bringing itâŠI suppose it wouldnât kill us to wait a minute longer.â Emerl, still keeping her eyes on Jesse, removed her hand from her gem as the glow faded, leaning on the wall of the alley as Ivor folded his arms.Â
Everyone stood in awkward silence before Jesse broke the silence, glancing at Emerl, âSoâŠyouâre, uhâŠyouâre a Gem, right?â
Emerl raised an eyebrow, slightly suspicious, âYeah. Howâd you guess?â
âI have a friend â well, not really a friend, more like a rival â whoâs a Gem. Sheâs a rose quartz.â
âHmâŠnot many quartz Gems leave Kwartzil. She mustâve emerged hereâŠâ Emerl muttered, before addressing Jesse, âWell, Jesse, itâs nice to meet you. Iâm Emerl, an emerald. Iâm a bodyguard for-â
âIvor.â
Everyone turned to see Petra walking down the alley. âAh, here she is.â Ivor seemed a lot calmer seeing Petra arrive. âSorry Iâm late,â Petra began, âBut good things are worth waiting for. Iâve got what youâve asked for.â
âIF you have what you promised us.â Jesse added. âYou didnât say anything about an âusâ when we first met.â Ivor frowned, âAnd I donât like surprises.â
âIvor, if you donât mind me saying,â Emerl began, standing up straight from her leaning position as she kept her eyes on Jesse and Petra, âIf these are the kind of people Petra associates herself withâŠit might be in our best interest to call this little trade of ours off.â
âMy friend is fine, right, Jesse?â Petra interrupted, glancing at Jesse, âThereâs no problem here.â
âIâm cool if heâs cool.â Jesse replied. âProceed then.â Ivor took a step closer as Emerl kept an eye on everyone, making sure nobody tried anything funny. Petra handed over a wither skull to Ivor, who took it and closely inspected it. Emerl seemed content and took a step back. âIâll take that diamond now.â Petra spoke up. âTake it.â Ivor motioned with his head to the chest Jesse was inspecting prior, âYouâve earned it.â
Jesse, Petra and Reuben walked over to the chest and Petra opened it up, expecting to see a diamond. âUh, this isnât a diamondâŠâ Jesse called behind her. At the bottom of the chest was a round piece of lapis lazuli with a gold trim around it. It was encased in a silver ring with green runes carved into it with a chain emerging from the top. âNo, itâs lapis!â Petra growled as she glanced behind her, but Ivor and Emerl had disappeared. Jesse picked up the lapis and put it around her neck. âPretty stylish, though.â She thought to herself before getting to her feet, âLetâs go after them!â Petra, Jesse and Reuben took off running out of the alley, a determined and agitated look on Petraâs face, âIâm either getting that diamond, or Iâm getting my skull back-â
âOr youâll make them pay, right? Right?â Jesse piped up, almost looking eager to see Petra lay a smack down on Ivor and Emerl. âCome on!â Petra called behind her, dismissing Jesseâs question.
ââŠughâŠwhatâs going onâŠ?â
Jesse jumped at the sudden voice in her head, âHuh? Petra did you say something?â
âNo, why?â Petra glanced at Jesse with a confused stare. âUhâŠnothing. Itâs probably nothing.â Jesse replied, shaking it off as being tired from the building contest and saving Reuben. The three ran out into the streets where Endercon was taking place. âDo you see them anywhere?â Petra asked as they looked out over the sea of people. âWe lost them.â Jesse sighed. âThen weâll just have to find them again.â Petra replied, âGo!â Petra and Jesse split up, Reuben following Jesse a few feet behind as they darted off into the crowd. The two searched through the crowds of people by the stalls whenâŠ
âThere he is! Gabriel!! Gabriel!!!â
A crowd of people pushed past Jesse as Gabriel the Warrior walked by with two ushers who kept the crowd at bay.
ââŠGabriel..? HeâsâŠheâs here?â
Jesse jumped as she heard the voice again. She ducked behind the back of an empty stall as she called out, âHello? I heard your voice. Show yourself!â
âUghâŠnot so loud. My head still hurtsâŠâ The voice groaned. Jesseâs eyes widened as she watched a slightly transparent, blue figure appear in front of her. She had long hair that seemed dyed in some places, and freckles on her cheeks. She wore a short-sleeved shirt over a slightly longer-sleeved shirt with matching trousers. There was a sash around her waist that was tied at the front and wore shoes with matching gloves. The symbol of the Order of the Stone was on her shirt and on her chest was a stone similar to the lapis Jesse was wearing around her neck.
Lapis held her head in pain before groggily looking at Jesse. Here eyeâs widened a bit as she spotted the gem that Jesse wore around her neck. Her gaze kept switching between her own gem and Jesseâs before she eventually stopped and went, âHuhâŠwell this is weirdâŠdefinitely a first for meâŠâ
âUhâŠme tooâŠâ Jesse replied, still in shock. âOh good!â Lapis smiled, âItâs not just me then. Then again, itâd be pretty concerning if you had gone through this before, huh?â
âUh, yeahâŠâ Jesse shook her head as she snapped out of her surprised state, âSorry, but who are you?â
âOh right!â Lapis chuckled, âIâm Lapilisia Lazul, but you can call me Lapis. And that,â Lapis motioned to the gem around Jesseâs neck, âIs my gem youâre wearing. Now this is just a hunch â plus my memory is a bit off right now â but I think I was poofed, sealed inside that necklace, and now Iâm in your head because you put it on. Gem magic, am I right?â Lapis went to playfully elbow Jesse, but her elbow just phased right through her, causing Jesse to jump in surprise but Lapis just shrugged it off, âAnyhoo! Whatâs your name?â
âIâm Jesse.â Jesse replied, recovering from her shock. Jesse then noticed Reuben looking at her with a confused and concerned look. Lapis gasped excitedly, âOh. My. Stars! That is the cutest pig Iâve ever seen! Whatâs his name?â
âOh, thatâs my best friend Reuben.â Jesse replied before turning to Reuben, âBud, I know it looks like Iâm talking to air right now, but apparently this isnât an ordinary lapis Ivor and Emerl traded us.â
âIvor and EmerlâŠâ Lapis muttered as something seemed to click in her head, âYeahâŠyeah I think I rememberâŠâ
âWait, you know them?â Jesse turned back to face Lapis. âYeahâŠmy memory is really fuzzy right nowâŠbut I remember I used to work with themâŠbut I got into a fight with Emerl overâŠsomethingâŠwe were in the Nether and sheâŠyeah, thatâs right!â Lapisâs eyes went wide before she pouted angrily, âShe poofed me! She mustâve put me in that necklace. Of course, why didnât I think of that?! Sheâs an expert in Gem arcane! Ooh, when I get out of here, sheâs gonna get it! I dunno what âitâ is yet, but you can bet sheâs gonna get âitâ big time!â
âShe pretty eccentricâŠâ Jesse thought to herself before talking to Lapis, âWell, Ivor and Emerl promised to give my friend Petra a diamond for a wither skull but traded us your gemstone instead. Wanna help us find them?â
âWell, Iâm along for the ride anyway,â Lapis shrugged motioning to the necklace, âSo sure!â
âAlright! Letâs go find them and get that diamond! And maybe we can get Emerl to set you free.â
âWin-win! I love it! Letâs do this thing!â
 To Be ContinuedâŠ







