The Purple Jade Palace: The Hummingbird's Plan

Prologue

The guard stood in the shadows of the eastern palace tower, hidden safely from the rays of the two moons that were dancing a brilliant path over the ocean towards the beach of Dalenia. When the wind blew in his direction, he could hear the waves cresting onto the shore and the soft scent of the flowers wafted from across the other side of the bay. The stars were plentiful, and off in the distance, far out to sea, lightning could be seen from a storm that would pass him straight by.

A sole figure climbed the stairs to the tower, the person's identity hidden by the cloak that obscured their body and face. Their steps were muffled, and it was intuition rather than sight that the guard became aware of their presence.

The guard turned towards his visitor. "It's a lovely evening to come to the tower," he said.

"Yes," the person replied, the cloak still over their shoulders. Their profile was now visible from under the hood, the whites of their eyes shining vibrantly in the night. "It is indeed. One of the best posts of the palace, actually."

"Agreed." The guard shifted on his feet and returned to looking out at the ocean.

"I heard that you might be interested in some information," the guard's visitor murmured.

The guard swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. He knew this individual. He knew their position. Oh, the stories they could tell him!

But they could also lead to mortal danger. "How do I know you're not setting me up?"

"I could ask you the same question," the hooded-figure replied. "How do I know you won't go straight to the Emperor and tell him I gave you this information?"

The guard didn't answer, contemplating their words.

"But I will let you know," they continued, "the information I have is quite significant."

"I'll give you fifty rouls for whatever you have," the guard replied quickly.

"Two hundred rouls," the person bargained.

The guard coughed in surprise. "Who do you think I am?" he scoffed. "I'm merely a guard."

"But you can sell my information for a much higher price, and since you know who I am, you know the kind of information I have access to."

The guard met the hooded-figure's gaze and rubbed his chin, greed twinkling in his eyes.

"Fine," he decided.

He dug into his pocket and pulled out several coins before stepping out into the light to count.

"Really did not expect you," he said, shaking his head as he held out four bronze coins in his palm.

The hooded-figure ignored his words. They stepped up into his space, and the guard stiffened, suddenly questioning their true motives. The person only leaned up to his ear and started to whisper words that made the guard's eyes grow wide and his heart pound. Once they were finished, they stepped back and pulled their hood down low covering their features.

"I trust you will let this information fall into the best hands," they stated.

Not waiting for a reply, the hooded figure turned away and headed for the stairs.

Stunned, the guard stood, breathing fast, alone once again at his post. He turned back to the scenery, but he was unable to take in the sights and sounds that surrounded him as his mind raced with the information he had just been told.