Filename:       TREASURE.TXT
Codes:          nosex
Author's name:  Kizul Emeraldfire
Contact author: http://tinyurl.com/contactkizul
Story title:    Treasure Seekers, chapter 1
Story part:     Part 1, Chapter 1

Story codes taken from
/~Uther_Pendragon/code/scfr.htm



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don't remove the author information or make any changes
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Thank you for your consideration.
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    This is the tale of two treasure-hunting sisters. The
older one, Jen, is nineteen years of age, and takes care of
her younger sister, Tanya, and together they search for
wondrous treasures and strange artifacts.
    Unfortunately, their life is not easy. Their mother
died when Jen was young while giving birth to Tanya, and
later, after Tanya was about seven years old, their father
disappeared.
    After waiting some weeks for him to come back, Jen
concluded that he would never return, and they were forced
to move into the nearby inn.
    They ended up having to steal sometimes in order to
make ends meet, barely having enough food to eat some days.
The sisters both were tired of stealing, and would have
much preferred not to. And so it was that Tanya came up
with the idea of treasure-hunting.
    Jen has looked after Tanya for eight-odd years since
the disappearance of their father. Though they do search
for treasure, the older of the two sisters also secretly
searches for some sign of their father, hoping that one day
they may reunite and be a family once more.
    
    On a particularly gloomy-looking day, Tanya and Jen
were in the market, selling the latest of their findings to
earn money for their rent, and running a few errands for
the innkeeper. As their stock gradually ran down, Jen
noticed a beggar who looked to be selling maps. He didn't
seem to be having much luck.
    When it was near the end of the day, she helped Tanya
pack up what little they hadn't sold, and told her that
she'd meet her back at the inn. Jen waited until her sister
was out of sight, then confronted the elderly beggar-man.
    "I've seen you around. You're selling maps?" Jen asked,
smiling lightly at the old man.
    "Indeed, miss!"
    "Tell me, what kind of maps?"
    "Treasure maps." The old man cast a rather doubtful
look at Jen, figuring she wouldn't buy any, either.
    "You may be in luck, old man, for I happen to be a
treasure-hunter. May I see some of these maps?" Jen asked
the man hopefully.
    The man's face brightened. "Certainly! Have a look at
this -- a map of the forest of Kahsii!" Jen took the map
from the old man, examining it closely.
    "This is a fake," she said, looking up from her
examination. "See here, the edges have been CUT to look
like they're ragged. They weren't torn."
    The elderly man peered at the map. "Well I'll be,
you're right... In that case, have a look at this -- a map
of the Sarkugan desert!" He thrust another piece of
parchment under Jen's nose, and she studied it for a few
minutes as well.
    "Also a fake -- this parchment is far too new for the
year written here to be right, you can tell by the feel of
it." She handed the map back to the beggar-man.
    "Yes, yes, I see it now -- how about this one, then --
a map of the entire flying island of Harus!" he handed her
a rather battered piece of old parchment, which she spent
several minutes studying.
    "Hm... I think this might just be a real -- wait a
minute... No, this is a fake as well, but very well-made --
if you flip it over, you can tell it's fake because the ink
doesn't leak through to the other side at all, not even in
the heaviest of ink blots." Once again, she handed the map
back, and was beginning to feel doubtful that the man had
any real maps to sell. "Do you have any real, genuine
treasure maps at all?"
    The man shifted uneasily. "Well, the truth is I only
have one REAL map... Hold on a moment." Jen watched as he
put down the pile of parchments, pulling a few out of his
tattered coat and adding them to the pile as well before
finally pulling out a very creased, wrinkled and torn sheaf
of parchment. She couldn't help but think it resembled
himself somewhat.
    "This is a map of the marshlands to the south; there is
supposedly some sort of temple or castle or something deep
in the center. If I were a few decades younger, I'd use
this map myself to find whatever's in there, but I'm far
too old now."
    Jen started to reach for the map that the man held, but
he pulled it close and huddled over it. "OH no, you don't
get to see this one until AFTER I see you have the money
for it. One hundred and fifty gold coins, take it or leave
it."
    She grumbled, but took out her gold-pouch, glaring a
little at the man. Jen supposed he had a reason to be
protective of the map, especially if it were a REAL map,
but it was still a rather high price to pay just to buy a
map. She opened the pouch wide so that he could see into
it. "This is one hundred and sixty-four -- will it do?"
    The ragged beggar-man leaned forward a bit, looking
into the pouch. "It will indeed. So -- a deal's a deal,
one-fifty gold for this map."
    Jen frowned. "Make it seventy-five and you've got a
deal, sir."
    He rolled his eyes. Hagglers -- there was no END to
them. "One-twenty-five."
    "Eighty-five."
    "One-fifteen."
    "Ninety."
    "One hundred."
    She grumbled again. "Deal." Jen grudgingly separated
sixty-four of the coins, slipping them into another pouch
and giving the old man the heavier one. "Now hand over this
map." She held out her other hand expectantly.
    "Very well then -- I believe you'll find it to be worth
the cost. Thank you for your business!" The beggar handed
her the map and walked away, waving to her as he left.
    Dusk had begun to give way to night as Jen went to one
of the street lamps and examined the tattered piece of
parchment in its orange-y glow, but she couldn't find any
of the usual signs of forgery. Presently, she suddenly
realized how much time had passed while she'd been talking
with the beggar-man. "I'd better get back to the inn --
Tanya must be wondering what's keeping me. I bet she'll be
surprised when I tell her I've found a real treasure map!"
    So, she hurried back to the inn, keeping to the main
roads and avoiding the alleys (for obvious reasons, of
course -- no sense losing a map not yet used!), wiping her
worn boots on the rather filthy mat in front of the door
before entering.
    
    A bit of a haze hung over everything inside. The inn
smelled of beer, smoke, and freshly-baked bread, and was as
merrily-active as ever. There were people eating, people
drinking, and people dancing, and some people were even
doing all three at once.
    Some of the regular drinkers were flirting with the
barmaids, some of whom looked rather exasperated, but were
putting up with it anyway.
    The piano player was doing quite a lively tune that
night, playing amazingly well for a man that, by the look
of things, had been drinking on-and-off for the past
several hours, swaying a little on the bench he sat upon.
    Tanya sat near the end of the bar, also being hit-on by
one of the drunks, anxiously waiting for her sister as she
sipped some of the beer that the man had insisted on buying
for her.
    His name was Edgar. He was middle-aged, a rather
heavy-set man, red-headed to boot with a bushy beard and
large moustache, and didn't seem to notice that Tanya, who
was at least thirty years younger than he, wasn't the least
bit interested in him.
    It wasn't until Jen suddenly ran up to Tanya and hugged
her sister that Edgar finally realized, if a little
incorrectly, that he wasn't very wanted.
    "I'm shorry, mish -- I didn' know you wuszh already
taken..." He cleared his throat and staggered off to
another seat, striking up a lively chat with one of the
other regulars.
    Tanya giggled as he left, hugging her sister in return.
"Thanks Jen."
    "Hey, what are big sisters for? Wasn't a problem." Jen
grinned and hopped onto the stool that Edgar had vacated,
ordering a beer for herself.
    "So what took you so long to get back, sis?" Tanya
asked, taking another sip of her drink. She'd never ordered
anything alcoholic before, because she didn't think she'd
really like it much, but the taste of beer was starting to
grow on her.
    "I found a map, a real treasure map this time!" Jen's
smile widened further as she pulled out the map, sliding it
towards Tanya as the bartender handed her a stein filled
with frothy drink.
    "The marshlands... But I thought the temple there was
just s'posed to be some old myth!"
    "So'd I, but the guy who sold it to me was far too
protective of it for it NOT to be a real map. I checked it
out, too -- I can't find any trace of forgery anyplace on
it."
    "How much did you pay for it?"
    "Ahh..." Jen looked away and took a large gulp of her
beer as she scanned the crowd of people on the floor
through the smoky haze.
    "How much?" Tanya asked again, a little bit of
irksomeness in her tone. Jen sighed and turned back to her
sister.
    "A hundred gold pieces, but he said we'd find it worth
the price."
    "One hundred-! That's almost enough to pay rent for two
months!"
    "But what if this map IS REAL, sis? We'd be able to
have enough to live on for YEARS -- think about it. We
could even move out of this inn!" `We might even be able to
find father,' she mentally added.
    Tanya took another sip of beer, a bit larger this time
-- she was starting rather to like the taste. "Alright,
s'posing this map IS the real deal -- how do we get there
and back ALIVE? There're monsters out there, Jen -- we
don't have the money to pay rent AND hire people to defend
us."
    "I've already studied the map; it shows a safe route
through the marshlands, free of monsters -- we'll be able
to get to the temple easily!"
    Tanya considered for a moment. "But what about INSIDE
it? There might be monsters IN it, or at least booby-traps
or something."
    It was Jen's turn to think. As she did so, the piano
player finally toppled over, snoring rather loudly upon the
keys. Someone volunteered to play, but was shot down by
another man who knew him, saying that he only knew one song
and could play naught but it.
    Finally, she answered. "I suppose you're right about
the inside -- how do we know what's in it, other than
treasure?"
    "Well... If the route is as safe as you say, we MIGHT
be able to survive INside, as long as there's only traps
and treasure, and no monsters."
    "Yeah, after all -- we have our wits, our courage, and
our intelligence!" The two sisters toasted each other,
accidentally slopping some beer onto the countertop.
    "So we're going?"
    "Definitely! But first, has the rent been paid?"
    "Yeah, I paid for this month and next as soon as I came
back."
    "Good, good -- how much gold do you have left?"
    "Forty-one pieces."
    "Hmm... I hope a hundred and five is enough for the
supplies we'll need for the journey."
    "Should be -- I'm great at finding good deals!"
    Jen chuckled and finished her beer, just swallowing the
last bit as a fight broke out on the floor. "Let's get some
rest first, then we'll get the supplies in the morning."
She hopped off her stool and picked up the map, slipping it
back into her pocket as she held out her hand. "Whaddaya
say, Tanya?"
    Tanya had also decided to finish all of her beer, but
unfortunately, there had been quite a bit more in her stein
than in her sister's, and she wasn't nearly as used to
alcohol as Jen. She suddenly found herself quite tipsy.
    "Soundszh good t'me, sis!" She hopped off her stool as
well, but found herself unable to stand as steadily as
normal. "Whoa, the room'szh spinnin'! Make it stop!" Tanya
flailed to keep her balance, but fell over towards her
sister who caught her as she fell.
    "On second thought, we'll get the supplies in the
afternoon -- you need to sleep this off." Jen giggled.
"Come on, I'll help you up the stairs."
    The two sisters made for the stairs, the younger
leaning on the older as though Jen were a crutch, and
walked as well as they could up the stairs together.
Turning right, they entered the third room on the left,
which was their own. Once inside, she helped her sister
walk to the large bed.
    As Tanya released her grip on Jen, her hand slid
downward, giving a playful squeeze as it brushed against
her sister's bottom, causing Jen to yelp.
    "Tanya!"
    "Sorry, sis, my hand mus've slipped." Tanya scratched
the back of her head embarrassedly.
    Jen giggled. "Come on, sis -- you're drunk, and we need
to get stuff tomorrow if we're gonna follow the map." She
walked to the dresser by the side of the bed and pulled out
a pair of nightgowns. "And, since I'm getting an early
start tomorrow -- we should go to bed," Jen said as she
tossed one of the nightgowns to Tanya.
    They both undressed, piling their day-clothing into an
unceremonious heap on the floor at the foot of the bed. Jen
was just starting to slip her nightgown on when she noticed
her sister was staring at her again, and paused.
    Tanya had been doing this on and off for the past few
weeks, but had always tried to hide that she was staring.
Tonight, however, she was openly ogling her sister, both of
them in their underwear.
    The younger sibling blushed and turned away as Jen
looked at her, and fumbled with putting her nightgown on.
Jen gave a small smile and shook her head as she pulled her
nightgown on.
    After getting dressed in their nightclothes, they
climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to their necks as
they laid down to sleep.
    Tanya fell asleep almost instantly, breathing a little
loudly as she slept. Jen pulled out the map again,
examining it one last time before folding it up and tucking
it into her bosom again, turning down the oil lamp and
smiling at her peacefully-sleeping sister as she, too,
nodded off.



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This story was written as an adult fantasy. The author
does not condone the described behavior in real life.

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