He reached up with a quick, fluid motion, pulling the dirty cloth blindfold down to his neck, revealing two sharp, vibrant purple eyes that burned with incredible intelligence and ancient magic.
"What is your name, little human?" the rabbit man asked, smiling at me.
"Silvester," I replied, tossing the three gold coins directly into his lap. "And I am in a hurry to get past those scaly guards at the gate."
The old rabbit man looked down at the three gold coins, then looked back up at me with a soft, quiet chuckle that made my hair stand on end.
"Silvester," he repeated, picking up the gold coins with unbelievable speed. "It has been hundred years since a kid saw through my trick. Come with me, little master. Let us show you how a blind beggar opens a gate in the empire."
The old rabbit man dusted off his dirty wool coat, shaking out small bits of loose straw and dirt. He chuckled softly, his long gray ears bouncing up and down while those sharp purple eyes stared right into mine.
"Tibbar," he said, slapping his broad chest with a proud look. "That is my name, little human. Master Tibbar to most, though the guards around here usually call me a nuisance."
"Well, Master Tibbar," I said, putting my hands in my coat pockets. "You said you know how to open a gate. We have a heavy wagon back there full of steel crates, and that long line of angry merchants is not moving anytime soon."
Tibbar grinned, showing off two prominent front teeth. He leaned closer and tapped his long furry nose with a claw.
"Opening gates is my specialty. You see, the young captain standing right at the front of that checkpoint, the one giving orders to all those scary crocodile beastmen, happens to be my very own son."
I raised an eyebrow. "Your son is an elite border officer?"
"An elite guard captain," Tibbar corrected me with a wink. "He got his mother’s tall frame and my brilliant brain. He works directly for the city council. A single word from me, and your wagon moves straight to the front of the line without anyone checking a single crate."
Just then, heavy footsteps crunched against the dirt behind us. Xavier had walked over from the wagon, his massive broadsword resting casually over his shoulder.
His sharp gray eyes looked down at the rabbit man with deep suspicion.
"Silvester," Xavier said in his low, gravelly voice. "Why are you talking to a dirty beggar? We are losing our spot in line."
"He is not a beggar, Xavier," I explained, gesturing toward Tibbar. "This is Tibbar. He says his son can get our wagon through the gate right now."
Xavier looked Tibbar up and down, taking in the old wool coat and the bright purple eyes. "Is that so? And what does this old rabbit want in return?"
Tibbar folded his arms inside his large sleeves and smiled wider. "Ah, the big man understands how the world works. Nothing in this life is free, especially not a fast pass into the greatest empire on the continent. Since I am feeling generous today, I will get your wagon past the guards for a small fee of fifty gold pieces."
Xavier nearly choked on his breath. "Fifty gold pieces? Are you insane, old rabbit? That is enough gold to buy ten full wagons of high grade wheat!"
"Fifty gold pieces is a bargain for a royal shortcut," Tibbar said calmly, turning his back to us and looking at his fingernails. "You can pay me, or you can stand in this hot sun for the next twelve hours with those scaly crocodile guards breathing down your necks. The choice is yours, big guy."
Xavier gritted his teeth, his hand moving near his sword handle. "I ought to toss you into the river."
I held up my hand to stop Xavier. I looked at Tibbar’s smug face, watching the way his ears twitched with confidence.
He thought he had us trapped because we were in a hurry. He thought he was the cleverest guy on the harbor street.
"Fifty gold is a lot of money," I said smoothly.
"Quality service costs gold, kid," Tibbar chuckled.
"You know, Tibbar," I murmured, stepping closer to him. "You were pretending to be a blind man earlier just to get copper coins from passing strangers."
"It was a very good trick," Tibbar boasted. "It works every time."
"I think your trick was missing one tiny detail," I whispered.
I focused my mind, tapping into the deep pool of mana inside my core. I activated my unique ’CLOSE’ magic, aiming the invisible thread of magic straight at the visual receptors in Tibbar’s head.
I did not use a physical key. I simply used my magic to clamp down on the tiny mana flow connecting his eyes to his brain.
Close.
It was a silent, clean lock.
In an instant, the bright purple light in Tibbar’s eyes faded into complete blackness.
Tibbar froze. His smug smile disappeared instantly. He stumbled backward, his hands flying up to his face as he began flailing his arms around in pure panic.
"W-wait!" Tibbar yelled, his voice suddenly rising an octave. "What happened? Where did the sun go? Why is everything completely dark!"
Xavier blinked in confusion, watching the rabbit man trip over his own wooden crate and crash onto the cobblestones. "What is wrong with him?"
"MY EYES!" Tibbar cried out, waving his dirty hands in the air, trying to grab onto anything he could feel. "I cannot see anything! I am actually blind! Oh gods, my purple eyes! My beautiful vision is gone!"
I crouched down right beside the panicking rabbit man, leaning close to his long gray ear.
"It must be terrible to lose your sight for real," I said in a calm, friendly tone. "I locked the mana channels in your eyes. As long as my lock stays on, you will never see a single ray of sunshine for the rest of your life."
That’s a lie. My Open and Close magic last only for several hours.
Tibbar stopped flailing. He turned his head toward my voice, his face pale with horror. "You did this? How did you do this without even touching me?"
"I am a locksmith," I replied, letting a cold smirk touch my lips. "I open things, and I close things. Right now, your eyes are locked tight."
"Unlock them!" Tibbar begged, grabbing my coat sleeve with trembling paws. "Unlock them right now, little master! I am too young and handsome to be blind!"
"I will unlock them," I said, leaning back. "Under one condition. You get us through that gate right now. Completely free of charge. Not a single copper coin."
Tibbar hesitated for two seconds, his long ears drooping in misery. "Not even five gold coins?"
I focused my mana again, making the dark lock inside his mind twist a tiny bit tighter.
"Okay! Okay! Free!" Tibbar screamed in terror. "Completely free! No gold! No copper! Just give me back my eyes!"
"Good deal," I said.
I released the mana thread.
Open.
The invisible lock snapped open. Instantly, the dark world vanished, and the bright morning sunlight rushed back into Tibbar’s purple eyes.
He blinked rapidly, gasping for air as he stared at his own paws, then looked at me like I was a tiny demon in a brown coat.
He rubbed his eyes frantically, letting out a long, shaky breath. "You are a terrifying child! A monster in a tiny coat."
"I am just a businessman who likes fair prices," I smiled, holding out my hand to help him up. "Now, do the work, Master Tibbar."
Tibbar dusted off his trousers, muttering curses under his breath as he turned toward the front of the gate line. "Follow me. And keep that evil magic away from my ears."
Xavier walked beside me, staring down at me with wide, bewildered eyes. "Silvester... what kind of magic was that?"
"Just a little trick I learned back in the house," I grinned. "Works great on greedy people."
Tibbar led us straight past the long line of hundreds of waiting merchants. People shouted insults at us as we cut in front, but Tibbar completely ignored them, holding his head high like a proud noble.
We stopped right at the front of the heavy iron gate. Standing there, surrounded by four massive, seven foot tall crocodile beastmen in dark steel armor, was a tall rabbit beastman officer.
He wore a crisp blue uniform with silver shoulder plates, and he held a wooden clipboard in his hand.
The rabbit officer looked up, saw Tibbar walking toward him, and let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"Dad," the rabbit officer groaned, rubbing his temples. "I told you a hundred times. Stop hanging around the entrance streets. You are embarrassing me in front of my unit."
"Hush, son!" Tibbar said loudly, waving his hand dismissively. "I am here on official business. These two gentlemen are my very close friends. They are important traders bringing high quality goods into the empire. I need you to stamp their entry passes right now."