“My father made it,” Sy Xen said, pointing at the contraption on his arm. As the words left his lips, he knew it had been the wrong thing to say. He felt the poisonous words leave him like an uttered curse.

Maurten sneered, his diamod jagged tooth gleaming in the dim room. “Really, now? Isn’t that something. I knew your old man was an inventor but…well this is just singular.”

He reached out to touch it, causing Sy Xen to recoil. “It’s not for sale.” The whirring sounds within the contraption grew louder at the spike of adrenaline, reading his intention to run. It’s golden clasps hugged Sy Xen’s forearm snuggly, the raised dais glowing an emrald green from the stone within.

Maurten became agitated. “Let’s not forget who owns who here. You work for me.” He took a step toward Sy Xen. “Your body count in this city is as long as one of the dusty old scrolls in this room. I can have you rotting in a cell for the rest of your life if I want. Give it to me.”

Sy Xen begrudgingly relented, undoing the clasps on the back. He gingerly pulled it free from his arm and handed it to his employer. Immediately, he felt the effects from not having it on.

With it, and upon activation, everything in a twenty foot radius sphere would appear frozen for a short while, like time stood still. Now, without it, he suddnely felt sluggish and exhausted.

Maurten put it on and activated it. A moment later, Sy Xen found his own finger up his nose without having moved.

“Well I’ll be damned, this is extraordinary!” Maurten took off the contraption and placed it on a rickety table. “Can your father make more of these?”

Sy Xen shook his head. “No. The stone inside…they fall from the sky so rarely.”

“Almost never,” Maurten replied with a sigh. “Is your father the only person who knows how to make them?”

“Yes,” Sy Xen said, wary of what his employer was getting at.

“Unfortunately, I have your next assignment and target. I’m going to need you to remove your father. Can’t let this ingenious little thing being talked about with anyone else.”

Sy Xen stood frozen in place. He’d said the wrong thing after all.