The local merchant didn't seem too happy about what he was doing, but he couldn't even refuse. Too many things were locked in this deal. He was getting a fixed amount of money every year for what he did for the Nyxers. The thing about him was that he was a local spy for many kingdoms and not just Nyxers.
Ballard gritted his teeth. There was no point in arguing with the merchant. So he stayed in for the entire day and next day in the early morning, the merchant hid Ballard beneath all the vegetables in the wagon and took him inside the Orion palace. As soon as he was on the path towards the kitchen and the stores, Ballard clawed his way out of the vegetables and jumped out. Since it was early in the morning and the sun hadn't risen up yet, it was still dark. Taking advantage of the dark, he rushed out towards the gardens.
