“I was wondering where all those soldiers came from” Elisayra asks passively as the party continued their travel down the stretch of well worn road towards the Crimson Harbor.

“There are a collection of farm towns closer to the northern bend of the coast back the way we came. They probably followed one of the northern roads down to meet us at that spot.” Annabelle explains

“Speaking of, there have been quite a number of injured soldiers, hasn't there?” Elisayra adds.

“There is something of a war taking place along several fronts in the kingdom of Getha.” Alex chimes in.

Casper figured she would know the most about the ongoing conflict given her noble station and relationships, so he listened intently to her words.

“Getha as a kingdom is rather large actually. One of the largest” Alex continues, “most of its major cities border the coastline that runs in a wide semicircular arc, almost like a crescent moon. Think of a cove, but much much much bigger. The kingdom's borders extend far to the west where it reaches the mountains, and then south to the golden plains, all the way to complete the arc to almost the western coast. Getha has most if not all of the most favorable coastline for trade with the other kingdoms across the sea, so plenty of the other nations in the much harsher climates that surround us want what we have”

“Makes sense to me” Casper noted passively. “From what my father told me its been this way for a while. With most of the bigger cities being coastal, and most of the farming being close to that due to the good weather it leaves our borders comparatively less occupied”

“Meaning we are prone to strategic strikes and land grabs” Alex finishes.

“Scary” Elisayra shivers slightly.

“I wouldn’t worry too much. The local lords spread all through the kingdoms have sizable armies” Alex tries to sooth the half elf.

“Not very good ones though” Casper adds

Alex scowls at him softly, and Casper finds himself turning away in slight embarrassment. He really shouldn’t be trying to pick a fight with her right now, especially with that happened hanging between them still.

“So” Annabelle starts, picking up on the tension and equally excited to cut it. “What's waiting for us in the Crimson Harbor exactly?”

Casper knew the question would come up, so he had been preparing a lie in order to justify the excursion. While his actions back in the previous city weren’t exactly subtle, the last thing he wanted to do was implicate his travel companions in his acts of high treason.

Of course, by merely traveling with him at all would put them in danger, he was more worried about interrogation. Were any one of them to be captured, coerced, blackmailed, or otherwise pressured in order to try and gain information about Caspers plan, they would have nothing to give. With this in mind Casper had prepared a series of lies to tell them.

Calling them lies wasn’t exactly correct. It was more like half truths. Enough of a truth to confirm it as believable, but enough of a lie to prevent Casper from being captured or stopped in his quest. He knew this was more than a little scummy, and manipulative, but killing the men responsible for his village being burned to the ground was worth the sacrifice of the traveling company he honestly didn’t want to begin with, even if he was turning out to enjoy himself.

“There is a man I need to speak to at the auction house, he has information I need in order to lead me down the right path. I plan on asking for him directly to see if he will give me an audience first. I plan on using all that coin we acquired as a bargaining chip. A pay off essentially to gain his trust and his attention. Once i have my information, ill inform the rest of you of the plan form there. Depending on where in the world his information takes me I mean” Casper explains.

“That's quite alot of money to be giving away for information” Annabelle gently protests.

“I won’t be giving all of it away of course. In fact I intend to use very little, it would mostly be to get his attention. Afterwards I can have Elisayra steal it back. I would never squander all of our hard earned money after all” Casper quickly clarifies as he looks at the worried expressions on his companions faces.

They collectively let out a sigh of relief at his clarification.

As the conversation comes to a close, Casper risks a look to Alex, and finds that familiar hole in his gut as she returns the glance with fear in her eyes.

He really should find a time to speak to her, but it was so difficult with everyone listening in. Perhaps he could find the time in the Crimson Harbor to clear up this horrible misunderstanding between them.

The days pass in a dreary cycle. The plains give little in the way of notable landmarks aside from the occasional distant homestead or collection of roadside businesses to act as natural rest stops. Casper explained early on that they don’t want anyone in an inn or tavern reporting seeing them, so as they made their approaches to these locations they took a wide detour around them to avoid being stopped as best as possible.

The Kingdom of Getha was massive, which made travel an absolute pain. Casper was already starting to get saddle sore, which only grew worse as the days went by. Luckily Nephinae could heal the discomfort and pain but only in a minor way, which involved her hands being placed in close proximity to everything below the belt which made it slightly awkward.

Casper of course could have made this journey himself in a fraction of the time using his abilities, but instead they needed to let the horses rest, to graze. They needed to hunt for food for themselves, wash in streams and take time to rest without travel due to everyone else’s exhaustion.

After two weeks of this, the sight of the Crimson Harbor along its strip of northern coastline was a sight for sore eyes.

The Crimson Harbor, despite its name, is anything but crimson. The plains drop down at a gradual angle for about a half mile before swooping down in a dramatic, almost cliff-like drop to the coast. Vibrant green grass gives way to a magnificent coastline of golden sands spotted strange trees unlike anything Casper had ever seen before. Tall trunks rise nearly 40 feet high, and then spread out in a huge networking canopy of thin branches creating a strange cloud like blanket over the sky, shielding the city's large buildings from the much warmer sun. tall walls made of natural stone surround the city of clustered buildings that seem to build upward in progressively smaller and smaller tiers. With wooden walkways spanning the distance between rooftop terraces framed with manicured hedges and ivy. While the city itself didn’t have the sheer cliff like verticality of Insmouth, it was steep and vertical in its cluster of buildings all the way down to the drop of the coast line, almost like a series of tiered platforms cresting the arc of the coast like seats looking down at the stage that was the sea, pock marked by the hundreds upon hundreds of actors that were the myriad sailing vessels on its blue waters.

Several larger buildings, visible from their position at the top of the hill, stood out even in the collection of what was easily thousands of unique structures. A massive colosseum stood tall over all of the surrounding buildings to the western most edge of the city's crest. Near the city's middle was a large tower, overlooking everything from so high above it seemed to threaten the clouds. A massive light shone from the very top of it, though it was barely visible in the mid morning sun. Finally, a glass domes building sat at the far eastern crest of the city, touching the coastline itself; several docks branched from its northern walls with massive ships at port along the edges. It appears a main road following the natural curve of the city connects these three landmarks, with other smaller roads branching out like veins from an artery.

The party pressed onward in awestruck silence at the sight of the place. They are led through the gates without issue, as it appears not many people are given a hard time before entering. It isn’t until they reach deeper into the city, does Casper realize how the Crimson Harbor got its name.

The first several city blocks are beautiful, with hanging gardens and clean roads. Festive music and delicious smelling foods. Moving from the outskirts deeper into the heart of the city however, the cleanliness turns into a backdrop to the scenes of horror. Closer to the coast line, entire strips of roadway and the surrounding buildings are dedicated to “red light districts” with brothels and whorehouses.

People are paraded around to be sold in auction houses. Strange animals, namely sea creatures Casper recalled hearing about in old stories are butchered and sold as novelty or delicacy. One such section of coastline near the colosseum, has several butcher shops set next to another slave market where the meats hanging are grotesque displays of demi-human butchery.

Elisayra manages to hold down her disgust at the sight, Alex however cannot, and several times has to pause to expel the food in her stomach. Annabelle in similar fashion to Elisayra doesn’t seem to be reduced to sickness, nor does her expression give any indication of displeasure. The only tell in her body is the passive tick of her right hand flexing hard as they pass any one of the several dozen children marketplaces.

Around nearly every corner is someone trying to buy or sell “meat”. The word gets thrown around in nearly every conversation regarding the many types of markets. Mean seems to have taken on as the catch-all term for anything involving people or humanoids within the Crimson Harbor.

One building reeks with the scent of incense and sex, a man standing outside trying to petition Casper to sell some of his companionship to the establishment for a good number of coin.

Another man operating a stall nearer a small section of road offers taste tests of the exotic meats of orcs and other sapient lower races.

Several time they are stopped along their path towards the nicer parts of the Crimson Coast to be asked to either buy or sell, each proposition somehow worse and more disgusting than the last

“How is any of this legal..and to do it all in broad daylight nonetheless…” Annabelle asks after they arrive in an inn far away from the coliseums area of influence, opting for a much nicer establishment nearer the eastern coastline.

“It isn’t, not by the Kingdoms laws” Alex says, visibly pale and sickly from the effort of vomiting along their route. “But the Duchess of the Crimson Harbor allows it, and the King turns a blind eye”

“Why?” Elisayra asks in place of Annabelle, as it looks like the casual response from Alex nearly sent her on a rampage.

“The trade of people in this way is incredibly profitable. It's the only city I know of so openly brazen about its practices. It draws the attention of all manner of people. The Crimson Harbor brings in so much money in fact that it is said it accounts for nearly %50 of the entire kingdom's funds every year.”

“It's more upsetting that there are so many people interested in this type of trade” Casper adds, having struggled to keep down his own lunch along the way at the sight of some of the markets.

“It is…” Alex confirms with a sigh.

The room the part now occupies is large. The innkeep had referred to it as a “penthouse”. Positioned at the very top of the 4 story complex, the room takes over the entire floor. A balcony along the northern wall overlooks a strip of coastline where some people swim in its clear waters, away from the other docks. Only a few blocks away is the larger landmark building that meets the waters edge, very likely the Crimson Harbors famous auction house.

The room has 4 beds, each one is substantially large, enough to easily fit two people. A bathtub is positioned against the north eastern corner with a temporary divider to offer privacy. There are other lounge seats and tables, wardrobes and desks in the space as well with still plenty of room to walk around without being cramped.

Casper was personally very reluctant to take such an aristocratic room, and for the price of 200 gold marks for one week's stay it cut into a sizable portion of their current holdings. It wasn’t until Annabelle had pointed out its incredibly optimal positioning that Casper relented on its purchase.

And Annabelle was correct. With its only balcony facing the coastline there was no possibility of intruders into their room, unlike many of the other inns in this area that had balconies but all positioned in ways that someone of modest athletic capabilities could jump to it with ease. Being at the top level of this particular inn had them elevated above the other surrounding buildings by a full story, with a clear view from the windows to their surroundings. It was positioned just off a main road, granting them easy access to pretty much anywhere they wanted. The logistics aside, Casper was also grateful for the small slice of luxury in what was ultimately a dusty, painful, ride through the countryside.

Better yet, Elisayra was in shock at being able to sleep in a place like this. Casper figured this was likely the single nicest establishment she had even set foot in, and that's nothing to say for the bed she would be sleeping in. Alex was even a little impressed, but more so she seemed thrilled that Nephinae would be able to sleep in a room such as this, which made Casper realize that Nephinae’s servant quarters in the estate back in Insmouth was likely much lesser of a quality than he realized, despite her position as Alex’s personal hainmaid. Annabelle too was very impressed, having quickly taken to grabbing the bed closest to the door and laying down on it as if it were a cloud.

His companions' happiness was well worth the extra cost, and that thought alone made Casper realize for a brief moment that maybe he enjoyed traveling with them more than he already thought.

“Alright…” Casper clapped his hands together and stretched a little “I've been sitting for weeks, so i'm going to spend some time walking around and see if there is anything we can do to pass the time that doesn’t involve buying or selling people” He rolls his eyes at his own comment. “Besides, I have some scouting to do, to see if i can't figure out how to get access to Duke Regalt, he should still be in the city, though we are here at the tail end of his stay so he might be harder to pin down”

“Would you like one of us to come with you?” Annabelle asks, sitting up slightly.

“No, its alright. I can move quicker alone and i'd rather not draw any attention to us if possible. You all get some rest. I’ll be back in a couple of hours” Casper says, as he sinches down his weapons close to his body and heads out the front door.

In this section of the Crimson Harbor, it isn’t nearly as directly offensive, however that just means whatever business does take place in the upper crest of the city is somehow worse that what was seen in its south western end. Casper shivered at the thought of what could possibly be worse than what he has seen so far.

The sun beat down on Casper as he wandered the streets, though wander isn’t really the best word. It was more accurate to say that he appeared to be wandering the streets, when in reality he was observing everything intent. After all, it was best to be careful in new places, and treat every new one as if it were hostile, or enemy territory, as if everyone was out to get you. While this was advice he held dear to him, he always felt it a little extreme, up until now.

As Casper worked his way through the various streets, eavesdropping on passing conversation from the balconies above him or from inside storefronts he realized this was the kind of place his father had warned about.

“There is a whole village of them! Listen it won't take much to round up a few men to raid the place, it's off nearly any map and a lot of em are young! They will fetch a fine price at the auction house” one man says to another as casper passes by.

“600 gold marks? For a thigh of half-elf meat? What are you, crazy? You know damn well you are charging more than double” a rather rotund woman barks at a butcher behind a counter.

“Think the Dutchess will make an appearance at the auction house tomorrow? I hear they are bringing in the biggest haul of the season” a man of noble stature muses from a balcony high above.

“Most assuredly, nearly everyone who’s anyone will be there I hear. They are charging 500 marks just to get a seat at the event to ensure the rabble doesn’t get in” another replies.

Casper continued to walk on, shifting course to the direction of the auction house at the most recent conversation.

It would be incredibly beneficial for both the Duchess of this place and Duke Regalt to be in one place. Of course the original plan he had concocted would be to locate their private estates and simply murder them in their own homes. However at the thought of his primary target, and the evil bitch responsible for this entire city being killed in the very auction house they perform their vile purchases of people would be poetic justice.

Casper took himself as a practical man, one who would do what needed to be doing even if it was hard. He didn’t take pleasure in killing other human beings but he didn’t particularly care either. That being said, despite Casper’s own minor displeasure in his emotions. He found the thought of making a show of these vile people's deaths rather entertaining.

First things first however, Casper thought, He needed to figure out how to get into the event. He could pay of course, which would be one option, or he could break in. He had broken into the castle in Insmouth but with so many high profile people of much higher station being present in one place it was safe to assume the security would be much much tighter.

He could attempt to sneak in through one of the vessels that was said to be delivering the new “batch”, but most of the men on those high vale ships would take careful inventory of their cargo and know the names and faces of their fellow crewmates, he wouldn’t be able to simply blend in.

As Casper made his way up from the auxiliary roads and up towards the main roadway, a flash of cloth from this corner of his eye caught his attention.

Almost on instinct alone he pressed his body to the nearest wall, to watch as a procession of armored men made their way down the strip of road. From his position in the alleyway, Casper watched as approximately two dozen soldiers clad in polished heavy armor, most on horseback, all draped in a banner of a broken star, made their way proudly down the road.

Flashes of memory scattered through Caspers mind in an instant, of the banner fragment clutched in the hands of his dead father. The bodies of his friends and family ran through on stakes like scarecrows of meat. What the fuck where they doing here? Casper cursed to himself as he found one of the soldiers began to look his way. The man must have felt Casper’s glare, so he turned his head and acted as though something else had caught his attention in the distance.

Casper was aware that knights of the Last Legion were under the direct control of Duke Regalt, Alex’s uncle had told casper as much before he killed the man. It wasn’t as if they were a personal guard; however, as far as Casper was aware the Last Legion was meant specifically to target and kill the bloodlines believed marked by the dark star, as he was. There was no reason for them to be walking down the main road like this…unless….

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Casper attention flicked to the auction house. It was unlikely, very unlikely, in fact it was so profoundly unlikely that the thought alone made him question his own sanity. Children marked by the dark star were ordered to death, without exception… but maybe, just maybe, this city that stands as a bastion of depravity underneath the king's nose for the sake of profit would make an exception?

Fuck any other plans, Casper needed to get into that auction house tomorrow, and he needed to see for himself if his unlikely theory could hold any water at all. As slim of a chance as it was, he needed to see if another marked person was up for sale.

Casper waited until the procession was out of sight before following at a considerable distance. Making his way through the arc of the city he found himself walking up the several dozen steps to the raised platform outside the massive Auction house. Incredible pillars support a canopy of stone and hanging gardens, acting as an open air antechamber to the building. Several windows with a number of recessed chambers house staff. Lines form to each of these windows, where the staff is offering tickets and information among a variety of other services. Three large double doors sit at the center, left and right side of the circular building, which would allow access inside the auction house though currently they sit closed.

A Number of drawings, like posters, take up large sections of wall on what looks almost like a job board, though instead it is a huge swath of advertisement depicting the newest items up for sale. The current display on the board shows what is being sold tomorrow.

Casper approaches and takes a good look at what's on the board. Large estate was being auctioned, built on an island by some eccentric noble from ages past, with the starting big being listed at 250,000 marks. A few other impressively wealthy items were being sold as well, such as a particularly large sailing vessel for 80,000 marks, a large portion of undeveloped acreage for 150,000 marks, and ancient magical artifact called “Godslayer” for 400,000 marks were the only items. The rest were people.

A painting showing a pair of Celestial twins of divine perfect beauty, with golden halo’s over olive skin, with golden hair and piercing blue eyes was being sold for 350,000 marks as the starting bid. An Archfey with a wild head of orange hair, tall elegant grace with a series of complex floral tattoos was being auctioned with a starting bid of 250,000 marks. A full Dragonkin was being offered as well with an image depicting her tanned skin and pure red hair with small scales gathered on her skin, and a full blooded red dragon painted behind her, being offered with a starting bid of 500,000 marks. The last painting was only a silhouette, also a female figure though with no distinct features in the black blob. It is only titled as “A one in a generation special offer” With a starting bid of 1,500,000 marks.

Casper sucked in a breath. That more or less confirmed it then, though it was still a slightl logical leap it made sense.

“Dreamin?” A man's voice spoke behind him.

Casper turned to examine the figure who had approached him to also examine the advertisements.

He was a tall man of skinny build, standing nearly a full head taller than Casper but easily only half the total weight. His vibrant clothes draped over him in silk strips. His neck and ears and hands adorned with golden accessories in a vapid display of profound wealth.

“I am” Casper says, a half truth. He was dreaming, but not of owning any of these slaves, instead he was dreaming of the kind of show he would put on for an audience of monsters when he decided to execute the noble caste of this city.

“Dreams are good to have, very good indeed” The skinny man mused, stroking at his long goatee.

Casper tried to gauge the disposition of this strange man. He was visibly wealthy and well to do, and likely actively considering purchases whereas Casper was just here to gather information. His disposition was friendly and he appeared eager for conversation. It wouldn’t hurt to be on this man's good side, better yet if he could become friendly, he might be able to get additional information about the cities going’s on. If this man was as wealthy as he appeared he would know more about the nobility.

“I take it you aren’t dreaming then?” Casper offered in a friendly tone, trying to prompt the man into the further conversation.

“Oh of course! Such incredible picks only come about every so often, 4 times a year the auction house offers the best of the best, I wouldn’t miss such an event for the world. Besides, with a unique mystery slave up for auction, I am painfully curious even just to see what could cost so much” the man chuckles.

“Im very interested too, though i don’t have the money to make any purchases this evening, im almost willing to pay the 500 marks just to see what the mystery is” Casper taps the art piece advertising the mystery slave.

“No purchases for yourself? A shame, though it is some of the most expensive items available for auction.” the man pauses for a moment “Say, if you got to choose…two items on this list, what would they be? Assuming money is no issue.”

“Me? Or if I had to choose for you?” Casper asked, silently proud that his conversational skills were good enough to bait the response. Casper figured a man dressed as expensive as he was, it would be very likely he enjoyed talking about wealth. This was less about Casper talking about what he wanted and more an excuse for this man to show off how much he could afford.

“Let's say both,” the man responded with a smile. “What would you choose for yourself, and what would you choose, were you me?”

“Well, for myself…” Casper looked at the board and considered. He could be truthful, but he figured the answer of the property and the sailing ship might paint him as too practical. It was clear that this man was one who enjoyed showing his wealth. He loved the attention his station got him or else he wouldn’t dress in such an expensive and distinct manner. Casper figured that he might be able to use this man, at the very least for information, for many, or any number of other things so it was probably best to play into something the man would find exciting.

“I'd pick the island, and the mystery slave.” Casper said.

“Oh? What a curious choice. Could you explain why you chose those things?”

“Well, the Island because I'd be able to host extravagant pirates there. Imagine the possibilities of all of your friends together on an island, away from any prying eyes. The kind of business you could get done in a place like that. No risk of spies or thin walls because you’re surrounded only by nature and water. I could find many uses for a place like that” Casper explained.

“Quite the pragmatic one, which makes me even more curious as to why would you purchase a mystery for such a high price” The man looked down to casper who returned the gaze with a half cocked smile

“Because if I get to choose anything at all, I want the risk of the mystery. I know what celestials and fey and dragon kin are, but for all of these incredible options to be available and still have one be a mystery? It must be incredibly special. I'd take that risk, besides. If I'm picking them to pick them I have nothing to lose really.”

“You are a curious one aren’t you?” The man half laughs. “I think I like you… now, what would you choose for me?”

“That depends, who exactly are you? Im new to the city, i have considered coming a few times but it was really this auction that drew my attention” Casper lied smoothly.

“Ah! Of course, forgive me for my presumption. My reputation on the seas outweighs my reputation beyond these walls” he explains. “I am Captain Dumont Cantero, merchant from across the Crimson Sea and proud owner of the Platinum Marchant Company” he says with a great deal of pride.

Casper frankly had no idea who that was, or what most of these words in that order meant. He had never heard of the Platinum Merchant Company, but he figured it would be best to blend in, so he did his best to feign being impressed.

“Forgive me for not recognizing you sooner!” Casper gasped, bowing deeply. “I had heard of your name and many profitable ventures but I didn’t know your face”

“It is no trouble young man, no trouble at all” He dismissed, waving a hand.

Casper lifted himself back up. “I truly am sorry, I should have known of you by demeanor alone”

“Please please, it's quite alright” Captain Dumont says again, clearly loving the display but not wanting to appear too shallow.

“For you then…” Casper had hoped that the Captain would better explain what it was he did exactly, but given the little information he could extrapolate slightly. “For you? I would pick the dragonkin, and the archfey” He explained.

Captain Dumont smiled widely at that. “Care to explain why?”

“As a captain as esteemed as yourself you would have no need for a ship, nor would you have a need for undeveloped land so far inland, or an island. I'm sure you already have come across many you could claim should you want them. And i'm sure you have no need for a sword, given you have no one to wield it or god worth slaying.” Casper explains smoothly, as if it was all already obvious. “A dragonkin would be an incredible boon on the sea. She is a red dragon so she would be capable of breathing fire, flying for incredibly long distances and more. She would be equal to an entire fleet of warships which means you would be able to do business in dangerous waters without fear of piracy, or paying for additional combat vessels to protect you. She could scout much further than any man in a crows nest could, it would be invaluable”

“Yes…yes you are quite right indeed, I had considered the same thing exactly. Now however I'm curious about your selection of the archfey, why would you choose that for myself?”

“It’s said that archfey are some of the few races who can still cast real magic from druidic circles. He could produce food and water, and repair the wood of a boat. Command the waters of the ocean, the animals of the sea and the very winds themselves. Paired with the dragon it would make you unmatched in any of the seas of the world” Casper explained. He actually had no real knowledge of the kind of magic an archfey possessed or was capable of. He simply lied based on what he thought made the most sense. Luckily for him Captain Dumont was equally ignorant of the magic of fey, and his smile widened even more.

“You know, I had considered purchasing the twins for…obvious reasons, but I had no idea that Fey were such capable beings. Powerful and immortal, yes but magic to that degree would be invaluable to me in my profession.” He admitted.

“I studied them for a time in my travels. Im something of a wandering collector” Casper again told a half truth. He was traveling but he wasn’t wandering. And he was a collector, though mostly of women and mostly against his own will.

“I must say young man, I'm impressed with your reasoning. You’re quite the intriguing conversationalist. Say. I'd enjoy picking your brain on more matters if you have time for idle chatter. I can make it worth your time. Would you like to have lunch with me?” the man asked, looking out beyond the stone canopy to the sun's position in the sky high above.

“Of course, I'd be a fool to decline the opportunity,” Casper said with a smile.

“Wonderful! Come now come now, let's fill our bellies and discuss” Captain Dumont waved his hand for Casper to follow.

The sun breaks through the canopy of vegetation in small strips of light. The strange trees acting as a barrier from the intensity of the sun, the heat and light itself reflects off the ocean and surrounding buildings to give the terrace more than enough light.

The smell of fresh meats and vegetables drift in the open air out to their table against the far side of the terrace balcony. Only a few individuals take up some of the surrounding seats, though all of them are dressed in expensive garments.

It appeared that Captain Dumont was a regular of this establishment. A Server notes the tall man's arrival and has already brought out an expensive vintage to begin pouring for the both of them.

“Your usual, milord?” the server asks, prompting a curt nod and smile from the Captain before he turns to casper. “Order whatever you'd like, please, money is no object” he hums the words.

“Thank you” Casper bowed, and looked over the small menu, trying to hide his disgust at the items written on it.

Casper was not a druid, casper was not spiritual but he did find an affinity with nature and the wilderness. Seeing the names of rare, nearly extinct animals next to the word “steak” or “ribs” made him a little uncomfortable. He recognized some of the names. Names of creatures his father held in reverence, and taught Casper never to hunt. The names of creatures that were supposed to be revered and respected, not consumed.

“Are you familiar with these creatures?” Captain Dumont asked, leaning forward to look at the menu slightly.

“I am… sorry i just never thought id be able to eat them” he admitted in another half truth.

Casper, incable of picking, instead randomly places his finger on a line and indicates to the server “This one”, without looking.

“An excellent choice milord” The server bowed, and backed away from the table.

“What is your usual?” Casper asks after the server leaves.

“Ah! My usual, it isn’t anything on the menu, they have a special reserve I enjoy only available in the Crimson Harbor. Of the very few locations who serve this delicacy, this establishment is the best. I'm sure you will see when it arrives,” Captain Dumont dismisses casually.

“I'm very curious,” Casper admits, though he can feel his stomach begin to sink.

“Speaking of curiosity, tell me, for a man of your conversational prowess and intellectual aptitude, I'm surprised you don’t have the funds to participate in the auction tomorrow. You said you were a traveler and a collector? Where do you travel and what do you collect?” Captain Dumont asks after finishing a mouthful of wine.

Casper wracked his brain to think of a lie that would be believable, without revealing too much or outing himself too much. “I am something of a wandering mercenary I suppose. I'm a proficient fighter. I move from town to town and city to city for work. I enjoy seeing the world as I'm sure you understand, and I love doing what I'm good at as I do it. If i can make coin along the way then even better”

“Mmmm i see i see, im familiar with the type, and i've met more than a few in my time. Though it's a rare profession. The roads are unsafe for only a single man. You must be quite proficient then” Captain DUmont guesses.

“I am, in fact i've killed three hunters in my travels, though i must admit I also do travel with a few other companions i have acquired. They are recovering from the journey however”

“Three hunters?!” He nearly shouts “Surely you jest good man”

“No, never. In fact I only ever tell the truth, it's quite the inconvenient affliction” Casper lies.

“Calling you proficient seems an insult, you must be a master in the art of the blade to achieve such a feat. perhaps then with three hunters under your belt i would know of your name?”

“No no, I am confident you are not. I do not give my name on my travels. I, unlike you, despite my love for adventure, do not like the attention it brings.” Casper laughs, hoping the slight jest wasn’t too offensive.

“I'm unsurprised, in that not many have my desire for attention” Captain Dumont admits with a coy smile. “Though to accept no fame? A shame I think” he trails off as the food arrives.

Caspers plate has a large steak set on it, with a collection of vegetables on the side. The steak itself is cooked to a perfect medium rare. The exterior is seared though it has a bluish hue to the edge. Perhaps not knowing what it was, and looking nondescript made it easier to consume the meat with careful bites.

After the third bite however, he found his appetite quickly escaped him as the Captain's dish arrived.

Set on a large silver platter with a domed cap, the cap is removed and the steam releases to reveal a sight that makes Casper almost instantly sick.

That torso of a small humanoid female sits on the platter. The skin is cooked golden brown with the limbs removed at the elbow and knee, no head is present and instead the body is stuffed with some filling Casper couldn’t place.

Perhaps being this man's friend wasn’t a good idea. Perhaps coming to a place like this was a bad idea. Perhaps this whole damn city was a bad fucking idea.

Casper quickly casts his eyes down, and tries to avoid looking at the torso, however unable to turn off his ears as the man cracks the bone to access its interior like breaking the shell of a crustacean.

“Have you ever tried harpy? They are to die for. It's the perfect mixture of turkey and venison. You’re welcome to a piece if you would like” Captain Dumont says casually.

Casper knew that lower races were not considered in the same regard as humans. Casper knew that lower races were more akin to animals than they were to anything else. It was hard to look at the harpy torso, and not see Elisayra. She was a half breed, a lesser race, would she be butchered like this and consumed without another thought?

Casper shook his head “I'll have to decline, I love this dish, and would hate for any of it to go to waste. Perhaps next time” Casper says cooly, trying his best to keep his emotions down.

He needs to get in good with this man, he needs leverage and information and anything he could squeeze from him.

“You said you wanted to pick my brain about some things?” Casper tried to turn the conversation elsewhere, however the turn of phrase only brought his attention back to the captain's dish.

“I did! Of course I can't discuss private details but I am dying to know your insights on a current matter I'm dealing with” Dumont explains between bites.

“If i can offer any worthwhile insights i will” Casper states casually, prompting the man to continue.

“Of course” he thinks for a minute before continuing. “I have two offers currently for extended contracts that I'm considering, both are very agreeable but in very different ways. I can only choose one I'm afraid, and I'm having difficulty coming to a decision. I need to pick one contract before the end of the day tomorrow you see.”

“Quite the predicament” Casper notes, trying to keep the meat down as he keeps looking at the harpy torso.

“Indeed! Quite! The proposals I have are thus, client A has offered me land and title within his lands, as well as additional ships on the condition that I work exclusively for him and only him. The land is no small slice, instead it could be considered an entire pie in and of itself. The fleet of ships will increase profits substantially and they are all well constructed, however if i work exclusively for this…parton… I will have little time for any other ventures. Client B has offered her hand in marriage as well as quite the dowry, a strange notion to be sure, as it is typically the man courting the women who would make such an offer. She is a rather impressive noble of high status and wishes to extend her sphere of influence further. It would be a marriage of convenience but not without its profound benefit to both of us. Being a noble in marriage brings many boons but in similar fashion my options for additional ventures become limited unfortunately. And as a lover of women I don't believe I'd enjoy the restrictions that come with marriage.

“Both of these seem to restrict you greatly, why consider them at all then if that's not what you would enjoy?”

“Because there are always ways to get out of such restrictions. Some just require more effort than others” Captain Dumont says slyly.

Caspers mind clicks into place. This man didn’t intend to honor any of these contracts fully then. He was asking for an opinion from someone practical, and in the Crimson Harbor, of course he was looking for a response like this then.

Casper needed to think carefully. He had decided that he didn’t like this man, and would be adding him to the list of people not making through the end of the year, however if he could manage to swing this man's decisions he could likely sow some seeds that will come into play later. As much as he had half the mind to gut this person and throw his corpse over the terrace, being able to rat him out to whichever noble he was speaking of would prove much more useful in the long run. Captain Dumont left out any information that might indicate who specifically he was talking about likely for that very reason. However, Dumont didn’t know that Alex would be able to quickly tell who these individuals were with only minimal information.

Casper took a moment to run through the possibilities. After all, this chance encounter could prove to be one of the luckiest breaks he had happened across since he started this journey. Settling on an answer he believed to cause the most long term damage to this man and afford himself the best possible reward when it came time to stab him in the back, casper readied his lies with as much confidence as he could manage.

“As we discussed only slightly when we talked hypotheticals, you have no real need for land” Casper starts. “While sure land would be beneficial, what use is it to a seasoned traveler such as yourself? A fleet of ships may be useful but those could be acquired through other means. Sure it might take a little longer if possible. A marriage proposal however is such a unique boon it's well worth considering. It may be more of a benefit than you can see right now. I'm not sure who this noble is of course but if it is a marriage of convenience and proffit for both parties involved then it would be assumed you would have concubines. Even those of love have lovers do they not?”

“They do…” Captain Dumont muses passively “so you are saying marriage is the best of the two options? While yes i could have concubines im not entirely sure i would enjoy being beholden to a woman you see”

“Ah, but you will not” Casper clarifies “the noble offering you land, and asking to only trade in his region is a man of greed, he wants you all to himself. Were you to break this contract he would feel deeply betrayed, he has the capacity to give you land and a fleet, that is a fleet he could send after you if you wrong him. The woman however, would be considered second to you wouldn’t she? Even if it is not in title or station, but she is offering you a dowry, she is proposing an alliance with you because you are stronger. This is a woman who wishes to expand. Expansion means profit. If you acquire this dragonkin too, imagine how much stronger you would be? While yes you are allied you are the stronger of the two parties. You can leverage that position over her to ensure you still get what you need. After all, she needs you, not the other way around, and that will give you much much more strength in negotiating later down the line” Casper finishes.

“I see… you know, I am profoundly grateful I got the chance to speak to you on this. I was considering taking the land to sell and later rid myself of the obligation once it overstayed its welcome but I see now that was short sighted. I hadn’t considered the extra power I would receive from the dragon in my arsenal, if I win the bid of course. But like you and the mystery, I can take on some risk.” he smiles wide.

“I'm glad i could help” Casper returns the smile, though pained.

“If we ever cross paths again, I owe you a reward for your time young man. This has been pleasantly insightful.” Captain Dumont raises his wine glass, and Casper rises his own to meet it with a clink.