“So, we are here until the slaves show. Other than that, are we just meant to shop and sleep and eat until something happens?” Annabelle asks the party as she works on packing the last backpack full of travel supplies and adding it to the wall of recently bought loot. “I’m not even sure what to buy any more.”
“We still need to find a healer for the both of you, and Alex.” Casper notes, assessing the collection himself with a satisfied expression.
Over the last handful of days, the group had made an effort of shopping around for new gear, given the poor state everything else they owned had been in.
They weren’t just going out and buying the first thing they saw either. The policy was, in accordance with Casper's direct orders, “Buy once, buy right.” and the women around him had done excellent work of following that direction.
Annabelle had purchased a very nice set of hard leather armor. Light enough to offer a good deal of mobility without over encumbering the woman, as well as a new greatsword and a couple nice knives.
Elisayra purchased some incredibly fine light armor. Mostly right fitting quilted fabric with metal studs, keeping her quiet and stealthy while still giving her a little protection. She also got a number of knives. She still needs to get some of her more specialized tools of course. Not just any general store will sell lock picking sets and glass cutting tools, so acquiring those will have to be their own little adventure Casper figured.
Nephinae resupplied her cleaning items, as well as several dozen other things Casper couldn’t name, but figured they were important to her several dozen unique skills she possessed.
The nameless girl bought only a few things, which came as a shock to the others but not so much to Casper. Her shopping consisted almost entirely of cheap, disposable clothing in bulk, though she also purchased a few other secret items not even Casper knew about yet. He would have to ask her about it later, assuming it was mark related.
Laihal needed little other than what was standard for everyone else, and Casper had picked up everything he wanted other than a new sword.
It was a hard thing to do, find a new weapon after having spent most of his life using his fathers sword. He still had the dagger, but that wouldn’t be good enough for the larger threats they would likely end up having to face.
“Casper?” Annabelle asks, taking his wandering mind away from the thought of having to eventually wear a weapon that wasn’t made by his father on his hip.
“Hmm?”
“So what are we supposed to be doing now?” She asks again, having finished fully packing their travel bags with net tents, bedrolls, and numerous other supplies.
“Why don’t we take the day to split up. Just like we did back in Ostlen. See if we can’t get a few important things done and out of the way.”
Annabelle and Elisayra nod their agreement at that.
“I still need a weapon, and Elisayra needs her thieves' tools. So her and I can take to exploring the lower sections of town using her expertise to see if we can’t locate a local guild of sorts that would sell what we need. Along the way I will grab myself a good weapon to help her out.”
Elisayra smiles at that, and quickly begins to don the proper attire for the venture.
Alex, you would best know your way around higher society, see if you can’t go with Annabelle to try and find a healer who can help you and Elisayra. Money isn’t an object of course.”
Alex and Annabelle look at one another and nod their understanding.
“Lastly, lets have Laihal, Nephinae, and “Engee.”” Casper smirks at the name, getting an eye roll from the marked girl. “You three should explore town a bit more. We have spent alot of time up here in the more middle section, but we still know nearly nothing about the upper. Maybe travel with Alex for a time until she finds a healer, and then split off to see if we can gather more information. If anyone would know the most about when the slave boats are coming in, it would be the very bottom of society or the very top.”
Nephinae shows under understanding with a deep bow. Laihal closes her eyes and delivers a far more dramatic bow, making sure Casper receives a good eyeful of her prominent cleavage, and the nameless girl does much the same, getting a slight giggle from some of the others, given the lack of cleavage entirely.
Everyone disperses to grab their equipment for the day's adventure, and with a series of friendly goodbyes and good lucks, the respective groups begin to make their way throughout the city.
“Well then, master thief, looks like you’ll have to show me how to navigate the underworld.” Casper says with a smile as he and Elisayra work their way down to the lower city.
In Casper's own quick preparations, he made sure to change into his more ragged travel clothes that Nephinae had worked hard to repair into a somewhat passable state.
He was grateful the woman's efforts weren’t going to waste, given their recent purchases. The well worn, patchwork look did well to help him blend in as the colors of the middle spires gave way to grimy earth tones at its base.
“I’ll try my best.” Elisayra responds, letting out a slightly uncomfortable chuckle.
“Is something wrong?”
“No no, just I worry you might have too much faith in me. Just because I was a thief in one city doesn’t mean I know the ins and outs of thievery in another. I was never a part of any thieves guild.. We were just kids trying to survive is all.”
“I know, don’t worry. I am not under the assumption that all thieves know all other thieves, but you know how you would steal from a place. You know the locations people of little means might gather. You have the eye for it, and know the logic of people in that state. No one is better suited to deduce it than you. Once we find someone, we can talk to them and see what more we can gather.”
“I suppose you are right about that.” Elisayra considers, her eyes moving to drift over the shadows in small alleyways with a serious expression.
Casper lets the half elf work, doing his best to slouch his shoulders, ruffle his hair, and walk with confidently meandering steps to try his best to blend into the background.
Following Elisayra, he watched as she grunted slightly, and cut a sharp left down alongside a strip of residential buildings.
Casper leaned up against the wall for support, taking on the appearance of someone drunk to perhaps be disregarded even further.
Elisayra paused for a moment to look back at Casper, making sure he was still close behind before picking up pace a little, dodging and weaving through the crowds of people.
Casper struggled to keep pace, being much larger it was harder for him to navigate the spaces, though with his heightened senses he managed to maintain a visual on Elisayra, eventually catching up to her once more.
She was taking this damn seriously, he thought, which he liked. For as much as she audibly doubted herself she was really quite skilled.
Once he catches up again, Elisayra quickly signals for Casper to follow her into the next alleyway a few paces in front of them.
“Got something?” Casper asks, following her as she rounds the corner into the dark.
“Casper.”
“Yes?”
“Please, I mean no offense to you at all when I say this.” Elisayra starts, her eyes pleading as they catch his own. “You are, perhaps, maybe, possibly, very incredibly conspicuous.” She pauses at every word to try and dampen the force of the verbal blow.
“What?”
“You are scaring away everyone who looked promising… maybe, it would be a good idea if you stayed in this alleyway until I found someone?” She offers, trying her best to sound as apologetic as possible.
“Oh.. yea of course. Will do. I will let you work your magic.” Casper chuckles, embarrassed to have to be told off by her. Though this was important and he would rather not step on her toes than keep his pride.
“I'm so sorry! Just… okay, stay here, I will be right back!” Elisayra calls back in a whisper as she slinks out from the alleyway and back into the street, leaving Casper alone in the filth.
Casper watched her leave, his eyes tracking her movements until she vanished into the mess of travelers all around the city.
His attention drifted to his passive training of the clairvoyant properties of the mark, as he had been doing as much as his body allowed during his free moments.
He managed to channel it just in time too, as a flicker of the future that danced across his vision had him stepping several paces deeper into the alleyway just as a bucket of refuse was dumped from the above window into the place he was standing mere moments ago.
His head instantly throbbed with pain at the effort of using that ability.
“Shit…”
Casper pressed his thumb and forefinger together against the bridge of his nose in some desperate bit to relieve the sudden pressure. For all the mark was worth, it didn’t seem capable of repairing any pain or damage from the use of its own clairvoyant properties.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
He had been trying his best to work on what the nameless girl had taught him. Whenever he channeled the mark he tried his best to filter the energy in his mind, and not just accept the full torrent of power he felt flowing through him, which was more a practice in restraint than anything else.
The act of filtering the power alone wasn’t particularly difficult, it just required some slight attention. Like the difference between standing on both feet or balancing on just one. The greater problem came from actively denying himself that rush of strength when it tried to enter.
It was slow going, but he could already feel the difference. The effects of its use were still present of course, and he figured based on the nameless girl’s disposition they would always be around, but the power he used had felt cleaner. Well, aside from the clairvoyance, which still hurt like a hot iron rod being driven through his eye socket.
“You okay?”
Elisayra’s voice cut through the pain and brought his attention back to the present.
“Yea, sorry, there must be a lingering hangover.” He lies, putting on his most convincing smile.
“We have been drinking alot since coming here…”
“We have.” Casper confirms, chuckling. “I take it no luck?” he continues, ready to console the girl.
“Nope! I found someone, she said she could help us out but she needs us to do something for her first.” The half elf corrects proudly.
“That fast? You were gone for maybe a couple of minutes at most.”
“Well… she is a half elf like me, so… It was easy to convince her we could help one another. I hope you don’t mind.” She adds, almost apologetically.
“Of course I don’t mind. Did she say what she wanted?”
“Yes, she did. One of the merchants caught her the other day, and as a way to repay what was stolen they took a ring from her. A family heirloom. She wants it back but the man keeps it on him at all times, and there is only one door in and out of the shop so she can’t just sneak in unnoticed to take it back.”
“I see the problem. I'm sure you can handle it quickly. I will stay here until it's resolved, so long as you let her know I'm with you and we can both engage with whatever criminal network is here I'm sure it will be fine.” Casper says, picking a dry spot against the wall to lean against.
“Umm… if I had both of my hands working I would agree, but unfortunately I am just as useless as she is right now. I was hoping perhaps you could help in some way?”
“Me? I'm hardly a thief” Casper notes.
“No, but… well no one else is really willing to talk to me, or even notices me. This is the only lead we have right now. It's possible that it would take nearly all day to find another one. Besides… It would really mean a lot to me to help her. Not that it’s important to you in any way I know, but I thought perhaps I could do something for you in return? If you help me help her?” Elisayra asks, her feet working anxiously back and forth.
Casper's expression softens, as he realizes that once again there was a miscommunication between the two of them.
This time however, he wouldn’t give it an opportunity to escalate.
“Elisayra, I need you to listen to me.” Casper starts, lowering himself to be more at her level. “We are a team. You and me, the others, we are all in this together to help one another. You all help me, you all help one another, and I want to help you all too. So no you don’t need to, nor should you try and give me anything in return. I want to help you out, because I care about you and think of you as a friend and reliable companion.” He explains, making sure to watch her expression as the words settle in, to ensure she isn’t misconstruing any of them.
It takes a moment, but eventually she simply smiles and nods, and offers a soft “Thank you.”
“Of course. Now, let's see where this merchant is.” Casper smiles, standing back up to his full height.
Elisayra leads him through the streets, making sure to not move too dexterously as to avoid losing him in the chaos of it all.
Across patches of muddy cobble, through tight corridors that smell a rancid mix of food and refuse. Under the web of hanging clothes lines, Casper finds himself at the door of a rather strange shop entrance.
Tucked far away from the view of casual passers by, nearly hidden for the piles of the rotten wood and discarded goods.
No sign was present anywhere on the wooden door, nor was there any indication one used to exist on the peeling red paint that had long since flaked away.
“You sure this was the palace?” Casper asks, trying to get a sense for any occupants inside, though only hearing one.
“Yea, these were the directions she gave me.” The half elf confirms, positioning herself behind Casper.
“Very well then, let's see what we have gotten ourselves into.” Casper sighs, and opens the door.
The room beyond is a stark contrast to the tight corridor outside of it.
Much larger than expected, though not by much, the room is littered with a variety of trinkets both lining shelves and dangling like charms from the level above through a hole where the ceiling and floor used to separate the two. Dim lanterns cast long shadows along the nearly rotten wood paneled floor, and the smell of cheap herbal incense lingers like a fog over it all.
Behind a counter at the opposite end of the room, is a middle aged man dressed in a obnoxiously fake looking silk robe, perhaps one that once belonged to a theater troupe or traveling entertainer playing the role of a nobleman. Complimenting the robe, is a large pointed mage's hat, that rests limply on the table, not doing its job of covering the man's severely balding head pock marked with some manner of rash.
“Welcome, to my humble store-”
The man's shockingly high pitched voice is cut off by a loud string of coughs that produce small puffs of smoke with them.
It’s not long after he finishes his fit, that he takes a deep inhale from the end of a large metallic object attached to a tube, that bubbles with an almost liquid like smoke.
“My humble store of occult oddities and mind boggling magics.” he continues, his voice made deeper for the smoke that exits with his words, followed by another fit of coughs. “Let me know if you have any questions.”
Casper raises an eyebrow and looks over to Elisayra, who appears to be entirely enthralled with the collection of humanoid statues that line one of the shelves.
He can’t help but find himself a little curious as well by the strange nature of the place.
The charms that dangle from what used to be the second story look to be sacks of bones, herbs, and twine haphazardly thrown together with the vague illusion of magical inscriptions written on the outside.
Reaching up to grab at one, he stops as the man coughs again, though not as a response to the smoke.
“Please do not touch the charms, they are what keep the fiends at bay you see.” He says casually, almost dismissively.
“Do you often have a fiend problem?”
“No, not really.” The man confirms.
“I guess they are working then.” Casper reasons with a shrug.
“Right you are.” the man flips the page of a book he is reading.
Casper turns his attention back to Elisayra, who has begun looking at the rather colorful collection of gemstones in a barrel near the corner, obscured partially for a collection of dusty old tomes and polished wooden staffs.
“What do these do?” Elisayra asks in earnest.
“Those? Those are ahh… stones of power. They grant you strength, or good luck, or safe travels, I forget what does what. There should be ahhhh paper near the barrel there.” he waves a hand in the general direction.
There is in fact a paper with faded colors drawn onto it and mostly faded writing describing what each stone supposedly did.
Casper leaves the half elf to it as he makes his approach to the counter.
The man doesn’t bother to turn his attention from the tome as Casper stands at the counter. Casper tries his best to be patient, and lets the shop keep finish his page before interjecting, but stops himself as he turns the page and continues to read regardless.
“Excuse me”
“Yes?” the man asks, turning his head slightly, though he doesn’t actually take his eyes off the text of the book.
“I understand that you are in possession of a ring, belonging to a half elf female.” Casper starts, watching the man's expression.
“Mhm…”
“....”
“What about it?” The man asks, clearly disinterested.
“I'd like to buy it from you.” He tries first, remembering the server in the tap room the other night.
“Not for sale.” The man says coolly.
“I'm prepared to offer 50 gold ma-”
“Not - for - sale.” He says with more finality.
“Surely 100 g-”
“If you need help with your hearing, boy, you can find the elixirs in the drawer at the bottom of section D.” he points to the general area.
Casper takes a deep breath, and sets down 200 gold marks.
“Sir, really I-”
“I told you already, it isn’t for sale. You are welcome to browse anything else I have to offer, but the ring is not one such item.” He speaks with a hint of edge to his tone, this time taking his eyes from the page to look at Casper.
Casper runs his hands down his clean shaven face, and when he removes it he tries his best smile, and lowers his voice with the threat of violence.
“I tried to be nice and offer you money, but if you won't sell me the ring, then I will take the ring.” Casper opens his coat to display the dagger at his side.
He didn’t enjoy threatening people like this, especially people who likely didn’t deserve it. But he needed to secure this meeting with the underground for Elisayra so she could do what she did best, and if this man was going to make that difficult then he would most certainly go through him.
“Is that meant to be a threat? I suppose if you intend to tickle me to death…” The man chuckles and takes in a deep inhale of the smoke from his tube.
“Tickle you? Sir, please don’t make me…” Casper looks down at his dagger, to see that in place of the weapon, there instead sits a feather in the sheath.
“Did you find a gem you like, little lady?” the man asks, ignoring Casper entirely now and returning to his book.
“I really like the safe travels one! How much is it?” She asks from the other end of the store.
“Each is worth 5 gold marks.” The man returns the call as he flips the next page.
Casper works his jaw and takes in a deep breath, followed by an exhale.
“I don’t know what this ring is so important to you, but-” Casper begins again, only to once more be unceremoniously cut off, though not by anything the man says.
Casper's words die on his lips as he feels his mouth, lips and tongue go entirely numb in an instant.
His mark doesn’t indicate any danger, no poison running through his body, nothing.
“If I have to tell you one more time, that the ring isn’t for sale, you are going to make me a very, very angry man.” the shop keep says in a measured voice.
Casper, still trying to deduce the cause of his sudden inability to speak, finds himself bringing his hands to his face.
Ice runs through his blood as his heart skips more than a few beats, as his fingers rise to touch smooth, unbroken skin in the place where his mouth used to be.
Casper lunges forward over the counter to the man, not knowing what he intended to do when he reached him but knowing it wouldn’t be pretty.
The man, entirely disinterested, expression unchanged, eyes not leaving the book, takes another inhale of the smoke.
Casper lunges, and lunges and lunges. He feels as though he is moving closer, always just an inch or less away from the man, but no matter how many times he takes a step or reaches or claws his way closer the man remains forever untouchable.
His heart thunders in his chest, blood pumps in his ears, his lungs ache to breath through his mouth but instead it's forced through his nose as every part of him begins to scream danger.
The sound of Elisayra's footsteps from behind force his entire body into overdrive.
He needs to warn her, warn her about this man, grab her and run away, anything.
Ending his fruitless assault on the shop keep, he turns to face Elisayra, only for her to not return his look at all.
“Did you see where my friend went? He came in here with me.” Elisayra asks the man, who turns the page in his book and blows out the smoke.
“Must be around here somewhere.” He says casually.
She nods to that, and turns to leave.
Casper tries to reach out to her, only to find no matter how much he moves he can’t quite make the distance, forever just too far away.
Panic sets in then. His eyes wild, his heart racing.
Fighting didn’t work, he couldn’t run away, he was trapped.
“Now, I’m going to release you, and when I do, I don’t want to hear anything about that ring, understand?” The man asks.
Casper's body thrashes, he tries to channel the mark to rip through the floor or jump through the ceiling, anything to get away, but no matter what he tries, it fails.
“My you are quite the fighter.” The man yawns, turning another page. “Feel free to exhaust yourself. Or just nod your little head and agree not to talk about the ring any longer.”
Casper's logical mind fights for control over the animal brain screaming at him to continue to fight.
Whatever was happening here was beyond him, beyond anything he had ever seen or heard of before.
Forcing his mind and body to cooperate, he settles himself just long enough to nod his head.
He would agree to anything so long as he could escape this hell.
Casper found himself sucking in a deep breath of air from his mouth the moment feeling returned.
His entire body collapses to the ground, only to be propped up by his natural reflexes catching him on the counter.
The panic leaves his body, replaced with a mix of rage and confusion, made worse as the man finally takes his attention away from the book to lean over the counter and look at Casper on the ground.
“Now, is there anything else I can help you with?” the man asks with a raised eyebrow.