The Copper Trade

by **Sti Pascallion** on February 4th, 2012, 1:09 am

Sti stood looking at the temple, rough and disturbed. The temples gates where closed and it seemed recently closed. The fine dust that would gather in front of the door wasn't there, and the plant life looked like it had bin removed from the path and some of the walls looked newly built. All in all this place didn't look haunted or abandoned, rather old. Sti looked over to the nearest window and moved to it, each pace moving to dodge prickly an unwanted common weeds. Once he reached the window he peered inside, the temple was large inside long halls that stretched down the entire length of the building. At the end of the long hall where an alter to some god would be there were wooden crates stacked neatly. After seeing the crates Sti's eyes adjusted to the light of the room and saw more crates lining some of the walls. Inside he also saw a little bit of move men't, the movement was small and turned into a larger shape. As he stared at the shape it moved to a rack and picked up a long pole, the shape hurled it at the window. Sti moved just in the nick of time to move away from a pronged spear, men't for hunting large animals. The spear berried itself in the dirt 3ft from Calvin, who was standing also inspecting the temple. "Looks as if I might be right, but they have a little problem with the rats in there and i guess it ours now." He spoke in a more sarcastic tone, while he moved to pear through the window again. This time not a full view.

by **Calvin Freeman** on February 4th, 2012, 4:21 am

The temple (if you could call it that it was really just an entrance embedded into a mountain) was basic it started with an entrance hall in the first portion but was then separated into an upper and lower floor. Calvin could tell that is was not very old, definitely post-Valterian. Yet there was still an Erie feeling around through Sti and Calvin. The temple’s face was also very simple 6 separate windows across the front with a entrance in the middle of them. Sti snuck up to the windows while Calvin merely observed his companion. What did Sti think was in here? Calvin himself walked up to one of the side windows he saw that the place was filled with chests with leather straps. These chests were used in transport of good. on the way over Calvin inspected the ground to find that the path was well traveled. He wondered why the temple was so quiet he then saw that the cobble stone that created the temple was very thick and concluded that it was suppressing sounds.

“Well will you look here Sti they have seemed to drop us off a little present.” Calvin spoke with calm and understanding tone. He crouched inspected the hunting spear. He struggled to identify and eventually gave up knowing it was useless. He got back up and walked to a rock that was on the side trail. He sat down, picked up a near by stick, laied down his pack and began to draw in the dirt. “I forgot to tell you, friend, I’m useless in a fight” Suddenly a crow flew out of the temple window nearly taking out Sti. He moved his stance back and observed the crow. “That’s Jasper take care of him will you” Calvin’s voice was stern and commanding completed with a glare at Sti. As the boy and the crow fought Calvin watched observing the crows movements.

When Sti defended the crow responded with a barrage of attacks hitting him over and over again. When Sti went for his arrows the crow dive bombed him and attacked his reaching hand.
Then as Sti attacked the crow just ran. Interesting “Keep fighting Sti your doing well.”

Calvin pulled out his bag of sucrose. He moved to the door of the temple with his stick and then began to drag it as he walked in a circle. Still observing the fight.

Sti attempted to again draw his bow, but in doing so a silence rose. Calvin’s awareness sparked. The two men searched around the temple, something was wrong. Calvin then felt the need to rush he ran into the temple and poured some sucrose at each window. “Keep your eye out for him Sti I‘m almost ready.” Sti watched the edges of the sky. Calvin noticed this weakness but his warning came to late. A man dressed in a black cloak and leather clothes tackled Sti wrestling him to the ground, but not before Sti shot his arrow straight up into the air.

Calvin watched the arrow rise up into the air Crap, arrow in a field. Calvin ran to his sitting rock put the sucrose in the pack and started the alchemy reactions. His first reaction resulted in a jar full of potassium nitrate solution. He then took the jar and ran for the door. Sti was still fighting with Jasper but managed to get lose. “Come on kid!’ This was the first time you could sense a concern in Calvin’s voice. As Sti rolled into the temple Calvin knelt and started his last alchemy circle resulting in a stone wall replacing the entrance he then moved to each window puring the solution creating a cloud of smoke in the windows exiting out. “Now sti hide” Once again there was a sense of concern in Calvin's voice but this was quickly replaced by the silence of the temples entrance as the two men hid waiting for Jasper.

by **Sti Pascallion** on February 4th, 2012, 5:59 am

Calvin spoke with such reassurance, the spear merely hit Sti and Calvin already making jokes. Sti watch as Calvin inspected the spear, then gave up and went to doing something ells. Sti looked through the window again and saw another large mass coming at him again, he jolted back hoping the next projectile wouldn't hit him. But rather then sending another spear a large Crow smashed through the rest of the window, where a large piece of glass slice Sti's shoulder reducing his reaction speed. He soon realized the Crow was coming after him, in an instant the Crow came at his injured are, Sti could only deflect the Crow. Sti reached for his arrow and again the Crow raced at his and bit his hand away and scratched his wrist, Sti smacked it away and finally got his bow out and used it to whack the Crow out of his face again.

The Crow disappeared into the wind and Sti could only look up, or at Calvin who was spreading his random alchemy oddness. He knotted an arrow and waited for the next sight of the Crow. Only to be ambushed by some random man in a nice looking coat. He took Sti down and they wrestled for 10 seconds before Sti who had the Superior flexibility and the arm and back strength to through him of.

The man wasn't there for long, he got one more good hit on Sti and vanished from Sti's sight. Sti didn't understand, the man had been standing right there right in front of him and now gone. He looked at Calvin who was sprinting now in a panic to pour his solution all over the windows. Calvin the screamed for his to hide but Sti was a little upset to not finish the battle, but he hopped through the window and watched as Calvin came through still pouring his oddness all over the window creating his smoke.

The inside of the temple look was darker then Sti had anticipated and it seemed as if the temple itself was trying to get you. Calvin tolled Sti to hide but still Sti didn't really see the point in it but he did as he was tolled and got behind a crate, knotting another arrow. Calvin ran to a crate himself waiting for the Man-Crow to show itself.

The slight noise of movement was right behind Sti as he felt he was being watched, a very paranoid feeling. Sti turned around just in time to see a large man with an ax in his hand lunging recklessly at Sti, yet this man was not the same one who wrestled Sti but Sti could tell he recognized him. The sudden realization stuck him as the ax slammed into the crate just above Sti's head, luckily whatever was in the crate stopped the ax from advancing into Sti's head. Sti moved and recalled the man from the tavern. Sti kicked the man but it really didn't have any really afect on on the bulky legs and a little over weight body. Sti swung around the man and kicked him in the back of the nee forcing the man to slam painfully onto his nee.

Sti moved quickly then turned the see the man was still having a bit of trouble getting his ax out of the crate, Sti moved his bow up started to draw while he inhaled then exhaled and released after the cord reached his mouth. The arrow lightly hit the man but only in the arm, giving him enough time to look over and see Calvin dealing with the Crow or losing against it. He drew another arrow and knotted it to shoot at the Crow but luck wasn't on Sti's side and the man was pack with his ax in hand and charging Sti. Sti shot quickly but didn't inhale while he shot and it forced a two foot miss, luckily not in Calvin's direction. The man getting closer to Sti had to dealt with before Sti was smashed by the huge ax. The man with his swinging arm was slower do to where the arrow imbedded itself.

The ax came up and smashed harmlessly down, Sti anticipated the swing and moved quickly. Sti knotted an arrow and moved fare enough back to where the reach of the ax couldn't get him and inhaled while he draw, then exhale and fire. The arrow was one of Sti's better shots and it pierced into the mans chest.

The man fell slowly and smashed into the ground with his face after his knee’s bucked. The man lie still, he was dead and there was one more to deal with. Luck was finally on his side as Calvin was fine and the Crow lay still on the flour, whatever Calvin did it must have worked.

by **Calvin Freeman** on February 4th, 2012, 3:53 pm

Calvin watched from behind the crate as the smoke flowed out the window sills of the temple. Their was a loud crash nearby Sti, but Calvin was to focused to worry. As he knelt behind the box he pulled a piece of chalk and began to draw a reaction circle on the floor of the temple. He had the plan thoroughly thought out in his head all he needed was that crow to come flying through the window. The smoke was begging to ware off when a stroke of luck broke out and the crow pierced the cloud of smoke. The smoke made jasper delirious and he flew straight at Calvin. Calvin managed to catch the bird and pin him to the alchemy circle, It was cruel but it needed to be done.

Calvin reacted the alchemy resulting in a stone pillar thrusting the crow into the ceiling crushing it Calvin then reversed the reaction to make sure of the death. The crow lay on it back. Calvin examined its body. Ribs broken, beak bent, eyes protruding, lower left leg removed, and it appeared it had defecated it’s self. The bird was definitely deceased. Calvin stood to see Sti had a bit of his own trouble. Jitts, on the wall blood dripping down over his head had an arrow through his chest. Calvin dashed over the crates to observe the supposed diseased. The arrow had punctured his rib cage and gone through his lungs but hadn’t gone all the way through not a killing blow. Calvin drew his knife, although these people were criminals they did not deserve to suffer like this. Calvin felt ashamed of how he killed jasper but put it aside knowing that it must have been done. Calvin placed the point of his knife on the chest of Jitts. Calvin, despising religion knew that he was in no place to give these men their final rights, but he could end his suffering. He closed his eyes and plunged his dagger through the Isur’s heart. He wrapped his hand on the back of Jitt’s chest. He knew that it had to be done still he sat their for a moment in silence, perhaps thinking of what his parents would do. When Calvin did move he laied Jitt’s on his back and crossed his arms on to his chest, withdrawing his knife.

As Calvin rose his expression grew tense and stern. He moved back to jasper who was still there in the center of the alchemy circle that caused his death. Calvin knew that Jasper was dead, but still thought he deserved a rightful death. He placed his hands on the alchemy circle and then leaned in close to breath his warm breath in one of the reaction circles. As he preformed this reaction he really analyzed what he was doing. Amplifying the heat from the breath, he was heating this body until it resulted in combustion. A blue hue wrapped around Calvin until it resulted in the combustion of the crow.

As Calvin stood he didn’t turn to face Sti but spoke to him still, “He was Raul’s slave he deserved to be free.” Calvin’s voice was still stern, monotone, and emotionless. “Go up stairs and keep watch, Archer!!!” Now Calvin was filled with demand and anger. “I fear that Raul wasn’t working alone. I must figure out what to do with what ever is in these crates.”

by **Sti Pascallion** on February 4th, 2012, 6:35 pm

Sti reclaimed his arrow from the fallen man and placed it back into his quiver, then moved to the stares across the hall. He made his way up the stare where he could get a better vantage point on the hole area surrounding the temple. He moved up the stares to a wretched little door and opened it. Inside the there was more small crates but one of them was opened, Sti moved to pier inside the crate but it had been emptied already of the loot. Sti closed the crate and pushed it to the next window he saw, which happened to already be broken. He lay the crate on its side so the because the length was larger then the width and would give him more cover.

Sti looked out the window and that the day was almost over, and when night came along that would be the best time to grab the rest of the crates and leave. Sti studied and group of what looked like merchants from the market, each one was wheeling the same style crate that was in the temple and each one had a nice looking saber or short sword with them. As they neared the temple Sti knotted an arrow, then he re-quiver the arrow and decided they had enough time to hide the bodies and hide and just wait for the merchants to just pack up their boxes and leave.

Sti dashed back down the stares and made it to Calvin who was doing other important things. "Lets move these body's and hide, the merchants are coming and i don't want another little fight on our hand." Sti spoke in an steady and unworried voice because if it came down to the end result he new he could get away, with or without Calvin.

by **Calvin Freeman** on February 4th, 2012, 9:57 pm

Calvin waited until Sti left. He just continued to stand looking into the flames that were now consuming Jasper. Two have already died now and Calvin was not about to leave this temple empty handed. He went over to a chest kneeling to examine it. There were no locks, just two leather straps over the trunk of the chest. It was rectangle, made of wood, it didn’t have any seal depicting where it was from. Calvin cut the two leather straps and opened the trunk to reveal a load of copper bars. He picked up one of the bars and held it in his hands. Calvin tried to decipher whether the bar was solid copper or a mixture or maybe just copper plating. The bar it’s self was also clear of any marking. Calvin put the bar back and walked over to the staircase leading to the underground portion of the temple.

Down the stairs Calvin could see a red glowing light but no shadows, not of people or of crates. He did recognize the common furnace tools used for smelting and crafting metals. He assumed that a hot furnace was making the glow and that Jitts was working down there until we came along. Jitts was an expert metal worker and smelter which would explain why Calvin didn’t find any scars or burns when he inspected the body. Calvin finished inspecting the staircase and moved to another crate by the door.

He cut the straps and opened it to find copper, but not in bars. Necklaces, rings, words, anything that was made of copper could be found in this crate at least once. The jewels and rocks from these items had been removed.

Suddenly, Calvin realized the operations happening here. Thieves and corrupt merchants brought their copper here where Jitts metaled it down into copper bars. From their the bars could be sold ether legally or illegally to black marketers looking to make some copper mizas.

It was approaching dusk. Merchants will be closing their shops and people will be heading here during the approaching rest period that meant that Sti and Calvin will soon have more company.

As Calvin collapsed the pillar blocking the door, Sti came running down, “Lets move these body's and hide, the merchants are coming and i don't want another little fight on our hand." Sti’s voice was calm, good

“Forget the body's hided behind those crates. I’m going to smoke these merchants, at which time we both cover our mouths and take their weapons. After that regroup at the entrance I will be there. I want you to point an arrow at one of their heads and let me do the talking. There won’t be a fight and we might be able to get ride of this copper.” With this Sti crouched behind a crate and Calvin empted the rest of his nitrate solution and took cover behind another crate.

by **Sti Pascallion** on February 5th, 2012, 12:46 am

Sti looked up to see Calvin doing something with his alchemy, as he knelt behind the crate. The next step was up to Calvin and his magic smoke. The merchants arrived in single file, each moving a large crate behind them each with a short sword or a saber. There were only seven of them and they were cheerfully have conversation among themselves. Each one was inside the temple. "Jitts you old fool get up here I brought you some ale." The main merchant who was ahead of all others, the man had a brisk voice and seemed to have the aura of authority. This man would be the one to point an arrow at. "Jitts? Jitts get up-" Then the smoke began to fill the room and Sti covered his mouth with the end of his cloak and tide it of, he slung the bow over his body and started to move through the smoke. He moved quietly through the rabble of the others and removed there swords, Sti removed four of them before reaching the last. The smoke only lasted a little while and Sti had to unslung his bow and knot an arrow. Sti lifted his bow but didn't waste the energy to draw, drawing the bow would only put unnecessary stress on the string and wood.

by **Calvin Freeman** on February 5th, 2012, 1:56 am

Calvin too out the rest of the sucrose from his back sack there was only enough for two more reactions. Calvin hoped that it would be enough. His other hand rested on his knife he had never used his knife untill know, but he carried it just for what he need now. As the men entered the temple Calvin watched Sti.

"Jitts you old fool get up here I brought you some ale." One of the merchants spoke up as Calvin noticed Sti’s eyes take focus. He began to notice Sti did this when ever preparing to use physical authority. Fortunately this was the second time Calvin noticed this. First with the battle with Jasper and now. So i was right about him not wanting to kill me

"Jitts? Jitts get up-" Calvin’s thoughts were interrupted by the merchant. Calvin took focus himself and tossed the sucrose at the nitrate resulting in a cloud of smoke developing. As Sti was stealing their weapons Calvin snuck through the cloud to the entrance doorway, cutting the merchant purses on the way. As the cloud disappeared Sti appeared next to him and Calvin stood as tall as possible. Let the act begin

“Jitts is dead and you might be too if you act to rashly” Calvin’s voice entered command mode.

“Wha-, What?!” The merchants spun around to see Sti and Calvin. Sti was pointing his undrawn bow as the head merchant. Calvin thought this was curious in why the bow was not drawn and arrow notched, but he knew now was not the time to show this curiosity.

“Don’t bother calling for Jasper, He is dead too” Calvin still stood tall and strong and you could start to feel the tension between Calvin and the Head merchant. Before the merchant could speak Calvin started again. “Raul? also dead. You are from the Lhavit Trade Brotherhood, correct?” Calvin had noticed an insignia on the sabers Sti picked up that read LTB with the common symbol for trade, the scale. The head merchant merely nodded with his mouth still open, nut Calvin refused to let them speak, “How do you think they, or the Shinya, would feel if they knew some of their merchants were doing back alley deals with thieves and smugglers?” The merchants said nothing, but Calvin noticed their faces were still astonished. ”I’ve heard that the Shinya can rip off your limbs from 200 ft away and that Alius Tanka can take down entire armies in a second.” With this Calvin began to grin a devilish smile. He glanced up to see the fear begin to appear over the merchant’s faces including the head merchant. “Way I see it is you are the head of this operation now and if you want us to keep quite than we would be glad to if you buy all this copper off us.” With this Calvin pushed over the open trade container and all the miscellaneous copper items fell out.

“What do---” Calvin cut off the merchant’s question with him filling the crate with Kinas

“I suppose this will do” Calvin complained mockingly. “My associate and I will be leaving now, and if you dare follow us” Calvin’s eyes narrowed into a glare. “You know what will happen.” With this Calvin lifted his box of Kinas and began to walk out of the temple, Sti followed.

On the way up, along with avoiding the deep snow while balancing the Kinas, Calvin considered his partnership with Sti. There was no getting around the fact that they worked well together and frankly Calvin liked Sti all around as an associate and a friend. “They are going to be caught anyway the Shinya are notorious for cracking down on criminals.” This was both explanation and advice. Calvin remembered his time at the carnival. He thought about how good it felt to intimidate those merchants, but he is starting to realize that he wasn’t making many friends in his time at Lhavit. The Shinya and one of the Largest Lhavit trading companies already didn’t like him and really Calvin didn’t like anything about Lhavit right now ether he heard stories of Lhavit being the capital of both Magic and religion, but so far it looks though religion rules while magic struggles to survive. Calvin turned back to Sti. He was focused on the gates.

Calvin decided that they will divided up all the Kina’s in his shop.

by **Sti Pascallion** on February 5th, 2012, 3:16 am

The walk to the shop was long after that hole shenanigans off in the temple. Sti found something he had not felt in a while, but he found friendship in this man. Other men would have throne Sti to live amongst the dogs, rather Calvin stayed and fought with him. Calvin would be a reliable companion, and Sti needed one of those. But is it true what he said about the Shinya, if so Sti would not be one to mess around to much in this city.

They made it to Calvin's shop, and Sti looked at the solid wall turn to a large hole. “How clever.” Sti only spoke under his breath and Calvin took no interest in him as he said it, he must be proud of that fact that he can do that. They made it in the shop and popped that chest open to find its loot inside.

Sti reached in his pocket and found 50 gold M's and decided for a victory drink. He looked over at Calvin “Ale then, agreed.” At that he left with out confirming it with Calvin. Sti moved to the tavern and ordered a cask of Ale and a bottle of Wine. He moved back to the shop, where Calvin was organizing the piles of loot making each pile equal to the other. Sti looked up to him and passed him the cask of ale that he had gotten for two gold M.

by **Calvin Freeman** on February 5th, 2012, 4:55 pm

Calvin looked at all the Kina on his floor he figured this would be more than enough to get him through his winter. Calvin looked around his poor shop. You couldn’t really call it a shod it was more of a shamble. He felt great remorse for what he was considering then again this place was less than satisfactory and Calvin was sick of living here. He thought that Lhavit would have been a magical city to live in but it turned out that the city was much less than what he expected.

After all the Kinas were divided and Sti came back with the ale, The two adolescences had a lot to drink and ended up staying the knight in Calvin's shop they talked about each others adventures and dished out less the full hearted complements, that seemed like the kindest things in the world to say under toxication.

At the end of the night Calvin said, “I like working with you Sti. (hiccup) If you come acrooss anything else before the end of winter you can count on me to back you up, but at the end of the season i think im going to leave this city” Calvin trailed off after this and ended up passing out on the floor.