5th of Spring, 515AV
Rey had spent days on this job, gathering information, talking to the right people, trying to find the right people, even coaxing his employer into giving him more time to complete the job. Now, finally, his goal was within his grasp. At least, except for one little problem, who apparently went by the name of Ben.
"Come on, pleasse give it to me. Pleasse?"
"Nooooooooo. It's miiine."
For the tenth time in the last few chimes, Rey ground his teeth, and reminded himself it was socially unacceptable to smack, attack, or snack on human children, annoying as they may be.
"Are you sssure? My friend would want it much."
"Noooo. It's special. Anya bought it for me, you know."
Rey did, in fact, know. In fact, not only did he know that Anya (teenage human female with only a few friends, which had made finding this little brat easy enough) had bought, then gifted to Ben the little puzzle cube he held in his hands, he also knew exactly which merchant she had bought it from (an old, fat human who responded well to a feigned interest in puzzles), and where the merchant had found the damned thing (right by the slanderer, of all places), and who had dropped it there (an easily distracted and not very observant kelvic courier). In fact, Rey was so familiar with the exact path this petching cube had taken through the city he thought he might dream of it.
Most importantly of all, though, Rey knew two more things. First, that puzzle cube, if solved properly, would open up and drop out something his employer wanted very, very much, and second, if he didn't get ahold of that cube in the next few days, he was tsana food. No, baral food. It was going to be bad.
Which made it all the more infuriating that the only thing standing in his way was a child, for Ionu's sake. Clearly, though, he wasn't going to be able to beg for the cube (and how it galled him, to have to beg a human child). Perhaps negotiation would work instead.
"What if I get you a puzzle that's bigger?"
"No. Why'd you care so much?" The child scowled at him, eyes narrowed. Rey sighed. Children.
" My friend would want it." He repeated. "What would you want for thiss cube?"
That gave the child pause. The boy chewed his lip thoughtfully for a moment, idly playing with the cube.
"I'm making something for the festival, with my da. If you help me find the right flavor water gems, I'll give you the cube, m'kay?"
Rey groaned inside. Just what he needed. But he really had no other choice, did he?
"Okay." He sighed reluctantly. A day of searching through the "rivers", at the whim of a child whose voice hadn't even broken yet. What fun.
Rey had spent days on this job, gathering information, talking to the right people, trying to find the right people, even coaxing his employer into giving him more time to complete the job. Now, finally, his goal was within his grasp. At least, except for one little problem, who apparently went by the name of Ben.
"Come on, pleasse give it to me. Pleasse?"
"Nooooooooo. It's miiine."
For the tenth time in the last few chimes, Rey ground his teeth, and reminded himself it was socially unacceptable to smack, attack, or snack on human children, annoying as they may be.
"Are you sssure? My friend would want it much."
"Noooo. It's special. Anya bought it for me, you know."
Rey did, in fact, know. In fact, not only did he know that Anya (teenage human female with only a few friends, which had made finding this little brat easy enough) had bought, then gifted to Ben the little puzzle cube he held in his hands, he also knew exactly which merchant she had bought it from (an old, fat human who responded well to a feigned interest in puzzles), and where the merchant had found the damned thing (right by the slanderer, of all places), and who had dropped it there (an easily distracted and not very observant kelvic courier). In fact, Rey was so familiar with the exact path this petching cube had taken through the city he thought he might dream of it.
Most importantly of all, though, Rey knew two more things. First, that puzzle cube, if solved properly, would open up and drop out something his employer wanted very, very much, and second, if he didn't get ahold of that cube in the next few days, he was tsana food. No, baral food. It was going to be bad.
Which made it all the more infuriating that the only thing standing in his way was a child, for Ionu's sake. Clearly, though, he wasn't going to be able to beg for the cube (and how it galled him, to have to beg a human child). Perhaps negotiation would work instead.
"What if I get you a puzzle that's bigger?"
"No. Why'd you care so much?" The child scowled at him, eyes narrowed. Rey sighed. Children.
" My friend would want it." He repeated. "What would you want for thiss cube?"
That gave the child pause. The boy chewed his lip thoughtfully for a moment, idly playing with the cube.
"I'm making something for the festival, with my da. If you help me find the right flavor water gems, I'll give you the cube, m'kay?"
Rey groaned inside. Just what he needed. But he really had no other choice, did he?
"Okay." He sighed reluctantly. A day of searching through the "rivers", at the whim of a child whose voice hadn't even broken yet. What fun.
Snake Tongue : Common : Arumenic
