[The Great Bazaar] Rats In A Maze (open)

[Gereth]

Timestamp Winter 2, 510 AV, Noon The Great Bazaar

Gereth always loved the season change to winter for a very simple reason. Master used to love this game as well and thought of a way to earn a few mizas while he was at it. Gereth walked deep within the castle, waiting just until he was just within the Bazaar where the traders and merchants artisans, and craftsmen were all shouting here and there selling their wares. There was money in the air. A few small dried objects sat bound on a strip of near worthless cloth, cut from his own cloak. in the muted light of the bazaar it seemed slightly mysterious but really Gereth’s intentions were seldom good. As the weather changed moisture patterns in the castle changed as well which forced things to move. Small squeaking things. Gereth of course had kept some of the rats for himself (waste not want not) but the ones he didn’t dry to eat he had severed the feet from to create a crude but passable looking false charm. “Luck with life, money, and love!” He called out in a clear voice. At the Rearing Stallion it was those three things humans wanted luck with the most. Here in the bustle of the market his voice was one of many... ensuring those who really needed the luck would hear. He stifled a chuckle as he called out again, pulling his cloak down so only the flash of yellow in his eyes would be visible, ever the mysterious salesman of magic. “With Olinhar’s charm you can make your own fate. Imported from distant lands, this talisman has within it the power to actualize your potential!” His shoulder shook with silent laughter again. He loved the winter.

[Ash'eny]

Winter wasn't any different than fall. It was a little cooler, the sky seemed to fade to darkness earlier and rise to sunlight sooner, but the knights were active as ever, the thieves and swindlers, no less. Ash'eny had been surfing the crowds of the Bazaar a while now. His head in a fog, unsure of why he was here, or even how he managed to get here in the first place. With the past events so traumatic and recent in his life, he found himself more and more in places, doing things, that he never would have imagined before. Today his hands were twitching in excitement. Whether they wanted to swipe gold or bash a helpless child into a pulp with his new and beloved mace was still undistinguished. Evenntually, Ash'eny settled for some loitering and window-shopping. He had money to spend, working with the knights had its benefits, but since he bought the weapon and could afford all the alcohol he could want, he rarely had a desire to purchase anything else. Even actual meals were scarce and restrained to no sort of steady schedule. "The petch is that?" Ash'eny spoke up as he emerged from the crowds in front of Gereth, his eyes locked on the rat feet scattered about. Charms? They looked like... something wrong. Ash'eny cocked his head to the side, as if a different angle would somehow give him magical insight into what he was looking at, but his theory failed, the rat foot still looked like just that. Surely it wasn't though, right? Ash'eny pondered a moment, hearing that these items were claimed to be magical or something, it always drew his attention, or more specifically his suspicion. It wasn't particularly illegal to sell bogus goods, people did it all the time, and if people were ignorant enough to fall for the same tricks over and over, they probably didn't deserve their own money. "And what petched up your eyes?" Ash'eny wasn't so much asking questions out of curiosity, but more so to be as asshole, just harassing the man trying to sell bogus wares. Ash'eny was a thief, and as the saying goes, "it takes one, to know one." He hated thieves. Ironic...

[Gereth]

The approach of the stranger didn’t shake Gereth. Nor did the peering at his eyes which he met the shorter man’s gaze with animal intensity, unflinching. He smiled brightly as he glanced around the area mock-conspiratorially. “You sir. You look like a fine purveyor in oddities and mysterious things. A person who knows that things are not only as they seem.” Gereth honestly had no idea but he did know that most people like to be complimented... ir it at least disarmed them. He closed his eyes and chanted something low in the back of his throat softly. It wasn’t any kind of a language at all and he did it in such a way that the man in front of him would have barely heard as he sniffed at the air around them. He smelled like too much drink... but maybe from the night before, coming out in his sweat... his clothes. “This...” Gereth said quietly as he raised the cord of rat’s feet up to the man. “is the charm of Olinhar... you seem troubled. The drink doesn't help.. does it?” He made sure to add this last bit with a note of concern. “Life is... life is not going your way... you are lonely.... alone. You are looking for answers. Yes...” He nods keeping the false charm out of the view of other people who might be walking by. “Aren’t you tired of the way it’s going?” He still keeps his eyes locked on Ash’s. “As for who I am... I am a simple traveller offering one person the chance to change their life.”

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny grinned, masking the subtle rage growing in his gut and fighting the urge to bash the saleman's skull inside out. Why was Ash'eny getting so upset? Very simple, Gereth was pointing out everything that Ash'eny knew was true. He was miserable and lost. There was a faint twitch in the corner of his grinning lips as he remained quiet for several seconds, then chuckled lightly. "The drink helps as long as I have more coming." Ash'eny smiled now, though thought very different. Dear gods, only last season he practically molested a young girl in his drunken sorrow-driven stupor. Ash'eny peered at the odd collection of feet. They looked so disgusting. Ash'eny turned his head away, about to leave when he noticed there were actually people behind him, looking over his shoulder at the 'charm', and at him. Were they waiting to hear his confirmation of the charm's powers? They were! Was this man's deviousness actually working? To an extent, it seemed so. Ash'eny was bewildered that such a device could work. Then again, this man (Ash'eny didn't even consider the possibility of him not being human) had somehow known about him. He drinks, he knew that. Did he frequently visit the tavern and recognize Ash'eny from there? That was probably it. Well, the man was good, Ash'eny wasn't going to ruin it for him. He turned back to face the merchandise, there was a faint sparkle in his eyes and smile on his face, only for a moment before fading. It was time to put his small acting abilities to use. Time to look like a believer. "How do you know so much about me? This isn't possible." Ash'eny leaned over towards Gereth, getting close enough to whisper. "I'm not buying this, but they seem interested." Ash'eny offered a small wink as he leaned back. "I see what it can do. If I had only a few coins, I would take this for myself." Ash'eny put his hands on his face as he stepped out of the way, and before a heart could even beat, there were three others standing there, asking questions, wanting to see the powers, and best of all, asking to buy the false charm. Ash'eny didn't have to do much really, yet he was still bothered that Gereth was able to read him like a book. And the bastard never told him what was up with those eyes. Ash'eny would stick around, he had to interrogate this man, at the point of a dagger if he had to.

[Gereth]

He didn’t bother to hide his self-satisfied smirk as Ash backed away from him and allowed more people to come forward and inspect the string of dried rat’s feet dangling from his hand. For each one a quick whiff here and a cursory inspection supplied enough of a story to at least have people suspecting he was more than a simple peddler. It wouldn’t be long before bids for the ‘charm’ started to roll in. “Fine people! Olinhar’s Charm has the power to grant you that second chance that you’ve been waiting for!” The faces of the growing crowd spoke volumes of that quiet desperation that had settles quite naturally in the human heart... and in this city in a cage. Gereth’s eyes danced from set of eyes to set of eyes, allowing that sense of wonder and bewilderment to grow. Just one of you... start feeling brave. He grinned happily. Although Ash had said he wasn’t fooled he had definitely assisted in this game. Gereth was deliciously pleased. Maybe he’d by the man a drink later on. Still... waiting for someone to step forward and buy the thing was the best part.

[Danika]

Danika strolled around the market with the ease a person with a lot of time possessed. The crowd moved for her: she had the air of one who could hurt and if looks could kill…well no one would still be breathing.
One hand toyed with the end of one of the whips strapped by her side her clear eyes calculating her smile oddly disconcerting.
Atlas happily sat on her shoulder cleaning his whiskers.
She was drawn to a little group of people around a man who was selling weird oddly familiar charms.
“Fine people! Olinhar’s Charm has the power to grant you that second chance that you’ve been waiting for!” The man cried, she cocked her head and stepping forward asked “Which second chances, fine man?” She stressed the "fine" man as he had given the adjective to all the fine people around.
Atlas squeaked she held a finger up and tickled him, he scrambled onto her hand. The realization dawned as his paws twitched as she placed him in her inner pocket.
She wasn’t surprised this man was selling rats feet as valuable pendant, coming from Sunberth it was only to be expected.
She smirked as she said to the man“Well, well I always imagined that the Olinhar’s Charm was more effective by blessing with an ancient ritual a string of human hands?!”

[Gereth]

Gereth couldn’t help but smile when the woman with the whips stepped forward, another obstinate naysayer, so much the better. “A string of human hands you say? Perhaps if one was looking to be cursed surely! These feet, dried in the sun of a midsummer’s day and anointed in captured moonlight grant Olinhar’s Charm luck in life, love, and money! I am honored and priveleged to bequeath such an item of power on this day to one among you!” Gereth’s voice grew more confident as he continued to speak. He could smell her pet she carried even from here... he ignored the rumbling in his belly... plenty of that to eat at home. “But a woman who carries vermin with her, perhaps you would be looking to change your lot in life? The road has to grow wearisome... when one walks it alone?” His voice carried a hint of empathy, something that the crowd couldn’t help but smile about. He fixed his yellow eyes on Danika, smiling broadly. The Kelvic had the crowd’s ear. And his face, ruggedly handsome features showed not even a hint of a flinch where the corner of his mouth was visible.

[Ash'eny]

A string of human hands? Ash'eny couldn't help but chuckle aloud to such a comment. Not only did the crowd not take such a remark seriously (probably as intended), but it just seemed bizarre. Unless she was a Zith, then perhaps such a thing would sound normal. Ash'eny stepped back into the crowd examining the 'charms', if only to comment. He was feeling quite bold today. "I'd think only a cannibal would prefer humans' hand on a string. M'lady, are you a cannibal?" Ash'eny grinned, a few others in the crowd would pick up their voices in laughter at his rather rude jest. He bowed his head slowly. Lifting from his small bow, he glanced at Gereth, still waiting for the crowd to die down, which he hoped was soon, so he could interrogate him. The thoughts of pummeling him were still very strong. "The name is Tolby." Ash'eny turned to look at Danika once more and repeated his false name. "Tolby." Ash'eny then glanced back at the charm, he knew it was fake, it was painfully obvious to him, but even in his misery, he wasn't so desperate as to believe in magic items. He obviously had never heard of Malediction nor Magecrafting.

[Danika]

“Ah, vermin…so I’m not that alone am I? And I must say, and underline that you could only wish that I travel alone…or maybe, you would like to meet my family? Apart from my dear brother that is” She returned his yellow stare without flinching her head slightly tilted her black hair falling over the side of her head, the crowd was none existent in her mind.If he said yes she would happily kill him just outside Syliras, she didn’t want to get on the knights wrong side.

“Is it a problem if I walk alone? Or should I find the love of my life and lead our steps into the pink sunset? And yes, you are alone too I seem to see. The petty trickster not quite there yet are we? Lurking around, yes, difficult childhood. Life taught me only this way. It’s my nature etcetera etcetera.”
There was no mirth in her voice her words dripping in poison and her last phrases were said in a mocking tone. Then she leant forward and whispered “And believe me, I totally understand”
Not the thievery, the violence without which she was nobody but a beautiful face in the crowd.


Then she turned to the other man who then announced himself as Tolby and said softly and charmingly “You better wish not.”

[Gereth]

The coyote’s mirth was rising. This game had gotten interesting indeed. He could smell Danika’s anger, tiny subtle changes in body language, her tone which he heard more clearly than anyone else in the crowd. There wasn’t really an ounce of hesitation in him now. The crowd had his attention and her anger made her look more the fool. “And so you!” He pointed to a face in the crowd, ignoring her claims of his deceptions. “Will you be the one to see what your life could be instead of the shame that it is?” The crowd murmured their assent, although he wasn’t the most charming person in the world his heightened senses and lying without shame or remorse had won them over. The sounds of people reaching for their purses rang clearly in his exquisite ears. He grinned at the man who had called himself Tolby, flashing him a wink. The game was soon done.