Corone Aqua chain

[Roith]

Roith was excited about his prospects, he had recently acquired information about an enchanted chain the Coronian's had developed due to their close and personal relationship to the sea.

Corone Aqua chain. A wonder of wonders that allowed its wearer to BREATHE underwater. Never before had Roith even considered such an amazing feat possible. Though he was no magician, so perhaps this magical sundry had existed for quite some time, and he had just never heard of it. What he had learned however, through the...uh...questioning of a rather reluctant mage, was that it was a very thin and delicate chain of the kind jewelry was made of, and could be nearly any type of chain, though most often it was made of snake chain. It officially becomes Aqua chain when imbued with the enchantments that allow the wearer to breathe underwater. So Aqua chain could be customized to fit a customers tastes in fashion. When Roith had inquired as to what snake chain was, the mage had hastily replied that it was merely used to describe how the chain looked very similar to the underbelly of a snake.

Apparently when fully imbued with magic the Aqua chain would be about 3 feet in length and would magically connect into a circle when the owner wished to use it. You would then twist the chain into something resembling a figure 8 and have one loop go over your head and shoulder so that it would cross your chest from one shoulder to the opposite hip. The remaining loop of chain would settle on your waist. When facing someone it was supposed to look like an upside down 7 on your chest. The chain would then retract in size so that it fit snuggly and firmly against the wearer's skin. It was like a 'One size fits all' device.

When Roith had asked if it HAD to be against a persons bare skin, the mage had answered without hesitation 'Yes.' According to the mage, the Aqua chain had about a hundred small needle like threads twirled around the chain. They were usually as fine as human hair and once the chain comes into contact with flesh, they all simultaneously pierced the skin and entwined themselves with your lungs. This was a very painful process for about 2 seconds until the chain settled into place. Then you couldn't even feel it there, but it was very important because the outside of the chain would draw oxygen from the water and feed it magically to a person's lungs.

To remove it, all that was required was to gently rub or stroke a section of chain for a few moments and the threads would withdraw from the body and become a normal chain. Of course the withdrawal process felt very similar to the application of the chain, so not many people were willing to use it opposed to a simple ring that would allow you to breathe water. Plus there was that whole...danger of someone trying to remove it forcefully. Anyone who had ever tried to remove the Aqua chain through any means other then the one described above had ended up shredding their lungs in the process of removal. Especially if they attempted to just yank it out. Fortunately it was hard to pry the chain away from the skin enough to get any leverage but it had happened before.

Not to mention certain crime families had seen a great potential for the Aqua chain for things other then water breathing and there was now a popular variant of it in the black market that is used for torture.

One of the good things about the chain however, was that if it was cut anywhere along its length, the two half's would fuse together again, good as new. It was a useful tool, but it had some serious drawbacks.

Walking into the nearest magical jewelers, Roith approached the counter. There was no one at the front and the shop was empty but through the door to the back room Roith thought he saw something move. Cupping his hands over his mouth so that the clerk could hear him he said, "Hello! Is anyone there?! I'd like to purchase some Aqua chain please!"

[AdventWings]

"Shush! Don't say it so loudly!"

If there was one thing Kisha of the Aquamarine hated, it was an ignorant customer with no regards to how dangerous he was putting himself in. Within seconds of the vagabond's utter disregard to the secrecy of the Aqua Chain's sales, the tiger-striped feline jeweler appeared at the front of the shop and literally dragged the man into the backroom.

"I hope you didn't do that so the Empire's soldiers had a reason to storm my shop, sir. The Aqua Chain's not something to say out loud so lightly."

Kisha let go of the customer's collars as she closed the doors behind her. Putting her ear to the door for any signs that the local law enforcement had been alerted, she was relieved to find the atmosphere deviod of any commotion. Returning her attention to the customer, she shot him a wary glance before resuming her role as the store merchant.

"So, good sir. You're looking for the Corone Aqua Chain?"

[Roith]

Roith grinned with amusement at the shopkeepers obvious distress, it stood to reason he wouldn't have announced it so loudly if there had been anyone else in the shop. He had made sure of that at least. For the sake of the jeweler however he let the grin disappear from his face, though a small smile still remained.

"Fear not, I'm not here to endanger your business, but yes I am here to inquire about Corone Aqua chain. Before you say anything, no, i am not here to purchase the modified Aqua chain thats popular in criminal organizations right now. Those damn things lack the enchantments that would even qualify it to be called Corone Aqua chain. In any case, I need some authentic Aqua chain. Not black market crap. I'd like it to be in snake chain, usual 3 feet length. I'd also like comparison prices for Aqua chain in copper, silver, and gold. And please be honest with your prices, we both know Aqua chain is cheaper then Water Breathing rings because of the reasons that make it so popular in the black market."

Roith crossed his arms as he said this, his face serious but not unkind or accusing. "So, show me what you got."

[AdventWings]

Kisha cocked an eyebrow, listening intently on the ruffian who was so confident about his smarts. The jeweller peered at him suspiciously, trying to find any trace of danger the man could present. But seeing that he was no threat to her livelihood, the feline resolved to allow him access to some of her wares.

"Well, if you're so picky about it. I suppose a 3-feet chain in copper would be about 300 Coronian Crowns, 450 for silver and 500 for gold. For comparison, those second-rate Black Market stuff goes for only a few hundreds. But they're rarely as useful as you've told me yourself, so that's out of the question."

The jeweller knew what the man was thinking by his expression so she quickly interrupted him with a glare.

"And just so you know, the Water Breathing Rings are 600 Crowns at their cheapest. You should know that already by the looks of it, sir."

[Roith]

Roith just looked at the jeweler with incredulous disbelief, 300 gold for 3 feet of simple copper chain with a water breathing enchantment. The chain, un-enchanted, wouldn't have been worth more then a gold piece. He found it hard to swallow that he was being charged 300 gold for a magical enchantment that wasn't going to allow him to, i don't know, set lots of things on fire.

Uncrossing his arms, Roith briefly raised his hand to touch his temple as if he knew this was going to take a while. "You're right of course, Water breathing rings do cost around 600 gold at their cheapest. However you also know, that even the cheapest water breathing rings can usually only be purchased by the nobility or the very wealthy. You're a jeweler, you know the types of rings they buy. Hells, even I know the types of rings they buy." Mostly because i steal from them all the time, but that's besides the point. "We both know most of the reason why their water rings are so expensive is 1: Even the cheapest of rings are still decked with small precious stones like rubies, emeralds, and the foreign opal." Again, selling off bandited jewelry forced you to learn a thing or two about the stuff. "and 2: They're the nobility, of course merchants are going to try to milk them for all they're worth. The rich bastards even expect it..."

Roith paused abruptly as he realized he was getting too riled up in his tirade against the nobility. Showing anti-royalist sentiments was never a good idea, but then again, considering this particular jeweler was selling Aqua chain despite the Imperial decree to have it banned...perhaps he was not among unsympathetic ears. Clearing his throat loudly, and having the decency to look slightly embarrassed, Roith continued. "Considering the blatant overpricing of Water breathing rings, and the fact that black market Aqua chain doesn't actually allow a person to breathe underwater...believe me, I've seen it first hand." And he had, it happened to be one of his most unpleasant couple of days under the Aravelle Crime family that he had ever endured. Roith had been allowed the 'honor' of witnessed a man being tortured using modified Aqua chain. Despite having it on, it hadn't seemed to keep the poor guy from drowning. It was part of the Aravelle sick sense of humor. 'Die of drowning despite wearing a device thats supposed to let you breathe underwater.' God he hated the Aravelles.

"Modified Aqua chain costs 100 gold on the black market, because it still has all the other, smaller, enchantments that make it a useful torture device. I, however, will only ask for a simple copper Aqua chain, enchanted for the purpose it was originally intended. Now...How about 150 gold." Roith had learned from hard experience never to start negotiations with the limit of his wallet, especially if he gets lucky and acquires it for less.

[AdventWings]

The feline merchant hid a satisfied smile as she put a hand to her mouth, feinting a contemplative stance at the proposed price. The original prices were to make sure he was as street smart as he appeared to be; Too many times the jeweller's suppliers and sisters in trade had been chased out by the Empire for selling illegal goods to enemies of the ruling class. The Coronian Empire did well with their agents, but they all had the impatience of a child when attempting to strike a deal.

A shrewd person living in the underworld would have known not to be hasty with their wares.

"You strike a bargain that would make a stingy man pee himself with anger, sir." She scoffed, but not out of contempt. "But I'm no fan of the royalties myself. Considering this and..."

Kisha looked at the man's clothes and posture again, determining the vast amount of riches his man could have amassed. Smiling with content, she continued with her offer.

"...The fact you may not have that much in that pocket of yours, I'm willing to make you a deal. One fifty Crowns and it's yours, provided you deliver some... Papers to an acquaintence of mine. That, or two hundred Crowns in total, no strings attached."

The jeweller waited to see his reaction, thinking confidently to herself the man would no doubt chose to pay more than put his neck out on the line for a stranger he would no longer meet. Ah, such was the life of a shadow in the moonless night.

[Roith]

Roith barked a laugh at her clever analogy, and grinned with camaraderie at the feline merchant. Roith had to admit, he was beginning to feel like he had found a spirit much like his own.

"I have to say, you have made an interesting proposition. Whether or not i accept is entirely dependent upon what exactly I'd be getting myself into. I'll tell you what though, tell me about your job, and if it's not to my liking ill gladly pay your 200 gold and be on my way, no hard feelings between us. However, If I'm up to the task, ill pay you 200 gold and deliver the papers, on the condition that any future purchases i make from you are...20% off. If you are against the idea though, and I'm still willing to take the job, I'll pay 150 gold for one copper Corone Aqua chain, deliver your papers, and take my leave of your fine establishment. What do you think?"

Roith couldn't help but smile mischievously at his adversary, for right now they were engaged in a duel of words, and he was very much enjoying himself. Roith was by all means a man of material gain, no man who lived as a bandit wasn't, but more valuable then gold by far were good trusted contacts. If he could come to a suitable arrangement with his feline friend, not only would he have a trusted and mutually beneficial business partner but also a potential confidant in which to sell his more...ill gotten gains. If it worked out, Roith would have a contact who would sell him items at a reduced rate and a place to sell his goods, she would gain a discrete and trustworthy man of the underworld as well as someone who would sell her his own precious stones and items for a rate much cheaper then most raw gem or precious metal dealers would be willing to sell for. It was practically a win win situation for them both.

"Well, whatever you decide, I've just realized I haven't properly introduced myself and i would like to apologize for the oversight. My name is Roith Bayraen, but my friends call me Bronze." He looked slightly sheepish at the mention of his codename, like it embarrassed him to speak of it. Roith was taking a risk by giving her his real name, but he felt that being honest would probably produce the best results in his furry friend.

[AdventWings]

Kisha grinned, returning the greetings with a slight bow of her heads with an attentive eye always searching the room.

"Call me Kisha of the Aquamarine, Bronze. I'm fine at giving you that twenty percent price reduction, but you'd better do a good job to earn our trust. Anyway, here is your assignment should you choose to take it."

The tiger-striped jeweller pulled a plain white envelope from a hidden pocket in the sleeves of her dress, seemingly out of nowhere. The envelope was thick enough to allow no light to shine through, however it was still light enough to be carried off by a gust of wind.

"Deliver this to a... n acquaintence of mine by the name of Agatha. She works at the Cockatiel not far from here, just look for a bright yellow bird with the shop's name when you go down the road. Once inside, she will give you additional instructions before returning to me. Afterwards, you will get what we agreed to."

Kisha eyed the bandit thoughtfully, holding out the envelope.

"Deal?"

((If you want to know what the Cockatiel looks like on the inside, search the Transaction Archives for the shop.))

[Roith]

Roith glanced thoughtfully at the proffered envelope as if trying to think of any possible danger that could arise from delivering papers to her 'acquaintance'. When nothing immediately presented itself, Roith carefully took the envelope from Kisha, since he had no idea what was inside, and offered her a reassuring smile. "I believe we have a deal. I'll be back to pick up my Aqua chain after I have completed your task."

Tucking the envelope under his belt, Roith pitied anything that had the gall to try and take it from him. Bowing his head in a temporary farewell, Roith exited Kisha's shop and out into the warm morning sun. It appeared that while he had been indoors striking up a deal with Kisha, there had been a light rain that he had failed to notice. The road was slightly muddy as he followed the road towards The Cockatiel, weaving in between the morning vendors that tried to sell him anything from fish, to exotic perfumes for the many lover's they seemed to invent for him on the spot.

Ignoring them all, Roith smiled with the smallest bit of self satisfaction as he finally caught sight of the elegant yellow bird that signaled he had found the place he was looking for. Glancing down to reassure himself that his package was still firmly tucked beneath his belt, Roith pushed open the door and entered. As his eyes adjusted to the interior of the shop, he allowed himself to breathe in the unusual aroma's that pervaded the room. Most had a strong herbal smell, he even thought he caught the scent of lavender wafting from somewhere within the shop's recesses. Almost all of them were pleasant, but Roith was not knowledgeable enough in herbs to recognize the vast majority of different scents. Roith quietly stepped further into the room, wanting to get his bearings and a feel for what he could expect here, before he alerted the owner to his presence.

Like Kisha's store, it was empty, perhaps due to the early hour, but the silence didn't seem overbearing or unusual. Other then the drawers of different herbs and reagents, hats and stave's, Roith took note of the many leather bound tomes that seemed to clutter the shop. Stepping closer to a particularly large book, Roith leaned over to read the title but was careful not to touch it, "Frogs, kisses, and magical enchantments. The truth behind the tale, and how to make your spells permanent." Roith couldn't contain an amused grin at the title before he realized that he was probably in a mage's shop. The thought sobered him instantly, he didn't know why he hadn't realized it sooner, and he mentally berated himself for not being more observant. Though truth be told Roith had never been inside a magician's shop before, though he had dealt with merchants that simply sold magical items like Kisha.

Roith's past experiences with magic wielders had, for the most part, been unpleasant to say the least. The majority of wizards and mage's he encountered were usually trying to kill him because they were hired to protect caravan's Roith needed to rob. Most of them had ended their magical career's on the tip of his sword. Over the years Roith had lost many a good friend to their supernatural fire's. Thats not to say Roith held any grudges, but he was always weary in the presence of an unfamiliar magic wielder.

Deciding it might be best to get this over with as quickly as possible, Roith rang the small silver bell on the counter.

[AdventWings]

No sooner had the young bandit finished his observation, the blinds on the magic shop's glass door fell without a warning and plunged the store into an ominous darkness. Within the confines of impenetrable shadows a small voice resounded, almost melodic like the voice of a child. However, the maturity in her speech was no less prominent than those of the feline's.

"I see you haven't taken anything without my consent... yet."

A tiny flame flickered into existence atop a candle to the side of the shop, illuminating the otherwise darkened room. Where there was no one before, a small girl hidden under a large black hat lounged idly on a nearby chair stroking a black kitten in her lap. Another black feline hopped onto the table where the bandit stood, tapping its paw impatiently on the smooth counter.

"I believe you have something from Kisha for me... Is that right?" The magician spoke up once more, crossing her legs dangerously high with shadows being the only veil shielding her thighs under the short skirt from indecent eyes. "If you're waiting for me to say something, I am Agatha of the Cockatiel. I do hope the jeweller had spoken my name correctly, at the least."

[Roith]

Roith jumped when the room suddenly descended into black, before he realized what he was doing his hand was already halfway to his sword. Forcing himself out of of his crouch, Roith crossed his arms below his chest so that his body wouldn't do anything drastic on instinct. He listened to the voice in the darkness while he tried to convince his heart to stop beating so quickly from the abrupt adrenaline shock. "Its ok, we're not here to fight, just going to deliver a letter. We are just going to deliver a letter."

He felt a small flash of indignation that she would suspect him of stealing, but it quickly turned to wry amusement as he realized the irony of the emotion. Why wouldn't she suspect him of theft? Roith was a bandit, and looked a bandit, and might, on occasion, even act like a bandit. There was no way the light feminine voice could know he had a rule against stealing from friends, contacts, or employers. Since Kisha had employed him, he extended the same bubble of exclusion to the recipient of the letter. Even if that weren't the case, when Roith had entered The Cockatiel, theft had been the furthest thing from his mind.

As the single candle flame flickered into life, Roith's eyes were immediately drawn to the small girl sitting on the lone chair. She seemed, at first, dwarfed by the large witches hat on her head, and only after a moment did he notice the kitten curled comfortably on her lap. Almost as soon as he did however, another feline shape jumped up onto the counter and looked at him with restless eyes. Cautiously extending his fingers for the cat to smell, Roith replied to Agatha's inquiry in a calm and even tone despite the slights the girl may or may not have intentionally leveled at Kisha and himself.

"I am called Bronze, and I have indeed come to deliver a letter to you, at the request of Kisha of the Aquamarine. She also told me that upon delivery you would have further instructions for me." That said, Roith pulled the letter from his belt and walked toward her. Stopping a couple feet from her seat he knelt down so that they could speak face to face, before extending his hand to offer her the envelope. Roith kept his eyes trained on her face so that she could not say he was being disrespectful, he wasn't foolish enough not to realize that this girl was far more then she appeared. As such, he afforded her the respect he would have given any other adult.

[AdventWings]

A smile hinted on the young magician's lips as she lighted the envelope from the courier's fingers. From the shadows of the large black hat, it was almost as if her eyes smiled at the man's subservient display. The black feline familiar at the table rolled his eyes in disdain, certainly a comical display for what seemed like any regular pet. However, it finally got up on all fours and began pushing a translucent glass vessel from a nearby shelf out onto the table.

"Why, thank you, Bronze. Let's conduct our businesses at the proper stations, shall we?"

Without another word, the witch rose from her wooden throne and walked over to the table, one hand holding onto the letter while her other hand carried the other black kitty along with her. Stopping once to let the small cat down to join her brother, Agatha peered at the object in her hand through yellow-filtered candle lights as if checking for inconsistencies that would hint at a mid-journey mishap.

Without lifting a finger or uttering a word, the yellow-tinted envelope erupted in flames of brilliant red and orange before falling from her unharmed hands into the awaited glass vessel.

"Thank you for delivering it to me, Bronze. That was all I needed." The small dark-robed girl stated casually as a small wooden box drifted through the air from within the dark corners of her store. It was no larger than Roith's fist and decorated plainly... All the more reason for protection of the content's secrets. "As for the rest of the instructions, please deliver this to Kisha unharmed."

Knowing the thief would be curious as to the sudden combustion of the letter without the recipient even glancing the content over, Agatha waved the question away with a nonchalant explanation.

"Oh, don't worry. I meant to do that."

[Roith]

Roith blinked in surprise when the envelope suddenly burst into flames, thankfully he managed to keep any embarrassing looks of shock off of his face. He was rather grateful he had decided to treat the little girl with respect. Roith really had no desire to explode into spontaneous flames, mage's were so fickle, in Roith's experience they tended to light things up at even the slightest provocation. It was really quite annoying, and only a well placed dagger seemed to shut them up nowadays.

Roith was a bit nonplussed, why in the world had he bothered to deliver a letter to Agatha if she was going to just set it on fire without reading it. He didnt think she could have read the words through the envelope but maybe she had some sort of spell that let her do such things. Seemed like a waste though.

On the other hand, he supposed it shouldn't really matter to him either way, since he hadn't been expecting to know the contents of the letter anyhow. Without a word Roith plucked the small wooden box out of the air and tucked it under his arm. He was beginning to feel a bit too much like a delivery boy, but truthfully it didn't really bug him that much.

"Well, if that's all Miss, I'll take my leave of you. May the sun shine brightly for you." Roith had never really thought about where that saying had come from, his father had always said it, and Roith had picked it up out of habit. He thought it might have something to do with lighted paths, but it didn't really matter. Roith took one last look around the shop before turning his gaze back to Agatha and inclining his head. "Farewell." With that said, Roith exited the shop and headed back toward Kisha's.

When he finally managed to work his way through the busy morning crowd, Kisha's shop already had two or three clients browsing her wares. Roith had assumed that she would be behind the counter keeping a watchful eye on her prospective customers, but he couldn't see her anywhere. That's when he noticed one of the shoppers, a rather pompous looking elf, was craning his head to look into the back room with an impatient expression. Roith guessed he was waiting for Kisha to bring him something from the back room. Setting his tiny package on the counter, Roith kept one hand on top of the box while he watched several emotions flit across the elf's face. "Wow, I do not envy merchants. Looks like its nothing but aggravations."

[Zook Murnig]

For the purposes of expedience in the completion of this transaction, I am commandeering and finishing.

Roith loses 200 gold.
Roith gains 100 EXP, a 20% discount at the Aquamarine, and a copper Corone Aqua chain, which allows its wearer to breathe underwater.