A Blade for a Blade

[Lye]

Shrouded in the rags of the poor, Lye crudely worked his way through the busy trade streets. The occasional explicative and shove thrown his way as crowds of customers and citizens made contact with his body. His clumsiness was for show; playing the part of a lowly beggar. His usual garbs, including the treasured crimson scarf, remained hidden beneath the cloth for the transaction he came to make. Trying to avoid open confrontation, he kept his head low, letting the shadows of the dirty cowl wash over his features. It was difficult for him to remain so incognito, but considering his past, these types of public settings required tact.

Arriving at his destination, he lifted a gloved hand, twisted into the likes of a cripple, and tapped gently on the counter to command attention. The merchant, rather new to the bazaar but quickly earning his reputation, produced himself with an inquisitive brow.

"You there," spoke the assassin from the shadow of his garbs, "I would like to buy something in trade."

Lye's robed figure heaved as though adjusting his shoulders. Between a fold of fabric at his front, slid two blackened titanium katars upon the counter-top, each with two foot blades. Lye had used these blades to claim many lives, but their sheen would lie to their past. A beautiful luster and shine, topped with a razor edge; it was clear these blades were well cared for.

"I would like to trade these," he began tapping the counter, "for a pair of eastern short swords. I have heard them called 'wakizashi'? If, at all possible, in the same material as these here. I'd like the handle and scabbard to be made of a dark red wood or lacquer finish and minimal hand guards. Considering the weight and mass of the raw material compared to what I'm asking, I don't see why a straight trade couldn't be arranged. What might you say?"

((A close representation of what I want here (http://jhbladesmith.com/amboyna-sanmai-cable-wakizashi/) with a matte instead of glossy finish.))

[Aurelianus Drak'shal]

The merchant looked over the large weapons, quirking his eyebrow once more at the exceptionally long punch-daggers. He reached out, glancing up at the hooded figure before him, but he didn't voice any of his questions. He was new to the Bazaar, but he already knew the basics of his business - don't dwell on where the weapons you buy came from, or where the weapons you sell are going.

He was a Thayne-fearing man, but money was money.

He grunted a little in surprise at the weight of the blades, despite the lovely balance on them. He knew the material, but it was rare he got to see so much of it in the same place at the same time. He could turn a pretty penny from these.

"Titanium. That's rare, right enough. Hard to work with, too," he added, once again glancing up into the shadows under the customer's hood.

He tutted, hummed and hawed to himself for a good few minutes, pulling out a small abacus and running some calculations. After that, he weighed the weapons on a specially constructed scale - it was all necessary, but more to the point, it showed the potential client he knew what he was doing, which made it more likely he could get a decent price out of the rube.

"Taking the required metal from these, I can make what you need for.. oh, let's say two-hundred and fifty gold?"

It was a good offer, and offered a discount, mainly because the merchant was going to turn a tidy profit with the excess titanium left over.

[Lye]

"Two hundred and fifty," the shrouded figure restated.

He shifted his weight, trying to remind himself this was a business venture and not something he could take by force. Perhaps if this were a transaction in a less populated area, he could use his typical methods of persuasion. Alas, humans typically produced better work while done so of their own free will. Lye's methods tended to be distracting at best.

"Although I would imagine there is much money to be made, you have a deal."

The hunched figure produced a small leather satchel on the counter with a satisfying thud. The muffle of coin mating with coin rang as the contents settled.

[Aurelianus Drak'shal]

Transaction Completed.

250 gold to be deducted from Lye's account.

[Max Dirks]

250 GP deducted.

Transaction complete!