Kirash
The Silver Gar
I was strolling calmly down the streets of Trinsic. I had
returned from the Mage Shop, just north of my current position,
where I was ‘borrowing’ scrolls and recall runes from
the very generous mages who wander the area. It was a most
profitable trade, I found, as many people would buy these runes
for upwards of two hundred gold. I was browsing through my
spellbook, meager as it was, while I heard a voice call out my
name. I instinctively drew into the shadows, and hid quickly. I
looked around to see a man in bright green robes calling me.
“Khirsah!” said the man, his short grayish hair
swirling around his head as he spoke.
Recognizing who it was, I stepped out of the shadows. I walked
silently to where he stood, his back to me. I reached into his
pack and found a scroll.
“Paragon, it seems that thou has dropped something.”
He whirled around, saw me holding the scroll, and laughed.
“Greetings, Khirsah.”
“How fare thee, Paragon?” I handed the scroll back
to him, it was just a scroll for the spell of recall, which I
already possessed.
“Quite well. Today has been most profitable.”
I nodded in agreement. “Paragon, I have a proposition for
thee. Come.”
I began to walk west, towards the Trinsic docks. Many people
we walked by shot us scathing glances. We ignored them, finding
them uninteresting. There packs however, were veritable caves of
wonder. Paragon followed a few steps behind. When we were a safe
distance away from prying ears, I told him of my plan.
“Today, Paragon, I borrowed a key.”
“To what? Dost thou know?”
“No, that is the problem. However, I believe that we
could sell a ship.”
He looked at me in puzzlement for a second, thinking that we
did not own a ship. Then there was the gleam of understanding in
his eyes. “A fine ship it is, too, Khirsah,” he said,
his voice dripping with sarcasm. I grinned.
We resumed our walk towards the Trinsic docks, hawking our
ship along the way. We had few bites, when we came upon a tall,
well built man dressed in golden plate armor. I felt that
apprehension in my gut that I always felt when I saw a victim.
“Greetings, noble sir. How fare thee on this fine
day?” I said conversationally.
“Quite well.”
“Do you have a ship, sir?” Paragon asked.
“Nay, I do not. I have been looking to buy one for some
time now.”
I looked at Paragon, a smile dawning upon my lips.
Paragon nodded. “Well, sir, we have a ship for sale. One
of the finest, I may add.”
He stepped forward slightly. Too close, as he may realize
later. The man spoke again. “How much are you selling it
for?”
Not having thought this over, I panicked slightly. I tried to
come up with a respectable figure in short time, but
Paragon’s quick thinking saved me.
“Two thousand gold, sir.”
He considered this, and nodded. “Agreed. Will you show me
this ship, then?”
“Yes, milord, come this way.” I put my hand on his
shoulder and guided him towards our destination. We reached the
docks shortly. I was scanning several ships, looking for a
promising one. I passed one named the ‘Silver Gar,’ and
decided that it was our (his) ship.
“This is it, milord. The Silver Gar,” I told him.
“It is a fine ship indeed,” he exclaimed. He looked
it over, seeing its fine repair, its beautifully carved dragon
head at the prow, and stopped. “How do I know that this is
your ship?”
“You must trust us, milord. We were told by the owner of
this fine ship that we weren’t to open it for anyone.”
Again, Paragon’s quick thinking saved us.
He looked suspiciously at us. “Half now, half when I get
on the boat.” Paragon spoke again. “Fifteen hundred
now, five hundred when thou finds it works.”
“Agreed. Here is the gold,” he said, handing me a
bag. I pulled the key out of my pouch, and handed it to him. With
a quick look at Paragon, we took off running.
We had much practice running without a sound, and the man in
golden plate didn’t even notice our departure. We heard him
yell in the distance, “what the hell? My keyring! Stop those
thieves! Guards!” Apparently he hadn’t tried the key on
the boat yet, either. I looked at the keys on the ring I had
borrowed from him when he stepped too close to me. One for his
guild house, another for a ship named the ‘Drake,’ and
several more apparently for locked chests. Paragon and I decided
what to do with our newfound fortune.
|
Stratics Central
