The Drunken Rat

[Talion]

Turning his attention away from the half-elf with whom he had been conversing, Talion chose to look to the female who had interrupted them. She was differently foreign from the way she dressed. Not that he wasn't foreign himself and barley fit in with the customs of this land but she stood out like non other that he had seen.

Her skin held the warm color of honey that vastly contrasted with the much paler skin that he had. Her hair was long and tangled even though she had it tied behind her in a braid. The most notable thing about her was the vast amount of gold she wore about her, well that and her eyes, eyes that were both wild but gentle seemed to convey her need for help as she had asked of them.

Though was he wasn't really interested in what the woman had to say, he sat there quietly as if he listened to her. The only real thought on his mind was that of acquiring more drugs. Even now he could taste the sweet sweet smoky flavor of the plant. The feeling of it filling his lungs as he absorbed the wonderful magical essence, it made him shudder just a bit.

Licking his lips, he leaned forward just a bit. With a slow and painful movement, he brought a shaking hand up to his chest.

"I am called Talion."

Returning his gaze to the lizard that sat on the bar, flicking it's tongue in and out, he added "Damn, I could use a smoke."

[Cimri Mayensis]

Cimri ambled into the Drunken Rat, coin purse semi-flush from several hours of picking semi-wealthy pockets. Not that she was about to spend any of it.

Her nose twitched at so many odors in such a cramped space, but she'd long ago grown accustomed to the sensual overload of the city. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she scanned for the day's meal ticket and shifted out of the doorway. Curving her lips into an suggestive smile, Cim spotted a lonely-looking dwarf. Hel-lo free food. And as if her day hadn't been lucky enough, her soon-to-be "new friend" was sitting near a small group. One of whom had enough gold on display that several pieces might go missing and she probably wouldn't notice for a year.

Smile in place, she put a swing into her step and sauntered towards the dwarf, by way of her other target's table.

[Theo]

Theo kept his gaze on the woman who had just introduced herself to the pair at the bar.

"Well, Hello Kat." Theo's grinned widened as he said the words. A newcomer to the area would surely be easy to use to get what he needed. His eyes darted between everyone in the bar. The guards seemed to be giving the odd bunch a few pointed looks while Arevus and his associates were still deeply locked in their discussion.

This entire situation could get tricky Theo thought to himself as he placed his hand on his forehead. It was obvious he was nervous about something but he was set in his plan. All he had to do was befriend some of these people and one of them might be able to lead him to what he needs.

Though, to be honest. Who needs friends when he could just use them to get what he needs without becoming attached.

He turned his focus back to Kat as she sat at the bar.

"My name is Theo, and is an absolute pleasure to meet you."

[Tsaikatlaua]

Tsaikatlaua had only chosen her nickname because it was more likely to be easy on the tongue of these northerners, and also for the slight amusement value it had. She could, after all, become a cat. A very scary one, at that. However, she was not used to being called Kat, and she wasn't sure that she liked it... but too late now.

She looked down again and shifted in her seat, bringing her wine to her lips again and sipping delicatly. "Theo? You lived long in land, no?" She eyed him easily, noting his seeming nervousness and idly wondering what it meant.

Playing with the gold bracelets caused small particles of light to flash warmly off of the carvings on the bands, and Tsaikatlaua made these yellowy-gold glints dance along the smooth wood of the bar. She gave another smile to Talion, then spoke softly. "A smoke? You mean drug? I might able help you that with."

Tsaikatlaua knew poisons mostly. But she knew enough about the composition of drugs and things like that to get by--they were, after all, just another type of poison. She slid a bronze hand under her thick outer mantle and removed a small leather bag that was stuffed with different leaves and various bits of dried plants, all shapes, colors, and sizes. "What kind drug?"

[Talion]

"A smoke? You mean drug? I might able help you that with."

Turning back to the woman, he raised his eyebrow as if to question the comment that she had just made. Realizing that in doing so, he was repeating a long time dead habit of his father, he quietly cursed himself. It was not that he didn't see the power behind the gesture and what it could do for him, it was that a part of him still blamed the man for what had become of him.

Leaning even closer in his seat, a half-mad toothy smile spread on his face. He would have tried harder to control his emotions if if were not for the great amount of pain that he was in, as it was what little smile he was able to pull off even hurt.

Why hadn't he thought before to ask another foreigner? The plant that he had so desperately been searching for was not native to this land. It only made since that someone from another land, someone who had traveled to a place in which the plant grows wild would have it.

Reaching towards the small pouch on his belt he pulled out his old wooden pipe and a few pieces of dried herb. The fern, for it was a small fern-like plant was a dark green in color with veins of a lighter green and streaks of deep purple ran through it. A small crimson flower lay crushed in his hand. Talion lovingly ran his finger over a petal which fell off revealing tiny little golden-brown seeds underneath.

Carefully moving his shaking hand over to where the woman could get a better look at it, he eyed her hopefully.

"Do you know this plant? It comes from the Island."

[Theo]

Theo? You lived long in land, no?

It wasn't a question he had been asked often. However, having just made his way back into Marn it was probably something he should have been asked more.

"To be honest. I just moved to this city recently. I grew up in Shim and when my father passed away I decided to move to the city to try and make a living for myself." He was lying. He didn't know if it was obvious or not. but he didn't move back to make a living. He had returned for revenge. But this little lie was of no concern to him at the moment.

"What is your purpose in this city Kat?" he asked out of curiosity. Theo hardly ever met anyone from outside of Shim or Marn, so meeting this foreigner was a bit of a shock to him.

He watched as Kat and Talion talked of drugs, with little interest in the properties. He sat idly taking sips from his ale as he waited for either of them to say anything of interest to him.

[Tsaikatlaua]

Turning her attention momentarily from the drug-obsessed person to the seemingly more sane one, Tsaikatlaua smiled charmingly at him. "I am only in town for short time, think." She was, of course, hesitant to touch on why she was in the city--she never knew who would be listening, and it wasn't really a good idea to tell just anyone she wanted to steal a highly protected and heavily book kept in a forbidden library.

Turning back to Talion she smiled, hunting around in her purse. She didn't have an exact match, but one of the plants that grew in her home was both highly addictive and looked nearly exactly the same as the one Talion was almost caressing. Wiping a look of cat-like supremecy off her face she pulled out a darker reddish flower and withdrew some of its seeds, holding them in her palm. She let slip a tiny piece of her smile as she offered them to him.

If he fell for it, he'd quickly become addicted to her drug, and she could possibly get him to help her in exchange for more. It was a long shot, but it might work.

[Talion]

Talion let a hint of disappointment creep into his face as he saw the woman pull out a very similar looking red flower and began to pull the seeds out of it. He couldn't quite tell if the flower was of the same plant or not put the fact that she lacked the fern-like leaves was enough to sadden him.

"You don't have the leaves do you?" he asked eying the seeds, the small little golden orbs rolled around in her hand just tempting him. As much as he would like to take them, he knew that the high from the leaves was much better, it was in the deep purple veins that the small amount of magic it contained flowed.

Picking up a leaf out of his hand, he slowly and in between shaking fingers, held it out for her to see.

"Look here, see the purple veins? Or you..." Turning towards Theo, "you see them, that is where the true essence of the plant flows."

The effort and pain it was taking Talion to keep from falling off of the stool was hard enough but trying to ignore the tremendous headache was growing even harder. It hurt to speak. It hurt to see. Everything hurt but he needed to control himself, he needed to make some sort of deal with this stranger.

Accidentally knocking over his walking stick, which had been propped up against the bar, he turned back to face her. Nodding his head, he leaned in to grab the seeds out of her hand, it would be hell to eat them but he needed the high. Stopping just short of taking the seeds, he met her eyes.

"And what do you want in exchange?"

[Cimri Mayensis]

And what do you want in exchange?

Those words were the first thing Cimri heard as she slinked towards the dwarf. They registered somewhere in the back of her brain. Always good to eavesdrop on negotations. You never knew when you could collect some decent blackmail.

Her mind flashed briefly to the cook she had recently overheard... Then the woman she'd seen emerging from the shadows this morning. But both were irrelevant. Only this conversation and her current two marks mattered right now.

As she smoothly slid through the crowd, she kept her sensitive ears trained towards the table where the man negotating sat with her gold-bedecked target.

A hand flashed out, too quick for a human eye, barely noticeable in its delicate touch, and reached instinctively for an easy-looking piece of gold. Her fingers wrapped lightly around the chunk of metal.

[Theo]

I am only in town for short time, think.

"That wasn't what I... Oh never mind" He said as he slumped back into his seat. This language thing was getting to be a bit of a annoyance. Theo look towards Kat and in a spoke vary slowly and clear manor, one which suggested he was either talking to a small child, or was beginning to show signs if his intoxication, in the hopes that she would catch on.

"Do you need some help around the city? Perhaps I could show you around."

Sure it seemed like he was making a nice gesture, but in reality, he was just a little drunk. And hoping to get her close enough so that he could use her to collect information for him from people who are not so trusting of his own nature.

The conversation quickly changed subjects when the odd elf began speaking of plants and ferns. Thing which Theo had never been to fond of. If anything was going to affect his state of mind it was going to be his drinking habits.

"Look here, see the purple veins? Or you..." Turning towards Theo, "you see them, that is where the true essence of the plant flows."

He couldn't help but shy away from the elf's odd behavior. Just what I need Theo thought to himself. Out of everyone to meet in a bar I had to meet up with a junkie. He nodded politely as the elf continued to talk about the small bits of plant it was waving about.

he finished the last bit of ale in his tankard before putting it back on the bar. Wobbling a bit in his seat Theo decided that he was cutting himself off for the night, wanting to at least be able to make it home.

And what do you want in exchange?

He was having difficulties following the conversation at the moment, but the best he could figure was that the plant obsessed elf was trying to find out how much Kat wanted for her little seeds. Not something he was really all that concerned about.

He sat there attempting to remain balanced on his stool, thinking to himself I never thought the ale was this strong.

[Tsaikatlaua]

Tsaikatlaua kept her smile to one of seemingly gentle concern. She held out two of the small flowers to Talion with a worried air. "Of course. I not knowing which bit is best--I do not use this flower. And I ask all for favor to be spoken later. That is all."

She turned to Theo next, blinking innocently at him with honey-colored eyes. "You would show me around?" Her language was fast improving as she spoke to these mainlanders, for which she was grateful. Parrot had made a good gift of language to her. "That would be helpful, surely. I don't know ways in this city; it is confuse."

A very light tickling feeling distracted her for a moment, then she placed it. There was a reason she'd worn all this gold into some tavern--to find a theif. It appeared she had one. Her own hand flicked out and strong fingers encircled a wrist. She knew that the theif wouldn't likely break away, as Tsai's stranght was like an anaconda's power. She muttered very softly, not able to see the theif but knowing one was close. "Now, you want to not do that. I could give to over to the guarding without a third thought. What will you do for me so I do not?"

[Cimri Mayensis]

Cimri's slender muscles froze as a hand clamped about her wrist, an instinctive reaction to control a startled jump or shriek that would draw attention. After a second, she forced her muscles to loosen again, giving a light shake to her slight form.

"Now, you want to not do that. I could give to over to the guarding without a third thought. What will you do for me so I do not?"

She took a moment to sort out the woman's odd grammar and accent. Actually, it was more like five moments, as her mind got side-tracked by the "third thought" mistake, but a tightening of the fingers on her wrist pulled her back.

A low growl tried to escape her throat. Cimri didn't take well to threats and blackmail. Being too experienced in the use of the latter, she knew caving once meant caving every time. But those entrapping fingers were an eerie and probably unintentional representation of her other option - having a hand chopped off by the guard.

Child of a skunk! Flea-bitten mangy dog! She shook ragged golden bangs out of her eyes, but the streak of black was tangled in her long lashes. Her pupils slitted vertically as she glared daggers at the hand about her own and briefly contemplated trying to gnaw it off. But that wasn't a human reaction, or a wise one, she knew. "What could you possibly want from me?" she choked out around all the vile curses filling up her brain. She refused to acknowledge that her teeth had shifted enough to cause the distortion.

[Talion]

"Don't do it, don't trust her. You don't know her, you don't know what she has planned for you. She could be poisoning you for all you know. Use your head for once you stupid fool." Leaning over him, Master spat in Talion's ear. It was unclear as to when exactly Master appeared but it was a common enough act of the cloaked demon. With long bony fingers barley covered in flesh, he dug into Talion's shoulder while whispering his words of warning.

A warning that went, for the most part, unnoticed. Were it not for promise of the release from the torture that came with withdrawals, he might have listened to Master. As it was all he could think of was the sweet release from pain.

Taking the two small flowers from the woman, he placed them in his pouch. It would not be wise to partake in the drug with the watchful eyes of the guard so near.

Pleased with himself for accomplishing his goal, Talion missed the appearance of the of second woman.

"Now, you want to not do that. I could give to over to the guarding without a third thought. What will you do for me so I do not?"

"Hmm...?" Looking up, Talion was relived to see that Kat was not speaking to him. Upon entering the city, he had learned that magic was illegal and was glad that this seemed not to be some sort of setup by the locals to imprison foreigners.

Taking in the newcomer, his eyes were drawn to the shiny piece of metal she held in her hand. Gold. From the look of it, it seemed to be a piece that formally made its home among the many shiny pieces that adorned Kat. Thief.

Sitting back on his stool, Talion planned to observe the exchange of words between the two as a form of amusement. He had completed what his mission in the city and thought to entertain himself while he remained here.

[Tsaikatlaua]

Tsaikatlaua couldn't believe that she'd actually caught a decent thief. She hadn't even noticed the girl until she'd felt a slight tickle around her jewelry--and it was more of a subconscious thing than a physical feeling. Something about having become a godly-avatar apparently made it hard to steal from Tsaikatlaua. Not that she minded. And anyway... back to her thief.

Her voice was quiet as she continued to speak, aiming the soft words at the unseen girl. "I need a thief. Why think you I bring so many gold to shitty bar?" 'Shitty' was her new word. She'd overheard it from one of the other partons and liked it, though she wasn't entirely sure of its exact meaning.

She'd given up the flowers with a smile to Talion. Turning her attention back to him and seeming almost normal, for all that she had a would-be criminal in the shackle she'd made of her hand, she said, "I have more, should need. Simple speak, you get."

[Cimri Mayensis]

I need a thief. Why think you I bring so many gold to shitty bar?

Cimri cocked a brow at the stranger's delight in saying "shitty." It was like the first time a five-year-old repeats a curse word. This five-year-old, however, had a grip like iron. Seeing as she didn't seem too keen on letting go any time soon, Cim decided she was tired of standing up and slid forward into the seat next to her captor.

It occurred to the cougar that as the stranger didn't appear interested in having her imprisoned, and she had made no mention of payment, this could actually end only semi-unpleasantly for her.

In fact, her golden eyes widened slightly at the thought, maybe she's got a job. It's been years since I've had company on a heist. And months since I've done anything challenging enough for my tastes... Cimri's angular face lit up almost imperceptibly.

"I'm listening," she said simply, focusing all her attention on the woman next to her.