Dracol Arc

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith smiled faintly at the silence on the street. He liked the silence here. He decided to look into buying a permanent room in this inn after he finished the job with the Dragomirs. He was well suited to moving around like a gypsy, as he had no ties to anyone, or anything...but it would be nice to have a semi- permanent residence in a place like this.

With that thought, he headed off in the direction of the market, his head lowered in thought.

[Asrana]

Sefeya smiled, "Do not worry about the initial payment, it's a gift from the royal family to encourage appearence."

Nodding, her voice became a little more business like. "A tailor we can take care of at the palace. As for the other things, talk to my mistress when she arrives. She will guide her guards in acquiring the equipment they require."

Pulling her cloak a little tighter around herself, Sefeya's eyes shifted around the room for an instant. "Is there anything else you need?"

[Carthrat]

"No, nothing.. except sleep."

Serilliyus stood, hefting her Runebow and placing it on her back. "Am I to travel to the palace now?"

[Asrana]

Sefeya blinked, "Well...if you wish we could make accomodations at the palace now. There won't be anything to occupy you until tomorrow morning though. My mistress will not arrive here with most of the other guards until then."

She shrugged minutely, "Though if you wish, you may come back to the palace."

[Carthrat]

Serilliyus shrugged. "What could amuse me here?" she replied, failing to add that very little amused her anywhere these days. "Besides, I quite plainly need a tailor, and if the palace shall provide one..."

[Asrana]

As Wraith neared the market, the silence retreated into a low murmur, the voices of craftsmen and customers pervading the streets.

Moving out of the crafters district, the murmur grew louder, merchants and vendors hawking their wares on the main streets of the city.

Ahead of him, Wraith could see the main market square, an area one-hundred meters on each side. A throng of merchants and buyers frequented the square, all manner of transactions being finalized with exchanges of money and a faint smell of sea salt from the harbor.

At the center of the market stood an old fountain, still in near perfect condition despite the rumor that it was as old as the city itself. Made primarily of black marble, a bench of snowy marble ran along the rim of the basin, broken only by the crystalline arches that supported a high spire of blackened steel, gold, and red crystal wrought and twisted together. There was always a slight clearing around it, as if by agreement business was not to reach the beautiful monument.

And beyond the square, up the northern avenue, stood the basalt and granite Dragon Citadel. Towering above the city and glittering blue waters of the Dracon Sea, it imposed itself on the edge of everyone's awareness, it's true massiveness hidden by familiarity with it's presence except to those new to the Dragon City.

Entering from the eastern side of the market, Wraith was quickly hit with these images, the sounds and scents of the market assaulting his other senses.

[Asrana]

Sefeya smiled, "Very well then, you may come bac to the palace with me. I am Sefeya Dracomia." She bowed slightly, obviousl expecting Seryllius' name in return before they started moving.

[Carthrat]

Serilliyus nodded. "Serilliyus. Kel'thara Serilliyus."

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith glanced around at the goings on in the market place, and headed up to the nothern avenue, as the barkeep in the inn had instructed.

As he walked through the crowd, he was careful to keep his head up, even making eye contact with a few of the merchants and customers.

In large crowds of people, take care to make eye contact, and observe your surroundings. NOTHING is more suspicious in a crowd that a man who stares at the ground and refuses to make eye contact.

He sighed slightly, unable to remember more than the words themselves. But, it had been long enough that he was beginning to grow accustomed to it. He paid careful attention to doing as the memory instructed. Someone had taken great care to drill that into him, so it was likely sound advice.

As he headed up the northern avenue, he wondered again what possessed Lady Sefaya to hire a bounty hunter as a bodyguard.

With the equivalent of a mental shrug, he dismissed the matter. Ill-suited or not, he owed Lady Sefaya a great deal, for the work she'd given him, and for her kindness. No matter what she hired him for...he'd give it his best effort.

[Asrana]

Wraith was payed little attention by the merchants of the market, not many even trying to sell him one product or another.

Of course, not many noticed him either way,, their eyes looking more for the richer of townsfolk.

Up the north avenue were a number of craft shops, many that one would expect to be supportred by the Dragon clan and Guild, such as armorers, sword smiths and even a few alchemists.

Amongst those shops were a smattering of miscellaneous ones, and a quarter-way up the avenue, was an apothecry named Jaleen's. It was a plain building made of black stone, matching the basalt road in color and visual texture.

Two windows were set into the walls on the front wall, to either side of a heavy wooden door bound in metal.

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith stopped in front of the apothecry, and faced the heavy wooden door. The urge to take a look into the building through a window was nearly overpowering, but he restrained himself.

Best to avoid poking his nose where it didn't belong, he decided. Facing the metal bound wooden door, he knocked once, loud enough to be heard but not loud enough to draw attention...

[Asrana]

A few moments later, the apothecry door slid open in front of Wraith.

Behind it was a youngish woman, probably in her late twenties, dressed in complete black. A cascade of midnight hair was held back from her dark brown eyes by the same style of silver combs and earrings Wraith had seen on a few of Sefeya's guards.

"Yes?"

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith examined her briefly, and bowed slightly. "Jaleen?" He asked politely. "You were recommended to me by Danel, as I'm looking for certain...supplies..."

[Asrana]

The woman's eyes narrowed, "Who do you work for? Danel doesn't send me any normal mercenaries..." Brushing a glance over Wraith, she waited tensely.

[Asrana]

Sefeya grinned to Serilliyus, adjusting something under her cloak and briskly leaving the tavern, barely making a whisper on the floorboards that creaked and groaned for everyone else. Taking a moment to reattach her tachi outside while waiting for Serilliyus, she surveyed the sidestreet.

It was light now, the sun cascading through clouds to light the streets. It was early enough that these streets were mostly uninhabited, but that wouldn't matter in the end. They'd have to go through the market to get to the citadel.