Flashback Part 8: The Compromise

[Karsynwa]

51st of Fall, 490 AV

Kasynwa found himself this morning in the odd position of helping a shop owner set up his stall in the wee hours before first light. He was supposed to keep an eye on the Zhonjie Warren all day, and this seemed like the most natural way to insert himself into the swing of things. Still if it hadn’t been for his mentor making the introductions, he didn’t think he would have been able to pass himself off as interested in the labor. The man sold wooden figurines for petch sake. How much more boring could you get, though Karsynwa bore it all for now with a flat look which was as much as he could muster.

The shop owner picked up on that quickly, and picked him for a lazy boy. So he was quick to whack him with a thin stick across the back of the legs when his pace wasn’t to the vendor’s desire. Karsynwa wondered if Arrel had sold it to him that way, or if it was his own lack of interest that was doing him in. He decided on the latter for sanity sake, though he could easily imagine Arrel lurking in the distance snickering at this bit of trouble.

Whichever was the case, he certainly needed to get better about his acting ability, and talking a little more clearly so he didn’t have to lean on his mentor all of the time. Sharp eyes only got him so far he was quickly starting to realize when trying to pursue this kind of work. Even if that was fast becoming his favorite part of the whole thing. Watching people, and trying to figure out what it all meant with their day to day behavior. Looking for escape routes. It was all like some grand adventure, the he was quick to remind himself of the seriousness with this kind of work.

“If you slow down anymore we won’t open in time to catch the first customers.” Came a reedy voice, followed bay a thwack across his shins. Karsynwa decided the man was being deliberately troublesome. He was moving as quick as he could, and he was not even close to out of shape. Was he really that much of a penny pincher that he felt the need to run off his help before it came time to pay them. That time was soon approaching as Karsynwa understood it, as he wouldn’t be helping once the sun rose. Another thwack, and Karsynwa sighed.

The man’s dress certainly did seem inclined to that supposition. They were functional clothes, with no color added. Rough and sturdy. His one concession to luxury was a metal bracelet around his right wrist. It looked like gold but when Karsynwa got a closer look at it stowing a crate under the counter, he saw it had chips in it. Beneath it was burnished copper. There were also flecks of gold paint on the corner of the counter where the man rested his hands.

WC: 500

[Karsynwa]

Karsynwa narrowed his eyes but he kept at the work till everything was stowed away. It seemed odd that the man would want to fake something as little as that when his clothes were obviously plain. However, maybe that factored into his angle. Looking like a wealthy merchant that got that way by being smart with his money, only splurging on occasion. He could see how that could be endearing though he didn’t think he and the man would ever get along. Not just because of the constant harassment. Thwack.

“I’m not about to put up with this much more.” Karsynwa growled unintentionally. The vendor scowled at him, though there seemed to be something else in his eyes. “Go then, no one is stopping you. I could get a goat to do it faster.”

Karsynwa tensed up, took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly before turning around. He didn’t even know what to say to such a rude dismissal. So he walked off his temper in the crowd for a while, and did what came naturally. Browse. Though nothing particularly caught his eye among the stalls, he wasn’t really browsing those items. It was the people he was needing to watch this morning. The vendors and the potential patrons especially. There was apparently a man who came here every morning close to first light that he needed to see. He wasn’t given a description, part of the challenge he supposed, but he was offered the hint that it would be hard to miss this man’s presence.

So Karsynwa was looking for someone who was causing a scene. Maybe haggling a little to loudly or trying to duel among the stalls. What he had not expected, but quickly realized he should have was a man to appear with horns. Not expected the horns part obviously, he didn’t even know they could have them, but he should have had an inkling that the man would be noticeable because of a drastic variation in his appearance. That was the simplest explanation after all.

The man with the horns and the sun kissed skin was currently browsing some glassware. He seemed to be a quiet enough fellow, keeping mostly to himself as he walked slowly among the stalls. Half the time he didn’t even seem like he was looking at the wares, though unlike Karsynwa, it looked like this one was distracted by something inward. Call it a hunch, but staring at the ground wasn’t very conductive for anything else. The vendors tended to give him his space, not really going out of their way to hawk him anything which Karsynwa found curious. He’d never known a vendor not to chase down someone for a sale so that told him they knew something about this man that he did not.

Karsynwa gave the figure a closer look as he pretended to browse at a fruit shop. He paid for an apple while he gave the man’s horns a much closer look.

WC: 500

[Karsynwa]

They seemed other worldly, almost as if they were not a part of the head they emerged from. Made of some kind of colored glass or crystal. A bright gold, the glinted warmly where the sunlight glanced off of them. Combined with his auburn hair, it looked like he was staring into a living painting so rich where the colors there. His skin added to the appeal, a rose gold that he hadn’t seen a human with before. Then came the man’s garb which seemed utterly divorced from the vision before him. Grey shirt, gray shoes, and a pair of worn, brown boots with holes in places. The picture didn’t fit, and Karsynwa immediately knew this was the man he sought.

Karsynwa walked off as far as he dared, putting a stall in between them. He really didn’t want to get caught out watching this man now that he was sure he had found his target. Curious enough, the man didn’t seem to be keen on doing anything untoward, but his appearance definitely warranted further exploration. Something wasn’t lining up here, a notion that was reinforced when he stopped and chatted with a vendor at the corner of the market. Karsynwa crept closer to see if he could overhear what was being said.

Unfortunately, when he did so the vendor kind of flinched towards him a little. Did not exactly look at him, but he’d caught the twitch. Something he found himself doing on occasion which told him whatever he was doing, the vendor wasn’t exactly used to this kind of thing. This kind of thing being something he didn’t want to be watched doing, which further peaked Karsynwa’s interest. Though that was all he was left with as the Ethaefal quickly departed from the market, and while Karsynwa attempted to follow the man, he lost him very quickly. Tracking wasn’t something he was very good at, something drilled into him of late by way of the fact he kept losing very obvious looking targets. He really needed to study his maps more.

So it was with some amount of reluctance that ended up returning to the Kuvay’nas head quarters after hanging around the market for another bell. None of the vendors other interactions amounted to much. Seemed to be selling today’s catch, and wrapped it up before the sun spoiled all of his stock. Karsynwa couldn’t figure out what he was doing beyond the fact that he was a little suspicious. He left it at that though. Rightly so in his opinion because he didn’t want to further spook the man with his lack of tact in questioning. Perhaps that was something he could practice haggling around here when there wasn’t a job on the line.

That at least gave himself something else to think about on his way back to his mentor as he tried to phrase how exactly he was going to present things to him. He hoped at least that his mentor would have a lead on where he should go next.

WC: 506

[Karsynwa]

Back in their small classroom, Arrel was sitting on the edge of a table looking him over. He had just completed telling his mentor about what he had gathered at the market that morning, and the man seemed to be taking it all in. Then after what felt like the longest chime, Arrel hopped down from the edge of the table.

“That man is an Ethaefal. One of Syna, which means he changes when the sun rises and when it sets. Ethaefal are not like kelvic in that they can change anytime back into a human. They have no control over their change so far as I can tell, and their other form is not always human. It could be anything really, save a kelvic. In this case, we are worried that his other form might be a Zith or one of those women snatchers, the Symenestra. Both, we would like to quickly deal with if that was the case.” Arrel said.

Karsynwa shuddered at the thought, to think such grace could be hiding such a beast. He hadn’t even known that was possible, and this brought him back to that earlier interaction with a far greater degree of suspicion. “I suppose we haven’t seen his alternate form then?”

“No, but a few people have. Claim he is an Akavari. One of those half seals that are in love with the arts. However, we have a reason to doubt their testimony. They are not exactly the best Riverfall has to offer if you catch my meaning.”

Karsynwa took that in for a moment before he responded. “So you want me to watch them next? Do we know where they like to hang out?”

Arrel nodded. “At the Kulkukan. I’ll be going with you tonight so I can point them out, and help as needed. I’ve got a plan germinating and I’d like to get a good look at the place before we set things in motion.” Karsynwa felt a twinge of excitement at that. He could see a similar eagerness in Arrel which was strange to see on the man, but then again they hadn’t hunted a potential Zith together before. He could understand the man’s zeal. Karsynwa had heard all kinds of horror stories about the monsters growing up, though he knew little about their actual physiology. Hadn’t even seen one in person yet, though he was anxious for the day he would be old enough for his trial. Walking over to the table, he tried to see if he get any clues as to the plan. Arrel didn’t seem to mind, so he looked as much as he wanted.

One thing stood out to him. A sketch they had looked at on their first night only this one was much more detailed with clear routes drawn out in a red ink. Below one line was written ‘Surprise’. “Planning on testing their response? With what?” Arrel smiled, and then huddled in closer to explain the drawings.

WC: 497

[Karsynwa]

“A test of sort, bait them with some false news. I got the idea that after we watch them for a while we have someone come in shouting they found one of the races we are suspicious him being. Then we watch their expressions for tells. Only drawback is we only get this one test so we are going to have to follow it up by having someone in place to follow them when they leave. Because I have a hunch that even if we get it wrong, they will still try to go to him as soon as can be managed without looking suspicious. Just to make sure that he is laying low.” Arrel said, leaning on the table.

Karsynwa had to agree with the point. It certainly made sense from his point of view. If these people were friends of his, which was hard to believe if he was one of these beasts, then they would try to connect to him tonight. However he had to play the other side in his head to where they just might be concerned for the shifter that has drawn a lot of attention lately. They didn’t want to make a mistake, so hence the slow approach which he was quickly coming to realize was the soundest option.

“It sounds like a good plan, when do we set it into motion?” Karsynwa asked, shifting slightly towards his mentor.

“In a few days, I want you to observe them first. Try and get a gauge on what their personalities are like before we try this mission. I want to see how effective our plan will be and have a little more time to prepare for it. In the meantime we are keeping an eye on the Ethaefal’s residence to make sure he doesn’t cause any trouble.”

Karsynwa nodded, and looked down at the sketch below. They certainly had quite a few exits to cover here, and that was without knowing where the guards where which was important if they didn’t want to be questioned loitering about. Could be important to if they wanted to attempt a extraction like they had worked on in their practice. Didn’t sound like they would be doing that, but he didn’t know if things might change in the future. Arrel was always counseling him to be adaptable.

“Maybe I’ll get a good look at this tavern too. See where we are at with things on a basic level.”

Arrel smiled at this idea, and clapped him on the shoulder. “You really are getting the hang of this. Still need some work though, so don’t stop trying to improve just because I gave you a little compliment.” Arrel chided, poking him in the ribs with an elbow.

Karsynwa put on a mocked hurt look while he held his side, but he couldn’t keep the face longer than a tick before he started laughing. “Don’t worry, I won’t let it go to my head. I know the seriousness of our business.” He said once he managed to quell his laughter and muster up some calm. He still felt giddy though. Excited to be a part of the swing of things. He supposed that was something he should work on soon as well.

WC: 542

[Reed]

Grades Awarded!

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Karsynwa

Skills

• Acting: 1
• Intelligence: 5
• Investigation: 1
• Observation: 5
• Rhetoric: 1

Lores

• Location: Zhonjie Warren
• Acting: Feigning interest in an apprenticeship
• Investigation: Discovered a shopkeep painted his copper bracelet gold
• Intelligence: Observed an Ethaefal get a cold reception from most vendors in the Zhonjie Warren
• Intelligence: A vendor caught him watching and flinched while talking with the Ethaefal
• Location: Kuvay’Nas Lodge
• Lore - Ethaefal of Syna
• Lore - Akavatari

Awards & Retribution


Notes