Second Hand Secrets (Javial)

[Mok]

Winter 4, 9:20 AM, Crimson Edge Camp

Mok could be a simple man. As long as the Crimson Edge had beer and food for the winter he would be happy. Most of the gang was elsewhere at the moment. Mok was basically alone in Sunberth. He couldn't help it though. It was hard to make friends with people who were not one hundred percent loyal. In the myrian's eyes to be one hundred percent one needed to spill blood with him. That was the only way he could trust his life in the hands of others. None where equals to him except his life brothers.

The food shortage was coming near and Mok sat alone on a log near the crimson camp. The whole group was off on "high adventures" as Cade called them. He wished that the crimson would just do the easy jobs with him. Either way, he was left behind. On the bright side Eryss and his cousin would be back soon.

Bingo! That's when it came to him. He needed to stock up on the food before their return. Perfect! Mok would rob someone for all their goods. It was perfect! He would hide the goods temporarily in the wild lands and come get them later once he had the proper storage unit. Cade and Eryss would definitely love to have a season’s worth of provisions.

It was settled then. Mok would steal some winter supplies. He couldn't do it alone, but he had a hunch. And a hunch was all he needed to get started. The myrian jogged towards the city.

~~~

9:55 AM, some back alley in Sunberth

The cloaked warrior was leaning against an ally wall. The buildings around him were at least three or four stories tall. He was in the heart of this treacherous city, but oddly everything was slow today. The air was still and damp with only the slightest signs of the sea's breeze. The myrian slowly scanned his surroundings from left to right, then back to the left. There were a few dreary peasants walking with gloomy faces, but nothing out of the ordinary. More people would come through, but he only needed to remain patient. In due time, he would see the person he was looking for: Cano.

Cano was a grizzled sailor who worked "odd jobs". In Sunberth that could mean anything from helping rob a ship full of drugs to finding the corpses of loved ones. That old dog was always at the bar spilling the beans on all the newest rumors in the city. Only a few people knew about this scumbag. Most of his shit was useless, but every once in a while he would actually know someone who knew something. Better than nothing.

Also, Mok had a hunch.

Minutes passed and a number of people walked in and out of the alley, none of which were Cano. Blast! The myrian could have sworn that the bastard lived in that area. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a man who he recognized. Immediately, Mok jumped up and jogged after him.

"Oi! Wait up!" the myrian yelled at the person he recognized. The man's physic reminded the myrian of someone he had seen at a tavern.

The man stopped and turned around with wide beady eyes, "What you trying to do?"

"Shit nothing, just trying to find Old Cano. Can you help a man out?"

"Cano? He died a fortnight ago, bitch cut his jugular she did" the man chortled.

Raising an eyebrow. He could not believe that, "Did he now? Who are you again?"

"I ain't no one. I'm real low key brother. Get me?"

"Don't petch with me 'brother'. Where's Cano?"

"I told you, he was killed a fortnight~"

Mok interrupted, "Alright, forget it. Listen. Where can I find a dealer?"

"A dealer? Whachyou mean a dealer?"

"If you knew Cano, you know exactly what I am getting at."

"I get you... the word is there is a guy, an information broker, has the contacts on some major product. The finniest Pulp. It's said he hangs out over yonder," The man said as he pointed down in the direction of the harbor.

"What does he go by?"

"Javial."

"Good deal. I appreciate the tip," Mok flicked a silver piece at him and headed into the shadows of the alley.

"Likewise. Be safe."

~~~

1:14 PM, near Sunberth's harbor

Mok had been snooping around the city looking for Javial for almost three hours now. Every so often he would ask a shady character of the name, but he was always turned away. With no other clues this was all that he could do. No matter. The myrian had fun watching people go about their daily business. It was almost amusing to him that he was looking for a mysterious man. He couldn't help it though. He needed to find some leads to get him going. If anything he could rob some drugs and sell it for beer and food. It would probably take a couple of days anyways to get any information. He couldn't expect it to just land in his lap after searching for a few measly hours.

Sighing, Mok sat down on a street bench and watched merchants and sailors pass by. Things had gotten boring. Maybe he wouldn't rob the beer and food. Maybe he would just return to the bar and get drunk and not think about it. Maybe. Or maybe not. The myrian decided to ask the next person he saw. Someone began to turn the corner of an alley. Mok caught a glimpse of him before he whistled.

"Oi! Do you know where I can find a man named Javial?"

Red = Myrian
Bold = Common

[Javial Kripsin]

The man paused for a moment, standing in place before turning to look at the half Myrian. He was a tired looking man, great bags beneath his eyes, and heavy lines upon his brow. His clothing was plain, mostly whites and browns of a cheap but worthy fabric to keep the cold away. He appeared to be in thought for a moment before stating, mostly for his own benefit, "Bastard owes me ten gold Miz, think I'll go collect." With those words he turned slightly and began heading into the center of the city. The man didn't even seem to look back to observe whether or not Mok was following, but somehow he seemed to instinctively recognize that he was. His movements were steady, not at all elusive, and with a consistent pace he entered the Castle Commons. Many market stalls and houses rose up all around the both of them, denoting the Castle Commons as one of the most populated places in Sunberth. It was the heart of the city, after all. Activity was common, but so was petty theft. With so many bodies it could be difficult to keep track of one out of the many, and with every small abode looking much like the next it could have been quite the trial picking one out of lot. Finally the man stopped before one house in particular, almost pointedly ignoring Mok. He turned toward the door before staring upward at the sky. As his glance lowered he made another comment, not truly directed at anyone, simply letting it wash away into the surrounding air. "What was it I was doing...eh, always next time." and with a shrug, the man simply did an about face from the home and left back the way he came. If Mok pursued entering the house he would find the door was unlocked, and if he knocked a male voice simply requesting him to enter would be heard, but should he wish to simply open the door on his own there was naught to keep him from entering. Inside Javial was working at his desk, his quill dipping swiftly into his ink before painting the page before him with words. Though Javial wrote quite often he was no scribe, at least not in the traditional sense. Javial felt it necessary to keep a log of the important things he knew, and those things had become something of an obsession. Javial was a man of no particular impressiveness compared to any other Human. His eyes and hair were similarly dark, and his complexion was bronzed slightly. He stood of a decent height, not sticking out too much in a crowd. It was the way he kept himself that was most unusual. Javial was a man quite meticulous about his appearance, and so his clothing and personal grooming was always a priority. Appearing professional was a boon for business, after all. Javial stayed away from the drink and lived a smart, conservative life. Beneath it all, of course, he was little different than any other cutthroat or ruffian, always out to put himself ahead. A true citizen of Sunberth indeed, simply better dressed.

[Mok]

Finally Mok had gotten some useful information. Even if this man's tip turned out to be false, it was better than nothing. Without waiting for a response, the man continued down the street. The myrian pondered whether or not he should follow. Considering he had no other options, Mok stood up and pursued at a safe distance. Almost immediately it became apparent that the man was leading him to the Castle Commons.

The myrian hated that area of the city. It was always packed full of peasants. Never any room to move around. It was terrible. If any fighting was to be had, random people always got in the way. Hell, random people got in the way regardless. Also pickpockets were abundant; always putting a damper on one's day. The only good thing about the Common is that one could hide among the masses in a pickle. On more than one occasion when the myrian was on the run he had found refuge among the masses.

Either way, the fellow that was leading Mok to Javial stopped at an average looking house right in the heart of the commons. Right before opening the door, the man announced that he was leaving and walked away as if Mok wasn't even there. The myrian understood: this man was probably contracted by Javial to lead people to his doorstep. No one in Sunberth would ever 'forget' about a debt. He digged it though. All that mattered was that he found the location. Stepping forward, Mok placed his hand on the door knob, but he stopped. The myrian almost walked in unannounced, however he changed his mind. He needed to show this man respect. It was the right thing to do, especially since Javial was going to help him. Very lightly, Mok knocked on the door taking care not to bang too loudly.

A voice from behind the door asked him to enter.

Inside the house sat a man taking notes at a desk. He seemed to be taller than Mok and much better dressed. The myrian sported chainmail and a shadowsilk cloak. Javial, on the other hand, had on a tailored outfit. His hair was combed and his beard neatly trimmed. His posture was straight and upright. His hands were well taken care of with no signs of manual labor. For lack of a better term, Javial looked professional. Mok couldn't help but grin. He was expecting some drunken piece of human trash to be the so called Javial. This guy looked like he knew what he was doing.

Taking off his hood, the myrian showed his face to Javial. Choosing his next words carefully, Mok stared the conversation, "I am Mok. If you are the so called Javial, then I need your help. But. Before I tell you about what I need, I want to hear how all this works."

Red = Myrian
Bold = Common

[Javial Kripsin]

The Human looked up from his desk, seemingly pure enough in his blood, a typical Human through and through. He laid his quill down softly into his vial of ink, looking over the man that had entered his home. Putting a lock on the door was something he had considered some time in the past, but declined to do. His thinking was simplistic enough, a lock meant you had something worth stealing. Beyond the extra piece of averagely built furniture here and there, Javial seemed to live in much the same conditions as anyone else. Or rather it was more appropriate to say that he lived utilizing the same means as everyone else, he just kept those means cleaner. There were no debris of old food or broken glass hanging about his home. Clothes weren't strewn about, and his bunk was actually made. One would have thought that a tavern wench came through in the morning and saw that his things were tidy, but to Javial it was just a part of his daily routine. "Certainly Mok, have a seat if you will." he gestured to the additional chair he had purchased for his home, it made dealing with business less awkward since both members of the conversation could be upon the same level. His words seemed to carry not particular accent, but if he had grown up in Sunberth they were devoid of the venom and slang that often filled the mouths of others, "I am Javial, and I do enjoy a bit of business here in Sunberth. Before describing how it works, I'll tell you what it is I do here. Essentially I do what many do, I just do it better. There is a great power in knowledge, Mok, and it is that wealth of knowledge that I enjoy. Most directly I find things for people. Sometimes those things are other people, or items. Sometimes they're simply opportunities. The answer to any question you have is out there. People come to me with those questions, and I help them solve them." Javial had somewhat of a flair for verbal exchanges, but in the same way time was money, and he often enjoyed getting straight to the point. It was often best not to keep a customer waiting, "Nearly anything can be made into the form of a question. People ask me that question, and through my experience I determine just how much effort it takes to answer it. Then a price is formulated and depending on the hazards on obtaining the information I receive a payment before or after the contract is fulfilled. One question I get often is 'just how valuable is information?' Due to the flexibility of information that's difficult to decide until I hear the circumstance, but believe me when I say that information is as valuable as any bauble, and can be as deadly as any sword." he clarified just how his business operated, but it was best to sometimes give an example of what one could accomplish through a proper gathering of information. "For instance, did you know that some men are highly allergic to simple things? The allergy can be so extreme that it can cause a man of suitable size and strength to suffocate and die. Walnuts for instance. A man whom might otherwise avoid such things might instead find himself ingesting such an item in a less conspicuous form. The tongue swells and the throat closes and death occurs. If the question was how to kill such a man without a trace, walnuts would be the answer. That's just an example of course." Would Javial be able to kill another man in such a way? The dismissive nature that he spoke those words with would suggest if push came to shove, despite the combed hair and trimmed nails, Javial had as much a stomach for the underworld as the blood thirstiest lowlife.

[Mok]

Javial gestured the myrian to sit on a chair directly in front of his desk. Nodding, Mok sat down and scanned his surroundings once more. He was approximately fifteen feet away from Javial. If the man tried anything funny, the warrior would be able to react readily. While sitting his body remained still and tense, ready to attack at any moment. Mok sat with straight posture, feet placed firmly on the floor, and rough hands resting on his knees. He was always within reach of his hidden blade and ready to fight. The myrian also stared directly into Javial's dark eyes. His gaze would not move. It was important that he saw that Mok was serious about their discussion and respectful at the same time. The half-blood warrior gave Javial his undivided attention.

The first attribute that Mok noticed about his new acquaintance was his manner of speaking. He talked in what seemed to be 'perfect' common. Javial's speech was seemingly absent of all vulgarity. This astonished the myrian. In all his time in Sunberth he had NEVER heard someone talk like this. It was strange to him and it was very noticeable. The only explanation in Mok's mind was that man was not originally from Sunberth. Thinking back on his travels Mok had never heard anyone like this. His mind raced: why was he speaking like this? Where was he from? These questions could all be answered later though.

After listening to Javial's detailed explanations of his services, Mok paused for a moment. It was a simple concept to understand. One would for information and Javial would give to him. Everything had a price though. That was the shady part of his 'business' Mok realized. What kept Javial from divulging information about his clients? Nothing. Mok could very much walk out of this room only to get stabbed in the back by the same man who just helped him out. The chances of that occurring were a risk that the half blood was not willing to take. At least not in the current situation. Until Javial had proven his worth, Mok would tread lightly.

"Great, you could help me out then. Oh. Do you mind if I borrow some smoke Javial?" Mok asked casually in response to his explanation. Whether or not the information broker had any tobacco or not didn't matter.

Mok continued, "Anyways. Here's what I'm trying to do. I am trying to get enough ale and provisions for the upcoming winter. I need enough to feed me and my brothers. At least a couple dozen barrels. Provision arn't as important, you feel me, but I still need to get them..."

Pausing he tried to gauge Javial's body language. Before the suave informant could respond Mok began again.

"...before you answer me listen, I don't have a petching army. I can't just walk up and take all that shit from someone. I am not coming here to just find where these provisions are located. You see, that's easy. I need to rob them on the down low. Like that thing about the walnut, you feel me? I need a way to transport the goods and I need a way to get away 'clean' and I need it done as soon as possible. Can you help me out or what?"

Red = Myrian
Bold = Common

[Javial Kripsin]

"Don't really touch the stuff." Javial admitted about the tobacco before moving on to more important things. Listening to what Mok requested, Javial took out his book and began jotting down some notes. His hand worked tirelessly as he began to form some sort out outline, a plan as it were. A great deal of information was tumbling away, tucked tightly inside of his head. Incidents and contingencies, potential complications, repercussions, all those things needed at least some level of consideration when you were dealing with theft. For the longest time Javial stayed silent, just staring at his pages, turning them occasionally. Mok had long finished speaking, but Javial had yet to reply in any manner. Suddenly, after a couple tense moments the man leaned back in his chair and replied, "It's doable. It's best to know what I'm working with, as in what sort of skills you have, unless you've got a few people you can trust to help you. When you want to acquisition something like this there is two ways to do it." Javial began, drawing two rectangular boxes around various notes he had already taken down upon his book, lines moving from either box to another singular box at the bottom of the page, "You can either take a great deal of product at one time, or small bits of products over the course of several days. One way, you get the goods faster, but the preponderance for revealing yourself is higher, the other takes more time and effort, but the potential of getting caught is less." Flipping onto a new page, Javial revealed he was far from done, "That's not all. First you need the availability and the opportunity. Luckily these two things are in your favor. I happen to know that a merchants sale his going to be starting later today. Rumor has it, it will be going on for some fifteen days. This means things are going to be busy, and provisions are going to be moving quickly. It also means the warehouses are going to be stocked. There's the availability. Here's where my job comes in, I'm going to create the opportunity to actually get in there and get the stuff." with a flutter his hand began to mark down several phrases, underlining them in sequence. He was trying to map out potential ways to ensure no one would be around the warehouses to get in their way at a specified time. No doubt the merchants would be hiring guards of some sort, that would mean a distraction would potentially be necessary. "I would recommend doing this all in one go, then it leaves us with one final obstacle, the ability. The ability to move a large amount of food and drink from one place to the other. There's a few things I'll need to know, beyond whether or not you have allies and that's how many people this is supposed to feed, and the final destination of the goods. I'll need to understand this distance fully so I can walk the path myself. Several times. I'll need to learn everything between point A and point B. How many people are around, what time they scatter. It wouldn't be easy, but the timeline we are working with at the moment is perfect. After the sale is over, however, the chances of success are going to go down drastically." Javial reasoned. The crystal upon Javial's earring finally decided to chime into the conversation, the voice meeting with the Information Broker's mind only, completely unknown to Mok, "Suggestion: Would it not be easier to kill someone and take the money to purchase goods during the sale? Calculation: The potential steps appear to be fewer." the even toned female voice added her own observations. "The steps leading up to the goods are fewer, but then you have to worry about clean up." he telepathically reminded Shirelieu.

[Mok]

Javial paused for a moment and began to take notes. Leaning over the desk, the myrian tried to peer at what he was writing. It was no good though; Mok could not read or write in common. Leaning back again, the myrian remained silent as the man across from him organized his thoughts. Javial's eyes methodically scanned all of his notes as he pondered. The half-blood could tell when the broker had thought of some new fact, for his facial expression would flutter ever so slightly. Mok only hoped that this man had some real good ideas, or else his time would have been wasted.

Finally to Mok's relief Javial leaned back and spoke. Listening intently, the myrian noted every word and question. Javial explained two ways they could acquire the goods. They could either steal it all at once, or take it bits at a time. He continued by mentioning a lead on some goods a wealthy merchant was selling over the course of fifteen days. He finished with mentioning he would need to calculate the distance from the warehouse to the location they were hiding the goods.

Once Javial had finished his piece, Mok answered his first inquiry, "I am a man of the blade Javial. In life I have trusted none as much as steal. I have no problems cutting any man down or doing the dangerous grunt work. I live and will eventually die by the sword. I will do anything to achieve our goals. As for allies, I have some friends that might be willing, but to be honest I come alone today."

After pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, the myrian continued, "I like the idea of getting in and out all in one go. Going back over the course of several days is risky business too. Our chances of getting caught would increase dramatically after each attempt. Plus I don't plan on returning to the scene after our initial robbery. I am glad that's settled huh...I have an idea for transportation too. Don't they themselves need to haul the cargo somehow? We could just take what they are using to move the product right? Horse and wagon, right, maybe? I could always 'take care' of the driver, you feel me? Oh and the final destination. Well this doesn't have to be set in stone, but if we can get it out of the city that would be best. There are some hills to the west. I know of a good hiding spot up there. If you think that's not the best way to go about it, we can pick a better location. Maybe an apartment or something?"

Listening to Javial's reply, Mok took everything he had to say to heart. The myrian was a proud warrior but he was not one to dismiss the wisdom of others. His heart was humbled to the information specialist. There was a reason why he was a specialist after all.

As things continued Mok decided to mention Javial’s payment, "Listen here. I know you are going to want payment, but how about this: we split the profits of this job fifty-fifty, not a pint less. I could care less what you do with your half, but I feel that would be the fairest way to go about it right? Before you speak, I know you’re probably worried if I can be trusted. Well, to make it fair all around, I propose that you come and rob them with me. That way you can see how much I get away with and we can split the profits evenly. What do you say Javial?"

oocI hope this post works, its kind of "meh" buts its all I got right now."

Red = Myrian
Bold = Common