by Scott Wale
“No offense taken”, Alejade said cordially. “Anything you can tell me about theft would be helpful though. I’m most interested in what is happening out at the mining site. That is if you have any insight on that.”
“I can really only tell you what I hear from my customers”, the shopkeeper started. “Explosives, portable machinery and whatever is being mined are the targets for most site theft. I get a lot of requests for integrated security like detonation codes, biometric ignition and the like. The problem is I think most thieves are too dumb to realize what they’ve grabbed and just run off with useless loot anyways.”
“Do thieves mostly work in groups?” Alejade asked trying to direct the conversation towards any raiding knowledge the Denebalg might have.
“I couldn’t tell you if they work together at the site, but I can tell you they work together in a supply chain”, the shopkeeper replied. “I’m well aware of the explosives black market and it’s actually in my best interest to put the security measures in place, so my own goods aren’t being resold against me. By the time a hacker charges for removing a security protocol, we’re back to being cost competitive on explosives without integrated security.”
“Are there a lot of sellers for the black market goods?” Alejade asked wondering if by chance a single source could be checked out.
“A lot less than there used to be”, the shopkeeper answered. “This used to be a high margin business, which I’m pretty sure created the black market. We eventually reduced the margin we were willing to take to get the turnover back and that seemed to eliminate a lot of the black market players. My more loyal buyers only inform me that they run into a few these days compared to a dozen or so that existed in the past. Hopefully you can do something about those last two.”
“Me?” Alejade said in a confused manner.
“Aren’t you with the city security?” the shopkeeper asked. “I was hoping you were investigating the black market in an attempt to shut it down.”
“Sorry, I’m not with any security force”, Alejade admitted. “But reducing mining site theft might be a result of what I’m trying to do.”
“And what is that?” the shopkeeper asked bluntly.
“I’m trying to get in contact with an Ipta named Grimtav”, Alejade said. “He’s probably responsible for a good share of the raiding that occurs on the Jade Plains.”
“The name is unfamiliar, however, I can tell you where to find a black market seller that will have more knowledge about the true identity of who they are buying and selling from”, the shopkeeper offered.
“Anything helps”, Alejade said feeling a rush of excitement from the fact that she was actually able to extract a lead.
“I don’t know how familiar you are with the city, but this is the North Main Market”, the shopkeeper gestured to their surroundings. “This guy likes to hang out in the South Main Market. He doesn’t have a shop, but he picks up on buyers by eavesdropping on conversations outside the mining tools shop down there. He used to hang around my shop until I caught on to him. The city security refused to do anything about it, so I had to threaten him myself.”
“Sorry to hear that, but thank you for the information”, Alejade said.
“No problem”, replied the shopkeeper.
Alejade left the shop and headed toward the rendezvous point she had agreed to with Fenrit. She studied the sky to see if she could catch a glimpse of Jandra. She hadn’t checked for the raptor’s presence since entering the market with Fenrit. After a few moments, Jandra sailed by bringing immediate relief to the anxiety that had quickly built within Alejade. Alejade’s mind returned back to the task at hand. Maybe chasing down this black market lead would get them some information on Grimtav. It was better than meeting back with Fenrit and having nothing to offer. She also considered the possibility that Fenrit had more success than her.
***
Fenrit surveyed his fourth arms shop. The previous three had paid him no attention after learning he had nothing to pay with. “No artum, no business”, the shopkeepers had told him. When he had tried to point out that he was looking for work they replied he was in a store, not a work placement center. They did not appreciate his reply that one can’t obtain artum without work.
The fourth shop was a stand in the middle of the market area with four tables barricading the square structure which held the shopkeeper and goods in the center. The tables contained replicas of knives, bows, axes, swords and a variety of other handheld weapons that a customer could presumably handle to see how it felt. Key components had been removed and blades had been dulled to prevent theft of the replicas.
“Everything there has the same grip and weight as the real thing”, a Zentyl shopkeeper said.
Quills protruded from the Zentyl’s entire body except around the face where they stopped and allowed a clearance for her muzzle and solid light blue eyes. The yellow-green quills contrasted against her black skin and considering the length of the quills it was easy to understand why she didn’t wear clothing given how difficult dressing oneself would be. It only seemed fitting that she would be selling weaponry.
“I must admit that I have no artum and I’m just browsing”, Fenrit said not wishing to waste any more of his or the shopkeeper’s time.
“That doesn’t mean I can’t sell something to your future self”, she smiled. “I see you already have a bow that looks in decent shape, although if you don’t mind me saying could be more durable.”
“I recently constructed this myself”, Fenrit said without trying to sound like he was gloating.
“Ah, tenik, very nice”, the shopkeeper commented getting a good look at the bow string.
Fenrit was caught off guard by this remark. He wasn’t sure how many beings knew of a tenik root let alone its use in a bow. The tenik root wasn’t exactly a secret and he had noticed the Ipta guard utilizing the root on their whips, but bladed weaponry had been more common in Fenrit’s past encounters with other species. This shopkeeper was either well-traveled or really just knew her field of work.
“Yes, well, it’s the most effective variant against my most common target”, Fenrit replied listing in his head the few weapons that would successfully take down a cymutt.
“Cymutts?” the shopkeeper guessed.
Fenrit’s face gave away his astonishment. How on Faunar was she able to guess that from what little information she had? He was now intrigued and fortunately this looked promising as far as him getting some information.
“That’s correct”, Fenrit said. “How did you know?”
“Well as cryptic as you were trying to be with your response you clearly live out on the plains based on your attire”, she began. “I’ve heard reports of the cymutt raids and a standard bow would work for anything else of significant danger out on the plains. Speaking of raids, I heard they swept through a Loupiq village the other day. I hope that wasn’t anyone you know.”
“That was my village”, Fenrit said quietly.
The Zentyl tensed up realizing she had hit a chord she didn’t wish to strike. She immediately regained her composure.
“My condolences”, she offered.
“That kind of news reaches the city?” Fenrit said forcing himself to move on with the conversation.
“The cymutts don’t come near Shadowport, but the city security pays close attention to what they’re up to”, the shopkeeper replied. “The city defenses could eventually neutralize them, but not before they do a fair amount of damage. I think that’s what keeps the city security on their toes. Nobody seems to know how many cymutts are out there, so if whoever controls them saw what kind of damage one hoard could do they might just do the math to see how many hoards it takes to overrun the city.”
“Interesting”, Fenrit replied. He remembered that his initial plan was to seek out mercenary work, but the shopkeeper had fortunately rolled right into a conversation about cymutts. She seemed very knowledgeable about city events and maybe further probing would provide va
luable information. The best approach now appeared to be an effort to extract as much information as possible without revealing his true intentions. That didn’t seem too difficult considering Fenrit wasn’t even sure what his true intentions were other than to gain an audience with Grimtav. “Do you think the cymutts have impacted your business at all?”
“Sales remain level, but I think the clientele have shifted”, the shopkeeper began. “I only worked for a short period before I first started hearing about the cymutt reports, but at that time my clients were more covert about their needs for armaments. I quickly learned that my only interaction with them needed to be taking their artum. They usually knew what they wanted and didn’t want to be bothered with questions or small talk. I assumed most of them were mercenaries and outlaws, but I never saw anything to confirm that suspicion. When cymutt sightings on the plains started appearing in the news it stirred up a lot of fear in the city. Sales skyrocketed briefly after the initial reports, but have settled back down. Since the sales spike most of my customers are looking for something to use in self-defense. Longswords and drill pikes are the most common things I sell. I’m not sure how effective a longsword would be, but I’ve seen a drill pike cut through all different types of metal when the pike head is spinning. That’s why I recommend the drill pike to most customers.”
The Zentyl turned around and retrieved a drill pike from the center of her shop. She rolled out a piece of metal that has been slotted between two wooden braces. The sheet of metal had numerous puncture wounds making it obvious what demonstration she was about to perform. She twisted the shaft of the drill pike in opposite directions bringing the spinning head alive. She thrusted the pike into the sheet of metal making a clean, easy cut. The metal sheet looked to offer no resistance to the head of the pike. She pulled the pike back through the hole and then twisted her wrists to turn off the spinning head.
“The head is made of poloy”, she explained. “It’s the same material they make mining drill bits out of. It’ll cut through any rock and as you can see it does a good job against other metals as well.”
“Impressive, but speaking as someone who has engaged cymutts I would prefer to keep my distance rather than get close enough to use that”, Fenrit commented.
“Sounds reasonable”, the shopkeeper said. “If I had a tenik bow, I wouldn’t bother with this thing either. We do make daggers with poloy blades if you’re interested.”
“Remember, I don’t have any artum”, Fenrit said.
“Like I said, I just need to get you interested and you’ll be back”, the shopkeeper replied with a smile. “That reminds me. If you’re from the plains, what are you doing in the city? It’s rare enough to see a Loupiq, let alone one in the city.”
Fenrit began to contemplate whether that meant she had seen one in the city or not. He was unaware of any Loupiq or Chafel that had abandoned the group and gone off to live alone. He wasn’t even aware of any Loupiq or Chafel that had actually set foot in Shadowport.
“I’m looking for someone”, Fenrit finally answered. He didn’t want to divulge that he knew the connection between Grimtav and the cymutts. It would be best to pretend the two had business with each other. “I have a proposition for him.”
“The city is full of people, but maybe I can help”, the shopkeeper said. “Does this individual have a name?”
“Grimtav”, Fenrit answered.
“I had hoped to never hear that name again in my lifetime”, a voice snarled behind Fenrit.
Fenrit turned around finding himself facing directly into the chest that belonged to the voice. He tilted his head up and locked with the irritable, slit eyes of a Sauronoid.
IX.
Fenrit remained still slightly stunned by the impressive figure of the Sauronoid. In addition to his height, the sauronoid’s moss green scales that covered his entire visible body provided an intimidating look. The black slits in his eyes stood out in distinction against the yellow-green background of the rest of the eye. His nostrils at the end of his short muzzle appeared flared, however, this was the first time Fenrit had seen a Sauronoid up close and he wasn’t sure if this was the usual look or if nostrils had been enlarged as a biological response to anger. The second tooth on the top and the third tooth on the bottom also protruded out of his mouth giving a fearsome feeling that the Sauronoid could simply bite anything that would fit into its mouth and latch on. The Sauronoid wore an oversized grey jacket, but Fenrit noticed that only a medium build existed underneath. His hands had five digits ideal for gripping with webbing between each digit. The arms were the only relieving observation as all the muscle mass appeared to be in the Sauronoid’s legs. Both legs looked like tree trunks covered in scales and their rugged appearance gave the impression that they also offered a fair amount of protection given that the Sauronoid was not wearing any footwear. Topping off the frightening appearance of the Sauronoid’s legs were four toe claws on each foot that looked razor sharp.
“Take it easy, Tradok”, another voice erupted from behind the Sauronoid.
A Mortoptera walked out from behind the Sauronoid and put himself between the bipedal lizard and Fenrit. Fenrit had seen the Mortoptera species before around the swamps in the south east part of the Jade Plains. This one had indigo skin with dark blue splotches. He had large bulbous eyes that were a pale yellow color. A closer look revealed tiny hair follicles that covered the entire surface of his skin. His mouth was elongated creating a tube-like appearance that could only be described as a proboscis. Thick, short antennae also poked out of his head that had openings at the end likely functioning as ears. The Mortoptera was fully clothed in a long sleeve amber shirt and black trousers. Unlike the Sauronoid, the Mortoptera wore fleeters which were footwear ideal for those who wished to remain agile.
“Sorry to upset your friend”, Fenrit appealed to the Mortoptera.
“He’ll be all right. Right, Tradok?” the Mortoptera said shooting a glance in the Sauronoid’s direction.
“What do you know of Grimtav?” Tradok said ignoring the Mortoptera’s question while still showing signs of aggression.
Fenrit was still feeling the pressure of the situation; however, he was mindful that the shopkeeper was witnessing the altercation. He was getting a wealth of information out of her before being rudely interrupted. The Sauronoid definitely had a connection with Grimtav, and Fenrit wanted to be able to tap both individuals for everything he could get.
“I was just asking the shopkeeper here if she knew him”, Fenrit explained giving a look to the Zentyl in an attempt to elicit a response.
“The name is not familiar and maybe that’s for the best”, the shopkeeper said while grimacing as she looked over at Tradok.
“Anyone that is an acquaintance of that Ipta is worse off”, Tradok replied appearing to cool down. “If he’s a friend of yours, Loupiq, then I suggest you disappear.”
“He’s no friend, but if you can tell me where to find him I would be very appreciative”, Fenrit said.
“So you have business with him?” Tradok asked.
“You could say that”, Fenrit answered. “He doesn’t exactly know I’m looking for him.”
Tradok struggled to read between the lines. He wasn’t sure what Fenrit was up to, but he realized that their conversation should involve as few parties as possible. It wasn’t wise to discuss these kinds of things in public. The Loupiq wouldn’t have remained interested after Tradok’s warning if it wasn’t serious business.
“Maybe we can discuss this in private”, Tradok offered firing a glimpse over to the shopkeeper indicating she needed to be removed from the conversation.
“Thank you for your help”, Fenrit told the shopkeeper catching Tradok’s insinuation.
“Be careful out there”, the shopkeeper told Fenrit. “The city is just as full of dangerous creatures as the plains.”
Fenrit was already aware of the risk involved with traipsing off with two strangers. He needed to keep the private conversation in a
public place. He also needed to rendezvous with Alejade. Evening the numbers would make him feel better about the whole situation. It was time to do some negotiating with the odd couple, so that he could get the leads he needed while not putting him or Alejade in any real danger.
“I promised a friend I would meet her just outside the market”, Fenrit began. “She should be waiting already. I really would appreciate her being part in any conversation about Grimtav if you don’t mind.”
“Is she a business partner?” Tradok asked throwing a suspicious glance for his Mortoptera friend to read.
“She traveled to Shadowport with me and she’ll leave with me, but the relationship isn’t strictly business”, Fenrit answered.
“Romance and business don’t always mix amicably, but very well”, Tradok replied.
Fenrit was confused at first and then realized the assumption Tradok had made. He didn’t wish to completely mislead the pair, but if it made them more agreeable to believe that Fenrit and Alejade were romantically involved, then that would work for now. He wouldn’t need to play that role any deeper and hopefully once he had some useful information he would never see the Sauronoid or Mortoptera for as long as he lived.
“She should be at the corner this way”, Fenrit said pointing to where he and Alejade had originally entered the market.
The three traveled silently to the market entrance. Fenrit led the way with Tradok in the middle and the Mortoptera tailing. Tradok was quite spry for having massive legs and appeared to be in a hurry. The Mortoptera was able to move at the same pace as Fenrit, but did so in a stealthy manner. His fleeters cushioned his footsteps making them barely audible. Fenrit had no problem recognizing Tradok’s distinct footsteps, but had to look behind him a few times to make sure the Mortoptera was still in tow. Fenrit was able to spot Alejade when the group finally had better visibility of the exit through the dense crowd.
