The vixen decided to make Kurayo her home for the time being while she found her footing. To have lost her home, guild, and business in one fatal sweep, had been jarring enough. She had little interest in finding somewhere more suitable to live. Frankly, it reminded her of home. The vampire quickly learned of the city’s grim history against her kind and the inevitable alliance that formed between the vampires, lycans, and drows. Neveah understood better than most what it was like to rely on another to ensure their mutual survival due their race. When she was a fledgling vampire, she had witnessed a friend whom she cared for greatly ascend into godhood just in time to declare war against her kind. It pained her to think that had she not been bitten, perhaps their friendship would not have been severed. However, the fact her life had been altered against her will simply proved his point. The elven god allowed her to live but their relationship would never truly recover from the genocide he inflicted. The redhead knew she was a murderer; he acted as if he did not have blood on his hands as well.

She sat outside of a tavern near the main plaza at a table with an empty seat across from her, a half-melted candle on the table, and a forgotten book her in hand. Her emerald gaze danced around, watching the city pass her by. She tipped the barmaid generously to make sure her glass of blood infused wine did not run out. The redhead shifted slightly raised her book slightly so she could peer just past it. When she learned of the nine houses that more or less ruled the city, she knew she needed to learn more about the dynamic between them. The fact of the matter was there was no peace. It was merely controlled chaos. The vixen was confident the peace would not be consistent and she needed to leverage her options if she was going to step up her life in this town.

She caught scent of more lycans than usual. The vampire set down the book entirely and took another sip of wine. Then she folded her hands on to her lap with her head slightly tilted. A pack of four, large lycan males were arguing loud enough for her to caught a few gruff words. Veah glanced to the full moons and back to them. Her fingers flexed softly as her nails grew slightly, her eyes dilated, and a musing of hunger stirred within her. And yet, she stayed put. Instead she pretended to look away from them. She trusted they were going to cause mayhem but she did not feel inclined to intervene in any way. When the maiden came by to check on Neveah, she paused the girl and asked to borrow a quill and a bit of scratch paper. The vixen made note of the men’s appearance and their rally point, curious if this would be a pattern. Once satisfied, she set down the quill and a couple more coins before finishing her glass of wine and walking away. Neveah was bored and a little hungry.

She pulled her cloak around her to conceal her black pants and corset. Veah walked past the sandstone cathedral and towards the docks. Below her cloak, she carefully cut the top of her arm and smeared the blood. The metallic scent filled her nose as a grin pulled at her lips. She tucked the dagger back in its sheath and pivoted down an alley to get to the docks quicker. Despite the hour, the port was still busy as merchants conversed and the crews were distracted with their work. The vixen wasn’t looking to cause a commotion; she simply needed someone weak enough to be distracted by the smell. It had been a long time since she needed to actually hunt for her meals instead of share a moment with a lover or colleague. Neveah had forgotten how much fun it was to lure her prey, play with them, and then drain them until she was satisfied. Lately that meant ending their lives, but she was pretty sure that as long as she didn’t accidentally kill someone of importance, it would be fine.

“Here kitty, kitty, kitty.

Though one was out to play and hunt, the group of lycans were more worried. Panicked. They sensed the danger, and was in need of some immediate help, and found themselves gathering in a darker portion of the port. "You sure this is going to go well? What if its a scam?" One of them whispered. "Look, he says he treasures himself on quality. If he fails to provide, then dinner's on him," the head of the pack retorted, the rest knowing full well what the meal would be. Still, they were getting stir-crazy the longer they waited, making the pack jump when the the clattering of horse steps filled the street.

A single horse-drawn carriage, pulled by two steeds and guided by a single driver come into view and stopped in the general spot of the pack. Whispers came upon the wolves as they figured the one they would meet would be him, who hardly looked like the negotiating type. However, the man stepped down from his spot and stepped on over to the carriage door, open it up to their real guest. "Good evening, friends," was what greeted the pack as a large, burly orc decorated with a mirrored monocle stepped out of the opened door. "I take it you are the ones seeking me out?"

"Maybe… Just to be safe, we are going to pat you and your driver down. Rather not deal with a sneaky silver blade, now should we?" The orc responded with a shrug before holding his arms out, the driver doing the same. Two of them scurried over and checked their bodies, but nothing was found. "Alright. You seem clean enough. Now then, about what was offered…"

"Right here," Qadim replied, pulling out a small crate from the wagon and popping it open, pulling out what seemed to have been a dark orange stone. "This is it boys, the answer to your vampire problem: Sun Stone. As I already explained, though it may be weaker than liquid sun itself, its much easier to handle and much more reusable. Just keep it in the sun for long enough for it to gain a charge, and use it as a medium to release it." And, as if on cue, the stone began to glow brightly. "Dependent on how much you channel it will depend on its brightness."

"Alright… Any downsides to it?"

"But of course. For one, like I said, its certainly not as potent as liquid sun. Secondly, each stone has a limit to how much can be stored. You know it will never hold a charge ever again once you see it cracking. Other than that, you just need to channel to it to be able to use it. Having them out from dawn to dusk does give the best result. And this crate of it shall be yours, no questions asked, if you have the silver."

The pack crawled together, talking over with one another before one of them handed over a sack to the orc, which opening up was a large bag of coins. "Count it," he said as he handed the bag over to the driver as the deal was being finalized… With Qadim adding in some extra insurance with a hidden flash from behind the monocle.

She felt the place where her arm was once cut, glad to feel it had already healed. Ever since arriving in this new world, Neveah had been testing her strength and pushing herself to determine her limits. Realistically, the amount of devastation vampire needed to really flex her power would wipe out a small town. The idea seemed a tad excessive, even for Veah. Instead she did little things when she could. A strangle spell here. A tainted weapon there. Sometimes, even a little fire - though those spells were more trying than before. Neveah was not used to needing to actually think of a spell; they used to flow as naturally as a river to the ocean. With time, the vampire was certain they would return to her. “Maybe just a little village,” she mused aloud.

The vixen did not have to wait long before she heard a clatter behind her. It sounded like someone knocked over a bit of rubbish. A slick grin formed across her ruby lips as she continued to look forward as if she had no idea. Her movements stilled as she pretended to look at her feet. She nudged a small rock with the toe of her boot, patiently waiting. Three, two, one she slowly counted to herself. Neveah felt a hand grasp her arm causing her to fluidly pivoted around. Her free arm reached out and grabbed her assailant’s collar bone. The momentum caused her to pin the attacker against a wall. She dug her nails down viciously. The broken skin below her finger tips began to look bruised and diseased. Her emerald gaze met with a deranged crimson gaze of a fledgling vampire. “Oh puppet,” she sighed with a motherly tone. She tapped the roof of her mouth with her tongue and shook her head in a disapproving manner. “Your master has failed you,” Neveah added as her other hand reached down for her dagger. A dark, thick purple smoke oozed from her palm, coating the weapon, before she brought it up and slit the person’s throat in a swift motion. Veah backed up and watched the baby vampire’s body crumple to the ground.

“What a waste,” she grumbled, walking away from the quickly decaying corpse. Ordinarily, she would have played longer or at least partake in a bit of blood. Senseless killing where one lived was a quick way to a short life. However, she knew better than to bite another vampire’s creation. Vampires, like many nocturnal creatures, were gifted with healing abilities but often times the pheromones in their venom mixed with another vampire’s blood still left puncture scars. She had a few pairs scattered on her body and knew who each belonged to. On the other hand, Veah felt no remorse in killing the vampire because they clearly were recently bitten with no one to guide or assist them. Her first kill after the Turn was a child due to the same reckless abandonment of her sire. Being a vampire was already difficult but to do it alone in a city like Kurayo was just plain cruel. Neveah was doing them a favor, really.

She left the alley and noticed the same group of lycans from before but chatting with an orc near a carriage. This development piqued her interest enough, she decided to make her way over and casually walk by close enough to listen in. Her hands involuntarily flinched, making fists at the sound of someone selling sun stones. The last time she heard talk of them, they had been weaponized during a war against her kind by the “good” people. She counted five weres that she could see which led her to question if there were more as scouts. The wolves in this city did not seem organized enough for that sort of foresight but she didn’t get to her age by underestimating people. Given the stones and their number of people, Veah did not like her odds of fighting them all simply to get the stones. She also knew she didn’t have enough silver to outbid them. This left her with few options.

Fireballs formed in both her palms, a reflex of the anger boiling within. She shook her hands as if shaking off water to put them out. The vampire growled and planted herself against a wall. Her arms were crossed and her ankle crossed against the other, watching the exchange intently with no attempt to hide it. She waited until the exchange seemed to be coming to a close before pushing herself off the wall and prowling forward. “Hey,” she called out to the orc. “Something tells me the transaction that occurred wasn’t legal, even by this city’s standards which makes me wonder how exactly you happened to obtain such goods. Are there more - better yet, what else do you have?”

Just as the crate was being passed on to there weres, a new entity made themselves known. A local guard? No, they would never waste their energy trying to interrupt something like this, and those that could would be very easy to "convince" there was nothing really happening at all. No, it was a crimson-haired woman stepping forth, not only calling out the "illegal trade," but asking if there was more that can be done to benefit her.

And yet, to the pack, their nerves caused their tails to rise up, able to easily smell the blood that lingered off her body and into their noses: the familiar scent of vampire. ONe was quick to reach into the box and pull out one of the stones, yelling, "BACK!" as he channeled energy through the stone itself… and yet, nothing. NOt even a flicker of sun emitted from the stone. "Hey, what gives!? You said all we had to do was channel for it to work.'

"I did," the orc shrugged off, "but that crate was resting in storage for some time, meaning they all had lost their charge. All except this one, which only had enough for this little demonstration." Their fangs were now being bared as if to rip his throat out for betrayal before the orc stated, "All you demanded were the stones. You never said I had to bring them to you with any power to them. I am merely holding up my agreement. Besides, the longer you stand there, the more time she will have to take your lives…" Single filled the air before they slowly backed off, before finally escaping down the shadows of the alleyway.

"Now then," Qadim said, clearing his throat before turning his attention over to the woman to finally address her questions. "By trade, of course. We make sure to do well in exchanging in goods from one land to another. Now tell me: How can I help you on this beautiful night?"

It was easy for the vampire to forget how intimidating she could be. In a world where so many sought power, it came naturally through her. Besides, perception is reality and she was one hell of a liar. It helped she could taste their anxiety and fear. Not only was it delicious upon her tongue, but it also inspired her to push things further. She didn’t need to be the strongest; she had to be the scariest. The vixen visibly ran her tongue across her fangs. When the first werewolf reached for the sun stone, she snarled and lurched forward, ready to launch herself forward to knock it out of his hand. One of the other wolves grabbed her while the first ranted about the stone not working. She turned and clawed him across the face. Her nails cut through his skin but that was not want caused him to cry out. Almost immediately, the skin began to rot. Another wolf went to grab her but stopped as his eyes filled with horror. A few tendrils of darkness began to creep up from the ground, swaying like a snake eyeing its prey.

“Listen to the orc,” she added with toothy grin and crazed eyes. Understandably, they left before she could do more damage. The vixen pivoted back to the salesman and shook her head. The strangling shadows dissolved into the air like smoke and her grip on reality began to tighten. “That is the question isn’t it - what you can do for me?” she repeated with an air of arrogance. “Giving a bunch of flea infested mutts that kind of power sound like a smart transaction to you?” she questioned with an irritated tone. The vampire began picking at the flesh under her nails. “While I’m sure what they do with them is none of your concern - they hardly seem the sort of people you ought to be doing business with in the first place,” Neveah added, shaking her head. Neveah sold drugs, fully aware that they destroyed lives, but at least they weren’t weapons of mass destruction.

“I’d like to continue this discussion somewhere less open. Do you drink?” the redhead inquired. She had a few more questions and if this man was decent at his job at all, he too would feel more comfortable if they weren’t out in the open. She glanced back at the sun stones. ”What will you do with them now?” the vixen asked with a soft tone. In truth, she’d like to see them destroyed but wasn’t entirely sure how. The idea of one breaking and bursting into rays of pure light sounded like an awful way to die. The bombs needed to go.

"Ah, to think they paid for their product and still left with only one stone," Qadim chuckled, taking more amusement and glee at the results that had come up rather than being targeted by the one who would have been the victim of said transaction, who was quick to place it out on the table. "I see where you are coming from, madam, but I see myself as more of a neutral party between this feud of lycans and vampires, and more than willing to sell to both sides at the same time. It would not be the first." After all, war did mean money.

"Sir," came from behind the orc: the carriage driver. "It seems the promised silver is less than shone. A good portion of it is fake. It would seem they would have been after your neck after the deal has been done." A heavy sigh left the orc before cursing in his blood tongue, followed by only what could only be assumed to be an order. One certainly agreed upon by the driver.

Still, it seemed this woman was easily wise, knowing full well what it meant to do business in the black market. Not even the shadows of the alley were a safe place. Privacy was truly key. "I do enjoy myself a fine drink. I am not from here, so I do not know the best places. Still, tell the driver where you wish to go, and we shall be off," he stated, smiling as he opened up the carriage door for her as the driver took a quick moment to ensure the sun stones were securely cleaned up and stored out of sight from the vampire.

Once the direction was given and his guest was comfortably settled, he pulled himself in as well. "Oh, I still plan on selling them," he did assure her, but was quick to stamp out any following remark, "but because of their introduction, miners have been careful on what size they came out as, and I do have a contact who wants to try and safely harness it for more effective lanterns for night travels. Probably only 2 or three of them would give you more than a rash without the risk of overloading it. However, I can assume you have a differing opinion on how to handle them, no?"

“Oh what a shame,” she responded, words dripping in sarcasm. “Glad I was here to remind them that they’re not the only beings that go bump in the night.” Many vampire families hated werewolves; they were thought to be dirty, impulsive, and unrefined. Veah did not share this prejudice. Nearly everyone she ever loved was a wolf race of some sort. In fact, the father of her child was a werewolf. She had to consciously make an effort not to roll her eyes at the orc speaking as a neutral party. She understood his point of view, but that didn’t mean she liked it. Instead, she nodded. Her gaze shifted to the driver as he gave the report to his employer. She didn’t need to speak his language to know he was unhappy. “Good thing they only ran off with one then, huh?” she replied with a smirk. Funny how things worked out.

“Very good,” she replied. The vampire went to the front to see the carriage driver. “Please take us to Lunar Delights,” the redhead asked with a smile. She glanced in the direction of where the sun stones had gone then took a seat within the carriage itself, making room for the orc. Neveah couldn’t help but internally laugh at how her evening was shaping up. Getting into a carriage with a stranger was a bit reckless, even for her, but she felt comfortable given his transparency so far. She nodded again as he explained his intention with the stone. “That is actually a lovely idea on what to do with them. I can’t say I would’ve thought of that myself. I assume the folks tonight had other ideas - they’ll deserve whatever is coming to them next,” Neveah responded. “The wolves seem to forget they have their own weaknesses that can be exploited. I’m old enough to have seen it first hand. Neveah is the name, by the way, and you are?” the vampire added. 
The carriage came to a stop. The driver opened the door and offered her his hand to help her get out. She waited until her companion was out before making her way into the tavern. It was bustling with people of all races, as usual. In the center of the tavern was a large, long table with two bars on each side. The walls were flanked with booths and high top tables were scattered for those who preferred to stand. The windows were in the shape of the lunar cycle. The redhead led them to a booth in the corner. Their conversation would be drowned out by the rest of the noise. Once they were seated a barmaid came over shortly after. “Evenin’ - house wine for the lady and what can I get for you, sir?” she asked. Once she dashed away, Veah turned her attention back to the orc. “When I’m in town, this is where I tend to spend a lot of time,” she explained with a shrug. 
“So, I must ask because I’m curious, do you always do the deals yourself or do you use a liason? It’s an interesting line of work to get into,” Neveah inquired. The barmaid set down their drinks silently. The vampire nodded in thanks and took a sip. Nothing bottled beat the wine Nemesis had shared with her but their blood infused wine was fairly close. “Many moons ago, I had a couple ventures of my own. I partnered with a fae gal and opened a brothel. When she took a step back, I decided to expand my interests and used it as a shell. However, I never utilized a resource like you on assisting with distribution. Trust is awfully hard to establish.”

"Ah, forgive my rudeness," the orc stated after a quick talk got started as the carriage began to move once more. "I am Qadim Garakh, founder and head of the Garakh Trade Organization. A pleasure to be with you." Conversation was minimal to light from there as the carriage trotted through the roads, dipping out of the shrouded alleyways to the main streets before finding themselves at the pub in question. Neveah was let out first as the orc gathered a couple extra items with him before following her inside. The fact that the barmaid was able to tell her order without a word easily signaled that she was a regular to these parts, and while the booth was fairly open, the noise around them would be like hiding a tree in a forest.

"A scotch sour for me, please. Oh, and some spicy skewers, of you don't mind, " he insisted, getting a nod from the maid. "Feel free to help yourself. Our friends from earlier said they would be taking care of the tab for us," he chuckled. May as well add insult to those dogs' coins after what they did. When she was off, it was time for casual conversation. After all, there was that window that an eavesdropper with drinks would return. No need to talk big yet.

"It can be tricky running so many trade routes, so its not uncommon for me to have liaisons act as the voice of our company. The folk I hire for such a duty I hold a close trust, though also a large penalty should thing go wrong. Ah, thank you." His track of thought was lost as the maid returned with their drinks and appetizers, Qadim taking a soft sip for himself. Good quality, for sure, echoed in his mind as he nodded in approval, which also bought them time for the maid to make distance. "However, when it comes to," he cleared his throat quickly, "these sorts of deals, I always feel best doing the negotiations in person. It helps me keep control of what is going on and have the most insurance in case things don't." The same one he used on the wolves from before before they tried to backstab him.

"So then, what kind of business are we talking about tonight?"