Another balmy day in the port city of Sidhiel, with clear skies and a cool breeze. The elven markets were impeccably kept, and elegant architecture drew visitors from all corners of the world to gaze upon in awe. They loved perfection–the high elves of Sidhiel. But although beautiful, their artistry lacked a certain passion and fire. The designs were too repetitive, predictable, and creatively sterile. That said, this place was ideal for leisure. Walking among the crowds, he smiled to himself at how well he blended in. It had been all too easy to pose as one of the elven folk here once he had observed them enough. His disguise was perfect, and none were the wiser. Had he been in his true form, they would have glared with suspicion. Yet a simple change of the face and voice made everything go smoothly. 

Under the alias of 'Caranthir', he bore shoulder-length golden locks with olive eyes. His clothing matched the local fashion, something he had bought in the past times he had visited. The island was the perfect place to find easy marks. Positioned close to Iria, once it had opened its borders in the past decades the influx of tourists went from a trickle to a flood. And with travelers came the flow of silver. A disarming smile, pleasant voice, and relaxing demeanor were all tools of the trade. He was above petty tricks like accidental collisions to pick pockets or the obvious tavern charming ploys. Things worked best when you convinced people to give up their silver willingly, not through brash force. They were offering it to him, so how was that considered stealing? And he wasn't completely heartless–he only asked for a small fraction from their pockets instead of taking it all. Compared to brigands, he was a gentleman. 

Things had started to slow in terms of silver, as of late. He was back here in his usual haunts hoping his luck would turn the right way again. With the disruptions in Canelux, visitors with heavier pockets were running dry as the disasters wore silver coffers thin. It was a downright shame, really. Lounging by the beachside shops he watched the crowds go by, picking out potential marks. A pair of young ladies from Nisshoki were preoccupied at a stall, but soon a man in a kimono joined them. His attention moved to a couple taking in the sights with delight. Two newlyweds, perhaps? There was a bracelet on her wrist and silver rings on both of them. "What a shame…at this rate I might have to start putting in some effort. It's never good when I have to stick my neck out like this." Preparing to change to a better spot with a higher catch rate, it was then he noticed a new airship coming into the docks. It was a large one, the largest one he'd ever seen! It's sheer size dwarfed the almost toy-like personal airships the wealthy elite owned. Rising from his place, he began weaving through the crowds in hopes of catching a glimpse at whoever was getting off. Not many could afford those behemoths of machinery–and they had to have deeper pockets than the run-of-the-mill silver baron.

Sidhiel was one of the newest additions to places that her courier services now reached. It was funny how even Bakulaw had become regulars before this place, but it was probably due to the traditions of the locals. She'd heard that this place was home to high elves, which basically meant nothing to her. What was the difference between high elves and 'non-high elves' anyway? A human from Vilpamolan was still the same as a human from Mamlak. Either way, she wasn't entirely sure how things would go in the future. The reclusive island kingdom had opened up ever since the veil had been lifted, and she had been following rumors and information on the place. The people here were highly traditionalist, though the newer generation was starting to drift away from their ancestors' attitudes. 

Her visit here was to get a feel for the markets here, see what kind of commodities Sidhiel had and what were considered rarities. She could have just asked one of her staff members to gather information for her, but then she wouldn't be getting the whole picture. It was doing simple jobs like these that she didn't mind. Browsing the markets following her leave from the Clephsydra, she noted the white veined stone called howlite. At first she thought it was marble, but the vendor graciously corrected her and explained.This stone was mined from the nearby area, and was prominent in many crafts of the elves here. Upon closer comparison, the pattern was different from marble and had a greater contrast. Finding a few pieces that those back in Antikythera would like, she bought a handful of howlite carvings. As she was on her way back to the docks, a blond elf appeared from the stalls and greeted her with a smile. "Good day, miss. Might I interest you in a few trinkets? Jewelry, perhaps?"

Not happy that she was being held up, she coldly stared at this person who was getting in between her and leaving. Despite his courteous smile and friendly attitude, there was something about it that made Shiloh want to wipe it off this elf's face. But she held back the impulse. She wasn't getting herself charged with assault in a place where tradition was upheld like the law. "…Sorry, not interested." She curtly said, trying to go around him. The way he was acting was downright irritating. She wasn't planning on buying anything other than what she had; no exceptions. Apparently her laconic response wasn't clear enough, as the elf was in her way again. "But you haven't even taken a look! I'm not asking you to buy anything miss, only to give me the benefit of the doubt. If by chance you happen to see anything you like, then I'll be happy to oblige. If not, then the choice is still yours." Seeing her reluctance, he continued to press the issue. "Surely it would be only fair if you had a look? I won't demand that you purchase anything."

Not wanting to waste more time, an exasperated sigh left her lips. "Fine, I'll look. If it'll get you to lay off, then sure. But don't get any ideas here; I'm only looking. After that I'm gone." If she just had to appease this pushy vendor to where he didn't have an excuse to keep her here, then so be it. No matter what he showed her, she immediately decided she wouldn't buy it if he began to suggest. She could feel he was trying to convince her somehow, so in response she dug her heels in and pushed back–metaphorically. 

He was smiling with satisfaction when the woman eventually gave in. Earlier he had tracked down a figure he had seen leave from the grand airship, and with a few prompts of suggestion he distracted the owner of one of the market stalls to attend to urgent business. With the stand owner away, he waited for the right moment and stepped out from behind the displays. Creating the impression that he was one of the vendors, he began working his magic. The key to this art was confidence. People naturally would notice if you were acting strangely, and would be less guarded if one acted natural. You had to play the part to convince not only them–but yourself. It was a step beyond being believable. And this was something a practiced expert like him had down to the letter.

Producing an engraved gold band, he showed the ring to her. Taking care to hold it in such a way that it would glimmer and catch rays of sunlight, Auron began building up momentum for his ploy. This ring was no ordinary piece of precious metal. It had a powerful enchantment which would render the wearer incapable of resisting suggestions from others. Once a person put this on, he could ask them any question and they would answer completely without fail. They would tell him everything he wanted to know and do anything he asked of them, no matter what–as long as they still wore the ring. In truth, it didn't matter if he couldn't sell the ring. He just needed to convince this woman to try it on, and then his plan would be a success. She would do whatever he asked, until he took the ring off her finger.

"Then allow me to introduce the first piece I'd like to show you. This here in the palm of my hand is a special one out of all we have here on display. It is a ring of protection, engraved in pure gold with an enchantment designed to ward against harm. It may not seem like much, but I'm sure you will agree that having a ring like this would be useful?" The woman crossed her arms and stared at the ring he was holding for a while, but she didn't seem convinced. This was to be expected, as most people wouldn't be taken in so simply. In fact, he had already taken this potential skepticism into account. "So it's one of those magical rings then. I doubt a little circular strip of metal like this could hold that much power. I'll pass." The disinterested woman was already leaving, and Auron realized he had to act fast. He wasn't going to let a big mark like this walk away, not after all the work he had put in to set things up. This might be a once in a lifetime chance to score a literal jackpot. Forget cards and roulette tables–he knew this was a win. The longer he could keep her here, the more time he had for his silver tongue to work.

"Wait! How about this. If you don't believe me, why don't you see for yourself?" Taking the ring, he placed it into her hand. He was running a big risk here, but if his assumptions were correct–she would rather leave the ring behind than take it and run. "Here…give it a try. And if you're not satisfied, I won't press you any further…I promise." Now all she had to do was follow his instructions, and the rest would be history.

"Here…give it a try." The man crooned in her ear as the ring was put into her palm. Looking at the gold band, it was a good thing she had a poker face. This was obviously some kind of trap, everything in her was screaming it loud and clear. And to top it off, it had been painfully obvious from the beginning. When one enters the realm of business, run-ins with people who lie and cheat to put you in the poorhouse were a given. It was partially why there was a general assumption that bankers and merchants were untrustworthy scoundrels, and more often than not the evidence proved it. To somebody who'd never been outside their small town or social circle before this trick would get them hook, line, and sinker. Unfortunately, Shiloh wasn't that somebody. Maybe it was her own personal bias due to being annoyed, but every time this man suggested something she wanted to do the exact opposite just to frustrate him. If she resisted long enough, this pushy vendor would figure she was more trouble than she was worth and give up. 

"Alright then." Without missing a beat, she took the golden band and grabbed the man's right hand–shoving it onto his index finger. Her move was so unexpected that the blond elf was completely caught off guard. Of course she wasn't going to wear it herself. Only a fool would actually test some unknown enchanted item on themselves. The man was stunned for a few seconds, before he realized what was going on. "Wait what are you–" As a look of horror spread across his face, she retorted: "You said I could try it right? If this thing really is a ring of protection, then why shouldn't I see if it works? So if I hit you, you should be just fine…" The corner of her mouth twitched into a smirk as she started rolling up her sleeves. "…Now sit tight and get ready." With a flick of her wrist, she feigned throwing a punch–only to deliver a direct hit from below with her knee. Her aim must have been slightly off, as she soon realized she had dealt the man a critical blow when he dropped to the ground like a sack of grain falling from a two-story tavern.

She took the ring, and just when he was sure everything was going according to plan–the woman grabbed his hand. It was so sudden that he flinched, but seconds after…a terrible, horrible realization dawned on him when he saw the ring–that ring–on his own hand! When he caught the glimpse of that golden glimmer affixed to his finger, he wanted to scream. All the phases of fear and panic went through him as the ring's enchantment began to take hold. "Wait what are you–" He stammered, the last words out of his mouth as a haze quickly overtook his thoughts. The woman's stiff expression turned into a smirk as she started rolling up her sleeves. "You said I could try it right? If this thing really is a ring of protection, then why shouldn't I see if it works?" His mind was going numb, and his body wasn't reacting anymore. He couldn't get away, he was trapped by that cursed ring's magic. "So if I hit you, you should be just fine…Now sit tight and get ready." Unable to resist, his body forcibly complied despite how desperately he wanted to run. 

If only he had picked a better mark. If only he had been more careful. If only he hadn't tried to rush the process. If only he had realized someone would try something like this sooner… The last of his thoughts faded away as his mind went blank, then he blacked out. In that haze of his memory he remembered something moving very quickly towards his face followed by terrible pain. Completely unconscious, he was now at his mark's mercy. He didn't even know what had happened afterwards, his memory missing everything in between that moment and when he regained mental clarity hours later.