Author: Qadim, Posted: Tue Apr 9, 2019 11:38 AM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

… Was that it? A startling deep laugh began to emanate from Qadim as he processed the information she game him. "Oh, is that so? My dear Veda, you should know that the King and his men trusts no one here that are 'regulars.' Each one of his men suspects us 'captains' in one form or another. After all, the Law of Parley he established is only effective with any other law: Effective only when caught red handed. Obviously if things seem suspicious with something, the curious ones get more defensive. Its actually rather amusing to watch.

"But, of course, they aren't stupid, either. Once they have seen someone bypass one form of opening, they will seal it up with a bit of extra insurance. From there, they either need to find a new hole, or get caught like rats in a mouse trap. They are probably suspicious of me because I had a similar order I want to get sent out, so they are being extra careful." In fact, it would hardly be a loss if he was caught. If the numbers and values were actually being taken into account, Qadim would have been on the losing end if his plan succeeded. Not that she had to know.

"So then, does this mean you have given up on this task? Do we need to figure out a way to help pay back the tutoring I oh-so graciously provided to you? Scavenging will hardly cover it, if you also aim to keep yourself alive during all this too. NO… we would have to look into other means if we want you to pay me back…"

Author: Veda, Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 1:05 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

The demon took off the cloth over her eyes and dropped it to the floor after hearing the orc. She figured that he would be upset by her visit but the information she held seemed rather important.

"I decided to head on over since apparently, your opponent is expecting you to switch the ledgers." She explained, "And before you ask, to my knowledge, I did not reveal anything about your plans or was spotted. In fact I was inside the building that held the ledger and was hiding in a chest when I overheard two people talking. They were talking about their plan to use backup documents to prove that you had stolen or tried to steal their ship to present the pirate lord. Of course this might just be a trick or you might already know about this. But I figured it would be better to tell you this stuff before I continued going after the ledger."

The demon wondered if Qadim already knew about this and was merely using her as a tool to get something then try to escape repercussions by blaming it on her. That was always a possibility. However, if that was the way that he worked, then he would have developed thousands of enemies. If he cast blame onto others after using them like that, then it would build a bad reputation for him. People wouldn't work for him if he behaved like that. The demon waited for his response.

Author: Qadim, Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 9:14 AM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

A knock rapped on the door at an unexpected time as the orc was in the midst of getting his files and papers sorted out. "What is it?" Qadim demanded, eyes not bothering to look up. After all, his mind was already set on making sure he would be ready for the next trade negotiation.

"Sir, the woman from before wishes to speak with you," was the reply, causing Qadim to stare back up. That foolish woman. Didn't she hear him say that she shouldn't visit so soon after the job? That only raises suspicions about their connection. Still, if she was already here, he may as well speak with her.

With a damnable sigh escaping his lips, he worked to clean up his table as he stated, "Enter." The door was opened and the demon woman was guiding through, only to be met by a look of disbelief on his face. Not that she could see, considering the damn blindfold she covered herself with! "Is this what you thought I meant when you said not to see me?" he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Take that damnable thing off and tell me why you decided to drop on by?"

He wasn't sure if it was foolishness or if it was something she learned that caused her to do this. After all, the key to his mind-bending magics often required eye contact, a link to the mind, to be able to cause his powers to work. At best, he can only hope that this was foolishness on her end, taking things too literally in terms of his words.

Author: Veda, Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 1:17 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

It was early in the morning. The sun had not come out yet. People were probably still sleeping. She looked around and found guards only at the front. The demon dashed into an open window and sneaked her way into the room that she had been at yesterday. Everything seemed smaller. The ledger rested on the table next to a lit candle. Veda picked up the ledger and was about to open it until she heard something scuttle across the floor. Dropping the ledger, she reached out and caught the other creature. It was a rat. A real one it seemed. Veda sighed and plucked the rat up. She then tossed it out the window.  The rat went flying and a little squeak could be heard as it fell probably to its death.

Turning back to the ledger, her eyes widened in horror. The ledger was burned completely by the candle. When she dropped the ledger, it fell directly onto the flame. The demon did not realize that this was the trapped ledger. Well, there was nothing else she could do. Veda began to sneak back through the hallways. How would she deal with this? The thought of that debt made her stomach ache. Suddenly, the demon heard the noise of two men coming down the hallway. There was a trunk and a window curtain that she could use. Launching herself into the trunk, she curled up inside it and let the lid close. The men turned the corner and began to walk past her while talking. 

"So you're saying that once Qadim finds a way to swap the ledger, we will have a backup to prove that he was trying to steal it?" One man questioned the other. 

"On that track. We have other documents and codes that will link us up to the ship. Once Qadim gets the ledger switched, we will present the evidence to the pirate lord. Qadim's head will be ours." The other said, "He won't suspect anything. After all, only you and I know about this." 

"But why did you trap the fake ledger?" The first man wondered. 

"If it looked too easy, then he would get suspicious." The second man explained,"Soon, we won't have to worry about…"

The two men walked out of hearing range. Words spoken by the men processed in the demon's head as she realized what was going on. Somehow, she had gotten involved in an economic chess game! Rivals. Monopoly. She remembered her teacher saying that word during their studies. It meant that roughly one person would own a business without competition. They both were fighting a monopoly for something. They both wanted to eliminate the enemy. This was a type of war she had not been expecting. Waiting until she couldn't hear the men anymore, she lifted the lid and crawled out. 

She didn't particularly want to save Qadim. But she didn't want to have this linked back to her. Did he already know about this plan? Apparently it was kept between the two men. The demon escaped the tower and began to head back to Qadim. She wasn't going to get herself in trouble. As for the debt…it would be a concern for later. The demon made it back to where they had met only a day or two ago. One of the sailors stopped her. 

"Sorry mam, you can't see him today. That's the rules." The sailor said. 

"Ok…." Veda said snatching his sash.

She tied the red sash around her head to cover her eyes.

"There. I can't see him." Veda said, "But I NEED to talk to him. Unless you want to be the reason he doesn't get his ship. I hear he has a temper…"

The sailor sighed and decided to show her the way to talk to Qadim, guiding her since she had the sash around her eyes. 

Author: Qadim, Posted: Sat Mar 9, 2019 7:50 AM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

The hours were late when a knock echoed through the room. "Enter," he said, watching the door open as another woman stepped through. "So then, Celeste, what's today's report?"

"It was as you expected: the demon girl cohered a woman to suicide after doing business with her for magic scrolls before ensuring her family's safety." After all, demons were often ruthless beings. Always housing a darker side to them if you push the right buttons. Torment and destruction was in their blood, after all, even if they tried to be kind spirits to the public.

"If I may ask," Robin brought up quickly, "can you really affect her father's work like that?" A bold laugh was her reply.

"Of course not. After all, Eacidal worked with a 'rival' company in these docks. it didn't change the fact that he had major injuries affecting his performance, which caused him to lose his work a couple days ago. Its not my fault that she was taken out of the loop as she was hard to the nose with her books during that time. It did not change what the end result even was, isn't that right," Qadim's vision peered over his shoulder to a man leaning along the wall. The man who he kicked in the face and whose mind he destroyed, "my sacrificial pawn?"

~~~~~~~

As the rat left the tower, a knock rattled the door, causing the man to stir awake. "Ugh, I just got here," he worker muttered before he opened the door. "Is it that time already?" A yawn escaped his lips as he stepped over to the table, taking the ledger that rested upon the desk and trading it with the one the man at the door had for him. The covers of each of them looked the same, as if it was the exact same one, yet the internal contents were much different, as this one held a nasty little secret…

Author: Veda, Posted: Wed Mar 6, 2019 9:24 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

The minute she heard the name of her father, she knew exactly what she needed to do. This orc would use them to manipulate her. Anger grew wild within her. Fear was the only thing that could battle it. Her jaw clenched as she looked away from the eavesdropper and Qadim. The Golden eyes once filled with curiosity now seemed as though they were ready to go to war. Every bone in her body was ready to do anything. Everything. There was something that the orc didn't know. The will to live had lost this girl's body the minute she could say the word mother. There was only one true reason why she continued on. And he had just threatened that reason. Her world. Her life. Her sole. The thing that she would do anything for. Anything. Even if they didn't realize that it was good for them. A man with desire to live was dangerous. A man without the desire to live was deadly. A smile replaced the frown that had previously been attached to her face.

"I'd better get to work." She said in a calm manner, "I only have two days to get everything done."

With that, she bolted out of the ship. The first place she needed to go was to her…friend's shop. Bursting through the door, she went straight to the shopkeeper. A woman with bright blonde hair and brown eyes stared at her in surprise. Anne. A girl who had been obsessed with the demon's elder brother since the age of five. Anne had been unlucky with love and desperately wanted to know about Othame. For years, she had been denied any sort of information. Murderous intent filled Veda's golden eyes. The shopkeeper stepped several paces backwards.

"You wanted information about my brother." The demon stated, "I need a spell that will transform me into a rat for a day. I also need a spell that can open up a portal to anywhere I choose. Along with a parchment paper and ink."

Anne's fear melted away and was replaced with joy. This was the girl's chance to figure out what Othame wanted in a girlfriend!

"Promise?" Anne stuttered.

"I swear on my life."

The shopkeeper raced behind the counter and pulled out two spell scrolls along with some parchment, ink, and a quill.

"All you need to do is recite the words on the scroll and the spell will be cast. I made it for non-spell users. The portal will open up one time and will take you to wherever you have been before already. As for the transformation spell, it will turn you into a rat for 24hrs or when you decide to turn back. Both of these scrolls can only be used once." Anne explained happily.

She handed both scrolls to Veda with the rest of the materials. Veda inspected the scrolls to verify that they were real. Her attention then turned to the parchment. Dipping the quill in the ink, she began to write a letter in her own handwriting. Once she was done she waited for the letter to dry then folded it up and placed it in an envelope. Anne was waiting for her information. A smile spread across the demon's lips.

"My brother likes women with a curvy figure, black hair, and deep green eyes. In fact, he has a girlfriend who is already like this." She said cruelly, "You would never be worthy of him, you coffin dodging oxygen thief. Anyone who ever said they loved you was lying. In fact, I'm certain that you will be utterly forgotten by the rest of the world. The only way to improve yourself would be to die."

The words stabbed the woman through the heart. Veda and Anne were never extremely close but for the longest time they had been friendly towards one another. Tears dropped from her eyes as she fell to the ground. For Anne's entire life, all she ever wanted was to be with Othame. Not only did he have a girlfriend but it appeared that his family hated the shopkeeper. Devastation was not a strong enough word for her state. The girl's mind clouded with pain and agony. It was a perfect time for this. The demon reached up to a rope that Anne had up for sale and handed it to the woman with a smile.

"But if you kill yourself, all this pain will go away." Veda said, "And maybe your corpse can be used for something. It would be the best time to make yourself useful for once."

Anne couldn't even speak as the rope was placed into her hand. With that, Veda took her supplies and left the shop. The poor girl was left alone with nothing but a rope and pure misery. After a few minutes, anybody who came into the shop would find Anne hanging alone. The demon headed towards her little shack. Her parents would be happy to see her again. Veda's mind wandered back to Anne. The girl was nice but she knew too much. It was best that she had been disposed of in a way that wouldn't attract suspicion. After all, this was Vilpamolan city. Death and murder happened constantly. Especially self inflicted death. The demon arrived at her little shack. The moment she stepped into the building, both her mother and father embraced her.

"We were so worried about you!" Her father said.

"Where were you?!" Her mother added.

Veda simply smiled and looked at the scroll. She began saying the words to cast the spell. Behind Ishna and Eacidal, a portal opened. She reached up to embrace both of her parents. They were unaware of the portal that had opened behind them. Veda took this chance to shove the envelope into her mother's pocket. Freeing her parents from the hug, she shoved both of them into the portal. They screamed as they fell into the unknown. The portal closed behind them. A sigh escaped Veda's lips. They would be safe now. Although massively confused. She turned and left her old home. It was time to abandon this place. Her siblings didn't live at the home. They lived in other places of the city. If necessary, she would find them too. Save them from any pain. Whether they want to be saved or not. The demon tore up the scroll that had the portal spell on it into tiny pieces and scattered them in the wind.

Taking up the other scroll, she decided to try to find the first tower. Now her work would truly begin. It didn't take her long to find the tower. The tall building was one of the taller buildings in the city. She hid in an alley way and began speaking the spell from the scroll. Her body morphed and changed into a rat. As a rat, she took this chance to scratch up the scroll and destroy it. There would be no traces left behind. She was at war. Nothing would stop her from her goal. Veda would still fulfill the job, for the sake of her family and for the money. But at least now she had less reason to worry. Hopefully. The little rat scurried towards the tall tower and entered through a hole that had been made long ago by other rats. People went in and out of the tower but did not notice her. As a rat, she could travel almost anywhere without being noticed.

The rat demon traveled throughout the tower searching for the documents. She even squeezed herself into some cabinets to look for any information. As a rat she was able to gnaw on the wood until she was able to get in. However, it seemed that other rats had already been there looking for cheese or some other food. The documents were not in this tower. Veda escaped from the first tower and went on to the next. She went from tower to tower until she finally found the one that she had been looking for. It was the tower closest to the docks. After a huge amount of searching, Veda finally found the documents she was looking for. Even as a rat she was able to understand and read the paperwork. She took the time to memorize every word and letter.

Somebody was entering through the door. The rat leaped off of the desk where she had found the papers and raced to a hiding place underneath a dresser. A man stepped into the room and sat at his desk, looking over the text written on the parchment. Then he flopped down on the bed to take a nap. Veda observed the room around her. There was one window above the bed that could fit a person. The door was on the left and was cracked slightly open. She sneaked across the room and out of the door. Trying to learn the layout of the tower, she went through the halls and each room to learn more about it. The sun was starting to set. The demon would need a place to rest. She made her escape as a rat and crawled into the wooden walls of the tower. There, she made her way to the bottom floor and escaped through a hole in the wall. When the demon got to the alleyway, she transformed back into her regular self. Tomorrow would be the day that she finished the task.

Author: Qadim, Posted: Wed Mar 6, 2019 7:29 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

"No, not really," Qadim stated as he pulled himself from his seat and paced himself over to the frightened man, "though I am sure I know who he is associated with. Its a shame really. I thought he would have been much more amusing than this."

"Y-You think this is a game?!' the can cried out, though his voice seemed forced as he tried to break through the nerves. "The hell do you even want from him?! What can you even get out of–" a swift kick to the face was enough to shut him up. Standing above him, the orc snapped his fingers, causing the rogue from before to step out of the shadows.

"Bring me the file of one Eacidal Ingrid." A nod came from her as she vanished for only a moment before bringing out a new document. Kneeling down, Qadim lifted the man from his air, locking his eyes into the other before demanding, "Name." With a small flash from behind the monocle, the man's eyes grew dull before muttering out who he was like a mindless doll. "Who do you work for?" Another name escaped his lips before his head was dropped onto the deck floor. He was allowed to force himself back up, but instead of trying to counteract the rude treatment, he merely sat in front of the orc, like a mindless dog with an empty stare in his eyes.

"You know, I hear that Eacidal was a hard-working man. Dedicated to get things done nice and efficiently to be able to tend to his family. In fact, I heard that his wife is getting ready to deliver a sixth child. Unfortunately, a work accident caused a massive injury to his back, causing his boss to have him take some time off to recover. A shame, really, seeing how this document details the account of his injury, making it too harsh to continue with such hard labor. Poor man." With a wave of his hand, the ink began to pull itself away from the paper before reorienting itself in a new fashion. "And now you are the one guilty of causing it." Handing it off, the rogue was off. "I am sure it will cost him his job, but such intent may cost you prison, or worse, your life. You understand?" A nod came from him as he began to pull himself back up to his feet, slowly turning around, before finally slowly walking out, as if some kind of entranced zombie.

"And with that, the eavesdropper is dealt with," Qadim smirked, eying Veda as if he knew what he just did… and to whom.

A warning message to her if she failed…

Author: Veda, Posted: Wed Mar 6, 2019 5:32 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

The demon had finished with her meal, although she left the meat and coffee untouched. Two days. Two days to figure out where the documents were and how to get them. There wasn't a lot of time. Her left hand cupped underneath her chin as she thought about the options. An idea popped into her mind. She had a….friend who would be able to offer her a magical spell in exchange for information. A smile appeared on her lips. There was no garment that this would work. But she had a plan and a schedule within her mind that she could follow. Qadim pulled out a bag of coins and set them on the table. As if taunting her with the possible coins she could earn. Standing up from her chair, she looked at him.

"Alright." The demon said, "It is a deal then. Oh… by the way. You should probably watch out for eavesdroppers."

She walked over to the door and slammed it open suddenly. The door whacked an eavesdropper in the face. Walking over to him, the demon snatched him by the ear and dragged him to the orc. Veda's expression was a mixture of fury, curiosity, and excitement. The man was clearly not a part of the crew. His outfit was too fancy to be a crew member. But he looked too poor and cowardly to be anybody of importance. The smell radiating from him didn't carry anything from the people on Qadim's ship. Whomever this was, it was clear that he didn't belong here. A look of fear was stabled on the eavesdropper's face once he realized that he had been caught. Whether it was fear of Qadim or Veda was debatable. She threw him onto the floor, not caring whether or not the man was injured. He had been listening to their meeting. Which meant that he could have listened to any of their meetings earlier. The last thing she wanted was to get unnecessary people involved in this deal.

"Is he yours?" She asked bluntly.

Author: Qadim, Posted: Wed Mar 6, 2019 2:17 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

Qadim's fork pointed out into the shipyard, over to one of the few buildings that seemed more like a tower than any of the warehouses. "It will most likely be in one of those watch towers. After all, that is where they watch to make sure the cargo is being moved as should be. As for which one, it is hard to tell as it is moved constantly for safety's sake, meaning research or praying to Goddess Shiloh that you made the right choice. If the rumors are true, then there are also fakes laced with ensnaring or disabling enchantments to those that dare mess with them.

"As for time, you have two days, at most, remaining to get this job done. Once the ship has landed, the timer is up and everything should already be finished." He let his fork stab through three layers of pancakes as he talked before having the knife part the portion away from the left, taking his new captives and imprisoning them in his maw before his belly soon after.

"Oh, and one last thing: You will not be reporting right after the job is done. In fact, there is even the chance this may be the last time we meet like this… if this is our last business together," Qadim told her. "Give time to pass to ensure the job is done right and for the goods to be loaded  before we even talk about pay. But don't worry: If done right, I will ensure your share that we talked about." He dug his hand under the table before pulling out the bag of coins once more, resting them on top. "After all: I am a  man of my word."

Author: Veda, Posted: Wed Mar 6, 2019 1:57 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

Throughout this experience Veda had realized something very important. She hated baths. The soap was not food and the water had too many bubbles. To add insult to injury, when she tried to eat the bubbles, they would vanish! As if they never existed at all! Bubbles were frustrating. Robin then pulled a spiky stick called a brush through her hair. At the end of it, her scalp was in pain. Why did people do this to their precious hair? It hurt… Eventually she was ready and decent looking. Today she was wearing a simple black tunic and a pair of trousers. The demon was supposed to have shoes. But she took them off as soon as she was at the ship. Her claws felt the wooden ship and she felt comfortable again. Qadim was sitting in the same room again with food in front of him. She sat down in her seat and began shoving the pancakes into her mouth. She avoided the coffee and the spicy sausage. The bacon seemed good but she was busy with the pancakes.

Qadim had been commenting about the speed of her learning. However, when he said to pay attention, she decided to pay attention. Somewhat. Her ears were perked forwards to listen and she gulped the chewed food down. She listened quietly as he described what he would need her to do. The job was clearly illegal. But that wasn't really something Veda was terribly concerned about. Technically everything was illegal somewhere. He pushed the new sheet of paper towards her and she plucked it up from the table. Her eyes inspected the paper, observing every single detail.

Now she could understand the pattern of words. It made sense to her finally. However, that did not stop her from picking up on every single detail of the handwriting. It was still a code. But she could understand what the code meant. The demon knew that shipment numbers and codes helped with illegal goods. Her elder brother was a low level pirate but he had told her some of these things on a visit home. Pirate King. She had heard that title many times before. He was dangerous. Veda could not get herself caught. No matter what. The price of the job outweighed the danger she faced. Placing the paper back on the table, she looked up to the orc. 

"I understand." She said, "Where will I find this paperwork? And when do you want this job done?"

Two essential questions….

Author: Qadim, Posted: Wed Mar 6, 2019 12:03 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

It would be an early morning for Veda; once again being woken up by Robin, not taking No as an answer before getting her cleaned up and presentable once more before guiding her back to Qadim's ship, where he had two plates of breakfast sets up: pancake stacks sided with spicy sausage and bacon, ending with a cup of fresh coffee for each. Qadim's plate was already half eaten, as he took no real need to be waiting for the meal together. "Good morning, Miss Veda," Qadim commented, taking his cup and in-taking the black brew. "I hope you have rested well. From what I have been told, you have been quite efficient with your studies.

"Now then, sit. Eat. But most importantly: pay attention." If he felt like he had to repeat himself, he would charge for the lessons right there on the spot. "A ship will be coming in come the next morning, which has a shipment I am wanting going to them, instead. So, your job should be simple: get their shipment under my name." Digging into his coat, he pulled out a new sheet of paper before sliding it across the table: A sample of what she was going to be messing with. "Of course, things will be suspicious if it goes missing completely, so you will be moving a shipment I have set to their name as well. Take a moment to study the book when you find it to see how they fix mistakes in order to  make it more believable."

Taking his fork, he pointed over to the sample and showcased a certain section. "If you didn't already know, there are some of us here that deal in illegal goods, so we use shipment numbers and codes to help hide it when we reach more lawful nations. This one here… and his one here… will be the two you will be swapping. However, don't think they will be right next to each other like on the sheet." He pulled his fork back to stab a link of sausage before popping it into his mouth, chewing thoroughly before swallowing it down.

"Oh course, the job is not as easy as you would think. Despite this being a city of thieves and pirates, the Pirate King declared a Parley Law across the land, ensuring thieves cannot publicly attack other thieves, and his off-sea crew are the governors and judges of that law. Get caught by them, and do not expect much mercy. However, do the job cleanly, and no one will bat an eye.

"Now then: Any last minute questions?"

Author: Veda, Posted: Mon Mar 4, 2019 8:02 AM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

The demon awaited her teacher's return. Her mind was a bird speeding through the sky, trying to see everything and understand everything as fast as possible. But there was nothing left. All the lessons that her teacher had taught her was finished, leaving an empty hole inside of Veda's heart. She needed more. A lust for knowledge grew inside her heart as she realized why her curiosity had been shoved down all those years. Knowledge was addicting. Joy lit up whenever she heard knew information. When the learning process stopped, the world around her seemed to move slowly. Perhaps a nap would help her calm down. Flopping down on the soft bed, she stared up at the ceiling, lost in deep thought. The door opened up and the demon sat up. 

Professor Robin stepped in and explained the situation. Her hand reached up to her chin and she looked downwards towards the floor, pondering what to do next. It didn't take her long to figure it out. Going home was extremely tempting. The thought of going home and running into the arms of her parents was an alluring but ultimately stupid idea. Veda was working for a powerful individual at the moment. Steps would have to be taken to ensure their safety. Which meant that going home was not an option. The further she stayed away from them, the better. 

"I'll stay here." She said finally, "The bed's comfortable." 

Her arms folded behind her bed as she let herself fall onto the pillow. Tomorrow her job would truly begin. The demon crawled underneath the covers then wrapped herself in them. Veda would be as ready. 

Author: Qadim, Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 9:11 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

The door opened to Qadim's ship once again, watching one set of feet and as another stepped forth. "Report," the orc demanded, eyeing the professor as he adjusted his coat. He knew Robin was not much for idle chit-chat and he had been busy drilling the demon information.

"Her skills at learning are honestly quite terrifying," he remarked, "She was able to grasp concepts quite fast and power through her fumbles. She seemed eager to get started as soon as she arrived, I had to adapt my first lesson plan on the fly." Qadim took these notes into mind and piled them up with what else he learned about her, and not just from their first encounter.

"Very well. Report back to her that she can return home and, as an order, take the day off to cool off. Cram sessions are good and all, but being in constant demand makes it hard for it to stick."

"Yes, sir," Robin stated, bowing quickly before heading back to the inn where Veda sat in wait. "One last lesson before tomorrow," he stated, heading back to his books and pulling one from them, "and that is relaxing. You can return home if you wish, or you can stay here for one more night of good food and a comfortable bed. That choice is yours." His fingers cracked open the pages to his book mark before skimming along the fable he now held. "Just remember that come morning, you will be having a meeting with Qadim once more about the job he has on offer at the break of dawn. If you head home, I will not come to pick you up, and he is not one who appreciates tardiness. Again, the choice is yours."

Author: Veda, Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2019 12:22 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

Once she heard that he was the tavern master she began to raise her hand with the letter. Before she could properly hand it over, the man had torn the letter from her hands. In a matter of seconds he had opened the letter. She waited patiently as he read the letter. Her tail twitched back and forth with slight annoyance at the man's surprising behavior. The man started talking loudly and started shouting at some poor lady. Veda's ears folded back to block out some of the noise. A woman came over to her and offered to help carry her stuff. The demon would have picked up the bag on her own, but the lady's job was to pick it up for her. There was no reason to cause the woman to get in trouble for not carrying a small bag. The floor beneath her feet felt old but sturdy. Her nose could detect traces of food mixed with the scents of living beings. She followed the lady up two flights of stairs then down a hallway. At the corner of the hallway, the lady knocked on the door before opening it up.

The room was beautiful. An enchanting purple-red carpet rested on the floor. There was a bed on the left with purple sheets while the bed on the right had magenta sheets. A dark brown shelf was shoved in a corner and was filled to the brim with colorful books on every layer. Sun shone into the window between the two beds. Underneath the window was a dark brown desk equipped with reading and writing materials. At the end of both beds were decently sized trunks to keep one's belongings. Veda's expression was a mixture of amazement and surprise. Every bone in her body was telling her to jump up and down on the bed. She somehow managed to restrain herself. Furniture was not the only thing in the room. A well dressed man was sitting the table desk was looking at the intruders. He spoke fast and was extremely direct. Veda liked this man. There was no double meanings in his words. He was direct and to the point. Or so he appeared. Veda realized that this could be some sort of trick but kept that in the back of her mind. 

"Yes Professor." Veda said firmly, "When do we start?"

"Right now. Go to the table and we will begin with the first lesson." The professor ordered. 

Throughout the next four days, there was nothing but lessons. Anybody else would have despised these lessons. Veda's burning curiosity ate it up. She wanted to know more. The demon finally released the burning curiosity etched within her mind. Eighteen years of repressed curiosity sent suddenly free was….indescribable. It was as if she was set free. The wings of her mind were no longer bound back by family burdens. Professor Robin gave her the first lesson. The letters lesson. She took to the information quickly. Sometimes she would ask questions or ask for a more detailed explanations, but the content wasn't hard for the demon to grasp. Information poured into the vault of a mind held in her head. Speaking the letters was difficult at first. However, she learned how to mimic the way that Robin was saying it. Eventually she was able to understand each letter and how to pronounce it. 

The next day, they worked on forming words and what certain words meant. Veda had little difficulty knowing what certain words meant as long as she spoke it out loud. The day was filled with practicing saying the words in her mind and out loud. At the end of the day, she was able to read full sentences without having to speak. On the third day the professor taught her about grammar. There wasn't much time left. Only two more days for her to get everything correctly. The fact that she could memorize facts and figures rapidly helped her throughout the learning process. Veda thought about the words a bit..differently. She viewed it as a pattern still. But now it was a pattern that could form images in her head as she read them. Grammar was simply a way to perfect that patter. A period meant that the sequence of letters had stopped. A capital letter at the beginning of a sentence indicated that it was the beginning of a sentence. Grammar was an easy concept for her to do. 

The fourth day was coming. Professor Robin was going over how to write a letter. He was greatly surprised by the demon's ability to pick up the massive amounts of information in only three days. Her mind was completely focused on the lesson. Even when she ate, she practiced reading and writing. The only time she didn't try to learn was when she slept. However, the Professor had a feeling that whatever Qadim was paying wasn't enough to have this much dedication. This was a lot. No amount of money or power would be able to make somebody work this much this consistently. There was something else that he couldn't describe that drove her. At the end of the fourth day she was ready. The demon could read, write, and understood how letters worked. In fact, the demon was now begging for more information. Professor Robin gave her a book that would teach her how to write a book. Then the professor escaped to fetch Qadim and tell him that the demon was done early. 

Author: Qadim, Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2019 8:23 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

There was a smile and a wave when Veda made one last remark before taking off, leaving Qadim alone with Jake, leaving the pair in silence outside of the fork clanking against the plate as we parted another slice of his cake. It was Jake who broke it. "Are you sure this is a wise move?" he asked, turning to look over at the orc, "I am pretty sure Evelyn could have done the same task much more efficiently and without having to spend so much on someone from the slums." Silence again as Qadim took cake of his bite, before wiping his lips with a napkin.

"I am quite sure she can as well. However, I'd rather not waste a rook in case things go wrong. So, instead, I will send in the pawn to see if she is up to the task. After all, pawns only show real value if you put effort into them. Should they succeed, you can promote them into something stronger. If not, then you use them as a sacrifice as you further push your plans forward. Her mental fortitude and sharp eyes makes me want to see if she has the value of a knight." Of course, demanding to show the strength of a queen would be way too daunting for such a street stain.

"Now then, summon Celeste to my side. I wish to give her a research job…"

~~~

The mid-afternoon hours were hardly busy with customers within the port tavern, outside of prepping for the night traffic and accommodating those who had pulled into the ship yard. Still, hearing the door open randomly were such a common occurrence that no one even bothered an eye until one of them was addressed. "Aye," the man stated as he turned about. "Any reason why ye' need me instead of the lady behind the counter?" That's when his eyes caught the letter and the seal that embroidered it. There was no restraint in his effort to tear the letter from her fingers before digging his finger under the letter's fold and passing it under the wax seal, unfolding the top open with his thumb and the bottom with a quick shake in a single motion. His eyes darted back and forth across the sheet before eying the lady before her. "Ye' know, if you were ten minutes earlier, I would have called ye' a stinkin' liar… And yet, someone else came in with something similar. Yer' lucky, little lady. CHARLENE!" The lady behind the counter's head perked up all of a sudden. "Get this lady a key to 315 and lead her over there. AND BE SURE TO KNOCK THIS TIME BEFORE YE' BARGE IN!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" Frantically, the woman scurried to grab a key from the board behind her before leaping over the counter and over to Veda's side. There, she offered a hand to help with any of her carry-ons before leading her up two flights of stairs, down to a corner of the hallway. There was a quick knock on the door before she used the key to open it up, revealing the room to be much more decorated and luxurious than most others with a window's view facing the ocean below. Two beds resided within the room as a man, who sat at the table, turned his attention upwards and towards the door.

"You must be Veda," he stated, low toned as he rested his quill back into the ink. "And here I thought I had more time to work on the study guide before your arrival. I am Robin, but for the next week, you will call me, Professor. I have been told that I can be as strict as I wish for this hasty lecture and that if I feel like you are lacking behind too much or cause too much issues, I can end your dealings with Qadim right here and now. Do I make myself clear?"

Author: Veda, Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 12:27 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

Watching the business man make another letter, she was fascinated by what he had. Qadim could read, write, and had multiple servants at his command. The demon did not particularly want servants herself but it made her wonder how powerful money really was. It was necessary for survival but she had only bothered to notice what it could do today. She used her tongue to clean off any remaining frosting. Realizing that the napkin was there for that, she switched to using the napkin instead. Her attention was on Qadim while wiping herself off. After hearing everything, she was slightly worried about whether or not she could fulfill the task. However, the demon was most concerned about keeping the seal not broken. For once in her life, Veda would need to be careful. She reviewed her hands, arms, and face before picking up the letter. Plucking it up like it was a delicate piece of glass. She stood up from the table and nodded. The demon headed towards the door but suddenly stopped.

"Oh, and one more thing." Veda stated firmly turning to Qadim, "Anybody who is not involved has no business knowing about this deal."

Her voice was calm and firm, similar to the type of attitude that Qadim held. It was as if this was all just business to her and not as massive as it is to her. Veda was serious about keeping the deal somewhat private. However, she was also using this as a chance to see the results of copying someone else's attitude. Where there advantages to the way he spoke and acted? Was it the reason that he got this far in the first place? There was much more to know. Then the demon finally left the freight ship and headed out back to the city. She took several turns and twists in case anybody was following her. One alleyway to a street then ducking under a stall and slipping into another alleyway. Eyes peeled for any sign of someone tracking her down. Once Veda was certain nobody had followed her, she headed back to the slums.

Walking through the slums, everything seemed different. Trash and garbage seemed worthless now. Especially in the comparison to the money she might be able to earn in the future. The demon approached a tiny shack. Instead of strong walls there were four walls made up of scrap wood tied with rope or with nails barely keeping the place together. The roof consisted of other scraps of wood and some scraps of other materials to keep the rain out as much as possible. Sticks and twigs were bound together with rope to construct a door. Pushing the door open, Veda stepped inside to see her father knelt down next to the pit in the center of the room. Her father was a ebony black demon with golden eyes. A burning fire blazed in the pit as Eacidal cooked a fish above it in a rusty old pot. Her family didn’t deserve this. Living in the dumps, going through trash, serving in jobs that would never display their full potential. Determination filled her eyes as she walked past her father, straight towards her bag and her extra tunic and pants.

“How was work?” Her father asked cheerfully, “Your mother is still at her work and I was given a day off.”

Given a day off. Few employers ever gave days off. Eacidal was going to be fired soon. Veda knew this because only people who were going to get fired got days off. The demon found the silver in her bag. The child had delivered her materials and silver well. She would have to reward the kid later. Standing up, Veda walked over to her father.

“Work was good. I got a lot.” Veda said handing the silver to her father.

His gold eyes popped open with surprise.

“The blacksmith was kind today.” Eacidal muttered, “You should be careful. That type of kindness does not come free.”

She nodded her head then went back to the straw mat she used for a bed. Plopping down on the mat, she stuffed her extra tunic and pants into the bag before her father could see.

“Dad, if you had all the money in the world, what would you do with it?”

The black demon leaned back and paused for a moment before speaking.

“Well. I think I would first pay for you and your siblings to get a good education. Othame could learn to become a hunter. Elebi and Robine could learn about farming. Hevru can learn how to become a dragon trainer. And you, well I don’t know what your interested in yet but we could get you what you need when you’re ready.” He explained, “Then I’d get your mother that resteraunt she’s always wanted. And she’d cook every meal she’s ever wanted to make.”

Veda crawled off of her mat and took a seat next to her father.

“What about you?” She asked.

Eacidal looked to the fire and smiled.

“I’d take up a part-time job at the restaurant to be near your mother. But on my off-time I’d learn how to write. Once I figured out how to read and write properly, I’d finally be able to write a novel.”

His eyes held a dreamy look as he thought about the possibilities. Veda stared at the fire as her ears drooped downwards. Her father noticed this.

“But, we will get there someday chickadee.”

Get there? They’d been here for 25 years. So long and yet they barely had anything at all. Eacidal noticed his daughter’s depressed expression. Warm arms wrapped around Veda.

“It’s going to be alright.” Her father insisted, “I know things have been difficult since your siblings went off to work. But I’m so proud of you. I forget to tell you sometimes but I am proud of how hard you work. Everything thing that you do, you always put so much effort into it….As for the money, don’t worry about that. Just keep doing what you’ve been doing. Your mother and I will work the rest out.”

Veda felt like a little child all over again. She wrapped her arms around her dad and tucked her head under his chin. Pain grew in her heart but her smile remained. Suddenly, she pulled away and stood up with her hands on her hips.

“Well then! I will go out and hunt for treasure!” Veda insisted.

“You do that chickadee.”

He watched as his daughter walked over to her bag and swung it over her shoulder. The young demon left the little hut she called home. Knowing that she wouldn’t return for a very long time. With every step away from the shack, her smile faded a little more until she got to her alleyway. She opened a crate and crawled into it. Then she took the carefully kept letter out of her pocket. Placing the letter to the side, she closed the lid of the crate above her. Tears dropped from her eyes as soon as she curled up into a ball. Both of her hands pressed against her mouth to stop any sounds from escaping. The letter was safe on the other side of the long wooden crate. Every part of her wanted to sob out loud. To scream out her sorrow as loud as possible. But not a word or noise came out of her mouth. Crying in Vilpamolan was a dangerous act.

She had to take the job. If she failed in the trial, it would result in her forever in debt. If she succeeded, she would have to leave to follow work. Qadim might give her another job. Otherwise the demon would have to leave the city to find work. Her parents couldn’t know about it or they would try to stop her. Which meant she would have to leave. Leave without a goodbye or another word. The demon allowed herself to cry as much as possible. Getting it out before going to the tavern. Eventually, her tears dried and her face returned to normal. As though she was perfectly fine.

Crawling out of her crate, she picked up her bag and her letter. It was time. Veda walked out of the alleyway and down the street. Children and adults alike were scavenging through the garbage. Looking for something worth selling. The bright sun was past midday but not at sunset. Ignoring the rest of her surroundings, the demon focused on getting to the tavern. At the tavern she opened the door, forgetting to knock, and wandered around until she found the tavern master. The letter was sealed and in almost perfect condition. 

"Are you the tavern master?" She asked before handing the letter over. 

Author: Qadim, Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 7:26 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

Her determination for the task at hand was as equal as for the lust of cake she surely displayed, seeing how chocolate frosting how laced all over her face and clothes.  A mental note, for sure. However, the shine in her eyes told him all he really wanted to know. "You have until sunset to ready and enjoy yourself, considering that the next week, you will have eyes on you at all times," Qadim stated, taking another blank parchment and working up a new letter, the chef next to him walking over and bringing him a candle. "Should you fail to show up at the port's tavern before sunset, we will take as you abandoning the task. We will not charge you for anything if you choose to do so," he assured her.

Once his signature was placed at the bottom of the page, he folded it up before taking the candle and dropping some wax down upon the page, singing it a bit, but hardly enough to cause it to set on fire. Still, the wax was quick to cool off and harden, which the orc removed the ring from his finger and imprinted it on the wax, lifting it up to reveal his company's crest imprinted into the wax. "However, show this to the tavern master before then and he shall show you to a room your tutor will have set up. During that time, he will teach you about the characters used within the Revaliian alphabet and numbering systems and basic words that you will see common to your job at hand. If you wish, you can even ask him to teach you more on reading and arithmetic, though he will be sure to charge for that as well. When he is not teaching, he will be watching your diet and keeping an eye on your cleanliness. You will have 5 days to impress him enough that you can do the task before I tell you anything more."

With those words out of the way, he slid the letter across the table to her. "Also, please be aware that, should the seal break before arriving to the tavern master, it will be rendered void and the job forfeit. Now then, you are dismissed. 'Til we see each other next," He toasted her one last time with the wine before taking a sip and heading back to the cake, letting the demon leave and do as she wished.

Author: Veda, Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 12:39 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

As soon as the cake was set down upon the table, Veda zipped straight to her chair and plunged her mouth into the chocolaty treat. The demon lifted her head back up and swallowed the chunks she had chewed. Frosting covered her face. She snatched parts of the cake. Then she shoved it into her mouth. Her attention was only on the cake. The stuff that Qadim was saying hardly interested her. It wasn't until he showed the signatures side by side, that Veda payed attention. The demon's ears folded back in disappointment. Qadim hadn't been fooled. She wondered how long he suspected her inability to read. Her mind didn't linger long on that. There was cake. Her mind was on cake again. She continued to chomp on the desert. Her tail whipped back and forth with excitement. Luckily, her tail didn't hit anything. Chocolate cake was paradise incarnated into a delicious pastry! 

Her ears perked up at the mention of one thousand silver. One thousand?! She knew that was above 100 so it must have been great payment! The cake was completely devoured. There was nothing to distract Veda now. Qadim wanted her to do a job in a week's time. He was offering to pay her to write something and education. The 300 silver cut didn't bother her at all. Mostly because she didn't know how much that was from her payment. But it wasn't a thousand so she was bound to be paid something. A tutoring session? Might have been hard. Determination lit up in her eyes despite him telling her what the consequences for failure was. This was a risk she would be willing to take. With that money, her family would be thriving. They could get a better house and pay for protection. 

"Yes!" The demon responded enthusiastically, "When do we start?!"

No other questions asked. Veda was diving into the deep without another thought about it. Any other person would have wisely chosen to say no or deny the deal. Especially with those consequences. However, the demon was not wise. She was determined. This learning would happen. But there was more to it than that. A burning emotion lingered in the back of her mind, growing stronger. A curiosity that might become unleashed. Risks were at the door. The demon was ready. 

Author: Qadim, Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:32 AM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

The way her tail wagged made the demon look more like a dog, eager for the treat presented to her. Her eyes were dead-locked on the treat before her before needing to snap her attention back forward. Still, despite all the steps she took to adjust to the differing style, her tail still wagged impatiently, as if getting it done for the sweet that rested before her. Still, she was able to place her focus on the item at hand in order to copy what she was asked before trying to work on the final piece… a task that much harder considering her attention was elsewhere.

Once she had finished, Qadim took back both sheets of paper, covering up her attempt at the signature as Jake passed out the cakes before them before taking the original, placing his own signature down before as the final piece to the unknown test. It did not take long to figure it out. "As I feared: You are illiterate. Your art of forgery and mimicry is certainly impressive, that is for sure, but dealing with the missing element certainly affected your ability." It was then he set the two signatures side by side, just showing how off the two names were… if Veda's could even be called a name.

"And here I thought I had a specific job for you as a final test of your ability." His hand reached below the desk to pull out a bag, dropping it on the table with the loud sound of rattling coin to echo in the air. "A paid job, no less… One thousand silver. Sound be plenty to be able to get started on your life outside of these walls. However, if you cannot learn to copy something without knowing what you are copying, then I am afraid I cannot give it to you. Unless…" His fingers dug into the bag, digging out stacks of coins and setting them aside. "The job I would need you to do is on a week's timer. If you can learn how to read and understand letters and numbers along with what you just did, I would still be able to pay you. All it would take would be a 300 silver cut from the pay to make up for living wages that include a bed, food, and bath for the week along with a tutoring session from Luxuria Mortiferum. It will be rough, but I can assure you that will be worth while.

"However, should you fail to be able to do the job within the span of time given, or leave any hint of activity from either side and raise suspicion at all, not only will your pay be declined, but you will owe back the wages used to train you plus interest." Taking his fork, he let it smoothly delve into the rich frosting and soft cake before holding it out in front of her. "So tell me, are you still interested?" were his last words before taking the bite. Ah, chocolate…

Author: Veda, Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:49 AM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

"Fair enough." Veda said awkwardly sitting at the table. 

She didn't really know what to do. Her attentions turned to her own outfit. Fiddling with her pants while waiting for Qadim to finish was not the most interesting of activities but it was better than nothing. The fabric was soft and difficult to stretch. Her golden eyes observed the area around her. Most of the exits and escape routes were blocked off. This little fact put the demon on edge. Veda had no intentions of leaving but the fact that she couldn't leave, at least not as easily, meant that he might try to keep her here. Freedom wasn't essential to life but it made everything easier. Suddenly, the doors opened up. Her head whipped back to the direction of the doors as two pieces of cake and another piece of parchment arrived. Slight concern melted away from her face. Only to be replaced by a look of strong desire. Her thoughts were very simple. Cake. 

Veda's reptile-like tail began to sway then became more rapid at the sight of cake. She was only half paying attention to what Qadim was saying. It was only until she heard something about doing something for a Dressel that she paid proper attention. Hopping off the chair, she took the parchment over to the desk again to repeat what she did last time. Looking over the parchment, the demon noticed that the letters looked different. Confusion cut across her face as she observed the letter over and over. Veda paused then took up the pen and dipped it in the ink. 

Instead of writing on the parchment paper, she wrote on her arm. The first letter she wrote was still like Qadim's but with a slight adjustments. The next letter on her arm was a mixture between Qadim's letter and the chef's letter. Her movements adapted to get the letters more like the chef's but still had the same general structure that Qadim had. For example, one of the letters had a certain curve that needed a circular motion in order to be written. But she lowered her arm to make the curve to be longer. Once she was done, she had five practice letter on her arm. The last letter being almost an exact copy of the chef's letter. 

Now it was time for the real challenge. Her movements went from slow and careful to suddenly becoming fast. The chef's letters displayed a different pace. He was quicker on some letters rather than others. Ones with curves were faster while the ones with straighter lines were written with a slower pace. Soon, the demon had copied everything on the letter. The only thing missing was the weird combination of letters at the end like in Qadim's written parchment. The demon took the chef's original writing and observed it closely. Then Veda took the copy she made for Qadim. Going over the letter, she could see a pattern of letters that was similar to the signature below. 

Veda had no idea which pattern of letters she was supposed to write at the bottom. However, she had a theory. Qadim's pattern of letters for the signature at the bottom were the same pattern of letters that always had the first letter capitalized, even if it wasn't at the beginning. Therefore, she was supposed to look for a pattern of letters that had a large letter at the front but was not at the start of the sentence. Going through the chef's original writings, the demon spotted what she was looking for. Veda reviewed the letters that constructed the pattern and how to make them. 

Then, Veda went to the bottom of her copy of the Chef's writings and started to work on the signature. She made it slightly bigger like how Qadim's signature was but used the letters that constructed the Chef's name. Although, the demon was unaware that this was his name or how even to pronounce it. The signature would have looked extremely similar to the chef's signature. But if the chef had added any fancy lines or symbols to his own signature that Qadim didn't add to his, then it would be slightly different. Once Veda was done, she dropped the quill off to the side. Leaning her head over to her arm where the letters were drawn, she began to lick the ink off. Her arm felt as though a couple of needles had stung it. Veda didn't give it much thought.

She wanted that cake. 

Author: Qadim, Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:14 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

A hearty laugh escaped from him again as he took another bite from the steak, noting her words. It means her mental walls are strong. Strong enough to not be affected by such simple efforts. Sure, he can place more effort and force the words he wanted to hear spill from her mouth, but it was not really necessary. After all, the goal actually wasn't to learn about her, but more of her defenses. "Sorry. There have just been times when people try to get something across before suddenly remembering one last hidden detail, which often messes up the negotiations. You don't know long long I have had my time wasted by such things. Therefore, I have gotten into the habit of negotiating details up to that point. Anything past that is not of my own concern."

The lunch hour grew long as Qadim worked at the steak at his own pace while Veda had devoured hers instantly. Any attempt upon trying to escape would have been blocked until the negotiations were finished, so she just had to sit back and stare, maybe washing up the steak juices to pass the time.  However, when the last piece of potato went down his throat, the doors opened up once more, this time bringing in two pieces of cake and yet another piece of parchment.

"Our time for dessert is almost here," Qadim stated, "but before we eat, I want you to, once again, copy down what our chef here has written and filling in the blanks from what is missing." This time, she had no reference to go off of on how to move her hand, nor did she have the final piece to the letter: the signature. "I am sure Mr. Jake Dressel here would appreciate you doing this for him." The note did have a few ways he did the letters to his name, but would it be enough for her to catch on?

Author: Veda, Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 7:30 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

Veda had picked up on Qadim talking in Orcish tongue. The words spoken were unfamiliar to her. However, she repeated them in her head a couple of times. Just in case she couldn't grasp the way he said it right away. Perhaps she could find somebody who spoke the language to translate it. Veda continued to tear at her steak until it was completely devoured. The vegetables were gone too. Leaving nothing but spices and sauces on the plate.

"I'd think it would be pretty obvious that I'm a demon." Veda said, distracted by the wine, "And I don't think that knowing what skills and weaknesses are related to my species will help you much since they can't be changed much anyway.  But if you're worried about me turning violent all of the sudden cause demon or something, that doesn't happen to me."

The glass of wine looked pretty but the demon knew better than to try it. She had alcohol once and despised the taste. Who was the genius who decided to combine bitterness and flavor together? If one wanted flavor, just put it in water or some other drink! Veda avoided the drink and instead lowered her head down to the plate. She was going to lick the plate clean but stopped herself. Realizing that Qadim was already observing her every move, she decided to have some manners. Instead she cleaned her face off with the napkin presented at the table.

"Why'd you want me to say That is it? If I stop talking then it usually means I'm done." Veda asked bluntly.

The demon was oblivious to the mental thing that Qadim had done. It was her a mixture of metal fortitude and plain emotion that protected her.

Author: Qadim, Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 6:01 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

Impressive. The way she held herself when writing was quite remarkable. The way she tried to mimic him more than his writing was certainly far more impressive than he had thought, and the penmanship was quite accurate, even making sure about the pressure he used when scribing and adapted her motions to make up for the difference in hand size. But still, the fact that she copied him for it was a bit worrying, and thus, before the chef left, Qadim signaled him over before talking to him in Orcish tongue, making sure she would struggle what he had planned net. After all, it was time to eat.

Unlike Veda, Qadim took a smoother, much calmer method to his steak after setting down his cigar. Slowly using a knife to cut off a portion of it, he examined the color and smell of the steak before sending it into his maw, chewing it thoroughly to slowly release the flavors. It certainly lacked the spicy kick that he preferred, but it was more than likely to play it safe for the guest… who attacked the meat before her like a ravenous dog. "Enjoying" it was far from what was being presented. It was more like a gift from the heavens to her, making sure to take in as much as she could before someone else took it from her. There was hardly a care about any of the juice of spice getting on her hands or fresh clothes.

A perfect time to test her.

"Now, I can tell by your horns you are not a human," Qadim remarked as he picked up the wine glass, taking a long whiff of its aroma. "May people these days always use humans as a base line to compare other species, so why don't we do the same? What are you and how do you differ from a human?" His words had a bit of a ring to it to the seed he set in her mind, seeing how she would respond to her words. While his ears were focused on the sounds that would come from her lips, his eye watched carefully to hers, as they often gave the most hints on how much or little they realized what was happening before their bodies could fully respond. "I would like to know both the strengths and weaknesses that come from such a lineage. After all, should I hire you, it would be best to know fully on what I would be working with. End with 'That is it,' when you are done." A last bit to see how well she would catch it while her mind is busy with the food before her. If she does not, then the next test would really see her mental strengths.

Author: Veda, Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 4:17 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

Writing. She knew basics of it. How to hold a quill and how to dip it ink. Yet, the scribbles on the parchment was just an endless group of lines in a certain pattern and order. The demon noticed that some patterns were repeated and a little dot was put at the end of each combination. Veda observed every curve and detail to each combination. It seemed that the words and letters had their own style. An arch or a lift here and there on certain words. But it was consistent with all the words. She may not have understood the letter's meanings but she could figure out how to write them. The demon had written before, just not real words or letters.

Her hand took the quill and dipped it into the ink. Then she began. She had watched Qadim's motions and movements while writing. He clearly understood what these words meant. Veda wondered if he would still be interested in her if he found out she couldn't read or understand the letters she wrote. If he had told her to write her name, she would have been unable to write anything. The quill touched the parchment, moving in almost a dance around the paper. Every move that she made was almost exactly like how Qadim moved. Even the expression on her face was similar to the expression Qadim had when he was writing. All the thoughts in her mind were entirely focused on the curves, lines, and movements to make them so.

Soon she finished with the writing and placed the ink down on the side. Did she do well? Worry about how she performed bounced around in her mind. The actual parchment was a near exact copy of Qadim's handwriting and words. The only thing missing was a period on the last sentence. Otherwise it was extremely similar. Smells of delicious cooked meat hit her and she practically raced over to the table. Plucking the garlic and asparagus one by one off of her plate with her fingers, she began to eat all of her food. Her mind kept going back to the parchment and what it might have said.

The rest of her mind had a variety of things that the demon was not currently thinking about. Her weaknesses, money, survival, her strengths, the goal of making more money, the fact she had always wanted to eat a pomegranate, the fact she wanted to try to eat a rose, and some other miscellaneous thoughts. However, the highest guarded thoughts within her mind was her family and something else. Her family were precious and all thoughts of them were mentally protected. The other one was different. There was a strange emotion within her suppressed deep deep down. One that she had spent a long time to block and control.

She started to eat the steak and eventually had it dangling out of her mouth like she was some dog.

Author: Qadim, Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 4:32 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

Never forgets anything, huh? Qadim pondered? A wonderful tool, yet at the same time, can be very dangerous. Should her mental walls be weak, she could easily leak out information who tries to probe her mind. This may call for a test, he thought as he internally grinned, yet another flash of light from behind the mirrored monocle as she stared at him: a small, mental seed. He would not probe it just yet, but soon enough to check her mental fortitude.

"From what I can tell, you also have a keen eye. After all, what you dug up was no ordinary dagger you simply find on the streets. Mix that with your scavenging skills, I am not surprised to see you gotten by for this long. However, digging for scraps can only get this far. Tell me… No, wait. Show me," his hands dug underneath the table to pull out a quill and two blank parchments of paper. Dipping the quill in ink, he was quick to write something down before passing it over her. "Can you read this and rewrite it? Just remember, penmanship is important." Which meant he didn't want to see her penmanship from Veda, but his. Question is, would she catch on?

As she went to work on what he asked, the door opened up before the chef from before walked in, carrying two plates of searing hot steaks, sided with diced potatoes grilled in garlic and asparagus, setting one next to each of them along with silverware before another came in, setting aside two glasses, uncorking a fresh bottle of red wine and pouring their glasses. "When you are finished, you are free to eat." And at that time, he would test her…

Author: Veda, Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2019 2:28 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

The demon did not trust that rogue. Nor did she trust Qadim. But the thought of having enough money was more important. Even if it meant pain, suffering, or anything else. She had to figure out what he wanted and to make the best of her situation. Veda took the seat across from him. The seat was soft and comfy. Her golden eyes searched the room for any danger. Besides the possible danger of Qadim. Not possible. Probable. Her nails and tail were all clean. When she felt her hair, it was unfamiliar without all the grease and dirt. The sharp teeth inside her mouth was white and her nails seemed to almost shine without the grudge packed in it. Qadim was asking about her skills. She lifted her head to talk to him properly. 

"I can climb brick, wood, and occasionally metal walls. My speed is faster than most humans. I have heightened senses." A runoff of skills that she believed were important, "And, I never forget information given to me. Scavenging is the thing I am best at. Finding materials is easy, even if covered by garbage or filth. If its an item, I can hunt it down." 

That last part was true. She could recall moments in her life with perfect accuracy and description. Every smell, sight, sound, and overall piece of information learned din't leave her mind. Occasionally she would have to think about it for a few moments, but still could recall it. Veda was careful to be vague about her skills. She made sure that she told the information that was necessary. Telling information at all or being there was a foolish action. Anybody else would have gone back home or tried to get travel on her own. The demon hadn't thought about that. 

All she knew was that he had information. Information she needed. Information to get where she wanted to go. Also, this interview. It was strange. There was no reason to interview her. He mentioned something about tasks. Paid tasks? She would like to get paid for tasks. Her mind seemed to be distracted by a thousand thoughts. 

Author: Qadim, Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 7:46 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

"Your bathing trip turned more into babysitting," the rogue stated, forcing open the door to the captain's quarters of one of the freight ships that rested at dock, revealing the orc as he sat near the window, drawing in a cigar before huffing out a cloud. Without a word, the orc pulled out a small bag and tossed it aside, nestling into her fingers upon landing before she gave a bow and stepped out.

"Its amazing how much different one feels after years of grime have been taken away, huh?" the orc asked the demon, pulling himself from his seat to walk over to her. "The blacksmith called you Veda, right? I am Qadim, the head of the Garakh Trade Organization. We specializing in shipping goods from one land to the next, ensuring their safety and deals.

"Now then, before we let this go any further," a small flash occurred from behind the mirrored monocle, though it would be difficult to actually tell looking straight at him, "You must be feeling hungry, yes? Tell me: How do you like your steaks?"

"Without maggots," came out of her bluntly, causing Qadim to pause before letting out a hearty laugh. A good sense of humor or survival instincts, it did not honestly matter. It only took a brief moment for him to catch his breath before clapping in the air, summoning yet another person into the room.

"Two T-bone steaks, medium rare on both and a rich wine," he told the new man, who simply nodded before taking off. As he took off, Qadim moved himself over to one of the seats in front of him before motioning to her to take the one right across from him. "Now then, let's get this interview underway, okay? What skills do you have? Oh, and there is no need to hold back, either. I already know you are nothing more than a rat in the slums of this hole they call a city. The more I know, the better tasks I can think for you to do for us…"

Author: Veda, Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 7:14 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

Before Veda understood what was happening, she was being pushed forwards. In order to get to the local bathhouse, they had to pass by an alleyway to the slums. The demon spotted a friend of hers. Somebody who she could trust. Her hand waved over a short child who was only ten. Whispering something into the child's ear, the child nodded and took the bag. It would be returned to her family.

They would have the rest of her treasure before whatever came next. She didn't get the chance to say much else. The now, slightly annoyed, rogue began to shove her firmly towards the bathhouse. When they arrived everyone else seemed to flee like rats. They could smell the grim and must have assumed that the baths would be filthier than ever if the demon used them.

The rogue and demon were soon ready for the baths. The bath was clean and warm. As soon as Veda stepped into the water, dirt spiraled into the water, twisting and turning around in it. A heavy sigh escaped the rogue's lips as she realized how much dirt the demon actually held. The rogue picked up a bar of soap and held it to Veda, once the demon had finished swimming around like a goldfish.

Veda opened her mouth and chomped down upon the soap bar. The taste was funny but food was food. Realizing that Veda was going to eat it, the rogue desperately tried to take it back. It turned into a tug-a-war between the demon and the rogue. Soon the rogue won. The next challenge was actually using the soap on Veda. Deciding that she was clean enough, the demon decided to try to escape the bathhouse. Veda would have escaped if it wasn't for the rogue dragging her back by the feet.

After washing, the rogue used a towel to dry Veda off. Her hair was frizzy and fluffy due to the towel. The rogue took time to get it brushed out. Then the demon was handed some new clothes. A dark purple and gold top. The bottom was a pair of purple and gold shorts. Finally, she was suitable for dinner. The smell had gone away and she no longer looked as filthy. The both of them headed back.

Author: Qadim, Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 2:03 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

He could hear the blacksmith's muttering as he began to walk by to his shop, clearly upset about the loss of silver, trying to make it up to himself by his current "investment" with ore, crystal, and toxins he would soon get his hands on. With it, the air had grown filled with the ambient mutter of others in the air, yet just before he returned to his cart, a voice broke their silence: the demon girl. She was offering up part of the coin she just earned to be able to ask some questions… Such pocket change to him, yet probably the world to her, and here she was making the offer…

He may as well amuse her.

His large, green hand was lifted into the air before pinching the disks into his own palm, shuffling them a bit in his fingers before clenching it closed and resting it back to his side. "You may ask your questions."

She raised her hand up, holding up a single finger to signal her first question. "What do you get for helping me?" Smart girl, already debating an ulterior motive towards his action. In actuality, it was to keep up a positive image to the public up front. Someone who would not want to see a face-value deal go wrong. After all, that was how his businesses were handled… in the open.

"I was nothing more than a third party associated with with a debating side. I would not want bad deals to go along with anyone I am associated with, even if it means being harmful to them. After all, they have gotten into these deals in order to survive, just as you have."

There was a brief pause before her hand shifted from one to two fingers up. "Are there any better jobs outside this city?" She wanted out of this hellhole. Out from being a rat in the slums of the scummiest people around. She was ambitious…

"Of course there are better things to do outside of these walls. All you need to do is be careful where you try and seek your help. Know where you are going and what consequences will come from them. Are you willing to take such risks?"

He didn't even need to hear her answer, as the fire in her eyes spoke true enough. A grin filled his small tusks as he turned over to the rogue who still stood next to him, holding his hand out and passing over the silver she handed over to him. "Send her to the local bathhouse. Get her properly cleaned up and proper so our next meal will not be one who smells of pig's ass." A nod came from the rogue as she took the demon's shoulder, starting to push her forward as Qadim stepped back to the cart.

Author: Veda, Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:03 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

A look of surprised crossed her face before she quickly covered it up. The demon had noticed the glare that had been sent to the blacksmith to shut him up. Veda was not shocked that the blacksmith had been cheating her out on silver. She didn't know that was the case but it made sense why he did it. To save money for himself while getting the free scraps. Tomorrow he would no doubt return to his normal payment for her. There wasn't really another blacksmith who accepted scraps from the poor like herself. They didn't have anybody else to sell to. It was either accept his prices, or don't sell at all. 

The thing that surprised her was Qadim's attempts to help her. At the moment it seemed genuine. But who knew if that was a mask or not? Once, she trusted somebody in this city who wasn't her family, with her life. Now she knew better than to trust anyone who wasn't of her own family. Whomever this gentleman was, he was wearing a mask. A facade of some sort. As did everyone. As did she. Nobody here went around as themselves. Pretending to be somebody else was the best option. The only option really. What did this stranger want? What was he after? Curiosity raged in her mind as she thought about it.

Eventually, the rouge was done talking about the quality and actually mentioned the price. Thirty silver? Veda's eyes looked straight at the blacksmith, wondering if he would actually pay her that. The blacksmith held an uneasy smile and rubbed the back of his bald head with his left hand.

"Of course it would be rude to underpay clients! I only was distracted and didn't notice it." He explained.

The man turned to Veda and handed her thirty silver. Feeling the amount of silver in her hands was…different. She rubbed her thumb over one of the silver coins to feel the smooth coldness of it. Picking up her bag, she dumped twenty of the silver into her bag. She had more than enough for today. Her golden eyes turned straight to Qadim.

A strange emotion burned within her eyes. A type of curiosity mixed with an unknown desire. Nothing emotional for Qadim. But for the things he brought and for the power he held. A type of greed that was familiar but went without a name. Walking up to him, she held ten silver.

"Make a deal?" Veda asked, "You answer two of my questions and you will get ten silver. Interested?"

Author: Qadim, Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:00 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

Qadim's eyebrow rose as he watched the blacksmith try and tackle another woman. The dirt and grime that caked her hands, the wear of her clothing… It was clear this was a slum woman… one stick in the slums in a haven full of crooks. Now that, alone, was a joke. The man's familiarity with her and the lack of shock that came from the barrage hinted at signs of familiarity as well.Either this woman was quite the regular, or their relation came a bit further than that.

No, that wasn't it. He watched the deal from behind the shoulders as silver was being traded for the scraps. She jumped for any amount at offer, which most likely the smith was cutting corners on her pay. "Now hold on there," Qadim spoke up, stepping forth. "Now, while I do think this kind of recycling is important, I would say its good to have another set of eyes to examine it. Wouldn't you say?" At a whistle, a figure walked out of the shadows, as if walking out of the carriage itself before it walked closer. "Now, I may not be a metal expert at weaponry like our smithy here, but this lady here is all but familiar with such lethal edges. Now then, would you mind a second look over?"

"Hey, what's the big ide–" the blacksmith tried to back at, but a glare was all but enough to seal his lips shut. Attention was turned back to the rogue who looked over the blade closely.

"The rust alone states its not a stainless steel, but that does not mean its a simple blade. The way its curved and how the grip feels in one's fingers…" She took a few swings in the air, her fingers dancing with the blade itself. "Certainly nicely balanced. Then you got the etches in the blade at its hilt along with the grip itself. I would say this one was gotten from a quality smith from Nisshoki. Possibly one of their ninja schools. Even with the rust, it would be worth about 30 silver. Polished up and given a proper whet, 44-50."

"And that does not include the rest of these materials?" The rogue shook her head. "Well then, I would say it would be rather rude to under pay your clients, wouldn't you say?"

Author: Veda, Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 12:51 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

The blacksmith was not in his usual stall. Concern flashed through the demon's head when she realized this. Perhaps the blacksmith had died. A small part of Veda felt pity for him, although she would never admit it. In this town, displaying concern for others was a dangerous thing to do. People would use that pity against her. Stepping closer to the stall, Veda managed to pick up a scent of the blacksmith. Mixture of coal with metal and beer. Veda followed the scent through the streets. People kept their eyes down or avoided gazes. One wrong look could cause a fight. Veda stepped lightly, careful to avoid areas where thugs or thieves were obviously lurking.

Soon the demon came across a large carriage with barrels on the top of it. Whomever owned the carriage was a show-off. Ignoring the carriage, she headed towards the blacksmith's shop. This blacksmith owned both a stall and a store. Normally he was in the stall at this time. She paused for a moment when she spotted a person leave the store. Suddenly workers began to move items into the blacksmith shop. Had the blacksmith died? If so, then this would be the new blacksmith. The demon quickly ignored the thought. The stranger looked nothing like a blacksmith. He looked more like one of those creatures who dressed fancy to show off their wealth. A blacksmith never would do that. Veda watched for a moment as the workers hauled the barrels from the carriage into the shop. 

"VEDA!" The blacksmith shouted as he came running out of the shop. 

Nope. The blacksmith was alive. Veda quickly dodged out of the way as the blacksmith tried to tackle her. He then stood up with a smile. 

"Good, still keeping on your toes." The blacksmith said with a smirk, "Whatcha got today?" 

To anybody else, it might have seemed odd but that was how she was greeted every time she came over. The demon figured that it was a way for the blacksmith to get out his aggression while trying to teach her how to dodge. He'd been doing that ever since she was small and would terrorize all the other kids. Veda was the only one who came back stubbornly. Now it was tradition to dodge his attacks whenever she came to sell the scraps. And free training. Setting her old bag down, she opened it and dug out all the metal scraps. She kept the bracelet buried at the bottom of the wood so she could sell it to the jewelry stall. 

"Not bad. You even got that dagger. Nice. " The blacksmith said inspecting the scraps, 

He paid her some silver. To any business man, it would be obvious that Veda was being underpaid. The scraps together and the old dagger were worth at least 23 silver. Instead, Veda received 15 silver. She placed the silver in her bag. 

Author: Qadim, Posted: Sat Feb 9, 2019 7:53 AM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

Today was certainly an interesting day in the pirate's haven. With streets often filled with rogue's thieves, and, of course, pirates, one would be mad to show particular signs of wealth, as it would simply place fae-light sign above their heads, screaming, "Hey, rob me! I got wealth!" And yet, in the middle of the port's trading district, where most pirates would do their business with their stolen goods, rested a large carriage with barrels loaded on top, set up to be drawn with two large and well-bred steeds controlled by a driver, and the carriage itself being in perfectly fine condition. No signs of salvage or cutting corners were in its care. And yet, despite the fae-light sign, not a single person in the streets seemed to dare even approach it, let alone try to rob anything from it.

After all, even pirates needed to do business.

"While this is good quality ore," the blacksmith said in his shop, where the cart currently rested outside, "I cannot exactly tell what makes it so special to actually increase its price by what you offered."

The reply given to him was by a hearty chuckle of the orc who sat across the table from him. "I am sorry to say that its not because of the actual ore itself that the price increased, but where it was gathered. A good vein, indeed, if not for the crystal spider next that rests nearby. The price increase is so that the miners will have protection while they gather up these materials. Although, if we increase the price a bit more, I am sure we can increase the gains even more."

The comment was, of course, received by a deep glare at the smithy. "The hell is that supposed to mean?" However, unbenounced to him, from behind the reflective monocle, a faint glow penetrated his stare into his mind.

"Sure, we can easily just pay constantly for some defense… OR, we can place up an offer with the Hunter's Guild to deal with the spiders. Not only does that mean we have to worry less about security hands, but it also opens up to their crystal supply, which you can deal with the enchantress and jeweler for some extra product. Not only that, but if the hunters can salvage the venom sacs of the spiders–"

"Then we can deal with the alchemist for poisons and antidotes." Hook, line, and sinker. It did not take much longer for talk and dealings to finish up before silver was being dealt with, where he left it to his secretary to handle before stepping outside of the shop himself. With a brief circle of his arm, workers started to come out and begin moving the barrels from the carriage into the smith's shop.

Author: Veda, Posted: Fri Feb 8, 2019 7:53 PM, Post Subject: Fateful Meeting [P/R?]

There were the slums and the rest of the city. The slums were the worst of the worst. Garbage littered the streets to the point where the original ground can barely be seen. Instead of houses or buildings there are shacks made up of rotten wood or scraps from other buildings. Pirate lords despised this part of the city, seeing as it has the poorest of them all. However, getting rid of them was much easier said than done.

This was where she had grown up her entire life. Digging through the garbage and searching for anything to sell to provide money for her family. Many other children did the same until they were capable of taking on real jobs. Yet jobs were scarce. Thousands of refugees and criminals came and went who had far more experience than anyone born in the city. Outsiders might have expected kids growing up on the streets would have become the best thieves but it was difficult to steal from a city full of professional thieves. There were almost no options.

A sigh escaped the demon's lips as she walked down the wretched street. She had just received…interesting news. Her mother was pregnant again. A sixth child in an already too big family. Would that child grow up to learn to dig through trash to survive? Veda wondered this as she went scavenging through the garbage herself. Beyond the mud hid little treasures that hardly anybody noticed. Old nails, torn up paper, scraps of metal, wooden pieces, clothe, and occasionally a broken jewelry piece. Veda was a sight to see. But not in a good way. Her tangled black hair went down to her shoulders and her golden eyes could rival the sun's blaze. The clothes hanging off of her body was too big and the amount of stains on them were almost uncountable.

Her arms and legs were stiff from all the gathering she had done today. A medium sized bag was filled with a variety of materials. The best thing she'd found so far was an old dagger. It wasn't broken badly. The blade itself was fine but the handle had rust creeping up on it. It was at the bottom of the bag, hidden under less desirable materials. While digging through the garbage, the demon found something particularly interesting. A pretty silver and blue bracelet covered in mud. If it were to be cleaned up, it would be sold for a high price. She dumped the bracelet in her bag then stood up. Tomorrow was her birthday. But nobody had time for that. Not even herself. They never celebrated it much anyway. There just wasn't enough money. Money money money. The one thing that mattered most in life. Besides family that is.

But it was as if the two couldn't exist without each other. To get money one needed a family. To get a family one needed money. It was a parafox. Or was it a paralox? She couldn't remember the actual term. Crossing from the slums to the city was dangerous. Thieves, thugs, and other desperate individuals were lurking at every corner. Fortunately, having the appearance of a demon meant that she was able to be feared without actually having to do anything. She stepped carefully through the city towards the market place.

The blacksmith would want the metal scraps. Woodworker for the wood scraps. Jewelry seller for jewelry. Any clothe or leather would have to go to the cobbler. The market was alive and dangerous. Strangers approached Veda, trying to convince her to buy things she didn't really need. Dark wizards or vampires searched for easy prey. Any action of weakness would result in death. Swift and simple. The demon kept her bag close and walked with confidence. As she had done since she was a child.