[Dort] A New Chapter Begins, (Jygust 30th, MT)

[Reim Ceoruth]

While Reim had been playing it legit things still weren’t going well for his investigation into the assassin. If there was one thing Reim had learnt it was that he couldn’t just abandon Jubal and the others. They had looked after him upon joining their ranks and so he still felt like he was one of them. On the other hand he was enjoying the fact that he was beginning to make some money but he was being wise about the way he spent it. He continued to stay in the cheapest room in the Drunken Duck instead of renting out a proper place mainly because he needed to invest some more money before he started improving the way he was living. It was hard work but he knew that if he kept his belt tight he would eventually be able to invest in much larger and profitable businesses.

He awoke one morning and walked the streets of Dort looking around and taking in the surroundings. He was quietly observing all the different shops seeing how they did their business and if they looked as though they were potential places to invest. Really Reim wanted to find his first legitimate, big money investment. The Pantheon had blessed him thus far and he knew that if he kept praying and following their instructions he would eventually find the investment he was looking for as well as the information which he needed to help Jubal and the others out of their predicament. He sat down at a bench and closed his eyes briefly while the world moved around him, “Pantheon, bless my conversations today and help me to find businesses that I can invest in and that will bless me monetarily for years to come. Also bless my investigation into the assassin…I am at a loss of what to do, who to talk to or where to go…Only you can help me in all of this…” He spoke all of this internally and in adhiel, his mother tongue. He opened his eyes again and looked around; Dort was changing day by day and with change came all types of information and opportunity.

[Adanedhel]

As Reim walked through the Dortnese streets, it was still early enough to be one of the few in the shopping streets. Of course, there were the usual shopkeepers and hands that opened the several shops, but no one that didn't belong there for his work. Some were carting supplies, others were taking some of their goods outside to hang them on the fronts for display.

Before him, a feminine voice called out "Coming through! Coming through! Make way! Personnel! Coming through!". Some of the men and women walking scurried out of her path, others were less fortunate as she bumped into them, dragging a cart covered with cloth behind her. The heavy load on the cart taking it's toll as she hung forward while she walked and her eyes cast toward the ground, her tongue showing it's tip through pressed lips. "Sorry. I apologise" she muttered as she walked into a man carrying pottery, a few of the items splashing apart as they fell out of his hands. He shook his head and looked at her as she continued her way forward.

Most any shop could be found in this street. Whether you looked for food, household items, clothing, jewellery, books (though these were quite rare) or even weapons and armor, this street held it all and would be a hubbub of people before midday kicked in.

[Reim Ceoruth]

Reim watched as the young lady with the cloth covered cart caused quite an early morning spectacle. He winced slightly as she walked into the man carrying pottery causing him to drop them to the floor where they shattered into numerous clay shards. Funnily enough the man didn’t seem to be annoyed at her, “Maybe she does this regularly…” Reim was suddenly intrigued and a half smile made its way onto his slightly sun-kissed elf-like face. Even the scar on the bridge of his nose wrinkled with his amusement. Reim began to follow to see where exactly she was heading to in such a flustered hurry, he was also intrigued as to what she was carrying inside the cart, “…Maybe I’ll end up investing her business…if she has one…then again she seems a like someone who’d be quite flustered the whole time so maybe not…”

[Adanedhel]

The lady continued on the same way for about a burn before pulling the cart up towards a little shop. It had no sign and the window was so dirty one could hardly look through it. She stopped right in front of the door. Putting her hands on her hips, she blew a few strands of hair out of her view and stared at the front for a moment. She then pulled the cloth from the top and it revealed a mixture of stone statues and finely carved wooden staffs and goblets and shields and other small to fairly sized wooden items.

She opened the door before wrapping her arms around one of the statues, lifting it a bit off the cart, hanging back to keep it from falling down. With her back against the door she walked into the dark shop. Flickers later Reim heard a shrill "IIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" and a loud thud on the floor inside the building.

[Reim Ceoruth]

Part of Reim was asking him was doing following some crazy girl, the other part of him was intrigued as to why she was selling all these wooden objects. Part of him was wary about any investment but for the most part he was just curious about her, “You never see so much kafuffle during the morning…” The sudden shriek that came from the shop alerted Reim and he quickly burst through the door, “Lady, are you alright?!” He wasn’t expecting a thief or anything but the fact that she was carrying the wooden statue alone meant that she’d probably dropped it or something, “Reim…what are you doing here?”

[Adanedhel]

As Reim entered the shop, he saw the statue on the laying on the floor. The lady could be seen pressing herself with her back against the wall on top of the counter. She was looking afraid, breathing fast. Pointing to something behind Reim, she shrieked "KILL IT! KILL IT!"

The shop was empty, dusty, and dark. The only light came from outside through the filthy window. Behind him, Reim could something very light and probably small scurrying over the wooden floor.

The lady was still looking hysterically at the corner behind Reim and her pointing arm kept going up and down and stabbing toward the corner.

[Reim Ceoruth]

Reim looked at the hysterical woman and sighed, “It’s probably just a rat”. He didn’t let his unenthusiasm show on his face and proceeded to find whatever had the woman in hysterics. He had his had hovering over the hilt of his knife in a casual manner but really he wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary, “….women….”

[Adanedhel]

The woman, who just did not calm down, still stood screaming and frantically pointing at the corner. No sense in her, as she was hysterical right now.

As Reim turned around, he could, indeed, see a rat scurry off from one corner towards the other, as close to the wall as the critter could get. As he watched the rodent, he heard something rubbing against the window, and slowly dirt seemed to fade, the dust on the inside still making it hard to look through the glass pane. It was definately a face, two deep brown eyes, a big nose and thin lips, surrounded by a full, black beard. The eyes looked surprised as they saw Reim.

[Reim Ceoruth]

As Reim saw the face appear in the window he jumped back in surprise and stood just staring at the man, “Who are you?! What’re you doing here?!” He voice was filled with a mixture of alarm and confusion. His icy blue eyes glanced over the man trying to at least figure out some facts about him, whether he was homeless, a drunk of even a thief at least then he’d could build up some idea of what was going on. He could still hear the woman screaming about the rat and figured that most women would probably react in that same hysterical hysterical after all who wants to work a shop with a rat in it? He felt that the man meant no particular harm to either of them but was still wierded out by the fact he was just peering into the shop.

[Adanedhel]

The face slowly disappeared in contrary to the rat, who was scurrying around Reim's feet now. The door creaked and in came the bearded man, a long pipe in his hand, smoke wafting from it. He had the clothing of a commoner, but the rings gave away that he was more than that. There were six to be counted, ranging from silver to gold, some adorned with (semi-)precious stones.

"Good morning, sir, miss." His voice flowed easily and it was strong, but gentle. "I was wondering miss, this shop yours? Selling valuable items that you need a bodyguard?" he asked, emphasizing the last word.

The lady came down from the counter, looking incredulously at the man. "Sir, I do not know what you are doing here, but certainly, if you are looking for something valuable, you won't find it here. Unless, that is, you treasure the sculptures of an artist as much as you do coloured pieces of rock." she said, walking up to her, giving her words strength by pointing at him. Then regarding Reim, she said hushed, barely audible, but the ears of an Adhiel might catch it, "No, he's not my bodyguard, but he does look cute, don't you think?" It was followed by a stifled giggle.

The man turned towards Reim, "Well boy, since when do you do your work for free and voluntary? Do you have time for a job? If so, what do you want in return? It will be dangerous of course."

[Reim Ceoruth]

Reim looked at the man and then at his rings. He was obviously more well off than the achadhiel as he was still paying for a room at the Duck rather than upgrading his living style for only a short while, “If he can afford those rings then why is he dressed as a commoner? Maybe he’s trying to blend in… perhaps he’s undercover or something…” He figured that he may’ve been a business man as well perhaps scouting out possible places of investment. The rat that scurrying around Reim’s feet was slowly beginning to irritate him until finally he trapped it under one foot. It seemed to still for the moment.

“Free and voluntarily? No sir, the lady here was screaming so I came in to see what was wrong.” Reim’s eyebrows lifted in a curious and cautious manner as the man made his intentions of possibly employing Reim known, “A chance to do some work…dangerous…but it can’t be as dangerous as working for the Water Street Gang…” He remembered all the trouble he had gone through whilst working for them and where it had taken him but he also remembered the fact that he still needed info on this assassin and to get Jubal out of jail.

He pondered the man’s proposal for all but a second, “I have plenty of time for a job, I’m looking for businesses to invest in but I guess that can wait. What do I want in return? Well…that depends on what this job will entail…what would you want me to do that is so dangerous? The name’s Reim by the way.” He extended his hand towards the man in a polite manner and half smiled, “Time to do some business I guess…”

[Adanedhel]

The lady let out a sigh, relieved that the rat was gone... or rather, dead. She took the statue she dropped in her hands, inspecting it for any cracks or lost parts.

The man had a broad smile on his face, his teeth showing through the beard, when Reim offered his hand and wanted to talk business. "Michaël. It is a pleasure to meet you, master Ceorus." he said. "As for business, I need a valuable object to be found, and I'm sure that for a price you could obtain it too, couldn't you? A friend of mine recommended you." he continued. Of course, Reim couldn't know that Michaël and Ruby had the same employer, let alone that they had needed him of all people in Tazlure.

"Do you have any skills that I could pay you for using outside the usual... boundaries? I'm not sure, but the job might be a bit... challenging." he added, trying to guage if Reim was the right material for the job. He did have a good physique, but that wasn't all he was looking for.

[Reim Ceoruth]

“Master Ceorus? I never told you my surname…how’d you know it?”

By this point Reim was getting rather suspicious but a job was still a job and part of him was sure that whatever this man would have him do would be far more adventurous than walking around looking for possible investments. “And yes for a price I could obtain this object…though it depends what it is…I need to know what I’m getting into before naming a price…”

He saw his potential employer sizing him up and was continuning to think about what it could be he needed finding, “What sort of skills do you need? And what do you mean by ‘usual boundaries’ and ‘a bit challenging’?” There were phrases being used here that Reim wasn’t sure he liked and he was getting more annoyed by Michaël crypticness, “All this crypticism…that can’t be a good sign…” He sighed inwardly half expecting this man to throw him against some incredibly insurmountable odds and Reim felt he'd had his fair share of those already though the last time he faced such odds he came out at the other end relatively unscathed and with a pocket full of cash.