#the product of delightful tsaesci worldbuilding with ayem... magic chicanery

[morihaus]

Magic

Amongst the hustle and bustle of a Tsaesci port market, a Telvanni mage shuffles through the crowd carrying a large sack on his back. The Great House has a long history of trade with these Akaviri men; Gendryn sees some of his countrymen around the sprawling lanes of markets and shops, a few select wizards preferring to hover a modest distance above the ground to more quickly attend to their important business. On any other errand, he may be tempted to join them, but for this endeavor it will be best that he attracts no particular attention.

Weaving through the passersby, Gendryn finds just the right type of shop and steps inside. Not lavish enough to be filled with customers or bodyguards, not so small that they don't have anything he wants.

A small Tsaesci is sorting ivory coins when he enters. He perks up when he notices him, more so upon seeing his wizard's garb and the mysterious bag slung across his back. He strikes a winning smile and greets his new customer in Dunmeri. "Under sun and sky! I am Res-Deirak; what may I do for you today, sera?"

His expression flat, Gendryn replies in Akaviri. "Greetings. It is more what we can do for each other which concerns me." He slides the sling of his bag off his arm; its longer than his torso, yet his lack of strain indicates its relatively light weight.

The shopkeeper raises an inquisitive brow. "Is that so?" He switches to Akaviri, having been assured this is no easily conned tourist. "Well, let us see what you have here and we can then discuss my own inventory." If he had to guess, he would say this man has brought in some foreign wood, easy to carry and rather desirable for artisans. Perhaps it's a carved staff? Maybe even a genuine casting focus, something he's sure amateur Tamriellic scholar types would love to get their hands on.

Gendryn approaches the counter, spindly frame placing him a head taller than the trader leaning forward at his station. He unties the bag and reaches inside, making purposeful contact with the item inside before unveiling it. A long white bone from some large animal, gently curved and jagged at the ends, broken off from some remains. Despite himself, the trader gawks at it.

"Is that-"

"A bone, yes."

He almost says something else, then stops himself. He smiles again. "Ah, sera, I'm sure you will not mind if I employ some measures... to ensure that this is the, correct material."

Gendryn puts on a perturbed expression, placing the bone on the counter between them. "By all means, whatever you must do." Impatience rings in his voice.

When Res-Deirak returns, he's carrying a steel file in one hand and an unlit burner in the other. He's taken the time away to collect himself, his former sunny expression returning. "This won't take long, sera." He places kindling under the burner platform before attempting to spark a flame, striking flint against the file in his hands. Embarrassingly, a fire does not start for some time.

"Please, I'll spare you the trouble." Gendryn says.

With a flick of his wrist, a small flame dances on the end of the elf's fingers, catching the eye of the shopkeeper. "Ah, so I was right to take you as a wizard." He watches the flame as it flows along Gendryn's guiding hand, slithering into its place in the burner. As the mage rescinds his hand and the flame takes a life of its own, he gives him an appreciative nod of his head. "Most impressive."

Still stone-faced, Gendryn merely hums. "A parlor trick, only to save us a few moments." He glances between the man and the bone on the counter, urging him to take the file to it for his tests. "There are far better uses for magic where I come from. The vulgar slinging of elements is child's play."

The Tsaesci chuckles, setting to his work. "Well, your magicks are much less common in our land. It's rare to see someone casting without a sword in their hand." He drags the edge of the file against the surface of the bone, producing a crude scraping noise. "Why, with talents like that, I probably wouldn't be borrowing and bartering on this wharf... maybe I'd be able to... take one of these myself, eh? Is that how you... came upon it?" He asks the question in a conspiratorial tone, still trying to keep this little trade to themselves.

"How very forward, asking where I get my merchandise."

"Well... when it's bones we're talking about-!"

"For your information, I procured this from a private collector in Firewatch. They're long dead in Morrowind... driven out by our Cliff Racers, depending on who you ask."

He utters an uneasy laugh, idly turning the bone in his hands to catch the firelight, poring over the surface for any faults. "They sound like fearsome beasts. Though, often I heard it was those... those men, of Tamriel- who wielded magic of their own? Ah, but you'll excuse me; magic is a martial art in Tsaesci. I mean, what else might you do with it?"

As Res-Deirak finishes the first test, Gendryn can tell he's getting excited. This small talk is a distraction for the way his hands tremble with excitement as he transfers the bone to the burner-top, the darting of his eyes as he notices the steel file couldn't make a scratch. He feels almost a trifle sorry for the poor man, so he plays along.

"Destruction is but one application of the art. At Shad Astula, they teach thousands." Gendryn has never been of course, but he doesn't need to know that. "At the end of the day, magicka is a tool- a varied and flexible tool, but ultimately it is a means to an end. It holds many capabilities; the art of it is finding ways to apply it in all areas of life."

As he lectures the man he plans on never meeting again, the bone sits over the fire. The metal grows burning hot, but the bone does not react. The trader tries not to pay too much attention to it.

"I use magic to expedite my travels, to light my dwellings, to protect myself from the elements... I use it to mend my clothes, repair my things, conduct my alchemical research... over the centuries, wizards have found ways to do just about anything with magic." He glances disinterestedly at the stark white bone as the burner starts to turn red. "Why, masters of alteration have spun wick-wheat into gold. As a businessman and a wizard, I'm sure you could find more prudent uses for your talents."

Res-Deirak laughs. "Maybe so... if only my people were not so... traditional, where your arts are concerned. But ah, here in Jano we're much more open-minded." He smiles, quietly snuffing out the flame under the burner. "Now, to the matter at hand..." He looks back up at the wizard, confident smile on his face. "It seems this may be of some worth to me."

"Obviously."

"Yes, obviously... now, as for an exchange-- I'm sure you're looking to barter for some of my more, hard to come by items? -- I can only spare so much for something like this-"

"You're not interested?" Gendryn interrupts.

"No, no!" He quickly waves his hands, banishing the idea. "Of course I am! It's just... hm... how shall I put it? 'Sensitive goods'? You know, there are... risks involved." He continues to stretch a smile like a mask across his face.

Reaching forward without hesitation, Gendryn grasps the bone with his bare hand-- Res-Deirak jerks in surprise at this given its temperature-- and makes a show of a sigh. "If this is going to be an issue, sera, I will not waste anymore of our time-"

"Alright, come now!" The man says. "Just because you aren't getting the best I have to offer doesn't mean you won't get quality! I have a large selection of goods-- exotic ones! -- one of the most diverse selections on the wharf! And you must know that other shops may be less than accepting of such an offer."

Balking at his threat, Gendryn turns around. "I'll take my chances."

He gets about two and half steps before the trader cracks.

After some haggling, Gendryn nets himself quite a fat stack of alchemical pouches; Padomaic spices, east Akaviri flowers, coral Dreugh rut, and even the highly sought after black powder of the monkey isles. In exchange, he hands the large bone-- now cooled-- over to the trader, who graciously accepts the obscuring sack along with it.

Holding the leather sack like it was his firstborn, Res-Deirak smiles at the wizard. "You drive a hard bargain, sera, but I thank you for your patronage. This will be worth quite a lot to the right people..."

Gendryn only nods and waves over his shoulder, taking his leave down the street.

As he hears the rattling of dragonbone coinage ring throughout the market-way, he tries to recall how much he spent on that petty trinket. In retrospect, that whaler almost certainly overcharged him- it would have been cheaper to get the powdered stuff, but as grand and powerful a wizard as he is, even he couldn't fool someone with a white pile of dust.

Making his way back to his ship, he recalls his conversation with Res and smiles. Indeed, magic has many applications.