71st Ymiden, 718
It had been forever since the man had taken sail. Yet here he was, sailing up the Zynyx river with his Sloop as his purple gaze glanced around. It wasn't often that he would let himself travel at a strangers request, but from what he had been told it would be a worthwhile investment. But the man wasn't a fool, many people had known him in the prison, and some for being a prisoner that had been let out. Ryqet was no fool, though, so he refused to come unarmed. His blessing had the potential to damage anyone that may attack him in the water, but his sabre was for the people on land. Anyone that tried an attack on him would soon find themselves dead if this was an ambush. If this was a business deal, however? Ryqet would be right at home.
It didn't take long for the Zynyx market to come in sight as Ryqet raised the sail, readying himself to dock at the edge of the town. As he did, his eyes fell on the group of people walking through the small village and marketplace. Men and women walked through, many armed with weapons that Ryqet knew could do some serious damage. Any blade like the one some men bore crashing through your skull would spell out death for anyone. Then again, it wasn't surprising to him that people walked around with weapons like that. He'd seen the dangers Rharne could have, seen the prison and how men and women could be treated - like animals. Nothing was more dangerous than that.
When he pulled in to dock, Ryqet glanced to see a few men waiting for him, both of which armed with a weapon. While neither had armour, neither did Ryqet - it wasn't how he fought. "Can I help you?" he asked with a low, gravelly voice. While the two prepared to answer he climbed off of his boat and on to the small walkway along the dock, tying the boat in. "We were told to look out for a sloop, sir. Someone of your description. Are you Ryqet Ky'akor?" he asked and looked to the man hopefully. Both had been here for breaks, asking anyone tanned and on a Sloop if they were a man called Ryqet. Most of their answers had been along the lines of 'get the fuck out of my way'.
"Yeah, that's right. Now you can help me. Where's Dria?" he asked in return, his cold eyes glancing over the two men cautiously. It wasn't that the man was often paranoid, far from it. He believed fully in his own ability to defend himself, and with Chrien having a purpose for him he was even less likely to die. An Immortal that wanted to keep you alive was always a benefit, especially with the power she offered for the man. After all, she'd made it clear she had a task for him to do, but for now, he had to hold on to his spite. Both men glanced at each other and nodded. "Right this way, sir."
Two bits went by before Ryqet was brought in to a small, cosy house with trophies covering the room. Animal pelts littered the place, beautifully laid out to make a true spectacle. In the room, sat at a small chair, a woman looked up to Ryqet with a small smile curling across her face. "Leave us" she ordered the two men, both of which following her orders immediately. Before she could make the offer, Ryqet took his seat, sliding the chair back and sitting in it. Dria gave him an amused look. "Would you like to rest your feet on my desk, too?" she teased. With a blank demeanour, Ryqet lifted both legs on to the desk and relaxed, purple eyes looking at her expectantly.
"Well, now that you're comfortable, may we begin?" she asked, unsure of whether she found the man charming or outright arrogant. Something had to be said for his courage. Then again, the man had just left prison a season ago, and manners did very little in prison the woman had heard. Yet somehow, for a long time in that prison, he had demanded respect. Be it through his contraband deals, or his general influence. Until another man had come and taken it all from him, and even then he survived till the end, fending for himself with a small circle. The stories she'd heard, two men against six just to protect Ryqet. While they may have had their own motivation, someone that demanded that level of loyalty was useful.
"Depends. Why am I here?" he asked with a calm tone. Something about the place made him feel uncomfortable, and yet the woman before him was almost calming. How she spoke, moved, looked at him. All of it was with a calm and accepting tone. After all, Ryqet knew he was insufferable to most. There was no denying it, and he had no intention of changing it. After the time he spent in prison it was no surprise, and he hadn't been the kindest of people before then either. Being stabbed in the back did that to you, as did isolation. But he refused to sit down and be a victim. So instead of curling up and crying, he went out and joined a crew. Now, instead of giving up because of prison, he intended on turning his life into what he wanted of it. His own crew, his own boat and nobody standing in his way.
"Well, it's fairly simple. I need your boat, and your talents with it, for a mission of my own. In exchange for gold, and perhaps some certain privileges in our market. As of now though, gold is the only thing on the cards" she explained, getting straight to the point. As she stood up her eyes maintained contact with his own, something dominating in them, as if the two were deciding between them which had the power here. Of course, with their business deal, it would be Dria - she was hiring him. But their personal relationship would be a different story, and both knew it. A constant battle for dominance. "You're going to be assisting me in smuggling Zephyrus cubs."
Immediately, it began to make sense. The man that had requested he come here had Zephyrus fur on his outfit, and she'd asked for him specifically, knowing he was a criminal. Ryqet glanced to her as she sat on the desk beside his legs, waiting for his response. After a few trills of silence, he sighed and moved his feet off her desk, sitting up a little and looking to her with an interested gaze. "How much are we looking at? Sounds like the Lightning Knights will be all over me for this. I assume you don't expect me to do it for a small price?"
A small chuckle left her lips. "Ryqet Ky'akor, asked to sail across dangerous terrain with equally dangerous animals, potentially being chased by Lightning Knights - for free. Do you brand me an idiot, Ryqet? You're not the kind of man to offer directions for free, let alone help my operations" she stated, laughing at the fact. She knew it to be true, she'd heard and seen enough from the information she had. Ryqet let his demeanour change, somewhat friendlier now that they were clear. Whatever she knew of him, whoever had told her it, she'd heard correctly. Nothing that the man could offer as a service came for free.
"Two hundred gold per cub" she said to him, causing his eyebrow to raise. Nothing could deny that price, especially for sailing with some small hidden animals. Considering for a moment, Ryqet reached in to his pocket and pulled out some long and thin, before pulling out a small paper bag of tobacco. As he placed the paper on the table and lined tobacco along it, his eyes looked up at the woman. "I expect the cash outright, not after. If I get caught, I need something to keep the Knights quiet. Do we have a deal?"
With a small nod from the woman, Ryqet leaned forward to grab a candle. As he placed the cigarette into his mouth and lit it she stood up and sat back in her chair, looking at him. "Once you're done there you can show yourself out, that's the only business I have with you. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them" she smiled politely at him. Without any hesitation, the man leaned back in his chair and inhaled, before pulling the cigarette out and exhaling smoke in her direction. "You smoke?" he asked and offered it to her. Dria chuckled and shook her head. "Of all questions, of course, it's that you ask. Do you not care about what danger lies out there? Or perhaps why I asked of you specifically?"
"My business isn't to ask questions. You're paying me for a service. I don't care how or why. I can get it done, and you can get my money" he said simply, before standing up to leave, giving her one last glance and smirk as he walked out the door. Dria kept her eyes on the door for a moment, a small smile on her face. "Smart man" she muttered, before returning to her work.
It had been forever since the man had taken sail. Yet here he was, sailing up the Zynyx river with his Sloop as his purple gaze glanced around. It wasn't often that he would let himself travel at a strangers request, but from what he had been told it would be a worthwhile investment. But the man wasn't a fool, many people had known him in the prison, and some for being a prisoner that had been let out. Ryqet was no fool, though, so he refused to come unarmed. His blessing had the potential to damage anyone that may attack him in the water, but his sabre was for the people on land. Anyone that tried an attack on him would soon find themselves dead if this was an ambush. If this was a business deal, however? Ryqet would be right at home.
It didn't take long for the Zynyx market to come in sight as Ryqet raised the sail, readying himself to dock at the edge of the town. As he did, his eyes fell on the group of people walking through the small village and marketplace. Men and women walked through, many armed with weapons that Ryqet knew could do some serious damage. Any blade like the one some men bore crashing through your skull would spell out death for anyone. Then again, it wasn't surprising to him that people walked around with weapons like that. He'd seen the dangers Rharne could have, seen the prison and how men and women could be treated - like animals. Nothing was more dangerous than that.
When he pulled in to dock, Ryqet glanced to see a few men waiting for him, both of which armed with a weapon. While neither had armour, neither did Ryqet - it wasn't how he fought. "Can I help you?" he asked with a low, gravelly voice. While the two prepared to answer he climbed off of his boat and on to the small walkway along the dock, tying the boat in. "We were told to look out for a sloop, sir. Someone of your description. Are you Ryqet Ky'akor?" he asked and looked to the man hopefully. Both had been here for breaks, asking anyone tanned and on a Sloop if they were a man called Ryqet. Most of their answers had been along the lines of 'get the fuck out of my way'.
"Yeah, that's right. Now you can help me. Where's Dria?" he asked in return, his cold eyes glancing over the two men cautiously. It wasn't that the man was often paranoid, far from it. He believed fully in his own ability to defend himself, and with Chrien having a purpose for him he was even less likely to die. An Immortal that wanted to keep you alive was always a benefit, especially with the power she offered for the man. After all, she'd made it clear she had a task for him to do, but for now, he had to hold on to his spite. Both men glanced at each other and nodded. "Right this way, sir."
Two bits went by before Ryqet was brought in to a small, cosy house with trophies covering the room. Animal pelts littered the place, beautifully laid out to make a true spectacle. In the room, sat at a small chair, a woman looked up to Ryqet with a small smile curling across her face. "Leave us" she ordered the two men, both of which following her orders immediately. Before she could make the offer, Ryqet took his seat, sliding the chair back and sitting in it. Dria gave him an amused look. "Would you like to rest your feet on my desk, too?" she teased. With a blank demeanour, Ryqet lifted both legs on to the desk and relaxed, purple eyes looking at her expectantly.
"Well, now that you're comfortable, may we begin?" she asked, unsure of whether she found the man charming or outright arrogant. Something had to be said for his courage. Then again, the man had just left prison a season ago, and manners did very little in prison the woman had heard. Yet somehow, for a long time in that prison, he had demanded respect. Be it through his contraband deals, or his general influence. Until another man had come and taken it all from him, and even then he survived till the end, fending for himself with a small circle. The stories she'd heard, two men against six just to protect Ryqet. While they may have had their own motivation, someone that demanded that level of loyalty was useful.
"Depends. Why am I here?" he asked with a calm tone. Something about the place made him feel uncomfortable, and yet the woman before him was almost calming. How she spoke, moved, looked at him. All of it was with a calm and accepting tone. After all, Ryqet knew he was insufferable to most. There was no denying it, and he had no intention of changing it. After the time he spent in prison it was no surprise, and he hadn't been the kindest of people before then either. Being stabbed in the back did that to you, as did isolation. But he refused to sit down and be a victim. So instead of curling up and crying, he went out and joined a crew. Now, instead of giving up because of prison, he intended on turning his life into what he wanted of it. His own crew, his own boat and nobody standing in his way.
"Well, it's fairly simple. I need your boat, and your talents with it, for a mission of my own. In exchange for gold, and perhaps some certain privileges in our market. As of now though, gold is the only thing on the cards" she explained, getting straight to the point. As she stood up her eyes maintained contact with his own, something dominating in them, as if the two were deciding between them which had the power here. Of course, with their business deal, it would be Dria - she was hiring him. But their personal relationship would be a different story, and both knew it. A constant battle for dominance. "You're going to be assisting me in smuggling Zephyrus cubs."
Immediately, it began to make sense. The man that had requested he come here had Zephyrus fur on his outfit, and she'd asked for him specifically, knowing he was a criminal. Ryqet glanced to her as she sat on the desk beside his legs, waiting for his response. After a few trills of silence, he sighed and moved his feet off her desk, sitting up a little and looking to her with an interested gaze. "How much are we looking at? Sounds like the Lightning Knights will be all over me for this. I assume you don't expect me to do it for a small price?"
A small chuckle left her lips. "Ryqet Ky'akor, asked to sail across dangerous terrain with equally dangerous animals, potentially being chased by Lightning Knights - for free. Do you brand me an idiot, Ryqet? You're not the kind of man to offer directions for free, let alone help my operations" she stated, laughing at the fact. She knew it to be true, she'd heard and seen enough from the information she had. Ryqet let his demeanour change, somewhat friendlier now that they were clear. Whatever she knew of him, whoever had told her it, she'd heard correctly. Nothing that the man could offer as a service came for free.
"Two hundred gold per cub" she said to him, causing his eyebrow to raise. Nothing could deny that price, especially for sailing with some small hidden animals. Considering for a moment, Ryqet reached in to his pocket and pulled out some long and thin, before pulling out a small paper bag of tobacco. As he placed the paper on the table and lined tobacco along it, his eyes looked up at the woman. "I expect the cash outright, not after. If I get caught, I need something to keep the Knights quiet. Do we have a deal?"
With a small nod from the woman, Ryqet leaned forward to grab a candle. As he placed the cigarette into his mouth and lit it she stood up and sat back in her chair, looking at him. "Once you're done there you can show yourself out, that's the only business I have with you. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them" she smiled politely at him. Without any hesitation, the man leaned back in his chair and inhaled, before pulling the cigarette out and exhaling smoke in her direction. "You smoke?" he asked and offered it to her. Dria chuckled and shook her head. "Of all questions, of course, it's that you ask. Do you not care about what danger lies out there? Or perhaps why I asked of you specifically?"
"My business isn't to ask questions. You're paying me for a service. I don't care how or why. I can get it done, and you can get my money" he said simply, before standing up to leave, giving her one last glance and smirk as he walked out the door. Dria kept her eyes on the door for a moment, a small smile on her face. "Smart man" she muttered, before returning to her work.
