The Mimic Becomes a Merchant King

Coin and Elijah met with Valle Irons the next morning, at the patio of a coffee house just on the outskirts of the Merchant's Quarter. He looked haggard, his beard and hair unkempt while the collar of his expensive shirt was left rumpled and disorderly. In the dull morning sunlight, a thin sheen of sweat gleamed on his forehead.

"Rough night?" Elijah asked, managing a sympathetic smile.

Valle gave him an annoyed look. "Grab a drink if you're grabbing one. And let's talk business, like gentlemen." He sat restless, drumming the fingers of his free hand on the surface of the table.

Coin and Elijah exchanged a curious look, but decided to oblige him. He would admit that the smell inside the coffee house was quite pleasant, a warm and inviting aroma that tickled the insides of his nostrils. He could even recall the same scent from his monster days, with adventurers brewing kettles of coffee almost as soon as they broke camp after a long rest. Cost, as ever, was no object for Elijah as he purchased two cups of a steaming black liquid for them.

Yet, when he sat down across from the arms dealer and took a sip, Coin's tastebuds were assaulted by a flavour so bitter and foul that it made goblin sweat seem palatable in comparison. He removed the cup from his lips and glared into the jet black liquid, fearing something was horribly wrong with it. Had he been poisoned?!

And yet his two companions were drinking without a care. Coin spared another glance to his coffee. Humans willingly drank this slop?!

"So, business?" Elijah asked, tilting his head. "I was under the impression we had an agreed upon sum."

"I have changed my mind. I'm, of course, willing to sell you the ring, but I need something more important than money. It's, well, from an issue that's come up rather abruptly for me."

"Go on," Elijah said, his expression shifting into an unreadable mask.

"A... valued client requires a large quantity of black powder from me. And given the chaos on the roads, my supplies are rather... disrupted at the moment." the dealer said, a myriad of emotions subtly flickering at his face. "But I know what you can do. I know you have connections that would make a demigod's head spin. So if anyone can help me, it's you."

"Black powder?" Coin asked, cocking his head to the side.

"An explosive substance used for making bombs and firing cannons," Elijah offhandedly said. "And rather valuable, as a result. But, yes, I have connections involved in its manufacturing. Shouldn't be too hard to wrangle a bit. And for a promethium ring? I think a few barrels should be sufficient."

Coin leaned toward his mentor, giving his coffee another wary look as he did so. "Would that be more... cost efficient than using gold?"

Elijah shrugged. "A bit. I do have favours to call in, after all. Should make the process easier. And we're heading northward, anyway. Two birds with one stone."

This seemed satisfactory to Valle, who planted a palm-sized sculpted wooden box onto the table. "Then I shall pay you in advance, as thanks for being so understanding."

Elijah slid the box to Coin who graciously opened it. The silvery band of meteorite metal shone brilliantly. Even the dull sunlight of the early morning, the smallest bit of light glittered on it. Dirt and discoloration seemed to actively be repelled by the stainless substance. He slid it onto his right ring finger and felt a shudder as it made contact with his bare flesh.

He had not thought much of the magic in his body, in the past. It was formless and chaotic, a roiling storm cloud that could only be directed through great conscious effort on his part. Now, however, all that vast energy was circulating cleanly through his body like blood through a network of veins and arteries.

Coin raised his hand. With a casual thought, a miniature cyclone danced on his palm. Electricity crackled along the edges. "Damnation," he muttered, awestruck by the ease of it all.

His mentor gave him a sly smirk. "Think we've got a good resource on her hands now. But don't forget to keep your studies going." He moved to stand but, as he did so, he gave Valle a cautious look. "You're not... in trouble right now, are you?" he asked warily.

The other merchant stared up at them, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he came out with a response. "What are you insinuating?"

"You claim to know me, well I know you just as well. And I know full well that your gambling and borrowing has landed you in hot water before." He pointed a warning finger at him. "I'll tell you now, I have no interest in supplying wares to criminal enterprises. And if I get a whiff that this is going toward an unsavoury group, I'll return the ring and leave you high and dry."

Coin nodded along. His reading had gotten good enough to have a decent grasp on the guild charter, which was very stern in advising people against doing merchant work with criminals. Being a third party to such a deal, unknowingly, was allowed... if the magistrates believed you to be ignorant.

"I'm offended by the implications of that!" Valle replied.

"As is your right to be. But it doesn't change facts."

"Well... if it's used for weapons, only people who use of make them would take a large supply of the stuff," Coin reasoned. "So.. it could be something legitimate." Or, just as likely, giving explosive powder to criminals.

Elijah seemed to be thinking the same thing, regarding Valle with his head tilted to one side.

"I assure you," he said in a tone like ice, "that I am merely doing a favour for a friend. No more, no less." Silence lingered in the patio outside the coffee house.

Elijah gave him a blunt nod. "Very well. I'll make arrangements in the coming days. I assume you'll want them sent to your usual storehouse?"

"Naturally," he replied.

"Good to know. Give it time and I'll complete my end of the bargain. I always do. Come along, lad."

As they left, and once they were a modest distance away, Coin gave his mentor a quick aside. "I'm not sure I trust him," the mimic admitted. Which was a common reaction when it came to death merchants, unsurprisingly.

"Mm. He's a good man, at heart, but certainly foolhardy at times. A fellow gripped by his own vices. Grappled with him near most of his life. For some men, nothing is ever enough." Elijah sighed and tilted his head back. "He could have risen much higher in the world if he had some impulse control."

Coin raised his hand and inspected his new ring as they walked along. "Well, I'll trust your judgement on it. I just hope we don't get bitten by it."

Elijah chuckled. "My. A fancy new piece of jewellery, and already you second guess me? They grow up so fast."

They returned to the inn to find Essine seated on the bed, her nose buried in one of Elijah's tomes. An abundance of papers were positioned around her, covered from end to end with rows of neatly written text.

She perked up at their approach. "Oh, is it time to go?"

"Er, yes, we were just about to head to the stables." Coin looked to the pages at Essine's side, and then to the graphite clutched in her clawed fingers. "What are you doing?"

Essine managed a nervous smile, her ears flattening slightly. "Ah, well, this one... this one did not have much to do. So reading the words and copying them down seemed a good way to spend the time."

As she said this, Elijah lifted a sheet of paper and quietly inspected it. His eyes widened slightly. "You... can read the common language? And write it?"

The kobold slowly nodded. "Language is sacred to our people," she said simply.

"And... can other kobolds do this?" asked Coin.

She nodded again, surprised that it was such a big deal to the two. "Language is sacred to our people," she repeated.

Elijah hummed. "Never learned much about kobold culture, if I'm being honest. Might be some kind of innate magical talent."

The mimic let out a small sigh. "I wish I could do that." Though, if it was a genetic talent, it was possible he could do the same by eating a kobold. On a pragmatic level, that seemed like a good idea. On a moral level, it left Coin slightly uncomfortable now.

"Well, my lass, we may have more use of you in the future," Elijah said with a chuckle. "But, for now, we had best hurry on. Lady Greatglow won't appreciate us being late."

Nodding, the kobold hastily gathered the pages and set them inside the leatherbound tome. With that, the trio quickly finished packing up their things. It would be a trip of a few days to reach Lady Greatglow's buyer, after all. No sense in keeping their rented room.

"We still have most of our supplies set, but..." Elijah hummed and glanced to Coin. "Well, this diversion from Valle may add a bit more to our journey. Coin," he handed up a small clinking bag weighted with ducats. "Head up the street to a shop called Parsar's. It's a general goods shop. You'll know it for the big silver sign hanging above the door. Buy us a few cans and tins of preserved food. Just in case we need them."

"Well," Coin held the bag of gold in his hands, the most beautiful weight he ever could have imagined. He gave his mentor a smirk. "I'll see what I can do."