The Empire From the Bedrock [Imperial Hands]

[Arash of Ragash]

Arash watched over the crowd with a keen eye as people went about their business, looking for the people was meant to be helping he was given a description of the group, though with busy crowds below it wasn't the easiest to spot but one description was easy to spot, Valar, hard to miss the tall slab of meet and metal wandering around, he just screamed foreigner.

Standing upon his ledge he made his way to the opposite end of the building where an alleyway lay below him. he climb down between the building using joining wooden supports, handholds in the walls and the occasional clothing line to get his feet onto the ground. Now to make an interesting introduction.

Entering the busy street he spotted Valar and his other companion, he believed she was the one called Masika, he had to admit she was pretty than her description gave her credit for, perhaps this would actually be some fun for him. he would make his way to the two approaching them but making it look like he was minding his own before he would purposely bump into Masika, use the opportunity to snatch her coin purse on her belt and knocking it onto the floor.

"Oh sorry, seems you dropped this." he would pick up the purse look up into her eyes and say in Kaliti "
When I sink my eye into your eyes I catch a glimpse of a deep dawn, I see ancient yesterday, I see what I do not know and I feel the universe flowing between my eye and yours." Poetry was always a fun way to flirt with women, some went absolutely mad for it and hopefully, she would too. He would raise his hand with coin purse showing off the granite hand symbol on the signet ring he was wearing. "May I know the name of the beautiful woman in front of me?"

 

[Rahma]

Rahma quietly acquiesced to the scenario that was being thrust upon him. He didn't have much choice in the matter; after all, he was trying to be a good little Hand, or whatever. So, it was him, Liv (taking a backseat), and a buckethead (but not the big, important one). And Rahma was being left to go information hunting. Not exactly his forte.

"I'll be honest with ya, Liv. I don't know where I'm fuckin' going." He uttered stiffly as he trudged forward blindly into the bazaar. "I'm more of the 'hit first, ask questions never' type, ya know?"

Salitra hadn't exactly been kind to him. Sure, he had done his fair share of eavesdroppings when he was a kid on behalf of various gangs in exchange for...well, food, but that was when he was small and much more likely to fly under the radar. Now he was a grown man with towering jackal ears pocking out of the top of his skull. Diverse and inclusive as this new Empire was, some things never changed, and that included no one wanting to talk to the half-breed freak.

"Is that the key? Should I just grab some thug and start hitting him until he gives me halfway useful information? Cuz I'll do it."

 

[Al'qadim Valar]

Valar just offered a hidden smirk that despite her inability to see, Liv would just know he bore beneath his helm at her threat.

Divisions were made, a challenge was cast. He wasn't concerned with gaining clues, only protection. He watched as Masika scampered off, tailing her as she trekked through the market.

"Of that i have no doubt." Valar would muse in response to Masika as she spoke of her ability to find trouble. He was sure based on her actions alone, she was a troublemaker. She would be fast friends with Liv.

A man suddenly weaves into their path, bumping into Masika and the helm focused on him. It was good that Valar was given descriptors of the Hands, for the man was seconds away from steel poisoning. Rash, nay A-rash, no no Arash of Ragash. A man of poetry. And very skilled at theft.

Valar would have to admit to himself, the poetry sounded prettier in Kaliti then the common tongue translation. So, he was sure some things got lost in translation. He wouldn't interfere with the exchange and just watched it transpire.

 

[OlivianaAl'Vere]

Liv had never worked with Tracyn but if he was anything like Valar then he would be seen and not heard. She was also not worried about his going off and telling anyone that was said in the group. Her green eyes slid over to Rahma when he spoke. She huffed out a laugh.

"First of all, just relax. Do I need to go order you some shots?" She just raised a brow at him. "Take a deep breath and think for a minute. There is no need to rush in."

She laughed again at his next question and comment.

"Sometimes, yeah. Do I think that is what we should do right this second? No." Liv started to walk and clapped Rahma on the shoulder as she passed him.

"You need to think about who in the bazaar may have information. You have lived here long enough to know who runs a reputable business and who doesn't..."

 

[Masika]

Masika hardly noticed the ruse Arash had used, just as she hardly noticed his attempt to flirt with her. Or rather, she took his kind words, his actions, as a sign that Arash was a good person. He had found her coin purse lying on the ground and was even saying some lovely sort of poetry! Masika looked back at Sir Valar after she had taken back her coin purse, giving him a beaming look, prepared to say how inhabitants of Ragash were the absolute best, until Arash had said she was beautiful. Like a curious bird, Masika tilted her head to the side.

“But sir, my eyes are brown. Hardly beautiful. Not like pure blue eyes, those are extraordinary.” Blue eyes were such a rarity to Masika, with many inhabitants possessing brown eyes. Masika paused then, before a look of clarity came across her delicate features. “Wait— you mean to say that brown eyes are beautiful, too.” Masika nodded her head eagerly in agreement, giving Arash a bright and radiant smile that challenged even the blazing sun above them.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, but I must focus now. You’ll find many pretty brown eyes around here!” And without saying her name or a second look, Masika began to march away, although there somehow seemed to be even more pep in her step as she continued to delve deeper and deeper into the bazaar.

For once, Masika wasn’t walking aimlessly. And she was focusing. For something had caught her eye. Or rather, two somethings had caught her eye. She had noticed them when she had turned her head to look back at Sir Valar, both had walked past him and were now a few meters in front of Masika. Even in the more crowded areas, Masika could pick them out easily. From that languid, swaying gait, pointed ears, and the bright garments decorated with gold, there was no way Masika could lose sight of them.

Nor would she want to. After all, one of them was holding something peculiar.

Arash of Ragash Rahma Al'qadim Valar Oliviana Al'Vere

 

[Rahma]

Rahma sighed deeply. Didn't Medja have different groups in her gang for a reason? He wanted to be in the one that hit people, not in the one that was waist deep in intrigue.

"I'm not nervous, Liv, I'm lost." He retorted. Lived here long or not, Rahma was out of his element. Kind of. Maybe not? He had spent most of his childhood in a city's underbelly. Maybe he was just overthinking this.

"Right, fine. Look for some place that looks sketchy and start getting nosy. I can do that." That meant looking for a fortune teller. Shitty fortune tellers in markets like this were always drenched in shit they had no business being in. He supposed that when your business was supposed to be knowing things, it paid to keep an ear to the ground. "Just gotta find a tent with an eye on it or somethin'. Mystics love their fancy fuckin' symbols."

Sure enough, a few minutes of asking patrons and wandering around led him to a velvety looking, purple tent with a dumb symbol on it. It looked like an eye with a sun for a pupil, with a moon over top it, and with a tear dropping beneath it scattering into stars. Gods these guys were always the fucking same.

A small man with a pencil thin mustache and beard, a lazy eye, and the most ridiculous turban he'd ever laid eyes on stood in front of the tent, beckoning in potential customers whilst holding a crystal in one hand and gesturing at it with the other. Rahma's tail swatted the air in annoyance, but he approached nonetheless.

"Care to peer into the depths of time and discover the mystical truths of this world, and your very future, boy? You will find neither a more accurate, nor fairly priced, man of my talents in all of Ragash..." The fortune teller addressed Rahma, curling a finger at him as if it were a baited hook. Rahma sighed and fought the urge to sneer.

"Yeah, I'm lookin' for some info. Something's gone missing and I could really use a hand." Rahma replied, flashing the fully gray emblem of Medja's organization from beneath one of his billowing sleeves.

"Ahhh, yeeeess, if it is knowledge you seek then please, step into my tent..." The mystic answered with a knowing glance and a devilish smile before pulling back the curtain to his tent.

Rahma glanced back at his mentor and the buckethead behind him.
"You comin' or you want me to handle this?"

 

[Arash of Ragash]

The smile on his face slowly disappeared as It appeared the woman before was either dense or oblivious, possible both but he would give her the benefit of the doubt that she was just oblivious to his flirting but then that radiant smile came to her face on the realisation that he was calling her eyes beautiful, perhaps not so oblivious then and he would like to see that smile again but she still hadn't given her name.

he would follow after her and introduce himself "well I'm Arash and I've been sent to help you and your very large bodyguard here" He continued walking beside asking her a question since she seemed to be moving with intent "and where are you going? i don't think you will find the package this way."

 

[Al'qadim Valar]

Masika's reaction would amuse Valar greatly, though it wouldn't show. That slow shift from confusion to understanding and the impact that that revelation had on her.

In what appeared to be true Masika fashion, she would get peppy and continue on as such. More than that, she seemed to have a lead, good for her.

His helm shifted to Arash as he stepped forward to follow behind her, his gaze re-focusing on their surroundings.

Arash of Ragash Masika

 

[OlivianaAl'Vere]

Oliviana smiled as Rahma seemed to puzzle out where he needed to go first. He was actually pretty spot on in his thinking too. Fortune tellers were the one of the banes of her existence but sometimes they had information that was rather useful. It was hit or miss. She hoped this one would be a hit. Yes, she was letting the newbies take the lead, but this was still a real mission and they needed to find the property that was stolen.

Liv followed Rahma in silence. He seemed testy and she had already poked him a few times. She would stop for now. She did like him, after all. No need to have him mad at her once this was all said and done. Flashing the emblem of the Hands was a nice touch. One point for Rahma.

When he turned back to them once the fortune teller was done speaking, she smiled and nodded.

“Yes, we are coming. Very nice start, Rahma…”

Rahma

 

[Masika]

Masika paused for a moment, realizing that Arash was following her, and for a moment she thought she may have to speak rudely to a person. But it seemed that Arash was on their side! Wonderful! Another partner. If Masika was less naive she may have asked to see the emblem of the Hands, but because suspicion was never her forte she accepted it blindly. There was one comment she wouldn’t quite accept though.

“Bodyguard? Oh no, Arash,” Masika said with a vulpine smile, “it is I who is protecting Sir Valar. And now you.” A hand was placed onto the man’s shoulder, and all in good jest, Masika gave a strong squeeze, the veins in her forearm popping out, taut muscles bulging. Yet despite her physical appearance suggesting that this strength was from her hard work and dutiful nature, there was at the same time a strong sense that this strength was inhuman. That somehow the strength was too great to be housed inside a five foot six inch vessel of a mortal woman.

It was then that she gestured to both Sir Valar, pointing over at a tent and then lowering her voice as she got the three of them to huddle together.

“You must understand, the package is…” her face twisted up ever so slightly as she worked hard to remember what she had read. “I think if it is something of value others would want to keep it hidden and well within their grasps. Those with something worthwhile to barter with may have a good chance. And two ladies have some very interesting items.” The Ragashi woman then continued on her path, and in came to view the two ladies Masika had mentioned.

Spoiler: Wink-wink-nudge-nudge

[art cred]

It was clear, for whoever looked upon Masika’s cheerful face that the two suspects did have an interesting crystal that was noteworthy. But more importantly than that, their bodies accentuated by an incredibly feminine curve of wide hips, small waist and heavy bosoms had enthralled Masika more than the shine of the blue crystal could have.

Masika swallowed hard and then cleared her throat, not smart enough to hide her lecherous gaze just yet. There was something about humans with cat ears, or any sort of animal ears really, and fangs that just brought out her inner degenerate.

“W-we must speak to them….” Masika said, rather shyly, glancing back at the two men.

Al'qadim Valar Arash of Ragash

 

[Arash of Ragash]

The woman before him was strong, possible inhumanly strong this would have scared most men but Arash wasn't like most men, he wasn't frightened by a more vigorous partner if anything it excited him more, he loved a woman that could kick his ass.

He would continue to follow her as she explained the reason for where she was going and once he saw who she was following, he could only nod his head in slight approval. the two women were beautiful and well endowed "I must say you have great taste in women" he chuckled patting her on the back, he did notice the blue crystal too "we or you?" he replied back with a check grin, "you weren't so shy a minute ago talking to me"

 

[Al'qadim Valar]

The helmet would obscure the eye roll that had enough power to fracture the moon. If he needed a bodyguard, he would be feeble. Thankfulky it was just Masika trying to have some sort of banter with Arash.. Children.

Of course.. he was stuck with the girl who acted like everytime she saw beautiful women it was for the first time. That made her.. a danger to the Hands.

"Masika.. professionalism. As a Hand you are supposed to make those around you weak in the knees.. not become a victim yourself. This will be in the report. So I suggest you focus up." His helm focused on the women and it didn't matter their assets, they had two particular bumps that made them worth little more than a spear. "Investigate, interrogate, and if needed, eliminate."

Masika Arash of Ragash

 

[Masika]

Masika frowned, and looked over at Sir Valar with large puppy eyes. Was she… being scolded? Masika had been scolded before, of course, everyone had been at some point in time. After all, Masika would always find herself in situations that warranted Abasi scolding her for either her carelessness or naivety or recklessness. Sometimes he’d scold her just because deep down he wanted what was best for her. But this scolding was different.

For some reason, Masika felt as if Sir Valar was suggesting she was being unfit to be a hand. Had she let Mistress Medja down before even becoming a hand? Why did she feel so guilty all of a sudden. Had she already failed before completing this mission?

“B-but Sir Valar,” Masika insisted in a hushed whisper, those woeful eyes still glistening. “The only way for someone to make me weak in the knees if they were to bust my kneecaps. And I have very strong knees!” The young woman said and then looked over to the two woman who seemed to be haggling with a merchant. Her frown deepened, almost as if she were about to pout.

“I said we must speak to them not because of selfish desires, although I do struggle to sound confident in the presence of a woman who has a body I’d kill for.” Masika admitted, glancing down at her fingers as she nervously moved her fingers against each other. “But their items, if it is what I think it is, is valuable. And they are hardly at the right place to be bartering those crystals. They’re most definitely not used to Ragash or they would’ve gone to more richer merchants. I think they don’t understand how much those crystals are worth here.” Masika sighed. “I’d feel much more confident in my bartering skills if I had my comrades by my side. Or a man with a silver tongue to do most of the footwork.” She said as she looked at Arash.

Arash of Ragash Al'qadim Valar

 

[Rahma]

Rahma rolled his eyes at Liv. He might've been a fish out of water, but the patronizing still pissed him off. Gods and devils, this whole thing was damn annoying.

The fortune teller directed Rahma to sit, and he hesitantly took the offer. Between them was a large, round table covered in a velvety, blood red cloth. The mustachioed man began to rifle through a deck of mystical looking cards.
"You know, be it by cards, glass, or entrails, divination does not come for free. And the answers you seek don't come particularly cheap, either."

Rahma glared at the man, sighed, then chucked a few coins wantonly across the table. The coins clattered to a halt, within the teller's reach, one in particular rolling bodily across until the man snatched it into his sleeve.
"Hmph. A start..."

The teller sat down and began to prepare his cards, dealing them out in a practiced fashion.
"'A start?' That's like a week's food I just threw your way, the hell?"

"I told you...the spirits are quite hard to read when it comes to such matters, and more laborious services often require higher payment, boy. Triple this, and perhaps I can see what fortunes await you." The fortune teller flashed that wicked grin again, all too eager to put on a show. "Or you can walk now. I wouldn't expect a young mutt like you to understand the nuances of the world in which you now tread."

One of Rahma's jackal-esque ears twitched, and he stared blankly and silently at the man for a moment.
"Ah. Right. We're supposed to 'negotiate,' right?" The '"young mutt's" voice was utterly unfazed, but the fur on the back of his neck was crawling. "Alright, here's my counter offer."

---
​

Just minutes after Rahma followed the mysterious gentleman inside his tent, from the outside several large impacts could be heard, followed by a few coinciding yelps. The canvas of the tent rippled and flexed a few times, and scuffling could be heard. Then, silence.

Moments later, Rahma exited, sleeves rolled up and a pair of coins in his hand.
"Pleasure doin' business with ya. Keep the change." He deadpanned over his shoulder before flicking one of the coins back into the tent at mach speeds. A muffled "oof!" could be heard within as the coin thudded against something, then clattered to the ground.

Rahma hunched and trudged back to Liv and the bucket head. As he walked by the two of them he offered Liv a bored glance before trudging on.
"He didn't know much, but I got what he did. I guess let's meet back up with Masika and compare notes, huh?"

 

[OlivianaAl'Vere]

Oliviana was not sure if Rahma had been serious about beating the thug for useful information but she was going to let him do his thing. He had gotten this far already so he was not useless. If he was then he would not have even made it to Liv and this mission. She was happy he had even if he was annoyed with her at the moment. She would make it up to him later.

It was not very long before she heard the noises come from the tent and stifled a chuckle. Her smile was genuine when Rahma reemerged from the tent. They need information and they were not the people to try to fleece when it came to them getting that information.

"Did he ask for more coin even after you made a very generous offer?" She asked the Hand. It was the number one trick that people tried to pull with them. It was annoying.

"And yes, let's go find the others and see if they have anything worthwhile."

As they started to walk away from the tent, she uttered two words that were big praise from her and not condescending at all.

"Excellent work."

---

Rahma Masika Al'qadim Valar Arash of Ragash

 

[Arash of Ragash]

It seemed Valar wasn't just the quiet type, but also the professional type, it was a shame Arash was hoping he would a bit more fun but he kinda had a point. "It isn't our place to stop someone from being scammed if they don't know the value of what they trading then it's a lesson they need to be taught, that's how Ragash works if you fall for a con that's on them, not us."

He liked beautiful women but not enough to babysit them on how to trade, experience is the greatest teacher, it's how he got here today and it's how they'll improve, why steal that from them and make them worse for it. "perhaps we should go find your friends, I know they're should two other perhaps they've found something?"