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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Funeris" data-source="post: 2677908" data-attributes="member: 22792">The Apian Bargain - Part DeuxField Marshall Maket whistled a jolly tune as he descended the steep steps to the private cabins aboard the warship “Lady’s Vengeance”.  Behind, he heard the grunt of his men half-dragging, half-carrying the gold-filled chest.  The sounds of hard labor only increased the volume of the jovial seafaring tune.  Time to retire, he thought.  Greedily, his thoughts twisted around the pleasures he could purchase with his portion of the fee.  The remainder of his life could be spent losing large wagers over pointless bets, while being fanned by a dozen concubines and eating his favorite delicacy, grapes.  Oh yes, he thought, life would be sweet.  No more war.  No more long nights of sailing, of seasickness.  No more slaughter, unless that was his pleasure.  He smiled again.Without any respectful pause, Maket kicked the mage’s door inward, nearly shaking it from its hinges.  Crovin leapt up, his concentration shattered.  The images within his scrying mirror quickly vanished into nothing but pale, white wisps of air.  “Dammit Maket, have some courtesy!” the old mage barked.  “Knock next time.  I could have been in the middle of a dangerous experiment.  You could have blown the ship sky hi— ”  the wizard’s words faltered.  Behind the Field Marshall, four men dragged a massive wooden crate.  The crate itself appeared crafted from ironwood with solid gold trim.  Multifaceted gems caught and fingered rays of light before releasing the beams into an explosion of color.  “Shut up you grumpy, old sod.”  Maket demanded with an unwavering grin upon his lips.  “I have a job for you.  And do yourself, not to mention the rest of us, a favor:  stop spying on the Mad Mage.”“He knows?” Crovin squeaked, his normally baritone voice skipping several octaves with nervousness.“Of course he knows, you fool.  And he has politely asked that you stopped, as opposed—” the Marshall let the words hang precariously, taking a sincere delight in tormenting the mage he had known for decades.“As opposed?” Crovin interjected while moving toward the glamorous crate.Maket snapped his arm out, easily catching and holding the feeble man.  “As opposed to him just blowing you and this damned ship sky high,” he hissed.  Still, the Marshall smiled and once terror spread across the mage’s face, he released the stone grasp.“What is the meaning of this?”  Crovin rubbed his withered palms across the chest, feeling the perfect craftsmanship of every rune, gem, and gilded edge.  He lifted the latch easily, taking pause at the immense wealth that glimmered within its depths.  “By the Gods!”“This is our payment,” the Marshall began assured he had the mage’s attention before continuing, “for a task you must complete for Lord Magnus.”The geezer slammed the lid shut.  “Treacherous dog!  Already you bow before the inferior Rhelmsman!”“Hold your tongue, wretch!,” Maket bellowed.  He reached into his satchel, grasping at the adamantine scroll tube.  “In addition, he said this would be worth any trouble on your part.”  The Marshall cautiously extended the tube, letting the faint cabin light gleam from the diamond encrusted metal.Crovin grasped the tube, opening it and then delicately removing the parchment within.  He laid it out near a candle, glancing quickly across and then more observantly.  His eyes boggled outward, inhumanly.  He nearly toppled back, laughing maniacally.  When he finally calmed, he turned his beet-red face toward the Marshall.  “And what is the task he requires?  Are we to execute the Emperor himself?”“No, nothing so diabolical.  Lord Magnus claims there are three tomes within the Bascilian library which he would have.  Once retrieved, you are to deliver them to his man, Rafa.  Is this going to be a problem?”Laughing again, Crovin re-rolled the parchment, carefully placing it within the tube which he then stored in a pocket.  “By Saficea herself, he truly is mad,” the mage murmured.  “It will not be a problem.  The tomes are not guarded.”“But it will be theft?  Against the Emperor?”“Bah.  They will never notice.  And it is quite the bargain.”  Especially since I have already copied the tomes, he added silently.  “And the money should more than buy any secrecy, if it comes to that.“Just for clarification, Maket, I receive the gold and the scroll for this work?”  Crovin’s lip curled into a greedy smirk.“Don’t push it, mage.  You receive a portion of the money.”“And the chest?”“Yes,” the Marshall sighed with exasperation.  “And the damned chest.”“Good.  I will leave immediately then.”  With a few choice words, the wizard vanished from the cabin.  Maket slid into a chair, pouring himself a strong drink.  Soon, he was lost within his daydreams of wealth.</blockquote>

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