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Everything Arranged
Commission for
david.pigo
He owns the characters, lore and world within.
Thank you so much for your support!
Back to the main story now! This piece follows on from Seen From the Outside. Enjoy everyone! <3
Everything Arranged
Golden light began to peak through the windows of the Solemn Falcon. Each room was graced with the call to wake but few heeded it so early in the morning. Nightshade rolled over and slowly rubbed his eye. Damn... There was no lingering pain from the tattooing he received the day before but it really did a number on his energy; he could use a few more hours of sleep. He groaned. He didn't have a few more hours as he was meant to meet with Shary soon. He smiled, sure that the eager woman was already on her way. Alright then, time to make a start on the day. The pony got out of bed and dressed himself, collecting up all his things before heading downstairs. He could already smell food. Hokpie was cooking something good for all his customers who stayed at the tavern overnight.
The curtains of the windows downstairs were still drawn and the bar was shrouded in darkness and silence with the exception of the kitchen lantern light invading the room as well as the whistling of the tavern keeper. No one was here so Nightshade snatched up one of the booths to reserve comfort for himself, and Shary once she arrived, and leaned back to shut his eye for a while longer. Who said he could not be efficient with his rest?
"There ya go Shadey!"
Nightshade jolted to alertness and discovered a plate of juicy grilled steak and baked vegetables on the table in front of him. Not only this! The room was now filled with light from open windows and there were half a dozen voices coming from other tables which had half eaten meals on them. Hokpie was just next to him with a great big grin on his face.
"Looks like you didn't get enough sleep last night. Beds not comfortable enough for ya?" asked the shark.
Nightshade winced, stretching and yawning as he tried to pull himself out of his slumber. "Any idea how long I was asleep?"
"Been a good couple of hours since I saw ya layin' in here," said Hokpie. "Thought I'd let ya rest a little longer."
Nightshade groaned. "Thanks, Hokpie. And thanks for the food." He paused to look around at the other customers. "I guess Shary's not here yet."
"Haven't seen the lass."
The pony frowned at this answer. "I wonder what the hold up is... Can I have a drink, please?"
"Hold your horses!" Hokpie raised a hand. "Haven't you got your sign up for the guild today? How am I gonna let my buddy get himself drunk before it?"
"Water," said Nightshade.
"Ah, right." The shark chuckled as he left the table. "You work in a tavern for a little while and 'drink' becomes synonymous with ale."
Nightshade responded with a tired chuckle of his own and turned his view to the entrance. "I'll bet."
As if on cue, the blue-crested dragoness he knew so well walked into the tavern, smiling and waving as she spotted him. Nightshade breathed a sigh of relief and waved back to her. She was later than he expected but she was here now and that was what counted. His heart raced faster with excitement. He wished to show her the surprise he prepared right now... but it was not the time. He leaned upon his assassin's patience in this moment to make it easier for himself. Besides, there was a topic that greatly interested him...
Shary took a seat across from him and grinned. "I hope I did not keep you waiting too long."
The pony shook his head. "Not at all but I thought you'd show up a bit earlier. You were so eager to get out of the cabin yesterday."
"Well... I've been here for a couple of hours already."
Nightshade gave her a curious look. "Really?"
She nodded and let out an awkward laugh. "I guess you didn't hear what happened outside. I ran into the owner of the emporium, Lionel; literally ran into him. His stuff fell everywhere and he was scared half to death!"
Nightshade waved a hand. "Oh, don't worry too much about it, Shary. He's scared of everything."
The dragoness giggled. "So he admits. Well, I've been helping him organise all of the stuff he dropped in his shop to make up for breaking some of his wares. That's why I'm late."
"Free labour, huh?" asked Nightshade. "I bet he was salivating at the mere thought."
"No, it wasn't like that at all!" protested Shary. "He wanted to build up some nerves against all the people coming to join the guild. I think it was good for him; he's not scared of me one bit anymore!"
Nightshade gave a wide smile and nodded with his eyes shut. "Young miser. Mark my words, Shary, he'll come asking for more favours."
"Well, I am here now and I am ready to join the guild!" The dragoness cheered.
"We're not heading there quite yet," said Nightshade. "Don't want to be too early. Besides, we've an errand to run beforehand and..." He sliced off a chunk of meat and bit into it. "... breakfast. I don't imagine you ate before you flew off this morning."
Shary shook her head. "I did not."
"Then dig in." Nightshade waved a hand over the plate and pushed it into the middle of the table. "I'm not hungry enough to eat it all."
Shary's eyes lit up. After all the work in the emporium she'd built up an appetite! But, while Nightshade wasn't very hungry, was it enough to satiate her? She briefly considered ordering her own plate but ultimately decided against it. She was giddy with excitement over joining the guild and she did not want to make herself sick, after all. "Thank you!" she chirped and snagged up a couple of pieces of food with her claws.
Nightshade gave her a smile. As he did, he spotted a familiar sight from the day before stepping down the stairs. It was the dragoness he met, Zilea. Time for Shary to get quite a blast from the past. Zilea's drowsy expression suddenly changed when she laid eyes on the blue-crested dragoness. Even though Nightshade told her that she would be coming to Silvan Peak today, she still seemed like she could not believe what she saw. Without any thought to the people around her she began to run over, knocking a couple of chairs on the way. "Shary!"
Shary on the other hand heard a familiar voice, rather than seeing a familiar sight. Her ears perked up and she stopped eating to spin around. She did not even get to see the dragoness rushing over to her before she shouted. "Zilea?!" She jumped up and ran to meet her, almost tackling her into a hug. Thankfully, Zilea seemed almost as strong as Shary and the rough display of affection did not result in two dragonesses tumbling through the tavern and destroying property. "It is so good to see you! It has been far too long!"
"I know, right?!" Zilea shook her from side to side, practically dancing.
Nightshade grinned at the reunion of the two girls. It was a pleasure to see Shary so happy.
"But what are you doing here? Are you joining the guild? Where are my manners? I need to introduce you to someone." Shary rattled off a few questions, obviously overwhelmed as she dragged the wingless dragoness over to the booth and ushered her into a seat before sitting beside her.
"Good morning, Nightshade." Zilea nodded then looked at Shary. "We already met."
Shary blushed. "Oh, no! He told you how we met, didn't he?!"
"Ye-" Zilea did not even get the chance to finish the word as Shary continued.
"I thought he was a poacher! I didn't mean to slash his eye..."
"Wait, what?" Zilea gave Nightshade a look of confusion. "That's how you both met? You only mentioned the poachers." She examined the scar around his eye and sucked air through her teeth. "I would hate to be on the receiving end of that."
Nightshade smiled, seeing how mortified Shary was. "I thought I'd leave that detail out..." And lifted a hand to his scar. "I lost a simple eye... I gained much more."
Now Hokpie returned with the mug of water that Nightshade requested. "Sorry 'bout the weight, Shadey."
The pony rolled his eyes at the nickname, realising he forgot to correct the shark earlier. Now he'd never get rid of it! "Thanks. Turns out I've got some extra company now. Is there more food in the kitchen?"
Hokpie gave a hearty laugh. "Always! Always! I'll have little Jimbo bring it over." And with that he marched away to stack two plates with meals.
Zilea beamed a grin at Shary. "This will be the first meal we eat together in forever! I hope you've got room!"
Shary smirked. "Always, you know me."
The three had countless topics to speak of and, in the few minutes before the food arrived, the conversation drifted between half a dozen at least. But now Jimbo trotted up to the table which led to a squeal from a highly enthusiastic and delighted Zilea.
"Shary, you've met this little cutie, haven't you?!" As soon as Jimbo placed the plates on the table, Zilea grabbed him and pulled him in close for a cuddle. "You are so adorable and kind, helping your old man around the tavern!" She nuzzled his cheek.
Nightshade awkwardly grinned. Apparently Zilea was as vulnerable to the kid's charm as so many of the other women around here. It could not be magic that endeared him to them or she should have a natural resistance... He stroked his chin in thought.
"Oh, isn't he?" asked Shary. She did not show the same levels of enthusiasm which made women dote on him but she would have to be a monster to ignore him.
Nightshade leaned back and winked to the kid. "Thanks for that, Jimbo. Now eat up ladies! We've got sign ups today and I've still got an errand to run with Shary!"
Zilea pouted as she released the reserved boy and he gave her a cheery smile before wandering on to what would more than certainly be the next encounter of being fawned over. "Alright," said the black dragoness as she tucked into her meal. "But I'm coming with you for the errand. I want to enter the guild together!"
With breakfast cleaned from their plates and bellies full, the trio paid Hokpie for his hospitality and left the Solemn Falcon in high spirits. Nightshade guided them to the nearby stairs and they ascended to the second tier of Silvan Peak where both of their destinations awaited them; the blacksmith and the guild of Bushar Irvin.
Nightshade marched up to the blacksmith with his companions close behind and cleared his throat. Braun raised his head and looked around before spotting the customers behind him. "Good day, Sir, and to you too, ladies." He nodded to the dragonesses. "You'll be back for yesterday's order."
"Exactly right," answered Nightshade. "This is Zilea." He gestured to the wingless dragoness who looked a little bit startled by the sudden introduction; after all, she was a caster of spells and did not require any services here. And then he gestured to the larger of the two women. "And Shary."
Braun reached out a hand which Shary shook. "Oh ho! So you're the one I've been working on?" He looked at Nightshade. "Strong grip. You were right about her strength. Shouldn't have any issues flying in this gear."
Nightshade winced as he remembered the crushing force in this hulking bull's strength. Yet even he took note of Shary's strength?! It was quite a feat to hold up against him. Was the pony getting rusty? He shook his head. No time for doubts when the guild inauguration was so close at hand. "It's good to hear. You got everything sorted then?"
The bull relinquished the handshake and nodded. "Took out a couple of hours of my evening but a challenge is always welcome." Now he turned around and cracked open a storage box. "The lass' gear is all there."
"Should I put it on now?" asked Shary.
"I'm sure Braun's done a splendid job but yes; best to make sure there aren't any kinks," said Nightshade.
Braun was already back to hammering another blade but, with his free hand, he smacked the wall and the door beside the shop creaked open. "A bit of privacy for you upstairs, lass."
"Thank you." Shary gathered up her newly crafted armour and climbed the stairs while Zilea and Nightshade waited outside. How to pass the time? It seemed the wingless dragoness felt like testing herself and challenged Braun to a match of arm wrestling. It was over in just a few seconds with the bull being marked the champion. And yet... he commented on her strength too. Nightshade winced again.
Soon Shary emerged from the building, donned in her armour. It was a mix of leather and metal rings, appearing surprisingly light-weight for how much of her body it guarded. But appearances could be deceiving and Nightshade was sure that it was anything but light. Shary showed no difficulty in walking, however, and flicked her tail around the front to show off the bindings which guarded even this appendage. "What do you think? It looks great to me!" And with a cheerful grin she turned around, slightly spreading her wings.
"Looks perfect," said Nightshade. "I knew you wouldn't let me down, Braun. Now let's settle the payment."
Braun flicked a bit of paper onto the counter with a cost of services and material. A bit steeper than expected but he did have to collaborate with the tanner on this project so it was understandable. Nightshade poured out a pile of coins from his pouch and let the bull collect them up... and with their transaction complete, Nightshade, Shary and Zilea were free for their appointment at the guild. They moved down the street, only needing to go a short way before they came upon a grueling queue of all manner of character. Tall, short, lean, bulky, heroic and even some who looked to have a... questionable repute.
Nightshade grimaced at the line. "Maybe we should have gotten here a bit earlier... I'm having a smoke." He pulled out a cigarette and lit it with his flint before taking a long drag and blowing the smoke up.
Fortunately, today's event had breathed unprecedented life into the town of Silvan Peak. There were all manner of merchants with their stalls lining the parade leading to the guild; a true market established beneath the great tree.
"Cheese! Decadent cheese!" one merchant called. "Grapes fresh from the vine! Melons! Get your melons! Roast hog!" Foods, cooked and raw, permeated the air with their smell and drove the stomach to madness with the sheer variety on offer. How could anyone choose? Yet, it seemed to be possible as dozens swarmed the stalls.
"Soft silk and fine linen! Fit for the greatest princes and lords!" Carpets, curtains? These merchants were surely providing some of the finishing touches to the guild hall.
"I've got the shiniest jewels in the entire kingdom! Prime cut!" Indeed, eye catching trinkets glimmered in the sunlight just begging to be purchased and worn. To decorate bare fingers, wrists, necks and even those that were already occupied.
"Potions! Keep your health in check! Save your life in a pinch!" Surely this would be the most popular product for the people gathering to join the guild today. Potions were a mainstay of the adventurer's toolkit. There were those to augment strength, hone senses or even hold your breath for longer; truly the things they could do were extraordinary.
Food, fabric, jewellery, potions, luxuries... even furnishings! It seemed as though the entire world was on offer! It was indeed fortunate, for the queue was long but only one of them needed to hold a place in the line... and it dawned on Nightshade that there was surely an appropriate gift for his anniversary with Shary amongst all of this commotion.
Nightshade looked at his two companions and put out his cigarette. "I want to take a look at some of the stalls. Do one of you mind keeping our place? We can trade out every now and then so we won't die of boredom."
"Go ahead," said Shary. "Don't forget the inauguration starts at noon!"
Zilea nodded and grinned. "The two of us have plenty to catch up on!"
Nightshade smiled and walked off, looking back for a moment to see Shary striking a pose that flexed her muscles and highlighted her new gear. Now... what to hunt for? Shary did enjoy a good piece of jewellery so it was probably the most thoughtful option. The pony moved along, squeezing between the crowds that littered the walkway. There were so many people here that it was sometimes difficult to find a way through but he managed to keep moving.
Soon he came across the stall that looked like a miniature museum. Small statuettes and marble busts of famous figures in Grancrown's history were arranged in a most glorious display. And most glorious of all was in the centre of the stall. In fact, this one did not seem to be for sale... The figure of Bushar Irvin! War hero and soon to be guildmaster that stood for the people. How could you put a price on that? But perhaps it was a poor business decision on the trader's part. It attracted a lot of attention but distracted from all the other wares in the end. Nothing was selling.
Nightshade, like all the others, passed over this stall. Even if it was what he was looking for, where was he meant to keep it?! No, he needed something more portable for his gift to Shary. And just ahead he seemed to find his salvation. A red-haired wolfess adorned in a bright red cloak stood at the forefront of a store peddling all manner of magical wares. She had potions, amulets, charms, rings, tomes and more! There had to be something good here... "Good morning, Sir! Please take your time to browse. I am certain something will catch your eye."
The pony nodded. "Good morning, Ma'am." He was about to ask her opinion on what to buy but... it was true; the inauguration would not start until noon and he had plenty of time to pick out the perfect gift. So he took her advice and slowly started to look over everything. An amulet, it had to be an amulet! Right? Gold, jewelled with sapphire or... emerald? No, ruby! Wait, not just one jewel but a dozen! He winced. None of these particularly suited Shary. He looked up at the wolfess and noticed her teardrop ruby earrings. He tried to picture Shary with them. No... maybe diamonds? He shook his head. Come on! It couldn't be so hard to pick out a gorgeous trinket for a woman! One he loved, no less!
The red-haired wolfess seemed to spot his deliberation and smiled. "Perhaps I can help you find what you're looking for." She looked him up and down. "I doubt you're here for yourself... it's a gift, isn't it?"
Nightshade nodded, suddenly captivated by her keen sense and awareness. With such a talent she would surely give him the perfect answer to his question. What does Shary need? The red-haired wolfess crossed her arms beneath her breasts and leaned on the makeshift wall beside her, humming to herself. "You're the guild type... I'll bet she is too. Why not something practical, then? It's all well and good to buy something for show but who knows what trouble you'll run into out there?" She reached her hand out to a grid of rings and selected one of silver and jewelled with agate. "Enchanted," she explained. "They say agate has natural qualities of protection. I don't know if that's true but this particular ring possesses a magical protection to make up for any failings of the rumour."
Nightshade felt a bit disappointed. It was not gold... yet? It seemed right. More than anything, he wanted Shary safe and this ring would help achieve that. It was the perfect anniversary gift... and the perfect engagement ring all in one. "I'll take it," he said.
The red-haired wolfess beamed him a grin. "Something tells me this is a special gift... Tell you what!" She pulled a potion out from under the counter. "If you ever end up in a situation you can't fight your way out of, drink this." And offered it to him. "Go on, take it. It's free! Just don't tell anyone I gave it to you."
"Why-"
"And no questions about it either," she said. "Maybe I find it embarrassing. Maybe it's illegal. Who knows? Not me."
"O...kay?" asked Nightshade. He took the small vial and ring and hid them away in his pouch. Then he paid for the ring and made his way back to the girls. What a strange woman she was... but he got what he wanted for the anniversary because of her! And for this, he was grateful.
Category Story / Fantasy
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Multiple characters
Size 120 x 120px
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