"Mark, you seem to know the city well, so be my escort today," Arwin said while looking at Mark and smiling at him slightly teasing.
"Hmm, okay. What do you need so I can screen it out and plan the way?"
"I would need basic thieves equipment, so a lockpicking tools and key making tools preferably,” Arwin says, the first thing that comes to her mind as she continued, “Climbing claws, small crossbow but strong enough to fire a climbing hook or a hook generally. “
“So the hook and then crossbow bolts, obviously?” Mark finished her sentence for her
Arwin muttered, “Right…hmmm, what else do I need? Oh yeah! Hacksaw and glass cutters would also be helpful. You probably know what I do mean."
Mark remarks while laughing a little bit, “You’re certainly odd; it’s quite charming.”
Arwin said casually before winking at Mark, “Aw, you like me like that.”
"I thought you are a pirate and that pirates only know how to kill,
"Mark, I think that I heard that Timothy has a wife, right?" Arwin leisurely asked as she continued to look around with Mark staying by her side to ensure her safety. Mark knew better; even Arwin used to come there before. It wasn’t the same anymore; the black market is highly suspicious of new faces. However, Arwin was lost in her thoughts of the past- where life was simpler. She was feeling nostalgic as well as sad since she could not help but remember the good old days. Arwin was pretty familiar with how black markets work. As a previous captain of a pirate, where else could they sell their stolen goods? However, this time sadly, she was not the seller but a buyer. "Yes, her name is Rosa, and they have been together a long time now," Mark answered emotionlessly, but still curious as to why she asked. She nodded her head with a hum, "Hmm, do you know anything that she would especially like or that Timothy would like that we could use as a bri
"So Arwin, my name is Gloin. As you can see, I'm a dwarf that is trapped in this continent because of that wee lad next to you. But we have known each other for a long time already, and we worked together doing various jobs, among other money involving tasks. I don't know, had Mark told you yet?" Gloin said while sitting down at a table. Arwin’s eyes were focused on the dwarf’s appearance- she knows it’s rude to stare longer than intended, but she has this bad feeling, and at the same time, her judgments are slow due to the feeling of nostalgia. Gloin protested, “Hey, should I remove my clothing so you can stare a little longer?” “I’m sorry about Arwin, she- he has a strong sense of curiosity,” Mark explains as he sits down casually "No, I’m sorry, but regarding your question earlier, Gloin, I guess it wouldn't be any harm to say. We were freelancer assassins and not part of anything. So there was me who did the contracts. The doctor, you alread
"But Gloin, here is the list of the items I need from you. Can you deliver all of them today? Let's say, in a few hours, then I can possibly think about recruiting you for my crew. Do you understand?" Arwin didn't want to let the chance go and maybe get free items from a good smith. Since she was handing the list, Gloin had no choice but to let go of her leg and looked at it. He was pondering for a moment before answering, "Yes, I can do that. It will cost twenty gold coins for you, not less, not more." "Five gold coins and the chance to join the crew," Arwin replied seriously. The dwarf wants to rob her? No way. She could haggle until he bleeds. She knows how they do their business well. "Do you think I was born yesterday? It's at least fifteen gold coins, and that's the best I can do." Gloin angrily puffed out as if offended. "Ten. Plus, additional items. After all, if our plan succeeds can get out of here, and that's the
"Deal!" Of course, the stall owner immediately agreed as he was interested in what the confident stranger in front of him could do. It was straightforward to have this person beat up if he was not satisfied. "Okay. Make sure you find the hidden gold coin, or you lose." Arwin said again as she chuckled at the store owner's eager expression. She then started by placing a gold coin on the table in front of the shop owner. After that, she covered it with a mug before turning over two more mugs next to it. Arwin then started moving it around the table quickly. The store owner smirked as he was so used with this kind of trick, his eyes quickly followed the mug and smugly able to find where the gold coin was. This was a simple matter for him. After all, he was earning a living in the Blackmarket. In places like this, Arwin’s tricks aren’t new to them. Arwin started to speak with the shop owner casually, and when he was distracted enough,
Arwin already looked at the pile of money she had literally made in less than thirty minutes, but now comes the real trouble. Arwin knows her normal tricks won’t work on Mark; he got those eyes that can equal Arwin’s speed. The people were willing to gamble all of their money away just to show that they are lucky and better, but in the end, most of them had gambled all of their money away, but Mark looks at Arwin with such expressionless face and begins the game. Arwin shuffles the mugs the best she could; even the other people were astounded- they couldn’t follow with their eyes where the coin was, but Mark simply smirked. When it was his turn to pick, someone interrupted them. "You on the red shirt, yes, you there." Suddenly a person who was wearing black leather armor that was holding the black market's emblem on it. "We received complains about illegal gambling and scamming action from a few people, so what is the matter here?" The guard ask
Arwin chuckled under her breath and remarked, “This is truly wonderful, Gloin.” She was in awe as she looked at the exquisite designs, and there was a new barrel added to her gun. The long barrel was added to improve Arwin’s accuracy and that there would be less recoil. Arwin wanted to test the gun out, so she aimed directly at Gloin; Gloin chuckled nervously, “Hey, be careful where you’re pointing that thing! It’s dangerous-“ Before Gloin could finish, Arwin pulled the trigger shooting at the apple right behind Gloin. Gloin was in shock as he felt the bullet pass by his face. Just two centimeters away from it, but it was an insanely accurate shot- one wrong move, and he would’ve died. He looked back at Arwin, seeing no trace of worry in Arwin’s face. She smirked, “Well, it’s accurate, all right.” Gloin turned around to look where Arwin shot, and then he saw Mark. He grabbed the apple and took a bite, and he remarked, “Now, don’t get too excited and s
“A terrible bargain.” Timothy remarked while he threatened the witch, “Now, you must have a death wish messing with Arwin.” The witch coughed up blood when suddenly her skin started to crack like the mirror; the wrinkles on her skin became more visible; her white eyes began to bleed. Timothy’s wife, Rosa, entered the tent as well, and she didn't seem to be surprised as she stated, “This witch is bound to the mirror; that’s how she was able to trap Arwin in that nightmare world.” Rosa covered the shattered pieces of glasses with the tablecloth and continued, “It’s too late for her; she’s going to die.” Arwin shifted her gaze at Rosa, who is now showing her distaste for Arwin; she didn't even try to hide it, so Arwin smirked, “You seem to know a lot about witches.” “I grew up in a house of one.” “Ah, and you don’t seem to like me either.” Arwin remarked, making Rosa look at her, and replied straightforwardly, “Yeah, let’s just say I don’t like t
As the darkness consumed the night sky and the stars started to shine brighter tonight like if it was mocking Arwin. She hated the stars but instead, the darkness and the moon mesmerized her. She heard the fluttering wings of a raven when it did fly to her window; she suddenly remembered what the witch said earlier that day. The raven had black plumage, beak, and legs. Legend says that ravens came from the primordial darkness bearing immense magic when awakened. Arwin caressed the raven as it slyly struts as if it was seducing or intimidating Arwin; she smirked as she whispered out, “Bad omen and death, huh? I see ravens as cunning and intelligent instead.” She watched the raven when it flew away, and she scoffed, “But alone.” Arwin closed her windows and checked on the raven totem that the guild master gave her before; it wasn’t glowing as it did before, so she thought to herself, ‘Well, the guild master did say that it was a faulty totem anyways. Th