A man and a camel arrive ...

[Venefyxatu]

Finally he saw it : the Keep rose up before him, impressive in its size and sheer beauty. Even though the sight alone would've been worth the weeks of travel, the thought of getting to sell his books and maybe pick up a few magical items while he was there were what kept Achib going. Pulling at the rope he'd tied to his camel, he started walking again.

 

“Come on You Stupid Animal IV. It's not far anymore, and I'm sure they will have a good resting place for camels as well. It looks like a very very very very nice building and I'm sure I will do some good business there. At the very least you won't have to carry those books anymore, unless of course they are not interested in them.”

 

Later that day, some Pennites watched as a strange figure entered through the front gates. An extremely tall man, wearing a bright purple robe and a turban in the same colour (with a huge feather on top of it) was pulling along a camel which seemed to be carrying his luggage. The man's skin had a copper hue, and he had a black moustache with drooping points.

 

Just as he was about to approach a Pennite, Venefyxatu shimmered into view before him. With a nod, he greeted Achib, not paying attention to the camel which seemed to be quite uncomfortable all of a sudden.

 

“Welcome to the Mighty Pen, Achib. I hope it wasn't too hard to find?”

 

“Oh nonono, it was quite easy, really. We only got lost once, but that was because You Stupid Animal IV absolutely wanted to go right where we should've turned left.”

 

Venefyxatu frowned slightly, but let it pass.

 

“Ehh, I see. Say, I take it you're anxious to get set up. I've prepared you a spot – you prefer a tent, right?”

 

“Yesyes, tents are much much better to do business in sometimes.”

 

“Good. You got here just as the Carnival is getting started, so I've set up your tent near the other booths on the beach – maybe you can do some other trading there as well. Come, I'll show you.”

 

Achib, his camel and Venefyxatu went through the portal and arrived at the beach. Venefyxatu guided Achib to a small tent that had been set up and offered to get some refreshments.

While Achib entered the tent that was set up for him and started unpacking, the necromancer shimmered out of view again. When he emerged from the tent quite some time later, it was with a slight grin on his lips.

He looked at the sign posted outside the tent, nodded, and wandered off to have a look at some of the other booths.

 

Achib's Magickel bo0k Shoppe. Now open.

 

 

OOC : I'll be using the sign-up thread for any OOC purposes.

Edited July 11, 2005 by Venefyxatu

[Venefyxatu]

While waiting for the first Pennite to arrive, Achib peeked out of his tent to have a look around. There were several booths popping up, activities were being organised and colourful wagons were nicely arranged.

Suddenly a thought seemed to strike him and with a broad grin he vanished inside his tent again. A few moments later he came out again with a small pot and a brush. Bending in front of the sign, he started applying the brush first to the pot, and then to the sign itself. Not much later he stood back, surveyed his work and entered his tent again with a broad grin, ready for the first customer.

 

The sign now read :

 

 

Achib's Magickel bo0k Shoppe. Now open.

Act Quicke! Magickel aitems for salee!

Spesiel Carnival offers!

 

 

Quick OOC update : carnival shoppers get 10 geld for participating.

Edited July 30, 2005 by Venefyxatu

[Tanuchan]

Written in collaboration with Venefyxatu, and to be concluded in a later post

~~~~~~~~

Tanny had observed, from a shaded spot, Achib and You Stupid Animal IV's arrival and Venefyxatu's help to set them up. Now, curious, she decided to see what the Arab had besides the books she was interested in. As tempted as she was to enter his tent as a wolf, she thought of his various possible reactions - and his camel's - and shimmered into her human form right before stepping into the "Magickel bo0k Shoppe".

She halted for a moment and blinked, amazed at how many items were stuffed into it. On the floor, at least four carpets were lying across each other. Stacks of interesting-looking items were occupying most of the groundspace, although some room was left for one person to sit. Besides that, Achib was sitting cross-legged on his nailbed, smoking what looked to be an antique waterpipe. Behind him, a few bags with book-shapes sticking out were barely visible in the shadows.

She stooped to examine the carpets, running her fingertips on their smooth, inviting surface, while Achib sat waiting politely, giving her the time to get used to the surroundings and have a look around as was custom in his country. Of course, the main reason was that this would most likely lead to her finding something that would interest her.

As she examined the articles spread all around her, her eyes rested on a delicate tiara made of some silvery material set with tiny light-green stones. With a smile, she picked it, and noticed how it glinted even in the subsided light of Achib's tent. Carefully, she probed it with a tendril of earth energy, sensing then a faint touch of water. She turned to Achib, who smiled, put his hands together and bowed from his sitting position.

"Welcome, fair lady. I see that you are interested in one of my items?"

"Yes. This tiara... what does it do?"

With a gesture, he invited her to sit on one of the carpets, and somehow the same gesture managed to convey that she could smoke from the water-pipe as well.

"Now that, is a very special tiara. It has once belonged to Empress Abide Ahlie Ajouz Sulayfir Amira Azale di'Krejda. The reason why everyone in my country knows her is because she had the power to use any wooden object as a portal. So she could travel really really really quickly to wherever she was needed."

"I see... and how... "

"The most famous story is how one of her enemies once left her deep in the forest so he could take the throne from her because he thought she would die in the forest, you know, far away from home and lost so she couldn't return and probably would be eaten by wild animals. But she, she was very clever woman, you see, and she had the tiara hidden in her pocket. So as soon as the man left she put it on, walked into the nearest tree. And by the time he came back to the palace she was of course already sitting on the trone because it was made of wood and she just stepped out of it and so she had him arrested."

"Huh... wait... do you mean..."

Achib went on, never once seeming to notice the attempts Tanny made to edge a word in.

"And you see, the green stone, it is symbol of nature, of plant and trees, so it is really really very very close to it, which makes the portals even easier to use. It just works when you have it on."

Taking advantage of his pause to breathe, Tanny hastily interrupted with a question.

"But that was her power, and the tiara just helped, right? It's not this object that creates the portal."

"Oh yesyesyes ... it is by wearing the tiara that you gain the power to create the portals. But don't expect to see flashing portals popping up ... it is just as though the tree or the wooden object itself becomes a kind of gateway."

"And how does one know where the portal gets them?"

"Why, it takes you where you want to go of course! The most famous words of Wahed Gamal, the mage who created it, are "Where do you want to go today?" "

Tanny nodded, but as she inquired about the price she was astonished by the amount asked. Shaking her head, she put the tiara back where it was, and started to stand up. Achib hurried to help her but at the same time he picked up the tiara again.

"I'm sorry, but in my country it is the custom to start with a price that is much too high and then try to agree on a lower price that both can accept. Unless you want to pay more, of course, in which case it will be higher."

"Well, I certainly don't want to pay more... "

A quite long haggling ensued, caused mostly by Achib's prattle about the virtues and properties of such precious object, and finally Tanny agreed on a price. She left the tent some minutes later, curious to test the tiara.



~continues below~



Edit: adding link

[Venefyxatu]

OOC : This is a QQ post, written in collaboration with Sweetcherrie. Funfunfun!

 

 

Eating candy, Sweet walked over the Carnival. It was becoming more and more fun, as more booths appeared. She had just stuck another sweet in her mouth (with a lot of E-numbers) when she saw a camel. The child almost chocked in her candy as she bounced over to see the animal from up close. Never before had she seen something like this in real life, sure she’d seen them on pictures, but a real camel was an entirely different thing. She ran over, and was already trying to climb on top of it when she heard a voice behind her.

 

"Greetings little girl."

 

When she turned around, she stared for a moment - both his robes and his turban were purple, and he was really tall.

 

"My name is Achib el Assis Ibn Moussif El Rasjid," he said with a bow. "And what might your name be?"

 

Sweet loved the colour of his clothes, and she marvelled at the way he pronounced his words.

 

“Hello mister…” The child struggled to get the name out right, but her tongue broke over the words, “Can I call you mister hasjiesh?”

 

With a slightly amazed chuckle, Achib responded, "I guess so - but what should I call you then?"

 

Sweet grins, “I’m Sweet mister, Is this your camel? Can I ride it? What doe he eat? Doe he really have water in those bumpy things? and..”

 

The girl had obviously had too many candy, and while she kept talking she walked around the camel and the Arab.

 

While Achib was trying to answer her first question, he was flooded with more and more questions and decided to give up. When she stopped for breath, he managed to get a few words in.

 

"Sweet? I have heard your name before ... have you ever been to Hamaij'Oewait?"

 

Stopping dead in her tracks she looked at the hasjiesh mister with her mouth open.

 

“Whatchacallthat?”

 

"Hamaij'Oewait is my countery. But, oh, I think I already know where I've seen your name before ..."

 

Her ears were still buzzing with all the funny words she just heard, but this didn’t stop a hyperactive Sweet. On the contrary, it only made her want more answers. She started walking around the camel again, and stuck out her hand to touch it, she just had to. In the meantime she went back to asking questions.

 

“So they have a Sweet and Camels in Ohmywife?”

 

"I do not know about a Sweet, but we sure do have camels in Hamaij'Oewait. There is even a place near my shop called the Angry Camel where they sell camels. They are good animals for carrying stuff."

 

While he was speaking, Achib was wondering whether he'd dare take the risk to let the hyperactive child into his tent, but made up his mind : she was a customer, and she deserved to be treated like one.

 

"But I saw your name on the list - didn't you sign up for a book?"

 

The word book made her look at the Arab. Sweet loved books, especially the ones that had magical stories in them. However, she’d thought she had signed something with Venefixmetoo, and didn’t realise that it was Achib that delivered the actual books. She looked at him suspiciously.

 

“How do you know? Do you do magic as well?”

 

"Well yes, I do some magic - but I mostly trade. But you signed up to buy one of my very very special books, so you must want one. Come, I will show you."

 

He moved to stand beside the entrance to his tent, and held open the flap for her.

 

"After you, young lady."

 

Hesitantly she moved inside the tent. You never knew you heard so much weird stuff lately, but the idea of books, and magic was too attractive for her to let it pass, so she stepped inside the shadowed tent. Inside, she was amazed to see how much was stuffed in the seemingly-small tent. There were at least four different carpets lying across each other on the floor. She was quiet for a few moments as she took in the piles of items lying around, but what really caught her attention was a wooden board with a whole lot of nails sticking out of it, lying next to something she couldn't name.

When Achib entered the tent, he went to sit cross-legged on the nailbed and invited her to sit on one of the carpets.

 

"Would you like to smoke some of the waterpipe?"

 

Sweet’s eyes grew big. Had this man just offered her to smoke? She thought he had. But he couldn’t have. Could he not see she was a kid? Maybe he was blind. Maybe she should take advantage of this. Her thoughts raced all over the place, and before she could think to be a good girl, she nodded and flopped down next to the Arab.

 

Achib, not realizing that it was strange for children to smoke in this country, gave her one of the mouth pieces of his waterpipe. Taking a puff of his own mouth piece, he asked her what kind of books she liked to read.

 

Inhaling deeply she tasted the apple and honey, but when the smoke reached her longs she felt something itching, and started coughing uncontrollably. She tried to get up to get some fresh air outside the tent, and stumbled over the waterpipe. It fell over and as the water spilled over the Arabs feet, glowing coals fell on one of the rugs. Sweet just tripped, and fell on the soft layer of carpets, and kept coughing. She looked around for something to drink, and saw a weird shaped bottle in a corner. She stumbled over, but it was wine, and with discust she spit it out again….in the direction of the glowing coals.

 

The first thing Achib did when things started going wrong was trying to salvage his water pipe. He managed to get it upright again, but as he started to douse the flames, Sweet spit the "wine" over them. With everything in his tent being magical, Achib quickly retreated; wondering what would happen and was amazed at the sight: the flames died away, and instead, the carpet that had been hit by the wine started glowing a very soft blue, rather adding to the atmosphere. Sweet herself, having had some of the "wine" in her mouth, also started glowing blue, but the still coughing girl didn't realize it immediately.

 

Sweet wiped her mouth clean with her sweater, and saw that her sleeve turned glowing blue. She almost forgot about the taste in her mouth, but then tasted the foul wine again, and looked up from her sleeve at the Arab.

 

“Do you happen to have some water mister hasjiesh?”

 

His heartbeat was slowing down again, and he reached behind him for one of his waterskins.

 

"But of course - please try not to set the tent on fire again though ... it is bad for business is everything burns up."

 

As he gave her the waterskin and lit his waterpipe again, he decided not to offer her again... she didn't seem used to it. After almost having emptied the waterskin, Sweet sat down again.

 

“So do I now get my book?”

 

"I first need to know what you like to read ... so I can give you a special one, just for you."

 

This question set her thinking, and for the first time since she had met the Arab, she was silent. After about ten minutes or so she finally spoke.

 

“I like dragons, but the real ones, not like Wyvern, and I like magic, lots of it.”

 

"Ahhh, then I think I have juuust the book for you. It will change itself a bit when you read it, so it will become a story you really really really like very very very much. And it already has real dragons and magic in it, too!"

 

With these words, Achib reached behind him in one of the bags, and felt around for a particular book. When he took it out, he handed it over to Sweet really carefully so she could have a look at it. The cover was a very soft kind of plushy blue, and had a dragon's head engraved into it in silver linings.

 

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

 

Breathless she nodded, and wanted to grab the book. As she took the book from his hands, she felt its heavy weight and put it in her lap. Carefully she opened the cover to reveal the title written in a heavy, gothic font: "Quest of the Wizard."

 

When she looked up at Achib, the latter nodded, "And it's only 1000 gold, too."

 

Disappointed, Sweet blinked a few times.

 

"1000? That's too much for me!"

 

She started to get up, but Achib stopped her.

 

"The fun part about doing business in my countery is that you do not just accept the price, but try to get it as low as you can."

 

Sweet sat down again with a big grin.

 

"So I get to argue with you?"

 

Somewhat uncertain, Achib nodded.

 

"I guess you could call it that, yes."

 

She beamed at him and they started haggling. Achib, never having haggled with a child before, found himself agreeing to give her the book for free and throwing in a ride on his camel, too.

[Sweetcherrie]

When they arrived back at his tent, Sweet jumped of the camel, gave the animal some pats and walked over to where the magical items were displayed. A large collection of shining stuff was blinking heavily in the sunlight. But Sweet didn’t look at them. Her eye had fallen on a half broken teddy bear that lay in a corner; half-forgotten it seemed. The bear had only one eye, and the thread that had been his mouth had come unravelled, but to Sweet it radiated softness….and something else.

 

“Mister whatsyournameagain, can I have this bear?”

 

A look of greed came in Achib’s eyes, he saw his chance to earn back the money he had somehow managed to lose on the book, but he quickly recomposed himself and nonchalantly walked over to the little girl. Sweet still held the teddy bear, and hugged it tightly against her.

 

“Oooh, but this is not a normal bear…it is a special bear.”

 

A very special bear indeed. I got it for free with some other magical junk, and she’s willing to pay, some people are just too stupid. But then again this bear is at least a bit special, not as special as the amount I'm going to ask for it, but still

 

He grinned inwardly about his own evil thoughts but to Sweet he only smiled. The girl looked closely at the bear.

 

“So what does it do?”

 

“As soon as it has an owner it protects this owner by his magic.”

 

Sweet’s eyes started to shine.

 

“You mean that it will attack everybody that is mean to me?”

 

“Err…sort of yess,” Achib rubbed his hands together, “and it costs only 350 geld.”

 

At that very moment the bear started to glow, and Achib suddenly stumbled backwards, tripped over one of his own carpets, and fell on his bum. Sweet noticed nothing and looked very disappointed. She felt very sad all of a sudden, but she simply didn’t have this much geld. She started to put the bear back, and looked at it again. Achib, who was just crawling back up, suddenly felt a sharp kick against his behind.

 

“Ouch, who did that?”

 

He turned around, but there was nobody there. Sweet had now put the bear down, and walked away, head hanging sadly. Achib looked after her, and suddenly felt a kick against his shins, but this time it didn’t stop. He felt another kick against his behind, and suddenly the bear stood in front of him. The fluffy arms in its side, and its single eye was staring angrily at the Arab. Electricity seemed to radiate from the bear, and Achib was thrown back on the ground. Something started to leak through in his brains.

 

Man, this bear is stronger than I thought..

 

Another kick against his shins made him crawl back up and he started calling after the girl.

 

“Little miss, I….ouch….I’m doing what you want me to do….I made a mistake in the price…Ouch…I mean…I…the bear is all yours.”

 

Sweet had turned around, and looked at Achib who was dancing around as if someone was shooting at his feet. A big smile had appeared on Sweet’s face.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

No I’m not sure, I want to make a lot of money…

 

“OUCH…Yes! Yes, I’m sure…take him, please.”

 

The bear was lying innocently against the other magical items, and seemed to grin happily as the little girl ran back and took it in her arms. She hugged it tight and then she hugged the Arab. This must be her lucky day! First he gives her a really neat book, then she gets to ride her camel, and now he had given her the teddy bear. Holding the bear tight against her, she bounced away towards the next stand, leaving behind Achib who was now rubbing his behind, and had a very sour look on his face.

Edited July 30, 2005 by Sweetcherrie

[Tanuchan]

Post written in collaboration with Venefyxatu. Chronologically, this should come before the events in the Summer Carnival Beauty Pageant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

~continuing from above~

 

 

 

After leaving Achib's tent, Tanny shimmered back into her wolf shape and wove her way out of the Carnival grounds and back to the Pen. On her way, she saw a very familiar figure just a few steps ahead of her. Grinning, she sent a sharp thought towards him, and saw him stop and turn. Unerringly, he walked to her and reached down to pat her head and scratch behind her ears.

 

"So, hello Wolf-Lady!"

 

::Hello, Stephen. Good to see you! But must you always greet me as you were greeting a dog?::

 

::By all means, Wolf-lady... unless you tell me that you don't like to be scratched like a dog...::

 

She snorted, and Stephen Hascodem chuckled as they both turned towards the portal out of the beach and back to the Keep.

 

 

"You seem quite happy and a bit anxious, Tanny... what is it?"

 

::I'm not sure if you know, but there's a tent where an Arab guy is selling magic items. I got something that I want to test... would you like to come?::

 

Further mindspeaking told Stephen the full story, and he grimaced.

 

::Portals? Heh... you know I got some allergy to... portals.::

 

Tanny shook herself violently, sending a disgusted thought, ::Wyvern isn't involved this time.::

 

Stephen laughed quietly. "Yet, Tanny. Yet. How long do you think until he visits Achib's tent to try one of his schemes on him?"

 

Laughter came through the mindspeaking link, and they kept talking while walking out of the Keep and into the forest. At the lake, Tanny shimmered back into human form and showed the tiara to her friend, describing it while he let his fingers catch the details.

 

"Yes, beautiful. It should be perfect for your black hair."

 

"Which's always braided and pinned out of my way when I'm adventuring."

 

Still examining the tiara, Stephen shook his head lightly. "Anyway, Tanny... I think this is beautiful for your hair. I doubt it works at all."

 

"Why?"

 

"C'mon, Arab merchants? With all those tales of wonderful adventures in the magic realms in the Far East?" He raised an eyebrow, succeeding in conveying a very skeptical look. "What surprises me is that you'd fall for one of those stories."

 

Tanny bristled a bit, quite defensive. "It was a bargain, Stephen. If you knew how much he asked at first, and the final price..."

 

"As if merchants didn't do that all the time." He grinned in his charming way, and heard Tanny's sigh. "Don't be upset, Wolf-Lady. As I said, you got a beautiful tiara and it will set nicely in your hair."

 

"It has magic in it, Stephen. I can feel it."

 

"Oh?"

 

Some minutes later, Tanny and Stephen agreed on a bet.

 

"Alright. I think this works. You think it doesn't. Whoever loses will enter in the Beauty Pageant at the Carnival."

 

Stephen grinned. "You as a wolf, dear lady. Also, you said you can feel magic, so I think it works. What I bet is that it doesn't work as Achib said it does. So, is this a deal?"

 

"Deal!"

 

Grinning also, Tanny put on the tiara on and looked at an unsuspecting tree. "So, I'm going to test this... "

 

"And how am I supposed to know if it worked, dear friend?"

 

"Huhhhh... you know, Stephen, sometimes your blindness is a real inconvenience." She looked around while Stephen found a comfortable spot and sat down.

 

"Thankfully, it's just sometimes." Grinning, he turned toward Tanny. "Ask the tree to nicely open a portal next to me. Then I'll know it worked without having to trouble myself with walking to wherever you want to go."

 

Nodding, Tanny walked towards the tree and muttered, "The second oak tree to my left". There was a tingling sensation when she touched the tree, but that was lost in a fraction of a second as she frantically reached for the water around her to avoid drowning.

 

Stephen got to his feet at once when he heard the gurgling and the splashing from the lake, and ran to its margin with his quarterstaff ready to strike an enemy. Tanny ressurfaced, spluttering and gasping, holding tight to the threads she had automatically woven and that had given her extra buoyancy. Panting, she swam to Stephen, who helped her out of the water.

 

"Tanny! Are you alright? What happened?"

 

"I.. don't kn..."

 

Stepping out of the water and flopping down, she found herself magically dry. Surprised, she just stared at her clothes, at the lake, at the trees... and touched the tiara, which felt slightly warm.

 

"You're pretty dry after that dive... I thought only wolves could do the trick?" Stephen commented nonchalantly, but still alert to his surroundings and standing up protectively besides Tanny.

 

"I... just appeared in the lake, I suppose..."

 

"Thankfully you have quick reactions. Did you feel anything? I mean, anything not... huh... right?"

 

"Sure I did... I felt that the water's cold here at this time of the day." Calming down, she grimaced and stood up. "Thanks for being so alert, Stephen. I just thought about the tree you were under, and then it seems I materialized in the lake... I wonder if it was an accident?"

 

"Tanny, maybe we should be more careful..."

 

"Certainly. Stay here... can you link to earth and follow me?"

 

As Stephen agreed, Tanny resolutely picked another tree, glared at it, and stepped into it. A little curious bunny nearby saw the tree waver and thin as the woman disappeared into it, and a startled school of fish swam quickly around a woman who suddenly appeared in their middle.

 

Stephen turned to the lake, alarmed at not hearing Tanny nearby. He called to her, both loudly and using his mindlink to her. After some minutes, a seething voice reached his mind.

 

::I'm coming, I'm coming! The river isn't that near! And I don't want to hear a word about any bet!::

 

A chuckle came through the mind-link, and Tanny could get the drifting thought.

 

::But you sure are a beauty, Wolf-Lady... dry or soaked, you'd have no competition in any pageant...::

 

Soon the wolf padded into the clearing around the lake, and shimmered into an angry swearing Tanny. Stephen made sure that she wasn't harmed, and said, "I could feel nothing... you were here, and suddenly you disappeared from earth. Then I sensed you... quite far from here. From your cursing, I suppose that you've been up to another dive?"

 

She hissed, stifling an urge to change into wolf form and shake herself dry - specially considering that she was completely dry.

 

"Yes. In the river that feeds the lake. About three-fourths of a mile in that direction." She points, and sits down with a sigh.

 

"Maybe we should investigate better... have you tried the opposite... entering the river..."

 

"... to try to get back to the tree? Yes. I just got all wet again."

 

"You don't seem wet..."

 

"No." She sighed again. "I dried up the moment I stepped out of water." She took the tiara in her hands, examining it again. Then, throwing a steadying line towards earth, she probed it thoroughly.

 

"Definitely a watery touch. Besides all the magic vibration giving me a headache."

 

Further experimenting resulted in nothing new: Tanny reappeared twice more in the river, and Stephen once in the lake and another in a muddy puddle midway between the lake and the river.

 

"So, does it lead you to water, wherever it is that you want to go?"

 

"It seems so... regardless of anything else. I've just tried to make it drop me in the river, and it just dumped me in the lake again. Oh welll... I'm tired, and hungry. Let's go eat something..."

 

During the mile-long walk to her cottage Tanny managed to banish the glum mood that had started to settle on her after concluding that she had been deceived by Achib, and she was actually laughing when she directed Stephen to a large barrel at the side of the house.

 

"You know where I collect rain water. You can clean there... you should have bathed in the lake, you know. "

 

"Once is enough, thank you. Just let me wash my face and hands."

 

Stephen picked the pitcher by the barrel as Tanny opened the door, and suddenly instead of filling it with water he almost landed it on Tanny's lap as she materialized in the barrel.

 

"Achib, I'm going to kill you! Slowly, and in boiling water! Better yet, I'm going to personally lead Wyvern to your tent!!"

 

Stephen didn't react for some seconds, and then started giggling helplessly. He didn't need eyes to feel Tanny's glare, and soon he was roaring with laughter, his mind picturing Tanny standind in the barrel of water with sharp accuracy. Rolling her eyes, Tanny climbed out of the barrel, getting dry in the process.

 

"Well, at least this damned thing dries m..."

 

With a loud 'swoosh', both Tanny and Stephen found themselves soaked with water - and Tanny could follow the threads easily to the source.

 

The tiara.

 

 

 

Late in the afternoon, again by the lake, Tanny handed Stephen his cloak. "It seems dry."

 

"Yeah, it is. Thank you."

 

"Funny thing, this." Tanny tapped a finger on the tiara. "Wear it, and touch wood. And you'll be instantly transported into the nearest body of water."

 

"Anything that contains water enough to be considered a body of water, you mean." Stephen grimaced, remembering the muddy puddle near the river and the basin of soapy water in Tanny's kitchen.

 

"Yes... and any kind of wood you touch," Tanny nods. After the incident with the door, she had touched the table, and Stephen had been holding his quarterstaff once; in both cases, they had ended soaked.

 

"It will dry you as soon as you step out of water, though."

 

"Sure. Until it gets soaked up, and then it dumps all the water it dried from you onto you again."

 

"Onto you and anyone nearby." Stephen grinned, by then in a better mood after half a day of experimentation.

 

Tanny giggled, looking at the setting sun and stretching. "Yes. You know, Stephen... I'm certainly angry at Achib and I really should do something about him... but... this tiara can be useful."

 

"Useful? It's dangerous, Tanny. Can you imagine getting dumped into... the sea?"

 

"Better that than a huge pot of bubbling soup in someone's kitchen... "

 

Stephen chuckled. "Well... some people deserve that..."

 

"Exactly." She grins, wrapping the tiara carefully and putting it in a silky pouch. "I think I'll keep it. "

 

Stephen's grin matched Tanny's, and soon they were heading back to the Keep to find the portal to the Campsite and enjoy the bonfire. At the back of her mind, though, Tanny sighed - entering a Beauty Pageant as a wolf hadn't been first among her options for fun at the current Carnival.

 

 

~~~~~~

Edit: Included the bet that lead to the Beauty Pageant

Edit 2: typos

Edit 3: adding links

[Black9]

(Co-oped by me and Venefyxwhatshisname)

 

Black walked along the beach with a smile upon his face...everything was going great. It was at this time that the Vampire Lord came across a very...interesting tent. The sign said, "Archib's books and magical items", which immediatley drew Black in. Entering the tent with a proud grin Black looked around at the various objects. Many of them looked intriguing but left the vampire baffled as to what exactly he'd desipred. The first thing to catch his eye was a simly grand looking dagger adorned with an odd aray of jews in the handle and snake like currved blade. Taking up the dagger...Death looked it over and approached Achib's. With in interested glace he began to speak.

 

Black-"Hello, Achib's is it? Can you tell what this trincket does?"

 

Achib bowed and started to speak, "Yes, my name is Achib el Assis Ibn Moussif El Rasjid, and that is a very very nice item you have found there. It is extremely magical, and the snake-like blade gives some hint about its purpose. You see, snakes are very very poisonous animals, and that is what this dagger is too : it can be very very very poisonous. But the jewels are set in a pattern that means it can only harm undead, so that means it is one of the only weapons in the world that can poison undead."

 

Looking over his customer, Achib realised that this guy probably wasn't going to buy a dagger like that so he started rummaging through one of the other piles.

 

"But I do have something that might really interest you .. I've seen you at the bachelor's auction, no?"

 

Black gave a honorable bow and and continued

 

Black-"Yes, I have entered myself into the bachelor auction. Your a very abservent man Archib. I respect those that know their surroundings...even when new to the area. I assume your new as I'm quite observent myself and I wouldn't forget your face if I'd seen it before. You have my attention now...what item do you believe I'd be interested in?"

 

Black said as he looked curiously at the rather tall man.

 

"It is the first rule of doing good business sir, to know your surroundings. I think you could be a good businessman yourself, but for now I think I might have something that could help you improve your date. Now where.... ahhh, here!"

 

Achib straightened, holding something that seemed like it had once been a fashionable belt, but that was now rather worn with age.

 

"This belt is guaranteed to help any action you take to make in your case a woman happy. You'll succeed at least twice if not three times as well ... would that not be a very very good thing to have if you're going to win a date with a wonderful lady?"

 

Black Began to wonder just how this old belt would help him win a date...it didn't seem like much after all. Believing it to be a ruse Black began to speak.

 

Black-"I may be a sceptic, but how is an old belt that lost it's fashion going to win me a date? You aren't pulling my leg are you?"

 

Achib almost looked shocked.

 

"Pulling your leg? Sir, I am not even touching you, how could I be pulling your leg then? Nonononono, this belt is very very old, a lot older than it looks in fact. It once belonged to a mage who was unlucky with the ladies, or so the story goes, so he enchanted his favourite belt. Ever since, or so the story goes, he was incredibly popular with all women."

 

Black didn't know what to think...the thought that he was being duked came to mind, but if he was he'd just come after Archib later and take his revenge. Foolishly deciding to trust the man, Black gave a nod.

 

Black-"And how much would such a belt ruin me? "

 

With a broad smile, Achib replied, "Because it is so very very very old and magical I cannot let it go for less than five thousand gold pieces. But of course, in my country it is a custom to negotiate the price ... "

 

Some haggling later, Achib found out just how true his earlier comment about Black making a good business man had been : he'd had to agree on 50 gold pieces for the belt ...

Edited August 22, 2005 by Black9