#onshi

The Melting Cliffs Harbor is known well by tradesmen, pirates, travelers, wanderers, and lost souls. A bustling, rickety ocean cliffside-settlement, it is most famous for Trader’s Port. Surrounding the harbor of docked ships, a huge cliff towers into the sky. Running back and forth along the steep cliff is a rickety walkway, running between stalls that sick out from the cliffside itself. Shoppers walk back and forth along the wood pathways between shops, stopping to listen as people shout their offers.

Tradedragons shout loudly, harping their wares. A few offer food, some baked goods, others offer crafts. A weaponsmith shows off his swords and shields. An armor mason polishes a set of iron plate mail. A few stalls display handblown glass, several offer strange curios and potions. 

Despite all the loud shouts and offers on bargains, a ridgeback clutching a small leather back, a fae riding on his shoulder makes his way directly for one stall in particular and ignores all others. He beelines for a stall decorated in ornate pieces of jewelry. Candles are placed strategically among the displace cases, lighting the gold, silver, and jewels in a way that accentuates them perfectly. Behind the counter, currently putting away a couple of jewels he had just gotten from a trader, is a large, slim dragon. 

He looked like water-element imperial, despite the blazing orange eyes he bore. He had no wings or mane to speak of. In place of them, a large, translucent fin ran down his back to his tail, which ended in an ornate fan. His scales were small and thin and looked more like fish scales than a dragon’s. The candles seemed to light his scales in an equally appealing way. He turns to look at the ridgeback from where he was putting the gemstones away, and the light caught on what looked like a set of four gills on the side of his neck. He set the final jewel in a box and placed it behind him, next to a book, then turned towards the ridgeback standing expectantly in front of the stall. Behind him, a small fae in ornate silks begins to survey the gemstones, jotting down notes in the book with an oversized quill. She studies each intently before moving to the next. 

They imperial gave a wide smile. His whiskers looked more like fish barbels than the long flowy ones Imperial’s usually bore. He leaned down on the counter, looking expectantly at the ridgeback. “How may I help you?” He asked charmingly. It seemed just a little forced. 

His attention switches to the fae as he clears his throat, hopping down onto the counter. “We...need an appraisal.”

The imperial raises a pierced eyebrow. “Oh? Of what?”

The fae coughs lightly, and the ridgeback behind him silently opened the small pouch, and produced a massive red ruby from it, set in a thin layer of gold at the back. Several small sapphires studded the gold.

Onshi’s gold eyes widened, and he leaned forward. The fae behind him perked up intently as well, abandoning the large emerald she had been studying to flutter towards the front of the stall to get a better look. Onshi turned away for a brief moment to pick up a small chest and opened it, then pulled a small eyepiece with several movable lenses over it. He slipped it over one eye and picked up the gem piece, squinting at it intently. The fae fluttered up onto one of his hands to look at it as well. He looked back up at the ridgeback after a moment. “Where did you get this?”

He set the jewel back on the stone counter, the small fae hopped off his hand and retrieved an eyepiece like the one he wore, but much smaller. She proceeded to look over the piece in far more detail.

The fae frowned further. “We found it.” He answered evasively.

Onshi raised a brow, then shrugged. He glanced down at the orange fae next to him. “Aurelia?”

The little fae nodded intently. It must have been some kind of answer because the large imperial turned away briefly. He turned back to the counter and dropped four large solid gold bars on the counter. “I won’t ask any more questions, and buy it from you here and now.” 

The seller’s eyes widened, and he stepped forward to get a better look at the bars as if trying to verify that they were real. Even the stony ridgeback behind him looked impressed. A stall over, a brown coatl stuck his head out to stare at the bars with awe.

The fae glanced up at the white imperial, looking somewhat unsure. “Why?”

Onshi turned away and put another gold bar down. “You don’t ask ME any more questions, and I’ll add this.”

The fae blinked and stared more, glanced up at the ridgeback, then looked back. He paused to think for a moment, then nodded. “Very well.”

The Ridgeback scooped up the bars and placed them back in the bag he carried. The fae stepped onto the outstretched hand and took his place at the ridgeback’s shoulder again. “Pleasure doing business with you.” The Ridgeback turned to walk away.