The Mimic Becomes a Merchant King

Scylla seemed to almost glide across the floor in silent, measured steps that ruffled her dark skirts. A few eyes were on her in passing, only to quickly glance away from the witch. As attractive as she was, the strange power radiating from her body would make anyone think twice about getting too close to her.

And she, in turn, paid them no mind. Indeed, she was making a beeline squarely toward their table.

"I take it that you know her?" Pearl warily asked, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"I do, yes," Coin replied in a low voice. This did not put him at ease. If anything, he was increasingly on edge. What had brought her all the way from Wheat Valley? And why was she heading straight his way?

"A powerful witch, clearly. For a human." There was a faint note of uncertainty in Igrei's voice as he said 'human', trying to grapple with the subtle magic strength that radiated from her.

Coin's own aptitude for magic had grown considerably since he met Scylla. Now he too could feel her power in detail, an aura that hung about her like rippling heat waves. She came to a stop before them, her fingertips tented together.

"It's been some time," she said, managing an impish smile. "I see you're hale and hearty. That's good, particularly in the dangerous times we find ourselves living in."

"Scylla. You're looking well too," Coin replied, resting his gloved hands on the table. "What brings you out here?"

"Business, I suppose. May I have a seat?"

"W-well, if you wish," Pearl said, forcing an awkward smile. Being approached by a stranger, given all they had been through, was somewhat worrying. It was only the fact that Coin knew her that granted Scylla any measure of trust.

She pulled up a chair from an empty table and made herself comfortable, folding her hands above her lap. "I'm familiar with Ser Coin, but you all are... strangers to me. Please, call me Scylla. I'm a witch from Wheat Valley." She spoke in a calm, placid voice, an easy smile resting on her face. But her eyes betrayed her cunning, slowly stalking over the group and examining them in keen detail.

"This one is Essine," the kobold replied. She stroked slowly at the exposed fur of her arm, as if trying to trace the strange patterns that had once adorned it.

"Pearl. Charmed."

"Call me Igrei. I'm something of a new acquaintance," the elf added. He never took his eye off Scylla, his gaze probing and intense.

Her smile broadened slightly. "An interesting group, certainly."

Elijah returned at that moment, carrying a tray weighted with tankards. He paused, spying Scylla, and furrowed his brow. "You're that witch from Wheat Valley, yes?"

"You never took my services personally, but you know my look? My reputation precedes me. But then, it does for you as well Ser DiVenture."

He set the tray down, offering her an awkward smile. "Apologies, we weren't expecting any company my lass. But I could ask for an extra drink," he said.

"No, that won't be necessary. My thanks for the offer," Scylla replied with a faint wave of her hand. "But I suppose I should say that I am not here entirely for a social visit. Something of great interest has cropped up, something that could be rather... problematic if left unattended." Her eyes roamed to Essine as she spoke, making the kobold shrink back slightly.

"Well, er, I would imagine it's rather serious if you came all this way to see us," Elijah said. He nursed a long sip of his cider before heaving a sigh. "No offence to you, Lady Scylla, but dire news from a magic-user is hardly going to brighten our spirits."

"A sad reality of indulging in sorcery. People scarce wish to know what we have to say, but would scorn us if we kept them ignorant."

Coin frowned. Whatever Scylla had on her mind, it was making the rest of the party increasingly uneasy. Even Igrei seemed uncomfortable where he sat. "Must be grave. Please don't keep us in suspense," he said.

"A moment of privacy, please. Just in case anyone would try to listen in on us." Scylla lifted a finger, flashing her promethium ring. She drew a circle in the air and, in doing so, weaved a thin circle of smoking shadows around their table. It curled and flickered, barely perceivable against the wood. By the time it was finished, the sound of the other patrons grew distant and muffled, as if a wall was dividing them from the rest of the inn.

"A muffling ward," Igrei noted. Seeing the confusion among the others, the elf elaborated. "It's a veil of darkness that absorbs sound from both sides. People can't hear us, we can't hear them. And nobody knows it's there, unless they know what to look for. So, shadow magic is your specialty?"

Scylla smiled knowingly. "I've had a lot of time to explore many fields," she simply said. "But I'm not here to talk about my magical potential. I'm here to talk about hers."

All eyes followed the path of Scylla's gaze. She was looking directly at Essine.

"Th-this one?!" the kobold balked. "Y-you must be mistaken, koboldkin and magic do not... th-they do not-"

"Kobolds with the potential are rare. Or, so it appears. Likely many kobolds die young, before becoming aware of what they can do." Scylla sighed and shook her head. "But kobold wizards do exist. Being frank, any intelligent creature has the capacity to draw power from Promethia, so long as their soul has the right alignment for it. Even goblins can use the power... though most juvenile goblin wizards blow themselves to smithereens."

She sighed and sank in her chair, which creaked faintly at her movements. "But that is neither here nor there. In your case, Essine, the power you have is something unconventional."

Pearl raised a hand. "Er... how do you know so much about all of this?"

"I'll drop all pretence and say that I have been observing you all from afar for a while now. Well... Him, specifically," Scylla said, motioning to Coin.

The mimic blinked in confusion a few times. "M-me? Why?"

"You interest me, simply put. From the moment we met, as it happens. I make a habit of observing things that interest me. Because if something can actually interest me, and that is rare... it's something worth keeping an eye on. Something that could be troublesome if not watched over."

Coin swallowed hard. "I'm not sure I follow."

"Oh, don't worry. I don't think there's anything monstrous about you. In fact, you can stick your chest out with pride." A shiver ran down the length of his body. "In my curiosity, I fashioned a bird to follow you from afar." She raised a hand as she spoke, a length of shadow smoking on her palm to create a silhouette of a wren.

"That's... a rather sharp invasion of privacy," Elijah said, rumpling his brow.

The witch chuckled. "I kept him far enough away to not see anything intimate. You needn't worry. I have some respect for your privacy, contrary to what you may believe about me." She fell silent, letting the group take a few sips of cider. "I paid it little mind, until I saw what happened in the cursed land of Charnyll. Where your furry friend tapped into a power that really ruffled my bird's feathers. A power so distinct that it stood out like a beacon."

Essine sank more and more into her chair, and looked as if she wanted the world to swallow her whole to save her any embarrassment or scrutiny. Unfortunately the world often does the exact opposite of whatever a person wants of it.

"It was a fluke, we learned that much in the aftermath. Something born of a strange confluence of events that could likely never be replicated precisely," Igrei said. He folded his arms and sank back, a troubled look crossing his face.

"It would be nice to believe that, wouldn't it?" Scylla replied, offering him a playful smile. The elf bristled in response, shooting her an annoyed look.

"This one... tried to do the magic again. Just to see if it would work. It did not." Her voice was a low mumble, and her ears had flattened from a poorly disguised sense of terror.

"Nor could we sense any lingering trace of magic in her," Igrei added, his eyes darting to his staff.

Elijah and Pearl were leaning in closer, enraptured and fascinated by the discussion. Coin remained rigid where he sat, his brow furrowed with concern. Whatever Scylla had to say, he had no doubt it would lead to trouble down the line.

"You attempted to sense magic in her in the conventional way. Which is to say magic drawn into her body through Promethia. You are right in saying this did not detect anything. But Essine's power is not born from Promethia."

Scylla leaned forward, a strange glimmer shining in her eye. "Let me tell you about the plane known as Sheol."