Tucked beside a narrow market lane, the cowl-faced merchant lifts the oilcloth from a crate. Blackened iron cannons rest within, their runes dimly alive, pulsing in time with the ship’s distant hum.
The Hooded Merchant
Captain, fair coin for fair fire. These are no common tubes, they drink starlight and give it back to you.
The cannons’ etched lines catch the faint glow from Kael’s armor, answering like a prayer heard twice. Nearby shoppers slow, but keep their distance, wary of the goods and the way the merchant watches the crowd.
The Hooded Merchant
A safe purchase. A clean bargain. I ask less than a smith would for lesser steel.
Kael Umal
The runes are keyed to my armor.
The merchant’s gloved hand taps the crate edge once, then stills. The market noise seems to thin around the offer, leaving only the soft metallic resonance and the suggestion that someone else has noticed this exchange.
The Hooded Merchant
If you want them, captain, speak quickly. Interest in such things brings sharp ears.
✓ Quest Accepted
Deal with the cannons