The stairwell narrows into hush and shadow, cut off from the market’s clamor. Bren stops on the landing, one hand on his sword, waiting. The Merchant lingers a step below, breathing slower now that the bazaar is behind him.
Bren
We are here. No turning back now.
Everen has a brief moment to look between them, the dim wall torch turning her white-blonde hair to silver.
The Merchant
If there is a trick to the office door, I know the lock’s temper. If there is a man at it, I know his face.
Bren
Then speak now, merchant. I would rather climb once than thrash about blind.
Bren’s jaw loosens after he says it, not quite a smile, but the edge of one. The Merchant rubs his hands together, then points upward toward the landing above.
The Merchant
There is a clerk named Hesh who drinks weak tea and fears paperwork more than knives. Give me the word, and I will show you where his worry sits.
✓ Quest Accepted
Find the clerk Hesh
“Or how about we just knock?”
SUCCESS (Good Oratory, rolled -2)
Everen lifts a hand and points to the office above. Her suggestion lands lightly in the stairwell, almost casual.
Everen
Or how about we just knock?
Bren
A clean strike, then. Better than creeping like thieves.
The Merchant
That is the spirit. Hesh opens for authority, or for fear of being late.
Bren huffs a short laugh and eases his grip on the sword. The Merchant starts up the last steps, then stops, checking the landing with anxious care.
The Merchant
The lock sits left of the door band. If you knock hard, he will hear it over his tea.
Everen’s voice has bought them a shared plan, but the price is immediate, the wall torch spits a burst of smoke and stings the eyes, making the stairwell smell sharp and burnt.
“Bren, you are stronger than I, give it a good hard knock so that this Hesh might hear.”
FAILURE (Poor Strength, rolled -2)
Everen tips her chin toward the door and sets the pace. Bren shifts at once, squaring himself to the landing while The Merchant draws back from the smoke-stung air.
Everen
Bren, you are stronger than I. Give it a hard knock so Hesh hears.
Bren answers with a brief nod, steps up, and plants his shoulder beside the office door. The Merchant watches from one stair below, lips pressed thin as the torch hisses overhead.
Bren
Gladly. If he means to hide behind a lock, let him hear the knock before he sees us.
Bren swings a fist, but the smoke in the stairwell makes him blink at the wrong moment. His knuckles strike wood with a flat, off-center thud, more warning tap than command.
The Merchant
Too light. Hesh will take that for hesitation.
The door remains shut, the landing holding its breath. Bren lowers his hand and glances back at Everen, waiting for the next move as the smoke curls between them.
“Merchant, yell or this Hesh”
SUCCESS (Good Oratory, rolled +0)
At Everen’s sign, The Merchant draws a breath and squares to the landing. The smoke from the torch coils above his head like a warning ribbon.
The Merchant
Hesh. Open up. We know the office is yours, and we are not leaving until you answer.
His voice cracks through the stairwell, sharp enough to make the stone feel smaller. Bren’s eyes flick to Everen, then back to the door, reading the pressure in the silence.
Bren
That will make him choose. Good.
Behind the shut door, a chair scrapes. Paper rustles. The little sounds are enough to prove someone is inside, listening.
Bren shifts his weight, ready now, while The Merchant lowers his chin and keeps the stair blocked.
Bren
There. He heard us.
“Then let us see if he asnwers”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled +1)
Everen lets the stairwell hold its breath. The smoke ribbon writhes under the torch, and the door finally answers with a slow unlatching from within.
The clerk door opens a finger’s width, then wider. A sharp eye appears in the gap, taking in Bren, the Merchant, and Everen in one wary sweep.
Hesh
You have my attention. Say what you want, and make it brief.
Bren’s hand settles near his sword hilt, but he does not draw. The Merchant keeps his place on the landing, forcing the narrow stair to feel like a sealed gate.
Bren
He opened. Good. Now keep him talking.
Between the half-open door and the torch smoke, the torn seal on the ledger peeks from The Merchant’s sleeve like a hidden accusation.
Hesh waits in the crack of the door, one hand braced on the edge, the other still unseen. He does not step aside.
Quest Complete
Find the clerk Hesh
Skill Upgrade: Oratory Good→Great