At the rival warehouse’s third door, rain threads down the warped planks. Dask plants his broad frame between Oju and the iron lock, one eye fixed on the goat’s gold bell.
The One-Eyed Dock Guard Captain
The dock watch has heard that box carries more than coin. Names, perhaps. Leverage, certainly. I will not shield you while you pretend this is merely a paid errand.
Behind them, wood grinds softly over stone. The sound comes from within the warehouse, muffled by the door, followed by a brief hush. Dask’s hand settles near his sword.
The One-Eyed Dock Guard Captain
You owe me an honest account of that bell, goat. Face the debt openly, and I stand beside you. Keep dodging, and you face this door alone.
The lock sits inches from Oju’s reaching hoof, old iron darkened by river damp. Somewhere beyond it, the strongbox scrapes again, slower this time, as though moved by an unseen hand.
Oju
The box is moving, but no footsteps follow it.
The One-Eyed Dock Guard Captain
Well? The night is spending your advantage for you.
✓ Quest Accepted
Retrieve the sealed strongbox
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure Dask's support
“Alright, Dask... What's it going to take?”
SUCCESS (Fair Persuasion, rolled +0)
Oju
Alright, Dask. What's it going to take?
Oju’s ears catch the faint scrape beyond the door and the captain’s breath tightening beside him. Damp iron, old timber, and river mud sharpen beneath the rain.
The One-Eyed Dock Guard Captain
Your word, plainly given. You tell me what the bell means, and you owe me one favor before this year is out. No questions when I call it in.
Dask studies Oju’s face, then removes his hand from his sword. The suspicion remains, but the bargain settles it into something firmer: a debt with witnesses.
The One-Eyed Dock Guard Captain
That is the price. I stand beside you now, and I will help secure the box. But if you lie about the bell, the favor becomes a chain.
Dask draws his sword and braces at the threshold, ready to cover Oju. Within, the strongbox scrapes once more, and the hidden movement pauses as though listening.
Quest Complete
Secure Dask's support