Obsidian Isles. 1x1 w/Evanna
 

Video: “The Parson's Farewell"
By: Black Sails OST

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Pungent pressed perfumes and caked face powder hung in the air. Tempest never did get used to it. Back when he fought in the blistering cold of the frozen Nevarran sands, he didn’t smell such things that could plug the nose. But here on the Obsidian Isles – His Isles, the sands were warm, the liquor was sweet and the women were nice and loose. The violence was about as what one would expect from a pirate-filled land, though, but it was still off to a good start. There were plenty of street vendors selling their wares or stolen property at cheaper prices – just everyone trying to make an ends meat, at the end of the day.

He owned this territory through secret organizations and clouded reputations. The Charlatan was always a name spoke in undertones with shifting eyes. The Charlatan was not just one person though; but rather an entire network of people with hidden identities. They were spies, pirates, merchants and even some nobles from across the sea. They sold information with high ranking assassination groups, nearby kingdoms and royal houses and what better currency to acquire information with than with more information? Things like bastard a heir that could bring down the threat of an entire family line or sailing shipments that carried more cargo than any merchant would know what to do with.

But the island needed more than just secrets to make a profit and a living. The Charlatans acted more like a hidden guard behind each islands’ actual peace-keepers. Stolen imported goods made faster money and protection papers usually kept other pirates from looting the same shipment of goods twice. Just about anything one could think of was usually on sale too; from bearskin rugs to bare skin people. That was where the pungent smell of too much face powder and sharp perfumes came from, actually.

The young elven lass next to him, stood wearing a worn Dalish attire that clung to her skin and left unmarked areas still warm. Her hair was damp and stuck to her back but her chin remained held high. Her shoes were just as worn as well. Tempest paraded her around like a prized animal with collar and leash in all.

“Folks, I have a prized native specimen fresh off the caravan straight into your heart.” The pirate announced from the stage and held his arms outward and wide open for the people below to pass by. His attention soon turned to addressing his captured prey; turning to walk circles around her and dragging the leashed chain as he spoke.

“Behold the beauty of one hundred percent all Navarran blood: Grade A Dalish Elf; born for her physical labor and tamed for your upmost satisfaction! The renowned property of the one and only Bannon Lanchalleshaster Monte De-Herswales The Fourteenth. Say that three times fast in Nevarra and the nearest Danae will give you the Dance of the Seven Veils; I tell no lie!”

He reached to position her; pulling and posing different parts of her body as he continued to sell her more defined assets. “A delicate frame but fast healing; capable of withstanding damage. Notice the sharp features of her chin and her elbows. You could just as easily pass her as a Lady in-waiting for you significant long lost other. A good set of teeth too! All still there and accounted for—”

The she-elf lurched at him and attempted to bite Tempest’s hand, making him quickly retract away with a jolt.

“Whoa, there!” He exclaimed and then looked back towards the crowd. “Looks like there’s still some bite to the bark in this one, after all!”

He then stepped closer to her and mumbled between clenched and a fake smile. "Tone it down a notch.”

Turning at last, he gave her rear end a quick hindquarter slap upon making his way back around to her other side. “Not to mention, ‘the’ most plump ass you will find this side of the ol’ Black Rock. Now, I’m not going to mince anymore words trying to sell you what a great product I have to offer! Captain Mad Eye does not have any use for a woman on his ship either, so I’m ordered to get the best bargain price I can for a royal quality living property.

Take her into your home! Train her for your lass at over seas or maybe your street urchins here! Charge the Bannon ransom money to have her back or keep her for yourself---? Or, hey, why not a bit of it all? But I need a your price and I need it today!”

The crowd that had came before the stage had looked at the proposal curiously. It was not often that slaves were sold on the Obsidian Isles. Usually the Charlatans or the City Guards would have shut such a man down by now. But this man was pretty loud and extravagant, and yet there was no authority figure in sight. It meant –at the very least, to the unsuspecting—that it was a steal to pass up. So, naturally, there were people willing to quickly throw their offers first but there was only one individual that Tempest wanted to hear from and that person stayed nestled in the crowd for time being.

Tempest decided that if this person was going to cost him time, then he was going to cost them money in return. After all, there was nothing more valuable to a person then their time—especially his.

“I’m asking for at least 3,000 pieces of gold. Do I have 3,000?” He asked and started to point amongst the crowd while taking in request. “That’s 3,000! Is there 3,800? 3,800 it is! Can I get a 4,500? Mr.Big Spender there, wants her for 10,000! Can I get 15,000? Anyone? Oh! 15,020! You’re playing hard, I see. Good on you! Anyone else?”
 

“16,000, folks, 16,000! You, Sir, have excellent taste of the flesh.” Tempest pointed out the new face in the crowd and studied him for a moment. However, he couldn’t allow the bidding to linger, or else the elf would end up getting sold to the wrong person. He tried in bating the correct bidder once more. “Well, there you have it, everyone! 16,000! Can I get 16,100? No? No one looking for a quick steal? 16,000 going once! Going twice--!---Are you sure you’re ready to give up this lovely? Not just a beauty, but a ripe virgin too!”

“Virgin my eye! You lie!” One member of the crowd started to scowl from the crowd.

Tempest frowned hard at this. He glared his eyes back at the man in the far back. Although, the conflict did buy him a bit of time, it was a risk even still. “You wish to challenge the authenticity of Captain Mad Eye’s capture? I have petitions signed of the chastity belt she was forced to wear since she was stolen from the Nevarran deserts.”

He turned and took a dangerous gamble. Reaching for the chain to pull the she-elf closer towards him, Tempest took one strap across her shoulder and tore it lightly. The she-elf screamed at this and immediately tried to turn away so that he couldn’t reach her anymore.

“Wouldn’t a scream like that say Virgin to you?” Tempest asked and shrugged. “I would plow her right on the stage just to prove a point but that would ruin the merchandise and besides, she’s already got a buyer—”

“20,000!” A man announced in a frustrated tone.

“20,000! This has been one exciting auction!” Tempest cheered on and tried to call out fast for it to end soon. “20,000 going once; going twice--! --And SOLD!—To the strapping mate in the far back with the knot in his beard!”

“Thanks to that little stunt, he’s going to be all over me now.” The she-elf complained in a low voice.

“Goes with the territory, lass. You’re a big girl, right? Said you could handle yourself.” Tempest retorted softly back from over his shoulder and then looked back towards the crowd. “Step up this way, Sir! We will give your ticket of exchange just as promised at the mineral springs on the other side of the island!”

Finalizing the ticket exchange, Tempest gave his farewell a bit dramatic with a promised reassurance that his next item for auction would be even more visually tantalizing than the last. He always made that promise, as it was sort of his sale’s pitch. He took the she-elf with him, with the first thought in mind to have her cleaned and prepped for the next phase. Though, when reaching the alley, he came across another auction being held.

This was unusual but not so unusual that it would have been something uncommon. Another group of pirates attempting to sell another elf as a slave. More to the point—it was an issue of these men attempting to do business on marked territory. Tempest didn’t like this and so, he felt obligated to stop the auction before it started.

He walked up to the group on their smaller platform stage. Even with his presence there, a show of respect born from his reputation out on the waters was given. Tempest brushed them aside so that he could have a closer look at the female.

“Mind if I take a gander? My shelves are going to be bare soon with this one already sold.” Tempest mentioned over to the elf he had still been leading around with her leash still intact.

He inspected the new elf closely; noticing right away that she wasn’t from any sort of breed in Thedas that Tempest had ever seen before. Of course, she was an elf, but she still looked different. The golden sheer long toga dress that she wore matched to her slender frame and hair. Her eyes appeared green to him…or possibly turquoise…but either way, they were bright and unique. She was certainly not from any parts of Thedas that he knew about…and Tempest did travel far.

The Captain reached up to one of her ears and tested the sensitivity in them while speaking back to her sellers. “She’s not Dalish… And judging by the fire in her eyes, I’d say she’s not been broken in, has she? You slugs snagged her right out of some place and shackled her into trafficking. That’s called poor work quality.”

“Captain Darkwater, Sir, its true she’s not from Thedas, when we found her….and she may have a bit of fire to her,” The pirate with the leash remarked as innocently as ‘thugish slaver’ could. “But she’s exotic and from what we say, there’s not any huge blemish on her.”

“True.” Tempest remarked and rubbed his thumb across the tip of her ear while watching her facial expression. “I’ll give you three thousand for the find.”

“Three thousand?” The pirate holding her leash seemed to sneer in a slight disapproval.

“Three thousand, gold right now if you call off the auction.” Tempest corrected himself and pulled back to reach into his pocket to hold up a hefty pouch. “She may be exotic but she’s not worth more of a starting price, without proper training. And you know what would happen to you for selling slaves without a training certificate around these parts.”

The pirate grumbled in between the sight of the offer and eventually gave in for the coin. It was a better deal than Tempest turning to the Charlatans to deal with him any day. Though, this was also a disappointment to the gathering crowd as well. However, with it already known that the elf was not even trained or broken in, that might have saved someone’s life.

Tempest held up the second leash that he was given turned back to the young elf dressed in such thin garment. “Looks like that means you’re under my responsibility now… When you were taken, lass, did you have belongings important to you?”

It was almost a foolish question to ask; for Tempest was aware that such a traveler would have possibly had things taken from her. He just preferred to have the matter resolved before she decided to make any attempt in breaking free from him, just to rush back to this slaver in order to retrieve her things. If she did, then Tempest would have potentially been out of money on a bad deal.