>>5295307Sathriel knew the song and dance and the challenge implied by Karey. It was a dance that she seen had performed many times. With a sharp eye, the arbiter perused the wares unafraid of brandishing flash of the Karey's cleaver who twitched in anticipation, ready to extract the pound of flesh equivalent to Sathriel's forecasted purchase before the arbiter finally plucked out a bag of packaged pre-Crucible sunflower seeds-
There was a flash of a cleaver whose speed was equally matched with a black blur as Karey and Sathriel made leering eye-contact, the Butcher's cleaver locking edges with the Arbiter's Obsidian Police Baton.
"Ten pounds. Vitruvian cuts." Karey stated. Thus began the bargaining war.
"Come now little merchant, a pound of seeds does not equal ten pounds of Vitruvian meat." Sathriel countered, applying pressure against Karey's cleaver. "ten pounds of calcite."
"Karey can't gnaw on raw deal. ten pounds humie cut." the scrawny merchant pushed back with great strength that belied her small frame.
"Ten pounds of vitruvian can buy me a Tier three relic at a major settlement or port, Karey." Sathriel riposted "And you're asking that much for a bag of sunflower seeds?"
"Perfectly preserved Pre-crucible roasted snack! Family size! 16 ounce bag! Big deal! Rare find! Still fresh! Seal still intact!" argued Karey. "Ten pounds Vitruvian!"
"Pound for pound, the quality of the seeds does not have equal value in the meats." Sathriel narrowed her eyes as she spoke a counter offer. "Twelve pounds Calcite!"
"Aiya, is this really how you barter?" said Peng Ching, stepping in and slapping down the weapons between the dueling bargainers. The Sage's presence prompting Yan and Solomon to stop their scuffle and straighten out their appearances back to high class spotlessness in record time.
"Auntie please, stay out of this! This is personal!" said Sathriel attempting to wave off the older woman's presence.
"And miss out on the fun?" replied the Sage with a foxy smile on her face. "Please let me in on the action and save you several pounds of flesh."
Peng with a sharpened look that somehow cowed the Arbiter. "I insist."
Sathriel judged the value of her wounded pride of being flecced and the slim prospect of winning a haggling war in recovering that pride by herself, and the value of saving her personal slush funds at the cost of becoming indebted to Aunt Peng.
Quietly, the Judged stepped back upon reaching a verdict, prompting the Sage to smile with teeth.
"Thank you Sathie!~"
Sathriel's "You're welcome" reply came out hushed and stumbling in response. If one were to have the sight that Aunt Peng possessed in reading the colors of emotion, they would have seen Sathriel be wreathed in an uncharacteristic magenta hue of embarrassment.
"Let Auntie Peng show you how to really haggle down the price."
Karey quietly gulped as she felt a chill in her mercantile instinct as a new player stepped into the realm of bargaining.
END.
