>>5782676“I’ll take it!”
You stared at Henzler, who stared back at you. She looked a little baffled for a moment, protesting: “But the cost—”
“I can pay,” you asserted, a little miffed at her assumption. “The Silver Realms don’t use much gold… but we have it. -I- have it.”
You jingled your quite hefty pack for emphasis, gold clinking.
“They send more, sometimes, too,” you noted smugly, “before you complain about the feeding and care costs.”
Henzler fidgeted, eyes flitting between you and the coveted cub. The scar-faced adventurer-woman eyed you hungrily, and with renewed interest.
“But you have nowhere to KEEP it,” she weakly protested.
“My room should suffice,” you said with (only somewhat feigned) confidence. “I don’t know if you recall, Henzler, but I’m something of an expert at handling animals. ELF, remember? And I know the <Calm> spell.”
As you speoke the word, you ran your fingers along the cage’s edge. The snake head, previously hissing and quick to bite, suddenly seemed to soothe, and watched the faint trail of magical sparks your spell-gesture leaft. The goat-head bleated softly, and the lion-head even began to rub around you through the bars. Henzler had to hold back a squeal—at the cuteness and in frustration at your claiming of the ‘ natural chimera’.
“Well, what about when it gets BIG?” she demanded. “You heard, um… You heard this person here!”
“Quint,” the scar-faced woman supplied. “T. S. Quint.”
“You heard Madame Quint!” Henzler continues. “This creatures parent as large enough to fight a TEAM of adventurers, and to kill one.”
You puffed out your chest and gesture in grandiose fashion, and said: “I am a Disciple of the True Fey, MISS Henzler! I have friends on the other side, and the means to invoke their aid if I need it!”
Henzler was more flustered or frustrated than you had seen her in a while, and you began to feel a little bad—after all, this night was supposed to help cheer her up after ONE disappointment at your hands. Here you were, though, inflicting another! But, well… Didn’t she already have access to all the chimeras she might want or need, with her mother and all? Why did she have to fight you for THIS one?
“Tell you what,” you said, “this chimera is MINE, because I called DIBS, but since I’m such a gracious and compassionate soul, I’ll let you help me name it.”
Henzler glowered, but didn’t say anything more as you concluded your business—exchanging many a gold coin to T.S. Quint for your new prize pet—and, for free, a specially-constructed two-collared leash, and a band for the snake mouth as well. You were victorious!
