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CRUCIBLE OMAKE SIDESTORY: "JUDGING THE VALUE OF WISDOM IN A BARGAIN"
Karey was having a wonderful time as she sat under the lightpost of Parking lot section C1 close to the entrance of the Ikean Fortress munching on Swedish meatballs. After pulling a profit from the Cradleton fiasco, the wandering meat merchant had spent the time traveling between settlements, hawking her profits and wares harvested and satiated herself with the activity of wonderful commerce. So content she was that she nearly didn't notice the Ikean Fortress's new arrivals touching down onto the Parking lot on a Pillar of Black and Gold.
Karey's eyes widened then narrowed in recognition. A smile graced her face.
"Hello! "Hi, welcum to Karey's mobile meat market!....." the Meat Merchant called out with a smile. "Would any of you like to browse Karey's wares?"
The new arrivals gave varied reactions.
"IT'S YOU!" Yan cried, pointing an accusing clawed finger at the child. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"
"Doing what merchants do!" replied Karey "Setting up shop! Tending to business! making deals with regular customers!"
"Hello Little merchant," Sathriel greeted with a smile on her face "Are you ready to pay your TAX?"
"Mom please. Can we not do this for once?" begged Solomon with a clawed hand to his wooden head. "Every Crucible forsaken time this little girl shows up and sets up shop, we end up paying too much for her wares!"
Sathriel couldn't help but hesitate in the face of Solomon's argument. He had a good point.
"Karey can make bargain easy win with Lawyer lady" Karey confidently declared. "Come browse Karey's wares. Or is Lawyer Lady willing to walk away with a lose streak on her record?"
The Merchant's verbal jab tilted Sathriel's internal scale to weigh her personal pride and anger as more valuable than restraint and wise council.
"More like fleecing and extorting innocents of their currency you criminal lo-" Yan could only take two steps forward before Solomon held him back in a full nelson.
"Let me go, Solomon!" yelled Yan, thrashing against his brother's restraints.
"Yan please! This is a public space!"
"Public my vitruvian sculpted arse!" shouted Yan, detaching his left arm to shoulder-toss his brother, the move dragging the two siblings into a wrestling match.
"Oh, you're letting me pick from your wares this time?" Sathriel asked with a throbbing vein and strained smile, ignoring the ongoing scuffle between her constructs.
"Karey can't get quality cuts from lawyer lady if lawyer lady doesn't approach to make purchase." the merchant tauntingly with a mocking curtsy. "Is Lawyer lady prepared for another fleecing?"
(cont.)
