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You raise a hand. "Sir Chet, before I accept anything-"
"Yes, boy, I know you work for the Qartian Captain. It is nothing that is going to interfere, I promise you." He turns to look up at you. "Oh? How did I know? Easy. How else would you be wearing Qartian silk and smelling like his own bath." He laughs with his belly again.
Oh. You smell yourself and it is true. The scent of cinnamon and earthy flowers is all over you. "I didn't notice it."
Cashire points at his nose. "It is hard not to notice when you have one of these." He smiles brightly and you can't help but smile too. "And about the job, it is nothing that will interfere with your other duties. See, my assistant has set up these lamps yesternight and I fear they are too high for me to take them down. But a tall lad like you should be able to do it, no problem, right?"
You nod and pull one of the lanterns down. You immediately recognize them for what they are. You grew up in your uncle's atelier and since your family had always been humble you held many lamps like this one. Everburning Lanterns, or Everlamps, are a normal trinket in the streets of Throne. The spellworks eat the sunlight by day and give off a a bright candle-like light at night. It is incredibly simple to make, other than their ornate exterior. For a merchant to have these hanging outside all night, back in Throne, he would be ridiculed as tacky and cheap. Bright phantoms and light globes were all the rage back when you were young..
You must have zoned off for a bit, as Cashire is looking at you with keen eyes and a business-like smile. "Do you like them, boy?"
You can't help but agree. "Yes. They are very pretty."
--
The work takes a little longer than expected as Cashire also asked for your help moving them into their boxes. It overall took a bit less than 20 minutes to set everything in order and tie the crates.
"Is that the last of it, master Chet?"
"Huh?" The catling hadn't seem to be paying any attention to you. He seems distraught and preoccupied. His eyes keep scanning the crowd beyond the inner circle, as if looking for a familiar face. "I am sorry, my lad. But there is one more favor I wanted to ask of you. I will reward you, of course, so could you please look for that harebrained assistant of mine? The caravan is departing so soon and I fear he might have gotten himself in trouble again. Ooooh my whiskers!"
Again?
Well, there is nothing to it. How hard would it be to find a beastkin of the cat among all these people?
>A - "Of course, Master Chet. It would be no problem for me."
>B - Accept but haggle for a better reward.
>C - Refuse. You are a magic-user of Throne, not an errand boy.
