"I don't trust it."
"You are wise not to."
"...Wait, what?"
Jadenshire's various marketplaces were a notably consistent prowling grounds for both the thrifty and wealthy; It was a commonplace for merchants and money-movers from all across the lands to see at least once. Very little couldn't be found here, at the heart of Serendipity, the melting pot of Le'Raana; From the finest enchanted weapons and armor to the most deft of magical missives, from alchemical miracles to potent rat poisons. Merchants abound; Truly, it could not be stated enough, that very little could not be found here. Little of material form, at least.
"You are wise to doubt. Doubt is the iron wall of the heart; The defense we build, brick by brick, against the wicked and unrighteous. It is the sword we hold closest to our bodies when faced against insurmountable opposition, or alongside unrealistic allies. Doubt protects you from all that would harm you... But I have offered you no harm. No trickery, no deception. What I offer, I do so only at the price of your patronage."
Deep within the marketplace, resting at an inconspicuous table near the riverside, a large, robust man, likely well into his 50s, sat opposite a boy. The boy's age was questionable; the majority of his appearance obscured by an alluring, purple-hooded longcoat. What little could be seen of him, in the shadow of his robes, were sterling locks of silver; an uncommon color in the lands of Serendipity, though not all too shocking. Perhaps more striking, however, for one who took a much closer look at him, was the color of his eyes... crimson red, alight with a carnivorous, enticing magic which could swallow one's soul whole were they not careful enough to keep their distance. He was small, and by no means physically imposing... and yet the large man shifted uncomfortably in his seat, positive that, even though it made no sense, the boy's presence alone somehow towered over him.
"I ask only this. Let us make a deal. Wealth, prosperity, power. The future of your beautiful daughter, Filianna's children, secured. The status of nobility. The strength to protect all that is yours, or to take back your own fate... For a small price." Slowly, the boy outstretched a single hand; A peace offering, a handshake... a confirmation of contract. Sweat dripped from the heavy-set man's brow as the gravity of the situation weighed harder still upon him. "He who has not, shall gain... and he who has, shall not take. Suffering produces success... Won't you make a deal with me?" The boy asked... wait. Did... did the boy ask? The man's eyes widened further in fear as, in that moment, his instincts rang clear; Just now, that voice-- no, the entire time, that voice... was inside his head.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! N-NOOOOO!!!" The sudden ruckus startled the nearby merchants and shoppers alike; Even the boy, jolted by the outburst, was taken aback as the large man suddenly leapt from his seat at the table-- tripping over himself and scrambling back to his feet as fast as he could to put as much distance between himself and the admittedly lost and confused-looking boy as he could. Kuo reached out after him, wanting to call out, but held himself back-- the gaze of several patrons on him and the bigger man. He didn't want to make anymore of a ruckus... He never even wanted to make that much of a commotion. Somewhat embarrassed, the boy stood from his seat, politely tucking it away at the table he'd been sitting at, before quietly bowing in apology to all the onlookers who'd been startled by the man's actions. It took a few moments, but before long, everyone returned to their own doings-- Kuo, meanwhile, simply sighed in both relief and defeat as he moved from the table, and closer towards the riverside, needing some time to think on what had just happened.
"...Did I come on too strong?" He murmured to himself, not as frustrated as he was concerned about the consequences of his actions. "The adventurer-types are normally so much easier to deal with... and equally as elusive when you look for them."
A truer statement was rarely ever spoken; Truer still was it that often times, adventurers turned up most consistently when they were least expected...