A jungle forest of trees and mushrooms of all varieties. Mushrooms grow in all sizes from small, to towering larger than trees. Mushroom spores float through the air, causing various effects (some poisonous, some beautiful).
"These feathers are quite an unnatural color - you could use them to line your nest, make your neighbors jealous with how pretty your nest is compared to theirs."
Right now, the lion was bartering with a crow. The bird stood perched atop a tree branch, looking down at him with its usual blank expression. But Matthias could tell what the bird was thinking. Not through any use of magic or being able to actually understand its crow-speak, but from the way it moved, head jerking to view the feathers from different angles. It was Matthias' own baby blue feathers, which he had painfully plucked from his own wings and now held between his foretoes. In the crow's nest was a tarnished silver necklace, an empty socket foretelling the location where a gem used to be. It had lost most of its luster from weather and time, but like in most things, Matthias knew of its potential, and wasn't about to let this opportunity go to waste. The crow looked for a moment longer and then made its crow noise of dissatisfaction, its body beginning to turn away from Matthias, "How about some of my fur, too? See, nice and soft," he would use a paw to rub at the softness of the fur on his flank. The bird seems to turn back and watch him for a moment, before flying over to land on his horns. It looked not at the baby blue fur of his flank, but the dark blue fur of his mohawk, "Hey! That's not for trade," said the lion sternly, but it completely ignored him. It ripped off a tuft of fur from his mane, and immediately flew back into its nest before Matthias could even finish raising his paw to protect his mohawk, "Ow!" the feathers he held fell to the floor in the process, and the bird came back and picked those up too.
"Alright, you've got the fur and the feathers. Can I have that trinket now?" he says, holding back his annoyance as he rubbed his scalp. The bird kept looking at his reluctant offerings with its stupid expressionless expression, and after a moment Matthias was beginning to think the crow wasn't going to give up the old necklace. But just before he could say anything, the crow unceremoniously picked up the necklace and dropped it just over the nest. Matthias wasted no time in picking it up, "Thank you! Nice trading with ya!"stupid bird, and so the lion began to walk away with his prize between his jaws.
Balthazar walked out of his home with a yawn, streaching his body into the setting sun. It was finally getting late enough that the pirate could move about unbothered with the sun. He really needed to build a sun salve- and gather the things for some classic goggles so he could see better in the day. Hell, just to move around in the daylight!
So adventuring he would go!
Balthazar never minded traveling, he did it often. So when his paws brought him into the mushroom forest it was no surprise for him. As he walked the forest his keen eyes scanned the ground, sometimes sifting things around with his paws. He found a few good objects to help with constructing his goggles and sat them in a neat stack beside a tall mushroom. "Alright, you've got the fur and the feathers. Can I have that trinket now?" The voice halts the vamprire haults his searching, eyes now scouring to find the source of talking.
Who was out here with him?
They thanked someone. And he has found the voice.
It belongs to a lion like creature. It was strong like a lion, the muscle work rather beautiful; colored as though he wore a fine suite and a classical mohawk. But perhaps his most intrresting feature are his hind hooves.
Balthazar clears his throat, gliding out of the shadows. This man sounded to be a trader as well- perhaps they could be of use. "Hello," The vampire starts with a purr, trying to make himself plain to see; his purple eyes glowing in the dark. "I'm Balthazar, I couldn't 'elp but hear your excange, you are a merchant?" A smile hikes his lips as the curious question draws off of his lips.
At first, when the male made himself known, Matthias stopped walking and instintly clutched his new prized possession closer to his throat, wings outstretching just a bit to make for a quick getaway. But it was all instinct. His body relaxed a bit once he realized the other was not, at least not immediately, aggressive, then relaxed completely once he was asked whether he was a merchant. Ah, so my raw talent is that obvious huh? Dropping the tarnished jewelry into his paw, he proudly answered the hyena's question, "You are one hundred percent correct, my good man. In fact, I just traded this," he holds up the worn silver necklace to give them a better view, "for basically nothing from a crow. It's worthless on its own, but I have the knowledge and the tools to make it into something ten times more valuable than what I got it for, and I'm in the midst of getting more wares for the shop I'll eventually open."
He took a good look at the person before him. A striped hyena at its base, but with bright arcane eyes, leathering wings, and multiple rings and bracelets that - might he say - matched the man quite well. It reminded him of Reed, who so far was the only other person he'd met that also wore gold jewelry like Matthias did. Not for the first time did he wish he knew where some gold was hiding; he'd like to make some more jewelry to add to his body, "My name is Matthias Kingsley. Is there something you need? My shop isn't open yet, but that doesn't mean I can't partake in a fair trade. I might have what you need."
It was obvious to tell that this man was a trader, at least for Balthazar it is. Most of his life-- no, all of his life was lived in the coast with pirates; some of them merchants- some of them traders..heck some were even theives. The memorry brings up a small chuckle. "That is an intresting little bit" He remarks, looking at the silver necklace. There are many things that it could be used for.
The hyena nods. Birds. "Birds are such simple animals. That was a smart move. What do you plan on using it with?" The vampire purrs with curiousity. It could make for a very useful band if it was thick enough.
"I'm a builder and trader myself. I just woke up here recently in a shipwreck. Took awhile to find my friend, but we've been hanging out around the beach. I built a house there to keep the weather away." He admits to the man with ease. After all there was no sense in hiding the information.
Balthazar stretches, making a show of his wings and offering a better inspection of his body, if the feline wanted a closer look. "Never seen a cat with hooves," he remarks as he sits up, "How do you like them?" He wonders if they ever got in the way.
The hyena perks his ears up when the other gives his name. "It is nice to meet you Matthias Kingsley," His lips curl into a friendly smile. "Of course I need something, everyone does." there is a laugh riding his words. "I'm in search for things to make goggles with. You see, I'm a vampire and the light bothers my eyes. Luckily the sun is going down so they shouldn't trouble me too much..." He shrugs. "Perhaps I can help you, if you can help me? It'd save me a lot of searching if you could?" His ears perk up curiously.
'Birds are such simple animals. That was a smart move.' He'd nod in agreement, both congratulating himself and also glad to have had a witness to it, who understood how it goes, "I'm going to fix it up first, then get somebody to cut and polish one of the gems I have to fit inside the divot. Then I'm going to sell it," he wondered what to place inside of it. Maybe a sapphire? Probably too generic, but also popular. He could go for something more unique, a higher reward but a higher risk.
The hyena named Balthazar admits to being a builder and trader himself, and though it doesn't show in Matthias' expression (after all, one of the important rules of trades is not to show the other how much you need their services), he's very much interested. As he begins to put the silver necklace into his pouch, he replies to the information with his own bit of info, "Builder and trader, huh? I make my own craftware too. Was taught by my town's resident blacksmith how to forge and smelt."
The subtle movements of Balthazar's body, which allows his wings and his jewelry to be more pronounced, is subconsciously picked up on. Also subconsciously, or rather instinctively, Matthias stretches his body out, foreclaws gripping at the earth and large wings stretching out as well, his own little show of importance. He ends the move with a kick at the ground with a back hoof and a content sigh, "I was born with the back legs of a horse. My mother was a horse, you know," he jokes with a chuckle, "It means I don't get tired of standing, and I can buck off anybody attacking me from behind with a kick strong enough to break someone's jaw. It also makes me a little faster."
And then, Balthazar answer's Matthias question, and he takes a good look at the man's face at the reveal of being a vampire. Kind of makes sense, considering the wings. He puckers his lips and looks up in thought, having already accepted the deal and wondering what would be needed to make a pair of goggles that could block out the light, "Alright. What else is it that you're looking for?" it would help him determine what he could ask for in return.
They never asked for his name "I've forgotten my manners, I am Balthazar Black!" the large hyena bends to a quick bow of introduction. "I could perhaapss polish up and cut that gem for you, if perhaps you might help me?" The pirate let the words slip off his vampiric tongue like a snake charmer. He takes note that the necklace the other carries was silver- something he would need to handle with care. That thought only brings on another- he has a stack of items next to a mushroom he would need to go back for later.
"Builder and trader, huh? I make my own craft ware too. Was taught by my town's resident blacksmith how to forge and smelt." That is always a great trade to have. Baltazar found himself beaming, he couldn't help it- after all the last trader or smith he'd seen was his mother, so the company was very much welcome. Plus he now had a fresh database to pluck information from, if the other allowed it.
"My mother taught me, she was the best crafts-men around-- and her mother could cook up some amazing foods." He purrs, eyelids closing halfway in pleasure as he recalls the food. Not that he needed the food to sustain himself, but it tasted nice.
His mother was a horse? "Which would make your father a lion? Now that is an interesting coupling. How did they meet?" His ears flex toward Matthias' facial features, trying to gauge his reaction to the curious question.
"Alright. What else is it that you're looking for?" Oh he had almost forgotten about asking for help, having gotten sucked into other subjects so easily.
"Well, I'd like to have a chain or leather strapping to hold my goggles together- i think I can do that or if you have the leather on hand I can do a trade... but right now I mostly need to find some sea-glass. They make excellent shields from da light, I was thinkin of purple. It's a lovely color- although blue is just as good.."
Matthias would nod at the information about where Balthazar had attained his knowledge. It seemed like the vampire may also be a valuable source of information and swapping goods. The words spoken came from the other's maw as if his tongue were made of silver, and Matthias knew right then and there that Balthazar had what it took to be a trader. If the rest of his skills is as good as Matt was hoping, oh they'd make a fine friendship indeed. Overhead, a bird's caw would momentarily draw his attention, and his ears would swivel as he took in the sounds of the grove around them. A place like this might also house some interesting mushrooms, but he could pick them on his own sometime later. Right now, he had a different task for Balthazar.
That was when Balthazar asked about his parentage. He didn't look away from the treeline when he answered with a shrug, "Beats me. I never paid attention to all that," content with his observations, his gaze would rest upon the hyena once more, "Sea glass, and a leather or chain... Lucky you, 'cause I've got fresh goat leather I was intending to sell, but I think giving them up for your goggles is a noble cause," he'd chuckle, "No luck on the sea-glass, though, but I could help you search. I think I know where to look," he'd pause, the front half of his body turning west as he gazed out beyond the trees, recalling the locations of the seashores he'd seen. That's when he'd turn back to Balthazar.
And now, for the inevitable, "I'm good on the silver, buuuut I do have a sapphire I need polishing, and gold to find. What do you say? I give you my leather, help you find sea glass. You polish my gem, help me find gold?"
