Life is strange true colors- Chenrich

Magpie's Bane

The Magpie Emporium was notoriously busy, the magic shop sold all sorts of spells and curses and cures for many diseases. Magpie- or Steph as her closest companions knew her- was the witch who owned the shop and was used to this environment, thrived in it in fact. Her skills were known throughout the land and admired by many, not many magic-bearing people remained in the town of Typhon but those who did were cherished by all. Today was a special exception for the emporium, though, as a crow had come from the king- requesting a special audience with Magpie herself. While yes, the kingdom knew of her magical abilities and how she used them to run a shop- the part of her job she kept more on the down-low was her mercenary work. Steph had her shop closed today- much to the dismay of the townsfolk, including those who came from far kingdoms to see her works, but the king desired his request to be a private matter, and Magpie, of course, was accommodating to her best customer.

Valkyrie meowed in Steph’s direction- she’d been tidying the shop a little before the king arrived, and her familiar was letting her know he was there. Steph, with a swish of her finger, opened the door as one of the kings' knights was about to knock.

“Your majesty,” Steph said, looking at the king who loomed in the doorway from under her hat. “It’s an honor to have you, welcome to the Magpie Emporium.” she gave him a small smile.

“Magpie. This is a cozy place you have- many uh, trinkets.” The king’s voice was low as he spoke, the guards silent and admittedly terrifying. Every time someone new entered her store they were always in awe- and the king was no exception. She made her way over behind the counter, watching as the guards followed his majesty in and closed the door. Val hissed at the three unfamiliar guests, running into the back room and making Steph chuckle.

“You’ll have to forgive Val- she’s not accustomed to strangers,” Steph saw the king reach for a talisman Steph had laid on the counter one of the many objects she was selling but she figured he wasn’t here for trinkets. As she cleared her throat she summoned a scroll, a blank contract she used for mercenary work. “I suppose you’re not here for small talk or any of my… trinkets,” Steph said, the king raised his eyebrows and nodded.

“You’re very clever, Magpie. I’m here for your other work- again. You’d done so well with my previous request I was hoping to hire you for a more looming threat.” The king finally looked at her, placing the talisman back down. “Think you’re up for it?” his voice quivered a bit, seemingly afraid, though Steph saw the challenge as an opportunity to learn.
“King Jedadiah, you know I’m always down for a challenge- besides, I’m not one to give up so easily,” Steph said, making the king’s frown slip into a small smirk.

“I hoped that would be your answer. See this mission isn’t just a kill, it’s a rescue as well. My son, Ryan- he’d been sent to a small town in the outskirts of the kingdom called Haven a few days ago and well- he’s not returned. Word of a powerful sorcerer living in that town has begun to spread and I fear Ryan’s been captured.” The king explained, Steph weighed his words as he spoke, she hadn’t known there was another magical being so nearby, though it was intriguing to consider facing off against someone of similar mind. She filled out the contract as Jed spoke, knowing this would be a more time-consuming request she wanted to receive half pay upfront.

“Your goal would be to kill this sorcerer and rescue my son, Magpie- no time limit for this mission, but I’d prefer Ryan came back alive.” Jed finished explaining and Steph nodded, sliding the contract across the counter for the king to examine.

“If I do this, I’ll need extra compensation- see I’m a very busy woman and well it would cut into my main source of income,” Steph explained as the king read, she grabbed an enchanted quill and leaned over the counter. “This quill will seal both our sides of the deal- and we’ll be locked to it until the job is done or I die- either way you’ll know I’m not lying.” Steph raised an eyebrow as the king slowly took the quill from her hand. Steph wasn’t a nefarious person but she knew she needed to be more direct when it came to her mercenary work, it was a serious business for her and she liked her patrons to know that. The king held the quill for a moment, glancing between the contract and the witch- he finally gave in and signed, Steph’s face twisting into a grin as the contract rolled and sealed on its own once Jed’s signature was down. He pulled out a pouch of gold and placed it on the counter, holding onto it for a moment.