"Welcome to the flaming rares and wares shop!"
A man and his son arrived inside. Both dressed in fine blue clothing.
They both had partly braided white hair.
They looked to be from the frozen north seas.
Both their faces stoic as they browsed around not giving any facial expression away to what they might desire.
"Milord is there anything you are looking for in particular, for example these diamond slippers for your wife?
He held up the glittering shoes.
They are made by the sand dwellers of the far east."
"They hardly look comfortable."
The longed haired man barely looked at the slippers.
"Why is there a little girl in this golden bird cage?" The boy had left his fathers side staring at the blonde four year old girl.
"I wouldn't get too close she bites with flames and teeth."
The merchant smiled.
"Flames? The boy turned to his father. "That's impossible, right father?"
"For a silver piece I can prove it to you."
"It is just a parlor trick my son."
"No she lights up like the sun. If you prove me wrong I'll give you two silver back." He grinned.
The man mused for a bit while another customer in a simple cloak came in as bells jangled from the door, which the merchant paid no heed to.
The merchant waved a sugar cube for the girl to see with a grin careful not to show the trained bribe. The girl perked up from playing with her toys inside the cage.
"Very well." The rich noble dropped a silver coin in the merchants hand.
"Sola ignite!"
The little one played the trained game and golden flames ignited in her hands and grew up to her arms her eyes glowing golden orange.
"Father imagine her in our home for the guests and.." The little boys eye gleamed.
"Quiet." The father said. He tried to remain stoic, but the merchant knew he was interested. "How much?" His face masked as boredom.
"Not for sale, but I have animals a goose that lays golden eggs perhaps?" He directed him towards the cages.
Irritation etched onto the man's face.
"No I will pay 10,000 Gold."
The merchant sputtered, but collected himself. She will be worth more in the long run he reminded him self.
"As I said not for sale."
"Quilo let's leave this charleton and his parlor tricks."
The merchant didn't mind.
His buisness was thriving and he got a silver from the man anyways.
He handed the little one the sugar cube and she smiled as she savored the treat.
The cloaked person cleared their throat as they waited by the shop's counter.
"Oh I forgot my manners."
The middle age merchant walked over.
"What are ya buying?"
The hood came off. A white haired woman with a deep scar down one eye smiled at him unnervingly.
"I would like to buy these herbs and a barrel of tree folk dust."
"Another customer from the frozen lands in my shop what luck." His suspicions rising.
"That'll be 10 copper for each herb bag and 100 gold for a barrel. It's such a rare commodity you know." He winked.
"Do gems work instead." She emptied emeralds and black pearls down.
"Yes that will do, but first." The merchant slammed a rock on the gems.
"Don't want to be cheated by a pirate do we." His eyes twinkled knowingly at the short haired woman who grinned right back.
"I trust you'll keep our buisness a secret." she dropped a few more gems down.
"I wouldn't have a buisness if I didn't protect my customer's privacy."
"Good." She leaned in menacingly.
"I don't appreciate a lying coward."
"Those who are tend to lose their livelihood."
The merchant looked up from counting his gems.
"I don't take kindly to threats." He furrowed his brows.
"Who said that was a threat." She chuckled "My men will be back for the barrel." She walked towards the door, then paused.
"Even though I'm a pirate I dont treat children as slaves or pets." The door slammed shut.
"Pirates." The man muttered. "Always stirring trouble with their words and ships."
After the men came by for the barrel around sunset the merchant closed up shop.
"Come Sola time for supper, anx writing.
She opened the cage on her own bringing one of her toys with.
"Yes sir."
As she practiced her letters she paused and looked to her master counting his profit for the day.
"Sir?"
The man sighed annoyed.
"What is it?"
"Am I a pet?"
The merchant looked over bored.
"I don't know what you are. All I know is that you are under my care and you earn that care through earning us profit and learning letters and words for future profit in return for my kindness from saving you from your abandoned death."
A king or very rich man would pay handsomely for a fire weilding obedient woman who knows how to write either as a bodyguard, entertaiment, mistress or even all three he grinned thinking about it.
The girl stayed quiet.
"Don't go flickering flames or I'll throw ya in the fireplace."
"Yes sir."
They dreamt on in the night.
That's when a cold knife woke the merchant as it was held to his throat.
The pirate from before smiled at him.
"I will kindly take your precious cargo off of you."
"I've heard of your slimy buisness practices you old man. You have innocent blood on your hands."
"Do you think I don't have allies to go after you." The man spat. "I doubt your hands are clean either!"
"If your dead I don't think they would help." She nicked him in the cheek drawing blood.
"Okay okay what cargo do you require?"
"The child."
"You do not know how to tame her and her flames." He grinned. "She'd burn your ship."
"I don't intend to tame her spirit." She held up the dragon scaled items he procured over the years. "Maybe her tantrums though." She laughed.
"You've done your research." The mans blood drained, all that money and time.
As he eyed the knife he thought better.
"Take her, never come back and I won't have you pursued."
The little girl was hit with an herb powder that kept her asleep as one of the men gently picked her up.
The piratess tied rope to the man's hands and feet.
"Dont endanger any creatures or use women as property and I won't come back and kill you."
She gagged the man as he glared
"I have allies and eyes watching too." She smirked.
"I'll be keeping tabs."
They disapeared into the night as the man struggled to get out of the ropes.