Quest for the Golden Maltese- Alain and Emjay (private)

[Champloo]

Alain and Emjay had chosen to gang up to find the Golden Maltese and claim the ten thousand crown reward. They had decided to search at the docks, so off they went. But they hadn't walked halfway there when they saw a short man with a black cloak, black boots, black pants, and a green vest, leaning against a wall and tossing a thin dagger known as a Stiletto in the air and catching it again.

He spoke to them. " 'erale mates, the names Jordy, and I wonder if I may be any use ta ya? A man and a stunningly beautiful woman heading out to the docks by the looks of it, surely someat be up yes?" He gave a broad wink and glanced at them, seeing if they would respond to this obviously slightly unsavory character, or just keep walking.

[Emjanss]

"Serale," Emjay answered, not thinking of anything. She was glad that they might be able to get a lead. Thinking that someone who was from the docks, might be better able to point them in the right direction. So she simply answered the questions posed to her, "Perhaps you can be of some use. We are looking for a statue of a small dog. If you can help us find it, I can definately make it worth your while." Emjanss had in her mind a purely financial solution, she didn't think that such a man might consider something else a worthwhile payment

[Alain d'Caldaera]

As Emjay and him happened upon this man, he had definately noticed him from afar. However, when this sort of devious looking man spoke to them, he just stood next to Emjay. He nodded in acknowledgement politely and did even manage a smile in return to the greeting. Emjay seemed to be handling the situation quite nicely, so he just waited for the mans reply.

[Champloo]

"Perhaps I can be of some use, and perhaps you can reward me." The man looked at Emjay and licked his lips, it was clear what kind of reward he expected, "But seriously, I can be of some service, if it's statue's your looking for, I know somebody, a statue collecter, maybe he can help you, here, follow me." He gave a broad wink as he stood up and beckoned the two of them to follow him down an alley.

If they did the alley would prove to be long and widening, but full of it's own kind of secret life, it was thin, but still had drunks, bums, merchants of a different kind, prostitutes and other shady characters. If they walk down it, a pretty girl in revealing clothing gets up from where she was sitting as she spots Alain, and stops him as he is walking by. "Your a strong lookin fellow, hows about I make your day a little better hmm?" She asks in a honeyed voice.

[Alain d'Caldaera]

Alain, still assumably with his hand in Emjays as he was in tow from before, kind of tapped her to get her attention and he leaned in as he saw the girl approaching him. He whispered to her under his breath so only she could hear. "Emjay.. we don't really have a choice but to follow this guy. But as far as reward.. hes not after what you're thinking he was. Perhaps we can get the statue and make our escape quickly?" He looked up and smiled at the girl as she spoke to him. "No thanks, I've got a much prettier girl on my arm already, and the day's goin just fine already." He smiled politely. Of course, him and Emjay were in no sort of a relationship that he knew of, but he knew she would understand him saying that and its necessity.

[Emjanss]

Emjanss didn't like the inference from Alain that she was too nieve to notice the man leer, and she further didn't like him impliing that there was something between him and her so she took her out of his as they followed their guide down the alley. She picked her way carefully with her bare feet as she walked, not wanting to step on anything that might cut her or cause her other discomfort. After they had travelled a bit and Alain had rebuffed the girl, she asked their guide, "Is it going to be much further?"

[Alain d'Caldaera]

Alain rolled his eyes a little bit as he noticed Emjay get unrightfully displeased at him as he only made the comment to get the girl to leave him alone, not to make the two out to be something they certainly were not. Anyhow, it should have been clear to her that he had the best of intentions, so follow her he did.

[Champloo]

By this time, the strange man had lead them far through the ally and to a small shack, it was horrible the stench that came from the place, and horrible little garden was nasty and overgrown, planks were falling here and there, and it was dirty and unwashed.

Jordy didn't seem the least bit bothered by any of this. And walked up and pounded on the pitiful door that risked caving in. "A whataya want?" The voice of an old man sounded through. "Some people lookin' for a statue." Jordy replied, and the door swung open.

Inside the one room shack was amazing. There was a bed in one corner, a firepit in another, a table and chair, and nothing else but a chest. Oh and statues. Easily hundreds of statues and statuettes littered the room, each one clean and well polished, and standing upright, the man, so poor, dressed in rags and unwashed, yet he had a great collection of stone, selling these would probably make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he sat in the muck with the poor and his statues. So many...
"Which one are you looking for?" The old man asked.

[Alain d'Caldaera]

Alain entered cautiously, and his jaw dropped ever so slightly when he saw the amazing realm he had just crossed over into. There was easily a fortune in the filth of the slums they had ventured deep into. Before he would reply, he was sure to check to see if the statue the man had described of the dog was visible. When he did not see it, or quite possibly, it was not there at all, he looked to the old man politely, his hands folded in front of him as he spoke articulately. "We're looking for a little statue of a dog. The Golden Maltese, its called."

[Emjanss]

Emily smiled at the poor man, though inwardly she cringed after Alain made his quick statement. Looking around the room it was quickly obvious that this man cared for his statues more than her cared for wealth and that the only way he would part with one is to someone he considered worthy. To that end, she felt that it would probably be better to atract this fly with honey rather than with filth. So she thought to herself that she better do some sweet talking and she hoped her honey tounge wouldn't let her down, even if it strayed from the truth somewhat.

Speaking first to the poor man she said, "What a wonderful collection of statues you have." Then she turned to their guide and took his hands in hers and said, "Thank you Jordy for taking us here, this is wonderful! When you said you knew someone who had the best statues in all of Abestat, you weren't wrong." and having said that, she quickly gave him a peck on the cheek and then let go of his hands and turned back to the poor man.

"We told our friend Jordy we were looking for statues, especially statues of dogs, and he took us straight to here. And you have so many wonderful statues! Do you mind if I look at them? I promise not to hurt any of them." Emjay paused, but knew she should say something about the Golden Maltese since Alain, stupidly in her opinion, allready mentioned it. "My companion and I have heard of one statue," with a bit of a dramatic flair sh said it's name, "'The Golden Maltese'," Then returning to her normal voice she continued, " that is supposed to be exceedingly beautiful. Oh, how I would love to even have a brief look at it." Then hoping she hadn't laid it on too thick, she shut her mouth and waited for what would happen next.

[Alain d'Caldaera]

Alain couldn't help but grin a little bit at Emjays almost uncanny ability to keep an unsatisfied, unfriendly disposition towards him. Though he had clearly done nothing that was wrong, and he only wanted the both of them to succeed, he was almost constantly being looked down on in a subtle way. Though he certainly saw few (if any) displeased looks from Emjay, her bad vibes were being felt. He knew not whether her simply covering the man with compliments and other various nonsense would work. For his age, he was surely wise enough to see through this obvious ploy, though Alain most surely would not put thier chances for success with this man in danger by making any move to contradict her or anything of the sort.

He stood next to her, politely looking around the room, absent-mindedly pondering the reasons for Emjays strange reasoning, as she had been nothing but nice, and he had been nothing but respectful at their meeting in the White Dragon. He shoved it all from his mind and continued to look about.

[Champloo]

The man looked annoyed. "There is no Golden Maltese statue in Abestat or I would know about it! Now stop wastin..." He gave a start as he took out a key and unlocked his chest, he pulled out a scroll and quickly scanned it. "Yes, yes, yes, I know where you 'Golden Maltese' is, but it certainly isn't a statue, who fed you this false information?" This man was knowledgable, and seemed to know everything about statues, but would these two believe him? That was there choice.

[Alain d'Caldaera]

Alain took this opportunity to get himself off of the backburner and take some sort of semi charge of the situation from his seemingly spiteful partner. He stepped forward, his eyes narrowed a little as he studied the older man. He knew this man knew what he was talking about, and had figured he would be annoyed when Emjay nearly drowned him in her honey tongue. After a few seconds, he met the mans gaze knowingly, but respectfully. Giving the name of who had lost this statue and his importance as a public official. He held his gaze and expression firm, and spoke. "A certain man who knows as much as we do of this object, or whatever you know it to be, but knows just enough to know that he needs it back. So here we are." He paused, looking around a little bit, then back at the man. "Will you help us retrieve it?" He knew the man most likely would not without a fee or something of the sort. He would return with some sort of lucrative offer, of course, and they would certainly have to get it done for him. After the short pause, and before the man could open his mouth to speak to them again, he smiled at the man.

"What would you have us do to lead us to the Maltese?" He spoke on the same level as this man, as if they were equals. In his mind, of course, they were equals, regardless of age, wealth, or anything of the sort. His arms crossed and he leaned backwards a bit, sort of relaxing and making himself comfortable.

[Emjanss]

Emjanss listened to the conversation, the notion that the Golden Maltese wasn't a statue at all certainly took everything that she had said and made it moot. Feeling that she had nothing to add to the conversation at the moment, she listened, then she heard, "What would you have us do to lead us to the Maltese?"

The words triggered a memmory, one she wished she could forget. It had been more than three patterns ago and she wanted something from her daddy. So she sat on his lap, facing him, straddling his legs. "What nice thing would you have me do to you daddy?" It was a simple question that a child would ask their father. It was a question that he would have answered later that night when everyone else was asleep. That night, and many more nights to come, he had her answer that question in a most un-childlike way.

She broke out of her memory into the present and waited for the answer to come. She believed the answer given her those years ago was the only answer to that question and she dreaded it.

[Champloo]

The man grinned. "So you want the Maltese anyway is that it? Well, give me the Four Abestat Strongmen Statues, the complete set mind you, and I'll lead you there." He pulled out his book and showed a picture of four statues of men in macho poses, one lifting, two who attach together like they are wrestling, and one in a running pose. "Get me these!" The man commanded, and grinned again, these four statues would be an excellent addition to his collection, all for one dog.

"Well, do we have a deal?" The man asked. Jordy leaned back and whistled, bored, he obviously was just interested in money, and all money-like things. Statues bored him. He had taken his strange knife out and began tossing it up and down lazily again. Again, the choice was with Alain, and Emjay, would they fetch the Strongman statues?