Bianca carefully peered out through the opening of the tent.
"W-who goes there?" she said with a slight tremble in her voice.
A gruff, man's voice answered her.
"Don't be afraid, girl. Just an honest merchant here."
Bianca let out a sigh of relief and exited the tent. Before her stood a tall and burly man. He looked middle-aged, with a rough bearded face, bald head and fat belly. His worn leather tunic and sheathed sword was not the usual attire for members merchant trade, but Bianca nevertheless felt reassured in his presence.
His eyes widened as he caught sight the beautiful lust mage in the torch light, and he immediately started gawking up and down her buxom body.
"I'm Romulus, a sla... uhm, merchant by profession," he said. "And who do I have the pleasure of talking to?"
"Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Bianca, just a simple traveling mage on my way to the city."
"And Bianca, you're traveling all by yourself I take it?" Romulus asked with a voracious hint in his voice.
Bianca nodded.
"Oh, you'd best be careful then. These parts are not safe. There are bandits, goblins and all sorts of dangers lurking about. A girl like you could easily find herself getting robbed, or worse."
Bianca shuddered and gasped at an involuntary mental image of being ravaged by a pack of vicious bandits.
"Oh no, I didn't know!" she said. "But you look like you could handle yourself. Please, sir, can you find it in your heart to be so kind and escort a poor woman in distress to the city." Bianca spoke in her most sultry voice and gave the man a pleading look with her big shimmering eyes.
"Well, I'm heading in that direction," he grunted. "However, I don't work for free. It's against, uhm, merchant guild regulations. "I can take you to the city, but it'll cost you a thousand coins."
"A thousand!? That's ridiculous, I don't have that kind of money!" Bianca said. "But once we get there I know I could probably earn enough to pay you."
Romulus shook his head. "Nope, coin up front, darling. Guild regulations."
Looks like our heroine is in for some more "bargaining". |