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Chapter 6

Being a major port in Apex, Firelight Coast was a busying town. While not having the massive variety that Lost Port offered in goods, it was one of the few places to find exports from the Eastern Kingdoms. Mixed in with a healthy fishing trade, many of the locals prospered, unlike there nearest neighboring port Afterlight Coast.

An elderly wolf sat on the docks, mending his fishing net to insure it'd be ready for that nights outing. He had seen many sailors in his time, so he paid little mind to the incoming ships that passed by daily.

On this afternoon however, a ship did catch his eye. It was lavish, larger than most vessel that came to Firelight. The pristine wood and near gaudy sails spoke of this ship having been made for royalty. Normally such a vessel would have deck paws running to and fro preparing the ship for port. The old wolf saw no deck paws.

Leaning back in his chair, he watched with half interest as the ship approached at far to fast a speed. With the ship having full sails, there was no way it could slow down at this point without some kind of disaster.

Continuing to mend his net, the next ten minutes proved to hold his interest. A shockingly tall black and white furred rabbit was running about frantically on the ships deck now, randomly throwing over ropes that was really accomplishing nothing. Some sort of canine that looked like he had mangy fur and a bat seemed to be fighting, clearly yelling at one another when they should be lowering the sails. Last but not least was a bear, standing at the ship's wheel. Even from this distance the old wolf could tell he was steering the ship all wrong.

Eventually the ship managed to get docked, but not before side swiping two other ships and completely sinking a small boat. The dock handlers were pissed and would be putting a hefty tax on this idiot crews ship.

Letting out a rare chuckle for the elder fisherman, he watched as the crew walked down the ramp. Aside from the grizzly, the rest looked half starved, tired and all having fur that had been not allowed to dry properly. He had seen crews like this before, land lovers who thought they belonged on the fickle seas. He gave the sorry looking crew a week before they all gave up or more likely died from their own stupidity.

***

"Well, all things considered I say good job crew," Vic smiled, looking far too smug for someone who nearly got himself and his friends drowned. Urch was quick to voice this.

"Good job? We barely made it out of that storm alive and encase ye not be realizin', it's gonna be a fortune getting the Aureum off lockdown! A fortune ye not be havin' cause ye decided to be a sailing hobo!"

Though Barth remained quiet, he nodded his agreement. Vic only tilted his head as if amused by something.

"Urch, have you ever notice how when you're pissed you're articulate skills seem to vastly improve? Wonder why that is."

"It's cause for the first time since ye known me I'm stone cold sober ya jark arse!"

"Okay enough!" Jess suddenly yelled, sizing control of the conversation. "I am so sick of arguing! Can we just all agree we need help, actual help!" She made a point to eye Urch with her last statement, much to his offense even if he secretly agreed.

"Right you are my vespertilio and like with everything I do, I have a plan." Vic replied, spoken with enough confidence that the others almost believed him. "Now, Urch, go to all the local bars and dives, round up any able bodies you can, that way we are no longer short pawed. Jess, I want you to find out what the local trade around here is like, see if anyone is hiring for a transport ship and make sure they're willing to pay up front."

"Fine, sounds doable enough," Jess agreed

"Pubs be my scene, fine Vic, should be easy to round up a crew long as they don't know we're broke." Urch mused. "But what ye gonna do?"

"Simple, learn everything I can about sailing over the next couple days. Shouldn't be too difficult seeing as we just learned a lot by trial and error."

They had their objections to the plan, but the three remained silent, trusting in their Captain to accomplish his goal.

"Now Bartholomew..." Vic paused, actually stumped on how he could include the giant rabbit. "I suppose you are free to do as you wish. Consider this your shore leave until we call on you."

"I need new strings for my violin," he replied solemnly. It was the most he had said since the storm had hit them. Truthfully the others had been worried the musician would be leaving them when they had first made it to port.

"Alright, if you can figure out how to get some coin before we depart your free to find and purchase some. Now, we all have our tasks, we can meet back at the ship come nightfall"

"Ship on lock down," Urch emphasize. "Means we ain't allowed till we pay!"

Vic had to stop himself from growling. Urch was starting to try his patience now. "For the love of....rrrr, fine! Fine." Taking a moment to calm down, now was not the time to lose his temper, he devised a work around. "We'll all meet back at the closes bar by the docks and by then I'll have figured something out. Is that suitable to your ever growing list of objections?"

With a huff, Urch agreed. He had known the bear long enough to known just how far he could push his friend before he snapped. "Aye, we meet at the Salty Maiden."

"Please tell me that's not what it's actually called." Jess groaned. But sure enough, when she looked to the sign that was in fact what the place was called. She gave Victor her best fake smile. "And here I thought I agreed to all this so I wouldn't have to put up with drunks anymore."

***

Bartholomew was unsure what his goal for the day should be. The Prince, or rather Captain now, had said he was free to do whatever. But with no money and lacking in any charisma skills he found himself simply wondering about. He had never been to Firelight before and everything was so different from Avarise. Adding into the fact he was taller than nearly everyone he saw, his social awkwardness was in full play.

Walking through the marketplace, his eyes wandered over cloths that were too small for him to wear and jewelry that was far too expensive for him to ever buy. It was then Bartholomew realized just how much he missed his sisters. Hanna and Carol always had better ideas than he did and Angie was such a ball of energy it was a task to just keep up with her.

Before the feelings of homesickness could overtake him, Bartholomew's ears stood up straight with great interest. It was music! Bartholomew had never heard anything like it before and certainly never played such music in the palace.

The music was fast paced, catchy and infectious. With his height advantage, he looked around and spotted a panther, playing what he'd later learn was a trumpet. Smiling, Bartholomew's grip on his violin case tightened as he hurried over to the panther.

Tapping his foot along to the song, he managed to pick up the tempo. After a couple more minutes Barth pulled out his violin and started to play along. The panther gave him an appreciative nod, showing that the collaboration was welcomed.

It may not help his crew but for the first time since this crazy journey began, Bartholomew was having fun.

***

Jess had little knowledge in how to accomplishing her task. While she had been a barmaid for years, that did not make her privy to the negotiations the establishment had on rum, whiskey and other imports.

Regardless, Vic had entrusted her to figure things out.

Casually she walked through the market streets. While most of the species were different and the architecture foreign, she did not find Firelight Coast much different from Avarice. The docks were home to the sailors, homeless and lowlifes. Nearby were booths and small shops, the wares becoming more pricey the further inland you got.

None of this helped her with her task. They had a ship, a ship needed cargo.

"Fresh bread made daily, only three silver!" A merchant called out.

'That would be stale before we made our destination,' Jess mused to herself.

"Local fish, fresh caught and only half a gold a pound!" An overly excited otter called.

'Same problem as the bread.'

"Come purchase the finest silk cloth in all of Firelight! Made from our very own local fire shrimp!"

Finally, Jess' interest was peaked. It was easy to locate the crocodile, who was larger than most of the other merchants and seemed to be wearing the same silk garments she was selling. Putting on a smile that she really wasn't feeling, Jess made her way over to the cold blood.

"Excuse me," Jess greeted. "These silks, did you make them yourself?"

The croc had to look down at Jess to meet her eye, giving a much too toothy smile. "Oh yes. It's been a family talent for generations. You won't find any finer silk in any port, guaranteed."

"I see." As if testing the claim, Jess took some of the silk in her paw, feeling it's quality. Truthfully, it was nowhere near the fine quality that the royal family owned back in Avarice. She would know since Vic had given her a silk scarf as a gift once.

Still, it was nicer than the common stuff and there was something about the color that shimmered in a way Jess had never seen before. What had the merchant said? The silk was made with fire shrimp.

"If it's not prying, may I ask what fire shrimp are?"

The croc brightened more at the question, clearly taking pride in talking about her work. "Of course! It's a local species only found in the waters in Firelight. I'm sure you've noticed how the water here glows as if there's fire under the water at night?"

Jess managed to keep the surprise off her face. "I've actually never heard of such a thing. My ship just arrived this morning."

"Oh, you're a Captain?"

She had to fight the urge to grit her fangs, the croc didn't have to sound so surprised at the idea, even if it wasn't true. "No, the ship I sail on."

There was a moment when the merchant looked embarrassed at her mistake, but she recovered quickly. "My mistake. Well if you'll be here once night arrives, you will have to take a walk along the docs or through one of the southern swamps, it's a beautiful sight." For a moment Jess thought she'd have to get the croc back on topic, but the merchant was a professional it seemed and guided the conversation back on track. "But for the shrimp themselves, the natural chemicals that cause them to glow can be extracted and used to make all sorts of colors for the silk, that's what gives it the unique shine. You won't find any other silk like it in all of Apex."

Jess had to admit, the silk would make a unique bit of cargo. It was local only, lightweight so they could transport a lot of it and there was no risk of the cargo going bad. The tricky part would be to make a deal.

"Were you interested in purchasing some today?" The merchant asked.

"Actually," Jess began. "I was hoping to make you a proposition. Your silks really are stunning, how much are you selling them for?"

The croc seemed a bit hesitant now, picking up on this not being a typical transaction. "It depends on the color and if you want an already made garment or a whole bolt. But typically most of the garments rang from three to seven gold and most colors of the loose silk are one to two gold per yard. As for the purple and gold colors, they run higher."

Before she could stop herself, Jess let a genuine smile slip through. The crocodile may have been welcoming and chatty, but she was certainly a shrewd business woman when it was all said and done.

"All those prices seem fair for the quality, but what if I told you, if you were to export your silks to other parts of Apex, you could easily sale them for three times that much." Jess did not consider herself a skilled negotiator, however, she had seen Vic do it enough times to at least act the part.

The merchant nearly laughed at the response. "I'm sure, but one of the things that makes my silks so special is that they can only be bought here. Plus the export fees are quite high."

Call it a bat's intuition, but Jess was fairly certain there were other merchants in Firelight who knew how to make silk using the fire shrimp. If there weren't than this crocodile wouldn't be selling her goods this close to the docks.

"I would have to talk it over with my Captain to be sure. But I'm fairly certain he'd be willing to handle any export fees. We would offer you a simple fifty fifty split seeing as this is a test trial to see how they sell. If it goes well we could be doing a lot more business together."

There was hesitation in the merchants eyes, but she was thinking it over. After all, Jess had made a very tempting offer.

"Your Captain would really handle all the fees himself?"

"Absolutely." Even as Jess reassured the croc, she started to wonder just what all the fees the merchant was worried about.

"I don't know, I really don't have enough inventory to export. It's just me and my daughters who make the silks since we can't afford to hire any help."

That was a problem, no matter how much she pushed, Jess couldn't expect this merchant to be out of stock just on the gamble of getting a large return at a much later date.

"I understand. What if we found a workaround?" Jess paused for only a moment to let the question linger in the air. "I'm not sure how long we'll be in port, but we might be able to extend our stay if you are really interested in exporting. As a general guess, how long would it take you to make a large enough export order and still have enough to sale yourself?"

The merchants might jaws were agape for a moment, slightly stunned as she thought on the question.

"W-well, if we managed to spend all day on the work and took shifts at night...I-I suppose there would be enough silk in two weeks?"

"Two weeks? You're sure about that?"

"That would be the longest, yes. If everything works out perfectly and nothing unexpected comes up it'd be a week and a half."

It seemed a bit longer than Vic might like, but they didn't have a lot of options at the moment.

"That should be fine, I'll let my Captain know and hopefully he should come by to work the finer details out with you in a day or two."

Jess could tell the merchant was truly excited at the idea. "Be sure to tell your Captain to bring the transport certificate with him."

"Transport certificate?" Jess' mouth suddenly went dry.

"Well, yes." The merchant's expression darkened, looked far less friendly. "I assumed your Captain had a transport certificate. If he doesn't I'll be under heavy fines from the merchant's guild."

"...right, right of course! He absolutely has one." Jess lied her wings off. She'd never even heard of such a certificate and didn't even know what a guild was. "He's more knowledgeable in that sort of thing. Just to make sure what he has and what you're talking about are the same, what process does one go through to get a merchant's certificate?"

Those eyes were on Jess, a sort of look that only a cold blood could give. Thankfully, as soon as it appeared it was gone. "I couldn't say the full process myself. But I do know you have to get your certificate from the Ropiteaux Embassy. After that it needs to be certified by the merchant's guild."

With a slow nod, Jess could only pray that she didn't look as dumbfounded as she felt. "Well I'm certain he already as all that in order. Looking forward to doing business with you."

After giving a smiles and a polite nod, Jess began to make her way to the meet up point. With talks of certificates and guilds, it sounded like they had more problems than just their docking fee.