Legend of Ransera

Ash 4th, 123

Dark, feline eyes watched from over the edge of an apartment building, a tail lazily fanning back and forth. Down below, empty lot between the apartment and a warehouse, compacted clay, devoid of plant life. But what it lacked in plants, it made up for with the screams of competition and laughter, echoing out from several youths kicking a ball around. They ranged from children to young men and women, and there seemed to be two teams.

Amersis watched, amused, as they seemed to be kicking the leather ball to one another and attempting to kick it in between some posts they had set up. The feline turned away from the game, stretching his back out in the warm sunlight. Then he sauntered along the edge of the building, over to a laundry line tied at the corner. He stepped out on it, then twisted, leaping down to a window ledge. He walked the short length of it, then jumped down to the next window. He turned about, and leapt down behind some crates where he'd stashed his city bag, as he'd come to call it. He transformed into his elven form, pulled clothes out of the bag, and stepped out onto the field.

The players stopped, looking over at the foreign man, and then all broke into a smile. They waved him over, and assigned him to a team. He took in the faces, but to be fair, these northerners all looked alike, pale and boring looking. Soon, the game was off. Amersis' feline instincts had him chasing after the ball. He was quick, but so were they. He approached the ball carrier aggressively, and swiped his foot out much like he would his paw. It struck the ball hard, sending it away from him.

Annoyed, Amersis chased after it.

An hour later, the game was over and Amersis still wasn't sure who was on which team and who had won, but he cared not. His chest heaved from the exertion and his instinct to chase the ball had waned. He approached the child that had now picked up the ball, flashing him a smile. He reached into his coin pouch, pulling out a silver Aven. He held it up, "For the ball?"

The boy's eyes went wide. He'd bought the ball for two coppers a season ago. "Y-y-yes, of course!" He was already deciding how to spend it as Amersis held out a hand for the ball. The boy passed it over, and Amersis began lowering the coin toward the palm of his hand. He winked at the boy, "Keep it safe, don't want the others stealing from you." As he said this, his fingers switched the silver Aven for the copper Aven he'd hidden behind it. He set the copper into his palm, pulling his hand free. He then made a show of closing the boy's palm around the copper, "That big boy there looks shady as hell. That wiry girl too. Best hide this until you're home."

The boy nodded nervously in agreement and immediately pocketed the copper coin. "Pleasure doing business with you."

With that, Amersis turned on heel, grabbed his pack, dropping the ball, softly kicking the ball as he made his way out into the busy street, wondering what to get into next.