22. Everen: The Cote

Summary

• The protagonist and their associate are approached by a fox-masked merchant who claims they've been cheated of their money. This character is revealed to be Larkin, a prior acquaintance of the protagonist.
• The protagonist, having successfully won a bet and received a "nice little bonus," offers Larkin a peace offering in the form of a money-filled purse.
• Larkin is willing to work with the protagonist and be obedient to him, hinting at a past shared history of chaos and struggles of power.
• On a late night walk, the protagonist and their associate stumble upon the sight of a brutal assault and subsequent death. They discover the attacker was a Starveling, and discuss the prejudices and fears surrounding Struck, humans marked by magic.
• The protagonist recalls a strange occurrence at a bar. Mirel, the siren they'd met before, did not recognize them and acted flirtatious, having been seemingly spelled to forget their previous encounter. The protagonist had disguised as a dragon when they first met Mirel.
• A few nights later, the protagonist and Larkin meet the Marricks, a group of thieves, for a business meeting. Larkin dresses lavishly, exerting authority and power through her appearance, much to the protagonist's disregard with mockery and nonchalance.
• Inside their impressive abode, Wren, a member of the Marricks, presents the protagonist with an uncanny, intricate model of a dragon claw. They debate the use of real versus imitation jewels for the model, concluding to use the imitation unless the buyer is strongly aligned with Piater magic.
• The protagonist is disturbed, realizing the original dragon claw must have belonged to a now-deceased dragon. This fuels the protagonist's resentment towards humans who killed dragons for treasures, and heightened their desire not to trust them.