To Sleep Is Golden

To Jace the walk to the nearby city was over in a moment. She was rapidly approaching the point where her energy was running out.

Still extremely awake she wouldn't ever be able to truly relax. Forever only Content when she was getting what she wanted.

'I have a big problem. I need to go off line for a while. But I don't have my sensory deprivation tank…'

Sighing Jace wished for her staff and her legion. If she had those tools at her fingertips she could solve this situation in a heartbeat.

Unfortunately she didn't have any support. Well except for this man.

Being honest with herself, though, he seemed more like a wet blanket.

'So weak!'

"We need to do some scouting. Let's find a stand or a shop selling jewelry. We need to figure out the currency here and how much we can realistically sell my stuff for."

Explaining what they needed to do she pulled Tony's arm towards the center of town.

"Sure, sounds like a good plan. Should we split up. We can cover more ground separately, right?"

He asked so innocently.

'Can't he tell I need him? What is with this guy?'

"No, let's stay together. This won't take long."

It was true, there was no way she was going to be able to sell any of her pieces for anything near their true value. Much of their value was in their history and in the details of the exact material.

But she couldn't reveal all that. If she did she would make a killing. But there was no way anyone in this city was rich enough to afford them.

Eventually they walked up and down the main street. There was only one jeweler. From what Jace had seen there were higher end earrings and bracelets being sold for twenty gold. This was actually around where she needed the items to sell for.

Bread was selling for a few coppers. Chatting up an old man they found out that there was 100 coppers in a bronze penny. A silver dollar had 100 bronze pennies. And finally there was 100 dollars in a single gold royal.

They could get a cheap room at a hotel for twenty coppers. From what she could tell there was a sharp division between the haves and have nots in this world.

The poor were lucky to see a silver. Mostly they paid in copper and bronze. Due to the differences in grades it was common to see two shops right next to each other selling the same goods only at different price points.

The elite paid in silver and gold. Tony and Jace wouldn't know though because they didn't see a single individual from the upper eschelons. They just knew about it because the old man told them all about it.

There were many people at all the low class shops. But even the old man didn't seem to hold anything against the rich people. He was proud of his people and would never want to go outside his comfortable life where he knew how the ropes.

Finally Jace directed Tony back to the jewelry shop and shopping off her earring she approached the shop attendant.

"Who is in charge of sales? I want to sell these earrings."

The attendant took a closer look at Jace.

"I can make a purchase. We take earrings for 20 silver dollars."

Surprise flashed in Jace's eyes and for a moment she wanted to accidentally let her lightning slip out of her control.

'Keep it together, girl. How good a slave would you be if you lost it for this penny counter.'

Out loud she said.

"Ha, ha, ha, these are worth over a hundred gold. But I will give them away to you for sixty."

"Huh? Did you mean sixty silver?"

He snorted and put out his hand in a 'let me see' gesture.

Easily she took her earrings off and set them in his palm. Her every move was trying to say that she wasn't worried about theft.

Inside she was begging him.

'Please, please take them away. Steal them! I so need a snack. Just be greedy, I will accidentally be a little rough and drink your blood like a tall glass of water!'

Catching his eye she held his attention for longer than was polite. Eventually he broke her stare.

'Dang! He is going to be honest!'

Jace could feel it. Part of being a pylon and forsaking all ties meant that she was especially sensitive to when people were authentic.

"Alright, 20 gold."

After examining the earrings with a jeweler's eye piece he gave a number.

'Argh!'

That was the price she had been aiming for. Which meant that she could take that price now or try to get more at the risk that he would walk away.

"Fifty-five, I can't go lower. It would be disrespecting my ancestors."

The pylon could care less about her ancestors, but she had to say something.

The jeweler gasped and then tried to cover it up.

"Ahem, okay, then 45."

"No, I want sixty. But you can have them for fifty-five since I can tell you are an honest man."

Now she gave him a compliment.

Establishing a relationship that she had no intention of maintaining she waited for him to say something else.

"I can go as high as 50. I can't do more."

He said eventually, but he didn't give a reason and Jace knew she had him.

"Fifty-five and I will come back and sell these other things to you later."

Okay so maybe she would come back to him. It would make things easier later. Especially if he was able to sell them at the 100 gold price she had suggested earlier.

"Done."

Placing the earrings into a open wooden box on the counter the buyer went into the back of the store.

"Nice, work, Jace."

Tony said.

"Hush up, now. This isn't over yet."

After long we than was comfortable he came back.

"Here you go."

Placing a bag of gold down on the counter he leaned over conspiratorially.

"Careful on the streets tonight. We don't have much crime, but it does happen."

"Oh, thank you."

Jace ignored what he said, but Tony leaned in.

'Argh, what is he doing? I just want to find a place to sleep.'

"Do you recommend a place?"

"Yes, there is a tavern across the street. It isn't the nicest. But they have good rooms and a nice food."

Jace rolled her eyes.

"Actually, I am wondering if there is anywhere we can rent. Maybe a little farther from the city."

"Ah, wow, well usually visitors don't want to rent or buy? But you can probably buy any house out in the country. Show a family even one gold and more than half will pick up and move right then."

The jeweler said in a matter of fact way. He seemed to think she was joking.

"Great, thanks!"

Grabbing Tony, Jace pulled him out of the store and out onto the street.