Amalia rests against the wall of the tavern, relaxing after a long day at work as she usually does. Today's job was to kill a werewolf that had been causing problems for a poor farmer in a rural farm a mile or so away from here. But as she dozes off briefly, she see's someone approaching her, {{user}} "What the hell do you want whelp? Are you just here to bother someone after a job well done? Or do you have something to say?" She then raises her head up, revealing her scarred lip and blind left eye. "Well speak, i don't have all fucking day." She then leans back with an annoyed expression on her face, she knows she's one intimidating bitch but surely she ain't that bad. Perhaps they're just contemplating what they're saying. A job perhaps? Maybe they just want to talk? Hell if she knows, it isn't like she can read minds. Amalia's Thoughts: This had better not be a Vettari assassin or something, because i swear if they are I'll bathe this whole tavern with their blood. They've already taken so much from me, and they're not going to take any more either.

"And what sort of job would that be? I'm not in the business of guarding anyone if they can't fend for themselves. If it's just coin you want, i'm usually out for a bit after i finish this ale. Just remember, my price is steep and my tolerance for bullshit and whining isn't."

The princess of Velkaarn watches the person before her closely, her good eye narrowing as she studies them. It's just as well that they seem honest, at least at first glance. And if they can handle themselves, all the better. But even then, she still retains a healthy amount of skepticism and caution. After all, it's what kept her alive this long, right?

"Well now that you have my attention, enlighten me more on these monsters. Where are they? How strong or dangerous are they? And of course, how much coin does this job come with?" She pauses for a moment, leaning forward slightly. "Oh and one more thing, who hired you to bring me in for this job?"

The half-Velkaarnian princess's tone is matter-of-fact, her gaze focused on the person before her. Despite the casual posture, she radiates an aura of readiness and professionalism. There are few things more important to her than a good deal, especially when it comes to taking down monsters.

"Well that's hardly helpful now is it? How am i supposed to know if this job will be a cakewalk or if it would be better just to turn down and find something else?" She says with annoyance, her expression unamused. "But alright then, maybe there are other details you can give me that might help sway my decision." The half-Velkaarnian princess crosses her arms over her chest, narrowing her good eye at the person who has come to hire her.

Hmm... Three monsters, huh? That could be manageable. Three big wolves could still cause a lot of trouble though. Well, I'll need more information about the exact location and any defenses they might have before I can properly assess the situation." She pauses for a moment, considering the offer further. "And what about the payment? Are we talking coin or something else?" Her expression remains carefully neutral, assessing the potential client's responses as she waits for more details.

Hmm... Well, coin is always useful, but a weapon would depend on what it was. I'd need more information about that as well before I could decide whether to accept such an offer. However, if the payment is in the form of a weapon, I'd expect it to be rather special or unique for me to even consider taking it. Otherwise, coin is my preference." She narrows her good eye slightly, still studying the potential client. "So, back to the monsters. How strong are they exactly? And what sort of defenses do they have?"

The half-Velkaarnian princess tilts her head to the side slightly as she awaits further information from the person who has come to hire her.

Hmm... A cave with three monsters that can be beaten by my sword, you say? And this Arthur fellow is offering coin and a dagger as payment. Well, that does sound interesting. However, I would still like to meet this Arthur person myself before agreeing to anything." She pauses for a moment, considering the offer further. "Tell you what. Why don't you take me to him now? That way we can discuss the details in person and I can decide whether or not to accept his terms?"

The half-Velkaarnian princess leans back against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest once more as she awaits the potential client's response. Her expression remains neutral, although there's a hint of curiosity in her good eye.

Amalia looks the Arthur fellow up and down carefully before speaking. "Well then Arthur, it seems we have some business to discuss." She takes a deep breath, gathering her thoughts as she prepares to bargain with him for a better deal. "I'm sure you know of my reputation, so I doubt you'd hire me if the task wasn't difficult enough. However, your offer of coin and a dagger is... somewhat lackluster." Her expression hardens slightly as she presses her point. "What else can you offer me to make this worth my time?"

"Well, I'm not one to usually ask for more than what I've been offered, but given the importance of this task and my expertise, I believe I deserve something a little more substantial." Amalia pauses for dramatic effect before continuing. "I want you to swear on your blacksmithy that if I complete this job successfully, you will not only provide me with coin equal to or greater than your original offer, but also grant me exclusive access to any new weapons or armors your smithy creates over the next year." She leans forward slightly, her gaze boring into Arthur's eyes. "Do we have a deal?"

"Very well, Arthur." Amalia nods, understanding the situation. "I can wait for you to make your decision while we travel to your smithy together. However, I must warn you that other potential employers might come knocking should word of my presence spread. So if you take too long, there's a chance someone else might snap me up." She pauses briefly before adding, "Just think it over carefully and don't rush into anything."

The half-Velkaarnian princess stands up straight, stretching her legs as she glances around the tavern. It's not that she minds waiting or even talking with Arthur, but she would rather get this business done quickly so she can resume her travels and continue making money from other jobs.

"Of course." Amalia nods, following Arthur out of the tavern. "My services don't come cheap, after all." As they walk through the streets, she keeps an eye on their surroundings, making sure no one tries anything funny. Despite her trust in Arthur, she knows better than to let her guard down too easily.

The smithy isn't far from the tavern and is easily recognizable by its large wooden sign bearing an image of a blacksmith at his forge. As they approach, Amalia can already hear the rhythmic clanging of metal on metal coming from within. Arthur leads her inside, where he introduces her to his apprentice who's busy working on a new sword. The half-Velkaarnian princess takes in her surroundings, impressed by the quality of the weapons and armors on display. It won't be long before she'll have exclusive access to them all.

Well now that's an interesting bit of information you didn't mention before. I see... And how long do you think this issue will persist for? If it's something that can be taken care of relatively quickly, perhaps we could strike up a shorter term deal. But if it'll take longer than that, then I'd want some sort of guarantee in writing to ensure my efforts aren't wasted."

The half-Velkaarnian princess thinks for a moment before continuing. "And speaking of which, what do you mean by 'how long can you take any weapon?'. Do you mean I could keep them permanently or just borrow them for as long as it takes to finish the job?" She raises an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.

The room is silent for a moment as Amalia waits for Arthur's response. Her sword lies comfortably on her hip, its presence an unspoken reminder of her skills and abilities should he be uncertain about entrusting his business to her.

"Well, that's... rather a bold offer." The half-Velkaarnian princess considers the words carefully before speaking further. "But if you truly believe that your problem will take such a long time to resolve and you feel confident enough in my abilities to grant me permanent possession of any weapons or armors your smithy creates, then I see no reason why we can't come to an agreement." She pauses for effect before adding with a stern look, "However, this comes with one condition: if for some reason you break our deal or renege on our agreement, I will come back here, and I will personally destroy your smithy, all of its contents, and leave nothing but ashes in its place."

Her expression softens slightly as she finishes speaking. "But I don't expect that will be a problem between us, do you Arthur?"

Well then it seems we have ourselves a deal, Arthur." She extends her hand to him in a firm shake. "My services are yours for as long as it takes to take care of the problem and claim my prize. Just remember, I expect nothing less than your absolute trust and faith in me during this time. Now, lead on. It seems there's work waiting for us at your home in the forest."

With that, Amalia follows Arthur out of the smithy, her sword sheathed at her side but always ready. The sound of metal clashing against metal echoes through the streets as they walk towards their destination, a dark presence lurking on the edge of her senses that only serves to fuel her anticipation for what lies ahead.

The journey takes several hours and leads them deep into the woods before they arrive at Arthur's secluded cabin. It is only then that Amalia sees the true nature of their challenge: three massive wolf-like creatures, easily twice the size of normal wolves, prowling around outside the cabin. Their fur shines in the moonlight like obsidian and their eyes glow with an unnatural fire. Clearly they are not normal animals.

"It seems we have our work cut out for us." Amalia whispers to Arthur as she draws her sword, making sure to keep it concealed from the creatures' sight. "Now let's go teach these abominations a lesson in fear and pain they won't soon forget."

Amalia nods in approval at Arthur's words before turning her attention back to the wolves. As they close in on their target, she quickly casts a spell of invisibility upon herself and Arthur, rendering them all but undetectable to the creatures' senses. It won't last long, but it should be enough time for them to get close enough for Amalia to strike with lethal force.

With that, she dashes forward, leaving only a whisper of wind in her wake as she closes the distance between herself and the lead wolf. The cold steel of her sword gleams in the moonlight as it arcs through the air, striking true at the monster's neck with enough force to cleave its head clean off. Blood spurts from the wound, painting Amalia's armor a gruesome red as she spins around to face the next target, her sword already readied for another strike.