ATTIKIAS
violence for violence
is the rule of the beasts

Attikias jumped again at Dread's voice, but he'd started to get used to it, barely moving an inch this time. "Uh, yeah!" It'd be fairly easy, right? He'd done enough of the Overseer to be able to take some techniques he'd figured out and apply them to Dread's. The talons were kind of like the weird hands, first off, and-

He'd worry about that later. Right now, he paused, glancing down at the issue. Why would it burn- "Maybe you could cover it with something? Um- or I could try and make it out of not wood." He wasn't altogether sure what he could cover it with, but it was the beginnings of an idea. What about the charcoal? That'd flake away too much, probably. Clay? But that doesn't stay in the way you mold it. Not without drying it out somehow and he was still a bit unsure how to do that successfully.

He vowed to himself to find a way to make it not burn or melt in fire for... Whatever reason.

"Oh- yeah, I can trade some? I don't have a lot on me right now, but, uh." He rummaged in his bag, pushing aside a few scraps of metal he'd picked up from the tunnel to retrieve the other two carvings he'd brought along. A deer, and a tiny little hallowed caller with its wings flared out. "Sorry they're not much, I've got a lot more back home." Which was kind of far-ish from here, but he certainly could return with more.

"How's these three for the gem and a bit of charcoal?" He pointed to the charred piece he'd picked up earlier while placing down the statues in front of him lined out. The caller's wingspan only brought it to about the size of his palm, while the deer was the biggest needing a full-handed grasp on its back to hold it securely.

In truth? He was a little more than surprised at the enthusiasm, but he was still unsure about the value they'd be appraised at with Dread. This should be enough, right?

@Dread

Dread stared at the statuettes, and then at his pile, and then back again.

"YES," he declared. And then, abruptly, he was shovelling all the coal with great digs of one hind talon, all into a small pile pushed toward Attikias. "CARVE ME A 'ME,' AND I WILL BURN ANY WOOD THAT YOU BRING FOR COAL," he huffed, pleased. It was easy to make charcoal, and apparently, the dragon was intending to be a fair tradesman.

How Attikias could carry all of that would be another question entirely.

@Attikias

ATTIKIAS
violence for violence
is the rule of the beasts

Attikias paused as Dread gathered up charcoal to make a near mountain of it. "Ah- uh-" He tried to speak softly, but the pile was shoved to him anyways. A laugh came out of him, followed by "I really only need a couple of pieces." The figures themselves were pushed forward towards the dragon in a mirrored action- true trading and bartering, this was.

With the transaction (nearly) complete, Attik brought two of the more grip-friendly pieces to rest next to the gem he was purchasing, tail idly and happily drifting to and fro. "How big do you want the statue?" Perhaps he should've asked sooner. Hopefully something he could carry back, right?

@Dread

Dread eyed the carvings greedily, though did not yet move to take them. He instead looked to Attikias, thinking.

...How big? He'd been imagining about that size, the size of the already-existing carvings. Did he want a GIANT, LIFE-SIZED DREAD CARVING? -...No, he didn't, he decided. Too big.

"BIG ENOUGH TO SEE," he blurted, at last. "When will it be done?!" It was enthusiasm--excitement--rather than demand, but with Dread it was fairly hard to tell.

@Attikias

ATTIKIAS
violence for violence
is the rule of the beasts

Attikias noticed easily how Dread was looking to take the figures for himself, so he pushed them towards the dragon in offering. Transaction complete..?

He nodded. Big enough to see- well, he'd still like to make it a little bigger for Dread. After all, Attikias designed these for himself, not for others- not until now, at least. For a bigger size- "A week?" He hummed to himself, tapping his chin. "A couple, at most. I wanna make sure it's good." Though- "Actually, it might be longer if I don't find a way to make it fireproof."

A curious, soft noise came from him. "I'll try to be as quick as I can with it, but I wanna make sure it's good." He nodded, then, standing with the gem and two pieces of coal in his hands, his right being stained black by the powder the coal left.

"Is that it, then? The figures- uh, those ones for these," he gestured with his full hands to the items in them. "And more coal for the other one when it's done."

He... Didn't need coal, actually- maybe that could be discussed next time they met. "Nothin' else you need hands for?"

He liked being helpful, doing these sorts of trades. He'd actually nearly consider it better than his original dream of achieving meaning through hunting. Who knew such a niche act could be one others could enjoy, too?

@Dread

Dread puffed up--funnily enough, not at the trade, or promises, but at the idea that the carving would take awhile. He seemed proud of this. Undoubtedly he'd go around telling everyone "I have an artist working on a sculpture of me" and then pose as he was now: his spines all stood on end, his neck raised in a near-vertical arch, the skin between each spine fanned taut.

"That is good! Make it good," he agreed, as if acknowledging that time was important in these endeavors. "Yes." Dread gestured, agreeing, too, to the exchange; he seemed too interested in the carvings to pay much attention to whatever Attikias took. An unscrupulous person would likely have been able to just sneak extra; Dread's eyes were stuck to the figurines, instead.

He then deflated, a little, puzzled, perhaps just at the question about hands. "No..?" he answered, hesitant, peering at Attikias; as if wondering if there was something he should need hands for, but wasn't knowing what. He gathered himself. "THIS IS GOOD," he finished.

Deal... completed?

@Attikias

ATTIKIAS
violence for violence
is the rule of the beasts

Attikias mistook the building up as a sign of displeasure- yet, when he looked at Dread's face, he'd realized that it was pride. Was it the time? Was that short enough, then? He'd try to get it done as soon as possible, then.

He dipped his head to the dragon. "I promise I will." This, he meant; he'd actually had something commissioned of him rather than a gift now, and it was something he wanted to impress Dread with. Blow him away with its detail- and it's fire resistance.

That was it, then. But Dread seemed somewhat dejected by his words, and Attikias, waved a hand to the best of his ability without dropping what was in it. "Oh, nono, you're fine! I was just asking." He smiled up at the looming dragon as he took a step back. "I'm gonna go work on the carving, but I'll be back! Good luck with trading more." The items found their way to the bag (he'd have to wash it out later or something he figured- all that coal'll stain the inside) and he turned to jog off.

He stopped a few steps away and abruptly turned on his heels, straightened up. "Oh! My name's Attikias by the way!" Seemed kind of rude to run off without telling someone your name.

With that settled, he gave a final nod and started off with a trot back the way he came, set in his new mission to begin the rise of capitalism.

;exit unless stopped
@Dread

Dread turned, curling back around his pile, leaving Glory to examining what remained.

"THANK YOU," he bellowed, seemingly randomly, after Attikias. There was no "please come again," but Dread was at best an apprentice dragon shopkeeper.

He drew a wooden carving close, peering at its details, turning it over so that it glinted dully in his gleaming eye. This, he thought, is a very good start.

And then, as they so often did, Dread's thoughts turned to gold.

exit Dread