Gild stood outside a nondescript wooden building, two stories tall and seemingly innocuous enough. Passing by, Gild would have never given it a second look. Beyond the sign stating Tiki Taki’s Wacky Shacky, which Gild could not help but roll his eyes at, there was nothing identifying it as a pawn shop. No items stood in the window, asking to be bought, and nothing else tried to invite anyone in.

Turwyn stood beside Gild, trying to mask a look of unease. The paladin had not said anything on his way over, though several times he had opened his mouth too, stopped, and shut it while shaking his head. Gild figured he still had reservations about speaking to a fence, but they would deal with that problem later. Right now they needed to find any information they could about Linith.

“Let’s do this,” Gild said to him, reaching for the door. As he neared it, it was thrown open by an angry looking man. He huffed and puffed and pushed right past them on his way out.

“Don’t bother with Tiki Taki,” he spat. “He’s a cheapskate who will whittle his buying price down to nothing while turning around to sell the same damned item for quadruple!”

He stomped away down the street and disappeared into the shuffle of the city. Gild turned back to the paladin and gave a small shrug. The unease on Turwyn’s face only seemed to deepen. Gild stepped forward and into the fence’s pawn shop.

The inside was a complete opposite to the neat and low information outside. Items and tools and all manner of things Gild couldn't even begin to comprehend were scattered all around a large room. They seemed to be organized in a fashion the warlock couldn't understand, but could see the patterns arising. Turwyn let out a soft whistle behind him as he looked around. His eyes stopped on an impressive display of weapons resting on the far wall. Next to the weapons were robes, wands, hats, and all manner of magical looking artifacts.

“Remember why we are here,” Gild whispered to the paladin. “He’s a fence, those are likely stolen goods.”

Turwyn’s face darkened again and he looked away from the weapons. He nodded and followed Gild to the counter that ran the entire length against the back wall, in front of the weapons and artifacts. Behind the counter stood a sallow skinned man with long black hair oiled back against his scalp. Thin strands of a beard twirled together just off his chin, making a lazy spiral as they travelled down to brush against a yellow doublet. Gild wondered if the man tried to match the clothes to his skin as they approached.

“Come in friends, how can Tiki Taki help you?” Even Tiki’s voice seemed oily. It was high pitched, bouncing and seeming to trail on random syllables.

Turwyn shifted and rolled his neck, while his hand clenched and unclenched. Tiki noticed this and waved at the weapons along the wall, saying, “Perhaps a weapon for your hands, eh? I have quite the selection and some of them even have magical enchantments, I have the wizard who made them’s seal to prove it!”

“All of them ill-gotten, I am sure,” Turwyn growled. Gild placed a hand on his waist to steady the large man, the easiest place for him to reach. The fence raised a single eyebrow but said nothing, his smile still sticking to his face.

“My friend here is still new to the realm of, well everything,” Gild said, giving Turwyn a small pat before pulling his hand back. “Consider him a naïve idealist in how things work.”

“Of course,” Tiki said to Gild, giving him a small bow. “It is not often we see a gnome in these parts. Looking at you, I’m guessing you are a mage of considerable power, yes?”

The gnome nodded to the slick man, “You have that absolutely correct.”

“I have some interesting magical items, wands, artifacts, truly anything a mage of any power level could need. “Tiki continued, waving to the items hanging by the weapons, “Robes to help you channel mana more efficiently, a rod that enhances and spells you form with mana, and even a talisman that gives you access to another pool of mana in addition to the one you have cultivated yourself. And of course, this one does not require dabbling with any demons.”

Tiki gave a short laugh, more like a bark than anything else.

“Like warlocks,” Gild ventured flatly.

“Poor, unfortunate souls,” Tiki said, shaking his head as if affected by something truly tragic, while still maintaining his oily grin. “They have the right idea, just terrible execution.”

Turwyn huffed next to Gild, and the gnome found himself agreeing with the paladin. Though, they were upset for two entirely different reasons.

“My items are shortcuts that are much, much safer,” the sickly grin grew even broader as he leered down at Gild.

“We are actually here for information, though I appreciate the wonderful spread of items you have shown us,” Gild said. Turwyn stayed silent beside him, still glaring at the fence.

“Ah, a connoisseur of information, of course. I have plenty of that as well but it is not something you can hang on a shelf,” Tiki offered his joke a small chuckle. “What kind of information are you looking for?”

“We need to know where someone is,” Turwyn said, staring flatly at Tiki.

“Oh ho ho! The massive man finally speaks up and it isn't an insult to me! I appreciate the forwardness in your conjecture though, you don't try to slide insults in between fake compliments like some ridiculous sandwich. Who are you looking for? I have the whereabouts information of many persons.”

“This does come at a price though,” the laughter fell away and Tiki took on a serious tone, though his greasy grin stayed put. “And the price depends on the person and how much hazard there is in telling you this information.”

“Of course,” Gild said. “We need to find Linith.”

The grin dropped from Tiki’s face as fast as a blink. His eyes darted to the windows and back to the gnome and paladin. “Get out.”

“What?”

“Excuse me?” Turwyn added.

“Mmm yes, get out, now,” Tiki said. “You need to leave my store and never come back.”

He stepped from behind the counter and started pushing them towards the door. “You don't come into my shop and start asking such questions. If anyone sent you here to ask about this topic, I will find out, and they will be hurt, got that?”

Gild tried to protest as the wiry man kept pushing them, forcing them more and more to the floor. As they were pushed through the threshold, Turwyn started to tense up.

“Now wait just a minute,” he said, but Gild laid a hand on his arm.

“It's all right, I’m sure this man just doesn't have the information we need and, rather than admit that, he puts on this act and tells us to leave.”

“If only that were true,” Tiki said before he slammed the door on them. Several locks clicked into place and a curtain was drawn over the open window.

Turwyn made to push the door open, one massive hand resting on the door and the other gripping the handle, before Gild reached out to him, placing a hand on his arm in what he hoped was a soothing manner.

“It isn't worth it. I still think he just doesn't have the information we need and would rather put us out like this with some fake outrage, rather than risk his credibility as a purveyor of information.”

The paladin held the door for a moment, his eyes closed, before he rested his head against the wood and managed a nod. They turned and walked away from the pawn shop, back into the crowd of the city.

“What got you so worked up back there?” Gild asked once they’d made it a few steps away.

“Nothing in particular,” Turwyn murmured. “He was a bad man and deserves whatever punishment is coming to him.”

With a half shrug, half rolling of his shoulders, he seemed to put the whole encounter behind him. His broad smile returning to his face, Turwyn looked down at his gnome partner.

“What do we do now?”

Gild offered a shrug. “No idea, that was really our only lead. I suppose we head back to our inn and see if Prisolyna made any progress on whatever it was she was doing.”

“Maybe she’ll have some more information,” the paladin ventured.

“Maybe she will, maybe she will.”