The docks of Hargeon were bustling with activity as usual, with a slew of muscly dockworkers heaving large crates and carrying them to and fro among all the other people who had business there. Large wooden ships loomed overhead, slightly jostled by the occasional wave. Hiding in the briny blue of those same waves swam a lone, naked man. The water was frigid due to the time of year, and he was slightly shivering, but unlike his last job where he had gone in attempting to attract as much attention as possible, this time he was supposed to be discreet about what he was doing. That wasn't exactly easy when he was usually the only one in town parading around nude, but North wasn't about to let that stop him. He had certainly thought about just going ahead and wearing some clothes today, for it certainly would have made his current quest easier, but he had his own principles to consider regardless of what he was being paid to do. So North had found a way to accomplish his task without having to give up on what he believed in. He was going to swim up to the dock and grapple the crate over to him. "Nothing could possibly go wrong." North thought to himself.

He quietly approached the edge of the docks, careful not to make too much noise as he stroked silently through the chill sea water. Once he approached the wooden struts of the dock, he was glad to heave himself, and more importantly his nethers, out of the water just enough to peek over the edge. Pulling himself up to that height put quite the strain on his arms, but he was able to manage it without too much difficulty. He scanned the dock, looking out for the ship carrying the liquor he was supposed to be retrieving for Reagan. The crowds of people made it slightly difficult to get a good view, and there were ships on either side of him giving him even less of a field of vision with which to spot his target. Supposedly it was a ship carrying lots of exotic fruits and spices, so he kept an eye out for anyone carrying those kinds of things so he might trace their path back to the ship. Still, after a few minutes of looking and still not being able to find it North started to worry that someone might pick up the crate and run off with it unbeknownst of its contents. So, unable to shimmy along the dock due to the ships being in his way, he plunged himself back into the water and started to swim alongside the ship docked to the left of him until he'd passed by it entirely. From there he was able to pull himself up once again, his hair dripping wet and clinging to his bare shoulders. With his eyes just barely poking above the decks of the dock, he continued his search anew.

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Once North was able to get a good view from his vantage point he was able to notice some men unloading crates full of apples off of a ship not too far from where he was. A few meters away from where the men were unloading was a single crate with a crudely drawn banana on it, and North recognized it from the description he'd received from Reagan. From there, North heaved himself up onto the dock and casually walked over to the crate. As he approached the crate, he got a few strange looks, but because his hair was sopping wet like the rest of them, people probably just assumed he had fallen into the ocean and taken off his clothes. At the very least, no one approached to question North and he was able to calmly walk up to the crate and begin prying open the lid. It took a little elbow grease, but North was able to pop it off without too much difficulty. Inside were a bunch of bunches of bananas, all packed away in the crate in a way that would make one assume that was all that it contained. North had been informed otherwise however, and after a quick glance around to make sure no one was paying him too much attention, he moved around a couple of the yellow bunches and plucked out the crate that had been hidden away inside. Unlike the one on the outside, this one did not feature any crude markings denoting what might be kept inside. North knew that it happened to be a rare and illegal liquor, and he was almost tempted to snag a bottle for himself, but knew better than to ruin his reputation on a job like that. It only took so many of those kinds of mishaps before people started turning a mage down when he showed up to accept a job.

North held the crate securely cradled between both arms in front of him and calmly walked off with a sense of purpose that deflected any who might approach and question him. He had to walk for a couple of blocks until he reached the meeting place that he and Reagan had agreed upon, and by then he'd begun to dry off a little bit. North could hear the bottles clinking softly inside the crate and once again pondered what this illegal rum might be like. While he was lost in thought, he nearly walked past the meeting place and he was turned sharply while clearing his head before approaching the door. Inside the inconspicuous little shack, Reagan was sitting down on a wooden stool next to a simple table. "I got the stuff." North said with a large smile, setting it down on the table. "Good work, kid." Reagan said, pulling out a bag of jewel and one of the bottles of rum. "Here's your pay. If you're interested in doing any other work in this line, I can get you in touch with Balthazar. He's a pirate around here, easy to find, just give him this bottle and he'll take care of the rest." Reagan said, picking up the crate and leaving the bottle and the bag as he stepped out the door. North picked up the bottle and looked at it longingly, wondering if work connections were really worth skipping out on tasting this bottle. He figured he might get another chance working with the pirates though, and piracy certainly sounded exciting, so he figured he'd at least hold onto it for now.


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