The woman -- who had very specifically avoided her own name -- raised her head very slightly, a keen stare settled on 'the Dragon.' Her gaze didn't falter, even when the bartender returned with a second set of mugs and left again.

She smiled sweetly. "Of course. It is only good business to validate authenticity before settling an agreement. I trust you will do the same."

With quick dexterity she unlatched the pouch in her lap, and she placed a hand-sized wooden box in the middle of the table. It was made of a fine wood that shone with expensive taste. She lifted a delicate silver chain from around her neck, and with its little key she popped open the box.

Inside were layers of silk and plush, and a marble that swirled and glowed a haunting violet. The longer one looked at it, the deeper it seemed -- as if every answer to every question were hidden in the violet chaos inside that little ball of glass.

"Pyre's Fortune," the woman introduced her prize, while violet light cast shadows on the table and their drinks. "Kings and empires rose and fell around it. The luck of the gods -- riches and victory -- in exchange for the horrors in the night."

The box was closed with a snap, the key returned to her neck. Her smile hadn't wavered. "Of course, I would like to see the map. If you don't mind."

She hadn't touched the second mug.