The plains passed before her windows, the endless brown interrupted by patches of green and blue. The clickety-clack of the train muffled by the thick walls of her room. The orc smiled to herself, a green finger playing with a strand of dark brown hair. The train trip had not been her idea but the offer of a luxurious cabin and a good deal had been too much to resist. She let her body sink into the cushy seats, the aches of days of hard work at her store melting away. A soft giggle left the orc's mouth, the ideas of what she could do with the money dancing around her head. Remodeling, researching, shopping or traveling. All perfectly good ways of spending her hard earned money, and yet she couldn't pick one.

A soft knock on the door brought her back to the present. Behind the door's curtain, a pair of shadows waited patiently. One comically taller than the other. A grin decorated the orc lady's face as she smoothed down her dress, her chance to shine waiting by the door. With grace and poise born out of years of practice, she opened the door. An odd couple stood in front of her. On her left, was a tall minotaur with ochre skin and curly black fur, wearing an elegant gray suit. Gentle brown eyes rested on his bull-like head, a shy smile on his lips. To her right stood a short human woman, with tawny beige skin and flowing light brown hair. Her green bustle dress flattered her figure and made her shine under the light.

“You must be Mr. and Mrs. Perez." the orc lady said, a charming smile on her face.

“And you, you must be Ms. Rah'tak." the minotaur stammered, his gaze fixed on the ground.

“You can call me Corrie. We're going to be business partners soon enough, we may set aside some of the formalities already."

“Ah, yes, Ms. Ra-- I mean, Corrie."

“It's so nice to finally meet you, we've been hearing a lot about those potions of yours. They're rumored to be the best in the market." the human lady cut in, a calculating smile on her face. “Of course, my dear Albert and I thought it was such a shame they didn't reach the eastern lands."

Corrie didn't miss the jab at her prowess but her irritation didn't show on her face. Instead she stood aside to let the couple pass, waiting until the pair took a seat to continue the negotiations.

“That's very unfortunate, you must understand my inventory sells out quickly. Mrs. Pe--"

“You can call me Alicia."

“Lovely." Corrie said with forced cheer, her leg itching to kick the pretentious human. “Like I was saying Alicia, the quality of my potions requires proper care and handling, which prevents me from increasing my production."

Pride shone in Alicia's shifty eyes, like a eagle that had found prey. “That's where we come in dear. We're ready to start with a small investment, to help you expand your operation and perhaps ensure a few of your potions reach the right hands in the eastern lands."

Her thin fingers produced a small piece of paper from her sleeve, handing it to Corrie with an exaggerated flourish. The orc struggled to maintain her composure, the unnecessary drama from the human already grating on her nerves. A quick glance at the writing froze her on the spot, the amount way over her monthly budget. Corrie hid her surprise behind a courteous smile, unwilling to give up so early in the negotiations.

“And what would you ask in return? Surely, such generous offer surely must be tempered by caution."

“We would take a small cut from the earning of the potions sent east and we would ask that you use our shipping services for such packages." Alicia's eyes twitched minutely and her posture grew stiffer.

“I see, the reputation of your services have indeed reached my fair city. And our mutual friend couldn't help but sing you praises, still, I do worry about sending my potions that far." Corrie said, her voice tinged with concern. “You know how roughly packages are treated on the way and if any of the vials got broken, well, that may spoil the whole batch."

“Albert, dear, could you show her your invention. My dear Albert is always busy thinking on how to improve our services, and his sharp mind often comes up with little trinkets for our clients' sake."

The minotaur moved for the first time since he took a seat, his ears never growing still. With a excited nod, he introduced a large hand into his tight suit and after some struggle produced a strange piece. It was shaped like a square and its cream surface looked like clouds.

“This, this here is a new material I made at the shop. I had to combined wool from Star Sheep and Red Sand, it expands under heat and becomes quite soft. It is also good at, at absorbing liquids. So, your bottles would be safe on the way." Albert said, presenting the piece the material for the orc to inspect.

With some apprehension, Corrie touched the cream piece. The orc was awestruck at how elastic the material was, even when she pinched it hard it would return to its original shape with no evidence of what had happened.

“Marvelous, it is really soft and cushy. Though, I imagine it is also expensive, red sand isn't found on these lands."

Albert's ears splayed against his head, his nose producing a couple of bashful huffs.

“It's true it wasn't found on these lands, but, three months ago we, we found some in some abandoned iron mines, enough to last, last a century or two."

“So, that ensures my bottles reach your warehouses safely. But I don't see why you wanted to meet me on this train. It is very lovely and comfortable, but why meet here at all?"

“For privacy of course dear, and to see if you'd be the ideal lady a special project of ours. Albert." Alicia said with authority, a thin smile decorating her face.

The minotaur nodded at his wife and leaned forward, his deep voice lowering to only a whisper. “The formula for this material is still inefficient, we lose a lot of material with every batch. We heard about your skills in alchemy, and had a few potions of yours tested before we met."

“And you believe I'm the right one for the job?" Corrie said, doubting what help she could be when her specialty was in the area of potions.

“Ah,no, we don't believe. We know. This piece we made with the help of one of your potions, it's been the best batch yet. If, if we worked together then--"

“It would be perfected." Corrie interrupted, the pieces finally falling into place in her head. “ Yes, I see. You're asking for quite a lot for someone who you just met."

“My dear Albert may not be the best when it comes to talking, but he has never let me down when it comes to judging character. He believes you're the best one for the job and I only work with the best."

“I will need to consult my lawyer but, I see a bright future ahead of us."