Inspired by a Spell from a 3rd Party D20 Publisher.....
Carrs sighed as he regarded the wizard that was challenging him.
"I'm sorry, sir." Carrs tried again. "But I'm afraid that's the price I charge for those material components. Threatening me won't change that."
The black-clad wizard raised his hands in gesture, as the wizard's familiar, what looked like a some sort of extraplanar variant of cat, also leapt up onto the counter, hissing and adding it's physical presense to his masters.
"You have exactly 10 seconds to change your mind, and sell me them at the price I offered, or I'll simply kill you and take them, and everything else in your shop."
Inwardly, Carrs shock his head. What was it with self-important, rude, and arrangant wizards wearing black, regardless of their personal philosophies? Was it the entire image they thought it portrayed? I'm a wizard, I'm wearing dark clothing, so I'm dangerous? Carrs usually wore simple clothing, even for a merchant. No need to make bold fashion-based proclamations of power while walking down the street to get a new teapot.
And why did arragant wizards personalities always seem to affect familiars of otherwise agreeable species? Except for fiendish cats, which this familiar clearly was not, as it had been able to enter the shop, most smaller cats were rarely aggressive towards humanoids.
"Well" Carrs thought to himself. "He can obviously read, so if he didn't read the warning sign, that's his problem."
The Sign clearly said, in several languages "Warning: Threatening or Agressive behaviour towards properitor, staff, premisses or customers meet with deadly force."
Carrs didn't even have to gesture. Her rarely did. He reached out with his mind and his arcane power, and took the iniative from his aggressor. Carrs put all the arcane energy he could into the Hold Person spell, and then summoned a mental attack with his mind.
As expected, his attackers spell was 'single target only'. Carrs smiled as the black-clade wizard's attack was directed back on himself. With him weakened, Carrs let the Hold Person spell take effect, then assault his attackers mind. His attacker was neatly immoblized. Breathing, and unable to move. With his magically enhanced vision, Carrs could see the eldritch bonds holding his attacker. He unleashed the psionic effect he had summoned, and literally whipped his opponents ego into compliance. The Black Clad wizard lay on the ground, drool dripping out of the side of his mouth
Carrs smiled "Best 42 days I ever spent on a permanent defensive spell. Now then, what to do with you?"
Carrs gestured, and a magical cage closed around the familiar. He could feel the familiars panic.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to harm you in anyway, shape or form. In fact, judging by your masters actions, and you less then pampered appearance, I'm probably doing you a favor, even if I'll get more benefit out of this then you will."
With his enhanced sight, Carrs saw his spell form. A mystical hand reached out, and grabbed the threads bonding familiar to master. Were those threads connected, Carrs saw them tie into a knot. Another hand drew a thread out from here. A moment later, the spell was complete. It was called "Steal the Ties that Bind" by Kobolds and Draconic casters. Carrs knew it by other names. He untied the familiar from it's old master, and tied it to himself.
The Animal immediately looked better for it.
"How are you feeling?" Carrs asked it. Carrs, with all he'd seen in his travels, hated people that mistreated animals and pets.
"Better now." The familiar asked. "How did you..."
"Time enough for that later. I take it you still remember everything you learned at the side of this cur, umm...?"
"He called me Patches. And, yes, I remember everything. I've served him for 15 years."
"Good." Carrs smiled, and cast another spell. The Black-clad wizard disappeared immediately.
"Well, he can't recover trapped in a Stasis Closet." Carrs said. "So, my new friend. Tell me about the man that was foolish enough to attack me in my own shop. Like for starters, where he keeps his spellbooks, magic items, magical supplies, treasure, and so forth."
