"It was. Briefly."

Her gaze snaps to their conductor, whose eyes have been roaming appreciatively across his two passengers. He quails under the weight of her glare.

She laughs.

"Maybe pay attention to our route," she suggests to the conductor, voice still merry.

He coughs, and bends back to his tasks. The voyage is, if not record-setting, not precisely leisurely.

The Gallows' docks are watched over by templars, with full plate armor, longswords, and tall shields bearing their order's sigil: a sword wreathed in flame, point up. Peaceable visitors are allowed to pass by into the fortress courtyard without comment.

That's definitely them, peaceable sorts. No revolution or murder to be seen here.

The skeptical expressions this assertion would cause on the more perceptive sort of templar are hidden behind their bucket-like helmets. And the fact that such an assertion is left unvoiced. And that there are, in fact, none of the more perceptive sort of templar standing guard at the moment. The courtyard is ringed by metal statues of people in chains, similar to the carvings on the city wall. Along one wall is an actual gallows, sized for fifteen nooses at once, though only a pair are occupied at the moment. The bodies are slowly decomposing, eyes and bits of flesh from the faces already picked off by scavengers. But the main attraction is on the other side, where the Circle mages have space to sell enchanted items to the public, under watchful guard.

The Keres makes straight for that last.

She admires the decorations a bit, then following, gaze sweeping over what's for sale, analyzing the guards and how dangerous they might be (she suspects 'not very'). 

They've clearly had extensive training, but it's unlikely they'll be a threat to her in particular. They seem more concerned with the mages than visitors. But of the fifteen or so Circle representatives, only two are mages still capable of their craft. The rest are Tranquil, bearing the distinctive forehead brand of that ritual and speaking in emotionless monotone.

She makes a face when she sees the brand.

Interacting with the Tranquil is intensely disquieting, though she doesn't let most of that show. (She wonders if there's a way to make them feel again, however briefly, so they can at least know fear before she kills them.)

What's for sale?

Boxes to keep food cool, cups that keep drinks hot. Cloth supernaturally impermeable to water, or that will act as a heater in cold weather. An array of potions and herbs similar to that carried by Lady Elegant, but with a much heavier emphasis on healing and vastly fewer poisons. Imbued gauntlets that will increase the wearer's strength. Bows that will set fire to an arrow as it's shot and daggers that crackle with electricity.

The Keres is toying with one of these, drawing it lazily through the air and observing that sparks that jump off.

She'll look at the bows - her last one broke, and 'sets fire to things' sounds aesthetic.

Shortbows, longbows, crossbows... None are artisanal masterworks, but they all exceed the 'serviceable' bar. (Arrows not included.)

(Eh, with the stresses she puts weapons under... Still, she might be able to dissect one, or play with the magic somehow. She still hasn't explored the full potential of her Rinnegan.)

She'll take a short bow.

The cost is ten sovereigns. (The gold coins, and twice as much as a high-quality, unenchanted bow. There was enough coin in the manor for this to be a comfortable purchase.)

She might try to obtain an unenchanted bow later, as well.

She pays it, and asks if there's a fletcher the seller would recommend. (She probably still has some arrows sealed away somewhere, but.)

"I know very little of the manufacture of arrows," is the flat, glassy-eyed reply. "They are not permitted within the Circle."

"Pity."

(She is going to burn this place to the ground. She bets the templars scream beautifully. People who think they're so far above others always have the most delicious fear...)

"Would you care to purchase anything else? I am told the red cloth is suitable for a person of your coloration."

"Oh, I do so love red..." And really she'll eventually need more than the three outfits she has on her, and it's not like she can't steal more money if she runs out.

She picks the bloodiest shade, of course. One of the impermeable to water ones.

That runs her another seven sovereigns.

The Keres purchases the knife she was playing with, another selection of potions and herbs, and a few lengths of cloth of her own. All of it vanishes inside her robes when the guards aren't looking.

Hisame's storage seals take a bit more creativity to hide the function of, but it's a challenge now.

Away go the bow and cloth, into new tattoos on her forearm and hip respectively. 

Their legal business here taken care of, she walks over near the hanged men again.

She spends the walk cataloguing local defenses and how quickly they'll likely be able to respond to Hisame's usual brand of chaos.

The courtyard is easily sealed off, and the walls are thick and sheer.

"I don't think the templars will pose a danger," she murmurs when Hisame is close enough. "They are well trained, but against those not wielding their magic, that is their only advantage. The mages have a wide breadth of ability, but nothing evinced says to me that is insurmountable. And there is deep animosity between the templars and their charges. It would not be difficult at all to arrange events such that we face but one faction at a time."

Not much of a problem for someone who can fly if she feels like spending the chakra, or run up walls nearly as easily as she'd run across a flat surface.

"They seem to rely very heavily on their physical sureties - their walls and gates. I doubt they will do well at all against attacks from unexpected directions."