The ruins of Ikana are notoriously crawling with all manner of unsavory creatures. This is good for Sakon and bad for Sakon, as a thief. It means other thieves are hesitant to search the area for plunder (and the plunder to be found around the old castle is CHOICE). It also means that when he searches the area, he has to contend with critters that could kill him.
If the past week had worked out better for him, he wouldn’t even be here. The man who runs the Curiosity Shop is a real bastard. He underpays for goods, and he has ties with the Mayor; if he has enough cause to dislike you, your operation mysteriously comes under the scrutiny of the town guards. He doesn’t threaten as much openly, but. Sakon’s seen it happen to competitors. The bastard is so caught up in the joy of scamming that he doesn’t stop to understand...thieves need to eat. That dish Sakon turned over should have brought in at least twenty rupees. Sakon sure as hell expended more than twenty rupees of effort to get it. He got seven. Haggled up from five.
But what did he do, though? Cut ties with the Curiosity Shop? Try to ruin the cheeky jackass’s entire operation, even? No. He slunk to one of the most dangerous regions in Termina, to prove to himself he’s still got it, he can still bring back treasures worthy of...someone whose opinion shouldn’t mean a damn thing in the first place. One of these days, Sakon is going to figure out how to get in contact with the pirates from Great Bay; maybe they’ll understand his worth. One of these days, that’s going to look easier than finding new ways to keep that false king in Clock Town happy. One of these days.
But today he’s just shuffling around castle ruins, armed to the teeth and twitching at sudden noises. Once, many years ago, he (came to possess) a ring with a blue gem that glows in the presence of magic (sometimes). He doesn’t know where it’s from or what it’s supposed to do (he doesn’t dare put it on), but it’s useful to carry on expeditions such as these. The mechanism behind dead that walk again isn’t weather conditions. ...The thing has saved him pain, possibly his life, on more than one occasion.
He comes to a part of the ruins he’s never been to before and takes a look at the ring. It’s glowing orange.
Does orange mean turn around and flee like a scared child. Because... wait, what’s that over there. He almost turns around and leaves. He wouldn’t be able to name what prompted him to approach the small, limp form; curiosity? He’s something of an adrenaline junkie. The thieving lifestyle is exciting. For whatever the reason, he slowly approaches what turns out to be an imp about a third of his height, lying next to a strange mirror, breathing shallowly, unconscious. The ring is screaming orange by the time he brings it next to the creature. It’s magic, it’s definitely magic, but like no magic Sakon has ever seen.
Naturally, he plonks the poor creature on the Curiosity Shop man’s counter later that night and demands a firm five hundred rupees for it.
A fourth party, watching from the backroom, has seen some pretty shocking things in this circle of associates, but this seems extreme even to him. The thought strikes him, as the deal is being finished up, that the creature will be brought to the backroom shortly, for storage. He gathers his things and discretely leaves. Will he be able to continue to make use of the backroom as a sort of living space, with that imp thing there? Will he even be allowed to? He doesn’t know. But he does know he doesn’t really want to talk to the Curiosity Shop man right now, not after what he’s just seen.