The Merchant Who Would be King

A New Party?

Marian

Feeling a mixture of betrayal and anger, Marian left Market Street behind and boldly made her way into a smaller, more upper-class thoroughfare called Singsong Avenue. Unlike the very broad main shopping district that was wide enough for carts and wagons to access it, Singsong was far narrower and only about six or seven shops long. The atmosphere was quaint and sophisticated, quieter, with tall, leafy trees overhead providing shade and dampening noise.

Perched on branches in those trees were a variety of mechanical songbirds. They had been enchanted to sing in harmony and formed a whimsical chorus as you walked. Couples sat on benches underneath, just listening or, in one case, picnicking. A fountain in the center of the street housed a small stage with a white chair and upon it rested a woman singing soft ballads.

Never having been here before, Marian did not know where to go. But each little storefront, made of stone or dark wood, featured a large picture window that was tastefully decorated with upscale merchandise: clothing, furniture, jewelry, and more. She chose the first one with magical items on display.

By luck and a little bit of suffering—emotional and physical trauma—she had come into a bit of fortune and decided to splurge on herself. She wouldn't spend everything but she would get herself something that would give her an edge when she returned to adventuring instead of riding the tailcoats of a guy who she'd thought was cool but who turned out to be anything but. She swanned into the establishment.

A thin man in a coffee-coloured vest and white shirt, his hair tinged with gray on the sides, turned from where he was delicately inscribing the back of a chest plate that was resting on a raised display. He took one look at what she was wearing and seemed ready to say, 'my dear, what is someone like you doing in a place like this?' To his credit, and her relief, he said nothing of the kind. He smiled kindly and, because it seemed honest, she liked him at once. "How can I help you today?" he asked in a quiet, smooth voice.

"I'm...just going to browse," she decided, suddenly too nervous to interact with him. She saw a wireframe mannequin with a red robe on it and a few more robes hanging behind it. Sorceresses wore robes, right? Making a beeline for it, she appraised the outfits. They were standard fare for magic users. That is, they were not form-fitting at all, just roomy and comfortable. Sort of boring, fashion-wise, if she were honest.

She saw labels and read about the enchantments on each: waterproof, fire-resistant, immune to stains. Then she saw the prices and nearly gagged on her own tongue. The cheapest robe was over a thousand gold. She deliberately pulled her unwashed hands away from the expensive fabric and realized that she was not rich, not at all, not even a little bit, not when it came to the purchase of magical gear.

A bit more unsure of herself, she backed up.

The shop attendant, or perhaps the enchanter behind these goods, turned his smile on her once more. "I apologize. I cram so much into this space that it's no doubt overwhelming and difficult to find what you're really looking for. Please, allow me to at least point you in the right direction?"

Would that be out the door before she was broke? She firmed her grip on herself. No, she wanted something magical. She had the money, she just had to be smart with it. Nodding, she very carefully made her way around the array of artifacts, making absolutely sure not to accidentally touch and break anything at all. Like that breathtaking, stylized bronze orb that would probably magnify her super-weak fan of flames spell enough that it would match the breath of a young red dragon. For a mere half a million gold. Just, you know, a trifle. She started to sweat.

She wondered if Hadiin would ever be able to afford something like that thanks to his merchant abilities. Or if she ever would as an adventurer. Or if she might if they'd stayed tog...no. She wasn't going to think about that. She was on her own now. Or on the lookout for a new team. A proper one.