The Crucible Campaign

11: Mad Science

.^^ Advanced Chemistry Kit ^^

— Tommy —

I waited a few minutes after my sister left, so that we didn't bump into each other. Double dates with twins got very awkward, very fast, and I wasn't in a hurry to test that again.

Once she was gone, however, I nudged Gladrin. "Come on, Gladrin, lets go have some fun, yeah?"

He nodded, and stood, sighing heavily. "Yeah... you need some armor, and I'll need some new ingredients, for my spells. I got some stuff to sell, from the Feywilds, so we won't be using too much of your money, for your armor, hopefully." He saw my face, and grinned. "I figured you'd want to stick it to your sister, for telling you not to waste your money."

I laughed. "Good instincts, Gladrin, very good instincts, but I'm not going to use your money. You use it to buy all you need. I'm set, for the moment, and I am fully capable of haggling, I have bought and sold horses and bulls at auctions for years."

He blinked. "Really? I wasn't aware there were auctions, for horses... aren't they really hard to catch?"

"That's why you breed them, and raise them from foaling! They don't run away if they know you." I explained, and filed the information away, that horses here were largely wild, and likely undomesticated, as well as very, very fast, if a Wood-Elf/Light Elemental thought he was slower than them.

He nodded. "I see, that does make sense. Well, they're gone, by now, so we should get out of here. This place gives me the creeps." He shivered.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why? It's beautiful."

"Sure, until you've been to the Feywild, and had to fight your way through the Hunting Grounds of the Singing Forest. Three words: Massive. Musical. Spiders." He shook his head to clear it, and I followed him out the door, after pulling my boots back on in the entryway.

"Alright... that does sound terrifying, but let's move on! What do you need? Or rather, where do you need to go, to replenish your stuff?" I asked, as we started off through the scented air.

I expected the smell of horse manure, or smog, the two scents I associated with cities, but I realized I hadn't smelled either, the entire time I'd been here. It made sense after some thought, that there were no horses here, seeing as the only way on or off this city was by way of difficult chain ladders.

He thought for a moment, looking at a list he'd pulled out of his pocket. "Most of it is in the Mage's Circle, of course... Sometimes mother has the materials I need, but our Magic's are very different, so I usually shop at the Bard's College... but I can get some of it here in the Bazaar." He stepped up to a small booth, not unlike a lemonade stand, (a very professional-looking one, anyway,).

"Oh hello, Glade! How may I help you today? It's been naughty but a week since I've seen you, you haven't used all those cherries already, eh?" A small old man frowned at him worriedly.

"That's a month in the Feywilds, Olen, and I'm sorry to say I have... they're still in season, yes?" He asked.

"Oh sure, I've got a few bunches left... who's the Genaasi lass, anyhow? Cousin on your mum's side, visiting from the City of Brass?" The little man hummed, rummaging about in his sacks of food, and handing Gladrin a sack of black cherries.

"No, she's, uhh... well..."

The man stopped, and looked at the blush on his face. "Oh? HA! That's adorable, a Bard that gets embarrassed! Oooh, my wife would tickle herself silly if she could see you now! You, girl! Come see my wares, anything you like?" He waved me forward.