#wriitng

He’d heard of a ring that someone had developed that put a shield around a person that fit like a second skin. They employed blue opals, which was not surprising given that those stones were often used in protective spells to begin with, and he wanted to see if he could duplicate that effect with an earring. If he could, then M’rath would be much better protected, even without a bodyguard, though having one was usually very effective in preventing attacks from occurring in the first place. Still, when one dealt in money, one made enemies, and Illian was determined to keep his friend safe.

He walked into the shop, pausing with the door still open to tap some of the snow from the bottoms of his shoes before wiping them on the mat. His ears twitched as he caught snippets of the conversation that was happening between a couple and the shopkeep. Settling himself near the other end of the counter, he waited for his turn.

“I really had my heart set on the mythril,” the Elezen lady said, and looked at the man standing beside her. “Are you certain we couldn’t afford this pair?”

“Not if we’d still like to get them enchanted,” the man replied. Our budget wouldn’t cover both…”

“Perhaps if we waited on the enchantment?” she asked, her brown eyes hopeful.

“Ah, I was hoping we could do that before the ceremony, so that our oaths and the enchantment went hand in hand. But with the price that enchanter quoted us, we wouldn’t be able to afford both.”

The woman turned to look longingly at a set of wedding bands. Illian’s brow furrowed, and he slid closer along the counter. 

“Excuse me,” he said softly, and the trio turned to look at him. “I happen to be an enchanter as well. Perhaps I could give a second opinion?”

“Oh,” the shopkeep said, brightening. “Yes! Master Runetide is not just an enchanter, he is also an inventor, and very knowledgeable besides! He would be a good one to ask about enchantments.”

“Ah, you flatter me, Rinelle,” he said, waving off her compliment. “I simply overheard and couldn’t help but wonder if you were given a fair price. What kind of enchantments were you wanting, and what were you quoted?”

The man looked Illian up and down, and he was suddenly glad that he’d chosen one of his fancier jackets. Idly he wondered if his ears were poking out of his hair–he typically arranged it when he was in Ishgard to hide the pointed tips to avoid racists. Apparently he was satisfied with what he saw, because when he spoke, it wasn’t to tell Illian to buzz off. Instead, it was to inform him that they were looking for two simple enchantments–a resize enchant that was coded to its owner only, and a warming enchant for the cold weather. When he rattled off the price he’d been quoted, Illian arched his brows.

“I hate to inform you, but for two simple enchants such as those–even on two pieces instead of one–you are being swindled. Depending on the starting material, enchantments can be complicated, but mythril is highly conductive, and so the materials you would not need to use nearly as much in the way of spellcasting components to attach the enchantments. It’s part of why mythril is so expensive. Have you signed a contract with this other enchanter already for the work?”

“Ah, no,” the man replied. “We were going to do that today, after picking out the rings.”

“All right, then. I have a proposal for you.” Illian fixed them both with a smile and pulled out a business card, and then turned it over and pulled a self-inking quill from his pocket. Uncapping it, he beckoned it to life, and it scrawled out a series of numbers for different enchantment options. When he set it down on the counter, he capped the pen and stowed it again. “I will offer you a safety net. If you wish to stay with the enchanter you’ve met already, show this to them. With mythril rings specifically, you could easily enchant them with a resizing spell with a single keyed host or about this much,” he began, tapping his finger next to the first number. They all huddled around it. “If you wanted just a simple warming spell, tack on this much,” he said, tapping the second number, and then pointed his finger at the third. “But if you wanted a temperature regulation spell that would also keep you cool in warmer climes, tack on this much instead. That is how much I would charge you for this job, and that includes both rings. If they will not match my price, or at least give you something more fair…” He picked up the card, turned it over, and held it out to them. “Then I will do it for that quoted price.”

The pair stared at him, and then the man took the card. “That’s…. That’s a little over half the other’s price,” the man breathed, relief relaxing his shoulders a bit. “Thank you…” he squinted down at the card, and then smiled. “Illian Runetide. What a fortuitous name.” Then he turned to his wife-to-be. “I think, with this, we can get the mythril rings and the enchants.”

The squeal that left the woman before she brought her hands up to cover her mouth was one of pure delight, and she looked to Rinelle and then pointed to the pair of rings she’d been lamenting over before. “We’ll take those, then!”

Rinelle looked over to Illian gratefully before pulling the pair of rings out. “And if you are getting the resizing enchant put on them, then I could knock off the resizing fee that is typically included in the price.”

“Oh! Wonderful!” the man said, and then turned again to beam over at Illian. “Thank you, ser. We will contact you, most likely. You seem a much more trustworthy sort, and you have truly made both of us so very happy.” He held out his hand for a shake, which Illian took with a smile.

“I do not typically advertise my services, as I work directly for a man in the Shroud, but I do offer my services from time to time,” he replied. “I just couldn’t stand to see you pay more than you needed to on such simple things. Weddings are expensive enough.”

When the couple had left the shop, Rinelle ducked into her storage room and came out with a parcel, which she unwrapped on the counter to display about six blue opals. “I ended up with more than I thought I would, so you've got your pick this go ‘round,” she said, giving him a smile. “I know you said you only needed two, but pick four. I’ll give them to you for the same price.”

Illian looked up at Rinelle, his lips curling into a lopsided grin. “Really, now? Why, Rinelle, you’d better be careful, someone might get to thinking you’re sweet on me.”

The shopkeep scoffed, but her cheeks gained a bit of color. “Oh, come on, Illian, we both know I’m sweet on what good you do for business.”

He leaned in, lowering his voice to something almost sultry as he asked, “is that why you told me to come by at four bells? Because you knew I’d get you an upsell?”

Rinelle gasped, an almost affronted look on her face. “No, no! It wasn’t the upsell! It was because I know them, and I know that enchanter, and I was hoping I might be able to bring you both together to spare them from being overcharged.”

“And the upsell,” Illian said, waggling his blonde brows.

“Well, I’m not made of money, you know! Best get to picking before I change my mind, you miscreant!”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said with a little salute, which only made her laugh. They chattered about his most recent innovations as he figured out which opals to take with him, and then headed for the door. When he twisted to wave at her on his way out, he was surprised to see that her entire face was red. Oh. Well, he wouldn’t comment on that.