Even Wizards Have Shopping To Do...

[Nightfire]

Really when it came right down to it Dryden had to confess this adventuring thing was harder then it looked. What he thought was fantastic magic was enough to scoot by as a basic entry-level wizard in most regions. A thought that irritated poor Dryden and his pride would never allow him to be considered to be just an every-day wizard. Really you think people wouldn't get so jaded with magic...

The Bazaar was a maze in itself, all sorts of shopping traps to painlessly part your hard earned gold away from you while keeping a smile on your lips. Dryden gagged at some of the incredible prices that they wanted for some items and he'd bet his staff that they got it for much cheaper then they claimed. Business was business after all and to Dryden's eyes the merchants of the Bazaar certainly did a brisk business. Several shops caught Dryden’s attention but one thing brought him to reality each time he was about to go to a shop. He didn’t have that much money on him. Now five hundred gold pieces may sound like a lot to a family just doing the day to day needs and purchases…but, to an adventure that gold ran like water. You could never keep it where you wanted it. It would be a self-proclaimed magic shop with a dreadfully gaudy sign that caught his attention. In fact so enthralled was Dryden’s attention that he completely walked into someone.

“Watch it! Don’t you know when to move aside when your betters come down a road?!” came an irritating outcry that caught Dryden’s attention as the merchant sniffed and shoved Dryden aside the young man giving a light growl for a moment. Before Dryden acted on his first impulse though he gazed at the sign once more…

Peruvion Magical Emporium

What a god awful name.

Yet taking that risk Dryden stepped into the shop the little bell jingling as Dryden browsed amongst the books. Advanced, master, intermediate, beginner, just how low was his pride…and wallet going to let him go?

[Moonlit Raven]

Erin looked up at the musical chime, a pleasant smile already lighting up her bright blue eyes and making the tiny crows feet at the corners of her eyes all the more visible. She set the steaming cup of tea and its saucer to the side.

"Ello there, love. What can I help you look for today?" Erin came around the counter to greet the young man and show him around the shop, her mouth moving in a non stop stream of meaningless, cheerful words.

[Nightfire]

Of course Dryden wasn’t exactly expecting a response so quickly. Figuring that the shopkeeper would be counting money or whatever merchants did with their spare time. So engrossed was he in his book browsing that he failed to hear the clink of a tea cup and saucer being sat aside. He failed to hear the initial greeting and he certainly failed to hear the sound of her voice at first. Ah but, Dryden would notice her soon enough as he jumped when she was very close to him still giving those cheerful and good words. Jumped and flat-out caught by surprise for that moment until he saw that friendly smile and breathed a sigh of relief. Really it just showed that merchants were really ninjas in training. I mean come on look how easily she snuck up on him!

“H-hello there,” Dryden said quickly and gave a warm smile trying to cover the fact that the shopkeeper nearly gave him the whole heart-attack routine. Or tried to anyways I mean he was a wizard you just don’t sneak up on them! Sneaking up on wizards is bad for their livelihood or at least their life expectancy.

“I’m trying to decide what books I need…I know its probably intermediate or beginner…I just have no clue what you charge for these books…what kind of range…” he asked as he waved his hand at some of the books on Transfiguration, Enchantment, Summoning. He was interested in a couple scrolls as well but, he wanted to get an average price range pre-bartering of course.

Yep...Dryden Amos...epic wizard...gets the crap scared out of him by a sweet and cute shopkeeper with pretty blue eyes...

[Moonlit Raven]

Erin smiled at the young man.

"Relax love, nothing in here is going to bite. I keep the dangerous books in a separate room. A nice cup of lavender tea would do you a world of good, I only wish the cat hadn't spoiled that last bit I had the other day." For a moment Erin's smile wilted and she looked as if she would cry. She clucked her tongue and shook her head slightly.

"Oh! There I go. What a silly goose I am. Getting weepy over dried herbs. Why, that's as bad as crying over spilled milk. Follow me duckie, I'll show you some books that might interest you. I'm afraid that all of our books are a little expensive but they vary between 300 gold all the way up to 1000 gold." Erin grimaced slightly at the costliness. She led the way to a well stocked area.

"The books that are horribly expensive are very specialized or rare. I believe this shop carries a book that contains knowledge of how to walk through the layers of death and return unharmed. It's one of three books in existence. Rare, valuable and it's waiting for its owner to return. It's been returned six times, every time the person that bought it claimed that the pages were blank when they left the shop." Erin chuckled and pulled out two books.

"I'm not sure of what you are looking for exactly but this one is very good for those just starting out.' Erin waved around the blue book. She then gestured with the grey book in her hand. "This one covers intermediate spells in general terms. There is nothing too fancy in here. It teaches the foundations so a person can build upon basic spells and not kill them self or anyone near by."

[Nightfire]

Dryden cocked an ear at lavender tea. One of the herbal teas that Dryden made for himself and he typically carried plenty of dried lavender since it was so soothing and relaxing. Perfect for on the go really. Dryden shifted for a moment rummaging in one of his pouches for some dried lavender and finding the small pouch that had it. He shifted seeing the smile she had though it was obvious that she loved her tea. Something that Dryden could respect really. Tea did make a person’s mood rebound. Dryden should know it definitely helped his mood during the year of traveling during the moments when he was stressed out. He walked with her seeing the well-stocked store and winced when he started hearing the prices. Five hundred gold pieces were not going to get him much unless he bartered here. He heard her talk about a rare book and his eyes focused on it.

Now that had his attention. A book that was seemingly wordless whenever it left the shop, very interesting indeed. It had Dryden’s curiosity piqued. He heard of spells that wizards used to make the book unreadable whenever it was stolen. Perhaps this book had a defensive spell about it. Perhaps the book was intelligent and waiting for someone to unlock its potential. It had the young mage’s curiosity and he only briefly heard about the blue book and the gray book. Barter…barter…barter…

“Well why don’t we discuss books and prices over a bit of tea. I have some skill at herb gathering and dried lavender is one of the herbs I am carrying. Must be your lucky day,” Dryden said with a smile at her as he ran his fingers through his hair giving a warm smile. He was going to have to barter here as he walked with her studying the shop. It was eating at his curiosity. He wanted to know. That book…just what was in those pages? It was clearly dark arts but in order to walk among the dead you had to master necromancy as well...

The power of life…and death…in the palm of a person’s hand.

“Tell me more about this book and if its not too much trouble could I see it?” Dryden said softly wanting to know about the rare book she had mentioned. “Could discuss it over tea. You say it’s constantly returned that must be a tragedy having to return money to a customer…” yes Dryden was already thinking and already starting the bartering here. If he could walk away with two books for five hundred gold that, it might be his lucky day. And this rare book was definitely piquing his curiosity. Dark Arts or not it was power. And power was something that all wizards hungered for.

[Moonlit Raven]

"Tea? Oh, what a dear heart you are. I just you have some lucky young girl fawning over you." Erin tittered, as her face flushed ever so slightly as she thought about young love.

"You'll have to excuse me, I wool gather sometimes. Now, you were talking about that book, if you'll give me a moment I'll be right back with it." Erin hurried off for the back room. A minute or three later she returned carrying a large white book under her arm and a tray laden with tea cakes, cups and a tea pot filed with hot water.

"Here we are. I hope you like the cakes, they were baked this morning so they are still fresh. Follow me and we can sit down while we talk about the books and have a nice cup of tea." Erin headed for a small side door leading into a pleasantly homey room filled with books and fripperies common to any household where a woman lived.

Erin laid the tray on a small side table and sat down at the larger table, setting the book in front of her.

[Nightfire]

He blinked at the mention of young love for a moment rubbing the back of his head lightly. Young love. Something that someone who was traveling really didn't consider. The young man turning to study the shopkeeper for a moment thinking about it. Young love, young love...when was the last time Dryden had thought about that? When had he even thought about it at all? It had always been about improving himself so he never had time to stop and think about meeting a significant other. Perhaps that was a flaw in his logic? And perhaps not.

Bother...

The wool-gathering comment broke him out of his train of thought and he smiled giving a throaty chuckle at that. Everyone had their moments. Even a shopkeeper was a regular person when they weren't sucking you try of your hard-earned cash.

"Ah we all have our moments of when we're in a reverie or wool-gathering as you say," Dryden said with an impish sort of smile. If he could get on her good side maybe he could get a bit of an advantage during the bartering. Then again she could just as soon turn it around on him. That was always the problem with women..they were sneakier then they looked. His interest caught even more at the mention that the cakes were freshly baked when she came out with that tray.

"Ah you're a saint and here I was wondering what I should eat for breakfast," he said with a chuckle as he followed her to the room. he shifted for a moment and came to the room. He added the herbs to each of the two cups and picked up the pot carefully pouring the hot water. He setting the pot down.

"May I?" he asked indicated that white book. He wanted to feel it in his hands as his eyes studied the cover. His gaze narrowing only on it. Oh but, it had Dryden's curiosity as he focused his powers in the form of detection. A neat little trick he had learned as he slowly unlocked his power. This...this book he yearned to learn about as his detection spell activated his eyes gazing at the book.

[Moonlit Raven]

Erin smiled and laid several of the baked goods on a small plate before setting it in front of the young man.

"Go ahead and study it. I'm not sure what you'll be able to learn from blank pages though." With a careless wave of her hand she indicated that he should have it. Sipping on her tea, Erin suppressed a chuckle. Absently she wondered if she should warn him about the nasty little shock the book could produce if prodded too much.

[Nightfire]

With the permission from the ever so friendly Erin he shifted and sipped his tea reaching out and touching the book. His spell active as he felt a splitting pain between his eyes he squeezing them shut for a moment. This...this was power? He knew the book was magic and she wasn't kidding earlier. If what she said was true this was some pretty heavy power he was holding right now. If he could handle the book even for a few moments at a time and use his detection spell...to perhaps read the aura of the pages...maybe he could actually read the book. Wizards used such spells to keep their magic from being discovered. It took someone who could detect like Dryden to unravel it.

Of course what Dryden DIDN'T expect was something that Erin knew about even as he studied one seemingly blank page his fingers touching the book. There was a surge and he was about to swear as he got a nice shocking JOLT he yelping out and the book dropping in his lap as he quickly shook his hands trying to get feeling back into them. "By the gods," he swore out as he sucked on one partially burnt fingertip and looked at the book. Many would throw the book away or at least get it the hell away from them. Dryden of course only more curious in the book now.

After all how many books did you know about that had a reflex like that? He sucked on the next finger as he felt feeling going back to his fingers his hair standing on end a bit from the shock. He reached out his spell inactive and picked up a tea cake and lightly ate it rubbing his forehead with the hand that finally got feeling back as he gazed at it. He chewing on the cake and gazing at the cover of the book.

"This is a fascinating book," he finally said after rubbing his temple again. He picked up the one intermediate level book she referred to the white book still not leaving his lap as he flipped through the pages of the blue book now gazing at the words and diagrams in it.

"Ah I'm afraid I'm a bit low on funds though. Is there any chance I could perhaps get these two books with the three hundred gold voucher I have and the two hundred gold I'm carrying?" he asked as he looked at her. A book he didn't understand he actually wanting? "And I'll throw in a pouch of lavender."

[Moonlit Raven]

The shock the book administered startled Erin, for a moment the grip she had on her teacup loosened. The smell of ozone and the sudden warmth of a few spilled drops of tea on her other hand.

"Oh my, oh I am so sorry. I should have warned you that it could shock, but I didn't know that... Just what spell were you using? I wonder if it was the spell or you that the book protested against. Sometimes I think that it has a mind of it's own." Erin hovered over him for a moment to make sure he wasn't suffering any effects of the shock before scooping up the book in the protective cloth she normally kept it in. Erin opened her mouth then paused as a thought occurred to her.

"I never did introduce myself, did I? Oh, how careless of me. How rude of me too. My name is Erin. Voucher? Oh, the two books I pulled out for you, of course. The voucher and gold will be fine, normally they would be three hundred gold apiece but after that nasty shock, it's the least I could do. I'm just glad it didn't kill you."

[Nightfire]

"You're a darling Erin," he said with a smile as he heard her agree to the offer and sort of glad now that the book shocked him he really wanted both books. He sucking on one fingertip still as he gazed at the protective covering in that book. He remembered her question on what spell he was using and he chuckled lightly for a moment vaguely making a note that he needed to expand the spell. Perhaps a Read Magic spell so he'd be able to more thoroughly understand the auras that the book gave off. He putting on a pair of gloves not wanting to burn his fingers again as he wolfed into a teacake.

"One particular skill I discovered at a younger age is a sort of detection spell that allows me to detect magical auras and slowly understand whats going on. Its a nice little trick and allows me to quickly guess what my opponents are doing allowing me to quickly respond to it. The book didn't shock me until I used that spell. I think it has to be intelligent its the only way to explain how it reacted after I started trying to read it via the spell," he murmured rubbing his forehead as well for a moment as he set the gold poach and voucher on the table. Also a pouch of dried lavender for her since she was a fellow tea addict. He shifting and wolfing into another tea cake.

"These are really good..." he murmured out as he shook his hands lightly.

"Ah I must sound crazy for wanting a book that just shocked me sort of like that one crazy wizard who had a staff that bit him if he annoyed it," he said with a chuckle remembering that weird story his father told him about a few years ago.

"Ah I should introduce myself as well," he said with a grin standing. "Dryden Amos, an adventurer and wizard. Though as the book has showed me still inexperienced," he said with a faint laugh. "Perhaps I'll drop by when I find myself loaded with coin so I can get more books." he said with a warm smile.

((OOC: I'm guessing the exact nature of the book will be discussed in OOC format?))

[Moonlit Raven]

Erin smiled, her eyes bright with laughter. She flapped a hand at him, waving him to sit down again.

"Now none of that, you, I don't stand on formality here. No use for it what so ever. It's a pleasure meeting you Dryden, now sit and finish your tea and chatter to me a moment longer before you pay for you books and rush off as the young are apt to do. A staff that bit its owner in annoyance you say? Oh, how perfectly odd." Erin slid the fickle, cloth covered book into a chair near her so it was out of the way and pressed another cookie on Dryden.

[Nightfire]

"A little formality never hurts," he said with an impish smile on his lips as he shifted and sat down again picking up his tea and sipping at it. He shifting and getting comfortable where he was not minding chatting up with this fun-loving book-keeper. Who knows what he might get for not minding continuing the talk. She already gave me a needed discount and she's a shrewd woman but, certainly...the game of business is one everyone wants to keep playing. Dryden thought to himself as he heard her curious comment about the staff.

He let out a throaty chuckle for a moment as he bit into the cookie groaning at the taste for a moment. Now Dryden wasn't bad at cooking he had plenty of practice but, god did he miss real bad for you things like cookies and cakes sometimes. His eyes had closed briefly only to open again as he looked up in thought.

"It must have been seven years ago I think it was after I had one grueling lesson in magic that ended up in a bickering arguement with my father. I was still hopeful about learning the great spells that you hear in fairy tales and legends. Great magics that could change the very fate of a battle. Alas I still hadn't realized that I needed the basics. Well I was sitting with my mother and she told me the tale of this one wizard..." he paused thinking about the name for a moment. The name what was that silly name.

"Lamolf the Inventive I believe the name was. He was an enchanter as far as the tale goes but, he got impatient when learning things and so his master made his impatient student a staff. An intelligent staff mind you so Lamolf was excited and didn't realize what the staff could do. Every time Lamolf did something reckless or impulsive the staff would bite him without warning to stop him. Sometimes the bites were in rather in appropriate places depending on how much he irritated the staff," he said with a soft laugh for a moment a smile on his lips as he finished off the cookie and his tea. He relaxed and content where he was sitting though.

[Moonlit Raven]

Erin laughed, choking on her tea and sputtering for a moment. Undeterred her laughter still rose up to fill the room with it’s merry sound. Reaching in a seemingly flat and empty pocket Erin drew out a slightly bulky, brilliantly white package and laid it on the table before Dryden.

“Oh, what a funny story. Now that little thing is full of my cookies, take it with you. Everything in there is spelled to stay perfectly fresh for another two weeks.”

[Nightfire]

He chuckled at her sputtering on her tea as he heard her laughter a bit of a smile on his own lips as he watched her. She found the story as amusing as he did when he first heard it he seeing the package laid in front of him he blinking when she heard what she said. In fact that smile on his lips was even warmer and happier now as he carefully picked up the package. "Dear me you're going to have to show me that spell," he said with a smile as he carefully tucked it into his pack that was on the floor where he had sat it. He leaned over gently picking up the blue book and just as carefully he put the blue one in his pack next to his journal.

"Ah right do you know anyone who might know a spell that expands the storage capacity of an object while keeping the bag or pack or pocket itself at a consistent weight? It might be useful if I constantly plan on collecting books."

[Moonlit Raven]

Erin smiled playfully and reached into her pocket once more, she pulled out a slender book and waved it a moment before shoving it back into the pocket.

"It's a handy trick a most odd gentleman showed me a very long time ago. Mmm, what you are asking about would probably take two enchantments, I think. The expansion of storage is an easy enchantment, and no my dear boy it is not the enchantment on my pocket. To keep the weight consistent a buoyancy spell would be needed."
Erin frowned down into her cup of tea for a moment her mind racing to encompass how the two spells would interact and any possible problems.

"I can enchant items. Most enchantments come in four levels so it will be most easy to apply an enchantment, but mind you they become expensive quickly."

[Nightfire]

He listened to her response and raised a brow when he saw the little book. So someone taught it to her it was either an easy spell that he could quickly grasp or something out of his league for now as he smiled faintly. He listened to her response on the regards of the enchantment spell and thought about it lightly ticking off the two spells and then shifting with surprise when he heard her say she could enchant. Well well well that was a handy skill indeed though he visibly winced at the word 'expensive'.

"Ah look like I'll have to do a bit of adventuring then and come back. The books already ate up my gold supply though I'm curious what you would charge to learn that particular spell thats on these delicious cookies," he commented.

[Moonlit Raven]

Erin glanced at the door as she heard the chime of another customer entering.

"What did you ask dear? Oh yes the enchantments, now lest see. Space expansion, now that's a completely different thing than the bubble I use. Much less complex. Oh dear what are those levels again." Sighing and clucking her tongue Erin dug in her pocket for the slender book once more.

"Yes, both spells come in four levels or strengths if you will. Expansion, mmm, level zero increases the interior of a space by one cubic foot, it's 45 gold. For the buoyancy it's 5 lbs. of weight displacement at 50 gold. Now, I simply must help the person that came in. I'll trust you to leave the gold on the table for your books." Erin waved cheerfully and scooped up the cloth wrapped tome before she hurried out to help the noisy person poking around in her store.

[Nightfire]

He heard the chime again blinking and looking at it as he shifted getting up as well and nodded as he heard the spells and prices. Something he'd have to do later on for sure as he lightly drummed his fingers against his staff. "Ah thanks I really appreciate your help," he said with a smile as he did indeed leave the gold and the voucher as well but, blinked realizing something very quickly when she headed to the front of the store. Something that was quite important to the young mage as he stood up heading to the front of the store.

Erin still had his book.

He quickly headed out heading to the front as he saw her handling a noisy pain in the ass customer. He carefully shifted waiting for a pause in the conversation for a mere moment careful not to have Erin bump into him.

"Ah Erin, I believe you have my other book," he said with a wary smile indicating the cloth-wrapped tome she was still holding as he shifted patiently for a moment. It was a pause it was fair since loud-mouth customer was silent for a moment.

[Moonlit Raven]

For a moment Erin stared blankly at Dryden. Once what he had said dawned on her Erin glanced at the book lying on a shelf behind the back counter. Her face flushed and she shook her head.

"Oh dear. I think I misunderstood you earlier. It's not up for sale, at this time my dear. I test those whom are curious about it but the book rejected you. Not to mention the cost of the book is far above 250. I am so sorry!" Erin grimaced and shook her head, unable to believe she had chattered her way into this horrible mistake but she refused to give a novice a book that allowed one to tamper with death.

"For this mistake, I'll knock a hundred gold off of the price of the book you currently hold. Please, I do hope you are not vexed. So it's 150 now."