The Flask and Anvil

I spent the days leading up to our departure in training. During the day I was in the Union's courtyard practicing my forms on a training dummy. I had even started to use my magic openly. It wasn't flashy like most mage spells. They just increased my speed and durability. A few other adventurers there for training even spared with me. I was able to take on the E and D ranked adventures without much effort. The C ranked ones gave me a bit of a struggle while I was just using magic and the basic Novice aura.

Knowing that I'd have a few days on the road to fully rest, I spent my nights on my Osgar aura. It made me think of my father. My brother Eadri was going to inherit his title and lands, but both of us would inherit his Lineage. No matter how much he hated me, this would always connect us.

The morning we were to depart, Lariss asked me to meet her at a shop a few blocks from the Union, the Flask and Anvil. The shop was a little larger than those around it in a decent part of the city. A sign in the window read Master Artificer and Alchemist on premise.

When I entered, a mixture of smells hit me. The right half of the store was dedicated to potions. A number of common ailment cures sat on the shelves near the front; wart removal, headache relief, cold remedies, even some hair loss lotions. Large jars of different pills advertise their effects; hangover cure, pleasant dreams, unpleasant dreams, and ones that counteracted different emotions. Towards the back were locked glass cases with items that would be of interest to me; healing potions, explosives, strength enhancers, items that Adventurers would use.

The left side of the store had magically enchanted objects. The front contained a few household items with unique properties; self heating pans, never wet towels, self sweeping brooms, and chairs that promised better relaxation. Then came the racks of clothing; dirt repellent shirts, aromatic skirts, self fastening buttons, and a number of bows that changed colors based on its wearers mood. In the back were weapons and armor, again behind protective measures.

I also noticed that the wooden scrollwork near the ceiling contained a number of glyph formations. While not being too knowledgeable of glyphs, I still recognized a few similar to the ones in my father's castle. They were very minor area enchantments. One kept people from being able to eavesdrop, another would suppress fire, there was an anti theft system, all things that would be nice in important places or around valuable items.

Across the store, a man with long black black hair with a few strands of gray stood in fancy robes among a small group of middle aged women. He was showing them some creams. I couldn't make out the exact words due to the enchantments, just a dull mumble.

"Welcome to the Flask and Anvil." A young woman behind a counter to the side of the door said. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I'm waiting for someone. I'll just look around for the time being." I replied.

I browsed some of the enchanted items on my way towards the weapon and armor. Several items were familiar to me, as the son of a Duke I had access to enough coin to buy any of these little trinkets as I grew up. We also had our own artificer to design and create anything we wanted. Now everything was a few gold out of my current price range.

When I got to the armor and weapons I sent out the magic from my mana core to check on them. The weapons were mostly standard Sharpness, Reinforcement, Light Weight, there was one which I thought might be a Flame enchant. When I started to inspect the armor I was surprised. The first one I inspected had two enchants. One had something to do with fire, either a Fire Rebuke, or an Elemental Resistance of some kind, I wasn't familiar with the enchant. But I was familiar with the Defensive enchant.

Over the centuries artificers have worked with Masters of noble Lineage auras to create aura specific enchants. The enchantment on this armor, and all of them actually, was specific to the Osgar Lineage. They would still function as a normal Defensive enchant but their effectiveness could be increased when the Osgar Lineage was applied to them. The extra cost for a Lineage Enchant was minimal but it didn't make sense to have it on armor sold in a place where users of the Lineage were rare at best.

"Do you like anything you see?" A taller man with long braided brown hair and a thick beard stood next to me. His work attire showed him to be an artificer.

"I was just admiring this armor. The enchantment is a little different from the normal Defensive enchant. Does it provide more protection?" I asked.

"Not really. This was just how I was trained, so I just kept with it." He said.

"Where did you apprentice?" I asked.

"Wessaron. For the Duke's family actually." He said.

I kept a neutral face as best I could. Even though I had black hair and my father had a lighter brown, we looked very much alike.

"You're a long way from there." I said.

"Life can have strange turns for ya. The name's Uhtric." He said.

"I'm Wilmaer."

"Are you looking to upgrade your armor? These are mostly for display, I tend to make custom orders. I can do a traditional Defensive enchantment if you'd prefer."

"I would like that but my funds are low at the moment." I said.

"Oh then what brings you to our humble establishment?" The man in the fancy robes had finished up with the woman and had joined us. "Uhti dear, I keep telling you that you need to at least wipe your face before you come into the showroom. You have soot all over your face." He pulled out a handkerchief and started to wipe the other man's face.

"I know I know. I just sensed someone looking at my enchantments and thought I'd take a look." he said.

I hadn't even thought that my inspections would be noticed.

"Hmm, he doesn't look like a spy, but he does look a little too young to be an adventurer." The man in robes looked me up and down with suspicion.

"Vegaror, we run a shop. People are going to inspect the wares without trying to steal from us." Uhtric said.

"Ignore him, he's a little too trusting." Vegaror said. "What brings you to our establishment?"

"I was asked to meet a fellow adventurer here. Do you know a Lariss? She asked me to meet her here before we set out for a quest." I said.

Both their demeanors changed. Vegaror was still suspicious both in a different way. While Uhtric's pleasant manor disappeared as he folded his arms.

"So, you're the adventurer that is going to the forest with her." Uhtric said. "Can't say I'm impressed."

"Since you were able to sense the enchantments you must have a mana core. What grade is it and what's your rank?" Vegaror asked.

"Uh, it's silver and I'm a Novice." His change in attitude threw me off and I responded honestly without thinking.

"With a silver core I'd expect you to be an Adept at most." Vegaror said.

"Let me see your weapon. It'd better not be a rusted stick." Uhtric said. "Come on, come on, bring it out of that low grade ring you're wearing."

The enchanted blade I found in the secret room was soon in my hand, I didn't think my normal sword would be impressive enough. Uhtric pulled it away and began to inspect it. This interaction had a familiar feeling to it.

"Such basic enchantments. And this hilt is in terrible condition. Don't tell me you robbed a grave for this?" He said. "Let's see what type of armor you have."

"I'm wearing my armor." I said.

"That's all you have." Vegaror said. "Uhti I'm not sure he's going to be of any use to Lariss. If all she could get is this E ranker, we'll have to convince her to just wait on this."

"Agreed." Uhtric said.

I suddenly knew where I had this feeling before. Back on Earth when I met my then future father in law, I had a similar grilling. Shortly before my death I was on the other side of the conversation when a young man came to pick up my daughter for a homecoming dance. I hoped she didn't continue to see that loser. They could be married with kids by now.

This was ridiculous. I scowled as I took my sword back and placed it back in my storage ring. It wasn't a date, it was a quest.

"I'm a D ranked Eldritch Blade with an Intermediate basic aura. And I'm only D ranked because I don't like to show off." I said.

An uncomfortable staring contest started. Thankfully it was broken as Lariss arrived.

"Hey you two. Do you have my order ready?" Lariss said.

"Of course it's ready. I pulled the cauldron off the fire this morning. It has a nice orange mist and purple body." Vegaror's demeanor became friendly again. "Let me get it for you." He left into the back of the store.

Untric continued to stare at me. "Lariss, are you sure about this one?"

"Of course I'm sure. He's barely stared at my chest at all." She said.

"You've been staring at her chest? She's an accomplished adventurer not an object for your enjoyment." Uhtric said.

My mouth just hung open.

"I'm just kidding. He's been a gentleman. I sought him out because he did a Sewer Clearing by himself with over 150 monstrous rat tails turned in." She said.

"Hmm. Give me that sword back" He said.

"Why?"

"So I can repair the leather on that hilt. Your grip is going to slip." I gave my enchanted sword back to Uhtric and he headed into the back as Vegaror was coming out with a small wooden box.

On the front counter he opened the box to show four vials of a purple liquor with a fainted orange mist in the top. There were another two vials with pills in them, one green and the other brown.

"I could only get enough ingredients for these four. The effects will last about three days, so wait until you're far enough in before taking them. And make sure you give yourself a day to get back out. You'll be able to tell when it starts to wear off and if you're too deep when that happens it will be too late." Vegaror said.

"Is there something I should be aware of?" I asked.

Vegaror raised his eyebrows and looked at Lariss.

"Nothing to be concerned with. There's a minor lingering spell effect where we're going and these are just a precaution. We'd be fine without them. And what are these?" She pointed to the pills. They must be for the psychic confusion field that Raginhard mentioned.

"Oh these are common nutrient supplements and energy pills." He gave her a big smile.

It was very obvious that this lingering spell effect was something to be concerned with. Before I could ask any questions, the two of them started to gossip about various Union representatives. Vegaror seemed to know many of them personally and wasn't fond of many.

"Here you go. This way it won't fly out of your hand the first time you swing it at a monster." Uhtric handed my sword back to me with a new leather grip. He then handed me a small buckler. "One of my apprentices messed up the enchantment, so it's only half as effective. You can pay me when you get back."

I sensed a messed up minor Defensive enchant on it, but it was better than nothing.

"How about we settle up now." I pulled out the wolpertinger monster core I got from the harvesting assessment. It was worth more than what he had given me but I wanted him on my good side since he could do the Osgar Lineage enchantment.

"I'll assess it and give you store credit for the difference. Just make sure she comes back or there'll be a debt to be paid instead." Uhtric said.

In my mind I heard my father in law saying, 'Have her back by 10.'