The first tolls once again rang in the morning light of the city of Ravalind. This time, Natalak was the first to arise. He looked at Chifya's side and saw she was in her deep slumber, aware that the night was quite demanding for her. Undisturbed, he went down for a morning coffee or a tea to warm his weariness.
Already, he saw that Reith was busy making breakfast. The steaming smell of stew slowly creeps into the senses of every person who comes closer to the kitchen. Natalak can see Reith putting the dough into the oven, adding spices to the stew, and frying meat Natalak isn't familiar with.
"You are very early, Reith." Calls Natalak.
"Ah, it's my daily routine. Here I heated some coffee and tea." Reith quickly shows Natalak the different varieties of tea and coffee.
"I'll take the coffee. Which one is the sweeter one?" Natalak gestures.
Consuming more than an hour of their sunrise conversation, one by one, the people of the house slowly come together for breakfast. In time, Chifya came down with Natalak's sack.
"Is this a good time to go to Barry's place?" Natalak ask.
"Well, I think so… there are some items that I commission from Sir. Barry." Sheila replied.
Agitated to identify his newly found treasure. Natalak briefly stood.
"Why don't we go together? We might as well see some interesting things." Natalak's request.
"Wait, I'll go gather some of our things." Sheila implores, quickly dashing to her room.
Like a full party of adventurers, they were— the group hunts their way towards the guild's best blacksmith. And as the doorbell rings, Barry was quite astounded towards Natalak.
"You've grown a party." Barry's head tilted, glancing at Natalak's companions.
"Well, a lot of things happen… but by any means, shall we get on to business?" Natalak replied, smiling in enjoyment.
He looks around the shop to see that it is empty, and they are the first to enter.
"What do you need this time?" The blacksmith's eyebrow raises.
Natalak grins in happiness as he treads towards the blacksmith. Amidst the moment of showing him the chest, Barry's eyes went wide in shock at what he saw when Natalak opened it.
"Natalak was it?" Barry's expression turns serious.
"Yes, is-is there a trouble?" Natalak's voice cracks, somewhat intimidated by the blacksmith's expression.
Hurriedly shutting the chest, Barry handed him back the box.
"If you want to know more about that item on the box, we had best talk in private." Barry gestures with his head.
Hesitant, but soon after only twenty seconds of standing, deciding. Natalak finally agrees and follows the blacksmith. Yet before the two could exit the shop, the blacksmith called upon her daughter.
Leading him towards the kitchen, the two sit at a table full of spices and a wide variety of ingredients. The chest was placed, and on it opened to resume their past discussion.
"So, anything you could tell me about what I've found? For concrete proof, I didn't steal it, if you ask me about that soon. We can use the Eye of Adra for a quick solution."
"We won't be needing that priest's eye nor subject about how you got it. But did you show these to anyone else? I say you must have shown them to your newly found acquaintance. I might be surprised if your friend didn't know a thing or two about what you have found."
"Y-yes… I did show it to them, but they don't know or didn't even tell me what the metal was made of."
"What you got here is what the elves called Lithing. But for us humans, we called it Elvish steel. And most importantly, don't show these to any high elves; it's where these ingots originate. And they are very possessive towards these metals."
"I'm with you, also…" Natalak then pulls the weightless sword. "I do have this one." He continues placing the silver sword on the table.
"Young man, you must have a kiss with Shar's blessing." Barry grins in awe.
"Nah, it's just good karma."
"That's what I'm saying, anyhow, what are you going to do about this treasure you have?"
Natalak, without hesitation, pulls his battered armour and even the claw gauntlet.
"Is it possible for you to replace the materials for these?" Natalak requests.
"Hmm…" Barry rubs his chin. "I could, but we must know if the ingots are enough to make you a new set of equipment."
Following their conversation, both of them brought out every ingot from the chest. Counting and checking every piece to see if they truly are Elvish Steel. In the end, there were 30 pieces for Barry to forge; there's one drawback.
"I think these will suffice. But I have to add some materials, thirty pieces won't be enough." Barry concluded.
"Ah… I'm good with that… well, I might have to be honest; I don't have any money—" Natalak paused, his voice cracked, and he was somehow embarrassed to continue. "How much— the ah, full price for all of these?"
"Considering these, I'd say 75 silver Shar would suffice. I'm not an elf… It takes skills and a load of magic to craft an item made of Elvish steel for us humans. And gaining the help from the dwarves would quickly reject my request, they hate dealing with Elvish materials."
"Seventy-five Silver! I don't have that kind of money!"
"I understand… um, say how much for one Ingot?" Natalak ask, fiddling with one piece.
Barry smiled, probably grasping Natalak's idea. "Since the ingots are not proportional to each other, it depends on the size. But—" Barry then prizes the largest extent. "This could fetch around more than a gold shar. But that's just my estimation, I once heard it was valued at more than two hundred silver Shar at the Black Market."
"Fuck yeah! Two hundred silver!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, but I first need to ask some specialists at the guild to know more about its true value."
"Well, how about I sell you the largest piece, that way it should cover the expenses. Would that be okay with you?"
"I understand your perspective… but for that to be agreed, we might need to sign some papers."
"I'm good with that."
"Very well, but if you want, I can make you another weapon, and fix your newly found sword. It might need some covering. I'm quite good at handling efficiency."
"Really?"
Barry nods. "If you want, there's some design that you might like." The blacksmith stood, signalling that their secret conversation was concluded.
Returning to the counter, his companions were intrigued by his newly found appearance. At the desk, Barry then brings out a single sheet of paper. It can be seen that it was but an agreement, a contract.
On the counter, Barry firmly pressed his palm on the sheet. Then red embers emerge, searing through his skin, creating a scorched mark on the paper.
Barry nods his head, gesturing his hand for Natalak to do the same. Reasonably afraid to follow, then again, Natalak pelts his fear and determinedly mirrors Barry's earlier action. In the midst of him fulfilling the contract, Natalak felt it. His senses bear the burning sensation of searing, but there is no pain. It's an unusual sensation he comprehends.
Only a few seconds later, he retracted his hand, and the burned palm healed quickly without any assistance from magic users or any followers of the gods. It was there that he realised the contract wasn't an ordinary paper.
Rolling the scroll, Barry then slips it into the chest, while Natalak surrenders the needed equipment to be rebuilt. He looked at the others and saw they had already decided on what to buy, and some of them were yielding some of their battered equipment for repairs.
Shifting to Barry, the blacksmith then fetches out a book. Inside, it is full of eccentric designs of different weapons, armours, shields and others that are necessary for adventurers and seekers of glory. It took him some time to scan every page of the book until he found one design that enthralled him the most.
"I choose this one." Natalak presses his fingers to the desired page.
Concluded, Barry then places a marker. "Is there anything more that I can give you?" The blacksmith implores.
"I do have some, but—" Natalak's voice hints of discomfiture.
"Well, go on, kid, what surprises are you going to give me this time?"
"Not surprised, more like the last time." Natalak glances at his acquittances, too mortified to show the things he scavenged. "Um, I have some items that you might take a look at, it's not as worth as those ingots." Natalak's nerves were shaking.
"I'll be more than happy to take a look at what you've stored." Barry insists.
Swallowing his indignity, Natalak pulls all the remaining scraps he had looted. Placing every bit of the oddments on the desk, he couldn't help but feel gloomy over how even his acquittance was quite indignant watching him. Even they can tell that those rusty scraps of metal were of no value.
Barry, on the other hand, didn't mind the junk; he did what a respectful and disciplined shopkeeper will do. Eventually, not quite what he expected… all those scraps that fill five sacks only earn him five coppers, good for a meal, better than a beggar's income.
Natalak couldn't even bear to look at his companion, even for a better reason. Soon, he accepts what was done, and after completing everything they required, the group exits the shop.
"I didn't know you were that desperate. Not even a beggar would risk his life for some metal debris." Chifya spoke.
"Shut up, you." Natalak scoff, unable to look at Chifya.
"Frankly, if you want some financial assistance, I can help you register at the guild. The guild does have grants for new members of the guild." Sheila suggests a pinch to his blushing.
"I'll think about that."
Slipping from the other side of the city, a party of six people flocks through the crowd. Their appearance is that of a normal adventurer that you can see every day. Four of them are women, and two are old men wearing a cloak. As the sun rises higher, the group slowly meets another band of people. It was Sheila's group, so to speak.
At that moment of passage, Chifya and one of the female adventurers glance at each other. It was short, but their gaze held the tension of old.
After distancing themselves for about fifty meters—
"Sister Chifya, you seem to have something with those passing adventurers," Sheila asks, by some means perceived their pressure.
"It's nothing, though I came across some past people."
As for the party that they've met, they stood in a familiar shop.
"I'm going to remove my illusion." Spoke to one of the females in the group as they entered the shop.
"Welcome." Like always, Barry reaches.
The moment they entered the building, all their illusions were quickly stripped—either the shop's magic or their own actions. More importantly, what enters the shop surprises Barry.
"Oh, we don't get to see this every day." Barry smiled upon seeing the party's true appearance.