281: Jamal

Heading up the stairs, I was excited. All the other guilds I had visited had similar stores, with there being a loot house, a potion shop, a shop for your armour and weapons, and finally, a magic item shop or two. I was really hoping to see the same here.

There were actually a few things I was hoping to find, and with the river running through the town, I felt like this was one of the best places to possibly put my plan into action, which was simply to improve the nest box for Clacks.

Currently, it was a formed charcoal mass that just simply encased the original nest, mostly to hold it together, and I wasn’t looking at removing that original nest. Clacks kept it clean, and she seemed to enjoy it there.

However, what I think would really help is if I were to find some water-infused river wood, like the barrel I had, and failing to find any, perhaps I could repurpose one of those barrels.

“Milo, would there be many woodworkers in the city?”

Milo nodded, his mouth still full of cake.

“There are plenty, but they are not artisan crafters usually. They tend to do large things: barrels, wagons, fences, houses, that sort of thing,” Jen took over.

Milo, now having swallowed his cake, said, “What were you after? If you need more barrels, that won’t be a problem here.”

“I wanted to have a water-infused nesting box crafted for Clacks,” I said honestly.

“That would be better, though I don’t actually know if you’ll find many crafters who would do that around here, and the wood would be a challenge,” Milo said thoughtfully.

“I was hoping to see if there are any special woods from around the river, and failing that, I could use one of the barrels,” I suggested.

The conversation was interrupted as we hit the top of the stairs, as it opened up into a wide open space that was lit up from the windows. Immediately, I saw the familiar sights, with the loot house, a potion shop, what looked to be a small magical item shop, and surprisingly, a shop selling food supplies.

There was something missing, however.

“No healing facilities here?” I asked.

Milo shook his head. “No, not there. The Temple of Life is known for its healing and offers it to all, so if anyone was in dire need, they should be taken there.”

This was surprising to hear, and also that was really good, especially if the temple didn’t charge much.

“Like the medical pavilion then?”

“Kind of. The medical pavilion dealt with more long-term issues, or those who couldn’t afford a doctor in Dunhearth, but the temple is that, but also for more serious injuries: burnt mana channels, lost limbs, deadly poisons,” Milo explained.

The burning question I had: “It’s free?”

Jen let out a chuckle before saying, “Depends. For basic care, yes, you probably won’t die, but it won’t be quick. If you pay, it gives you access to better ingredients and materials which allow better healing. They are not doing it for profit if that’s what you’re wondering.”

I had unintentionally wandered towards the food supplies, during the conversation, stopping to glance at what they had, especially since it was unusual to see supplies like this inside the guild itself.

I, however, quickly lost interest. There was a lot of stuff, but it all seemed to be for long journeys: salted meats, jerky, long-lasting bread that looked very hard, as well as a variety of soup powders.

None of it really interested me as it was all prepared.

“Don’t worry, Trev, there is no shortage of fresh food in this city. Wait till we cross the river,” Liane said quietly next to me.

Next, I went to the potion shop. This is one I was really hoping to see some fresh herbs.

“Welcome!” the clerk said as soon as we entered.

“We are out of any high-end healing or mana potions, as well as the more potent elixirs, I’m afraid,” he said.

“Ran out of stock?” I said, surprised.

“Something like that. Trouble in the capital with the alchemist guild, I’m afraid. Most of our main suppliers are gone now,” he explained.

“No one has stepped in to fill the void yet?” Milo asked.

The man nodded, “They are starting to now, but it took a while after the alchemists chose to destroy their labs and documents, ensuring everyone had to start fresh. It’s caused some issues.”

The man seemed to straighten up, clearly not intending to get into this topic.

“Sorry about that. I have all your basics at least. What are you after?” he said now with a cheery tone.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the tone shift, “It’s alright, I’m not actually after the finished products per se, but do you have any fresh or dried ingredients?”

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“We certainly have some. What are you after in particular?” the man said, reaching down and pulling out a tray that seemed to just have rings laid out on it.

“Anything related to healing or mana potions. I’m also interested in anything rare you may have.”

“Rare? Are you an alchemist?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I put on my best act for this one, letting out a laugh, “No, not me. A friend of mine is, luckily someone not associated with the alchemist guild.”

The man’s eyes went wide, “Where is he? Does he want a job? We’ll pay well and provide the materials, even give him room and food if he needs it.”

Immediately I felt awkward and bad for lying to the man, but I couldn’t say it wasn’t true now.

“Not here, sorry. This is a gift I get for him as he lives closer to the forest,” I said, scrambling to cover.

The clerk immediately looked disappointed. “Ah, I see. Well, if he wants work, let him know where to come. Right, as for what we’ve got, all the usual Virfolium—fresh, dried, and powdered. We have blood owl beak powder, living bark fibres, dried mana tears, mana willow powder, legarant petals, and prickle branch sap.”

He rattled everything off as he pulled out a small sample of each, selecting different rings for each.

“Now, as for your rare ingredients, admittedly we don’t get a lot here, but I got sold something odd that your friend might make use of,” he said.

He proceeded to pull out something wet. To my forager’s sight, it was a vivid bright blue, and not just because the plant itself appeared to be blue.

“It’s an aquatic plant that a farmer recently discovered while fishing. It has a very potent paralysing toxin when consumed, but the mana inside it is also potent,” he said.

Milo frowned. “Has it grown here before?”

“No, sir, not at all, but the soil this year seems especially fertile. The god of life has blessed us, though some of the plants that are growing are unexpected,” he answered.

I couldn’t help but be worried the growth of this plant wasn’t a blessing of life at all, but rather a further effect of the increased mana we’d been seeing.

Milo’s frown seemed to indicate the same.

“We’ll take it, along with the blood owl beak powder and mana willow powder,” I said.

The man let out a laugh. “I like your gusto, but we’ve not even discussed price. A plant this potent will be at least a silver.”

I nodded. “That’s fine, we’ll take it.”

The man was only taken aback for a moment before the merchant in him came out.

“Well, we have six of those plants, and how much of the powders are you after?” he said.

In the end, I got three jars of each powder and all the plants. It was as I left that we started to make our way off the floor when Milo came up alongside.

“Odd plant to get? It was paralysis toxin, right?”

“Yeah, but it’s a rare aquatic plant, maybe it’ll have some water properties,” I said, shrugging.

Milo just burst into laughter. “You spent six silver on potential food seasoning for Clacks, is what you’re saying.”

There was a chirp from the nest I’d been carrying as Clacks poked her head out.

“Next, we’re going to see about upgrading this nest!” I said happily.

I was pleased to see Crisplet let off a burst of sparks, which made me feel better that he wouldn’t be upset we were replacing his charcoal one.

Clacks just flapped her tiny wings and let out some chirps before going back inside.

“Next up, we should secure ourselves an inn. There are several close, but there is a particular one I need to check if it’s still there, then I think we get the temple out of the way,” Hari said.

Liane appeared next to him, “Not to be the pessimist here or anything, but in case we need to leave in a hurry, perhaps it’s best if we leave the horses here and visit the temple now.”

“You’re not wrong; however, Gilain and Luis both want to join us at the temple, so it’s best we all meet up and go in a group. I imagine Lily will take them away if something happens again,” Hari countered.

Going with Hari’s plan, Milo left a note with Luis’s horse as we went to search for an inn. Finding it wasn’t hard, but I noticed there were far more places that seemed to be primarily providing just drinks and meals, and not so much rooms, because we must have passed at least four before Hari pointed to a small-looking place that was only a single storey, and truthfully looked like the most run-down inn of the lot.

“That’s the one, trust me,” Hari said happily.

Entering the stables, we tied up our own horses, where Hari led the way inside. Immediately, there was a gruff-sounding voice, that sounded like a hardened warrior, calling from inside.

“Hari, get in here and let me see you! It’s been an age since I saw ya!”

When I finally made it inside myself, it didn’t look much better than the outside. This place had clearly seen better days, and there was no one inside currently. The gruff man who yelled completely shattered my expectations, though. Firstly, I didn’t think he was human; the man only came up to my waist, but he was very stocky; his skin looked almost to be stone.

“Jamal! We’ve come to stay a few nights, you got some rooms, right?” Hari said, clasping the man’s hand which absolutely dwarfed Hari’s despite the incredible height difference.

“You’re always welcome here! It’s been a quiet couple of weeks; everyone wants meals and no one appreciates a good drink.” Jamal said, already moving behind the bar.

“I got some new people to introduce you to, Jamal. You obviously know the usual group, but we have a few extra companions: Trevor Ashmoon, he’s our support member; Crisplet Ashmoon, that’s the Ashen Elemental there; and inside the nest is Clacks, who seems to be our latest arrival, everyone, this is Jamal O’dath,” Hari said with a giant smile.

As soon as Crisplet came into view, however, the man was enthralled.

“A fellow elemental, you say!” Jamal said, approaching Crisplet immediately.

“I never get to speak with a fellow elemental. I’m a partial myself, ‘living earth’ they call me, but your fire looks magnificent,” Jamal said directly to Crisplet.

Crisplet just let off some sparks, but clearly there was a mana transfer as Jamal just laughed.

“Yes! Kind of like an earth elemental, but more flesh. You’ve not developed the ability to speak yet?” he asked.

“Before you get too lost, Jamal, we have three other guests with us as well: Gilain Redblade and Lewie, its best you don’t pry on that one, and the third, I’m sure, will be here soon, Lily Ashmoon, a shadow cat,” Hari said.

Jamal took it all in his stride, shook his head. “That’s some incredible name-dropping. It seems you have quite the tale to tell me, so let me get some drinks. Take a seat, you lot. Young Crisplet, there’s a hearth there in the middle; feel free to make use of it.”

I had not even sat down before Lily appeared and flopped down before the hearth that Jamal had gestured to.

He stopped in the pouring of his drink and stared, before he seemed to pull himself together.

“You have quite the story to tell,” he repeated.