I felt my determination wail underneath the intensity of his self-righteous and wrathful gaze. Looking at me as if he were studying a bug that dared to soil the bottom of his boots, he then redirected his gaze back to my master as if even the thought of speaking to me was beneath him. “Lessors should not interfere in the conversation of their superiors!” He nearly roared out with traces of spittle falling from his rigid lips.
I couldn’t help it. I shrank back under the tirade of his words as he vicariously addressed me through his speech to my master.
Cold began to seep into the air as I met the altered eyes of Steven. His gaze which also bore down on me, while certainly daunting in this context, was not as concerning as it probably should have been. Given my past experience with him, I remembered too much of what he was like before this new change took over him. As such, all he got for his trouble was a derisive snort from me before I observed the goings on between the paladin and the apothecary.
Funny enough, my obvious disdain for his apprentice appeared to trigger the paladin far more than anything else I could have thought to do. I could hear the sound of tortured leather as his gloved hand gripped down tightly on his sheathed sword at his waist.
What surprised me most about all of this was the absolute lack of fear within my master’s eyes. Confusion swept over me at this observation. I had believed her to be afraid of him. Yet in her eyes was an aliveness and desire for blood which I hadn’t seen since that time she castrated the Tom Cat Demi-human. No, in fact, the expression she held now bore far more excitement than anything close to fear.
A vicious smile glinting with porcelain teeth crossed her lips. “No.” She simply replied. “My apprentice speaks truth. You are not welcome here. And this. . .” she said picking up the official writ, looking it over momentarily before letting it fall as if were a piece of trash. The Paladin continued to maintain his gaze with her even as Steven scrambled to keep it from hitting the ground. “. . . This is simply a piece of trash, holding a wish list for an equally trashy paladin of a trashy god.”
Dust it All! My master was not mincing words or holding back in drawing this man’s ire! And draw it she did!
All I had done to draw his anger to focus on me appeared only to fan the flames of this confrontation of epic proportions. No weapons or magic had been drawn yet, but I could see it in their eyes the myriad of attacks each were building up in anticipation for just the right trigger to unleash.
Cold fury burned in both his eyes and words as the Paladin rebutted Victoria’s words. “This is an official writ that you will adhere to, or I will have your shop sanctioned and closed for breaking military contract!” I felt that there were several other choice words he would prefer to be speaking even as his lips spoke the ones heard.
A cat that ate the canary smile perched upon my master’s face as she riposted his latest thrust of officialdom. “You seem to be under a misconception my dear paladin.” The words she spoke oozed with vicious scorn. “Firstly, my contract with the government is strictly that, between them and me. You do not have any say in making any requests of me outside the terms of said contract.” Delight alighted in her voice as she continued. “Secondly, my contract which I made as a favor to the military only deals in basic and intermediate healing potions as well as up to 3rd tier antivenoms and other associated potions. Your requests fall far outside of those parameters for a discounted deal.”
I could see and almost hear the veins throbbing in his face, as the paladin refrained from initiating wholesale slaughter upon my master.
“You!” He nearly screamed out while pointing a gloved finger at her in outrage. His frame was visibly shaking with restrained wrath. Even his previously aloof apprentice edged away from him in concern and fear at this display of impropriety.
Victoria simply maintained a calm smile amidst this storm of emotion and anger aimed primarily at her. It was as if she was a one-person fishing boat laying on a small piece of calm water with a raging hurricane running amok about her. Not even her sails ruffled the slightest at the turbulence.
I shook my head as I was getting deja'vu moments all over again from the mage guild fiasco. My ever fluid understanding of my master’s capabilities was undergoing another drastic change as I watched this altercation.
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“Yes? Me...?” She vocalized loquaciously. “Would you like to continue your purchase of these products at the standard prices?” I could hear the droll falling from her tone as she faced down the storm nonchalantly.
After several moments of angered silence and a rigid stance, the hurricane of emotion appeared to have calmed somewhat as the paladin regained a modicum of control over his emotions. Then giving a clipped reply he said. “Yes. . . I will take the standard price.”
“Great!” Victoria exclaimed. “Okay for two healing elixirs as well as three tier four general antivenoms the total comes out to. . .” She appeared to be calculating in her head. “. . . Eight mithril, eight gold, and 40 silver. But because of my sheer appreciation of you patronizing my shop, lets round it up to a solid nine gold, shall we?” Her wolfish grin bore no joking in her tone.
“That. . . That is Extortion!” The Paladin cried out. “How are those your standard prices?!?”
“Well.” Victoria calmly began. “You threatened my apprentice, sought to strong arm me into an unfavorable deal, and lastly you threatened sanctions and closure upon my place of business. This is what gives me the right to triple the price.”
Leveling her gaze with his, she added. “My normal clientele knows not to push me in my own place of business, as they too have suffered such prices at one time or another. I wouldn’t dare to treat the Leader of the City patrol any differently from the average citizen now, would I?”
A glint of savageness shone in her eyes as she slipped in another comment. “You are free to go to my competitors, but you may or may not receive the same treatment. As well, you and I both know that you will not get near as good of quality potions elsewhere for such a dear and precious apprentice as yours.” Her eyes softened in mock generosity. “You certainly would not stoop to get anything less than the best for him, would you?”
Oh heavens, she was milking him on his pride! And I LOVED it!
“Woman!” He bellowed. “If you continue on with this farce then I will have your contract with the military revoked, and we will see how you manage to stay in business!” A crazed grin shattered his previously aloof mask as he added. “We’ll see then how you enjoy being run out of the city in rags!”
“Heh.” A small titter sounded from my master, which then resolved into full out laughter. “Hahahahaha! I dare you to do just that!” She exclaimed in excitement. “In fact, I would appreciate it. I would be hitting two birds with one stone as they say.” Her eyes danced about in great humor as she explained. “One, that would greatly free up much of my time and greatly boost my profits as my potions are sold at cost to the military and city patrol. Secondly, I would absolutely love to overhear you explain to the city council how you, singularly through your actions, lost the most beneficial contract that they have with the most talented working apothecary in the surrounding cities within a couple weeks ride.” Tears of mirth shone in her eyes as she appeared to be envisioning the beautiful fallout of his fangless threat.
The very life looked to have gone out of him at hearing her words. Then to add the cherry on top of his current misery, she added. “This additional threat now quadruples the price, bringing it to a total of 12 mithril and three gold.” Her smile spoke volumes.
I heard something tear on his person, but I couldn’t say for sure what it was. His sword remained sheathed, but I could see barely restrained violence in his eyes. Before Victoria could say anything further, he reached for his money pouch, ripped it from his belt and tossed it to his apprentice. “Count it out!” He growled under his breath.
The previously calm and composed apprentice appeared lost for a moment before he haltingly and carefully began rummaging through the expensive looking coin pouch. Eventually, and with a few mishandlings, 12 mithril and three gold were sitting in the palm of his hand letting out a brilliant glow. Nearly ripping the bag out of his apprentice’s hands, Paladin Eckhart then pointedly turned away from Victoria and nearly roared at his apprentice. “Well, what are you waiting for?!? Give the . . .” He appeared to struggle to use the right word, maybe in fear of the price going up again. “. . .Give the lady the money!”
Victoria’s lips twitched and eyes narrowed in vicious satisfaction. Then leaving the money on the counter, she pulled me with her into her home and up the stairs to the door of her private crafting room. “Stay here.” She admonished me gently but fervently.
I could see concern in her eyes. It appeared almost strictly for my sake while lacking any for her own. Disappearing into her private concocting room, she shut the door firmly behind her with a parting reminder to not touch the door. I couldn’t hear a thing of what was going on inside of there from my vantage point, but it wasn’t long before she reemerged with five vials in a frozen tray. Two of the vials let off a brilliant red glow as if filled with the vibrancy of life. The three other vials although appearing less brilliant, each put off a kind of swirling red and purple intensity. I believed that those separately were the two healing elixirs and 3 anti-venom potions that the paladin had requested.
Before returning to the storefront, Victoria spoke to me in a hushed tone and crafty smile. “Andrew, what will be happening down there next, does not have any reflection on my capability. It is simply to convince the paladin that my earlier actions were not backed up by personal might, but by contingency plans. This is more for your protection than for mine. If he were to have any thoughts that I might be more powerful than him, he will be more likely to use you as leverage against me. Please allow me to do all the speaking with them from this point onward.”
Then giving me an endearing look, she added. “I do appreciate your desire to stand up for me, but there is no need. Let us go.”
With that, she led me back down stairs to face the paladin.
“Sir Paladin.” She said as she approached the counter. In her right hand was the frozen tray letting off wisps of mist off as it held the 5 potions. In her left hand was a clear white sphere which fit well within the palm of her hand with engravings on it.
Paladin Eckhart’s expression turned even more sour if that was possible, at the obvious presence of this sphere. He opened his mouth as if to voice out a protest, but seeing Victoria’s steady gaze, he held his peace.
It was as we both approached the edge of the dividing table between the paladin and us that Victoria spoke. “I would like to complete the transaction that we agreed upon.” Then looking at the sphere she held in hand, she addressed its presence. “This is likely what you suspect it to be. But let me put your mind at ease in regard to confirming its nature.”