Ethan opened the shop’s door and was immediately enveloped in a cloud of softness and warmth. The air was thick with the scent of lavender and chamomile, and the sound of gentle instrumental music filled his ears. What is this? he thought dreamily as he entered the shop, closing the door behind him.
Looking around, he saw rows of pillows of all shapes and sizes. Some were round and plump, while others were long and narrow, primarily designed to support the neck, the best he could guess. The colors ranged from vibrant shades of blue and green to muted pastels and deep earthy tones.
As Ethan made his way deeper into the shop, he noticed that each pillow seemed to have its own unique texture. Some were smooth and silky, while others were fluffy and cloud-like. He ran his hand over an exceptionally plush pillow, marveling at how soft it felt against his skin. What are these made of? he wondered, unable to compare the fabric's softness to anything back on Earth.
One pillow in particular caught Ethan's eye. It was a deep shade of purple, with a subtle floral pattern embroidered onto the surface. As he ran his hand over the pillow, he couldn't help but feel a sense of calm wash over him. It was as if the pillow itself invited him to rest his head on it and forget all of his worries.
Breaking off the pillow’s spell, Ethan continued exploring the shop and marveled at what the magic of Erde could bring to life. Not everything was as dark and gloomy as the things he had first encountered in the castle. Then, he was jolted out of his thoughts by a manly voice calling out from behind the rows of pillows. “Can I help you?”
Ethan turned around and was surprised to see a man in his fifties dressed in what could pass as a fantasy world tuxedo. He was barely a head shorter than Ethan and had broad shoulders one would expect to see on a warrior swinging a large-two handed sword.
The man furrowed his thick, gray brow, looking Ethan up and down, and cast a dissatisfied gaze, the scar across his left eye emphasizing his point. Ethan looked at the man, surprised to see formal wear on such a rough-looking gentleman, and said, “Em, hello. I am looking for some pillows to purchase. Are you the owner?”
“That indeed I am,” the man replied with a smile. “The name is Alfie, and welcome to Plume and Feather. I would ask how may I be of service, but I must say that we do not sell our wares on loan, nor much of what you see before you are on sale at the moment.”
Ethan looked at the man, seeing how he was evaluating his skimpy clothing compared to what the man himself was wearing. Then it clicked, and he hurriedly responded, “Oh! Sorry, no, I am not looking for a loan. My name is Ethan, and I am new in town. Please do not confuse me with some homeless person who wandered into your shop and is trying to steal. I was lost in the woods for a few days and am working through your town to get the bare necessities.”
“Oh? Nice to meet you then,” the man brightened up, again trusting Ethan on his word. “And let me guess, this is the first place you visited, as you consider a proper pillow the bare necessity?”
Ethan nodded to the question and gestured around him, “Indeed, and I see you have more than I could ever dream of finding. Is that purple one there that somehow induces such calm for sale? I want to buy it, or several for that matter.”
The man’s serious gaze vanished as he laughed and shook his head before responding, “Let me guess? You a guilder then, yes? First time back from the wilds?”
Ethan nodded in confirmation, and Alfie continued, ”Ah, thought so. I remember the days when I came back to Veer after an extended mission with my team. Felt the same way. Just wanted to fall into the bed and have a good, comfortable night’s sleep.”
“Really? Were you a guilder as well?” Ethan asked with interest.
“Yes, indeed. I had my good run for fifty or so years. I even found two aspects seeds and raised them to adept rank. But, as you must know, that is bloody hard in these parts. Many monsters slain, much danger lived through.”
“I guess you found you calling then, eh?” Ethan asked, gesturing around them.
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“That I did. This one time, I returned and thought to myself, ‘Alfie, why not settle down for once and do something you love?’ So I did. And here were are. But enough about me. Are you looking to buy the one pillow with the feathers from the [Tranquil Wing]? I am afraid all of them are spoken for. Just recently, actually.”
“Oh? By whom?” Ethan asked in surprise.
“By nobles of Veer, of course. Who else would afford a pillow worth its weight in Mithril tokens? A butler or someone will pick it up today. I heard a pair of noble ladies were visiting the town to get ahead of the festivities and trade. You know how it is when the ball of Sommerstice looms around the corner.”
Ethan nodded, going with the flow as the man filled in the gaps, “Yes, that is true. Well, how does one acquire a pillow from your reputable shop?”
“That is easy. Just put an order in. I can only sell you the simple ones today, filled with geese feathers. It should be all right for a while. For the others, unfortunately, you will have to wait for them,” the man said thoughtfully.
“Oh, that is all right. I want to buy three of those as well if you have them on hand,” Ethan said, and the man nodded, vanishing around the corner, returning a few moments later carrying a pouch the size of a cat.
“Here they are. That will be ten iron tokens then,” he said, looking at Ethan expectantly.
Ethan put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the required tokens from his storage, putting them on the counter next to the pillows. The man smiled and collected them, putting them in a box under it.
“If I may, young man,” he began, “I would advise you acquire some more respectable garb than the rags you are wearing. So few take kind after guilders retiring from their exploits and being in your state. I might have mistaken you for a bandit if I did not notice your fine boots.” He motioned toward Ethan’s feet.
Ethan laughed and said, “Dully noted, sir. I am actually on my way to get some of the said clothes. The innkeeper, Elaine, suggested a shop. Arcane Attire, I believe, was the name. Mentioned they would do a rush job for me. But, as you would understand, I saw your wares and could not keep away."
Alfie nodded and laughed as well, “I see you have your priorities straight. Ethan, was it?” Ethan nodded to the question. “Let me give you a referral for that old fool Gerome. Where is my pen now?” The man ruffled about in his counter, pulling out a paper and a pen, and started writing a short note, handing it to Ethan once done.
“This will get you started nicely enough to avoid some confusion we had today. Also, I assume you want to order those pillows I mentioned, correct?”
Ethan nodded, and the man quickly added, “All right, thirty Mithril tokens for those.” Ethan proceeded to pull them out and lay them on the counter before them. The man’s smile deepened as he pocketed the money. “All right, I will have your order ready in around three weeks. Will you be going to Veer? You could find me there in the main shop.”
“Oh, yes, I will try. How will I manage to find you, though?” Ethan clarified.
“My shop has the same name as this one,” the man said, noting something down in his thick book of orders and handing a small note to Ethan that looked suspiciously like a business card with the name of the shop on the top of it and the adorned feather at the back.
“That makes sense,” Ethan recognized, pocketing the note and adding to meet the man to his mental to-do list once he got to Veer. “I know this might sound like a dumb question, but would you mind telling me the best way to get to Veer from here? I am not local, you see.”
Alfie raised an eyebrow, and sudden understanding bloomed on his face, “Oh! That explains so much, then. And here I thought I was giving you a hard time. You have my sincere apologies, Ethan. As for the best, it is arguable. You might want to join the trade caravan, I believe. It leaves tomorrow morning, so you are lucky in that regard. They might even want to hire you as a guard, given your guilder status and all.”
“Great. Then I will follow your advice and meet that tailor you, and Elaine suggested. I hope he can do that rush job so I can leave with the caravan tomorrow.”
Alfie nodded in confirmation and said, “See that you do. I will see you then in Veer, Ethan. Remember, three weeks, and come find me in the trading square near the late duke’s mansion.” The man shoved his calloused and scared hand forward, Ethan accepting the shake.
“Thank you. And sorry for the misunderstanding again,” Ethan said, moving to exit the shop. Once outside, he breathed in a sigh of relief and looked around to check if no one was looking before storing his pack in his storage space.
His most pressing concern taken care of, Ethan glanced around, remembering that the tailor must be somewhere near the Plume and Feather, and saw the place just a few paces away, a large sign ‘Arcane Attire’ signaling its whereabouts.
He smiled, his spirits high by the simple acquisition of fluffy pillows, and said, “Time to get my act together and get some pants.”