Ryuji bought his wizarding component belt that was custom-made for the purpose. It was a wide belt with loops for a dozen vials and rings and hooks to attach dozens of small pouches. The opposite side had a holster made for a spell book to drop into and be latched in. He also bought a set of mortars and pestles plus a custom grinding wheel for making his potions and reagents. He tells Dorn that he wants a small bit of every kind of mineral and oil in the shop. Topping off his purchase, he buys one of every book that Dorn has for sale. That is Way more than the two of them can carry in one trip. Ryuji explains that he will have the cat beastfolk carry it all tomorrow evening since they all work for him and Dorn just smirks at the remark. The total sale is two large gold, three small gold, and some change that Ryuji just rounds up to four small gold.
The pair got a ton of incredulous or overtly curious looks as they headed to The Old Sleeping Tree Inn. The looks that they drew from Karen and Teresa were way better. It was worth the looks he had gotten all through town.
Ryuji and Dorn arrived back at the inn a little after noon and there were only a few patrons left in the common room. Most of them appeared to be almost finished with their meal and would likely be leaving in the next ten minutes by Ryuji’s estimate. There were some of the older ones that Ryuji recognized as regulars who frequented the place like a bar. Regardless of whether they were a regular or just a lunch patron, they all turned to look at the odd pair trundling through the double swing doors with a mountain of book and odd items.
When the regulars saw Ryuji, they started to greet him but then their eyes fell on the dwarf following him and their mouths fell open. Teresa was at the table of one of the regulars when she saw them all turning to look at the door and did likewise. She almost couldn’t tell it was Ryuji for the load of things he was carrying in front of him. Suddenly a voice boomed out behind him. “Laddie, I willna be a luggin yer materials up ta yer room for ye, ya hear? I’ll be havin ye know tha I’m an old man an ma ol’ knees ainna gonna try keepin up wit yer young elven behind anna more! I told ye ta be slowin yer runnin through tha town. I’m leavin yer stuff here an ye kin be getting yer cat friends ta be doin all the luggin from now on.”
Ryuji walked over to a seat at an empty table and set his load of items down before returning to take the stack from Dorn. “Alright Dorn, I just wanted help getting the first of it to the inn. Why don’t you sit down and have an ale? I’ll pay! Least I can do for the misunderstanding. Well, that and buying all of my supplies finally. I swear, I really didn’t know that I could buy them yet. I thought I had to have your approval. Hey Teresa, Can I get you to grab my master an ale or three? I somehow don’t think that he’s a lightweight when it comes to drinking. Certainly not like me!”
Teresa went into the kitchen and looked wide-eyed at a concerned Karen, who was washing dishes. “Karen, girl, we were wrong this mornin. Your man is exactly what he said he was. I think you need to go out there and talk to him before he gets the wrong idea and goes runnin off on you.”
Karen came out of the kitchen to see a crowd gathered around Ryuji and somebody seated at a table. The old man seated at the table looked to be a dwarf and everybody was crowded around trying to talk to him. Ryuji just stood off to the side next to a huge stack of books and other things that looked like they belonged in a kitchen. When he spotted her, he walked over with a smile but still looked a little nervous and stopped after a couple steps, looking down and away.
Karen had felt that her heart was going to shatter all morning and every time she imagined Ryuji leaving, she just about broke down in tears and did a couple times. Teresa had been comforting her every time she broke down but she really just wanted to be held by Ryuji. When she saw him hesitating it felt like a knife twisting in her gut and she couldn’t hold herself back. Karen ran to him, tears streaming down her face.
Ryuji was expecting to receive a frosty welcome, figuring that Karen would still be mad at him. When she came out of the kitchen, he wanted to rush over to her and immediately start telling her about his day like he would normally but then he remembered that they had a fight that morning and he wasn’t as confident anymore. He hesitated, unsure just what he should do. Should he act as though nothing had happened? It seemed a little late for that. Should he begin with an apology? Should he…
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Fortunately, the question was answered for him when Karen broke down in tears and ran to him. He wrapped his arms around her but her momentum carried them to the floor. He managed to stay upright but they were now sitting on the floor in a heap with Karen bawling in his arms. That’s when a usually gruff voice burst into his thoughts due to its complete lack of gruffness this time. “So that be tha lass what be takin up yer thoughts. Aye, that’s a right looker there. I kin be a seein why ye was distracted so this mornin. An she seems ta be likin ye right fierce.”
Karen flinched as she remembered her current location. She was so lost in worries over losing her love with Ryuji that she lost sight of everything except him. suddenly her surroundings came rushing back and apparently, she had made a complete spectacle of herself and could feel her cheeks burning. Whatever, as long as she got to keep Ryuji, the rest of the world could see her any way they wanted. Then the words that could only be from a dwarf caught her attention and she wiped her eyes before looking up at the speaker. Fortunately, Ryuji didn’t seem interested in letting go of her because she didn’t want to be anywhere but next to him right now.
When Karen looked at the owner of the voice the words finally sunk in and she had to take a closer look. She was a bit overwhelmed when she realized who was sitting there. It was Dorn Firefist, the legendary war hero known as the Crimson Rain. A fire mage of the first order who had a reputation for raining fire down on entire enemy formations and an equally fearsome reputation for his adamant refusal to take any apprentices. Every person who had gone to see him was rejected as having no talent for magic and the few times that a mage was sent as a test, they were found out within half a candlespan.
Karen turned to look up at Ryuji with wide-eyed wonder. “You weren’t lying, were you? You really are the first apprentice that Dorn has ever taken? But why? How?”
Teresa was just arriving with a tray laden with six mugs of ale which seemed strange until she grabbed one herself and began downing the contents. At Karen’s comments and questions, everybody’s eyes went straight to Ryuji or Dorn and they all ended up on him as he began to speak. “Oh aye! He be my apprentice lass an a right goodin at that! This youngin here came ta me shop an challenged me ta turn em down e did. Told me tha I shoulda be givin em a fair shot ta prove ta me whethern he be havin talent er not. Surin I was determined ta be kickin em outta me shop so I told em I did, iffin ye kinnae be naming me tha use of me rocks fer magic ye be leavin an notta comin back! Aye, an I’l be a goblins unkle iffin he didnae start a namin a buncha the rocks. I didna recognize none o’ tha names he was a namin but… tha details was straight as a dwarven tunnel they was.”
Everyone was now looking at Ryuji in awe and Karen had a look of reverence on her face as she snuggled even tighter to his chest with a smile. “I just don’t think you realized how stubborn you were being. I doubt that there are too many people who have some kind of innate knowledge of magic or a possible background in it that they can’t remember. I think that you should at least give a potential apprentice a chance to prove that they have no talent before throwing them out. I mean, imagine how many of those you rejected that just might have some kind of talent that you passed up. Probably not most, mind you. But, would it hurt you to give them a wee… an eightday to show they have talent before you toss them out? Not that I’m saying that I want to give up my spot to another apprentice mind you, but I will finish my apprenticeship at some point and then you could give somebody else a chance to earn their apprenticeship.”
Dorn looked thoughtfully at Ryuji still tackled to the floor and he had to admit, he had been getting a bit too callous with his assessment of people having no talent. Maybe, having an apprentice or two around wouldn’t be all that bad. “Aye laddie. I be thinkin ye may be right. I havna been givin folks a fair chance at that. An I be agreein ta yer terms. From now on lad, I’ll be a givin tha green uns a fair shot ta be a provin what I already knew about mosta tha lot. But iffin I be a findin me another lad or lass what has any talent I’ll be a teachin em right. I best be a getting ready then. I dinnae thin ye’ll be needin me guidance fer much more, maybe a pair o’ eightdays at most. Ye be havin no problems a learnin on yer lonesome an ye just bought me entire stock o’ knowhow anyway! Jus do me a favor n don’t be a openin a shop fer teachin now that I dun got it in ma head ta be givin it a try. Aye?”
Ryuji couldn’t help but smile at that but was a little shocked. Dorn thought he would be ready in a couple eightdays. That was much sooner than he was prepared for. He was right though; he did have all the basics of caster magic down and even had a secret that Dorn probably couldn’t replicate. If he was going to be out the door so soon, he decided that he needed to concentrate on getting the basics of summoner and enchanter magic. The only thing he could say to Dorn was “Aye.”