Inside the largely plain exterior of the small shop, was a series of half wooden half glass counters and displays placed precisely around the rest of the shop, its design almost drawing the customer to the more valuable merchandise. Merged next to the more eye-catching talismans was a solid wooden counter built of the same wood as the rest of the displays, clearly meant for customer transactions. Atop it, placed deliberately to indicate its purpose, a simple bronze bell, and following a moment's hesitation, Lasutro gently tolled it, bringing forth a clear ring that filled the room.
Moments later before them, behind the arrays of counters, stood a Primeatusian woman of elven ancestry, carrying the scent in her hair Lasutro only knew from the cool breezes of the city outside the store. Despite the somewhat pleasant air about the woman Lasutro presumed to be Nemice, by the subtle streaks of white in her hair in addition to the small wrinkles around her eye and her poorly hidden displeasure in the act of serving a customer. With Nemice’s glare upon them Lasutro stumbled through their words as they tried to put together the reason she had come into the store before asking if it was possible to get a talisman for luck, at least for the Academy’s examination.
When the words left Lasutro’s mouth, she saw the hint of a scowl upon Nemice’s face before it returned to its natural state of a perpetual frown. The moment she went to reply her eyes caught sight of Lasutro’s silver bracelet, which drew instead a frown of dissatisfaction as Nemice expression changed again into a frustration before she opened her mouth and grumbled, “You have one already, at least something that is as effective as one I could give you, so is that all or…” she trailed off in manner so to suggest Lasutro’s swift exit, her eyes lingering briefly upon their wrist before slowly turning back towards the door they came from to hint Lasutro that the suggestive manner of her speech was meant more as an instruction then a request.
As Nemice did so her robes shifted just so, partially revealing a part of a series of tattoos that crept up her neck. It was at that moment when the knowledge of what they wanted from Nemice struck Lasutro. Their epiphany brought together pieces of half remembered information from the chapter they knew as Freesill’s Method of the Core: The Mind Nourishing Core, granting them the insight that non permanent markings on their arm had been helping in Lasutro’s summoning and restoration of what she had taken to calling “Spell Energy”. With their charcoal markings partially if not completely deteriorated, Lasutro was suddenly aware of their need for restoration if not complete recreation elsewhere on their skin.
Just as Nemice stepped through the door to enter the back room of their shop, Lasutro fought through their now chaotic thoughts, letting their instincts lead them, and called after her, “Wait! Please.” unable to hide the slight desperation in their voice, the words coming out as frantic as the state of their mind.
To both Nemice’s and Lasutro’s surprise, although more so the former, Nemice turned back expectantly, the barest twinkle of hope in their eyes as she did. When she did so Lasutro took a leap as they began their response to Nemice’s acknowledgment of their request. “Can you help me get the markings you have,” For a moment Nemice’s expression turned to anger before Lasutro continued “I need some specific ones, I have a set of designs,” she paused again picturing the symbols, the markings that had come to mind a few moments ago, ensuring their grasp on them before she said “I think I can draw them for you, if that what I ask is possible.” their tone becoming increasingly certain with each word.
Lasutro’s request hung in the air for a time, while Nemice mused on it. Shortly after she began whispering to herself in an unfamiliar tongue, before nodding her head and addressing Lasutro “Show me the designs, if they are acceptable I will mark you as you wish.” Her commanding tone freezing Lasutro for a moment before she began searching their person for something to transcribe the marks upon. Just as she was about to give up, Nemice placed a few sheets of parchment and a charcoal pencil in front of them, a hint of displeasure in her eyes.
As Lasutro transcribed the symbols, both the ones previously on their arm and those she had just recalled, on the pages under the watchful eyes of Nemice. Who quickly snatched them from their hands upon their completion and began her inspection that seemed intent on finding flaws or rather a reason to refuse the request; which she was well within her rights to do but couldn’t seem to do so without a particular offense.
She continued her inspection for a few minutes before breaking the silence “Come back tomorrow same time and I’ll do this” Nemice said gesturing at the pieces of parchment “But I’m not doing it for free, bring gold or don’t come” she finished before shooing Lasutro out and heading returning to the backroom of their store.
Lasutro returned to their room slightly confused by Nemice’s attitude but excited by the prospect of gaining a more complete part of the Mind Nourishing Core, a concept she still didn’t completely grasp. Although the sudden insight she had in Nemice’s store eased the panic she felt in their incomplete understanding. As she settled down in their room, she resumed their planned practice of the two spells she had just learned until she began to reach the limits of their spell energy that she had crossed the previous day, at which point she laid down to rest.
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The first few hours of the next day went similarly as the previous day, although instead of practicing the second spell they had learned they worked on the third and final spell from their tome. When Lasutro finished their plans, at least those she had for before their return to Nemice’s store, she made haste to their destination in an effort to avoid being late, making sure to bring their good purse to avoid any unnecessary wrath from Nemice.
Upon their arrival at the threshold of Nemice’s Talismans Lasutro took a deep breath to calm both their nerves and excitement, then made their way inside. The interior of the store seemed unchanged with the exception of a few of the paper talismans Lasutro had noticed the other day. When Lasutro walked up to the counter where she had met Nemice the day before, she moved their hand to ring the bell only to be interrupted by a muffled yell “I heard you, I heard you!” followed by the door behind the counter opening with a slightly more irritated Nemice, dressed in a lighter robe that revealed more plainly the multitudes of tattoos that adorned her arms. In an instant Lasutro became hypnotized in the variety of unfamiliar runes, and symbols following their lines to the solid lines that formed near the middle of their forearms and extended to the tips of her middle fingers, a sight that Lasutro was surprised to have not noticed when they met previously. As suddenly as they fell into it, Lasutro was snapped out of their admiration when Nemice gave them a light punch.
“Stop staring and get back here” she snapped, gesturing to follow her as she held open the small entryway to the space behind the counter. Following close behind, Lasutro entered the shop’s backroom. Counter to their expectations the space was larger if not the same size of the storefront. In place of display cases there were a multitude of boxes stacked against the walls, and several different types of work tables, which appeared all well used, some even holding incomplete projects.
Nemice led them past her other works, to a dusty chaise lounge and directed Lasutro to sit. “Alright I’ve looked over your designs,and rearranged them to take less space. Now where do you want it? ” Nemice asked, their casual bragging marked by what Lasutro now identified as her trademark tone of irritation. Lasutro reflected for a moment on her words, thinking about the symbols placement for the first time, their thoughts eventually wandering to the spine and soon after settling on the upper spine.
When Lasutro pulled themselves from their thoughts to answer Nemice, they hesitated for a moment upon seeing the impatience on her face before she said “My upper spine.” Immediately after the last word came out of Lasutro's mouth, Nemice spoke again, almost cutting them off. “And for the manner of payment, I’ll say forty two gold pieces will be sufficient.” Nemice outstretched her hand toward Lasutro as she finished her sentence, their face marked by an expectant expression.
Lasutro broke eye contact with Nemice as they pulled their purse from under their tunic and began counting out the gold. When she finished she silently placed the gold pieces into the still steady and expectant hand, which closed quickly around it. “Remove your tunic and lay down with your back facing up” Nemice said as she stood up from her chair before walking over to one of the less worn desks and placing their payment within one of the drawers.
Lasutro fiddled with their hands while she watched Nemice move swiftly around their workspace, fetching a pair of long objects that resembled paint brushes with one exception, one appeared to have a thick unwieldy grip, and then a small black brick in addition to what appeared to be a well of sorts. As Nemice returned to their place by Lasutro, she gestured best she could with her hands full for Lasutro to hurry up and follow their instructions, whispering to herself as she did so.
Under Nemice’s uncaring eyes, Lasutro quickly, if a bit awkwardly, removed their tunic and laid down on their chest pressing lightly against the surprisingly comforting chaise lounge. Just as Lasutro started to relax, she felt the tickle of a small brush on their spine but managed to remain somewhat still with the assistance of a firm hand that pressed them down into the couch. When the brush strokes stopped, Nemice instructed them once more telling Lasturo to relax and prepare themselves for the next few hours.
Over the following hours Lasutro fought through pain as she laid down moving as little as she could manage as Nemice did her work. After the first twenty minutes, Lasutro became familiar with the pain, not comfortable but able to ignore a portion of it. However a different sort of pain started to pierce their skin as they became less conscious of the pain in their back , an unavoidable boredom.
As the minutes passed and turned into hours, Lasutro fought against the unrelenting boredom that had begun to fill their mind. Their attempts to direct their thoughts to a reflection of the three spells she could cast and their nature, thwarted by the dull pain centered on their spine. Despite their failure to alleviate their boredom, that did not stop Lasutro trying, an ultimately futile act that only served to extend their perception of time. Making their time on the couch feel longer than it actually was.
When the pain stopped, Nemice indicated for Lasutro to get up, after placing what felt like a damp cloth on their back and whispering a few words in a manner not unlike the way the cleric of the Radiant Father had when they healed their arms. Lasutro pulled themselves up, still conscious of the soreness of the tattoo, she gently put their tunic back on, being careful of the cloth that remained on their back as she did so.
Lasutro remained sitting for a moment, pushing through their newly gained fatigue as she looked to Nemice for further instruction, only to find her wandering over to another part of the workspace. A few minutes later, when Lasutro finally felt well enough to walk again without appearing like the recently deceased, Nemice strode back to their side with a small piece of parchment in hand. “This,” she said as she motioned with the square of parchment, “is a copy of the modified tattoo, so you don’t buy a looking glass.” Nemice continued as she placed the parchment into one of Lasutro’s hands. Then clapping her hands together, Nemice spoke once more, “Now, my work is done, get out.” before she proceeded to push Lasutro back out into the city.
From the street outside Nemice’s Talismans Lasutro made their way slowly to their room at the Risen Albyon. There she, despite their desire to read on in their tome, found themselves face down, on the soft sheets of their bed slowly drifting off to sleep.