The day at Aldrich's Pots often went slowly. Time moved slowly in Crownview Heights, people trundled by sometimes looking at his wares then continuing on to browse elsewhere.

Aldrich Claybourne, sat behind his counter tapping his finger restlessly on the table. Before him, sat the newly brewed potions he had created just the day before. Inside the small corked bottles, a glowing liquid exuded a blue-green light that hissed as the contents of the bottles produced gas bubbles and popped. This mixture had been an experiment that Aldrich had been able to create due to his skill 'Alchemical Synthesis'. The fluorescent mixture in front of Aldrich was the first successful use of this skill and quietly Aldrich was very proud of himself for creating it.

The Alchemical Synthesis skill was the ability that Aldrich had received a year gone. It allowed him to combine potions and ingredients to create what he called 'Aldrich's Altered Alchemy', his wife thought the name was poor, but he thought it had quite a ring to it. This creation sitting in front of Aldrich's gnarled hands now, was his latest mixture. He had called it 'Aquazoom' -the elixir was a mixture of water-breathing potion and speed potion- and to Aldrich's delight it worked perfectly. Earlier in the week, he had dragged his poor wife out to a lake near the walls of Paladin's Fort. There, he had spent 20 minutes marvelling in his new creation, occasionally leaping from the water like a salmon in excitement. Needless to say, he hadn't been popular back at home after that little adventure.

But Aldrich was enthralled by his new creation, and today marked the grand reveal of the new product for the city of Paladin's Fort to admire. However, things hadn't quite gone to plan. Aldrich's Pots, nestled in the Crownview Heights district in Paladin's Fort, stood as the sole Alchemist in the area. However, everyone knew that Crownview Heights was the 'rich district', which was often looked down upon by the other districts. And truth be told, they weren't exactly wrong there. The homes towered over those in other parts of the city and the streets were always clean and quiet, this kept all people who didn't work or live in the district out of the area. Many chose instead, to visit the district south of Crownview Heights, a more 'regular' district called Hazelwood Town. This was where Aldrich lived to be truthful. But the allure to the young Alchemist all those years ago, of providing the elite with the best potions in the city and earning a pretty penny in return, was too difficult to turn down. Unfortunately, this had meant that customers actually entering his shop and browsing his wears was a rare occurrence.

Aldrich sighed again and looked around his shop. His shop was large, many shelves and tables sat around the shop's floor all presenting a variety of potions, alchemy equipment and general 'pranks' that he had been persuaded to sell by a younger family member. He reminded himself he had to move them some time soon. The 'Magical Gas Potion: Makes Taker Unbelievably Smelly!' didn't quite fit with the professional and successful atmosphere he wanted to create. But ignoring that hideous corner of the shop, the rest looked just as professional as anyone could want it. Aldrich had separated 'EQUIPMENT', 'ELIXIRS' and 'SPRITZERS', and in each aisle was alphabetically listed potions in different strengths and sizes. The terms 'elixirs' and 'spritz' were names that Aldrich had assigned to the different forms of potions to hope that customers would think they were more 'luxury' and pay an extra few Golden Drops for them premium wares. Elixirs were essentially 'drinkable potions' and spritzers were 'splash potions' that were used to be thrown or dropped. But right now, these wares were just sitting there waiting for a purchaser.

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Aldrich Claybourne was a short man, slightly rounded at the waist - perhaps due to a few too many visits to the 'Turtle and the Fae' tavern located in Hazelwood town. He sported a flop of brown hair that drooped over his sharp eyebrows, with kind eyes twinkling happily below. His cheeks were rosy that were complimented with a big friendly smile. Despite the pockets of fat held in his cheeks, Aldrich had that sprinkle of youth still in his eyes. His clothes were neat, clean and professional, with no hint of overdressing or underdressing. he appeared to dress perfectly for what he was trying to achieve; the friendly alchemist.

As Aldrich was about to close up shop for another day, he heard the bell above the door tinkle. He looked up and saw a tall man wearing armour and wielding a sword, push his way into the shop. The man grunted towards Aldrich and sidled off to look at the stands of Elixirs and Spritz. Aldrich wandered over and spoke.

'Anything, you'd be looking for today sir?' The man continued looking at the items and grunted again. 'Okay, well, if you think of anything just shout for me. I'll be behind the counter.' The armoured man nodded and continued looking at the potions.

Aldrich watched him from the counter with an absent smile propped onto his face. The man clicked his tongue and shook his head, he turned and went to walk out of the shop, when he glanced over at the counter and spotted the glowing potions on Aldrich's counter. Obviously interested, the man slowly wandered over and pointed at them, looking at Aldrich for a response. Aldrich jumped out of his stupor and chuckled.

'Ah, I knew these would peak some interest,' the man continued staring waiting for Aldrich to continue. 'They are my new invention...' Aldrich was about to refer to them as AquaZoom but then realised who he was talking to and changed his approach. 'These are a hybrid potion that I have recently developed, I call them...' Aldrich coughed. 'Water speed potions.'

'Hmm, water speed potions?'

'Yes, my good friend. They allow you to be able to breathe underwater like a simple water-breathing potion. However, due to a skill I've gained, I have combined the ingredients with that of a speed potion.' Aldrich finished his explanation and looked up at the soldier indifferently.

'Fascinating. How much would one of these cost, would you say.' Inquired the solder, picking up one of the potions and peering into the hissing elixir.

'Well, this is only the test bunch, so I guess I could take...' Aldrich pondered out loud, 'What do you say to sixty golden drops, good man?'

The man's eyes widened slightly then returned back to their regular shape. He let out a slow breath and rolled his eyes. 'Go on then, I'll take two.' As he said this he pulled out a pouch from his back pocket and threw a small blue stone onto the counter, counting out twenty more golden stones. 'There you go Alchemist, one sapphire and twenty golden drops.' Aldrich thanked him and showed him out, shaking his hand kindly and inviting him back to review the potions at a later date.

When showing the man out of his shop, Aldrich glanced up and saw the sun lowering below the clouds and decided to shut the shop. He wandered back into the shop and began to put out his lanterns and pocketed the little money he'd made. After 20 minutes, the shop was ready to be closed and Aldrich wandered to the door and left his shop.

'Long day.' Aldrich grumbled as he wandered the long way down into Hazelwood Town. On the slow walk home, Aldrich decided he would pop into The Turtle and the Fae to have a drink before returning home. After all, he'd just sold his first ever AquaZoom, this put a grin onto Aldrich's face and he wandered down the road to the tavern.