I truly believe there's nothing you can accomplish with the power of friendship that you can't accomplish with the power of being a huge prick. Have you met many powerful people? Believe me, they're all jackasses. Present company excluded, of course.

-Basen Koh on the power of friendship

Reid stared over the counter at his unconscious customer, unsure what to do. The ring of the bell drew Reid's attention to the front door, and Basen walked inside.

"Reid! You like to get in early!" the mage said, ignoring the fact that it was almost noon.

Basen shook out an umbrella and leaned it against the wall near the door. He cocked his head when he saw the collapsed young man in front of the counter.

"Is there a problem, Reid?"

The question snapped Reid out of his stupor, and he ran around the counter to where Garret collapsed.

"I don't know what happened. He just fell over! Looks like he's breathing, at least."

Basen walked over to Garret and nudged him with a foot. The man didn't respond.

"I just sold him a three star item. He bound it and then just collapsed. Should we call for a doctor?"

Reid wasn't sure how long he'd stood staring at the man, but it couldn't have been more than a minute or two before Basen arrived.

"Please, Reid. There's no need to waste time trying to find one of those idiots. They're probably busy congratulating themselves for fleecing half the city."

Basen bent over to examine Garret, and he put a hand to Garret's neck.

"Hmm. First binding?"

"Yeah, that's what he said."

"I thought so. He'll be fine. He'll have a serious headache when he wakes up, though."

"He used too much essence?" Reid guessed.

"No, but there is a forehead shaped dent in the floor. Thick skull on this one."

Reid could only blink at Basen's nonchalance.

"Don't worry, Reid. I swear, he's going to be alright. He's a Mage now. Skipping Lesser Mage is an unpleasant experience. It is no surprise that he passed out. What did you sell him?"

Basen turned to the desk and stepped back when he saw the pile of gold sitting on the counter. Reid smiled. Shocking the True Mage always felt good.

"Three items for forty-five gold!"

"Astounding! He willingly did this? You didn't use a mind control item on him? Or rob him after he was down? Those kinds of tactics will get you far right up until they get you killed."

Reid didn't remember seeing any mind control items, so he ignored that question. He answered the second question with a flat look.

"Ha! Alright, alright. I apologize for trying to disparage your good name."

Reid accepted the apology and told Basen about what Garret had been looking for and what items he'd selected. Basen nodded thoughtfully.

"Excellent. I don't mean to disparage you in any way, but it would have been better for him to bind the blade and gain the spell since he could always practice with the rings of light. We can certainly tell him when he wakes up, so it isn't a big deal."

"That's a good point. How would you have priced the items? I tried to base it on some other things I've seen."

Basen scratched his beard and stared into the distance.

"Honestly, I probably would have sold the three star items for four and five gold. The blade probably ten, with the aspect," Basen glanced down at the unconscious man. "He looks rich, so I'd probably bump everything up by a quarter again, so perhaps twenty-five for all three?"

That made Reid feel better.

"I initially thought about thirty for all three. I just started high to see what he'd think, but he accepted my first offer, no questions asked."

Basen laughed.

"Well done! You have true merchant's instincts. Did he give you his name? I'm trying to remember what Greater Mages in the region use light based magic."

"Garret Sands. I think he said his dad was the Blinding Arrow or something like that."

Basen slapped the counter. "Ha!"

"Do you know him?"

"Oh yes. He's insufferable. More things make sense now. Any Greater Mage would know to have their child bind a one or two star item for a few months before binding a three star. Any Greater Mage except the 'Blind Idiot,' that is."

Basen chuckled at his own joke. Then he began laughing even harder.

"I just realized what you've done here, Reid. Oh, this is far better than I could have managed."

"What is?"

"You said the boy wanted an offensive ability?"

"Yeah. Is the Piercing Light spell offensive?"

"Not even a little. It can pass through some objects, like doors and thin walls, but the real effect is twofold. It illuminates darkness, especially unnatural or magical darkness, and it allows the caster to see a momentary image of what the light touched."

"So he can use it to see through walls?"

"Glimpse might be more accurate. It can be incredibly useful, but it is a utility spell. The bands of light are also utility abilities. The fact that Desmond's son came here and picked up three utility items instead of the offensive magic item he certainly wanted the boy to get is just...amazing. Well, done."

Basen laughed again. Reid didn't know the Blinding Arrow, so he didn't really know why it was so funny, but he was glad Basen was enjoying himself.

"Thanks, I guess. Back to binding a Lesser Magic item before a three star, why is that important? Other than not passing out, I guess."

Basen got himself back under control and nodded.

"It allows the body to acclimate to magic more smoothly, which has several positive short term effects. It won't be a true hinderance, but he'll find himself having more trouble regaining lost power and difficulty expanding his potential for a while—possibly as long as a few years."

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Reid winced. "I shouldn't have let him bind that..."

Basen shook his head. "You're not responsible for other people's self destructive or bad behaviors. I won't pretend that I don't worry about the things we sell, but we can only serve to screen potential disasters, not stop them entirely. Well, that's true for you anyway. I have this nagging moral and contractually obligated duty to stop disasters within the city."

"Contractually obligated?" Reid asked, wondering if this was another agreement Basen hadn't told him about.

"With the King. Nothing for you to worry about. Well, unless you start seeing monsters or something. Then I recommend hiding."

The bell on the door rang again, and Kris walked in. The man was wearing his typical vest and shorts, heedless of the rain and the chill in the air. Kris noticed the body on the floor right away.

"Hey, Boss. Reid. Uh. How's it going?"

"Don't worry, Kris, he's not dead."

Kris relaxed. "Whew. I thought we were going to have another duck situation on our hands."

"I've seen a lot of things..." Basen said, trailing off as he seemed to remember something. "But that was one of the most unexpected events of my entire life. Who knew ducks were so vengeful?"

Reid looked between the men. "Should I ask? No. I shouldn't. Should we move him? We should probably make sure he's not actually injured."

"Fine, fine. I'll take care of it. Maybe I'll tell Desmond he owes me a favor."

"Desmond?" Kris asked.

"This poor boy's father. I get it. It's not easy being raised by idiots."

Basen bent over and hoisted Garret up without effort. He set him on a stool and prodded him a few times.

"That seems like a mean thing to say about your parents," Reid said, watching Basen work.

"I don't say it with malice. My father was a pig farmer. His father was a pig farmer, and so on and so forth. My first magic item was a one star shovel that made it easier for me to shovel pig shit. They were simple folk, but they were idiots. Breaking that cycle wasn't easy. When I went out into the world, I had nothing and knew nothing. Garret here has more advantages, like wealth and proper education, but he was still raised by an idiot. Desmond Sands is a skilled mage, no doubt, but he lacks in the common sense department. Telling his son important things about the world probably never crossed his mind."

Basen stopped prodding and motioned Kris over to steady Garret.

"Just keep him on the chair, Kris. He might be a little confused when he wakes. Best we don't let him take any more blows to the head, hmm?"

Basen took a step back and studied Garret. He stood motionless save his eyes, which seemed to search for something within Garret. They locked onto something and Basen spoke.

"Awaken."

Garret flailed around like he was falling, but Kris held him firm. Reid noticed Basen slump after using his magic. He wondered how much essence that had taken, if it even used essence.

"What!? Where? What happened?" Garret said, regaining his composure.

Kris released him, and the young man stood up, stumbling slightly before Kris caught him again and set him back down on the stool.

"Easy there, guy," Kris said. "You hit your head. You're a little shaky on your feet."

"I did?"

"Indeed you did!" Basen said. "Your binding of a three star item before a Lesser Magic item took a little toll on your body. You'll be fine, but you might notice some lingering coordination problems."

"Oh. And my head?" Garret rubbed his forehead, where a bruise was already visible.

"You passed out from the strain and hit your head on the floor. I'm afraid I have no way to heal your injury."

Garret nodded, looking confused. "Who are you?"

Basen bowed deeply.

"I am Basen Koh, collector, magical item expert, and part time choral instructor to underprivileged children. I also happen to be the owner of this establishment. A pleasure to meet you, young Mr. Sands. My associate took the liberty of introducing you since you were unconscious."

"Basen Koh! The pleasure is mine! My father has told me great things about you," Garret said, holding out a hand.

"Did he really?" Basen said, shaking Garret's hand with slow, deliberate motions.

"Oh yes. He speaks of your exploits in the arena regularly."

"Ah, that makes sense. A shame we never fought. I remember him rising up the ranks, but that was just before I retired from competitive dueling. Well, send your father my regards. I trust Reid was able to find what you were looking for? He described the combination to me, and it sounded like a wonderful beginning to your ability set."

Garret beamed at the affirmation of his choices. He stood back up and picked up his ring from where it had fallen on the floor. His coordination seemed to be improving, which made Reid feel better about letting him do something dangerous.

"It is gratifying to hear it from one so experienced and powerful. Reid somehow knew exactly what to get for me. I'll certainly be back when I raise my potential."

Garret collected his new swords and bid them farewell once more.

"He wasn't so bad," Kris said after the door closed.

"Have you met his father?" Basen asked.

Kris shook his head.

"I've never met a man more full of himself. His son doesn't seem to have the same arrogance, but only time will tell if that remains true. Many wonderful people turn into monsters once given a taste of power."

Kris shrugged and turned to Reid. "What's on the agenda today, Reid?"

"Well, I'm trying to find more ways to get people into the shop. If you have any ideas, run them by me. I was going to ask at the merchant's guild, but I can't join until I'm a permanent resident."

Reid turned to Basen. "Could you sponsor me to stay in the city, Basen? I have no idea what that entails."

"Oh. I didn't realize you weren't a resident. I guess that makes sense since you just arrived from Glarrus. Anyway, it's no problem. Do you have your temporary permit?"

Reid pulled out the scrap of paper and handed it to Basen. It was looking worse for wear and was hard to read. He'd let it get wet, and the magic in it wasn't enough to protect it from the elements. It hadn't reacted when he'd tried to mark it, so it was just a regular item. He guessed the magic was just a spell effect on the paper, but he didn't know enough to say for sure.

"Very good. Ah, blast," Basen said, frowning at the paper.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"No, no. Believe it or not, using my power to bring back Garret from unconsciousness was quite difficult and draining. That kind of magic works best on other magic and inanimate objects. I digress; there is another magic I can use to convert this into a permanent residence pass, but it is beyond me until I recover. That doesn't mean you're out of luck. I can take this into an office and update it. Did you need anything else from me right now, or should I get this paperwork filed?"

"Nope, that's my priority."

"Excellent. I will be back in a few hours. Those lines can be brutal."

Without further discussion, Basen retrieved his umbrella and left.

"I'm not really much of an ideas man," Kris said. "Do you want me to sort some stuff or organize a few things?"

Reid shook his head.

"I have a different plan, actually. How do you feel about coming with me to talk to the Greymoon Shadows?"

Kris's frown and furrowed brow made it clear he didn't like the idea.

"Without Basen?"

"Without Basen. The contracts are for the Immaculate Collection, so I think we should be able to get information on them without him there."

"But why do you want to go without Basen?"

"Because I want to make sure he can't agree to anything or incriminate himself if we find out that he's been negligent. We're just going to get information. If we want to change things after that, we'll bring Basen."

Kris didn't look happy, but he nodded. "Alright. Basen said I was supposed to do what you told me within reason, and I guess that was a good enough reason."

They closed the store and made their way east, to the Grand Market. There wasn't much open in the market itself, but one of the buildings on the northern half of the square's perimeter sold delicious wraps.

"I've never eaten one of these before. It's like a sandwich, I guess?" Kris said, eyeing his wrap.

"Basically. I just really like the sauces they put on them."

Kris took a bite and nodded his approval.

"That is good! What do I owe you?"

"I'm thinking it's a working lunch, so I guess the shop is paying today. Basen left before I could ask him what to do with all this money."

"Yeah. It's probably better if you just handle it anyway. Working lunch, I like that!"

Reid didn't mind the responsibility, but he'd rather not carry around quite so much gold at once. They headed toward the guild district, and Reid was glad his rain jacket hid his heavy purse. He debated stopping at his room and leaving the money for safe keeping. His rooms were probably just as secure as his person, but he didn't want the temptation to make that the permanent home for their funds.

"Does Basen use a bank?"

"I don't think so. He distrusts organizations. He's more of a 'buy a bar of gold and bury it in your backyard' kind of guy."

Alright, figure out what we owe, get some people into the store, and find a bank. That's not too bad.

The guild district was home to more than just guilds, as Reid had learned during his first day in the city. The Greymoon Shadows were based in a building just a few blocks north of the Dusk Guild.

The building was shorter than the Dusk Guild or Royal Merchant's Guild, standing at roughly five stories. It didn't have the sleek and seamless modern look of the guild buildings. Instead, the dark slabs of stone that made up the building's exterior made it look ominous. The appearance made Reid think this wasn't a place someone came unless they were desperate.

Not for the first time, Reid wondered why Basen had chosen to work with them. He and Kris glanced at each other, then pulled open the building's imposing metal door.