Elmer's face flushed bright red. For a moment, he looked like he would explode.

Instead, he sighed.

"It's a deal."

I dipped my head to the balding merchant.

"I appreciate it, Elmer."

He huffed.

"Well then. Let's get started. Clausura."

The door at the front of the shop locked behind me. Alternating planks of wood from the roof glowed with an eerie white light. In a matter of seconds, the room was as bright as a sunny afternoon.

Elmer grinned at the shocked expression on my face.

"Impressed?"

"Very."

Elmer laughed.

"Sanctifiers use a similar kind of lighting."

I nodded, remembering the white firelight in Steeltown's Guildhall.

Elmer slid off this stool and disappeared under the counter. He reemerged, hoisting a golden owl statue as long as his forearm. He grunted, straining as he placed the statue on the counter.

"Is that a will well?" I asked.

"Yep. My land lowers the amount of will I need for enchanting, but this will still be a doozy."

I took a step back. May as well give him some space.

Elmer took the jacket off the counter and turned the coat lengthwise so that the material covered the wooden surface.

"There's some fraying along the hem of the coat."

"Yeah, it was a hard journey to the Dellends."

"I'll take your word for it. Integrum."

Coat's fraying threads reknit before my eyes.

Spirits below…

Even now, the First Magic was so... magical. It was like going into the universe's kitchen and seeing how the sausage was made.

Elmer nodded, approving of his own work.

"One more renaming, then we do the enchantment."

He took a deep breath; his magnified eyes focused on the coat.

"Chlamys ferrea. Pennae levitate."

For a moment, nothing happened, and then the coat writhed on the countertop like a thousand red worms. When it settled, the fabric had a metallic sheen.

"What did you do?"

"I transmuted some of the fibres into metal. Enough to make it more durable, but not enough to make it too heavy to wear. It's about as strong as a gambeson. Try it out."

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I picked up the coat. It was heavier by a pound or two. I slipped my arms through the sleeves and smiled as the familiar material rolled down to slap my calves. I twisted from side to side.

"Seems about right."

Elmer wiped beads of sweat from his forehead.

"Now the enchantment. Hold still."

I stood straight as Elmer stared at me; his face set in deep concentration.

"Eligere latere."

The words rang out with a wave of pressure, rippling the air and making the lights above us flicker. A fresh sheen of sweat covered the middle-aged merchant's face. He reached out a trembling hand to the golden statue, breathing out a deep sigh of relief when he touched its surface.

"Is it done?"

"Try it," Elmer said between heaving gulps of air.

I poured my will into the coat, and Elmer's spectacled eyes jerked away.

"Argh! That smarts."

"It works! You did it."

Elmer nodded, still catching his breath.

"I'll get another contract… Pick something out from the wall."

I turned to the shelves.

"What should I get?"

Elmer slid off his stool, walking to the curtains, each movement more sluggish.

"Sin taught you High Elvish, right? Try listening."

"But I've never used the First Magic."

"Try anyway."

With an exhausted shuffle, he disappeared behind the curtains.

My excitement turned to nervousness. There were so many options.

What if I chose wrong?

I walked up to the shelves, and, after a moment of hesitation, I closed my eyes.

I didn't hear anything…

I leaned forward, straining my ears.

Still nothing…

This wasn't going to-

Wait…

Over the sound of Elmer rustling papers, there was a low hum. It was like a mantra, said so quickly that the words blended together.

I couldn't make out what the object was saying, but it was calling out to me.

I reached for the source of the sound and wrapped my fingers around something slender and wooden.

On my right, curtain flaps rustled open.

"Good choice! That's perfect for you."

I opened my eyes and frowned at the object in my hand. If I used my eyes, it would have been my last choice.

Elmer plopped down into his stool, a fresh contract in his hand.

"If you stick around a while, I'll show you how to use it."

# # #

Night had fallen by the time I left Elmer's shop. I let out a deep yawn, stretching my arms wide into the evening air.

Elmer was right. My new enchanted object was perfect for me. After Elmer showed me the basics, I spent hours practicing with it while the merchant made dinner. We shared the meal in his living quarters above the shop and had a long conversation about nothing. After the events of last night and this morning, it was a welcome distraction.

I turned to the Castle looming in the distance and sighed.

Enough stalling, it was time to see if Isla had cooled off.

I made sure Elmer's gift was in my interior coat pocket and began the slow walk back to Luskaine Castle.

No matter what Isla decided, the least I could do was see them off on their next adventure.

What should I-

Something wrapped around my ankles—a black strip of cloth.

A belt sash?

It pulled taut, smashing my ankles together. In a heartbeat, I was falling, landing on my ribs with a dull thud.

I blinked in confusion, and then I was sliding into the alleyway next to the shop. In the half moonlight, I made out a cloaked figure dressed in all black.

Spirits below!

Swiped my right hand to the side, sending out a slash of fire that severed the belt sash.

The figure dropped the burning fabric, shoving their fists into their cloak and pulling out something that glinted in their hands.

Throwing knives.

Shit!

I rolled into the alley, unfurling the cloth around my ankles and closing the distance with my attacker.

CLINK! CLINK! CLINK!

Throwing knives whizzed over my head, bouncing off the cobblestone street.

I stopped mid-roll, raising my left hand and shooting a stream of fire down the alley.

The figure slipped to the left, pressing their back against the wall.

Now!

I got up in a crouch and lunged at my attacker.

The figure paused their next throw mid-swing. Instead, they slashed down with the throwing knife in their left hand.

I was too close to reach across my body and unsheathe Gentleman's Jest. Instead, my right hand grabbed Last Laugh in a reverse grip. I twisted it free and raised it to meet their throwing knife.

CLANG!

Our blades met in the bind.

Perfect.

I willed Last Laugh into a regular grip. My attacker's throwing knife scraped along my forearm as I punched my right hand forward and pressed my dagger against their neck.

"Drop the knife!"

The throwing knife clattered on the ground. The figure raised their hands to the side in defeat.

"Who are you?!" I asked.

They didn't respond, and the cloak's large hood hid their face.

I conjured a tongue of fire in my left hand and raised it under their hood.

I was met with a messy bob of red hair, framing the face of my fiancé.

My jaw dropped.

"Cindra?!"

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