After Kai left, the group made their way to a nearby armorer’s shop specializing in the medium wares preferred by spellblades. Flush with cash from his work study, and countless hours spent training in the preserve, Narro expressed an interest in getting himself a proper set of armor.

  “I should get my old armor resized,” Lerrum mused as he watched the apprentice armorer take Narro’s measurements. “It hasn’t fit me since my second year. How about you, Ev?”

  “I'm happy with the school uniform for now. It should get me through the practical, but I guess I will need something for when I graduate.” Evran turned to the armorer. “I don’t suppose you have a selection for mages?”

  “Apologies, sir, we do not,” said the apprentice without so much as looking up from his measuring tape. “However, you may find some accessories that might interest you in the back.”

  Mages often elected to wear cloth armor that sacrificed protection for magical enhancement. The academy uniform was more defensive in its design. As a rule, the stronger the fiber, the less receptive it is to enchanting, and the exceptions to this rule often commanded a higher price. Made from sturdy shimmerflax linen, the uniform featured a variety of protective enchantments appropriate for a novice mage. They would do for now.

  On the other hand, Evran found his book satchel to be rather cumbersome in battle. He wandered to the back of the store to see if they might have a belt that suited his needs. As a spellcaster, one had to be wary about using equipment made with cheap metals, such as brass or iron. Their presence disrupted the flow of mana. In a shop catering to Spellblades, their selections would likely feature polished wood or bone, or perhaps even precious metals, which enhanced mana flow instead of hindering it.

  After some searching, Evran found a belt he liked. The armorer had cleverly designed it to match the academy uniforms, and it had a convenient set of pouches and potion slots. It even had loops for attaching a float harness. Evran struggled to identify the monster leather used. Probably warg? It seemed sturdy enough, and the asking price was fair.

  Evran grabbed the belt and made his way to the counter where he found Lerrum negotiating the price of Narro’s new set of armor. He’d picked out a fine set of armor crafted from blood-ogre leather and skysteel plate protecting the chest. Skysteel was the preferred metal to use in common spellblade equipment. On its own, it still interfered slightly with mana, but moonstone inlays could offset the worst effects with weapons and produce a potent magic dispersion effect on armors. Most importantly, it wasn’t all that expensive.

  Narro cheered when the exasperated armorer finally agreed to Lerrum’s price. He’d been far more successful in his negotiations this time around. Evran took pity on the armorer and decided not to haggle for his belt. It was a fair enough price already.

  The group left the armorer and continued their shopping spree across the city. They went from store to store stocking up on provisions, potions, scrolls, and some games to occupy their downtime during the practical. Once everyone had secured the last of their required supplies, Lerrum demanded they check out an expensive weapons shop for mages.

  “So why did you want to come here, Ler?” Evran asked. “Your wand is already top of the line. I’ve always been a little jealous, to be honest. Oh, are you gonna try out a scepter again?”

  “No way, you caught him using a scepter!” Narro said with a grin.

  “Hey, scepters are cool!” Lerrum looked unexpectedly hurt by their teasing. “Anyway, we’re here because of… yesterday. I’d like to buy you a staff to make up for it.”

  “A whole staff? That’s far too generous!” said Evran. “Besides, I’m already over that stupid flower.”

  “It’s not just the flower. You lost your dad’s knife. There’s no way some staff can make up for that, but it’s a start. You also saved my butt with that barrier! That damned deer would have taken my head off.”

  “Speaking of, how much did you sell those antlers for?”

  Lerrum shifted uncomfortably. “Let’s just say they’re helping fund your staff. Now stop arguing and pick out something nice.”

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  Evran rolled his eyes and reluctantly agreed. He had always wanted a staff, though he hadn’t planned on buying one until he returned home. There was no way of knowing how long that would take, as it would depend upon how far away Haskelon ended up after the coming Tempest.

  After entering the store, Narro split off to check out their selection of magic scrolls and artifacts. Lerrum followed Evran over to an area with a few dozen staffs on display. One in particular stood out among the others, not just because it was mounted in a place of prominence on the wall. The prized staff’s magic crystal was a glossy black and glowed an ominous purple.

  “Look at that!” said Lerrum, pointing to the same staff. “Dark element. Don’t see too many of those.”

  “Wonder why they don’t salvage it for parts? It’s not like anyone can use it,” Evran noted.

  Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Light… and Dark. These six elements formed the basis of all magic, though the latter had been sealed away since the last world ended. This staff was a relic of that world, doubtless recovered from some labyrinth. It was utterly useless in this era, save for its constituent parts. That said, it was quite beautiful in its own right. The store owner must have thought so as well, seeing as how it ended up on display.

  Done gawking at the dark staff, Evran quickly found the most expensive-looking staff in the store and began admiring it in front of Lerrum. He held its pale white shaft of whisperwood and examined the deep blue crystal at its top. A large, ornate mythril housing held the water stone in place. His eyes wandered down to the price tag. Thirteen platinum! Evran finally glanced toward Lerrum, eager to find a nervous look on his face.

  Lerrum grinned. “Nice try, Ev, but I know you too well. Put it back and find something you’re actually comfortable fleecing me for.”

  Defeated, Evran returned the water staff to its display stand. He could have at least pretended to be uncomfortable! Evran pondered what type of staff he should choose. Did he want one that would enhance his already potent earth spells, or should he shore up one of his weaker elemental affinities, like wind or fire?

  Evran soon came across a simple, yet beautiful earth staff. A length of ash treant wood formed the shaft, and its core consisted of a long, faceted earth crystal secured within a cage of silver prongs. Only nine gold. Evran examined the staff closely. He could feel the various enchantments woven into its core — durability, inspiration, and enhance earth magic. The staff was nearly perfect.

  “Try this one,” said Lerrum, handing Evran a new staff.

  Setting aside the earth staff, he began his examination. Unlike his previous selections, this staff felt more like a living branch. The rich brown wood twisted around itself and varied in thickness along its length. There was a segment two-thirds up the staff wrapped in a shimmering silk cloth for better grip. At the pinnacle, the wood split and spiraled around a bright green orb, holding it in place. Fifteen gold pieces.

  “I like both of these,” said Evran. “I was thinking about going with the earth element, since I use that the most. But there’s something about this wind staff. Maybe I just like the feeling of its enchantments. Though I can’t identify them all.”

  Lerrum read from the card of an empty display slot. “Restoration, attunement, and enhance wind magic. None of those are particularly hard to identify. You feeling alright?”

  “No, I can sense those well enough. There’s a fourth one.”

  Intrigued, Lerrum took the staff from Evran to examine it for himself. “Nope, just those three. I don’t actually doubt you, Ev. If there’s a fourth enchantment that only you could feel, that wouldn’t surprise me one bit. Now let’s take you back to the sanitarium. The healers must be worried that you’ve escaped!”

  Evran rolled his eyes and snatched the staff back from Lerrum. He inspected it more closely. Evran ran his fingers along the silk wrapping on the handle and tested the strength of the branches holding the wind orb in place. He made his decision. “I think this is the one. It’s more expensive than the earth staff, so at least let me pay the difference!”

  “It really suits you, but aren’t you concerned about that last enchantment? Could be something bad. Let’s at least ask about it before we buy.”

  They found the shopkeeper and interrogated him about the mysterious enchantment. He couldn’t sense anything except the three listed ones, but mentioned the staff was of elven design. Lerrum thanked him by only haggling the staff down to fourteen gold.

  “Thanks, Lerrum,” Evran said as they left the store. He beamed with excitement as he held the staff in an exaggerated pose for Narro, who was waiting impatiently outside.

  “You still look like a dork, but the staff is pretty neat, I guess.”

  The three of them decided to call it a night and began their trek back to the western gate. On their way, they passed by the grand temple and found a long line of parishioners peeking out the doors. Evran stopped.

  “Hey, if you two don’t mind, I’d like to speak to my family. There’s a bit of a line, so you should probably head back without me. Thanks again for the staff.”

  “Sure!” said Lerrum. “I’ll probably be in our room when you get back. My thesis paper won’t write itself! Oh, and if you run into Daughter Amelia, tell her I said hi!”

  “Same here!” Narro added. “And let’s test out that staff of yours in the preserve after class tomorrow.”

  Evran waved his friends goodbye and took his place at the back of a long line of people in front of the temple. It was the first night after the formal announcement of the second stormsign, and many citizens of Aldea were eager to commune with the spirits of the dead.