by Zen DiPietro
Was she wrong to change things? To want more?
Essley came around the counter and took Sally’s left hand in her right hand, with her other hand going to Sally’s shoulder in a supportive touch. “I know it’s hard, and probably scary, to do things that are so different. But everything’s going to be okay. You’re following your heart, and learning and growing. That’s good. Don’t second-guess it.”
Relief swirled through Sally. Essley understood. This wasn’t about whether Essley could do the job. It was about Sally letting go of something she felt solely responsible for so that she could forge ahead and see what she was capable of. “I’m not selfish?”
Essley smiled. “Of course not. Everyone deserves to reach for their dreams. You don’t owe it to anyone to be what they want you to be. And if that Somewhat Threatening Guy comes around, I’ll poke him in the eye for you.”
She made an eye-poking gesture, which was so silly that Sally had to laugh.
Essley nodded toward the door. “Go. Be. Do. Live.”
“Go, be, do, live,” Sally repeated, feeling heartened. “Okay. I will.”
With a rush of gratitude, she hugged her friend, her apprentice, and the person who right now was giving her the energy to push forward with something hard.
She pulled away and hurried out the door before she could second-guess these happy thoughts.
Sally returned to her store feeling uncharacteristically tired after a long day of Sujan testing her with break-fix problems. She smiled at Essley as she entered, stepping aside to let a customer exit. “How was today?”
“Good. Sold mostly basic goods, plus a couple of higher-quality items. I’m getting better at haggling. My ranks are improving so much, I’ll probably level tomorrow.” Essley looked quite pleased.
Over the past couple of weeks as Essley eased into handling the shop in Sally’s absence, Sally had realized how hard the choice to retrain really had been for her friend. Essley struggled hard, with the goal of getting back to level twelve. Once she got there, she could overcome the learning penalties she’d taken on.
Essley hadn’t said much about it at the time, but going from level twelve to level one had been tough for her. Sally was getting better at identifying and understanding unspoken feelings, and did her best to teach Essley as much as she could to try to mitigate the negatives Essley was experiencing.
That was friendship, wasn’t it? Seeing a friend’s penalties, and making an effort to help. Essley had been Sally’s very first friend, and as much as Sally wanted to become a master technie, she was equally invested in being a master friend.
Maybe even more so.
“What’s it like to level?” Sally asked, carefully forming the syllables into a proper sentence. She was getting a little better at that, during calm times. She liked being able to say normal sentences like other people did.
Essley’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Leveling? I guess that would be a mystery to you, huh? Sometimes I forget how different your experience here is compared to mine.” She pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Well…leveling is great. A rush. First, it’s the thrill of having accomplished something and getting the reward, then I get the advancements of increased levels or bonuses or whatever. It’s a great feeling. Exciting.”
Sally nodded in understanding. That did sound pretty great.
“What’s it like for you, learning?” Essley asked. “Do you think it’s better or worse that you don’t level?”
“Since I don’t level,” Sally said slowly, “I don’t know how to compare. I learn, and…absorb as I go. More…” She paused to put the sounds of the word together. “Gradual. I feel smarter as I go. But it’s slow. No quick jumps or changes, usually.”
Essley made a thoughtful sound. “I guess I don’t know what it’s like for you, either, so I couldn’t say which way is better. Maybe neither is better. Maybe they’re equally good, but just different. Either way, it’s what we’ve got, so it’s not like we can change it. Right?”
“Right,” Sally agreed. “We work with what we’ve got. That’s what Sujan says.”
“Is he a good mentor? He seems kind of difficult.”
“He’s good,” Sally assured her. “He teaches me a lot. I learn. He is difficult, but it’s okay.”
“I’m glad it’s going well. It’s crazy how far you’ve come already. Don’t you think?”
Sometimes crazy meant something bad, and sometimes it meant something good. In this case, Essley was probably using it as the good type.
Words were complex.
“I’m glad,” Sally said. “I have a lot to learn, but I’m glad to be able to learn.”
“Me too!” Essley put her fist up. “If you hadn’t changed, then I wouldn’t be doing this.” She gestured back toward the counter and the cash register. “It’s a chain reaction. You change, I change, everyone gets better.”
Sally hoped that was true. She bumped Essley’s fist with her own. “We try.”
Essley nodded. “I think I’ll go get some sleep, if you’re good here.”
“I’m good,” Sally said. She didn’t need sleep, so she could tend the store and do her own studying between customers.
“All right. Good night then.”
“Good night.”
At the end of her second month of apprenticeship, and of mentoring, Sally returned to her store at the end of the day, exhausted.
It was an unusual feeling for her. Her enthusiasm tended to ebb and flow, but she almost never felt downright tired. Today, though, she felt positively knackered.
Sujan had constructed a large frame, equipped it with a power source and a motor, and required her to run both the electrical and the exhaust lines, over and over.
And over.
He’d kept breaking stuff when she wasn’t looking, forcing her to troubleshoot the problem. The frame had been the size of a small vehicle, and doing such precise tasks on a large scale had been much more taxing than Sally had anticipated.
“Yikes, you look like you’ve had a heck of a day,” Essley noted when Sally entered. “You okay?”
“Fine,” Sally answered. That word still gave her a hard time. She had to work really hard to make the ‘n’ sound in place of a ‘v’ sound. “Just hard work.”
“Want me to stay late?” Essley offered. “It’s been a slow day. I don’t mind.”
Sally shook her head. Essley already covered a lot of time at the store for her. She didn’t want to keep the beginner botanist from having fun, or from doing whatever she wanted to do with her personal time. “Go ahead. It’s okay.”
Just as she said it, a group of young adventurers entered, and right after them, a string of others followed. In half a minute, Sally’s store went from having no customers to having ten of them.
Sally went behind the counter, steeling herself to ignore her fatigue and to serve her customers well. She exchanged a look with Essley, but Essley smiled.
“This will be a first,” the botanist said. “Both of us working here together. Let’s give it a try.”
Though it was a strange idea, Sally liked it. Not only would the customers not have to wait so long, but she’d get a chance to see Essley in action.
Sally clamped her standard smile onto her face, directing her attention to the first person who’d come through the door. “What can I help you with today? Do you, perhaps, have any puzzles to sell?”
A few paces away, Essley asked the next customer, “What can I help you with today?”
The young scholar facing Sally said, “One stylus and notebook, please.”
Sally ran through the options and offered a price while eavesdropping on Essley’s transaction. A mid-level enforcer abruptly asked for matches and tinder.
Essley replied, “We’ve got the matches. Tinder’s something you’ll have to forage yourself, though.” She reached under the counter and retrieved a box of matches. “How’s one silver?”
“Why don’t you have tinder?” the enforcer demanded. “I don’
t have time to go digging around in the underbrush, looking for dry sticks and leaves. Never mind. I’ll just wait for Sally.”
Essley said, “You’re welcome to wait for Sally, but she won’t be able to sell you any tinder, either. We just don’t have it.”
“Why are you even here?” the enforcer asked, edging forward and leaning against the counter.
Sally handed the scholar his supplies and tried to pretend not to notice what was going on. She stole a quick look at the enforcer. Her name was Karen, and Sally didn’t have any particular memories of her, which meant that she must not have behaved too poorly in the past.
“I’m Sally’s apprentice,” Essley said pleasantly. “I’ve been here almost two months.”
“I’ve been away,” Karen muttered. “Since when does Sally take apprentices?”
Essley smiled. “Since me, I guess. But don’t worry. I can handle all basic materials purchases. I just can’t buy from you yet or handle puzzles.”
“Did I say I wanted puzzles?” Karen demanded. She shook her head. “I don’t like it, this apprenticing here. It was never like this before. I could always get what I wanted. Why would you even want to learn from a piece of scenery, anyway?”
Essley’s shoulders stiffened as Karen talked. Karen’s volume increased, and other customers began turning to look.
“Sally’s not scenery,” Essley said. “She’s honest, helpful, hardworking, and really cares about taking care of her customers. You should be nicer to her.”
Karen smirked. “You’re one of those hardcore role players, aren’t you? Wow. What a waste of time. Why be such a loser?”
Essley frowned. “There’s nothing hardcore about being courteous to others. It’s called not being a jerk. You should try it.”
Karen narrowed her eyes. “Did you just call me a jerk?”
“Seems like it,” Essley agreed. She returned the box of matches to its place under the counter. “Now please leave. I’m not selling you any matches or anything else today. Come back tomorrow with a better attitude and we’ll try again.”
Karen sputtered. “You can’t deny me service.”
“Just did.” Essley smiled sweetly. “Have a nice day.”
“I’ll just get the matches from Sally, then.”
Essley glanced over to Sally. “You’re free to try that.”
Scowling, Karen pushed past the other customers, who had all stopped talking and simply watched her. She stepped up to Sally and said, “Buy matches.”
Sally felt the eyes of her customers and her apprentice on her. They were all waiting to see what she’d do.
What should she do?
She felt honor-bound to serve her customers. It was her sole purpose in life. Well…it had been, before she woke up. She felt a strong pull to complete Karen’s transaction. Her fingers twitched.
But Karen had been rude not just to Sally, but to Essley and the other customers, too. Wasn’t that worth standing up for? And if everyone else in the room deserved for someone to stand up for them, didn’t Sally deserve it, too?
She wasn’t nothing. She wasn’t scenery.
She was Sally Strong.
Sally clasped her hands together. “I’m sorry, we’re out of matches. Try back tomorrow.”
Everyone but Sally and Karen laughed. Sally maintained her usual, pleasant smile. Karen looked increasingly like she’d just realized she had a pocketful of bog slime.
“What do you mean, you’re out?” Karen sputtered. “I just saw them, they went under the counter. You can’t be out of something like matches.”
“We are today,” Sally said. “Bye, Karen.”
The laughter grew louder and seemed to finally penetrate Karen’s cloud of righteousness. Embarrassed, she quickly left the store.
“Who’s next?” Sally asked, smiling. It was a rhetorical question, really, because she knew the queue, but it was something she’d always said.
A forger stepped up to Essley while a technie approached Sally.
The technie said, “An excellent-quality socket wrench set, please.”
Sally nodded, retrieved the item, and set it on the counter. “I’ll give you a deal since you were polite. Five gold.”
It was a twenty-five percent discount compared to the amount she would have initially offered. Thanks to the ‘please,’ she started out with her bottom-line price, and deducted another wee bit from it.
The technie’s eyebrows went up. “Oh. Okay. I, uh, accept.” Then, looking uncertain, he added, “Thanks.”
Sally gave him a big smile. “You’re welcome.”
After completing the transaction, the technie left, looking puzzled.
As the forger completed her purchase and tucked her tools into her pack, she said to Essley, “Has Sally been updated or something?”
“Updated?” Essley asked. “No, why?”
“She seems different.”
Essley shook her head. “Nah. She’s always been the same. Most people just don’t bother to be nice, that’s all. Funny, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I guess so. Okay, thanks.” The forger hurried out.
Essley glanced over to Sally, and they shared a look of understanding. A roomful of customers had just heard that exchange, and no doubt word would slowly start to spread that if adventurers were nice to Sally, they might get better deals.
Maybe that way of thinking would even spill over to how adventurers treated other CMs as well.
Sally felt wonderfully happy. Whatever else happened, today was a very good day.
She turned her attention to the customers who were politely waiting their turns.
10
“Wish I could have seen that.” Darthrok leaned against the wall, sitting on the floor of Sally’s store.
Doot. She’d meant to get better seating. She’d do that right after they left.
Essley handed him a healing elixir. He needed it. With a black and swollen eye, a busted lip with dried blood on his chin, a cut on his neck, and bruises on every other visible part of his skin, it looked like he’d had a rough day.
Sally was glad she hadn’t taken a shine to hunting.
“You should have seen a healer,” Essley said. “What were you doing?”
Darthrok smiled, then winced and touched his lip. He downed the elixir in one shot, then shuddered and moaned. “Oh, man, that’s nasty. I figured I’d save some coin and give you a chance to ply your new trade but…” He shuddered again, putting a hand to his stomach. “Even friendship has its limits.”
“Hey,” Essley said with mock severity. “I’m level six now, thanks to Sally’s help. One of these days, my medicines will be actually good, and I won’t give them to you for free, and you’ll be sorry. Just wait, you’ll see.”
“I’ll risk it.” Darthrok coughed.
Sally smiled at their teasing. She watched with interest as the swelling around his eye eased and the cut on his lip closed leaving only the dried blood behind. Essley really was working hard, and her remedies were steadily improving.
“How about you, Sally?” Darthrok asked. “I feel like I’m missing a lot while I’m grinding out my combat levels. It’s taking forever for me to get to level up to fourteen.”
“Good,” Sally said. “I’m learning a lot.”
“What about Sujan?” Essley asked. “Any progress there?”
Sally shook her head. “He joked with me once yesterday. Every now and then, I think maybe…maybe something. But then he goes back to normal.” She shrugged. “Maybe he’ll never be like me. He’s a good teacher, though. I’m learning large engines now.”
“Wow,” Darthrok said. “Soon, you’ll be able to make things for me, right?”
Essley elbowed him. “We’re not your personal makers, you know.”
“What, like you wouldn’t call on me to fight for you if a mob suddenly broke out or something? Pffff.” He scoffed at her.
“I’m not helpless,” Essley retorted. “I still have my level twelve merc skills. And we don�
��t even know what Sally’s capable of yet, when it comes to a fight. But…yeah. I’d probably still call you.” She grinned.
“I would definitely call you to get beaten up instead of me,” Sally assured them.
They both laughed in surprise.
Grinning, he said, “I’m never sure if you’re just saying things innocently, or if you’re intentionally being funny.”
“Yes,” Sally said mysteriously, and winked.
Darthrok rubbed at his still-wounded mouth. “Right. Well, I’m going to go find myself a real healer and get fixed up so when I wake up tomorrow, I can get right back to work. Same time tomorrow?”
Essley nodded. “Sure. My days are pretty regular right now.”
Sally nodded, too, though she had a feeling the question wasn’t really meant for her.
“Cool. See you.” With a wave, Darthrok strode out of the store.
“I’m out, too,” Essley said. “Going to get some sleep.”
“Sleep well,” Sally said.
“Thanks.” Essley flashed a smile, then disappeared.
Sally stood and dusted off her pants.
She had assigned herself a quest, and she intended to fulfill it immediately.
“Are you sure? The rush fee is quite expensive.”
“Yes,” Sally agreed. “Do it.”
Raoul, the CM who ran the Nice Digs store which specialized in furnishings, nodded. “Very good, miss. That will be twenty-four platinum, five gold, and three silver.”
Sally approved the transaction, and was rewarded with a promise of delivery within four hours.
Nice. Pleased with her decision, Sally turned toward the door.
“Wait,” Raoul said.
Sally turned back. “What?”
“Chairs and a table are all well and good, but what about ambience? Mood?” Raoul paused dramatically and flashed his palms to give some jazz hands. “Style.”
“Style?” Sally stared at him.
Raoul sighed theatrically. “If all you want is furniture, then fine, away with you.” He made a shooing gesture toward the door. “I thought you cared about making the space your own.”