The trio approached the tent crowned by the mesmerizing, color-changing sphere. As they stepped inside, Leonard’s senses were immediately assaulted by a strong yet pleasant aroma of burning sandalwood. Small sticks of incense smoldered gently on a table near the entrance, curling trails of smoke dancing in the air.
Leonard looked around and marveled at the interior. The walls were covered in multi-colored blankets that seemed to shimmer in the dim light. In the center of the room stood a large glass orb filled with different liquids, each a distinct color, yet somehow suspended and unmixed. The shelves, which lined the walls, were made of uniform dark wood, displaying an assortment of unusual wares: jars of mysterious powders, vials of glowing liquids, and small trinkets that pulsed faintly with magical energy.
A small man approached them, catching Leonard’s attention. He was even shorter than Nathan, but his height was artificially increased by the mechanical stilts strapped to his legs. The intricate contraptions, covered in cogs and gears, clicked and hissed softly as they adjusted to bring him to Leonard’s eye level. The man wore a vibrant blue turban and matching robes that swayed as he walked. His face was dominated by a massive, bushy black beard adorned with a twirly mustache, reminiscent of Shandro’s but far thicker.
The man greeted them energetically. “The name of the shopowner is Raphayiel? Yes, it is. Do I notice you two are interested in Modorbs and the lovely lady is interested in alternative potion supplies? I do!”
Leyra blinked in surprise. “How do you know that?”
Nathan leaned toward Leonard and whispered, “Why does he talk like that?”
Leonard chuckled, finding the eccentric man oddly endearing. “I think it’s rather charming in a way.”
Raphayiel’s mechanical stilts whirred as he leaned forward slightly. “Was it two different things that I noticed? It was! Did I notice the unique gloves worn by Breakers on the two young gentlemen? I did! Did I see the lady look at my Potionorium in the middle of the room? I did as well! What in particular may I interest you in? I can interest you in many things!”
Leyra politely declined his immediate attention. “I’ll look around on my own, thank you.”
Leonard, however, stepped forward eagerly. “We were told to ask about Modorbs, but honestly, we don’t really know what they do.”
Raphayiel stroked his enormous beard, a gesture that suggested he was smiling behind all the facial hair. “Did you come to the right place to find out and purchase Modorbs? Indeed, you have!” He turned and retrieved a small wooden chest from a shelf, bringing it over with exaggerated care. Inside were two orbs, one green and one blue, each resembling the spheres embedded in Hammond’s Spellbreaker glove. Symbols floated within the orbs, hovering perfectly in the center and remaining two-dimensional no matter the angle.
“Is the green one an Inverter, while the blue one is a Volley Modorb? Indeed!” Raphayiel exclaimed.
“Inverter, sounds interesting! I’d love to see what this one does to my ice powers,” Leonard said, rubbing his hands together as he inspected the green orb.
Nathan picked up the blue orb, turning it over in his hands. “Inverter and Volley… So these modify our abilities, and they’re orbs? Is that why they’re called Modorbs?”
“It is!” Raphayiel exclaimed, clearly delighted by Nathan’s deduction. “Was my business a lot more lucrative when Spellbreaking was a more widespread martial art? It was! Will I sell my last two orbs to you? I will!”
Leyra returned, her arms full with an overflowing paper bag stuffed with glass tubes, a small cauldron, potions, and various plant and animal materials. Her eyes barely peeked over the top of the bag as she asked, “So the sphere above your hut isn’t about Modorbs if that’s not your main business anymore?”
“Did the sphere used to be an advertisement for Modorbs? It was! Did my father build the shop when I was little and mostly sold orbs to Spellbreakers? He did! Have I widened the scope of my business to increase potential number of sales, thus ensuring my financial security despite a changing landscape of customers?”
“You did?” Nathan asked, surprised by Raphayiel’s eloquence.
“Indeed I did!” Raphayiel said, pointing a finger at Nathan in excitement. “Will these two orbs together be 300 gold? They will be!”
Leonard pulled out the small pouch of coins Hammond had given him, carefully counting out 300 gold pieces. “We’ll gladly take them!”
Leyra placed her bag of goods on the counter and handed over another pouch of coins. “I already checked the prices. This should be 376 gold.”
Raphayiel extended his stilts to reach the coins Leonard held, pulling out a small glowing monocle to inspect them. “Did I assume you would use counterfeit money? I did not! Is this nothing personal and just business? It is. Will you enjoy the Modorbs? I hope you do.” He turned to Leyra, quickly scanning the items in her bag and their corresponding positions on the shelves. “Is the number she said correct? It is. Will I thank you for your business? I will!”
The room fell silent, with Raphayiel simply smiling contentedly. Nathan eventually broke the stillness, thanking the shopkeeper despite being overwhelmed by his peculiar manner of speaking. However, he had one lingering question. “Who can even make these? Artifacts are man-made, but are Modorbs?”
“Do I know how they are made? I do not. Do I have a contact who could tell me? I do indeed. Do I wish for you to come back in a while? I will! Might I have more Modorbs by then, knowing Breakers might be customers again? I might. Will I tell you what my contact tells me, and wish you a good day for now? The answer is once again that I do.”
Leonard waved as they exited the tent, noting Nathan’s mild irritation toward the vendor. “Wow, I assumed these things would be way more pricey. Now to try them out!”
Nathan nudged Leonard with his elbow, taking the Modorbs from the pouch. “We don’t know how they work. Let’s wait until we get back to Hammond and ask for a proper lesson. I’ve read a lot about Spellbreaking, but almost none of the books mention Modorbs in detail. They’re just called curious baubles with ‘ability-altering powers.’ People assume magitechnicians make them, but I’ll hold my judgment until we learn more.”
Leyra smiled brightly. “Oh, I’ll definitely be back. Once we get to the Principessa, I’ll make such wondrous potions! The basic solutions I bought are already great, but these snowpitchers, for example, are perfect for—”
“Healing potions?” Leonard interrupted.
“Y-yes, how did you know that?” Leyra stammered.
“Does a clever man draw knowledge from many places?” Leonard asked, twirling an invisible moustache
“Indeed he does!" Nathan said, as he turned to Leyra. "What about the other things you bought?”
Leyra listed them enthusiastically: skin-care solutions that can even reduce scars, antidotes for poisons, cure potions for diseases, magic resistance elixirs, and her favorite—mana enhancement potions. “Though I couldn’t get many Crystalboa shards for those. They’re so rare and expensive. I hope I can make even one of them.”
Nathan was impressed. “You’ve really learned a lot from your master.”
Leonard agreed. “These will be useful for sure."
Leyra smiled, turning toward Leonard. "Does a true man also carry a lady's belongings?" as she slammed her paper bag into Leonard's arms.
"I hope he does!" as she, just as Leonard did, twirls invisible facial hair that would protrude from her face.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"Hey, I'm not your mule!" He said as he saw Nathan looking at the massive clock near the entrance. "We still have 90 minutes left, what do you guys want to do?"
"Wanna explore the Gallery?" Leyra suggested. "I'm sure we might be back someday but it'd be fun to try some local food and take in some more of the sights"
Nathan thought about it for a second, seemingly thinking about something until his gaze landed on Leyra, then Leonard, then Leyra again, before finally settling on Leonard. He grabbed the bag of potion materials from him, while winking: "I'll leave you two to do that, I'll go and check the bookshop. I don't really need a free hand for that, so I'll just take your stuff along with me. Who knows, I might catch Hammond and could ask him about the orbs we got!"
Leonard was confused at this. Why does Nathan not want to come with us? Is the idea of exploring the Gallery not as interesting? But before thinking further, he just assumed that he had his reasons, as he always does, and gave him a thumbs up. "If that's what you wanna do then go right ahead. Thanks for carrying all that, brother! See you later."
Nathan's face was barely visible above the huge bag of goods that were bought and Leyra waved him goodbye as he stepped away toward the bookshop that they saw Hammond rush towards earlier.
Leonard and Leyra walked alone through the bustling streets of Glarea’s Gallery, the vibrant marketplace alive with sounds, colors, and smells that seemed to swirl around them.
Leyra glanced sideways at Leonard, who was practically glowing with excitement, his eyes darting from one stall to another as he took it all in. A small, wry smile crept onto her face as a thought occurred to her.
This isn’t a date. It’s not a date. Sahra probably planted that idea in Nathan’s head. She’s totally the matchmaking type...
She sighed softly and let her gaze linger on Leonard for a moment longer. Despite his brashness, his enthusiasm was infectious.
Her thoughts drifted back to her earlier conversation with Nathan. He’d described Leonard as someone he could always rely on, someone who had a way of pushing others to believe in themselves.
Believing in oneself, huh...
When was the last time I truly believed in myself?
I couldn’t stop the memories from flooding in. Master leaving me, deciding to part ways, and me just... accepting it. I didn’t argue. I didn’t fight to stay. I didn’t even try.
And Principium... I still see the fires in my mind when Kazzorak attacked. I wasn’t strong enough to protect anyone.
I remember all those times I read something in a book and shared it with friends and family, excited to talk about it, only to be met with blank stares or polite nods.
Why didn’t they ever listen? Why didn’t they ever care?
She pulled the cowl of her robe tighter over her face, hoping to hide the heat rising in her cheeks. Or maybe she was trying to retreat from her own thoughts.
Ever since my imprisonment, it’s felt like doubt has been my constant companion.
And yet, here was Leonard. Loud, brash, and absolutely full of himself. Who does he think he is, anyway? He’s barely started training with Master Hammond. He’s just a rookie, a novice Spellbreaker.
But... despite all that... something about him gives me a peculiar feeling in my chest.
“How about we grab something to eat? That place looks neat!” Leonard’s voice yanked her out of her spiral of self-pity.
“Oh, uh... sure!” she said quickly, trying to cover her flustered reaction. Of course, he was leading the way again. Why does he always do that? He acts like he knows everything, like he’s always got a plan. How irritating.
Leonard and Leyra stepped into a small dining establishment with high chairs, a counter, and an open kitchen. A lone Lizardman stood behind the counter, preparing food for another customer sitting at the far end of the room.
Leonard grinned and ordered confidently, “Two bowls of whatever’s the tastiest!”
The Lizardman gave a nod and began assembling two bowls of “Gallery Grub.” When they arrived, the bowls were filled with a colorful assortment of fruits and—oddly—palm leaves.
“Huh, I didn’t know you could eat tree leaves,” Leonard said, looking down at his bowl.
“Oh, these are leaves from the palms we saw at the oasis,” Leyra replied, trying not to sound too eager.
He picked up one of the leaves and inspected it. “You’re right, they look familiar.”
She hesitated, then lowered her cowl slightly. “They actually taste really good. Try one.”
Leonard took a cautious bite, and his eyes widened. “Whoa, these are really sweet! How does that happen?”
Leyra couldn’t help herself—she launched into an explanation. “Remember the animals at the oasis? One of them is called a Banalligator. They’re reptiles that have fruit growing on their bodies to attract birds, which are their prey. If you raise them carefully, you can harvest the fruit and use it as fertilizer to grow leaves that are sweeter than anything else you’ll ever eat! The reason it works is—”
She stopped mid-sentence, realizing Leonard was staring at her, smiling.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Her heart sank a little. I didn’t want to bore him. “I know a lot about the flora and fauna of the Silex Desert from my studies under Zaldimar, but... You’re just being polite.”
Leonard frowned, crossing his arms and turning toward her. “Hey, I’d never just be polite about something like that. I might not understand all the details, but I’d never make fun of someone for the things they love. That’s not the path I walk.”
He turned back to his food and took another bite, leaving Leyra sitting there, stunned.
Did I have it the wrong way around?
The next hour passed in a blur. They tipped a street performer for his enchanting guitar music, looked at a painting of Raphayiel in an art store, with Leyra mockingly talking like him while pretending to have facial hair which had Leonard laughing harder than he had laughed in a long time, and even participated in a strongman game where Leyra used her staff to ring the bell and won a bag of gold. Leonard’s jaw nearly hit the floor when she did it, which—if she was honest—felt pretty good.
As they walked back toward the others, Leonard glanced at the large clock at the entrance. “We should head back. If we’re late, Hammond will chew me out again for sure.”
Leyra nodded, watching him as they walked.
He really just wants to uplift those around him. That’s where his confidence comes from.
That feeling in my chest... I think I get it now. When I’m with him, I feel like I can just be myself. I don’t have to doubt myself.
Back at the meeting point, Hammond and Nathan were poring over a book, while Darmas and Sahra were deep in conversation with Shandro.
Sahra greeted them with a smug smile. “So, how was your little outing?”
Leyra rolled her eyes but smiled back. “It was great! How about we have a cup of tea later? I’d love to chat with you about something.”
Sahra raised an eyebrow. “Sure, but... are you mad at me?”
“Nonsense. Just a little heart-to-heart between us girls!”
Before Sahra could respond, Shandro turned to them. “Ah, welcome back. I’ve got a proposal for you.”
“Sure, what’s up?” Leonard asked.
“Tell me, how much room do you have aboard your aircraft?” Shandro said, clearly ignoring Leonard and focusing on Leyra instead.
“We could easily house three times as many people as we have now. Why?” Leyra added.
“Excellent,” Shandro said with a grin. “I’d like you to meet some of my colleagues. We might not have the expertise with nautical and aircraft as Darmas and his team do, but the skills we provide might be of help. We are weaponcrafters, combining technology and magical energies. To the untrained eye it'd appear very similar to how your airship flies, but the final result is quite, uhm, different you could say.”
Nathan’s ears perked as he heard this. “Wait, do you mean to say that you can create Artifacts or Modorbs?”
“No, not quite. What we can provide, however should definetly be of interest to your group.”
The group boarded a nearby Trader’s Tram, heading toward Shandro’s workshop.
“Please, after you.” Shandro bowed, waving towards the entrance.
He waited for everyone to get in, except for Leonard, who he cut in line of, getting inside before him. Leonard wanted to say something, but noticed a piercing glare from Hammond as well as Nathan, so he knew: Let it go, not the right timing to get heated. But man, that guy really pisses me off.
As the tram started moving, Leyra and Leonard looked out of the window. The Gallery filled with Lizardmen, rabbit folk as well as humans quickly became a blurry visual of colors, and gave way to total darkness as they reached a tunnel. A short while later, a light appeared infront of them, rushing closer as one of them spoke up. "Darmas my friend, what type of weaponry does your Airship, what it called again...Principessa, right! How well is the Principessa armed?"
"Not at all," He replied, "it's a trading ship pretty sure, no cannons or anything installed."
"All the more reason to say: Welcome to my workshop." Shandro said with a proud, loud intonation as it finally revealed a cuboid room with a singular building in it: A large anvil with lava flowing all over and around it, which also illuminated the entire cave. It didn't touch the bridge that served as the only way in and out of the building, and flowed into a moat that surrounded it.
"What if I told you we could change that?" Shandro said, smirking at Darmas.
Would you eat Sweet Palm Leaves?
