The next afternoon, Billy and I made our way back to the tavern with a sense of pride that was hard to hide. In our hands were two bottles of our newly perfected drink. The Zorlanth lemonade—our bizarre, hard-won creation—gleamed in the sunlight, the glass fogged with condensation. We knew we had something special.
As soon as we entered, Jorin was at the bar, wiping down mugs as usual. His eyebrows shot up when he saw us. "Well, look who's back. Thought you boys might've run off."
Billy swaggered up to the counter, placing the bottles down with an exaggerated flourish. "Oh, ye of little faith. We did more than survive, mate. We thrived!" He pointed dramatically at the bottles.
"Behold—our magnum opus."
Jorin chuckled. "I'm afraid to ask."
Without wasting a moment, Billy poured Jorin a glass, the liquid still fizzing slightly. The light grey drink sparkled in the dim tavern, almost inviting.
Jorin took the glass cautiously, eyeing it as if it might explode. "You boys sure this is safe to drink?"
Billy leaned back, arms crossed smugly. "We've outdone ourselves. Just wait."
With a doubtful glance between the two of us, Jorin finally took a sip. His eyes widened, and for a split second, he froze as if he couldn't believe what he was tasting.
"By the gods… this is… Zorlanth?" He stared down at the glass as if it were some kind of magical artifact.
Billy, swelling with pride, couldn't contain himself. "Damn right it is! Took some sheer determination, a lot of grit, and a genius mind—" He tapped his forehead, "—to make this beauty."
He started listing off his 'achievements,' recounting all the trials we had gone through as though he'd single-handedly done it all.
With a smirk, I rolled my eyes and gave Billy a solid punch to the back. "Seriously. You didn't even want to be part of this in the first place. For the most part, you were just a pain in the ass!"
Billy stumbled forward, glaring at me while still trying to hold onto his boastful posture.
"Oi! I tasted every failure! Nearly died in the process, mind you!"
We both stared each other down for a beat, before the absurdity of it made us laugh.
Jorin set the glass down, still looking a bit stunned. "Well, I have to hand it to you both… this is something else. The sweetness, the way the sourness isn't overwhelming—hell, it's even got that little bite to it, but it's refreshing."
He took another sip and nodded thoughtfully. "I'm guessing this'll do well around here. That Zorlanth fruit—always known for its medicinal benefits. Good for stamina, fights off infections, that kind of thing. And this," he held up the glass, "makes it actually pleasant to drink."
Billy straightened up even more, his grin widening. "See? Told ya big guy."
Jorin chuckled, then raised a curious eyebrow. "One thing though—where in the world did you boys get ice in this part of the region? It's not exactly common around here."
I couldn't help but grin at that. "Oh, that's where things get interesting."
Jorin tilted his head, intrigued.
"You see, I've been sneaking into some enchantment classes during my free time after working at the bakery," I explained. "You know, the ones given by the dwarves. Most of it went way over my head—I don't have magic, so it was impossible for me to actually do anything with what they were teaching."
Jorin raised an eyebrow. "But you remembered it all?"
I nodded. "Exactly. I listened to every lecture, memorized all the theories, even though I couldn't use any of it myself. And then, with Lena's help, we figured out how to apply what I'd learned."
Billy jumped in. "Lena's a wizard with pastry, but apparently she's got a knack for runes and magic too."
"Yeah," I agreed, "I had her engrave an enchantment rune on the bottom of the glass. Took us a while to get it right, but when we did, it worked. The rune cools the liquid and forms ice directly in the drink."
Jorin blinked, clearly impressed. "So you've got a self-cooling drink… made from Zorlanth... that's actually good?" He let out a low whistle. "That's some clever thinking, boys."
Billy, barely able to contain his excitement, slapped the counter. "We're about to be rich!" Billy jumped up in excitement, practically shaking with glee.
But Jorin, standing with his arms crossed, chuckled softly and shook his head.
"Yeah, it's not going to be that easy, boys," Jorin interrupted, his tone practical. "How much money do you guys actually have right now?"
Billy and I exchanged a glance, the excitement draining from our faces as reality hit us like a cold splash of water. We fumbled around in our pockets and slowly held up an empty, threadbare pouch between us. Both of us stood there with our heads down, not saying a word.
"Why are you asking?" I managed, still staring at the floor.
Jorin smirked knowingly. "Well, if you want to open a stand, you need a permit. For that, you'll have to pay a fee. Then there's the security fee, rent fee, and don't forget—you'll need to buy a stall, equipment, and all that." He started listing off costs on his fingers, each word hammering home the reality of the situation.
Before I could even react, Billy had already fainted, collapsing dramatically onto the floor. I stood there, wide-eyed, my brain barely processing it all. "Wait, wait, wait," I stammered. "How much are we talking here? How much money will we need for all this?"
Jorin scratched his beard thoughtfully, clearly enjoying drawing this out. "Let's say... anywhere between 1 to 2 gold coins."
Billy's lifeless form twitched slightly at the mention of the amount, his spirit visibly leaving his body. Meanwhile, I could only stand there, jaw hanging open. "Two gold coins? We barely make 10 silvers each at the bakery, and on a good month, we scrape together maybe 30 or 40 silvers from the tavern." I started pacing, anxiety building. "But after food, rent, and everything else, we're left with what? One, maybe two silvers a month. Where are we supposed to get two gold coins? Do we... do we have to rob a bank or something?"
As I was spiraling into financial despair, Jorin cleared his throat, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Well, boys, I do have an idea that could help you open your shop."
Billy, who had been flat on the floor, suddenly resurrected himself, leaping up as if nothing had happened. "Yes! Yes! I knew you were sent by the gods! Our guardian angel!" He practically launched himself at Jorin, trying to kiss his cheek in exaggerated joy.
Jorin grunted, grabbing Billy's head with one hand and holding him at arm's length. "Wait, wait, hear me out first." He looked at me, his tone serious now. "I'll give you the money to start your business... but I have some conditions."
My heart sank a little as I hesitantly asked, "What conditions?"
Jorin held up a finger for each point. "First, you'll open your shop at high noon, right in front of my tavern. Second, the name of your stall will be in relation to my tavern's name. Third, I get 20% of your earnings every day. Fourth, I want 20 mugs with those fancy ice rune enchantments you've got going on. What do you say?"
Billy, still bouncing with excitement, looked ready to agree immediately, but Jorin gave him a pointed look before turning to me. He was waiting, watching me carefully. A sly smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth like he was testing me.
Elliot took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment, thinking carefully. When he opened them again, his usual easygoing smile was gone. "It's a nice offer," he began, "but I think you're getting far more out of this deal than we are."
Billy blinked at me in confusion, but Jorin's smile faded slightly as he crossed his arms, waiting for me to continue.
"We'll pay you 10% of what we make, not 20%," I said firmly. "And as for the mugs, we won't give you 20 enchanted ones. Instead, I can teach you how to make the runic enchantment for ice. That'll be more useful in the long run."
Jorin's eyes narrowed as he listened, clearly intrigued but still skeptical.
"Also," I added, "we'll sell our lemonade exclusively in your tavern, but our stand won't be right in front of it. We'll set it up at the market, one block away. That way, we attract more customers from all over, not just your regulars." I stood up straighter, crossing my arms. "The rest of the conditions stand as they are."
The room went silent for a moment. Billy, wide-eyed, was holding his breath, and Jorin just stared at me, his expression unreadable. After what felt like an eternity, Jorin's serious face slowly broke into a wide grin.
"You've got some nerve, kid," he said, laughing heartily. He reached out his hand. "Deal."
I blinked, half-expecting him to counter or throw in another condition, but he didn't. He just shook my hand with a firm grip, sealing the agreement.
Billy was frozen in place, clearly stunned that we'd actually negotiated. Jorin turned to him with a grin, clapping him on the shoulder. "Looks like your partner here knows how to strike a deal."
I exhaled in relief, still bewildered that it had worked. Just like that, we'd struck a deal that could change everything.
An imp's deal, maybe. But a deal nonetheless.