The morning after sealing the deal with Jorin, Billy and I found ourselves standing in front of a heap of wood, nails, and a confused-looking carpenter who clearly didn't appreciate being dragged out of bed so early. The makeshift pile of supplies in front of us was supposed to be our lemonade stand, though at the moment it looked more like a stack of firewood.
"This is it?" Billy squinted at the mess. "It looks like the start of a bonfire, not a business."
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to mask my own uncertainty. "It'll come together. It has to."
We'd spent the last of our savings getting the materials, and after striking that deal with Jorin, the pressure to make this work felt like a mountain pressing on my chest. Our lemonade was good—no, great—but it wouldn't matter if we didn't have a stand to sell it from. We were going to need everything perfect for the grand opening in just a few days.
As we stood there, scratching our heads and trying to figure out how to assemble what we'd bought, Lena walked by on her way to the bakery.
"Oh boy," she said with a smile, stopping in her tracks. "I thought you were building a stall."
Billy pointed at the pile. "You call that a stall?"
Lena chuckled, then looked at me with raised eyebrows. "Do you two even know how to build one of these?"
"We'll figure it out," I replied, trying to sound confident. "We just need some time."
She crossed her arms. "And what happens if you run out of time before opening day? Have you got a plan for that?"
Billy, ever the optimist, waved her off. "Relax. We've got this covered. Elliot's a genius. He'll figure it out."
Lena, seeing through Billy's bravado, gave me a knowing look. "Well, if you need help, I'll be over at the bakery. You know, sometimes it's smart to ask for advice before you're in over your head."
I nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed, but grateful. As she turned to leave, she added, "Also, about that 10% share we talked about…"
Ah, the investment conversation. It hadn't been an easy topic to bring up, but Lena had been instrumental in helping us this far. She wanted a stake in the stand, and to be honest, it made sense. She had a business mind, she also helped in making this lemonade and if anyone could help us manage this chaos, it was her.
"Right, 10%," I said. "We'll finalize the deal tonight after work. Agreed?"
She smiled and nodded, then headed off to the bakery. Billy watched her leave, then shot me a sidelong glance. "We're really giving her 10%?"
"You want to handle all the finances alone?" I asked, already knowing his answer.
Billy groaned. "Fine, fine."
Two days later, the stand was finally ready, though it had been a near-disaster to get there. We had miscalculated the dimensions, hammered nails in the wrong places, and nearly sawed the roof off by mistake, but somehow, through sheer stubbornness (and with Lena stepping in to guide us), we had a functioning lemonade stall.
The sun was high, the market buzzing with life, and there we were, standing behind our newly built lemonade stand with a hand-painted sign hanging overhead:
"The Zorlanth Refreshment Stand – Powered by Jorin's Tavern"
1 Sliver for One Cup.
Billy glanced at the sign, then at the few people strolling past. "Do you think we priced it too high?" he asked, fidgeting with a cup.
Elliot leaned against the stand, arms crossed. "I've been thinking about it, but it's not like we have much choice." He grabbed a piece of parchment with their calculations scribbled on it. "Look, it costs us 50 coppers per cup—ingredients, cups, ice, everything included."
Billy sighed. "And the other 50 coppers?"
Elliot smirked, tapping the paper. "That's our profit if you can call it that. We need to make some sort of coin, or else we'll be out of business before the stand's even noticed."
Billy leaned back, looking at the small crowd passing them by. "So, we stick to 1 sliver, huh?"
Elliot nodded, his grin confident despite the thin crowd. "Yup. It's either that, or we pack up now and go back to washing dishes at Jorin's."
Billy groaned, remembering their old work at the tavern. "Yeah, alright. One sliver it is."
With that, they settled into their plan, hoping the day—and the profits—would pick up soon.
Billy, who had been practicing his sales pitch for days, was practically vibrating with excitement. I, on the other hand, felt my stomach twist into knots. What if no one showed up? What if the ice runes failed in the middle of the day? What if the lemonade tasted different under the heat?
"Stop worrying," Billy whispered. "We've got this."
But as the first hour passed, no one seemed interested. A few people walked by and glanced at our stall, but didn't stop. Some laughed while some just ran thinking which idiot would try Zorlanth.
I could see Billy starting to deflate, his earlier confidence crumbling. He leaned over to me and whispered, "What if… what if we're wrong? What if no one wants Zorlanth lemonade?"
A group of adventurers, drenched in sweat and dust, wandered through the market square, their heavy armor clinking with each weary step. They looked like they'd been through a rough day, and their expressions confirmed it. As they trudged past our stall, I saw an opportunity.
"Hey!" I called out, my voice loud and enthusiastic. "Why not try a free drink? It'll cleanse your body, refresh your soul, and did I mention—it's free!"
The adventurers halted, exchanging skeptical looks. One of them, a burly man with a battle axe slung across his back, raised an eyebrow. "Free, huh?" he grunted, glancing over at our stall. "What's the catch?"
"No catch!" I said, waving them over with a friendly smile. "Just something to brighten your day. You look like you could use it."
Billy, sensing the moment, bounced into action, plastering on his best salesman grin. "Come on, it's cold, it's refreshing, and trust me—it's exactly what you need after a hard day."
The adventurers, still wary, hesitated for a moment but eventually shrugged and wandered over. They didn't seem to notice the sign declaring our stand as "Zorlanth Refreshment," likely assuming it was some kind of gimmick. I quickly got to work, mixing up four tall glasses of our special lemonade, watching as the enchanted ice formed perfectly at the bottom of each glass. Billy grabbed the drinks and handed them to the adventurers.
By now, a small crowd of onlookers had gathered around, eyes wide with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. After all, who in their right mind would drink something made from the infamous Zorlanth fruit? Surely, these adventurers were about to collapse from the effects of the dangerous fruit—or so the crowd thought.
The burly adventurer took a long sip, and his eyes widened in surprise. He didn't stop there—he gulped the whole glass down in one go, letting out a satisfied gasp. "By the gods, that's... incredible!" he exclaimed.
His companions, seeing his reaction, did the same, downing their drinks and letting out noises of pure satisfaction. "I feel like I just walked through a cool mountain stream," one of them said, wiping his brow. "Give me another!"
Billy winked at me, and I stepped forward with a knowing grin. "Glad you liked it! But the first glass is free. If you want a refill, it'll cost you."
The adventurer didn't even hesitate. "I don't care what it costs—pour me another!"
I quickly made another round, and before I knew it, each adventurer had downed not one, not two, but three full glasses of lemonade. They praised it with every gulp, laughing and talking about how rejuvenated they felt.
By this point, the onlookers were beside themselves. They had expected the adventurers to keel over from drinking something made with Zorlanth, yet here they were, praising it like it was the best drink they'd ever had. Whispers rippled through the crowd.
Finally, the burly adventurer wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, grinning. "phew! That was good. How much do we owe you for the drinks brother?"
I waved them off, still smiling. "Nothing! Since you're our first customer, we won't charge you a copper today. But in return, we'd appreciate it if you could spread the word about our stand—to other adventurers and the folks in town."
The adventurer's grin widened. "Deal! And trust me, I'll be singing your praises at every tavern in the city." He was about to leave when something caught his eye. He paused, narrowing his gaze at the sign overhead. "Wait a minute…" he said, pointing. "Did that sign say Zorlanth?"
The four of them exchanged glances, their jaws dropping in shock. "Wait... did we just drink Zorlanth?!"
"Sure did," Billy chimed in, puffing out his chest. "And you loved it!"
The adventurers stood there for a moment, looking as if they'd been hit with a revelation. One of them even muttered, "I can't believe we just had Zorlanth, but now that I think about it, I did get a hint of Zorlanth's taste—just without the burn. By the Gods! How did you make this drink?"
Elliot grinned and replied, "Ah, that's our trade secret. But if you're ever curious, you can always try it at Jorin's Tavern."
The adventurer chuckled, "I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, you'll be hearing from us soon."
Hearing the confirmation, the crowd suddenly surged forward with curiosity. More and more people began stepping up, eager to try the infamous Zorlanth lemonade for themselves. Before we knew it, our stall was packed with customers, and we were selling glass after glass.
Billy gave me a triumphant grin. "Told you, Elliot. We've got this."
As the day wore on, word spread faster than we could've imagined. By the end of the afternoon, there was a line stretching around the market, all waiting to get a taste of the lemonade that adventurers had not only survived drinking but raved about.
I couldn't help but smile as I poured another glass. We had done it. Our stand was a hit.