The Traveller knocked lightly on Cassandra's door. Inside, he could hear the faint bubbling of liquid and the occasional clink of glass jars. "Come on in," came Cassandra's voice, though she didn't raise her head, her attention completely focused on stirring a cauldron of rainbow-colored syrup.
"Are you making magical candy?" the Traveller asked, stepping in and eyeing the assortment of equipment. Various jars and bottles were scattered around, each labeled with peculiar ingredients like liquid joy and rainbow honey. "When I saw the Witch do it, it looked so much easier. She didn't have all this fancy gear, just a bit of magic and a spoon."
Cassandra, still focused on her concoction, gave it a quick taste and frowned. "It's missing something... Can you pass me that jar of star glitter from the top shelf?"
The Traveller reached up, grabbing a small jar that looked like it held sparks of actual starlight. Handing it to her, he watched as she sprinkled a pinch into the syrup, causing it to shimmer and change color.
"To answer your question," Cassandra said, stirring gently, "Yes, you can make candy by infusing a bowl of sugar with Candy magic, like the Witch did. But those candies lack spirit and frankly, taste awful. Their effects are weaker, and the prices you pay for using them are much steeper."
She dipped a spoon into the now perfectly mixed syrup, scooped up a small amount, and with a soft blow, the liquid hardened into a glowing rainbow-colored candy. "Here, try this. I finished it with a bit of candy magic. Let me know how it tastes."
The Traveller raised an eyebrow at Lucian, but Lucian was too engrossed in watching Cassandra work to catch the hint. Sighing, the Traveller sent a telepathic message. Inspect the candy.
In moments, Lucian's voice filled the Traveller's mind:
Magical Candy (Rainbow Sparkle)
Effect: Replenishes energy and stamina, brings temporary joy, and can mildly suppress or delay the price of magic.
Price: Slight candy transformation of the body, and the consumer will burp rainbows for 10 minutes.
"Don't worry about the price," Cassandra said, flashing a mischievous grin. "The magic in it is minimal. Your body's natural metabolism will handle the candification easily. That's why magical candy is so popular—unless you binge on them, the price is relatively insignificant."
With Lucian safely inhabiting the meat maggot in his bag, the Traveller popped the candy into his mouth. "This... is amazing," he said, genuinely impressed by the explosion of flavors and the subtle energy boost coursing through him.
Cassandra watched him intently, waiting for something. A minute passed, and nothing happened. She blinked, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Impossible! Did I mess up the recipe?"
In a flurry of frustration, she made another candy and ate it herself. Immediately, she let out a giant, rainbow-colored burp that filled the room with sparkling mist.
The Traveller couldn't help but laugh, stepping back from the colorful cloud. "You were waiting for that to happen to me, weren't you?"
Cassandra shot him a mock glare between her uncontrollable rainbow burps. "What are you here for, burp anyways?" she asked, trying to maintain some dignity despite her predicament.
"I was hoping to learn some new magic," the Traveller said, pulling out a small pouch filled with coins from his bag. "I can pay for it."
Cassandra, still mid-burp, waved her hand dismissively. "The Nightwatchers keep some magics—burp—in storage. I can take you to see them. Come on."
They made their way to the reception area where James was busy sorting papers. "I need to get some magic from storage for Lucian," Cassandra said between burps.
James glanced up, then raised an eyebrow at Cassandra's current condition. "You know that's agains—"
Cassandra's next rainbow burp cut him off, and her death glare made him change course. "Alright, fine, but only minimal-risk spells, and no more than three."
James led them to the vault, where he handed the Traveller a list of available magic. The descriptions, however, were vague—some were barely more than a name, and others had no mention of the magic's price at all.
Seeing the Traveller's confusion, James smirked. "What did you expect? Fells don't exactly hand over detailed instructions for their magic."
But the Traveller had Lucian. Quietly, he instructed Lucian to inspect everything in the vault. After some time and deliberation, he made his choices. The first two were common, but the third was shrouded in mystery, its description only a series of question marks.
Flesh of the Lamb
Ritual: Feed an animal your flesh (minimum of 500g) while evoking the name of the Lamb.
Effect: Enhances the animal's strength, speed, taste, and magical properties, making it ideal for magical recipes.
Price: The flesh of the ritual caster.
Purification of Death
Ritual: Evoke the power of the Goddess to purify the price using a corpse.
Price: The lifespan and life force of the caster. This price cannot be negated, suppressed, transferred, or reversed.
The Mask of the Faceless
Ritual: Peel off your face, dissolve it in slime fluid, and mix the result with clay while evoking the name of the Faceless One. Place the mixture on your face, becoming faceless.
Price: The caster's face, identity, memories, and self will slowly fade away.
Cassandra eyed the selections. "Are you sure about these three? Flesh of the Lamb and Purification of Death are money-making rituals, but the price of the second one... it can't be reversed. And using Flesh of the Lamb might cost more in healing than you'll make from selling the animals. You don't have to do this just because of our financial situation."
The Traveller gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Do where I would be able to buy and sell magical material."
Cassandra seem unsure what to say then she let out a sigh, "Thank you..." the relented continuing, "there's magical market, the House of the Merchant operate by the follower of the Merchant of Wealth, you can buy and sell most things to them for a fair price. I will show you how to get there."
"