Sophia's Deal

Seems like there is one in every city in Alyria that I had visited so far. Little shops of various sizes buying and selling things common and rare. The prices didn’t seem fair but seems like I usually got more than when I tried to auction the item unless it was in demand. I had seen this magic shop several times as I had passed by. There was always something funny or weird or strange hanging near the entrance; blue orb, a funny looking wand, an evil looking staff, sometimes a feather or a brightly colored scroll.
I had never thought of entering the tent. It was kind of tucked out of the way in the Market area. It seemed kind of odd because the only things nearby were Weapons Galore and Saint Ruth’s Cathedral. Sophia, that is what folks called the shop keeper, was a nice but somewhat strange elderly gnome. Gnomes are somewhat short tempered and I never wanted to get too close for fear that she might use a teal rawhide scroll on me or some such.
One day me and John were spending the day chasing ducks on Lake Martoon when Pete happened by saying he was going to unload a bunch of old scrolls in the clan hall. We followed him the short distance to the clan hall and watched as he pulled scroll after scroll from a dream cloud. He had a ton of scrolls too. All different colors some of which I knew and some that neither I nor John knew.
“P, what are all the scrolls for?” John asked.
“Whatever you want to do with them,” Pete answered.
“I have most of the spells I need scribed already,” I said.
“Me too,” said John.
“Give ‘em away or sell ‘em, whatever you want to do with them,” Pete said, “I have to go.” Suddenly Pete vanished.
Great, I thought, we can make a good bit of gold if we sell them. I started gathering up scrolls and so did John. I ended up with a kente scroll, a rose-colored cotton scroll, platinum-colored scroll, a cobalt blue scroll, a stiff crinoline scroll, a glossy yellow-green scroll, a mottled vomit-yellow scroll, and an opalescent blue scroll. John got a rose-colored cotton scroll, a platinum-colored scroll, a glossy yellow-green scroll, two smudged sticky scrolls, and a brittle feuillemort scroll.
I had visited Shadow Castle earlier in the week and had gotten a personality manual and a wisdom manual along with a few large black pearls from the Sorceress. I got a wand of magic darts from the apprentice sorceress as well. I had tried to sell that wand everywhere. I auctioned it and no one wanted it. I took it to Potions & Lore and to Best Pawn in New Rigel and to the Antique Shop and Grimaldi’s Magic Shop in Rune and to Jeldar’s Pawn Shop in Tellerium and no one would buy it. It seemed a waste to destroy it so I held onto it.
“Where are you gonna sell your stuff at?” I asked John.
“I’m going to try Pirate’s Cove and Maldra‘s Keep” said John.
“Why so far away?” I asked.
“I’m going there anyway,” John said , “I kind of like going to Maldra’s Keep now.”
“I’m going to stay closer to home,” I said, “maybe Sophia will buy my stuff.”
“You be careful of that old one,” John said with a scowl, “that old gnome isn’t to be trusted. You know how everyone in the city is leery of her.”
I nodded.
“I will be careful,” I said with a touch of fear in my voice.
I waved to John just before he vanished to his home. I put all my scrolls in my second gnomish miners bag not wanting to mix those with the items I already had in my first bag.
I made my way to Templeton and as I was crossing the Flaran plains a centaur ranger attacked me. I was unprepared too not having memorized my spells before I left the clan hall. Fortunately I had grown enough and had recently purchased decent armor so that the ranger’s attack barely phased me. I bashed him in the head with my footman’s mace and went on my way to Templeton.
A sailor’s haven Templeton is. I love the smell of the salt in the air along with the various dock smells. The city’s janitors were a little relaxed with their work. Piles of trash were everywhere and I don’t know which was more popular between the sewer rats, the fat cats, or the Persian cats. I had heard a rumor that a village had been created north of Templeton to alleviate the trash concerns but as yet it hasn’t seemed to help.
I made my way up Seabreeze Lane and then past the checkpoint with the gate guards on Stenas Road. I was glad for the guards and the many town guards too. The gang situation is horrendous in Templeton. Seems like several times a day I have to run for my life when I’m here running errands for Lady Templeton or Lord Tellerium. I heard singing as I passed the Cathedral of Saint Ruth and rounded the corner to see once again Sophia Clearsight’s Magical Aura shop. A dingy tent tucked into a corner of the market square.
I pushed flap open and a spooky sounding bell signaled my entrance. The shop wasn’t well lit. I stood there letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. Smoke wafting across the shop made it that much harder to see. Shapes and images began to become clearer. I could make out baskets and shelves and drums full of this and that, a fern plant, some sparkling stones, some powder that had a yellowish tinge, along with some rainbowish looking gems, and in the bookcase various colors and types of scrolls.
“May I help you,” Sophia asked startling me.
“Ye, yes,” I stammered as I took out the wand and the pearls.
I laid them on the desk and Sophia picked up first one and then the other to look at them. She gingerly picked up the wand and gazed intently at it. Finally she gave a little nod as if she had came to a decision.
“I’ll give you $50,000 for the wand and the three pearls,” she said.
“Okay,” I chirped with astonishment.
“Is that all you have?” she asked.
“N, no,” I managed to stammer.
I opened the bag I had put the scrolls in. I turned the bag over to get out all the scrolls and they dropped onto a small desk and some fell onto the floor.
“Tsk, tsk,” Sophia snapped sharply, “that is no way to handle magic. You want me to buy stuff you’d let fall into the dirt and grime?”
“I’m sorry,” I offered meekly.
“Well, take better care young one,” Sophia said, “let’s just see what you have here.”
“Yes, yes these will do nicely,” Sophia said with a glint in her eye.
“Are they worth anything,” I asked hopefully.
“I will give you $7500 for them, do you think that is fair?” Sophia asked.
I looked at the scrolls trying to fathom what they were and what they might be worth. I didn’t have a clue about some of them. What was it that people had said about Sophia? Was she fair? Was she to be trusted?
Deciding to take a chance I said, “I don’t know what they are worth honestly. I came here hoping to get some money. Will you help me?”
Shaking her head Sophia turned and went to the back of the tent where there was an old cast iron stove. With a sigh she beckoned me back and motioned toward a stool next to the stove.
“You will have to be more cautious in Alyria if you hope to have any money in the future,” said Sophia.
With her cane she deftly hooked the opalescent blue colored scroll.
“This one is worth millions I’m told,” Sophia said, “and I could have easily given you a pittance for it and you would have been none the wiser.”
She poked the pile and found the nasty yellow one.
“This one is worth a good bit as well. I’ve heard people have paid a million or two for it.“ Sophia said, “I don’t have nearly that much to offer you. I will however do this. I will buy the rest of the scrolls and I will offer my services to train you to recognize the value of items in exchange for this ugly yellow scroll. You may keep the opalescent blue colored one to sell for a better price. Does this seem a fair trade to you?”
“Why me?” I asked.
Sophia looked into the fire sadly it seemed and said, “I have lived in this city for years. I’ve bought and sold from both the travelers and the city folk. I’ve earned a good name and yet the people here still don’t trust me. I’m old and don’t have any younglings and will be leaving for my home soon. I want to pass my knowledge on to someone who will use it wisely. You came in and you trusted me and that is reason enough for me.”
“Can I give you an answer later?”, I asked.
“Yes,” Sophia said peering intently at me, “you have until the end of the week.”
Sophia got up and took a safe that had been hidden out from behind the desk. She deftly counted out $7500 and gave it to me along with the ugly yellow scroll and the rainbow colored one. I stuck both scrolls in my bag and the gold into an old piggy bank I carry with me and I made for the door.
“I hope to see you soon,” Sophia called out just before the flap closed.
I made my way back to the clan hall and waited for John.
The more I thought about it the more convinced I became that a merchant’s skill would be very useful in the days to come.