In the short walk to the blacksmith’s shop, I notice this part of town has almost no foot traffic, only a few other people are walking down the street. But I guess Nic did say this was more of a fishing village, so maybe everyone is near the docks. This thought passes through as I start to hear metal striking metal of the smithy. I reach the shop which is just a squat, square building with a more substantial side landing where I can see the blacksmith, a short but stocky man with a grizzled black beard and a short black hair, shaping a glowing metal bar on his anvil. I am entirely entranced watching the man hammering the bar into what looks like some kind of curved blade I almost forget why I’m here. Once the metal started to lose its glow, he picks it up with some tongs and set’s it back into what I can only guess is the furnace wiping his face he turns to me breaking my trance.

“You’re going to catch a fly standing there with your mouth open boy.” Snapping my mouth shut the blacksmith laughs and continues, “Now that you’re done being a human flytrap what can I do for you, or are you here just to watch me work?”

Still a little embarrassed from staring so openly I reply eloquently, “Uh…. Afternoon I’m Nox. Nic sent me to look for the blacksmith Druss; he said he might be in need of a new apprentice.”

“Nic sent you huh, well I’m Druss and yes I do technically have an opening for an apprentice but honestly son, I don’t have the work for me to take one on. That is unless you have some prior training?”

“No, I don’t have any training… but I assure you I will work hard to be the best apprentice you have ever had.”

“I expect that from every apprentice I take on but again I do not need or wish to take on the extra work of an apprentice.”

“Is there any way you would reconsider?”

“Well, if you had a good fire monster of some kind I could take you on but unless that slime on your shoulder is a fire or lava slime I doubt you have one am I right?” Druss says while scratching his beard and peering around for any other monsters.

“No… Notch here is all I’ve got, and you’re right he’s just a basic slime.”

“Then I’m sorry I can’t take you one even with Nic’s recommendation, but if I do find myself in need of an apprentice anytime soon, I’ll let Nic know to inform you. If there’s nothing else...”

“Wait is there any resources of some kind you may need?”

“I’ll take ores of all kinds and some monster parts, but if you want a list of them and their prices, I have a standing commission at the Adventurer's Guild. And sorry again Nox let me know if you get a good fire monster,” with that he turned around and started working the bellows to his forge.

“Thanks,” I say as I step out of the sweltering shop and back out onto the road, and looking over at Notch I notice he seems a little deflated.

“Hey, what’s wrong partner?”

Notch deflates a little more and just shakes.

“Is it about the Blacksmith saying I need a different monster?”

Notch shrugs then gives a little nod.

“Well don’t worry about that guy he doesn’t know a great slime when he sees one, and if you’re worried about the job, don’t be we still have the Alchemist, and if all else fails, we can live off commissions from the guild.”

Notch seems to become a little happier at that and nods enthusiastically.

Making our way to the Alchemist shop only takes a few minutes and with much of the same empty streets. Standing outside the shop, you can’t help but notice… it’s beautiful. There’s a large front garden with many different trees, herbs, and flowering plants with a meandering path through it to what I assume is the storefront. I would have guessed this was just a small park if it wasn’t for the sign hanging off the gate with the bottle and herb that marks an Alchemists shop.

“Looks like this is the place,” I say mostly to myself, but Notch nods.

Opening the gate we enter the garden walking along the path, closing the gate behind us, not far down the trail, I notice a tree that has large, apples maybe? They’re red and shaped like an apple, but they have weird purple swirls on them. But I can smell them from the path, and they smell wonderful, so I decide to sneak a fruit off of it. If all else fails I’ll just work off the fruit I take if we get caught. Just as I was reaching up to grab the fruit when I hear someone shouting from where the store-front should be.

“What in the hell do you think you’re doing? Step away from that Djinn’s Apple Tree before you get yourself killed. Stupid child, who the hell walks off the path of an alchemist's garden. Half the things you trampled through on your way to that tree could kill you let alone the tree itself. Didn’t your mother teach you anything? Now get on to the path and try not to harm any more of my precious plants.” This all came to me at a blinding speed from a middle-aged woman with frizzy dark brown hair, dark eyes, and simple work clothes.

Being as careful as I can be I make my way over to the path and start following, who I can only assume is the alchemist, to the shop with her muttering the whole while about me being an idiot. Entering the shop, she immediately heads to behind the counter and turns to me with a glare.

“Now, if you’re done trying to kill yourself in my garden what do you need?” She asks me at a blinding speed.

...Does she even breath when she speaks, “Uh… Nic sent me to talk to Gwen, the alchemist. He said she might be in need of an apprentice?”

“And what use would I have for an apprentice that doesn’t even know not to go into an Alchemist’s garden? Do you have any idea what could have happened if you took that fruit?”

I shake my head.

“One touch of that Djinn’s Apple would be enough to paralyze and with death not following long behind.”

“Why would you have something that dangerous so close to the street?” I ask shaking at how close I was to dying without even knowing it.

“Well, for one thing, it smells nice. Secondly, it’s off the well-defined path. Also, there’s a sign on the fence that states not to step foot off the path, or you will probably die. But that doesn’t matter you didn’t give me a reason as to why I should take you on as an apprentice. Going by how you walked through although plants I’m going to say you probably don’t know much herb lore?”

“No, I uh… don’t know any herb lore,” another class that I ditched every time it came up… why was I such a slacker, “but I can promise you, I can learn and that I will be the hardest working apprentice you’ve ever had.” I say as earnestly as I can.

“Nic sent you to me, so I am more willing to believe that, but I don’t trust your decision-making skills as of right now. Of which is important while performing alchemy. So, no I will not take you as my apprentice now.”

“Is there any way to change your mind?” I plead, and Notch decides to try and help and does a wiggle that I think is him begging, but I’m not sure.

After staring at Notch and I with a pondering look, she replies, “With time maybe do some of my commissions at the guild and if I’m not mistaken that’s just a basic slime correct?”

“That’s right his name is Notch. Why?”

“Well, he seems smart, so he probably has a good chance of evolving. If you have him eat a lot of the herbs that you need to gather for my commissions he could turn into a Herb Slime. If that happens, I’ll more than happily take you on as an apprentice albeit if I judge you to have more common sense when or if that happens.”

“Herb Slime?” I ask while looking at Notch, who starts to shake a no over and over. “Okay, no to becoming a Herb Slime, got it.” Turning back to Gwen, “I guess he has no want to become a Herb Slime, but I can do everything else thank you for the help and uh… not letting me die from my lack of sense.”

“What do you mean he doesn’t want to you’re his master right make him, whatever anyways happy to help you not get yourself killed in my garden. I don’t need all the extra paperwork that the guards would make me fill out if someone died in there... again,” that last part was said so quietly that I’m not sure I heard it right.

Feeling a little unnerved by what I think I just heard I start backing out, carefully, while saying, “Thank you anyways and I hope I’ll see you soon.” With a wave, I almost run out of the store and garden but this time while keeping carefully to the path and not touching even a fallen leaf.

Once we were down the street a little, I share a look with Notch and say, “Well, maybe alchemy isn’t for me anyways, but we should still take her commissions in case I change my mind.”

Notch nods in agreement.

“We don’t have time to check out the dungeon today, and Nic said his wife would show us the guild. So I guess we should just make our way to the inn and wait for Nic.” Another nod and we start making our way back to where we saw the inn earlier today.