“Oh, I’m dreadfully sorry, my poor trickster. But you really shouldn’t be gambling with things you don’t want to lose.”

Sevard tried to unclench his fists. It didn't work. And to be honest he wasn't trying that hard. “But it was unique! I still can’t believe Zarene would do something so stupid!”

The Trickster giggled. “Yes, she’s quite an interesting one, isn’t she? Half the time I think she’s going to break away completely, the rest of the time she comes crawling back, absolutely desperate for my affection. It’s always fun to see how far I can push.”

“That’s great and all, but I want my amulet back.”

The Trickster hummed, shrugging. “It’s been destroyed. There is no recovering a destroyed item.”

“Not even for you? Not even with all the favor I have?”

“Creating unique items from nothing is extremely taxing." The Trickster smirked. "I’m afraid it would require a great deal more than what you have to come even close.”

Sevard frowned, waiting for the towertop to vanish, but it didn’t. He glared across at the grinning Trickster. “So if that’s the answer, why am I still here?”

“Let’s just say it’s your lucky day.”

“Yeah? How’s that, then?”

“I happen to have a few, mmm, special assignments available. If you could complete, say, ten of them, I might be able to un-destroy your shiny stone.”

“And give it to me, not back to Zarene?” Sevard clarified, because you had to clarify these sorts of thing.

“Naturally. You put in the work, you get the rewards. But it will cost you.”

“Of course it will,” Sevard agreed easily. His frustration had already melted away. Bartering, that he could do. Weird special missions? That he could do. “How much?”

“I'll deduct one hundred favor for each special mission you ask for. If someone else beats you to it, well, too bad, you’ll have to just take the loss.”

“And the rewards?”

“Oh, no rewards. This is all going toward your necklace, remember?”

So no easy way to recoup favor loss between missions. He didn’t have a thousand favor to spend, and that would be the best-case scenario. If another trickster rolled better, or just got lucky the old fashioned way, and beat him to any of them, that would increase the cost yet again.

But what was life without a few impossible challenges?

Sevard grinned. “I’ll find a way. Thank you for this opportunity. I’ll take the first mission now.”

The mission appeared in his log. Sevard read through it, then closed his eyes in resignation. Of course.

“Have fun!” The Trickster winked as the world began to shift. “I know I will.”