“Nothing serious,” Gora assured me. “We are required to hold a record of who the seller was for any items that—”

“Never mind,” I said. “Forget it.”

“Forget what?” Gora asked.

“Forget the daggers. That price isn’t enough for me to sell. I’ll just keep them. You said I needed a weapon anyway, didn’t you?”

“I did say that,” Gora agreed somewhat reluctantly. “Very well, let me just get this put away.” He pulled a pouch from his pocket and with a waggle of his fingers all the coins on the table flew through the air and settled into it. “Alright, we can get started,” Gora said. “I just need to verify that you understand what the Brand you’re about to receive does. It’s been a while since we discussed it.”

“Manifest Inspiration, right?” I asked. He nodded. I clicked on the Brand open on the book in front of Gora and read from it. “It creates mundane objects from my imagination. Plus I think last time I was here you said they last about an hour, is that right?”

“That is correct. And I know I mentioned an approval process last time, but I went ahead and submitted the paperwork for that on your behalf after you left, so you don’t have to wait.”

“You did that for me?” I asked.

Gora flashed a smile. “You said you were interested. I wasn’t about to let a little paperwork interrupt a sale. Now, where would you like it?”

It was the most expensive Brand I was purchasing by a fair margin, so I wanted to keep it safe. I pulled up my shirt and lifted my right arm. The Information Overlay was burned into my armpit on that side. I pointed to the side of my ribs just underneath that. “How about right here,” I said. “Just put it as close as you can. I don’t want to waste space.”

Gora got up from his chair and came around to the side of the couch. He placed one palm over the Brand on the page and the other over my side. A bit of red light emanated from under his hands. I felt the heat, but with none of the associated pain. When he pulled his hand away, I had a fresh circular scar of wavy lines.

A pop up appeared in my vision.

New Skill acquired: Manifest Inspiration

Gora flipped to a different page in the same book. “Next up, we have Fireball and Static Bolt. I will do Fireball first. Where would you like it?”

“I’m not really sure,” I said. “It’s useful, and I want it to be somewhere that’s unlikely to get destroyed in the middle of battle, but at the same time it probably wouldn’t be the end of the world if I lost it. I just wouldn’t want to lose Fireball and Static Bolt at the same time.”

“Might I suggest your inner thigh? It is a popular location for combat Brands.”

“Sure,” I agreed. “Put them on different sides, though.” I had to pull my pants down to expose the skin, but Gora was a professional about it. He placed them each a little above the knees on either side so he wouldn’t get too close to my crotch. I wasn’t that comfortable with him yet. He burned in both of the new Brands in quick succession.

New Skill acquired: Fireball New Skill acquired: Static Bolt

While I pulled my pants back on, Gora closed the first book and pulled open the next one. “Next will be Healing Touch,” he said. “Where would you like it?”

“That’s one I really have to keep protected,” I said. “I mean, you said it can repair other Brands if they get damaged.”

“It can,” Gora confirmed. “Within reason. Buttocks is a popular spot for Healing Brands.”

“No. Too exposed,” I said. “Let’s go with my other armpit for that one. And sorry in advanced for the smell.”

“What smell?” Gora asked with a crooked smile. He wafted one of his hands in front of me and filled the room with the smell of wild flowers. I pulled off my shirt and twisted around so he could access my exposed armpit. It only took a second to burn in. This time I noticed that some of the hair got singed off in the process. If not for the magical flower scent, I imagine it would have created a foul odor.

New Skill acquired: Healing Touch

Gora immediately began flipping to another page. “You have two more,” he said. “Condense Water and Conjure Potato. I will do Condense Water first. Where do you want it?”

“My back is fine for both of those,” I said, turning around. “Just anywhere is fine. I don’t imagine anywhere back there is going to be more or less vulnerable.”

“I will place them under your shoulder blades,” Gora told me. I stood up and turned around. He made quick work of it.

New Skill acquired: Condense Water New Skill acquired: Conjure Potato

With the last of my new Brands burned into me, I put my shirt back on. Gora grabbed the backpack and set it on the table. He pulled open the flap to remove a bundle of white in the top, then look at the contents beneath it. “It looks as though everything is in order with your supplies,” he told me. He unrolled the white cloth and displayed it for me. “This is your new spider silk tunic. Go ahead and feel it. It’s not sticky. Many customers ask about that.”

I reached out a hand to stroke the fabric. My fingers glided over the surface. The tunic was white, but shimmered slightly in the light. Aside from that bit of shimmer, I couldn’t tell it was anything particularly special. It appeared to be sized for a rissian, which meant the long sleeves were a good deal longer than my arms. I pulled it over my head and felt like I was a kid again, trying on my dad’s work jumpsuit.

Gora frowned at me. “They don’t make these in children’s sizes,” he said. “Perhaps you could roll up the sleeve and I could throw in a belt?” He snapped at the guards lurking behind him. “Vexus! Go fetch a belt!”

The cloaked hunter just grunted an acknowledgement and blinked away. I flapped my arms around to get a feel for the tunic. It flowed and flexed nicely; it was just that my hands were buried. I folded up the sleeves while Gora sent the other hunter to return the books to his library. The hunter once again phased through the wall. By the time I finished rolling up my sleeves, the other hunter returned with a fat belt.

“No charge, of course,” Gora promised with a smile.

“You sure?”

“I wouldn’t feel right charging you for a belt when it’s clear you won’t be able to wear the product you just ordered without it.”

I thanked him and hooked it around my waist. The bottom edge of the fabric came down almost to my knees, but it was big enough I could tell I wasn’t going to have any problems with my flexibility. I was actually slightly pleased that the extra length would offer more protection. “It just feels like a regular shirt,” I said. “Smoother, maybe, but it doesn’t seem like it would stop a blade.”

One of the hunters grunted. “I could show you,” he said, pulling a massive knife from his waist.

“That’s okay,” I said. “I trust you, Gora.”

“I would be beside myself if I sold you a defective product,” Gora promised. “It really was a pleasure helping you find what you were looking for, Vince. Remember, you can come back for a 50% refund on any of the Brands you purchased today. I’ll be ordering in that stamina Brand we talked about, so when you get some more money together, come on back and I will have it ready.”

I threw the backpack over my shoulders. “I doubt I’ll be returning anything. I just need to practice with the new Brands to figure them out. Manifest Inspiration is going to be a lot of fun.” I paused. “You know, Gora, what would you say to getting a small taste of human culture before I go? There’s something I’ve been missing and it would be a perfect chance to try out my new Brand.”

Gora’s automatic smile climbed halfway up his face, then paused. “Umm. If you would like, I could stay for that.”

“No need to be apprehensive. I’ll make something and it’ll dissolve in an hour, right? So it’s not like you have to keep it. Can I make food?”

“Yes. Food is a popular option, but you must be careful. It will not give real nutrition. People have starved eating conjured food before.”