Chapter 17: Hard at work

Ethinir began to multiply the fairy dust by the price the adventurers would usually get for it. When he was done weighting all the dust they still had, and calculating all that had been used so far, his eyes were wide.

"We are rich beyond belief," the elf exclaimed, and Ossilo and Orion turned to stare at him.

"Well, yes, we have Orion," Ossilo said, as if that was obvious.

"The fairy dust alone is enough to be sold for 100,000 gold coins," Ethinir said, and Orion's eyebrows rose.

"Are you certain? What of the one we already used?" Orion asked.

"Well, we have used over 1,000 gold coins worth of dust. I calculated that Ossilo used no more than ten grams per finger dipping. And the dwarves used no more than twenty grams to place on their feet, and on their hands," Ethinir said, and the two nodded.

"Well, it is not just the fairy dust we have. What of the potions?" Orion asked. Ethinir blushed at him.

"I haven't checked out the potions yet," the elf said. Then, he stood, and went to Orion. "May I have your bottomless bag?"

"Sure, here you go," and Orion handed him the bag. Ethinir began to take out the potions. After much questioning of the witches that were waiting for their turn at the stand, his eyes widened again.

"This is beyond great," Ethinir exclaimed. "Now, for the food."

Ethinir had been paying attention, as Orion had sold the food. The elf had a good memory. Instead of trying to guess the price of a bread bun, he calculated the total kilograms of food, and then applied them to a price based on what Orion exchanged it for.

"We sell overpriced clothes," Ethinir told them finally, when the customers left.

"We sell designer clothes," Ossilo corrected him.

"You are not licensed," Ethinir argued, but Ossilo just shrugged.

"Neither is your average village seamstress.  Still, they barter for their clothes, the same as we," Ossilo argued, and Ethinir turned to Orion.

"What are you going to do with one million gold coins?" Ethinir asked him then. It was the rough estimate of the treasure they had accumulated.

"I will sell all the bartered items, and then I will make sure to invest the money. Ethinir, do you have an idea where I can do so?" Orion asked. Ethinir's former outburst not being lost on him.

"Well, you can have a stall in the village, manned by a witch or two. She can sell some extra potions to the villagers," Ethinir said.

"Or, you can buy land in the next dukedom," Ossilo suggested.

"There are other vampires in there that won't let go of their forests," Orion shot down the idea. He was not going to try and muscle in on someone else's territory. That was not a peaceful move. The fate of the vampire who had come inside his own territory was not lost on him.

"Maybe speak with them? I mean, trading is a two-way relationship. They may have other resources, that you do not," Ossilo suggested again.

"That is a good idea. I have always wanted to travel," Ethinir said, and Orion looked between the two of them.

"That means that we will have to leave Simone as the only one that is manning the stand," Orion told them, and the two shared smiles.

"I saw her make a blue dress for a fairy just the other day. She is melting, Orion," Ossilo said, and Ethinir nodded.

"Yes, the stand will be just fine for a couple of days without us. We just need to bypass the next village, and slip into the forest," Ethinir suggested.

"Do you think that lord Erion will give us something like a safe passage?" Orion asked, and the two nodded energetically.

"We can buy the pass, no problem," Ossilo assured him, and he went by Orion's side. "What makes you hesitate?"

"It is just that, the last time I trusted the village with your safety, they pulled the pitchforks on us," Orion said, and Ethinir sighed.

"You can't think that it will always happen. The lord is going to spread the word that you are peaceful and looking for partners for a venture. You have nothing to worry about," Ethinir then hugged Orion.

"Yes, the villagers are not going to stone us, or anything," Ossilo spoke, joining the hug pile.

"This risk is too great, I can't risk you two," Orion murmured, but Ossilo bit him on the neck.

"You are not risking us. You are trusting us," Ossilo told the stubborn vampire, and then he looked to Ethinir.

"Right, head accountant?" Ossilo winked at Ethinir, who chuckled. The elf liked this new position better than the entertainer for the stand.

"That is precisely it. As your chief accountant, I advise against stagnation, Orion," Ethinir said in a joking tone. The book vibrated, and Orion opened it.

<It is none of my concern, but you should learn to take risks, master. You can't judge all villages by the one you know, and all vampires by the ones who tried to muscle in on your territory,> the system wrote, and Orion's eyebrow rose.

"Your mind is set, then?" The vampire asked his two mates. "You want to go and make a trading route, or something similar?"

"We do," Ethinir agreed, and Ossilo nodded.

"For all our sake," the Naga said, and Orion caved under their hopeful gazes.

"We just need to tell Simone, and tomorrow, we are leaving," the vampire said, and then sat on the grass. "It will be a long journey."

"We should go and pick up some things from the village, for the road," Ossilo said. "Sweets, most definitely."

"Your fangs will rot," Ethinir said, a smirk on his lips.

"I will have you know that no one in my family has ever had rotting fangs," Ossilo said, pocking out his tongue.

"If you want sweets, then sweets you will get," Orion assured the Naga. "And you, Ethinir, will get salty cake."

"That sounds lovely," Ethinir rested on the grass next to Orion, and leaned on him. "You know, seeing as we will be on the road, we can take the time to get to know each other better?"

Orion grinned then. They spent the night trading stories, and then, in the morning, they told Simone that she will be alone with the stand, and went towards the village to pick up some supplies.