That small twitch in Alectai's demeanor is like a flash-bang going off in a dark, silent room, for Ame.

...he could've done that deliberately. Is he slick enough to fool her like that? He's seemed like he might be, but watching him... has she been overestimating him? Is he actually just a normal guy trying to make a buck, under that Image of his?

Keeping her thoughts behind a mild smile, Ame follows him into the wagon.

The 'front room' of the wagon is a cramped space set up with a plain desk and bookshelf, with storage along one wall. Elizabeth follows, too.

"Ah, you need some money changed as well, miss?"

"Um- Yes, actually, but there's something... Possibly concerning, magically speaking, that I think you ought to be aware of."

Alectai artfully raises one bushy eyebrow. "Please do elaborate. I would certainly not hesitate to listen to the advice of a sorceress of what seems like considerable skills."

"Are you familiar with how the Winds of Magic can affect one's emotions? Perhaps you've woken up today feeling an unusual impulse to better yourself, or to be kind or courteous or humble?"

"...I was not aware that the eight Winds had such an effect within them. Is that hysh?"

"No. It's - Light. Not quite the same thing. The forces of light and dark are rarer than the eight Winds, and that means they are less understood. Last night I noticed a high concentration of Light energy coming from your wagon."

Alectai's eyes turn angry and suspicious for a bare moment, then he effects slight confusion.

"Whatever is emitting it doesn't seem to be active and I can only theorize as to what a Light-artifact might be designed to do-" (Notes of curiosity have crept into Elizabeth's voice) "-But as it seems inactive I didn't think it was urgent, though I still felt I should warn you in case you were not aware."

After a few seconds of pause where Alectai does his best not to reveal what he's thinking, he digs through a drawer to withdraw a large set of scales and says, "...Hmph. I understand the chance to examine rare works of sorcery is something a Journeyman of the craft would benefit from, but there are quite a few concerns one might have with such a proposition, no? Let's see your coin, miss Ameron."

Maybe Ame was being too paranoid about him...

She separates out one copper for his fee and pours out the rest into the scale.

Alectai adjusts some levers and counterweights, quickly determining that Ameron should take back seven silver and six copper. Combined with the silver she already has, that might make a whole gold piece, which is 14 silvers. He offers to let her inspect the scales for accuracy, too.

"...I was assured," Alectai says consideringly to Elizabeth, "That the item whose shadow you sensed would not affect me in any way. Yet you say that the Light energy is affecting me - I am suspicious of my sudden urge to exercise in light of that information. Tell me, Miss Elizabeth, would damage cause something of that nature to 'leak', as it were?"

"It's certainly possible, though I can't say for certain without examining it. And maybe not even then."

"And would there be a danger of some sort of further deterioration."

"Well... Any spell of the Winds can collapse violently and unpredictably if not well-formed. If the charms woven into my robes were leaking that much energy, I would fear for my life should I try to wear them."

Alectai takes a sharp breath.

"I really can't say more without examining the relic."

"I was instructed to keep the damned thing secret but I don't think you are being untruthful here and something about that man rubbed me the wrong way, so I am being dealt with dishonestly and see no reason not to return the favor. The item in question is a small sculpture. I would ask you to examine it - cautiously - and tell me more. What do you need to do so safely?"

"I'll be careful." She's grinning now, though. "A large open space would suffice. Metal rods driven into the ground would not be amiss, though. Ameron, would you mind, ah, spotting me? And should I be asking for payment?"

"You seem quite interested in it, I should be charging you for access," Harrumphs the merchant. "No coin shall be exchanged for this, I think."

Either he is playing them like a virtuoso or Alectai really is just a guy. This still feels way too easy, though.

"We don't even know if anything needs to be done, yet. It could be a false alarm," Ame says, agreeing with Alectai. "And of course, I'll spot you," she adds to Elizabeth.

Alectai is openly scowling now. "You two go eat and find me again in a bit, and I'll have everything arranged. I knew something about that deal was too good to be true..."

Alectai shoos them out of the wagon.

"...So, that went well!"

"That was too easy," Ame mutters, "but I might have been wrong about him," she admits. "He's less inscrutable, up close. Or maybe that's just the Light radiation."

"What about him is hard to understand? I saw all of that coming, except I didn't think he would almost hit on you. Merchant."

"I didn't either! That came out of nowhere."

"Well, Light influence would explain him not going through with it, paladins and the like are all very chaste as well as brave and humble and dutiful. But he didn't seem all that interested the last couple of days... Then again, he was busier then."

"He has a very good mask," Ame concludes. "So good I believed it and didn't look deeper and also fuckless son of a bitch why is chastity radiation a thing that exists?"

"I think it depends on what you think is 'best'? I remember reading something like that. Some people get very religious, some get selfless and kind, I wanted to go and do a blessing for the plants when I was exposed to it, spruce this dreadful place up a bit..."

"Huh. I don't think I felt anything like that at all."

"-Really? Nothing?"

"Not that I noticed. And I think I would. Notice."

"I'm going to figure out what is up with you some day."

"C'mon. Abyssia wanted to meet you."

"Sure. I'm curious how guns actually work..."

Abyssia is eating alone. She smiles at the pair and waves.

Ame smiles when she spots Bys and goes over to sit next to her, arm around the fischer girl's waist.

"Hey. How'd you sleep?"

"Fine. Nice and cold and quiet."

"So you wanted to meet me?" Elizabeth inquires. 

'Bys nods. "I've never properly met a sorcerer before. I'm pretty curious about how it all works."

"Funny, that, I'd like to know how guns work."

"Ah. Yes, that's convenient." Bys looks at Ame, pats where her arm is around her waist slightly, smiles at her. "So how did the two of you meet?"

"I got kicked out of a town for being the cause of weird shit happening. Elizabeth heard about the weird shit and decided it was more interesting than the town."

"That's pretty much the long and short of it. Maybe I'll stop following her when she stops presenting intriguing mysteries. Completely non-euphemistically."

"...Ah huh. I might follow Ame too, for my own reasons."

"Your own reasons?"

A glance at Ame. A shrug.

Elizabeth pouts. "So, guns? How do they work?"

"Well, the basic idea is that hot gas expands rather forcefully. Explosion spells and fire magic can get a similar effect. If you put a carefully exact explosion in a sealed chamber, it can push bits of metal out at high speeds..."

The pair get along fairly well, it seems. Elizabeth trades her own answers about sorcery peppered with stories from her apprenticeship, engrossed in the conversation.

Ame snuggles Bys while they talk, not all that interested in the topic since she already knows how guns work. She chimes in occasionally, but as has become her habit, is very selective with misleading details to make it sound like she's from somewhere in this same world.

Well, Abyssia talks about things like action mechanisms, barrel wear, how different powder mixes can affect things, fancy specialist ammunition, why the best guns are in her opinion the most reliable ones... There's a lot to know about guns, apparently.

After a while Elizabeth startles. "Ame! We should actually eat! We don't have all day."

"You two keep talking, I'll get you something from the breakfast line."

Ame gives Bys a quick kiss and gets up. Food-wise, is it the same setup as last night?