Alchemist's shop

by Cookie_Pone

A normal day

Peritia waves to her father as he leaves. Finally, she's alone to run the shop all by herself! She scans the shelves and spots a lack of vitality potions, quickly heading to the cauldron to rectify the issue. Vitality potions are one of the best sellers, they have to remain fully stocked!

Before she can finish a new batch there's a ring at the door. She quickly runs to the counter, greeting the customer with a friendly smile and asking what they may need. The young stallion heads out the door up one strength potion and down a few bits.

As soon as the customer is out the door, Peritia is back at the cauldron finishing the batch of vitality potion. She fills as many vials as she can before taking them to the front shelves. Just as she's placing the last few vials on the shelf the doorbell rings again. She finishes with the vitality potions and turns to the new customers, greeting them as usual. These ponies are new, she's never seen them before, they must be passing through town.

The new customers are a small unicorn mare with knives on both her sides and a strong-looking earth stallion with a greatsword on his back. They're clearly adventurers in need of some magical assistance, which is perfect for Peritia, these adventurers always buy more because of their long journeys between towns.

The stallion looks at Peritia with a critical eye as if sizing her up, she keeps her friendly smile on and tries to ignore his staring. The mare eventually asks for a long list of potions, most of which are in the back. Peritia nods to the mare, heading into the back of the store to collect the requested potions. She can't believe her luck, two adventurers on her first day! After gathering all the potions she steps back up to the counter, setting them down and plucking a few from the shelves.

The mare smiles at the collection of potions, opening her saddle bag and storing some of them there. The stallion takes the rest of the vials into his own saddlebag. The mare places the needed bits on the counter and turns to leave, but is halted by her partner. She turns to Peritia, her eyes wandering over her features before nodding. The stallion returns to the counter.

"Excuse me miss, we understand you are running this shop currently, but we would like to discuss something with you," The stallion says, it's the first time he's spoken since entering the shop. Peritia looks at him suspiciously, wondering what he could mean. Eventually, she agrees to discuss whatever it is he wants.

"You see, we're heading very far away and we require an alchemist to accompany us. Might it at all be possible for that alchemist to be you?" The stallion's offer takes Peritia off guard, she knows that things like this do happen often, having an alchemist with you on a long journey is highly advantageous after all, but she didn't think someone would try and recruit her! And on her first day!

She takes a second to think before asking if maybe her father would be able to go instead. The stallion informs her that he is too old, but maybe he could take her place at the shop if she chooses to depart with them. She mulls it over for a minute, finally asking how long they'll be staying in town.

"No longer than a week if we can, there is no rush to decide." The stallion gives her a comforting smile. She decides to take her time but tells them that she will consider it. They tell her where they are staying and just like that they are gone. The whole thing had only taken 4 or 5 minutes, and Peritia is left stunned afterwards.

The rest of the day speeds by like a blur, her mind unable to truly focus on anything but the proposal. As closing time nears, one final customer leaves and Peritia flips the sign on the door. Now she just has to restock the potions for tomorrow. As expected, vitality and strength potions are getting low. She silently brews the two potions, still thinking about the two adventurers.

She rushes home after finishing the potions, eager to tell her father all about her day. She rushes in the front door with a bounce in her step, running around to find him. She finally slows down when she finds him in the living room, resting by the fireplace. He looks at her with a knowing smile.

"I take it you enjoyed your first day alone?" He chuckles, seeing the light in her eyes and the speed in her steps. She nods furiously as she walks up beside him, receiving a side hug. When her father releases his grip, she starts telling him about the adventurers and how they want her to join them. His face flashes through different emotions, first surprise, then worry, then a hundred tiny specs of feeling she can't quite read. He asks her all kinds of questions, and with every answer, he seems to grow a bit happier.

After almost a full hour of talking, they both decide that she should go. Peritia embraces her father in a warm hug before they start to plan. He will have to take care of the shop while she is gone, no problem, he has managed it alone for years. She feels a bit sad that she only got one day of running the shop, but takes solace in knowing she will take it over again when she returns.

When Peritia heads to bed that night, she can barely get to sleep. Her mind is buzzing with images of adventure. She can only imagine what might happen, it's such a huge world out there, huge and.. Dangerous. She wonders if there will be any dragons, she loves dragons! They produce all the best ingredients and could.. Kill her without a thought. Then her mind goes to her father, being alone, it’s been so long since he was properly alone, what might happen to him? He says he’ll be fine but… No, it’s nothing to worry about. She locks all her worries away for now, if only to get some sleep.