”A glass of red. House.”
Garlim had walked into one of the many drinking establishments at the Rose Garden, one of the more popular magic-heavy cities within Fiore. Although he had first been reluctant to come to the busy city, the draw of jewels was too much for him. His work had been sparse as of late, and his funds were quickly running out – hence his new proclivity for house vintages of wine. In fact, he hadn’t earned a single jewel in weeks now, and his savings could only stretch so far.
He let out a soft sigh. Would he have to join a guild? His eyes closed as he bowed his head slightly, almost accepting defeat. For years he had put off joining one of the establishments, but the facts were too hard to face – Guild wizards received more jobs than their guildless equivalents, and those jobs did tend to be better paid – or so word on the street said, anyway. He let out a soft sigh.
His wandering days, it seemed, were over.
”S-Sir?”
The word drew him from his thoughtful stupor, and he gazed up at the man on the other side of the bar with a wide baleful eye. He seemed to be in the later stages of his life, his greying hair beginning to thin on the top. ”House wine. Red.”
”N-No, I was just wondering if you would be willing to help me with something…”
The words caused Garlim’s ears to perk up. His eyebrow followed suit and his spine straightened, the mage locking eyes with the barman. ”You mean, a job?”
”Erm, sure, if that’s what you wanna call it?” the man said with a shrug of his shoulders. He reached beneath the bar and pulled out a wine glass as well as an extremely clean bottle – whatever it was, the vintage must be incredibly recent. ”I was wondering if you would be willing to test this wine I have just made? You see, it’s my first batch of grapes, so I wasn’t sure if-“
”Wait a minute,” Garlim said, raising a hand to stop the man from speaking any further as he asked his question. ”You’ll let me taste your wine for free, and then pay me for it?”
The barman narrowed his eyes as if trying to detect some sort of trap within the agreement. ”That seems about right – will you do it?”
Garlim’s mouth cracked into the first smile that it had seen since he first arrived in the city. ”Get pouring, barman! My thirst won’t quench itself!”
The barman followed suit by breaking into a matching grin, and popped the cork on the wine before pouring out a small glass. Garlim looked at him with a raised eyebrow until he got the message – he topped the glass up to the top. Garlim nodded in approval and grabbed the wine, taking a large swig and letting out a sigh.
”Not too bad – but I wouldn’t pay for it,” Garlim said, licking his lips before taking another swig. The barman raised an eyebrow at the remark, but Garlim simply shrugged. ”But that’s mostly because I don’t have any money on me.”
”But you ordered wine! How were you planning to pay?!”
Garlim simply grinned. ”That doesn’t matter – your wine is good.”
Words: 550
Garlim had walked into one of the many drinking establishments at the Rose Garden, one of the more popular magic-heavy cities within Fiore. Although he had first been reluctant to come to the busy city, the draw of jewels was too much for him. His work had been sparse as of late, and his funds were quickly running out – hence his new proclivity for house vintages of wine. In fact, he hadn’t earned a single jewel in weeks now, and his savings could only stretch so far.
He let out a soft sigh. Would he have to join a guild? His eyes closed as he bowed his head slightly, almost accepting defeat. For years he had put off joining one of the establishments, but the facts were too hard to face – Guild wizards received more jobs than their guildless equivalents, and those jobs did tend to be better paid – or so word on the street said, anyway. He let out a soft sigh.
His wandering days, it seemed, were over.
”S-Sir?”
The word drew him from his thoughtful stupor, and he gazed up at the man on the other side of the bar with a wide baleful eye. He seemed to be in the later stages of his life, his greying hair beginning to thin on the top. ”House wine. Red.”
”N-No, I was just wondering if you would be willing to help me with something…”
The words caused Garlim’s ears to perk up. His eyebrow followed suit and his spine straightened, the mage locking eyes with the barman. ”You mean, a job?”
”Erm, sure, if that’s what you wanna call it?” the man said with a shrug of his shoulders. He reached beneath the bar and pulled out a wine glass as well as an extremely clean bottle – whatever it was, the vintage must be incredibly recent. ”I was wondering if you would be willing to test this wine I have just made? You see, it’s my first batch of grapes, so I wasn’t sure if-“
”Wait a minute,” Garlim said, raising a hand to stop the man from speaking any further as he asked his question. ”You’ll let me taste your wine for free, and then pay me for it?”
The barman narrowed his eyes as if trying to detect some sort of trap within the agreement. ”That seems about right – will you do it?”
Garlim’s mouth cracked into the first smile that it had seen since he first arrived in the city. ”Get pouring, barman! My thirst won’t quench itself!”
The barman followed suit by breaking into a matching grin, and popped the cork on the wine before pouring out a small glass. Garlim looked at him with a raised eyebrow until he got the message – he topped the glass up to the top. Garlim nodded in approval and grabbed the wine, taking a large swig and letting out a sigh.
”Not too bad – but I wouldn’t pay for it,” Garlim said, licking his lips before taking another swig. The barman raised an eyebrow at the remark, but Garlim simply shrugged. ”But that’s mostly because I don’t have any money on me.”
”But you ordered wine! How were you planning to pay?!”
Garlim simply grinned. ”That doesn’t matter – your wine is good.”
Words: 550
