The Mimic Becomes a Merchant King

It wasn't too difficult to give the impression that he was 'changing' clothes. Fortunately he'd had the foresight to bring his backpack with him, and could simply lie and say he'd stuffed his old clothes in there. He folded his 'clothing' back into his biomass, save for his boots. Rosenstern and Guildencrantz were tailors, not cobblers, and so he could keep his footwear for now.

The tricky part, however, was dealing with all the buttons, and sleeves, and making sure everything was hitched into the right place and was the right way around. Eventually, much to the impatience of Rosenstern, the mimic exited the changing room clad in his new suit.

And, immediately after, two men were fussing over him to adjust his bolo tie, fix the buttons on his waistcoat, and get his collar properly in place. They were just shy of checking his teeth and slathering his face in trendy makeup.

"Well now," Rosenstern said, stroking Coin's hair into a more manageable style, "you look just about presentable now."

"Indeed," Guildencrantz added, nodding enthusiastically. "No pox, no scars, no traces of white hot flux. For a country lad, he doesn't seem to need any cosmetic additions."

"Aye. Skinsculpting or makeup would be a rather costly addition," Rosenstern said.

"Nothing I couldn't afford. But, yes, it's nice to save money where we can," Elijah remarked, rising from the seat he had taken.

Coin inspected his reflection, touching and brushing the fabric that now adorned him. It was strange, he thought, being covered with something that wasn't his own flesh. But the fabric was pleasantly soft to the touch, insulating him with a comforting warmth. The scent, too, was pleasant.

But what struck him most, as he stared at his own reflection, was how much more... respectable he looked. The attire he'd chosen to cover himself with initially had just been a matter of convenience, copying the first articles of clothing he could see. But that attire really hadn't suited him at all, and that became readily apparent now that he could see himself in an outfit that actually looked good.

He rolled his shoulders, the long coat draped on his back shifting about. Nodding to himself, he slid his arms through the sleeves to don the coat properly. "I look really good," he said, grinning excitedly.

"Quite right, young Master Coin. Quite right indeed!" Guildencrantz excitedly said. "Always good to see a young caterpillar emerge from his cocoon, adorned in the radiant silken wings of a butterfly!"

Rosenstern sighed, pinching his chin. "Must you always be so... flowery?" he asked.

"We've been partners for decades, you know the answer to that."

"Unfortunately..." He crouched beside Coin, checking the cuffs of his trouser legs. "Hm. That's... odd," the elf murmured.

"What?" Guildencrantz replied.

"I thought we'd need to tailor the legs a little to be a better fit, but it seems they're already perfectly aligned," Rosenstern said, furrowing his brow.

Coin smiled innocently and shrugged. "Guess I was standing at a weird angle when you first saw me." The truth was he hadn't felt like waiting around to get the suit adjusted, and so had decided to make minute changes to the length of his limbs and torso. Nothing that would stand out too much, but the suit fit like a dream now.

"I told you, it's poor form to rely on the naked eye for measurements," Guildencrantz said, winking at his partner. Rosenstern grumbled.

Elijah made for the counter, pulling a stack of coins from his bag. "I believe this should leave us all square." He and Rosenstern debated a specific sum back and forth for some time, until both men seemed mutually pleased with the arrangement they reached. Well, Elijah looked pleased. Rosenstern looked as grumpy as ever.

"You know," the elf began, planting his hands on his hips. "You're the only person I deign to haggle with. And that's only because you've gotten us out of a few binds in the past. Don't take it for granted."

"Oh I would never," he said, flicking an extra coin onto the counter. "But I certainly appreciate you being so open-minded. Come along lad, we should check the guild hall before the evening sets in."

They ventured onto the busy streets together, Coin shouldering his bag and acting as if it had an extra bit of weight to it. "This really is a lovely suit," Coin said, sweeping a crease from his waistcoat. "Does it make me seem more... merchant-like?" He certainly felt more formal now than he had before.

"Certainly!" Elijah smiled brightly. "A well-dressed man is a man who inspires trust at a glance. If you appear wealthy, then people will naturally be inclined to believe you're frugal and wise with money. In your case it's an illusion. For now, at least. I'm sure, in time, you'll be every bit as wealthy as you look. Consider this your first step toward becoming a proper merchant."

Coin nodded along with his mentor's explanation. "I hope so. You really put down a lot of money for this."

Elijah scoffed. "Bah! Nothing to worry about, really. Barely made a dent in my coinpurse, if we're being honest. Besides, sometimes you just have to spend money to make money."

The mimic shuddered at the thought, his skin twitching beneath the sleek material of his suit. He knew, deep down, that Elijah had a point. But the thought of spending money at all still struck him as some kind of blasphemy. Or, at least, as close to blasphemy as he could grasp.

"So, onto the guild hall," Coin said, rubbing his hands together. "Do you... know if this one also has fried chicken?"

Elijah grinned. "They may," he cryptically replied, folding his hands behind his back.

"Oh come on, don't tease me!"

They rounded a corner, only for Elijah to halt as he spied a familiar face in the crowd. A stooping dark-skinned man, sharply dressed as Elijah was, with a thinning head of grey hair. "Well I'll be," Elijah said, grinning. "Just one more brief detour before the guild hall, my lad."

Coin gave the stranger a curious look. "Who's that? Someone you know?"

"An old business partner. I was considering visiting him at a later date to get something valuable, but if he's already here..."

Elijah led the way to the man, who was inspecting the offerings at a fruit stall. It was as his garnet eyes raked across rows of fresh green melons that he seemed to notice Elijah's approach, causing him to swiftly spin around. "Oh, er, Elijah. Goodness, it's been so long," he hastily said.

"Oh yes it certainly has, my dear Valle. Hope all that... nasty business with the Starkers isn't still following you around."

The stranger grumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "It's been taken care of," he hastily replied. "I wouldn't be walking about so openly otherwise."

"Yes, well," Elijah forced a smile. "You did owe them a rather substantial debt."

"It's been taken care of," Valle brusquely repeated. His attention shifted to Coin, who was watching him intently.

"I'm Coin. Elijah's apprentice," the mimic greeted, giving him a stiff nod.

"Something of a recent acquisition. He's passionate about profit, has a good head on his shoulders, and knows how to lift heavy objects. What more do you need in an apprentice, eh?" Elijah asked, chuckling. "Coin, this is Valle Irons. Comes from a long line of smiths and weapon merchants, and one of the finest salesmen for killing implements this side of Arcadia."

But, notably, not THE finest salesman. Coin regarded the older man, saw the nervous sweat that lined the edges of his forehead. And the talk of debts had the mimic intrigued. He knew full well what a debt was, Elijah had discussed it during one of their trades on the road, and he had decided to avoid ever being in debt.

Owing money to anyone. The thought alone made him itch.

"Mm. Well, I'll trust your judgement," Valle replied, giving Coin a nod. "I trust Elijah hasn't been working you too hard?"

"Nothing I can't handle," Coin proudly replied.

"Most of them say that, in the early stages at least."

Chuckling, Elijah waved him off. "I was hoping to meet with you, actually. You see there's something rather specific I'm looking for, and you're frankly the best port of call I can think of."

"You need weapons?"

"Well, you know how it is. The roads are rather dangerous these days."

Valle nodded sadly. "Aye. All too aware of that," he muttered. "My forges are always hard at work. Say the word and I can fetch you some of the finest pikes, axes, swords, or hammers you'll find in all Arcadia. For a price, naturally. But you get a friendly discount."

"Yes, well," Elijah settled a weathered hand on Valle's shoulder. "We need something a little more... specific. Promethium."

Valle paled. "I appreciate you having faith in me, but you know how rare meteorite metal can be," he quickly replied.

"Come now. If anyone has the means to acquire it, it would be you," Elijah said, offering him a knowing smile.

Coin took a step forward. "We'd certainly appreciate it. In fact, I..." Coin clenched his fist inside his pocket, actively forcing the words which rose in his throat. "I'll even personally pay for some." Well, he did need it.

He considered mentioning the dead wizard in the ancient temple, but ultimately thought the better of it. Between the days it took to get to Sentinel, and the days it would take getting back there, in all likelihood the corpse and his promethium were long gone by now. Either stolen by goblins, or pilfered by other adventurers.

"If you're just an apprentice, I really doubt you could meet the fee for a promethium ring," said Valle.

"Indeed. I appreciate your passion, my lad, but promethium is rather expensive. But I do believe Valle has some of the metal to spare," he said, turning toward his friend. "Say, hypothetically, if he was commissioned a to forge promethium ring for the wizard of Northwater about a year ago, only for said wizard to perish in battle against a beast from the Bleak before he could receive what he paid for."

Valle narrowed his eyes. "You and that memory of yours," he muttered.

"I know. It's a curse," Elijah sarcastically replied. "I assume you've hung onto it since then. Just in case."

"So... you still have a meteorite ring?" Coin asked.

Sighing, he folded his arms and looked away from Elijah, toward a busy thoroughfare. "I may well have it still, locked away in my personal vault. But even for you, it won't come cheap."

"I wouldn't expect it to," Elijah replied, shrugging and smiling. "And you know I always pay well."

"Fine, fine," Valle said, turning his back to the two. "Give me a day to get everything in order, and I'll be able to hand it to you. And I should hope you have my ducats ready in advance."

Coin grinned, settling his hands on his hips. "I'm looking forward to it."