I Gift Myself to You

What do you give to someone who saved your life for their birthday? What present could you give to someone that you are in love with, and long to spend the rest of your life with, but are too afraid that they do not feel that same way to tell them? A person you have spent years battling side-by-side with. A wizard you watched grow in power from possessing a half dozen puny spells to being able to slay enemies with a single bolt of lightning.

We, the wizard and I, survived a battle with a curse devil that had been sent after one of our adventuring party members, she did not survive. After the four-foot-tall devil killed the witch it had been sent after, it killed our cleric, then it went after me, the muscle. My wizard was able to somehow kill the small devil and using its blood healed me back from unconsciousness.

I had my portion of our treasure, all coins and gems. The wizard received all the small magic items, potions, scrolls, and such, as well as a few gems himself. The coins consisted of ninety platinum pieces and half that in gold pieces. The gems each have a certificate of value. We got them appraised before dividing them up. I also have two pieces of ivory worth one hundred five gold together, a black pearl worth five hundred fifty gold, two saltwater pearls worth two hundred ten gold together, a piece of coral appraised at one hundred gold, an opal and a topaz each worth six hundred gold, a garnet worth seventy gold pieces, a small diamond worth nine hundred gold, an amethyst worth eighty gold, a bloodstone worth only forty gold, and a perfect thirteen hundred gold valued sapphire that matched his eyes perfectly.

The dwarf that appraised the gemstones also crafted jewelry; so, the morning after the appraisal I went back to see him to possibly get a ring made with the sapphire for my savior. When I walked in there was a pair of men speaking to the dwarf. The younger holding out a large emerald ring for the elder to look at. The older man was grinning, and stated, “I think that will make a perfect engagement ring, son.” It wasn’t a diamond but the old man was still calling it an engagement ring. If I gave the wizard a ring made from the sapphire would he think it was an engagement ring too? I want to know if he feels towards me similarly how I feel about him; but, a ring that might be mistaken for an engagement ring is too much right now.

I began to walk back out of the shop when the owner hailed me. I turned back and he had a knowing smile under his beard. He asked, “Looking for something for that wizard of yours?”

“I am,” I admitted. Perhaps he could help. The father watched as his son pulled out coins and stacked them on the counter.

The dwarf offered, “I have rings of protection.”

I shook my head. A magic ring was still a ring and a ring I had decided would send the wrong message. Instead, I asked, “Perhaps a necklace of protection?”

The dwarf and old man both chuckled. The dwarf said, “Give me a minute to count this.” He quickly counted the stacks of coins and handed the ring to the young man. He shook hands with both the father and the young man. The young man was staring at the ring as he left the shop. He would have walked into the closed shop door if his father had not opened it with a magical spell from behind him. Shaking his head, the father shut the door behind them and we all had a chuckle at that.   

            The dwarf then turned to me and began speaking, “Allow me to explain to you how magical items of protection work. There is an amulet of natural armor which increases your natural armor, the toughness of your skin; and, unlike most magical items of protection will work with other things that increase your natural armor. Then, there is the ring of protection which gives a deflection bonus. There are bracers of armor which work just like regular armor and thus a person like yourself would not want them but your wizard might as normal armor interferes with his casting movements. Then there is the dusty rose prism ioun stone that provides an insight bonus to your defenses, if you don’t mind something constantly flying around your head.” The dwarf stopped and shuddered.

            Then he continued, “I should clarify something. Wearing two amulets of natural armor will not increase the natural armor bonus. I have an amulet of natural armor that grants a plus one bonus, like the one your wizard had yesterday. I also have an amulet of natural armor that grants a bonus of plus two. Now magical items of protection have levels and grant bonuses of usually plus one to plus five each; the bracers go a bit higher. Each higher bonus costs more, obviously, but the amount increases exponentially. Usually travelers do not have enough to buy more than a plus two in our small city so that is the most expensive I stock. It will cost you the equivalent of eight thousand gold.” He must have seen my scowl because he added quickly, “I will buy the plus one bonus amulet he has for one thousand gold.”

The dwarf only knew about my gemstones. “The gemstones are all I have for trade,” I said.

The dwarf nodded, “No need for another amulet then. And the dusty rose prism is out and that costs five thousand gold, not that I have one in stock. Are you sure I cannot talk you into a ring of protection, only two thousand for a plus one bonus.”

I shook my head, “A ring would not be appropriate.”

“There is a halfling three streets east and two streets north. His shop has a variety of bracers. At four thousand gold you can afford a pair that grants a bonus of plus two.”

“Thank you,” I said, and hurried to follow his directions.

The shop had a large display window with a variety of bracers on tiered displays. The sign on the door read simply “Bracers.” I walked in to see a halfling working at a workbench, casting over a finished pair of leather bracers. I waited patiently for her to finish.

A few minutes later she turned to me, smiling, “Thank you for not interrupting.”

“You are very welcome. I was wondering if you have any bracers of armor with a plus two bonus?”

“I do have a pair,” she said. She walked over to her display and with a spell lifted a pair of bracers from a pedestal. She used the same spell to replace them with the set she had just made.

“What were those?”

“Bracers of archery. They allow you to use a longbow if you are not capable; but, I am sure you are,” she declared while grinning.

“I am but my wizard is not,” I answered, intrigued by the new option.

The halfling asked, “Wizard you say. Can they cast Mage armor?”

“Yes,” I said, remembering when he had cast it upon me.

“Then you need bracers of armor with a plus five or better and I do not have those. The armor bonus of these would be covered by the spell, which is easier to cast and much cheaper too. I would not normally tell this to a customer but you were so polite before it seems like the least I could do to repay you.”

“Do you know where the ioun stone dealer is? Fredi the dwarven jeweler who sent me here did not tell me.”

“That makes sense, He and Serafino do not get along.” The halfling nodded and then added, “Four more streets north, look for a geometric sign.”

“Thank you very much. I might be back for the bracers of archery,” I said before hurrying off.

The halfling was right about the geometric sign. It had a prism, an ellipsoid, a spindle, and a rhomboid burned into it. It was possibly the ellipsoid was supposed to be a sphere. The sign was just shapes, no color, drawn in geometric mathematical representation without formulae.

I walked in and found a gnome polishing a clear spindle. He welcomed me, “Greetings. Can I interest you in an ioun stone? This one here can sustain you without food or water for only four hundred platinum. Perfect for any adventurer.”

I shook my head. It was nearly twice as expensive as a ring of sustenance; and, he had said nothing about needing less sleep. I replied, “I was interested in a dusty rose prism actually. For the insight bonus to armor.”

“Good news is that I do have one in stock. Bad news is that it has a slight flaw. While it still grants the insight bonus to your protection, it slightly saps your strength. Not so much an adventurer such as yourself would truly notice …”

“No.” I cut Serafino off, “It must be perfect.”

“I can make another dusty rose prism. Now there is no guarantee that the new dusty rose prism will not be flawed. I have to test it, of course. I can try multiple times. You will not have to purchase until it is perfect. It will only take me five days, each time.”

“I don’t have five days, not to mention multiple tries. I need it today. Today is his birthday.”

“May I inquire for whom you are shopping?”

“A wizard,” I answered simply, wanting to see what the small man would advise.

“Bonded to what?”

“A brownie.”

The gnome smiled, “It is simple then. Get the wizard a gift not just for the master but primarily for the familiar.”

“Thank you,” I said. I walked out, back toward the hotel we were staying at while in this city. That fey had never done anything for me. There was no way I was going to buy it as a gift for my wizard’s birthday.

I knocked on the door to the room he was staying in. I wiped my sweaty hands on the cloth covering my thighs. When he opened the door I just began babbling, “Today is your birthday. This is the first settlement we have come to in months. You saved my life last week. I have searched this city to find the perfect gift to showcase and possibly begin to repay that. No item can come close. Thus, I have decided that I will be your slave for the next year. Whatever you want. Whatever you need. Whatever I can do for you. I am yours.”