A Gunslinger’s System in a World of Magic

•••

When he left the medical bay after the goodbye, Henry walked the corridor of the West Wing with the kiss on his mind. He had certainly liked it but wondered if this counted as having taken advantage of her. Or did it count the other way around?

'She has lived for Three centuries but with how little experience she has of actually living, does it even count? She might as well be a twenty-five-year-old who just kissed a 50-year-old.

On the other hand, this body of mine is still nineteen, well into Adulthood, sure, but just locked lips with a lady who has been alive for over three hundred years!'

Henry walked into his room, closed his door, and looked up at the ceiling with a smile on his face,

'But it WAS a good kiss though. How long has it been since I shared it with someone?'

The life of a Gunslinger was not ideal for raising a Family. Not in the way Henry had done it at least. He had had lovers and those he cared deeply about but had been pulled away from there because of the life he led. As such, it had been years —maybe even a decade— before his death, that he had been with a woman.

The thought filled Henry with melancholy but then he managed to smile again,

'There I go letting less than happy memories rob me of an incredible moment. I kissed a Witch. I wield magic —in a sense. My life has taken quite an interesting turn but it's not over yet.

There is still so much more I can do. So much more to experience.'

Henry raised his right palm and with a thought, he activated Elminster's brand and was sucked into the oval portal that took him into the craftsman's workshop.

"Welcome back," Elminster said with a lack of enthusiasm.

"Hi," Henry said.

"Potions?" Elminster asked knowingly.

"Potions," Henry answered as he stepped forward.

Elminster let out a sigh and led the way through the opening on the other end and into the room where his works were better displayed,

"You do realize I'm not a Potioneer, right?" Elminster said,

"You might do better to find actual potion makers and sellers to bother and save your visits for when you have one of my weapons to deliver."

"Oh come off it," Henry said waving him off with a smile, "I know you're happy to sell to me."

"I'm really not," Elminster said.

Henry raised a brow,

"You collect my money just fine, don't you?" He asked.

Elminster grunted,

"As is fair. What does taking payment have to do with not being a portion-maker."

"My God, you were happy to brag about your talents just weeks ago!

Why even make them if not to sell?" Henry asked.

"I made them to prove to myself that I can make anything I want! BE anything I want. And I can.

But I'd much rather spend my time hammering and tinkering and your constant need for potions is digging into that time.

Find somewhere to buy potions. Who knows, soon, I might not be able to keep up with your demands."

"Can you at least keep up for now?" Henry asked.

Elminster eyed him for a minute or two and then shrugged, "I might have some."

Elminster made to turn away and retrieve some of the bottles on his shelf when Henry called out,

"Do you have potions stronger than the ones from before?" He asked.

Elminster paused and turned around to stare him in the face,

"Complaints about my product?"

Henry leaned away not in fear but in surprise at the old man's tone.

Elminster let out a breath so powerful, it rustled the hairs of his thick beard,

"Boy, I might not be passionate about Potion Making but Elminster Eltugard does not make substandard Anything!"

Looking into Elminster's aged face as the words settled heavily in the air, Henry frowned because it brought to mind the memory of Tony lying against his horse's neck, bleeding out with the Potions ineffective against his wounds.

Handing out Healing potion after Healing potion in hopes of helping was why Henry had run low now on his stock and to see Elminster claim his product wasn't substandard—

*Sigh*

"I didn't say it was," Henry said after he let out a sigh, "I'll just like something stronger is all."

Elminster's eyes raked all over Henry before his face eventually settled into their normal level of grumpy as he turned toward the shelves again.

Henry knew the matter was resolved and let out a small breath of relief.

He needed those potions so it would not bode well for him to antagonize the bad-tempered Craftsman.

Beyond that though, Henry also had to accept that Tony's death was not Elminster's fault. The old had never been promised strong healing to mend the large number of wounds Tony had sustained. If anything, it was he (Henry) who had forgotten to take note that Tony, like everyone else in the world, was not like him.

Elminster returned with two bottles. Henry assumed one bottle contained a Healing Potion while the other held a Mana Potion.

"These are probably the most potent potions I've ever brewed," he said with a grunt,

"I wanted to see just how much better I could get it. Tricky to make. Might have been easier if I actually followed a recipe instead of winging it. But that's what makes this so good. It's an Elminster Original. Sort of.

Should serve you well enough."

Henry picked up one of the bottles and the System provided a description screen;

[An Improved Healing Potion brewed by Elminster The Great.

A testament that his talents have no mortal limits.

-Will Recover up to 60 Hit Points.]

'Sixty?' Henry thought with eyes wide in surprise.

He picked up the second bottle and a second description screen appeared;

[An Improved Mana Recovery Potion brewed by Elminster The Great.

A testament that his talents have no mortal limits.

-Will Recover up to 60 Mana Points.]

'Incredible,' Henry thought and then it dawned on him what showing excitement could cost him,

'Get it together, Henry.'

"How much?"

"100 Gold," Elminster said like he had been waiting to deliver.

Henry's eyes went wide in outrage,

"How so?" He asked.

"That's how much they're worth," Elminster said calmly.

"The other ones were 20 gold each," Henry pointed out.

"So?" Elminster asked him with a shrug.

"Might as well just give me the other ones," Henry said,

"I'll get four of them cheaper for a better effect!"

Of course, while this was true for Henry whose health was measured in numbers, for anyone else, four of the previous Healing potions would not pack enough of a healing punch as one of the Improved ones.

Even then, Elminster didn't question Henry's logic. He just said,

"I no longer have them."

"What?"

"You heard me," Elminster said, "You said they're not good enough so they're no longer available."

'What a petty old bastard!' Henry thought with a deep frown.

"Are you buying or not?" Elminster asked in an impatient tone.

"70 gold," Henry said.

Elminster chucked while shaking his head,

"Of course, you'll haggle," he said, "90."

"80," Henry said through gritted teeth.

Elminster stared hard at him and said firmly,

"90."

"Fine," Henry said with a sigh, "Six bottles of each. And three boxes of 'Hydra's tongue' bullets."

Elminster returned with the purchases. Henry put down 1080 gold for the potions and sent them into his inventory but there were still the prices for the bullets to decide.

"Each box contains 9 bullets which makes a total of 27. At 15 gold apiece, that'll be 405 gold."

Henry placed a hand over his mouth with a finger tapping his lips as his eyes went from the box to Elminster. The Old Man's head was angled as well and the look in his eyes showed he was waiting for something.

"200 gold," Henry said.

Elminster shook his head,

"You can't help yourself, can you?" He asked.

"200 and I'll flash you a big smile," Henry said with the deepest of frowns.

"300 and you can keep your smile to yourself," Elminster said unbothered.

"Split the difference. 250," Henry said and held Elminster's stare for a good while until the old man looked away with a long sigh,

"Fine, take it."

"With a sharp nod, Henry paid the Gold and sent the Ammo boxes into his Inventory.

With all that, he dared say he was ready for the Black Manor. He reactivated Elminster's brand and was sucked into the oval portal that returned him to his room in the Hadron Mansion.

He had Prepared. Now, it was time to Rest up.