Did someone just refuse my dumpling ruby?

And maybe he wasn't exactly a brain trust unto himself, but he seemed like a nice guy His heart was in the right place, anyway.

 It wasn't like he'd been all, "Hey little missy, let's you and I go take little voyage together, heh, heh, heh…" Um, ew. If he'd shown any sort of sleazy ulterior motive, I'd have turned him into troll meal. But, he seemed genuinely concerned about me, so I couldn't exactly be mean to him. And he really wasn't getting under my skin like I'd figured he would. Still, the prospect of being treated like a kid all the way to Atlas City did not bode well for either of us. Not that I wanted him to flirt with me, that's not what I'm saying. I just… I'm digging a hole here, aren't I? Okay, whatever. Let's just leave it at: He seemed like a nice guy.

 With Gourry "escorting" me, I didn't get a chance to be alone and catch my breath until after we'd found a town that night, gotten directions to the local inn, had some dinner, checked in, gone to our rooms, and said bonsoir for the evening. It sure felt great to be alone. The room wasn't especially large, and it smelled like burning oil. The, uh, decor left something to be desired, but it was furnished with all that I required—a bed, table, and oil lamp—and it felt downright posh after the day I'd had.

 I unfastened my mantle—which is a loose, sleeveless coat or cloak—and tossed it on the floor. It hit the hardwood with a thud, a jingle, and a series of ker-chinks.

 Oh, like you've never thrown your clothes on the floor. Who are you, my mom? I was tired. Leave me alone.

 Thanks to a little spell I'd whipped up to keep my hands free, my mantle, which extends from my collar to my knees, always lies flat, even though it's lined with leather pouches for holding my loot.

 It remains smooth, but unfortunately not silent, and the clanking and clinking of confiscated bandit booty had been driving me nuts all day. I was looking forward to the chance to empty the pouches and appraise my spoils. This was no small task, mind you, as I'd been… uh… working without a vacation for a while, and I hadn't had a chance to organize. And those leather pouches fill fast because of my basic plundering philosophy, which is to grab anything that looks like it might be valuable and then sort it all out later.

 The paltry amount of light produced by a cheap lodge-oil lamp was hardly sufficient for proper treasure evaluation, so I formed a sphere of light between my open palms, and then proceeded to raise it to the ceiling. Voilà! Just a simple lighting spell, but it was bright enough to tan in that room when I was finished. I emptied my leather pouches and spread their contents on the floor around me. I counted some two or three hundred glittering gemstones, a few coins, a large knife, and a statue of some sort.

 I could tell right off that most of the gemstones were flawed. The statue appeared to be of a goddess, but more important, it was made of Orihalcon, and for that reason alone was a valuable find. The knife had some kind of "weapons magic" attached to it, that I couldn't identify. I considered trying to use it, but you never know what something like that might do to an innocent bystander. I decided that the safest thing would be to pawn it at the next magic shop I came across. Finally, there were a few dozen coins minted by the Duchy of Ledis, and since the Duchy had been destroyed some five hundred years before, I figured they would fetch a tidy sum.

 And that was it.

 It wasn't much of a haul, but what else would you expect from a low-end operation like Baldy McEyepatch and his Ten Merry Hoods?

 A mountain of flawed gemstones is still a mountain of gemstones, and a mountain of gemstones is a sight to behold. A girl could buy herself many a fancy-schmancy dinner with even half a mountain of gemstones. And what else does any girl need?

 Well actually, if she happens to be a sorceress, she needs a whole lot more than a few nice dinners to make her way in the world! But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Back to the gemstones.

 I divided them by type, and then into flawed and flawless groups. The flawless gems were fine as they were, but the flawed ones couldn't be sold for much. Unless…

 I fished a crystal sphere about the size of a child's fist out of my bag and placed it on the floor in front of me. It spun around several times, and then came to a decisive stop with its engraved symbol pointing to my right.

 I pulled a parchment from my bag. Its breadth and width measured the span of my arm, and it glowed the color of an elf maiden's skin.

 This probably goes without saying, but just in case: I need you to keep anything I tell you about my materials on the down low. My spells are trade secrets, and the last thing I need is a bunch of amateurs stirring up forces they can't control. So, all the details of spell-casting? Just between us, okay? Cool!

 From my bag I retrieved another, smaller parchment bearing a symbol block-printed on it. I took one of the flawless rubies and positioned it over the symbol on the larger parchment. I then placed the smaller parchment over the ruby, like I was making a ruby-and-parchment sandwich. As I chanted a fire spell, the smaller paper ignited, turning to ashes in an instant.

 "Step one, check!" I peered into the gemstone from above. Sure enough, the symbol from the smaller paper had sealed itself inside the gem.

I then selected one of the flawed rubies and held it lightly in my left hand, four-to-six inches above the marked gem, while chanting an air spell. The stone in my hand crumbled into a shower of blood-colored dust, which sifted down onto the bewitched stone below

 I repeated the technique until I'd disposed of the last of the flawed rubies, and the large parchment, on which the stone had rested, was covered with a mound of ruby dust.

 "Step two…"

 Over the mound, I sprinkled some clear liquid from a small bottle, placed my left palm over that, and chanted a succession of earth-and-water spells, much like the fire-and-air spells I'd used before. My palm got hot as the ruby dust flared with bright white light. After a moment, the light dimmed, and the pile had taken the form of a large ruby dumpling.

 Ta-da! Total victory!

What? Don't you like giant ruby dumplings? Okay, psych! That wasn't what I was going for either. But just wait.

At first, the dumpling looked like an ill-conceived attempt at pottery. But slowly the surface began to glaze over, and then, a few minutes later, it hardened. The dumpling had shaped itself into a larger version of the bewitched ruby, complete with enclosed power symbol.

 "One down!"

 I used the same technique on the remaining emeralds, sapphires, and amethysts. When I was done, I had a set of enchanted gems that could be used as simple talismans or combined with other charms or weapons to enhance their powers. More important, I could sell them for a much better price.

 Time out. I'd like to take a moment and mention that my own pendant—as well as my bandana and the short sword that I wear on my hip—have all been enhanced in just this way. If you don't have a jeweled amulet, I highly recommend that you acquire one. They're fashionable, oh-so-practical, and right now, they're all the rage with the well-to-do. If you do decide to get one, I would advise that you spare no expense and get the best you can afford. If you're a person of means, you can even have it custom-made by a talented and experienced sorceress.

 Someone like me for instance. I could totally hook you up.

 Okay, end of commercial.

 Only nine more days to Atlas City. Hang in there, Lina!

The following morning, Gourry and I traveled on, side-by-side. The weather was perfect, and a symphony of gurgles from a nearby stream filled the air. A gentle breeze wafted through the woods around us, turning the leaves of various trees into nature's own confetti. Golden light filtered through powder-puff clouds, making the path before us glow. It was one of those magical days.

I closed my eyes, drew in a chestful of the purest air in the world and thought: If I don't eat something soon, I'm going to have to kill someone.

 Hey! I don't kid around when it comes to food. A girl's gotta eat when a girl's gotta eat. And this girl's gotta eat often.