Small-Time Inventor

Melisa stared at the Spirit Crystal, as if keeping her eyes on it for some undisclosed amount of time would get it to start talking. 

[Okay, first things first. Let's see if we can extract the magic out of this thing.] 

She rummaged through her desk drawers, pulling out a small mortar and pestle she had swiped from the kitchen earlier.

[Mom's probably going to wonder where this went, but I'll probably have this back in the kitchen soon... Probably.] 

With a steady hand, she placed the crystal in the mortar and began to grind it and hit it, applying pressure bit by bit.

[Easy does it,] she thought, biting her lip as she worked. [I don't know how sturdy this thing is. Or if the magic will just go away as soon the thing breaks... Or if it'll explode. That would suck, wouldn't it?] 

After a few minutes of careful grinding, she had a small amount of glittering, crystalline powder, while the bulk of the crystal was still intact. 

"Step one, done," she muttered, scooping the powder into a clean handkerchief and folding it up carefully.

Next, she slipped out into the garden, scanning the ground for a suitable rock.

[Not too big, not too small. I just need it to be able to fit a spellsign.] 

She found one that fit the bill and brought it back to her room, setting it on the desk next to the handkerchief of crystal powder.

[Now for the tricky part.]

She grabbed one of the books on magic that she had "borrowed" from her father's study, flipping through the pages until she found what she was looking for.

"Illuminate," she read aloud, tracing the intricate spellsign with her finger. "A basic light spell. Figures I wouldn't find anything more useful here. But, this'll do, for the sake of the test." 

With a steady hand, she used a small knife to carefully carve the spellsign into the surface of the rock.

Once the spellsign was complete, she carefully sprinkled the crystal powder into the grooves, watching as it settled and began to glow softly.

[Moment of truth.]

She took a deep breath, then spoke the necessary words. 

"Illumina, car ei." 

For a moment, nothing happened.

[Oh come on, don't fail me now-]

Then, with a sudden flare of light, the rock began to glow, the spellsign burning with a bright, steady radiance.

"Holy shit," Melisa breathed, her eyes wide with wonder. "It... it actually worked."

She watched, transfixed, as the light pulsed and shimmered, casting dancing shadows on the walls of her room.

[I DID IT! I CAST A SPELL WITHOUT HAVING ANY MAGIC MYSELF! I-] 

But even as she reveled in her success, she noticed the light beginning to fade, the glow dimming and sputtering out like a candle reaching the end of its wick.

"No, no, no, come back!" she hissed, tapping the rock as if that would somehow rekindle the magic.

But it was no use. Within seconds, the rock was nothing more than a rock once more, the spellsign dark and lifeless.

Melisa slumped back in her chair, running a hand through her hair.

[Okay, so it's not perfect. But it's a start. I just need to figure out how to make it last longer. And how to do it without using up the whole crystal in one go.]

She glanced at the meager remains of the crystal powder, a thoughtful frown on her face.

[Maybe using more of the Spirit Crystal would yield better results. I'll have to try again.] She nodded to herself. [And once I've got it figured out, then comes the real challenge: turning this into cold, hard suns. I'm not going to become homeless on my first week here!] 

She looked over at what was left of that spirit crystal. 

[... But, with that in mind...] 

---

Melisa walked into the old man's shop, a bag clutched tightly in her hand and a determined glint in her eye.

[Alright, old man. Get ready to have your mind blown and your wallet opened.]

The shopkeeper looked up as she entered, his eyebrows raising in recognition.

"Ah, the young nim returns," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "And with a bag, no less. Have you brought me something?" 

Melisa marched up to the counter, setting the bag down with a confident thunk.

"I have," she said, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Innovations."

She reached into the bag, pulling out one of the runes she had crafted.

"Behold!" she declared, holding it up for the shopkeeper to see. "A magical rune, capable of casting spells without the need for innate magical ability!"

The old man leaned forward, peering at the rune with interest.

"Is that so?" he murmured, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

Melisa nodded vigorously, her excitement building.

"Indeed it is! With these runes, anyone can wield the power of magic, regardless of their birth or training. Imagine the possibilities! Farmers casting, uh, growth spells on their crops! Warriors imbuing their weapons with elemental fury, even housewives conjuring up a little extra light to see by!"

She set the rune down on the counter, gesturing to it with a flourish.

"And I, Melisa Blackflame, am offering you the chance to be the exclusive retailer of these revolutionary devices. For a modest fee, of course."

The old man was silent, staring down at the rune with an unreadable expression.

[Come on, take the bait. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and you'd be a fool to pass it up!]

But instead of reaching for his coin purse, the shopkeeper simply turned and bent down, rummaging beneath the counter for a moment.

[Uh, okay. Not quite the reaction I was expecting, but maybe he's just getting a contract for me to sign or something.]

But when the old man straightened back up, he wasn't holding a contract. Instead, he heaved a large, dusty box onto the counter with a heavy thud.

Melisa blinked, taken aback.

"What's that?" she asked, eyeing the box warily.

The old man chuckled, shaking his head.

"This, my dear," he said, reaching into the box and pulling out a handful of small, intricately carved objects, "is my stock of magic runes."

Melisa's jaw dropped, her eyes widening in shock.

"W-What?"

The shopkeeper set the runes down on the counter, spreading them out for her to see.

"Runes have been around for centuries, young nim. The last great magical invention. These were carved by skilled artisans and imbued with magical energy, they allow even the magically inept to cast a variety of spells and enchantments."

He picked up one of Melisa's runes, examining it closely.

"But... I will admit, yours are not bad. Very, very rudimentary, but not bad at all. For one so young, you have talent, little miss. But I'm afraid you haven't invented anything new here."

Melisa felt like she had been punched in the gut, all the wind knocked out of her sails in an instant.

[ARE YOU KIDDING ME?]

She stared at the box of runes, her mind reeling.

[All that work, all that experimentation... and it was all for nothing? I'm right back where I started?]

The old man must have seen the devastation on her face, because his expression softened slightly.

"Don't be too discouraged, little one," he said, patting her hand gently. "It's clear you have a keen mind and a clever spark. Keep at it, and who knows? Maybe one day, you'll invent something that truly does change the world."

Melisa barely heard him, too busy wallowing in her own disappointment and frustration.

[Stupid magic. Stupid runes. Stupid everything!]

She grabbed her bag, stuffing her own useless creations back inside.

"Thank you for listening," she muttered, turning to leave. 

And with that, she stomped out of the shop, her dreams of magical innovation and financial salvation crumbling to dust around her.

[Back to square one. Dammit!]