"Oh, first class, that is fancy," Primella says. She writes something in
her ledger. "So I will be needing a hope, a dream, and a memory from you." You
glance at the male Elf in confusion.
"You've never paid at a Fairy or Elven merchant before have you?" he smiles. "It is fairly simple. We use hopes, dreams, wishes, and memories to fuel our spells and maintain our magical creatures. You do not lose anything from the exchange. You simply share things which make it a mutually beneficial situation. However, you can only share each individual dream or memory once, so it is a finite resource and you don't want to go throwing it about willy nilly. You can always make more which is fairly simply with wishes, hopes, and dreams, there is always something new to dream about, for instance. You can also manufacture new memories but that takes a little bit more effort which is why they hold the highest value in our currency system. We can use the powers found in these imaginings to create almost everything we need. In extreme circumstances we will take payment in gold or barter, but I am sure, since you are new to our lands, you have a bountiful resource of hopes and dreams inside you right now."
"That is very interesting," you say, "but what exactly do you need from me? I don't exactly keep my dreams in my wallet."
"Oh, let me take care of that, sweetie," Primella laughs. "The Captain has brought you to the right girl. I do this all the time."
She takes several items out from under the counter: a large, soft haired paint brush, a clear glass funnel on a golden stand, a bottle of blue glass, a bottle of green glass, a lump of red wax, and a candle. She lights the candle, sets the blue bottle under the funnel, and opens the green bottle. She up ends the green bottle into the funnel and a swirling, lime green gas fills the funnel but does not drain down the spout.
"Dip your fingers in this," she says. You obey and she begins to brush the backs of your hands and wrists with the paint brush. This has a hypnotic effect on you and you sway on your feet. She continues for sometime and the gas grows darker and heavier and starts to circle down the spout into the bottle below. When all the vapor has drained into the blue bottle she removes the funnel and uses the candle to heat the wax and seal it shut. "There we go; all done."
She stores the blue bottle on the shelf behind her which you now see is crowded with glass bottles of various sizes, shapes, and colors, all sealed with red wax.
A shadow falls over you and you glance up and see a zeppelin gliding silently overhead toward the closer of the two mooring towers.
"Ah, right on time," the Captain says. "I will escort you on board. My shift is just beginning so I need to relieve Captain Broadleaf and make sure the ferry is ready for its next flight."
He takes you to the elevator and a pair of husky bears come forward and start to turn the crank. The elevator rises with a jolt and soon you are even with the deck of the zeppelin. Under the great, torpedo shaped balloon hangs a ship almost identical to a sea going ship. A crowd of Fairy Folk, Elves, Goblins, Pixies, and even some animals, stands on the deck waiting to disembark and from the multitude of passengers you understand why coach is usually standing room only, though there are a few benches scattered about the wooden deck. There is a stair leading downward into the belly of the ship with a sign that says "Second Class" and a stair leading upward into a window lined cabin and a sign that says, "First Class Passengers Only Please."
You climb the stairs into the spacious first class cabin. The windows are wide and framed by gauzy, white curtains. There are about a half a dozen booths, each before a window, each with a table between the two benches. The tables are spread with crisp linens and each has a crystal ball for a centerpiece.
In the middle of the cabin is what appears to be a miniature kitchen. It is well stocked with platters of meat and cheese, baskets of bread, and bowls of fruit. In the midst of this stands a Wood Elf who could very well be Primella's twin right up to the watermelon helmet she is wearing.
She grins at you.
"Well, hello there," she says. "I am Solsticia. Don't mind the hat. My cousin told me that they are supposedly the rage right now, but I tried it out this morning and it isn't for me. Unfortunately . . ." and here she pushes against the melon, "it is stuck on there pretty good and I'm certain my hair is a disaster!" You nod sympathetically. She glances out the window. "It looks as if we are ready to cast off. This is a short trip, and it looks as if you are the only first class passenger today, so you will have my full attention. First class offers several amenities. We have a large food and beverage menu. We have in flight entertainment piped in through our seeing crystals, and if you so desire, I can tell you about the sights as we pass over them . . . unfortunately, as it is only about an hour long flight, you will have to choose which activity you wish to devote your time to:
meal,
entertainment,
or
sight seeing."
"You've never paid at a Fairy or Elven merchant before have you?" he smiles. "It is fairly simple. We use hopes, dreams, wishes, and memories to fuel our spells and maintain our magical creatures. You do not lose anything from the exchange. You simply share things which make it a mutually beneficial situation. However, you can only share each individual dream or memory once, so it is a finite resource and you don't want to go throwing it about willy nilly. You can always make more which is fairly simply with wishes, hopes, and dreams, there is always something new to dream about, for instance. You can also manufacture new memories but that takes a little bit more effort which is why they hold the highest value in our currency system. We can use the powers found in these imaginings to create almost everything we need. In extreme circumstances we will take payment in gold or barter, but I am sure, since you are new to our lands, you have a bountiful resource of hopes and dreams inside you right now."
"That is very interesting," you say, "but what exactly do you need from me? I don't exactly keep my dreams in my wallet."
"Oh, let me take care of that, sweetie," Primella laughs. "The Captain has brought you to the right girl. I do this all the time."
She takes several items out from under the counter: a large, soft haired paint brush, a clear glass funnel on a golden stand, a bottle of blue glass, a bottle of green glass, a lump of red wax, and a candle. She lights the candle, sets the blue bottle under the funnel, and opens the green bottle. She up ends the green bottle into the funnel and a swirling, lime green gas fills the funnel but does not drain down the spout.
"Dip your fingers in this," she says. You obey and she begins to brush the backs of your hands and wrists with the paint brush. This has a hypnotic effect on you and you sway on your feet. She continues for sometime and the gas grows darker and heavier and starts to circle down the spout into the bottle below. When all the vapor has drained into the blue bottle she removes the funnel and uses the candle to heat the wax and seal it shut. "There we go; all done."
She stores the blue bottle on the shelf behind her which you now see is crowded with glass bottles of various sizes, shapes, and colors, all sealed with red wax.
A shadow falls over you and you glance up and see a zeppelin gliding silently overhead toward the closer of the two mooring towers.
"Ah, right on time," the Captain says. "I will escort you on board. My shift is just beginning so I need to relieve Captain Broadleaf and make sure the ferry is ready for its next flight."
He takes you to the elevator and a pair of husky bears come forward and start to turn the crank. The elevator rises with a jolt and soon you are even with the deck of the zeppelin. Under the great, torpedo shaped balloon hangs a ship almost identical to a sea going ship. A crowd of Fairy Folk, Elves, Goblins, Pixies, and even some animals, stands on the deck waiting to disembark and from the multitude of passengers you understand why coach is usually standing room only, though there are a few benches scattered about the wooden deck. There is a stair leading downward into the belly of the ship with a sign that says "Second Class" and a stair leading upward into a window lined cabin and a sign that says, "First Class Passengers Only Please."
You climb the stairs into the spacious first class cabin. The windows are wide and framed by gauzy, white curtains. There are about a half a dozen booths, each before a window, each with a table between the two benches. The tables are spread with crisp linens and each has a crystal ball for a centerpiece.
In the middle of the cabin is what appears to be a miniature kitchen. It is well stocked with platters of meat and cheese, baskets of bread, and bowls of fruit. In the midst of this stands a Wood Elf who could very well be Primella's twin right up to the watermelon helmet she is wearing.
She grins at you.
"Well, hello there," she says. "I am Solsticia. Don't mind the hat. My cousin told me that they are supposedly the rage right now, but I tried it out this morning and it isn't for me. Unfortunately . . ." and here she pushes against the melon, "it is stuck on there pretty good and I'm certain my hair is a disaster!" You nod sympathetically. She glances out the window. "It looks as if we are ready to cast off. This is a short trip, and it looks as if you are the only first class passenger today, so you will have my full attention. First class offers several amenities. We have a large food and beverage menu. We have in flight entertainment piped in through our seeing crystals, and if you so desire, I can tell you about the sights as we pass over them . . . unfortunately, as it is only about an hour long flight, you will have to choose which activity you wish to devote your time to:
meal,
entertainment,
or
sight seeing."
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