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Even in the dead of night, when Odhar could go outside without being burnt, lights all around Lyftburg stayed bright and lively. Vapour of the clouds clung uncomfortably to the cold skin, fogging the lenses of his fancy crimson glasses, and the air was much warmer than it should be so high up in the skies. Caerul — or whatever that magic shit was called — may have kept this enormous city floating, but it certainly didn't provide satisfactory conditions to visitors. And Odhar was sent by Mr. Conall himself, mind you.
"Go get some resourses for Te Adamas, he said," Odhar grumbled, "It'll be an extra day off, he said." He followed the map from a stand that stood on the docs, as well as Conall's notes about the store they should be looking for. Nanmu wood facade, bright lights beaming from the window, irregular shaped roof that looked like a giant pebble. "Never again going to those flying mushrooms."
After a few minutes of asking the locals and trying to decipher Conall's handwriting, Odhar seemed to find the shop he's been looking for. The huge word "Yu Gems" shone on the wooden plates, stuffed with some glowing rocks for effect. Having made sure at least someone was inside, he made their entrance.
"U-uh, good night there," he said, taking out a list Conall gave them beforehand and giving up on trying to understand it. "I was sent here by Mr. Conall Innes, must've heard of him. He gave me a list, but I don't really understand his writing."
The human by the counter, her cheeks adorned in something tiny and sparkling, turned from restocking the shelves, notebook and a pen in her hands were put on the desk. "Welcome. Conall Innes, you say?" They took the list and squinted at the mess of scribbles. At least the problem wasn't Odhar himself. "I recognise a doctor's handwriting," she laughed and picked up an embroidered pouch for their purchases. "The use of those gems is more convenient for a warrior than a politician or a scientist."
Odhar stayed quiet, folding the map and the notes into his pockets. Conall simply gave him the list that they couldn't even read, but he did mention someone from Te Adamas filling it out with him. "I have no idea what the little lord wants to do with them," he dismissed with a shrug, being as truthful as possible. Mr. Innes could spend his whole fortune on those young rebels, Odhar had no business getting nosy into his reasonings. "Maybe… charity? He did change a lot in those years."
"Did he? It's been so long since I visited Flodfolde," the owner chuckled, the pouch weighing heavy with two gems out of the list as she paused for a moment to take out the glasses from her sleeve. The bottoms of the thick metal frame that touched her cheeks glistened with the same intensity as the sparkles on her face. It was too intentionally applied on the tip of her nose and the highs of cheeks to be just a result of some clumsiness in the gem-ish environment. Was this shiny glitter serving as a highlighter? Or did it cause the floral scent in the store? Surely it had other traits than simply glistening.
"Hey," Odhar called out, and when she turned at the voice, he pointed at his own cheeks for clarification. "This… shiny highlighter. Looks amazing." He gave a thumbs up. Did he act like an idiot? He wasn't even trying to. However, the sparkling lady still laughed.
"Want to try it out?" She suggested with too eager of a smile, already leaving the half-full pouch on the counter to reach out for a small jar and a brush.
"Oh, I can?" Odhar exclaimed and took off his round glasses. "What, is it another way to make customers buy more?"
"No, but a way to advertise the new cosmetics." She washed the brush under the running water of a tiny stream, drying it with a towel and some flame-coloured gem. "Other than sparkling, it heals tiny cracks of the skin and gives moisture."
"Do you mean my skin is dehydrated?" He gasped with a hand on his chest. His skin had no difference from cognac in colour and wood in softness. Nature of vampires is cruel.
She shook her head with a quiet laugh and pushed the jar into his hands, leading him to the small mirror hanging on the wall behind the counter. "Don't worry, applying it in moderate amount inside the store is completely free," the lady reassured and took the pouch and the list again, leaving Odhar alone with the sparkles.
"I'm sure many customers understand 'moderate' in different ways," he laughed, dapping the brush in the glittering powder and carefully dusting his cheeks. The moment it settled onto his skin, a soothing feeling of chilliness seeped into his face, just enough to cool him from the humidity of this aerial town. "Wait, it cools the skin too?"
"Oh! Yes, it does," she confirmed, as if forgetting about that trait for a moment, after reaching towards a high shelf for a shining green rock. "It was the glitter's inital purpose in Lyftburg, as many of newcomers couldn't get used to the temperature."
"Saints and Dead," Odhar cackled and dusted as much of that glitter as he could in terms of morality. "Then I'm shocked I still have it in my hands. Shouldn't this discovery be long sold out?"
"New batches are made every week, but it does attract a lot of people here. And money, of course," the sparkling lady laughed, placing the full pouch on the counter and writing down in a blank book — probably every gem in that mysterious list of Conall's. "Happy you liked it. Want to buy it too?"
Odhar closed the lid, also taking out the small leather bag of coins Mr. Innes gave him. That little duke hadn't given him a penny more than necessary, that's what he knows for sure.
"Yeah, then," he gave the jar another approving look and nodded once more, "definitely, I'm buying it."
"Wonderful," she hummed, joy of a succesful merchant shining brighter than the glitter. Odhar sighed, saying goodbye to those precious few coins in his other pocket. "Please, check the list."
"As if I know what Mr. Innes wrote there," he muttered, but still took a look at the newly written list of the gems and their cost. He scratched the stubble on his chin and took out the two bags in his two pockets. Odhar couldn't afford not trying to trade a bit. "Do you think there's any way-"
"I can't give discounts, sorry," the sparkling lady shook her head. There goes his attempts. Odhar's head slumped low with an exaggerated sigh, making her laugh as she tore the list from the book and folded it into the pouch. "Even if you're personally acquainted with Mr. Conall."
"Yeah," he drawled and shrugged with a chuckle. "I agree, that would be unfair to all the other customers." Odhar regained his composure, counting the coins while the lady arranged the gems in the pouch to surround the jar of glitter. He didn't have that many problems in recent days to argue with a stranger about a pitiful change. There was, however, something that he'd like other than a good discount.
"What about your name, then?" Odhar blurted in a single breath. "In exchange for mine."
She looked from the coins on the desk to him with wide eyes. At least he didn't miss his shot.
Yet, her look of surprise turned into a genuine chuckle after noticing a flicker of embarassment on Odhar's face.
"Mingze," she proclaimed. "Yu Mingze."
Mingze. He repeated it silently a few times to remember better. Mingze. The sparkling lady from Lyftburg. A mental note was written down
"Odhar," he replied with a nod and smiled, taking the pouch of his purchases. "Maolanaithe. You can find me by the tavern counter in Meurnert City."
"The Innes Tavern?" Mingze spoke with surprise and a smile of her own. "Will visit someday."
"I'm not promising free drinks, though."
"Because I didn't give the discount?"
"Of course not," he laughed and headed for the exit. "Strict owners." He faltered by the open door, humid air slapping him in the face. "I'll talk about the sparkles to everyone I know."
"I'll be grateful." Mingze waved. "Have a good day, Mr. Odhar."
"See you, Ms. Yu."
Odhar didn't bother looking around the market for longer and sprinted towards the docs of Lyftburg. After obtaining a ticket and boarding the first aeroship, he settled in a secluded corner of a bustling hot deck and opened the pouch. The glitter did well in cooling his face and neck off, and he looked more sparkling now.
Mingze. Yu Mingze. Odhar mumbled it a few more times.
Maybe he could tolerate visiting Lyftburg more often with a friend waiting him there.
The closed tavern welcomed with a familiar scent of grapes and dry air, as well as little duke's glare. "What a pleasure it is to see you, young master."
"Good day," he sighed, and Odhar handed him the pouch. "And stop calling me that."
"Only when I won't be required to greet you like that in public as well." He left his scarf on one of the shelves of the small utility room. "I don't think you'll accompany me through the shift, will you?"
"I have other plans." Odhar sighed in relief. "That's the first time you didn't get anything wrong on the list."
"It's not my fault. You could write the easiest of puzzles with that hand, no one would ever solve it," he complained and put on a pair of usual black gloves. "It wasn't me deciphering it, though, so praise Yu Mingze."
"I realised that." Conall picked up a couple of some books that had been lying by his side. "I will take my leave. Do a dood job here."
"Have a great day, young master." Odhar prepared to step into the main room of the tavern when he paused.
"Wait, Mr. Innes!" Conall turned around in the doorway. "If comes a day when Miss Mingze visits the tavern, can I serve her some free drinks?"
He stayed silent for a moment, then looked down at the pouch. "Did you get that for free?" He swung the heavy pouch lightly.
Odhar sighed. "I didn't."
"Then no. Pay for them out of your pocket, if you can't bear to take her money," he stepped onto the cobblestone path. "Keep the tavern in check."
He left just like that, just like he usually does. "If you can't bear to take her money, bleh bleh bleh," he grumbled.
It wasn't unexpected. But Odhar tried, at the very least. He put on the familiar, stained apron and walked inside the main room to make it presentable, preparing new bottles, putting the chairs down from the tables, checking the stools people loved to fall down from.
Few people got free drinks in the tavern. Mostly those, who agreed to accept debt repayments in ale or weird cocktails. Odhar prepared ingredients of all kinds by the counter.
One person did get unlimited free drinks, though. Not Conall, but his good friend that charmed the biting duke, and possibly every person he came in contact with. Switching the blazing gems in the torches, Odhar cackled to no one in particular. Both of them were oblivious to a hilarious extent.
The tavern opened just as the sun has set, and tons of people flowed in. Familiar drunkard ordered one drink and managed to drawl it out for hours. Old couple kept getting the sweetest wine and most wholesome compliments for each other. Enthusiastic musicians noticed the bored instruments in the corner and attracted more and more people from the streets.
And, in a few days, or months, a lady that Odhar have seen once would visit.
"So you do make any request that people here ask of," Mingze laughed, black, fruit tea mixed with cognac twirled the leaves inside the glass as her face sparkled under the dim light of gems. She reached into her pouch, embroidered with something glittering.
"I just need your company here," Odhar stopped her. He would 'pay out of his own pocket'. "And maybe some advice on proper use of those sparkles."
Mingze looked up at him, and then laid her empty hand down on her lap in smug satisfaction. "That doesn't mean I would give a discount to you next time." He laughed, sliding another drink under a customer's nose. "And you won't need any advice. You're a perfect sparkle already."