The Guild Hall. Morning.
The rings were displayed on a velvet cloth.
Three silver rings. Two gold rings. Plain, unremarkable, but pulsing faintly with the magic folded into their metal. Mirena stood behind the table, her staff in her hand, her face calm. Alistair stood beside her, his arms crossed, his eyes on the crowd.
Adventurers, merchants, nobles—they had all come. Word had spread. The mages had created something new. Something valuable. Something that could change everything.
Grog stood at the back of the hall, his arms crossed, his face still. Lira stood beside him, her bow across her back. Ken leaned against the wall, his hood pulled low.
"Ten gold for silver," a merchant said, reading the placard. "One hundred for gold."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Mirena stepped forward. "The silver rings are functional. They have less space, less durability, but they work. The gold rings have fifty percent of the capacity of Grog's original rings. Still less durable, but superior to silver."
A noble stepped forward. A woman, her clothes fine, her jewels heavy. "And the originals?"
Mirena shook her head. "Not for sale. They belong to Grog. And they will be returned to him today."
The noble's eyes narrowed. "Everything is for sale."
Grog pushed off from the wall. Walked to the front of the room. The crowd parted.
"The originals are mine," he said. "They're not for sale."
The noble studied him. "And what gives you the right?"
Grog met her eyes. "I killed the monsters that made them possible."
The noble held his gaze for a moment. Then she nodded slowly. Stepped back.
---
The merchants were the first to buy.
They understood value. They understood opportunity. A ring that could store goods, supplies, merchandise—it was a game changer. Caravans could carry more. Trade routes could stretch farther. Profits could soar.
Rosalia stepped forward. The gray-haired merchant who had spoken at the gala. She had been quiet since the rings were announced, watching, calculating.
"I'll take three silver rings," she said.
Mirena shook her head. "I only have two silver left. The third has already been pre-ordered."
Rosalia's eyes narrowed. "By whom?"
Mirena gestured to a corner of the hall where a young noble stood with his advisor. "Lord Corvin pre-ordered it last night. Paid in full."
Rosalia was silent for a moment. Then she nodded. "Then I'll take the two silver. And I want to pre-order three more. For delivery within the month."
Mirena raised an eyebrow. "That's a significant investment."
Rosalia reached into her purse. Counted out thirty gold coins. "The merchants need these rings. I'll pay now. Deliver when you can."
Mirena took the coins. "I'll note the order."
---
The nobles watched carefully.
They understood value too. But they also understood risk. A new magic item, untested in the field, unproven in battle—it could be a game changer, or it could be a liability.
Lord Corvin, the young noble who had pre-ordered the third silver ring, stepped forward.
"I'll take the gold rings as well," he said. "Both of them."
Mirena's eyebrows rose. "That's two hundred gold."
Lord Corvin smiled. He reached into his purse. Counted out the coins. Gold gleamed on the table.
"The King's treasury will reimburse me," he said. "The royal family has an interest in these rings."
Alistair leaned toward Mirena. "The King knows?"
Lord Corvin met his eyes. "The King knows everything."
Mirena handed him the two gold rings. He slipped them onto his fingers. Tested them. Smiled.
"They'll do."
---
The lower nobles watched from the sidelines.
They earned between one hundred silver and ten gold per month. A silver ring was a month's income. A gold ring was almost a year's income. They could afford it—but it would hurt.
One of them, a man with graying hair and tired eyes, stepped forward.
"A silver ring," he said. "For my son. He's an adventurer. He hunts monsters."
Mirena shook her head. "The silver rings are sold out. But I can take a pre-order. Delivery in two weeks."
The man's jaw tightened. "How much?"
"Ten gold."
The man counted out the coins. His hands were steady, but his face was tight. "Will it help him survive?"
Mirena met his eyes. "It will help him carry supplies. Food. Medicine. Weapons. It won't keep him from getting hurt. But it might keep him alive."
The man nodded slowly. "I'll pre-order."
Mirena took the coins. Made a note.
---
The adventurers couldn't afford the rings.
They stood at the edges of the crowd, their faces hungry, their eyes longing. Ten gold was more than most of them made in a year. One hundred gold was a fortune.
Ren stood with Olive, his arms crossed, his jaw tight.
"We'll never afford those," Olive said.
Ren shook his head. "Not now."
"Not ever."
Ren looked at Grog. At the rings on his belt. At the way he stood, still, patient, watching.
"Grog started with nothing," Ren said. "He found his rings. He killed monsters. He built the guild."
Olive was quiet for a moment. "You think we can do that?"
Ren met her eyes. "In time...each monster we kill gets us atleast 10silvers from the guild,plus the bigger the beast, the bigger the payout, so it's just a matter of time."
---
The soldiers couldn't afford them either.
They stood in the back, their armor patched, their weapons worn. Five silver a month. Ten if they were lucky. A silver ring cost ten gold—two hundred months of pay.
One of them stepped forward. A woman, her face scarred, her eyes hard.
"The rings. They're only for the rich?"
Mirena shook her head. "They're for anyone who can afford them."
The woman's jaw tightened. "And those who can't?"
Mirena was quiet for a moment. "The guild will have rings for missions. For storage. For carrying supplies. You won't need to buy one to use one."
The woman nodded slowly. Stepped back.
---
By the end of the morning, all five displayed rings were sold—two silver to Rosalia, one silver to Lord Corvin (pre-ordered the night before), and both gold rings to Lord Corvin.
But the pre-orders poured in.
Rosalia ordered three more silver rings. Lord Corvin ordered another gold ring for his steward. The lower noble ordered one silver ring for his son. A merchant from the eastern trade consortium ordered four silver rings and one gold.
Mirena counted the coins. Silver and gold, stacked in neat piles. And promises—more coins to come when the rings were delivered.
Then she walked to Grog.
"These belong to you," she said, holding out the four original rings she had been keeping. "The research is complete. We have the new rings now. Your originals should go back to you."
Grog took them. Slid them onto his belt alongside the others. All twelve of his original rings were now with him again.
"Thank you," he said.
Mirena nodded. "The new rings will serve the guild. Your rings should serve you."
---
That evening, Grog sat alone in his room.
All twelve rings were on the table before him—plain silver, unremarkable, warm and pulsing with the power they had held for so long. He had them all again. The ones he had found in the tree. The ones that had carried him through the portal, through the battle, through the loss.
He thought about the merchants, the nobles, the soldiers. About the prices, the incomes, the gaps between rich and poor.
The new rings were a tool. A powerful tool. But they were not for everyone.
Not yet.
He picked up one of his original rings. Turned it over in his fingers. The silver was warm, alive, waiting.
The mages would make more. They would bring the prices down. They would find a way to make the rings accessible to the people who needed them most.
But that would take time.
And time was something they didn't have.
He slipped the rings onto his belt and walked to the window.
The city was dark, the streets empty, the stars bright. Somewhere out there, Aldric was alive.
He had to believe that.
He had to.
Side note:Oh, by the way,
10 copper coins equals 1 silver
10 silver coins equals 1 gold coin.
Thank you, enjoy the rest of the story