Chapter 73. Price of products

"Hey Ventress." I called out mindful of the other items we hadn't gone through yet.

"Yes?" The Drow asked coming up beside me.

"Do you mind if I introduce another Livestock to you guys? One that I need you to promise not to attack."

Ventress cocked her head to the side in confusion. "We would never attack someone under your protection. That is obvious."

"He's taking about the Jumping rainbow." Zeldi butted in. "Master here has tamed her and made her serve him."

That was not even close to what I'd done. Was Zeldi forgetting the fact that Voras had killed me first?

I was about to correct her but the wave of murmurs that went through the Drow stopped me instantly.

"He tamed the Jumping rainbow?"

"By the Matriarchs he must be powerful."

"There's just no way."

"Impossible."

"I want to see her."

Though the best one had to be Ventress herself. "I didn't think I could be impressed by a male, no offense. But if you get kidnapped and then come back with your kidnapper serving you? I'm pretty sure my mother would pay to have you teach her that skill or to have your children herself with the chance they might inherit the skill."

"No offense taken. So long as no one attacks Voras." I responded.

"You have my word."

With that there was a gasp aimed towards the house as the woman in question stepped out. Unlike in her nest she had returned to holding her head up high while also wearing her rainbow abdomen covering and a shirt that pulled everything in tight.

"I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you but you remind me of my last Deed owner. Do not try and cheat my... Do not try and cheat Clovek and we won't have any problems."

It was hard to miss her stutter in the middle, though I couldn't tell if that was because she didn't want to say it or Zeldi hadn't given her permission to say it.

As one all of the Drow were staring slack jawed. Even Ventress was struggling to look away.

Voras just eyed them all one by one with the obvious gaze of someone planning on how best to kill you.

Eventually when no one said anything she continued. "Now you came to trade did you not? I'd suggest carrying on as I will not be going anywhere."

"Yesssss." Ventress drew out then pointed to the next corner of the blanket but never took her eyes of Voras. It didn't escape anyone's notice that even with the Drow promising not to attack they all had a hand on their weapons.

"She's invulnerable." Zeldi offhandedly remarked. "She's my Masters property now and can't be harmed on his land so don't even try."

Voras hissed at Zeldi but my mare just stared her down in return.

It was a little odd watching the much larger woman break eye contact first.

"Now then what do we have here?"

The third corner of the blanket was filled with milking equipment and was the one I was least interested in, but that was because I preferred to do it by hand.

Likewise Zeldi gave it a quick once over and only picked up a few jugs to store her milk in. Each looked a lot bigger than the one liter ones I kept buying. Nothing impressive but it would save us a few points in the long run.

It seemed to surprise the Drow when we left that corner but they didn't say anything. Zeldi however in her not so subtle way gave them an answer.

"I refuse to give my Master a reason not to use his hands. In the future you can forget about these items as I will not be interested in them." She did however soften after she saw this. "But I do appreciate the days you brought me stuff like this before my Master arrived."

Ventress gave a nod of understanding as a blush came through her cheeks. "That does make more sense. Again I should have asked more of what you needed when you were in the Underdark."

This left us with the last corner of the blanket and it was filled with pillows and blankets that were all sized for Zeldi's frame. My little mare didn't even bother sorting through them and just picked them all up and placed them on top of the other items we'd picked.

Voras opened and closed her mouth like she wanted to say something but thought better and remained quiet.

I was slightly disappointed with the selection as I had been experiencing a bit more for our first trade. Though the items Ventress had brought did make sense.

The pillows, blankets and milking items would have been what Ventress had traded for previously with Zeldi. Since I'd arrived she needed less of them so it had only partially landed. The weapons were pretty self explanatory as we had said on multiple occasions that we have had problems with others. Even still I was expecting a bit more.

Zeldi looked down at her pile of stuff and gave a nod of satisfaction. "Okay. For ten liters of my milk we'll happily trade for all of this. So what have you really brought to trade for Tarakona's Mana regeneration eggs?"

Ventress shrugged but the smile betrayed her. "I had to make sure you could provide what you promised before I showed you any of the good stuff."

With an elaborate wave of her hand the bracelet around her wrist lit up and a small pocket in space opened up. Sticking her hand inside Ventress pulled out a book, a blue stone and what looked like a potion.

"For the Mana regeneration eggs we will happily trade two of these items for a single undamaged egg. Should you want the third it will be a little more."

That sounded more like it but I have no idea what each one was.

Likewise Zeldi was the same. "You're going to have to explain what those things are if you actually wanna us to want them."

This time Ventress didn't try to hide her smile. "Well the book is a grimoire. Inside is a spell that once read will become infused into the reader, allowing them to cast it so long as they have Mana."

Tarakona shuffled slightly to show her interest but didn't say anything.

"What's the spell?" I asked my own curiosity peaked.

"We don't know. Reading it would be how you find out but as it hasn't been read." Ventress answered with a shrug.

So it was a gamble. And the Drow were hoping to offload that gamble for something that is guaranteed to work for them. That being said I was interested in getting a magical spell regardless because, well magic.

"The potion is for plants. It will grow anything to full maturity in seconds." Ventress continued.

Take it. I can change it into the polymorphing potion your Dragon wants.

Wait what? Since when?

Since you gained another Deed. Not the time to go into it but I am stronger now so you will be as well.

That's really helpful. Any chance you can do it with the book as well? Would be really nice if it was a permanent spell and not a one time potion.

No. The book is helpful as it is. It won't need changing.

Aaaaand what does it do?

That would ruin the surprise.

Of course. At least the land is being helpful though I'm starting to think of it as less the land and more something else. What that something else is I'm not sure.

The girls had continued on as I'd had my silent conversation.

"The water stone is capable of creating a small lake and keeping it clean. I had thought since last time we were here this was something you would want but judging from the stream we've already used I was wrong."

"No it will still be useful." Zeldi replied looking at the three items. "We'll take the book and the water stone. The potion while useful we currently don't have a anything to use it on."

"No we'll take it all." I interrupted.

Zeldi gave me a questioning look. "But Master."

"The potion is useful to us because I can change it. I have a way of making it a polymorphing potion."

No sooner had the words left my mouth before Tarakona was on top of us. Her head almost touching the fire.

[Buy it. I will trade two of my eggs for them all, is that an acceptable trade Ventress?]

"M-more than acceptable." The Drow stuttered out in surprise.

[Good.]

Retreating her head back behind the house Tarakona grabbed something in her mouth before she returned and deposited one of her eggs beside us. Repeating this gave us our second one and with both down she looked expectedly at me.

"Later Tarakona. I don't know how to do it only that it's possible." I said hoping to calm her slightly. I knew this ment a lot to her but it also needed to be something we planned for. Couldn't just abandon Zeldi and our guests.

Ventress for her part organized her group to start moving the eggs onto the cart while Zeldi went to retrieve the milk we'd offered. Voras just watched her eyes tracking each item and where they went.

With everyone moving I started the ferry the items we'd bought into the house before thinking better of it and put them all in Tarakona's room. That way no one but us could access them.

My Dragon was of course excited about this revelation and had gone for a flight around the farm to burn off some of that energy. Not that we could blame her.

This had resulted in Ventress coming back to us looking a little lost.

"Something the matter?" I asked as she jogged up to me.

"Yes, or probably not. The tree Dríade wanted us to bring with us no longer in the cart. We've looked around and can't find it." The Drow answered. "We also can't find Dríade herself."

I shrugged. "I mean if nothing else is lost that's fine. Shes a big girl, she can figure out what she wants."

Ventress gave a sigh that said she didn't really believe me but didn't want to push it. "That's true I guess. Regardless we're going to set off back to the Underdark now. No sense in delaying getting this all home. Once mother receives this I should get access to the deeper vaults and that means better trades."

"We will make sure there's more eggs and milk for your next trip." I said back doing some mental calculations. Zeldi need to sell one hundred liters of her milk so we were up ten from this. Tarakona I think needed five eggs so thas two down.

"Thank you. Until then." Ventress gave a bow before moving back to the cart as the Ox thing was clipped back in.

We gave them all a wave as they departed until they were out of sight.

"Right then." I said to myself before calling out to Tarakona. "Where's Dríade? We need to have a talk with her."