Aillun looked at the premade weapons as they waited for the blacksmith to be available. They had never wanted to wield another weapon ever again, but they honestly also never expected to gain friends they would want to protect. The fighting style they'd had to resort to earlier due to not having a weapon had been so uncivilized. Maybe it would be fine to buy one for “just in case” situations.

Of course, that left the question of what weapon they should get. They had training and skill with most of the different types of tools displayed but… None of them felt right for Aillun in their new life. First and foremost, they still wanted to be a performer above anything else. These were all tools of trade for warriors and other professions focused on fighting.

The smith came out from the forge behind the shop, tanned by the constant heat. “Find somethin’ you're interested in?”

“Not quite… You said before that you'd make me some tools if I brought you some Dragon's tooth.” Aillun plopped the large sack they'd brought on the shop's counter. “Will this be enough for everything I ordered?”

“Hard to tell before I get a chance to remove impurities, but looks like yes and then some… If so, is there anything you want me to do with the extra?”

Aillun thought for a moment. They were already commissioning performing rings of various sizes and a freestanding rigging to assist with some acrobat tricks. That was all they really needed made of metal for the audition. “... Actually, there might be one other thing. I'm considering getting a weapon for certain reasons, but the sort I’d want would be quite unique.”

The smith raised an eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”

“That's the issue. I'm not entirely sure… Every conventional weapon I know of feels wrong. They are instruments of death and that doesn't fit comfortably with my identity as a performer in my core. I just want to protect what I care about without betraying myself.”

The blacksmith seemed to be carefully considering a solution for them. “Ya know, I've seen performers use weapons in their shows before. And it wouldn't take much creativity to modify other performance tools to double as weapons. Especially with the unique flexibility of things made of Dragon's tooth. I'm willing to go either route if you're interested.”

Of course. It seemed so obvious when suggested by another… Aillun was a performer now, so the tools of that trade should be what they use towards all their goals—including protecting their friends. “Does that mean you think you can do that with the items I've already commissioned from you?”

“With the blessing of the forge goddess, without a doubt. She has never let me down with any tool I put my hand to in all this time since my first day as an apprentice.”

Aillun nodded. “Then I leave it in your capable hands. We can discuss what to do with leftover materials—if there is any—when I come to collect my items.” 

They soon left the blacksmith shop. Aillun had considered dropping off the flora components to the dye maker but it made more sense to wait until they also had the other ingredients requested from that artist. And, truthfully, it had been a long day. 

All they wanted to do was relax with good food and skilled entertainment. If they headed towards the town center, surely they'd be able to find some quality food vendors to choose from, and at least a few aspiring people showing off their talents.

Once they started walking, neither were hard to find. It was just a question of what they were in the mood for. And it turned out some grilled fish paired nicely with a young man reciting tasteful poems under an oak tree. Peaceful moments like this were what Aillun had always dreamed of.

Even as they relaxed, though, some habits died hard. Like the instinct to constantly observe their surroundings closely, instead of being more passive in their people-watching. The need to identify any potential threats before it got close itched at the back of their mind, like a pesky flea infestation.

That's partly why Aillun tried their best to not become on edge when someone suddenly stopped right in front of them and just stood staring as if waiting. The silver-haired woman wore a flowing black robe with various chains draped over it. There seemed to not be any uniformity to the size, placement, or material of the links—yet the overall arrangement had a sense of intention and purpose to it. All of the person's numerous accessories —including a clip which held up her long locks in a messy bun — were clearly handmade and created of primarily different metals.

Finally, she spoke in a deep voice. “Child, tempered by great flames, the deity-forged Greer has a message for you. Will you receive it?” Aillun remembered hearing that name spoken at one of the temples that they'd walked past. That would make it likely that the woman before them was a priestess of that temple.

“I suppose it would be ill-advised to reject something from a higher being…”

The priestess gave a warm smile, her tanned cheeks showing slight wrinkles from having obviously made the expression often. “The goddess of the forge commends you for thriving through your refining process. While she eagerly awaits to find out what finished form all the new precious metals will be forged into, she has great hope in you already. As such, the Soulsmith Greer, in her annealing wisdom, plans to bless any tool forged for you as long as you always continue to follow the guidings of your core. This is how you should repay her for such a gift.”

Aillun was left more confused than they'd been since first finding themself in this world. “She will bless any tool made for me but, instead of requiring I become her follower in exchange, she wants me to continue doing whatever I want?”

“That is correct. She wished to inform you of her decision to bless you so that it may act as encouragement in this difficult time. Your selfishness has the potential to benefit others in the future… Or at least that is what the revelation I have been bestowed with seems to imply. Deities rarely are too direct with their intentions.”

Aillun shrugged, starting to feel restless after sitting for so long. They needed to move around. Maybe hang upside down from a tree or something at least… “I wouldn't dare try to understand the thoughts of a deity. If that is all, Miss, I have somewhere I need to be heading soon.”

Greer's priestess gave a slight nod and proceeded on her way. Aillun hadn't actually had anywhere they needed to be, but now it felt like they should find something specific to do. It was probably bad luck to lie to a holy messenger.

Did they care? Maybe. It seemed like they should at least a little… Bad luck had a way of stalking a person until it could do the most damage.

So Aillun just needed to make their lie into the truth. Well, even without performance ready equipment, one can never have too much practice. They remembered a nice out of the way spot near their inn that would work quite lovely for such activities.

It didn't take Aillun long to get there. Especially considering they decided to have fun with it, and traveled the entire route without letting their feet touch the ground. Hands, on occasion, but never feet.

They did a half flip into the miniature field, landing right side up. Just as they suspected, the area seemed perfect for some freeform acrobatics. There were even a few trees to one side to try out different hanging tricks.

“What do you get when you mix a cat with a lime?” Aillun launched themself into the air enough to do an aerial flip and exited a flawless landing. “A sour puss… No, that wasn't funny. Maybe I should just avoid puns until I get a better idea of what'll translate well in the culture.” They perform some cartwheels and backflips. “What would people in this world find funny? Maybe physical humor, like pretending to get hurt in exaggerated ways…? Or funny expressions can be a universal form of humor.” They stopped the acrobatics for a moment to try doing funny faces, and attempted to guess which felt like it might look weirdest.

With a scrunch of the nose, they went back to brainstorming, this time making use of the trees for their workout. “I suppose there's telling humorous stories.” They tried to think of any they knew that would make sense to people of the world. It seemed they would need to look into what people of this world found funny or amusing, if they were going to incorporate humor into their audition routine.

Aillun fell from one of the highest branches, twisting at the last moment to land on their feet. And bow.