"Our job today is to get supplies before we set off on that quest," Sadie instructed her foxy friend as they walked into the market. She handed her a coin purse. "Or rather, your job."

"Me?" asked Grace. "I thought we were doing it together? Me and you shopping. Gabe visiting the blacksmith. Sadie communing with spirits. And Alyson..."

"Alyson is meeting that coyote scholar of hers and I want to spy on them in case its a date," Sadie said.

"Oh. For moral support?" asked Grace.

"Sure!" agreed Sadie. "Anyway, shopping is up to you, I believe in you, don't fall for any scams, byyyyyye!"

And the mouse ran off to go spy on her friend's maybe love life.

"It's all up to me!" Grace excitedly told herself.

Mark spotted, thought Nala, the local shady merchant.

The fox was wearing a healer's dress. Probably freshly set loose by the church. She still had wonder in her eyes. That usually faded fast when those that grew up in the cushy bosom of the church started mixing and interacting with the outside world. Nala was going to eat well tonight.

"Hey, you," Nala called out to the fox.

Grace pointed at herself in confusion, signaling 'who me?'

"Yeah, you." Nala opened her hand and a small, glowing bean started floating above her palm. "Ever see a magic wish-granting bean before?"

"Ooo, I haven't!" Grace hopped in place excitedly and walked over for a closer look. "That's a nice bean! Congratulations on having such a nice bean!"

"Tell you more, you say?" asked Nala, keeping things on script. "Gladly!"

Clearly not just a normal magical wish-granting bean, Nala informed the gullible fox that this was a special magical wish-granting bean and it was discounted right now due to various unfortunate circumstances, Nala couldn't bear to burden her new friend with the details, death in the family famine in the hometown, she had to let it go for a steal, basically. But, if the fox would part with just a paltry sum, Nala would let her have the bean, and such a bean! A marvelous bean, a miraculous bean, a bean-

A short lady wearing the colors of the Queen's paladins walked through the market. Nala, thinking fast, hid the contraband. Unfortunately, she hid it in her mouth and nervously swallowed it.

"Well. That's. That's. That's a later problem, Nala. Just gotta pass it before it sprouts," she told herself. Nala turned back to the fox. "Forget the bean. The bean was rubbish. If I'm going to be honest, and I always am, dear lady, I always am, the bean was far from the best that I have on offer! I've got trinkets, I've got amulets, I've got potions galore! Do you want to ward demons? Photosynthesize? Want a certain something bigger? Smaller? Glowy-er? Honest Nala has got what you need at competitive prices! You'll never want to visit a 'guild approved' potion shop again once you've seen what I have!"

Nala waved the fox over to her cart where she unfolded compartments and drawers until it opened into a little display stand.

"Oo!" Grace started examining the merchandise but the enthusiasm on her face faded into confusion. She picked up one of the bottles and swished it around. "Hm. This potion of invisibility seems like it has some pulp. The ingredients weren't properly blended. Someone using this would only be mostly invisible." She picked up one of the amulets. "Oh, my. The runes on this demonic ward are all wrong. This would only fend off the lowliest of gremlins." She picked up one of the miscellaneous items. "Is this a wooden phallus?"

"Very popular with all lady parties," Nala winked.

Grace stared at her.

Nala grabbed the sex toy and put it back in her cart. "Okay, okay, I see that you are a discerning eye. Let me show you the real quality goods that I keep for my smartest customers!"

The lizard folded and slid and pulled until a secret compartment on the cart had opened up to reveal a small collection of potions. Grace examined them and found no fault.

"These are guild quality potions at below guild prices, my new friend! Let's make a deal!"

"Um, why is the guild logo scratched off these bottles?" asked Grace.

"Why, because... recycling!" Nala lied.

"Oh, that makes sense!"

Nala smiled but wiped her brow when the fox wasn't looking. What an oddly trusting yet shrewd individual. But she had her now! Nala was going to make a tidy profit on those stolen potions, then she was going to figure out what to do about that bean.

---

Nala joins the fantasy cast! Her modern role as a businesswoman translates well to making her a merchant of some kind. And without the shadiness of Dyna-Span Research to act against, Nala herself fills the shady vacuum.

Every fantasy setting needs a shady merchant and Nala is great at it! She started selling stuff in back alleys and under the table at taverns. But after some troubles, she rebranded. She chose an outfit not common to Dunia to give herself and her goods a whiff of the exotic. She is but a ‘humble’, ‘honest’ merchant from ‘far-off’ lands here to sell trinkets and curiosities.

She can show up wherever she needs to show up because she’s a traveling merchant! Always on the move to find new customers! And to keep one step ahead of angry chumps she’s scammed!

Nala is happy to scam someone by selling glitzed up crap. But some of her goods are… good. She was kicked out of both the alchemist and artificer guilds and has a good eye for quality goods. Sometimes you can get a good price on expensive potions and gear because Nala ‘found it washed up on the beach’ and very much wants to get it off her hands and into someone else’s. Whoever’s loss can be your gain!

She also sells potions she makes herself at below guild prices but might use substandard ingredients. Buyer beware.

---

Nala Garsten owned by me
Art by  amaterasu