Run: 2026-02-22-01KJ376Z3A06W7SN47F773P7AT

Elena ducked through the market stall's curtain and stood before the sallow merchant Gregor. He hunched over his ledger, quill scratching furiously across pages. Elena pulled the wrapped parcel from her bag and set it before him. "About time," he grumbled. He set aside his quill and tore open the shipping cloth. "Not the standard order." Gregor scrutinized the exposures of the blue quartz crystal, circling it under the crude light. "Scratched. Not fit for a royal." Elena took a step back, catching herself. Never show weakness. She studied his pocked face, grey stubble and beady eyes that flicked from crystal to her face, searching for a reaction. Awaiting a debate. The crystal was flawless, as agreed, and worth every bit of the original ten sovereign crowns withstood. It had been a difficult climb to snag the mottled quartz specimens from the rock face, as deemed in the outer ring. But that was her livelihood - quarrying and sourcing gems for Gregor's behalf. "Do you deny its specifications, Gregor?" Dispatching his authority. "The standard shipment consists of cut quartzes within a specified size. Not these randomly-shaped rocks," he said. "Mined by your own hand, eh?" Gregor unwrapped more blade edges and circled an irregular scuff. "Inspecting for jagged cracks, you see. An accident?" "Undertaken by my hand, yes, though no accidents mounted the mining. Natural spots mar the rock forms, Gregor. Nozuge." He paused in his criticizing to eye her. Her cheeks heated and she cursed her quick tongue under her breath. Apparently, he caught the slight error in her permitted language audits and inspections. "Despite this," she continued, "This shipment is in line with our agreed terms. The specified dimensions. Thegemess Lingua." Gregor frowned and poked at the fractured lines warring between blue quartz and mineral spots. He picked up a random piece to examine the unfractured underside and the other scratched finish that required sanding. Otherwise nearly perfect. "You need to do better," Gregor said, staring past her with a pensive frown. Though she could tell he increased his charges in elasticity to absorb the continuing bridge hurdles, always cheesey. Let's consider, shall we, my dear. We may have simply miscalculated the dimensions of a full cut quartz shipment. To add more value, you could have also attached your signature on the main pieces to indicate a single handling. Show integrity to your quality. What do you think, Elena? She digested his wishes in silence, her jaw tight. She spied Brezman, her competitor, waving in the welcoming skiff of the merchant hall. Nothing you could say would convince him to release more on this already pricey piece. She smiled tightly and nodded. "Noted." She took the offered pouch, subsidized an additional two crowns, and turned to leave. Outside, the fading light cast lengthy shadows across her path to the rooftops as she trudged to the bridge home. She had as much as was an option. At least for the moment.