The young man hesitated before stepping inside. He was well-dressed and delicate, but in sorely need of a haircut and shave. And probably day-dreaming, too, since he nearly walked right into the counter. "Uh, oh! Sorry!" he turned bright, and gave Garret's little store a once over. The storefront was overflowing with tattered and waterlogged books, half-melted candles, bushels of dried mandrake, and tiny skulls. Gods he was really scraping the barrel. Still, beggars can't be choosers and Kai had searched far and wide for a curse-breaker with nothing to show for it. "Hi there. Are you Garret? I'd heard you know a thing or two about curses." Oh gods had his teeth gotten bigger again? Could they see?
"A thing or two? Boy, I'm the best there is!" the grizzled shopkeep spread his arms, gesturing to the assorted brick-a-brack as if it were a credential. Garrett popped a jeweller's lens into his eye and squinted at Kai. The boy recognized the pale green glow of thaumite - a dweomer-analyzer. A snort of laughter escaped the shopkeeper's lips. "The only curse I see is a jackass glamoured to look human. Now who arranged this stunt? How've they got you talking?"
"Your friends went to the trouble of finding a talking donkey, of course. I'm honestly not sure how the rest of that prank would go. You turn me back and I eat your books and piss on the floor?" Kai tried to laugh it off, but turned an alarming shade of red just the same "I was turned into a donkey by a faerie. This charm is supposed to reverse it. But its not- its not working right..." A pair of pointy ears, sprouting just a touch of fur, were hidden beneath his cap.
"Well you ain't cursed. Trust me, I know my way around a hex. Tell ya what. For five suns I can get that charm of yours tuned up." The old shopkeep may as well have been puzzling over how to fix an axle.
The young adventurer paid the five suns and ducked outside, slumping down on a bench near the doorway. It was a good thing the shop was down a dark alleyway, and no one in Selevea knew him. Already his shirt and jacket felt a bit tight, and a bit itchy. How long could repairing a stupid little very expensive charm take? Behind him the bell tinkled. Was Garret done?