"So..." said Paldinoss as Kimberly reached the counter. "What vexes you young traveler? Seeking an advantage against a sworn enemy? Perhaps a magical cure for a loved one's ailment?" He began to pace back and forth behind the counter, his voice picking up speed. "Maybe a way to explore the depths of the oceans? You wouldn't be the first. Infravision to ferret out the mysteries of the night? A gateway to another dimension? A source of power to focus your energies?"
"Or perhaps..." he said, pausing mid-rant, a glint of excitement appearing in his eyes as her turned to face her, "you need a way to defeat a dragon?" His excitement and energy seemed to hit a crescendo. "To conquer the ancient beast with your companions and take their hoard for yourselves? Is it dragons?!"
"Uhhh...no" said Kimberly, slightly taken aback by Paldinoss' sudden enthusiasm, "I was looking for a way to make my vacation with my friends more interesting..."
"Oh..." he said, seemingly deflating before her eyes. "Nobody ever goes dragon hunting anymore." he grumbled to himself. He quickly recovered his charming demeanor with a flourish and a smile. "Well, we can certainly do that! My store does not reveal itself to a person untrained in the arcane arts unless it feels they are worthy of adventure!" He cast an appraising look over her, "and I do sense much potential in you, what is your name?"
"Kimberly" she replied, her mind was spinning at the thought that magic was real, "so this place really is magic? It's all real?"
"As real as it can be" he answered proudly, "In here you will find greater glimpses into the 'real world' than most people will find in their entire lives. I used to adventure throughout the planes, amassing a fair bit of the relics you see before you." His eyes seemed to cloud over with the fog of memory, "Fighting wyverns, saving princesses, even became a king...if only for a day." He drew himself forcefully back into the present. "But my adventuring days are behind me. These days I spend my time studying ancient magic, enchanting items and helping youngsters like you have their own magical adventures" he said, gesturing towards Kimberly. "So how are you looking to 'enhance' your vacation? I have some items that could take all of you to some wondrous places, or perhaps something to turn all of you into lions? I could transport you to the Savannah and you could experience life for a short time at the top of the food chain."
"Wow! That would be amazing!" she replied eagerly. She paused "But I'm afraid we do already have the place picked out for our getaway, and if magic is indeed real I'd like to start off small exploring it for the first time. I don't think my friends would forgive me if I got one of them eaten by an ogre, or trapped in another dimension. No, my friends have all found different games or activities to keep us generally occupied for the duration of our getaway. I just need that intangible 'spark' to make this trip go from good to great."
The wizard looked at this girl in a new light. She is far more intelligent than most who walk in here from the world of the mundane, he thought to himself, something special and sincere is in order here. Outwardly, he barked a laugh, "Be careful how you talk about ogres, not all the stories of 'monsters' you've likely heard from your village elder are true. Some of my best drinking companions have been ogres. But there is wisdom in your words, I've got a fair few scars that could have been avoided had I been more cautious when starting my arcane studies." He stroked his beard thoughtfully before emphatically smacking his hand down on the carved wooden counter. "I like your enthusiasm young Kimberly, and so I'm going to help you get what you need today for free!"
"Wow! Thank you sir!" she stopped and squinted her eyes at him suspiciously, "What's the catch? There's always something the customer isn't told, some trick that's left out or a weird interpretation of a contract."
"No catch!" He said, "Unless the store or I can tell if someone who walks in is deserving of a little punishment or humility I prefer to be fully...mostly honest with my customers." Paldinoss corrected himself with a wink. "Occasionally I may keep a detail or three about an artifact secret, but nothing sinister. All to keep the experience exciting and refreshing. Not like some of those other magical stores" He snorted with derision, "I swear you'd think some wizards get off on changing or terrifying you unaware youngsters." The warlock then paused, his cheerful demeanor faltering slightly, "I will give you a warning however. While magic can be exceedingly fun and advantageous, it can also be quite dangerous." He waved towards the crystal ball that had nearly ensnared her minutes ago. "Some of these artifacts have a desire of their own they would like to fulfill, and like I said before you will have to be careful that neither you nor any of your companions lose themselves in the process." His charming grin returned to his face, "Unless it's what they want of course. So feel free to browse the shelves at your leisure to find what you need or..." he raised an upturned hand, and the already dim shop seemed to darken further as a pale blue flame appeared in his palm. Kimberly stared at its flickering light, feeling almost the same sort of pull she felt that led her into the shop in the first place. With a snap of his fingers and a puff of blue smoke, Paldinoss extinguished the flame and the light in the store returned to normal. Laughing at his own trick he said "I can suggest a few choice items that you and your friends might enjoy."
Kimberly pondered this then said...