Training in the capital

After arriving in Emerdon, Zain found a smithy that allowed him to be an advanced apprentice. This involved pay for his works under commission if they had been requested. During down times at the forge, he was free to craft what he wanted with his own supplies. This led to Zain visiting the mines quite a lot. It also led to Zain introducing sand molds into the capital when he did his first dagger out of a sand mold, everyone in the forge thought it was ugly and he finished it in no time and was able to replicate the process efficiently without recasting the mold.

 After about a year the head smith had acknowledged Zain's abilities were above those of an apprentice. During the year Zain had made him money hand over fist and so it was a mutual benefit. Also, during that year Zain had made his first pistol. It was a small caliber revolver, but it would suffice for a weapon that was easy to use. He had been able to craft a few bullets with some black powder he had bought with his earnings after his living needs were met.

 The next place Zain went to be the apothecary where he ran into his mother of all people with a smile on her face. She was not there to make or sell, rather she was stocking up on potions of all things. Zain had learned about slow medicines and poisons of all sorts from his mother. Fast acting potions he had tried to learn from school, but most the instructors just taught the basics. Zain smiled as he entered the shop with its bottles lining the walls and called out. "Hello mother, fancy seeing you in an apothecary not working." At this she had no response except to giggle a little and spin around. "Zain fancy seeing you here how your forging apprenticeship is going?" "It recently wrapped up. The head smith said I was above an apprentice, so I came here next looking for my next step in what I am doing."

 As Zain finished his statement a slender woman with pointed ears walked out and spoke in a soft voice. "So, who is this young man that is chatting up my friend who is married if I do recall." Shooting Zain's mother a glare. Zain perked up at that and spoke quickly. "I'm actually her son, I just finished up my first of three apprenticeship I am looking to complete while in the capital." The woman behind the counter had her eyes widen at this as if it was that ambitious. So, Zain went about explaining that he was actually coming here for his second apprenticeship. As he was just fourteen at the time, he presented proof of what he was doing and explained that he was planning on opening a unique business suited mostly for adventurers and mercenaries of sorts. Specializing as a weapons smith with additives from alchemy on the weapons and munitions available for a slightly higher price for a convenience charge. The woman was more than intrigued by this and decided to test him. "Alright but if you're specializing for those groups, you will need potions as well." "I know, that's why I came here." And with that she was hooked on to having him learn under her as to ensure that items worked as intended because it wouldn't cost her any money if prices were higher doing the combo deal in a time crunch.

 During his year of working in the apothecary Zain learned everything she could pass on and even made a bit of a name for his alchemical works. Sometimes someone would come in and request his products by his name. This always made Zain happy. There were times when he was sent to gather herbs for the mixtures and for trial mixtures, he would gather extras and infuse them in his down time to make different components that were of high quality some were specialized poisons, and some were advanced types of potions that would usually have an unexpected side effect. In his outings to find herbs he would occasionally run into monsters that he would use his pistol for. In order to sell any of the monster parts that were unused, Zain joined the Adventurer's guild to sell them off. But, as with all good things, by the time the year had left he was fifteen and was noticed as a full-fledged alchemist by his mother's friend about half a year later, and so was on his way to his next destination.

 The munitions crafters were a little leery about his appearance as Zain showed up. The robes from the apothecary and his build after working the forge for so long made them question if he would be able to craft munitions precisely. But eventually he showed them that not all things are as they seem and while he was working there Damascus even showed up with his father, who everyone there knew. They talked for a bit, and everyone got a good laugh at Zain, who was heritage wise. And on his sixteenth birthday Zain was anointed a full-fledged munitions crafter and thus had three jobs he could do between.

 Zain now set off to the merchant's guild to open up his combination shop that he wanted from the beginning. The talking points were more of a lecture on him taking on too much for even experts. Not even a year after starting his business, the shop was doing so well that he barely had time to keep up with supplies so offered jobs to the adventurer's guild with payments of money or reduced prices upon quest completions. But no one seemed to take advantage of this offer so that left him to close a few days per week to gather materials needed. This sometimes led to monster attacks but very rare and sporadic at first but then they started coming in hordes.

 The hordes were basically twenty or more but would always keep a formation, Zain followed them back once and saw an unmarked dungeon and thought to himself, what do I do about this unmarked dungeon? So, he decided to submit the information to the adventurer's guild.