If there was one thing worse than assassins in the dark, JP decided, it was a six-foot wall of armored babysitter watching you buy socks.
Garron followed them everywhere. At the bakery, when JP pointed at a loaf of crusty bread, Garron leaned over the counter and murmured, "Too stale. Choose the rye." At the apothecary, when Lyra reached for a vial of healing tonic, Garron simply plucked it from her hand and sniffed it, declaring, "Low grade."
By the time they reached the smithy district, JP was ready to scream.
"Look," he muttered to Lyra while Garron inspected a rack of swords, "we can't live like this. He's going to critique my undergarments next."
Lyra smirked. "At least you'd get quality recommendations."
"Not helping."
Still, JP's irritation dimmed once he saw the shelves of scrap metal, copper wiring, and mana-threaded cloth. His inventor's itch returned instantly. With Garron's eyes boring into the back of his neck, JP carefully bartered for a small bundle of materials.
Back at their rented room, JP spread the goods across the table. Lyra lounged nearby, polishing her bow, while Garron stood in the corner like an ominous hat rack.
"What are you doing?" Garron asked.
JP sighed. "Trying not to die, thanks. Figured I'd make a few accessories. Rings, maybe a charm. Think of it as… adventurer insurance."
He picked up a strip of mana-threaded cloth, fingers tingling with excitement. "See, if I weave this with copper wire, I can stabilize the flow of energy. Think surge protection, except instead of frying a lightbulb, it keeps me from exploding when some monster hurls fire at my face."
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought you liked explosions."
"Controlled explosions," JP corrected. "Big difference."
He tinkered late into the evening, crafting a rough wristband with embedded shards from leftover slime cores, a faint blue glow pulsing along its seams. His Appraisal whispered back:
Mana Dampener (Prototype) – Reduces impact of minor magical strikes. Durability: Questionable. Style: Nonexistent.
JP grinned. "Perfect. Just what I need — ugly but life-saving."
Garron crossed his arms. "You'll show me that once it doesn't look like a child's bracelet."
"Harsh," JP muttered.
Lyra smirked. "I like it. Ugly suits you."
JP rolled his eyes, but inside, relief flickered. Even under surveillance, even with knives in the dark, he could still build. And as long as he could build, he had a chance.