And we reach the end of the year. My birthday, as it happens, falls on the 8th of December, and because of that, for the first seven days of the month, I do what I call a Birthday Week Raffle. During this week, I'll be taking one, 250 word story request in a unique way. Give me an image, and I'll write it for you. That's one a day, chosen at 'random', given sometimes I indulge myself, but mostly I just label them with numbers and roll a die.

How do you enter? I'll link to a journal at the end of this section, post a comment on it with a link to the image. You do need permission for me to repost it here in my gallery, but that is all I need, no payments, no trades, these are short, fun things I do. For that, let's get onto the piece for today.

https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/11245161/

(Different Artist than requester this time, as this lovely piece is something Sergent-Max commissioned from the lovely KitsuneKit, who does great work)

/-/

The room smelled of smoke, that particular kind of scent that came from polish on wood, and maybe just a hint of cologne. It was that mixture that said, this was a place deals were made, as you walked amidst the shelves, looking at the items, eyeing the cost of a few, and then moving on.

Around you, the shop stretched far and wide, not merely the shelves about you that stood a head and some taller, with items of particular worth put on the top just out of reach to force you to ask for assistance, but also beyond that, with towering things covered in glittering treasures that dwarfed you, in both cost and scale.

You were looking at a particular bit of kit, a shirt that, despite seemingly being woven of normal thread, glittered and glistened. That even continued as a massive shadow moved, blocking the light, and causing you to turn, looking up towards the red/yellow eyes of the massive dragon who owned the shop, which glittered in that predatory way of all deal makers.

He said something in a rumbling way that everyone of his size did, as he smirked down at you, taking a drag on his cigar, and then motioning towards the sale sign beside the item, obviously encouraging you to take advantage of the sale. After all, what's a few coins, when thinking about your career as an adventurer, he said with a deep, throaty chuckle.