THE MOMENT
"Yes, I've heard of Sun Dew," the alchemist nodded at Todd. They were inside the potion master's shop and Todd was the only customer at the moment. The interior was sunny, although all the windows were placed high, close to the ceiling, to prevent curious lookie-loos from watching the master's delicate process. Most of the inside was off-limits to customers with only a small square of empty space near the entrance and a glass case loaded with pre-made potions. The rest was blocked off by counters, tables, and a few curtains.
"I think I've got all the ingredients...," Todd nodded and began pulling items out of his sack. He started with a unicorn horn and a few dragon scales as he continued explaining why he was there. "...can you whip one up for me?" he asked.
"Whip one up?" The alchemist chuckled. "These are precise magicks that take time and obscure, legendary ingredients."
"Right," Todd nodded. "I got all the ingredients already," he added a black phoenix feather to the pile of rare items. "And... time is money, right?" he added a golden cube the size of a lemon. The alchemist glanced at the door to make sure no one else was coming in, then he nodded. It was a faint, almost imperceptible motion.
"It takes days of capturing sun rays... but, I do keep one ready for emergencies," he lifted and inspected each ingredient to verify its authenticity, then he hefted the golden cube. "I believe this amounts to an emergency," he added as he collected everything, then disappeared to the back behind the curtains. Then, he returned after a few moments carrying a golden velvet, bottle-shaped bag. He set it on the counter and pulled down the bag to show off the glass container inside. It was half-full with golden liquid.
"Sun Dew, pure liquid solar energy," the Alchemist said. "It's said that one sip will ignite the drinker's Mana from within their soul."
"Finally...," Todd grinned and reached for the bottle. The alchemist continued giving more details about it, but Todd was too entranced by the viscous potion. He turned the bottle this way and that watching it cling to the side and leave a trail of sparkles as it fell. Then, the alchemist gave him a final piece of advice.
"Ok let me remind you, this potion is VERY dangerous if it gets into the wrong hands so be carefu- Oh my god why are you drinking it!?" Todd had popped off the cork and brought the container to his lips, then immediately chugged it down during the explainer.
"Ahhh," Todd smacked his lips to try and find some semblance of flavor, but the liquid had no taste. Somehow, it was even more bland than water, it was like drinking nothing at all.
"Well, one isn't going to do me any good. I wanted to learn how to make it," he said. He felt a warmth spreading in his chest and several things appeared in his vision. A list of all the ingredients he brought, along with their measurements scrolled up in his view as a 'Buff' icon appeared in the top left-hand corner.
"Awww man, what a rip-off..," he grumbled. "Can I get some of those ingredients back? I've got a smaller one," he said as he reached into his sack for another, lower-quality unicorn horn. "You're barely using it for the Sun Dew." The Alchemist looked at him blankly for a moment, then blinked.
"Yes, I've heard of Sun Dew," he said.
"Ugh, forget it..," Todd sighed and turned to leave the shop. It was never worth it to argue with NPCs. "Hmm, I wonder if I can add any flavor without messing up the formula...," he mumbled to himself as he headed toward his next quest.