"This," the old man held up what appeared to be a gold band with an inlaid sapphire set into an intricate holder. A strange script wrapped around the band, carved into it so that it looked as though the writing was set into the ring when the gold was still molten, "is a ring which will grant the wearer whatever he or she desires." he gestured for Karyn to put it on.
Karyn stared openly at the ring, "Anything I desire?"
The old man smiled warmly, "Anything, my dear. Without limitation. Something I daresay Jon knows he couldn't handle."
Karyn frowned, "What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing, my dear, nothing." the old man covered quickly, "It's just, well..."
Karyn couldn't take the hesitation any longer, "Just what?"
"I can see the lay-lines of magic, dear, and I know what Jon had in his posession. A stone of true wishing; something he gave up because he recognized that he could not handle the power," the old man paused, "And something that will soon be returned to him. His wish was responsible, yes, but the magic of the stone is inherently chaotic. It wants him to make wishes the same way a dog desires attention. The more wishes Jon makes, the more chaos the stone can inflict. You know this better than most."
Karyn grimaced, "What do you mean?"
The old man placed his fingers on Karyn's temple, "Remember, child, what the stone has blocked."
And she did. Her larger breasts, the stone, wishing, blues, all of it, "So it wasn't just a dream."
"No child, it wasn't. And you're the more responsible of the two of you. I'm going to rent this ring to you so that when the stone does return - and mark my words, it will - someone will be able to counter its magic.
Karyn thought for a long moment, "And you think I'm the one for the job?"
"I think," the old man replied, "That there is nothing Jon desires more than to keep you as his friend, and I think that you desire the same thing." he smiled, "this ring may very well be able to help with those desires, both of which are contrary to the wishes of the chaotic nature of the wishing stone."
"I don't want it." Karyn replied, "I've already managed to screw up wishing with one thing, why invite disaster with a second?"
The man cute her off with a look, "this ring does not grant wishes, dear, it grants desires.A wish is an instantaneous thing, which is why the stone is so chaotic." the old man sighed, "A desire, though, that usually takes time. It is not fast acting, nor is it a cure-all, but it is contradictory to the nature of the stone."
"Which means absolutely nothing," Karyn replied, irritated at the old man now.
"It means everything." the old man replied, his own voice growing a trifle irrate, "Because of its nature, a desire is inherently stronger than a wish. It is more complicated, more meaningful and, therefore, more powerful." his voice became more compelling, "Take the ring Karyn, you will need it before the week is out."
