Sweat poured down Enzo’s back. No amount of heat control could help him at this point. They’d been at it for hours, and while the initial shock of being so close to Rena had worn off, the intense embarrassment of flailing around with her never stopped.

Lea strummed a slow, simple beat and Rena looked up at him with a sly smirk.

“Are you ready to try again?” she asked, offering him her hand. “You’ve already gotten better, I think I’m starting to have feeling in my feet again.”

Enzo rolled his eyes as he took her hand. Most of the day had passed already, and he felt just as awkward as when they’d started this morning. Holding hands was becoming more comfortable, but she just insisted his other hand go on her hip… Damn it! Stay focused. One, and two, and three, and don’t step on her…

As they slowly twirled around the room, Lea began to pick up the speed of the music. Rena adjusted to the new pace without a problem, but Enzo… well, just keeping up was half the battle. When Lea mercifully finished the song, Enzo collapsed to the floor.

“Why is this so much harder than training?” he gasped, staring up at the ceiling.

“Because you have no rhythm,” Lea chimed in helpfully. “Watch. Just tap out a beat on the floor.” She set her lyre down and took up his place opposite Rena.

“May I have this dance?” Lea asked playfully.

“I would be honored!” Rena snickered back. Lea took Rena’s hand and gracefully embraced the younger woman, having no issue assuming the lead role. The pair looked at Enzo expectantly and he began to wrap his knuckles on the wooden floor at a measured pace.

Immediately, Lea led Rena around the room. They moved in double time to Enzo's beat, quick steps and turns causing Rena’s hair to fall out of her braid and cascade through the air. Their elegance and grace was mesmerizing, and Enzo could hardly remember to keep tapping out the beat.

There isn’t enough time in the world for me to practice enough to be that good.

After a few minutes, Enzo stopped tapping against the floor and the two women came to a stop before him. Each was out of breath, but both sported joyous grins on their faces.

“See?” Rena teased. “It’s really not that hard.”

“Gosh, I haven’t danced like that in ten years!” Lea continued, as she looked down at Enzo on the floor. “I’m sure a strong young man like you can dance for far longer than an old woman like me.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Enzo replied, climbing back to his feet and taking up his place with Rena. The girl flashed him a devilish grin.

“Consider us even,” she declared quietly as they began their practice steps again. “I’ll never speak of this… dancing and you’ll never mention my marriage proposal again.”

“Deal,” Enzo instantly agreed. As they moved through the steps, Enzo started to relax. So this whole thing was just to get even. Fair enough, and she did an excellent job embarrassing me.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“So, do you still want to go to the Winter Festival together then?” he wondered aloud.

“Such a gentleman!” Rena gasped, feigning shock. “I thought you’d never ask! Why of course, I would love to go on a romantic date to the Festival with you! You’ll have to make your intentions known to Father, of course, and he will want to make an announcement to the village.”

“To be expected,” Lea added, pausing the music. “Though with your display this morning, I’m sure no one in the village will be surprised.”

“Wait, what?” Enzo questioned nervously.

“Taking a date to the Winter Festival is a serious thing, Enzo,” Lea explained. “It’s an announcement to everyone else that your courtship is progressing to the next step. The way you walked through town earlier made your feelings pretty clear, but this announcement will make it official.”

“Father will be so excited!” Rena cooed impishly. “Oh Enzo, I can’t wait!”

Enzo shut his eyes tight. What have I gotten myself into?

===========================================

Tobias sat at his workbench, huddled over the slate they used to plan out designs. The new furnace sat cold, its work done for the day, while the older still churned out heat as it finished processing the dragonstone.

Where has that boy run off to? It’s nearly dark and I haven’t seen him all day.

Just as he was starting to get worried, he heard the door to his shop finally swing open.

“Enzo! I was wondering when you’d-” he barked as he turned, before noticing the slight figure that stood in his doorway. Cornelia quietly slipped into the room and shut the door behind her. She shivered and rubbed her hands together.

“Can’t stand this cold, Tobias,” she said as she entered the workshop and stood by the active furnace. “I moved south to avoid it all together and it’s followed me here.”

“Just have to keep moving south then,” Tobias replied. He stood and moved his chair near the furnace for her. “Heard there are islands out in the ocean that stay warm all year long.”

“Bah! Palm trees are such a bother,” Cornelia spat as she settled in. “Nothing on their minds but the wind and the waves.”

“So, what brings you over this evening?” asked Tobias.

“First, to bring these by,” Cornelia said as she removed a small basket full of zucchini from her deceptively spacious cloak. “Your boy asked for them and never came to pick them up today.”

“I wonder what he’s gotten into,” Tobias contemplated aloud. “I haven’t seen him since last night.”

“He’s off cavorting with that Rena girl,” Cornelia replied. “I saw them together this morning, that girl clung to his arm like moss on a tree. Maybe for the best that he isn’t here, though.” She pulled a small flask from another fold of her cloak. The liquid inside was a viscous dark amber that seemed to swirl faster near the furnace. Cornelia handed it to Tobias.

“That’s a fire whiskey I made with the dragon’s mana I pulled from that boy’s wounds,” she explained. “I suspect if he were to drink it, it might amplify his own Affinity for a while.”

Tobias raised an eyebrow at her. “And you want him to have it?”

“I want you to test it with him in a controlled environment,” Cornelia sternly replied. “You know I abhor giving that child any more power than he already has but the world is changing Tobias. You must feel it, too. The mana is active. Something big is happening, and if letting that boy loose saves us, then so be it.”

Tobias nodded. “We’ll be working the dragonstone in the next day or two, we can test it then,” he explained. “I’ll need his Affinity to forge this weapon, the metal blend is already requiring enormous amounts of heat just to progress through the initial stages. Safe to assume you have more of this stuff?”

“I do,” Cornelia replied. She rose from her seat and headed for the door. “I hope we never need to use it, but I haven’t lived this long by being unprepared.”