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Chapter 9
Until now, Angoulet had been nothing but a distant collection of homes. She never had the opportunity to get acquainted with it. Save, for the town hall that used to stand on the northern border of the village. From the beginning, Ezabel had been focused solely on the assessment and gave attention to nothing else. It is important to distinguish, however, the difference between a lack of interest and her own ability to distract herself.
She paid no mind to Angoulet purely as a byproduct of being entirely too concentrated. Which she soon came to realize was a mistake when she stepped into the sun. It seemed that amongst the wooded hills around, a divot in the land afforded ample space for crops and settlement. And, through it, a narrow stream winded lazily until it fell into the flow of the much larger, Amber River. Not that the large body of water could be seen from where she stood. Everyone in the northern territory simply assumed that, as a rule, all streams eventually made their way into its current.
No matter the case, the soft flow of the splashing brook was a soothing sight to behold. Even despite the sheep-trampled path beside it. As well as, the smell of their droppings. These were but mere blemishes on an otherwise warm sight. - Compared to Alm, everything here felt far flatter and considerably more scattered. Trees and hedgerows between homes had obscured most of the layout and left her guessing as to whether the village even continued in that particular direction.
Thankfully, Dani seemed to have a direction in mind. So, the pair followed the stream and meandered themselves past several homesteads until a set of pub tables came into view. They stood out on an elbow of the dirt path, above which an overhang of hay stretched out from the building adjacent. From the path, the tables continued through a pair of open barn doors, where the rest of the establishment had apparently been.
“Take a seat anywhere you’d like, ladies!”, a voice shouted from within. “I’ll be right with ya!”
“Let’s head over here.”, Dani said with a smile.
Ezabel followed with delight. It seemed, as a whole, the place only sat six tables. Three on the outside and three on the inside. Though, with the barn doors opened as they were, most of the pub felt as if it were outside anyway. They came together on a small table against the wall, a clear shot for the barkeep to see. He had been stuck fiddling with something they could not see. But, the two found no reason to rush seeing as how the rest of the place was empty.
“You don’t need to worry about treating me, Dani.”, Ezabel smiled. “I still have some money left--.”
“No, please!”, Dani interjected. “I feel guilty for being so helpless. And, for putting myself in a place where I needed saving.”
“T-that’s not your fault!”, Ezabel raised her palms, as if fanning the situation would put it out. “I just-.”, she hesitated. “I don’t know. I just reacted. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. It was all a blur to me.”
“Everyone there that night was lucky that you stepped in, no matter the reason. So, don’t stop me from trying to pay you back.”, Dani stated with a grin.
In truth, the thought of having failed the assessment had sat in her head ever since hearing about it. It was a stark reminder that the path before her was not going to be so easily tread. There were going to be hurdles along the way, some of which would likely be near impossible to pass. Recklessness had a price. This time it had cost her the assessment. It may very well demand more in the future. She had to be careful. She had to think. Save for the spot of luck brought on by Leland, her own mind was the only thing that could shield her from further setbacks.
However, there was a certain feeling of vindication and joy when Dani’s appreciation came. No one could deny that her split second decision to pick up that knightstone was the reason that so many people had escaped with their lives. Would she do it again if given the choice? She did not really know for sure. For the time being, this small moment was enough to push any vestige of regret out of her thoughts.
“Fine then.”, Ezabel replied. “I’ll be sure to order a lot.”
“Great!”, Dani nodded.
“Hello, ladies!”
The barkeep made his way to their table not long after. A distinct look of weariness sat neatly on his person, which came short and stout. His breath was brief and only managed to right itself as he neared. Both hands curled around the front fold of his apron, where they patted and twisted to clean themselves.
“My apologies, but we can only serve you drinks for the time being.”, he stated. “Our stove hasn’t been cooperating this morning so my cook has gone out to get some firewood for a proper flame. But, that won’t be for a little while.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“I’m sorry to hear.”, Ezabel replied, “But, I don’t mind at all.”
“Aw. I was hoping for a good meal..”, Dani turned towards the bar. “Is it a sealstone stove? Perhaps I can take a look for you.”
“Hm?”, the barkeeps’ curiosity rang true. “Do you know how to fix a piece of magitech?”
“Yeah, do you?”, Ezabel echoed with genuine interest.
“Sure.”, Dani shrugged. “It’s all just basic spellcraft in the end.”
“Well, if you think you could make a difference, I won’t even think about stopping you!”, the barkeep nodded.
His spirits lifted and his posture seemed to straighten out. It was clear as day now, that the emptiness of the place was due largely in part to the faulty stove. The wear and tear upon each table suggested that it would have been much busier otherwise.
This barkeep was surely accustomed to afternoons far noisier than this.
“It’s right behind the bar, I’ll show you.”, he added.
When Dani stepped after him, Ezabel’s gaze followed out of instinct. They had not gone far but loneliness fell quickly around her table. Rather than linger, she chose to follow. That is what she told herself. In reality, she was being strung on like a mouse by her own curiosity. At this point in her life, the memories of her own sealstone oven had been clumped together into an awkward amalgamation of experiences. Yet, the idea that it was the only piece of magitech in their home had always fascinated her.
She never quite understood how it functioned. Only that, it required a sealstone to burn. It was always greater and more potent than any fire they were able to nurse in the open. But, they had only used it occasionally, and only through the winter months. Sealstones were always hard to come by, which she understood as being a result of their remote location. So, Bastion and Xavier made sure to keep a small store of them ready for the cold.
Before she knew it, Ezabel found herself seated on a stool against the bar. Dani had already begun perusing the exterior of the stove with large eyes, magnified when she pushed her glasses close. Against the rest of the bar, the old iron body stood out with ease. A large centerpiece amidst a myriad of wood and brick. Its mouth was cold and from it, a layer of char stretched out like grasping fingers. Above, its chimney reached and disappeared into the ceiling.
Ezabel sat her elbows against the bartop and leaned forward.
“Call me Benny, by the way. And, I hope you can fix it.”, the barkeep said. “Then, I wouldn’t have to skip evening service.”
“Does it get busy after dark, Benny?”, Ezabel asked.
“Busy? It gets as crowded as any place in the capital! And, with none of the mess. All you’ll find here are good people. Farmers that want to kick their feet up after a long day’s work in the field.”
Even though his pub was the only one in the whole village, he was certainly proud. The enthusiasm that spilled from his lips was contagious. Ezabel found a part of herself wanting to see it at night. There were rumors of an old pub back in Alm, but it had been boarded shut for as long as she could remember. Is this what it should have looked like?
“I think I found the problem.”, Dani interrupted.
She gestured to a specific portion of the stove’s surface, where a group of markings were etched onto its surface. Ezabel and Benny immediately turned to give their attention.
“That’s great, how does it look?”, Benny asked.
“The runes have been damaged. Pretty much melted and unusable.”, Dani shrugged. “It happens overtime. The oven gets hot and the runes wear down.”
At a distance, Ezabel could see plainly on the side of the stove that the makeup of a spell circle had once been there. It was still there, rather. Only, its grooves had melted and shaped themselves into accidental bubbles of cold iron. No matter how intricate it may have once been, it was unrecognizable now.
“Really now? I figured as long as I had enough sealstone, this thing would last me until the end.”, Benny scratched his head. “Is this something you can patch up?”
“Of course.”, Danni beamed. “Just give me some time to etch out a new set of runes for ya!”
“Hah! Well aren't I lucky to have stumbled upon the two of ya's. I’ll go ahead and stay out of your way while I get ya both somethin’ to drink!”
With fingers interlocked and arms stretched ahead, Danni cracked her knuckles. First, from her satchel came a spellbook, which she placed on the bartop. Its pages smelled of old earth and fell between her fingers when she searched through them. Illustrated on each was an abundance of spell circles. Each seemed exactly the same as the last, but a better eye would reveal that the runes within each were laid out in exceedingly distinct patterns.
Ezabel looked on as a child did to the summer glow of Gracewind’s highest towers. There was no understanding in her eyes, but they were enthralled nonetheless. It seemed that the world at large was finally manifesting before her. That, everything she hoped for outside of Alm began to come to life, right off the pages of her old storybooks.
“Okay, here it is..”, Dani stopped the pages. “..Vulkan’s Collection of Fire: First Flame.”
“Vulkan?”, Ezabel asked out of curiosity. “Isn’t that the name of an old dragon?”
“Yeah, how did you know?”
“I read it in a book, hehe.”, Ezabel chuckled. “It was about a mighty dragon that ravaged the countryside in the east. It burned everything and everyone. But, when it came upon a small river town, a witch appeared to challenge it. The book says she pulled it straight out of the sky and threw him into the river, where he drowned.”
“A little violent for a bedtime story, no?”
“I guess, I only remember reading it a few times though. It was a lot more boring than the books written about Attendants.”
“Well, you’re right. This chapter on fire control was named after the Vulkan in that story, I don’t think it has anything else to do with him though. Anyway..”
Dani reached into her satchel again. Instantly, eagerness filled her from the head down. Ezabel leaned off the bar. She knew the feeling. She knew the look. She was the same way whenever she found a new story to read. Which meant very simply, that Dani was not to be bothered from that point on.
Plucked from her bag was a quill-like object. Quill-like, only because of the feathery tail that dangled between her fingers. A sealstone was embedded in its body, which she held like a writing instrument. And, where one would expect an ‘inktip’, was instead the blade of a thin chisel. - Dani snickered and approached the stove with intimidating delight.
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