Life has been turned upside down for a lot of people on Fenrir these days. None more-so than the people living in Midd Port. Imagine stretches of narrow land that seem to go on forever laying smack in the middle of two warring nations. Obsidian, ruled by King Ingvar, is to the West of Midd Port and Onyx, ruled by Lord Kazai, is to the East. These two nations have been fighting for so long that Midd Port’s very existence is because of their war.

Let that sink in.

These two have been at war for so long that entire places of commerce have developed to capitalize on the fact that their war is far from over. Now I know we are all tired of hearing about King Ingvar and Lord Kazai’s legendary battle on the mountaintop of Sha’aire and even more tired of hearing about the war… So you’re in luck! This story is now going to pivot away from that and become more about yours truly.

So what makes me more interesting than those two? Nothing, actually. I’m a lowly blacksmith working on Midd Port and I hardly get time off due to the aforementioned war. What I want to talk about today though is what I do when I get those rare moments of reprieve. Let’s see, about four months ago I got a day off. The day before I hurt myself while churning out a couple of katanas for Lord Kazai’s new recruits. My boss showed me some mercy and let me have a day to heal.

I spent that day going up and down Midd Port trying to figure out if there were any places around that I had missed. I thought I had been everywhere, tried everything and experienced every shop. Obviously, I was wrong or this would be a pretty short story, right? I found a place with large glass windows that I could have sworn was a shop for trinkets, but when I peered inside I saw something very strange.

Shelves and shelves of baked goods lined the counter that was positioned perfectly from the window. I thought to myself, “Why would someone sell sweets in the middle of war time?” It made no sense, especially in the one place designed to be a stop for those in the war. I decided to go inside and it was as if I had been transported to a new world. There had been this magical world hiding right here in Midd Port, right under our noses!

Speaking of our noses, the smell of this place was unlike anything I had smelled before. A delicious, sugary aroma lured me in as if it possessed my body and next thing I knew I was in front of one of the glass shelves I just described to you. I knelt down and peered inside. To the left were carefully made bite-sized chocolate covered donuts as if they were made by a group of pixies, each one precisely positioning a sprinkle. Then, to my right, a contraption I had never seen before magically drizzled a buttery glaze upon a stack of brownies.

“See anything you like?” the face of the owner looked back at me from the other side of the glass.

I gathered myself and stood up hardly containing the smile on my face. That was the day I met Thana, the owner of this place, named after her. She is just as delightful as her products. There were tables set up inside the shop, so I purchased my goods and took a seat. Thana wanted to know what I thought and I felt it necessary to provide her with my immediate feedback.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

To make things less awkward for my first encounter with Thana, I simply purchased one of those tiny donuts and the glazed brownie. Both of which overjoyed my palate and after I told Thana how I felt about her work, she told me to sit tight. Curious, I relaxed and drank the coffee I purchased along with my treats. I saw numerous customers come in and get help from a young lady who worked alongside Thana. When Thana returned to my table she presented me with a cupcake.

“On the house,” she said with a smile. “Thanks for your feedback,” she added.

“My pleasure,” I responded, attempting to hide my excitement. “Thank you!” After Thana left my table, I eyed this particular delicacy with much satisfaction. I hadn’t had a cupcake in ages and now knowing the quality of what Thana was making, I think I felt the saliva accompanying my watering lips for the first time. Ingvar thought himself a god when he presented himself to the people of Obsidian and I too shared the sentiment in this moment. Me, the lowly blacksmith, now made divine and this cupcake an ambrosial gift from one of my devoted. Well, truthfully, it’s hard not to get excited when presented with free food.

The cupcake in question lived up to expectations and floored me to the point that I decided that any day off I could find the time to visit Thana’s Bakery I would take the opportunity. So I did just that, I made it a habit of attending her shop quite often. I tried to get the same table every time I went, it was the best table out of the way and easy to people-watch from. I tried a new sweet each time and Thana often let me sample her new products. Outside of conversing with Thana, I just sat there quietly enjoying my guilty pleasure. Sure, it wasn’t the healthiest habit, but it gave me a much needed break from the gloom of the world around us.

I was often surprised by the people who visited the shop. Rare moments when you could tell it was both Obsidian Knights and Onyx Soldiers awkwardly being kind to each other in a place of business. Whenever that happened I would joke with Thana that maybe her sweets could end the war. That always seemed to get a chuckle out of her and her assistant.

Then there was this odd woman with a witch’s hat that would often frequent the establishment. She always traveled with two other people, but the other two never came into the bakery. Now that I think about it, all three of them dressed rather strangely, but she was very picky about her sweets. The real serious-type, that rarely cracked a smile, but I think she meant well. She always treated Thana with kindness even if she gave off a frightening aura.

The rest of the customers are what you would expect. Children with their parents, other workers from Midd Port and the occasional newly drafted recruit. It gave me great joy to just sit there, enjoy my snack and my beverage, and admire the work that Thana was doing for the people in Midd Port. None of us asked for this life. None of us wanted to live through this long and grueling time of war. But if it ever ends, I’ll be sure to ask Thana where she takes her shop to next. These breaks get me through the bad times and the good times.

One day as I watched the witch point and ask questions about different treats, Thana’s assistant answering to the best of her ability, Thana herself working hard behind the counter to prepare something for an Obsidian Knight on the other side… I thought to myself, Thana is the light in the darkness that Fenrir needs most right now. She may not be able to turn the tide of a war or a diplomatic struggle, but she provides happiness on a scale that will carry on even after the war is over. As much as I wish I was special, I also think about how many others out there were like me - unaware of what they were walking into and having their lives changed by the simplest gesture.

Thana had a power, a power that most people lacked. It wasn’t magic like the witch or skill in battle like those from Onyx and Obsidian. It was a rarity on Fenrir. It was kindness. Plus, like I said earlier, it’s hard not to be excited about a free cupcake.