Tsarra and Envy shot him a dark look and eyed each other warily, neither willing to back down on principle. The Dwarf longed to have her own private room, no matter how short their stay, and was willing to stand up to the intimidating Vampire for this perk.
Envy went first and ended up picking the short straw, and immediately crushed the blade of grass in her fist. She glared at Exill for putting her in this situation and slowly scanned the place. The only other private area was the treatment room, but it was cramped from all the shelving and the wooden recliner had been bolted to the floor.
That left only the large central living area as a place to unpack. However she had a better idea, and took her bedroll to the master bedroom and unfurled it in a corner, challenging him to comment on it.
“If we’re going to share rooms, why don’t you move to-” Exill cut himself off at the last moment, noticing Tsarra’s widening eyes. It was the first time she had a space truly her own, and he had been on the verge of ruining it.
“Forget it, as long as you stay on the floor it will be fine.” Sleeping with a vampire was like being trapped in the room with a mosquito - it was impossible to get a good night’s sleep. Leaving the women to sort out their belongings, he ventured out, searching for a nearby well from which to draw fresh water.
Looking around at the neighbouring buildings, it became clear that the Clinic sat on the outer ring road that circled Virigo. A crescent shaped lane circled the Healer’s house and a cluster of adjacent buildings. They were all cottages of a similar design, but a squat two storey building stood strangely alone on the periphery near the treeline, its whitewashed walls stained with damp and mildew.
An unsettling feeling washed over him, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. It felt as if the house was staring back at him, if that was even possible.
Fighting back the curiosity to investigate, he returned to the Clinic sometime later with two sloshing buckets to find all the windows open, and Tsarra beating the dust off the sheets with a paddle.
They were nearly done mopping the floor when a cheerful girl skipped into the yard holding a wicker basket and cradling a large loaf of bread. ‘That must be the Councilman’s daughter.’ He thought inwardly.
She waved to Exill, her long midnight hair flowing as she hurried up to the front door. Her pale cheeks were flush from excitement and red lips parted while pausing to catch breath. She openly examined the travel stained young man, admiring his well-built shoulders, rolled-up tunic and the taut forearms that spoke of quiet strength.
Her obsidian eyes sparkled while tentatively reaching out to shift the matted hair aside to expose his forehead, a smile of satisfaction forming when she looked into his emerald eyes that spoke of experience beyond his years.
Envy and Tsarra stopped to glare at this girl who dared to act so familiar without an introduction. The fresh newcomer slid her arm into his, and guided him gently to the kitchen. A faint crackling sound could be heard from the Vampire’s broom as she tightened her grip.
“Let’s get you washed up; I can’t have my future husband looking so mucky! I’m Dyna by the way, and I’ll cook you a delicious meal after we get you out of these dusty clothes.”
Dyna placed her basket of foodstuff on the counter then grabbed a washbasin to fill with steaming water from the cauldron. She confidently marched into his room, kicking Envy’s sleeping mat aside, and gestured for the Witchdoctor to come in.
Exill watched this audacious girl with mouth agape. Even Macy - a former member of his fan club who had fooled him into giving a chest exam - had more propriety than this vixen.
“I can wash myself just fine.”
He dragged the foxy girl out of his room, locking the door behind him. In the span of a few seconds, her cheerful grin faded away while turning to face Envy and Tsarra, her shadowy eyes measuring them as if they were roadblocks, a nuisance to overcome. Then, as if nothing had happened, Dyna hummed tunelessly while arranging the contents of the wicker basket on the kitchen counter, beginning to prep and peel the vegetables.
The Witchdoctor’s companions gave an imperceptible nod to each other, it was imperative they work together to get rid of this psychopathic imposter.
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Exill emerged a while later holding his dirty clothes, looking suitably refreshed. Dyna hurried over to him, fussing as she rolled up his sleeves.
“We can’t have you hiding these bad boys!” Dyna’s eyes widened when his forearms were exposed. Her breathing turned heavy while lightly tracing the scars and puncture wounds on his arm, then hastily snatched his dirty clothes away.
“Why don’t you rest dear, and I’ll prepare you a delicious meal and wash your-”
Exill cut her off and gestured for Envy to drop her mop, while snatching his dirty clothes back from the overly familiar girl. “Actually, I’ll be the one cooking and washing my clothes. If you are keen to help, you can mop the floor while Envy freshens up.”
He gently pushed the girl towards the mop, then turned to the kitchen counter, frowning at the unfamiliar ingredients in front of him. They were classical ingredients for a stew, including various vegetables and a fatty cut of meat. What stood out was a container of green spices, that could only be described as something between cumin and the blend of curry spices he was familiar with back on Earth.
‘This is so close to being complete, I would love to experiment with spices to create the perfect fusion of the curry.’
He reluctantly asked Dyna about the seasonings, to which she replied with a coquettish smile, moving effortlessly to his side, while leaving the mop in a corner. “That is Jamba, a local spice and delicacy. We put three quarters of the spice and mix it with this to create a spicy stew we call Jambalas. Come, let’s make it together!”
Exill reluctantly followed her lead as she deftly trimmed the fat, which was used to fry the vegetables and meat. She deglazed the cauldron with a splash of spirit, taking a swig of it herself before pouring a cupful in his unwilling mouth.
Tsarra took her turn to wash as they waited for the jambalas to simmer further. While they sat tight, Exill was surprised to find Dyna fussing over the state of his hands, and even casting ‘heal’ to mend his cuts and scrapes.
[Appraise] revealed she had no enchanted items granting extra mana, leading to the begrudging acceptance that she was naturally talented. Growing curious, he asked about her status.
“What have you chosen as your jobs?”
“I’ve only chosen Healer as my primary job... I’m waiting for my husband to tell me what he needs for the second. It could be cooking, foraging or even herbalist if need be. We’ll be the perfect team!”
It was as if Dyna had prepared for this exact exchange the moment she had healed him. Exill felt his guard rise, sensing the calculating intellect beneath her cheery facade. Their discussion was cut short when Tsarra came out of her room, humming as she admired the smell wafting from the cauldron.
“We should add our spices now, correct?” Exill was glad for the distraction and added the proportioned mix, with a measure of flour to thicken the stock. A short while later, the jambalas was finished. He ladled three portions then sat down at the table, ready to eat.
“Are you sure you don’t have Cook as one of your jobs?” Dyna asked suspiciously while dunking bread into the verdant green jambalas, it was nearly as good as the food her mother prepared.
“No, I’m a Witchdoctor and Warrior.”
Dyna’s obsidian eyes sparkled at the mention of [Warrior] and she inspected the scars on his forearm, eager to learn about the opponents he had faced.
“You have been in the Labyrinth, right? Please tell me what it is like!”
Exill dunked some more bread into the curry like stew, admiring the spiciness that crept up on him. ‘Where to start on such a sweeping topic as the Labyrinth?’ As someone who had barely spent two years in this other world, the depth of his knowledge was shallow at best.
“Have you been to Ark before?”
“Yes! I visited two years ago with my father on a business trip.”
That made things a little easier for Exill, “Then you have witnessed the landmark tower, in addition to basic knowledge that you need Guild handbooks to enter?” When the wide-eyed girl nodded, he continued.
“Perhaps it would be best to describe what it’s like inside the Tower… before you even enter the deceptively humble entrance to the Labyrinth. First, you would notice how cool and quiet it is. It feels strange to speak above anything but hushed whispers. Ivory pillars as wide as my arms outstretched soar up high to support the tiers above. More than that, there is a sense of calm and peace, which I have only experienced elsewhere in the inner sanctum of Ark’s Cathedral.”
Dyna had a faraway look while she imagined what it would look like. Slowly, she picked up the nugget of information added at the end, “You’ve been inside the inner sanctum? Did you meet the Oracle? Did you see the Eld Tree?”
“Yes, yes, and no. From what I can gather, the one in Ark’s Cathedral is grown from a cutting of the Eld Tree. It is not the original one.”
The young maiden looked disappointed, “We have one at home as well… tell me more about the monsters in the Labyrinth and how you fought them.”
Exill spent the next half hour summarizing his encounters with the various beasts, including common tactics to deal with them. Tsarra found herself drawn in as well, curious about the dangers he had faced before she had joined.
Dyna winced when she heard his description of the Screamers, with their pale wrinkled skin and elongated limbs. After some thought she asked, “Do you think the Labyrinth came first, or did it pop up someday in the centre of Ark?”
Exill sat still for a while, and treated her question seriously. The fact that he couldn’t even posit an answer went to show how little he knew about the history of Ark, let alone this World.
“I don’t know, do Labyrinths just appear?” he tentatively asked.