Chapter 206

M'redith knew where they were going even if no one else did. The rest of her group had decided to stay with her and Jay as they went shopping. They could have broken up, but the promise of street vendor food was too alluring to resist.

Street vendor food was inevitably two things. It was tasty, and it was bad for you health-wise. There were no street vendors selling salads or quinoa which is a shame because quinoa can be quite delicious when prepared properly.

The other often overlooked aspect of street vendor food was that it was good social food. It was the kind of food you bought and shared with your friends while you discussed how tasty it was. It was food best enjoyed when eaten with others.

M'redith had been keeping an eye out along the edges of the street as they traveled in their cart through the city. They passed a number of food vendors but none of them were what M'redith was looking for. As time progressed the group could hear Aiden's belly grumble loudly every time they failed to stop for available food.

Finally she saw it – something that she wanted to eat. Aiden could eat anything but if M'redith was going to pick then it was going to be something that she liked.

M'redith called out to the driver and the cart slowed to a stop. Their group crawled their way out of the cart and milled about as M'redith finished talking with the driver.

Jay saw their intended destination across the street from them. It was a street vendor with a wide cart. The top was flipped open to reveal a number of containers with various foods. Jay wasn't sure what the food was exactly but he'd find out shortly.

The street they were on was busy and lined with vendors along both sides. The group was standing next to a vendor with a table set up and covered in merchandise. There was a tray of buttons of various colors and shapes, a display stand of post cards with brightly colored pictures on the front, chunky silver bracelets, velvet backed display panels that showed off different colored rings.

A man wearing a close fitting beige knit cap was seated behind the table and tried to talk Aiden in to buying something.

“No thank you, just here for food!” Aiden stated firmly while Norri examined one of the rings.

There were other tables, a man selling tiny cups of concentrated coffee with a white frothy topping, another with a bright white tablecloth that sold various powdered pigments for artistic use. Further down the street from them a man stood and sold beige colored knit hats, all of which hung off of hooks on his vest.

M'redith had finally finished talking with the driver who pulled back in to traffic and left the group on the street.

“Come on,” M'redith said with a wide smile as she motioned the others to cross the street with her. Traffic had stopped to let cross traffic pass and the group used that opportunity to cross the street.

“Lunch wraps for sale! 5 copper a piece! Bacon! Cheese! Ham! Chicken! Take your pick!” a woman wearing a brown dress called out from behind the cart.

“Cheese, bacon, and lettuce please,” M'redith asked before anyone else could reply.

“Just one?” the woman asked. She had a mole on her left cheek and Jay did his best not to stare at it. It was an impressive mole. Jay wondered if that was something that could be healed – he'd try to remember to ask Aiden later.

M'redith nodded and held out five copper to the street food vendor which she quickly snatched up.

Jay watched as the woman cooked up a fresh flour tortilla in a cast iron pan. The tortilla was premade and was a pale light tan color but as the tortilla cooked it quickly turned a darker shade in spots. As it cooked the tortilla began to inflate as an air pocket began to form.

The woman popped it with a pointed wooden pick and then flipped it. The other side cooked much faster and a moment later the woman spread a layer of shredded cheese on top of the still cooking tortilla. The Monterey Jack cheese melted and she quickly slid the entire thing on to a plate, melted cheese side up.

She then sprinkled the cheese with bits of bacon and then covered it with a layer of lettuce. Being careful not to touch the molten hot cheese she folded the bottom and then rolled the tortilla up and stuck a toothpick through it to hold it in place.

She handed the final product, a smoking hot cheesy bacon lettuce wrap, over to M'redith who looked as if she hadn't eaten in weeks.

“Thank you!” M'redith said before she quickly stepped aside for the next person and immediately began to eat her wrap.

Aiden was ordering his but stopped as M'redith made a loud appreciative noise.

“It's so good,” M'redith said with a satisfied smile. She let out a drawn out sigh and Aiden changed his order and handed the vendor thirteen coins instead of five.

The woman nodded, “Three of the same? I have other fillings too.”

Aiden shook his head, “I don't want other fillings. I want what she's having,” he said resolutely as he took another look at M'redith who was taking small bites out of her wrap in order to try and pace herself.

The street vendor nodded as she took Aiden's money and began to cook up his order. It took a bit longer than M'redith's order as Aiden had ordered three wraps rather than one.

They each ended up getting the same thing. M'redith just made it look so delicious that everyone wanted to try it.

Aiden finally stepped to the side holding two wraps in one hand while he ate the third with his other hand. He let out an appreciative sigh as he took another bite. His first wrap was already two thirds gone – he ate fast.

Norri, Sha'li, and Jay all ordered one each but by that time M'redith was already done.

“Perfect timing! You guys eat while I flag us down another cart. We can eat on the way to the shop.” M'redith said as she dropped her toothpick. It hit the ground and burst in to little motes of light before it disappeared entirely.

Jay chewed away happily and was enjoying the salty bacon and sharp cheese. He didn't often eat lettuce and was surprised to find it went well in his wrap.

M'redith guided them all back across the street to wait and eat while she got them another cart.

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A man transporting watermelons agreed to take them for a few copper and the group carefully found places in the cart without disturbing the melons too much. There wasn't really a lot of room and the group was far less comfortable than was usual for a cart ride.

The group sat and ate quietly while M'redith digested. Aiden was still eating even though he had gotten his wraps second but mostly because he had purchased three wraps rather than one.

The fog had finally begun to lift as the afternoon wore on and the sun even came out for a brief visit. There were still plenty of clouds overhead and the sun had little chance of shining for more than a few minutes at a time.

Jay had just finished eating and was trying to figure out what to do with his toothpick when the cart rolled to a stop.

They were no longer on one of the main roads – this area looked a bit more out of the way and less traveled. It wasn't a back alley by any means, it was more like the quiet part of town where you could do business without being bothered very much by others.

This street was not lined with vendors but instead with expensive looking buildings, all of which appeared to have a person working the front door of each.

Everyone climbed down from the cart and M'redith went to speak with the driver and handed him a coin before he and hist cart rolled off in to the distance.

M'redith returned to the group and noticed Jay still holding his tooth pick. She flicked it out of his hands and it fell to the ground. It burst in to tiny motes of light as Jay watched.

“Oh. Right,” Jay said as he realized he could have disposed of the toothpick at any time. Trash that cleaned up after itself, Jay thought to himself.

M'redith flashed him a grin before she turned and led the group up a stone walkway and over to the front door.

“Good afternoon, may I help you?” asked the man that stood next to the closed front door. The man had made no move to open it for them. He was dressed in what looked like ornamental chainmail but the more Jay looked at it the more he thought it wasn't there just for show. The man wore a sword at his hip. He was also wearing his helmet.

Helmets are great at keeping you from being hit in the head but not so great at keeping that head cool or allowing a full field of vision. Due to those two factors and more there were a lot of fighters who only wore their helmet when they expected to be in a fight. Standing outside all day in the sun in a metal helmet was no way to go through life. Yet here the doorman was wearing chain armor and a metal helmet. Jay hoped he was at least being paid well.

M'redith nodded at the man and smiled brightly. “We're here to file for and register a Royal class personal seal for my boyfriend.”

The man eyed the group critically. They looked as if they were a group of teenagers dressed up to head out for an adventure, not the kind of people who would be in need of a royal class seal. Nor did they appear as if they would be capable of affording one.

M'redith watched his facial expression change as the doorman tried to figure out if he should usher them inside or chase them off. M'redith was pretty sure her group would stomp him in to the ground if he tried to chase them off but she was there to shop, not fight.

M'redith smiled politely at the man and spoke as if nothing were amiss. “Would you kindly announce that Glimmerhide Group and Jay, Ruler of Kagan's Dome, have arrived and wish to speak with the owner.” She didn't say it like a question, it was more of a command and her voice changed slightly and hardened as she spoke.

The doorman might not know who M'redith was but he easily recognized the tone she used as that of a woman used to being obeyed – not a tone that a mere teenager would normally use. He responded to the tone before he realized that he was doing so and moved to the door and spoke to someone inside before he returned to his post.

The doorman stood as straight as he could and pulled his shoulders back. Jay figured out why a moment later as the owner of the establishment came outside to greet them.

“Good afternoon! I'm Silas and this is my shop. How can I help you?” asked a short pudgy man who wore wire frame eyeglasses, dark dress pants, a white button up shirt, and a cobalt blue tie.

M'redith explained once again what they were looking for and Silas nodded along but appeared to become a bit saddened when M'redith mentioned that she needed a Royal class seal.

“Royal class seals are quite expensive I'm afraid, and you must have proof of your title in order to commission one,” Silas explained patiently. He wasn't sure who these people were but his doorman never called him outside without reason.

M'redith smiled and nodded as she continued as if he hadn't spoken at all, “We will need a full kit including both single sided and double sided dies, waxes, tools, and ribbons. We will also require expedited service and will wait for you to complete the work. You will of course be compensated for doing so. Jay will provide incontrovertible evidence of his title as Ruler over Kagan's Dome. The only question at this point is why are we discussing this on your lawn?” M'redith finished with a pointed look directed at Silas.

There was a brief silence as Silas pondered the question as well. The lawn was probably not the right setting for their discussion. “My apologies, please, this way,” the owner said as he led them in to his shop.

The doorman held the door for them and Jay thanked him as he passed him by. The interior was brightly lit with orange stained hardwood floors and cream white walls. A reception area with a number of soft looking couches and chairs welcomed them. Further in to the room was a long counter that divided the room in two and behind that a much larger work area covered with all sorts of tools and waxes.

Silas led them over to the counter and walked behind it and took out a book. “Well then, first things first. A royal seal, double sided and single sided die, full kit, work done while you wait... that is going to come to at least 35 gold.”

Jay coughed at the price but M'redith didn't even blink. Jay was rich but that didn't mean that he was immune to price shock. Thirty five gold was a lot of gold, even for Jay. Still, M'redith had said that he needed one – not that he should get one or that it might be good to have, no. She had said he needed one. That was different.

M'redith looked over at him, “Show him your Kagan title,” she said while still using her command voice.

Jay's eyes glazed over for a moment as he went through his system menus until he found the title he wanted.

“Ruler of Kagan's Dome” appeared in bright text over Jay's head and Silas startled visibly as it popped in to existence.

“Will that suffice?” M'redith asked formally and Silas nodded as he wrote some things down in his book and reconsidered how he was treating the group.

“Certainly, forgive me for any offense I may have inadvertently given.” Silas said nervously with a nod of his head. He was well aware that Kagan's Dome had a new ruler, he just hadn't expected for him to show up at his shop. Anyone could claim to be Ruler of Kagan's Dome. Impostors were a constant nuisance and so the owner had to be sure of who he was speaking to before he was prepared to go any further. Jay's title had fixed that problem completely.

The title was also currently the only way for Jay to identify himself – he really needed a seal.

Silas felt a bit more confident now that he knew beyond any reasonable doubt that Jay was who he claimed to be while at the same time having enough money to afford Silas' services.

Silas took a few books off the counter and guided the group back to the area of couches. Everyone got seated and Silas pulled a seat up across from Jay and M'redith while the others looked on.

“Here are some ideas,” Silas offered as he handed Jay and M'redith both a book full of various other seals. There were chapters that listed full seals along with sections that showed off other various bits of art one could include in their seal. There were a lot of bats and wolves and dragons and so on – the normal aggressive animals one would wish to associate themselves with on a seal.

Jay smiled and set his book down. “I don't see what I'm looking for here. Can you draw something custom?”

Silas raised an eyebrow, “What did you have in mind?”

“Have you ever seen a parrot?” Jay asked with a grin.