Aaron stood, his hand on the doorknob. Despite feeling confident in his decision just a moment earlier, he was now locked in and frozen where he stood. They needed to find the gnome, and in order to do that, Aaron deduced that they would need to find a Scryer. Yet, before he could begin his proper search for a Scryer, he would need to leave this room.
Muffled voices and sounds of laughter permeated through the bedroom door. Music was playing, and the faint aroma of the many different foods being cooked in the kitchen and on the grill silently wafted through the cracks of the door. It was a celebration downstairs. The family didn’t really need a reason to celebrate, but with Tommy and Aaron back, the dwarf knew everyone would be coming over to welcome their return. The red storm clouds in Aaron’s mind were a deep reminder there was someone who could not return…
A firm, gentle hand on his shoulder brought Aaron’s thoughts out of the storm. He looked back to see Tommy smiling, standing tall, and sporting his signature sleeveless leather jacket.
“When you’re ready, brother,” Tommy said.
Aaron turned back to the door. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He remembered how graceful Molly was in these situations. Both of them were practically adopted by Tinā while they lived on the islands and tried to provide aid to the elves amidst the red mages and their Esoteric war. Somewhere downstairs, in the muffled voices, singing and laughing, Aaron felt he heard Molly, too, enjoying the festivities with the family, just like they had on the islands.
His hand went to his breast pocket, and Aaron felt the vial of purple arcanatum dust tucked safely inside. Somehow, that Yakuza witch-princess knew Aaron wanted this dust, a dust the dwarf had gone to great lengths to secretly cultivate in his office's safe. He didn’t know how, but there was a way for the dust to reunite Aaron with Molly. Dust from a damn mushroom, he thought. The Yakuza couldn’t be trusted, and despite how much he longed to be with Molly, taking the dust would only ensure the dwarf would become ensnared in the witch-princess’s trap. Yet, getting that gnome for her could be a means to avoid the trap and keep the dust.
Sure, Tommy said there was trouble, and Aaron would do what was needed to help his only friend and brother. However, outmaneuvering the Yakuza in the process was equally important.
With one hand on his chest, Aaron stared at the doorknob and slowly exhaled again. His voice was a whisper to himself, “For Molly.”
He turned the doorknob, opened the door, and exited the room.
A tidal wave of everything possible sensation slammed against Aaron as he stepped out the door. The voices were loud, the music was louder, and everyone was dancing, bustling, talking, and moving. The smells of food and drink swam across the small hallway and spilled down the stairs.
“Aaron!” One of the younger island elves exclaimed as she leaped forward and hugged the dwarf. “It is so good to see you!”
Aaron smiled awkwardly and began to respond but was halted as she screamed and jumped past him, “Tommy!”
“Hey, cuz!” Tommy waved casually.
The smaller barrelled past Aaron and gave Tommy a great bear hug.
“Easy, cuz. I still got Tinā’s patch working its magic.”
“Oh, sorry, Tommy,” She said as she backed away, looking at his chest. “So you really did get shot?”
Aaron looked away, stung by the reminder that it was his bullet that shot Tommy.
“Forget about it, cuz,” Tommy laughed. “It’s practically done and gone. Hey, where is Tinā?”
“She’s down in the kitchen, out on the grill, and anywhere else that she needs to be to give orders to everyone. Where else would you think she is?”
“That’s exactly what I would think. Just checking.”
The shorter elf shrugged. “Careful going downstairs because she’ll probably put you to work.”
With that warning, the cousin ducked into one of the spare bedrooms and closed the door, hoping the door would be enough to keep her from being snatched up in Tinā’s list of things to do.
Tommy laughed. “Let’s make our way downstairs, brother.”
Aaron nodded and continued moving forward. As he made his way through the hall and down the stairs, more of the family rushed back and forth, hugging Tommy and Aaron, sharing their excitement to see them and offering other words and jubilation at the duo’s return.
The dwarf wound his way through the living room area and the adjacent family room. Glancing out a window, he saw Swift dancing with the other elves. Aaron paused as he stared, watching the orc hop around to the beat of the music. Never before had he seen the orc look so happy.
Looking at the crowd outside, Aaron also spied Jackie. She was part of the circle surrounding the dancers, cheering and shouting blissfully. Her hands were wrapped in a greenish-gray material that looked very similar to the patch on Tommy’s chest. The dwarf smiled in amazement at how quickly Tinā could care for everyone.
A tap on the shoulder prompted Aaron to turn away from the window and see Tommy, who motioned the dwarf to follow. They squeezed into the kitchen, where Tinā had a pot on every stove burner and was just pulling a large pan of coconut rice out of the oven.
“Kalani,” Tinā called out. “Take this pan and put it outside on the table. When you put the foil over it, make sure to leave a crack so it can breathe.”
“Yes, Tinā,” Kalani said as she grabbed two towels and took the pan from Tinā’s hands.
“Tinā!” Tommy called out above the music and chatter.
“Yes, my son?” Tinā was focused on one of her pots boiling on the stove.
“We got to, Tinā.”
Tinā tapped a spoon she had used to stir the pot and placed it on the counter. Then she turned around and looked at Tommy with crossed arms.
“Don’t look at me like that, Tinā. You know I wouldn’t go if it wasn’t important.”
“It’s always important,” Tinā said.
“Yeah, well,” Tommy shrugged. “This is really important.”
Tinā remained unphased.
“Look, Tinā, I’m afraid the family will be in danger if I stay.”
“You know our wards of deception will prevent anyone from scrying into our home. And if there is a scry whose level is high enough to penetrate those wards, we have wards of spying that will give us ample warning to escape. What is this really about, Tommy?”
“I don’t really know, Tinā.” Tommy took Tinā’s hands in his. “But I’m afraid it’s going to be bad, and we need to move quickly if we hope to have a chance to stop it.”
Some commotion to the side drew their attention. Tommy, Aaron, and Tinā looked to see Swift stumbling through the sliding glass door in the back of the house. His hands and arms were moving wildly as he spoke his mind.
Aaron looked curiously at the orc, unsure what to make of the movements, but Jackie hopped in behind Swift, saying, “Hold on, you’re back was to me. I didn’t see what you said.”
Swift quickly repeated himself while facing Jackie. Jackie's face turned to confusion and anger as she turned to Tommy. “You’re abandoning us?”
“What?” Tommy dropped Tinā’s hands and held his up chest height. “Hold on! I didn’t say I was abandoning anybody.”
Swift signed his response, and Jackie responded, “Swift says your cousin told him that you were leaving without us. And it looks to me that you’re ready to go.”
Tommy’s face twisted as he tried to think of a response for Jackie. With nothing coming to mind, he looked to Aaron for help.
“Yeah, we’re leaving your sorry asses. Get over it.”
Tommy’s face fell with disapproval of the dwarf’s comment. Aaron shrugged at Tommy’s face and raised an eyebrow, silently asking what the elf was expecting from him.
“You can’t leave us!” Jackie retorted. She looked to Swift and translated. “That’s right, you need us. There’s a reason why that—wait, what did you say?”
Swift signed a little more slowly and spelled out some of his words.
“What? Since when did you get entangled with a Yakuza witch?”
Swift signed an answer, but as that answer became a lengthy response, Aaron wiped his face and grumbled, “We don’t have time for an entire recap, Swift.”
The orc turned to Aaron and rattled off several choice hand gestures.
“No, it’s okay, Swift,” Jackie said. “You tell me about it later.”
“Look,” Tommy interjected. “We appreciate all the help you two have given. But I don’t want either of you to get hurt anymore. The two of you will be safe here, and we’ll come back as soon as we get that gnome.”
Swift rapidly responded, forcing Jackie to concentrate on what the orc was saying. “Swift says he has to go with you—it’s not an option. They’ll do terrible things if it looks like he’s not helping you. –Who will do terrible things, the Yakuza?”
Swift did not answer. The orc looked hard at Tommy and Aaron.
Tommy and Aaron exchanged glances, then looked at Jackie.
“Fuck you two if you think y’all are leaving me behind,” Jackie said with a wave of her bandaged hand. “If Swift is going, you better believe I’m going, too.”
“What about your hands?” Aaron asked.
“What about them?” Jackie snapped back. “My new momma got them all bandaged up good as new.”
Jackie smiled at Tinā, who returned a warm smile to her.
“This is such a lode of pyrite,” Aaron grumbled as he leaned against a wall.
Swift asked a question, and Jackie repeated it, “So where are we going?”
“We need to find a Scryer,” Aaron answered, staring emptily at the ceiling. “I’ve got an idea where we can start looking.”
Swift spoke with a wide smile. Jackie interpreted quizzically. “You mean you can start looking here, right? –What do you mean by that?”
Tommy and Aaron perked up with the question. Tommy echoed Jackie’s question. “Yeah, Swift, what do you mean? Scryers are rare, and last I checked, we don’t have any in the family.”
The orc did a quick spin and bowed. When he saw the same quizzical faces, he responded with a bit of frustration.
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“That’s why I’m here,” Jackie interpreted. “Remember? The witch said you guys would need me because I’m a scryer.”
“What?” Tommy exclaimed.
“The witch-princess said you had to tag along to pay off part of your debt to her,” Aaron exclaimed. “She didn’t say anything about you being a scryer.”
The orc stood awkwardly, twiddling his fingers and trying not to look at Aaron in the eyes.
“You’re indebted to the Yakuza?” Jackie asked sincerely. “How did that happen?”
Swift turned away from Jackie, desperately searching for a distraction.
Aaron grunted. “You know what you are, Swift?”
The slender orc looked at the dwarf questioningly.
“You’re a depth-damned MacGuffin!” Aaron laughed. “You realize that, right?”
The orc shrugged, unsure how to take the dwarf’s statement.
“Why didn’t you tell us you’re a scryer?” Tommy asked.
The orc shrugged, and Jackie spoke his words. “I thought you two already knew.”
“Well, we didn’t, you green-skinned sack of citrine,” Aaron spoke with a grin. “But now that we do, that makes things a lot easier. Let’s start scrying and find ourselves this gnome.”
“Scrying is not easy,” Jackie interpreted. “We need pieces of the thing we are looking for.”
“So we need to collect pieces of a gnome?”
“You don’t need literal pieces,” Jackie continued. “We need things that will connect me to the gnome. Blood and hair are common pieces, but stuff like clothing can also work.”
“This is beginning to sound like a dead end,” Aaron mumbled. “So, for you to find the gnome we are looking for, we first need to find the gnome and give you a piece of that gnome. Then you can find him?”
Swift did not respond but merely gave the dwarf a deadpan stare.
“Well, I obviously didn’t think this plan all the way through,” Aaron said, throwing up his hands. “Seriously? You can’t find this gnome without us finding him first? How is that supposed to be helpful? That Yakuza witch…”
“Hold on,” Tommy spoke up through a bite of dumpling that he swiped off someone’s plate. “What about tequila?”
Swift looked curiously at Tommy as Jackie voiced the question he asked, “What about tequila?”
“The gnome has a sombrero of infinite tequila, right?”
“Yeah,” Aaron chimed in. “That’s right.”
Tommy turned to Swift. “Could we use tequila to find the gnome?”
“We could try that,” Jackie translated slowly. “But there’s a lot of tequila out there. We’ll need some kind of effigy to hone down the search.”
“What about this?” Aaron flipped open his Hacklet and pulled up the gnome’s MIST record. “Will a digital record work for an effigy.”
The orc looked carefully at the Hacklet screen. “I’ve never used a digital reference before,” Jackie translated. “I don’t know if it will work, but I am willing to try.”
Aaron began to undo the Hacklet straps, but Swift stopped the dwarf in midaction.
“Swift says you need to wear the Hacklet,” Jackie said. “He doesn’t know how to work with a virtual realm, but you do. So, you will be his physical conduit for reaching the virtual effigy.”
“I know you’re supposed to be translating, Jackie,” Aaron said. “But I have no idea what you just said.”
Jackie laughed. “Just keep that fancy thing on your forearm. You’re going to help Swift.”
Aaron frowned. “I don’t think I like this.”
“Yo, Oney!” Tommy called out. “Where’s the tequila?”
Oney’s head popped in from the back door. “Who’s asking?”
“I’m asking.”
Oney smiled, big and mischievous. “We doing shots?”
Aaron perked up as his eyes grew wide and mouth watered in anticipation.
Tommy shrugged. “Maybe.”
Oney hopped about excitedly. “What kind of tequila are we shooting?”
“I dunno. What do we got?”
“What do we got?” Oney scoffed. “What do we got? Cuz, we got blanco, reposado, añejo, extra añejo, cristalino, gold—not to mention we have a variety of mezcal to expand your agave palate.”
Tommy turned to Swift, “Does the type of tequila matter?”
Swift nodded as Jackie spoke for him. “Yes, if the tequila doesn’t match, the scrying won’t work. We need a tequila that matches the gnome’s, or at least comes extremely close to matching the gnome’s.”
Tommy nodded. “Grab all of it, Oney. We’re doing shots!”
A great cheer erupted throughout the house and outside, making it apparent that much of the family had been listening to the conversation. Oney grabbed some of the family as they rushed to gather the alcohol and glasses. Aaron bounced excitedly at the prospect of finally wetting his lips with that beautiful substance he had been craving for so long.
“Come on,” Tommy motioned to the back door. “There’s too many of us to fit in the kitchen. We’ll have to do this outside.”
Everyone moved through the backdoor, down the porch, and to the small yard in the back. Tables with food lined the walls and fences, while chairs were scattered or lined against other tables. Swift directed a pair of chairs to be set up on either side of a small round table. He sat in one chair while Aaron sat in the other. Aaron laid his arm with the Hacklet across the small table, as directed by Swift, and the orc laid his arm over the dwarf’s.
Oney and family set up a long table nearby, placed several large bottles of tequila on one side, then set up rows of small plastic cups along the rest.
Rubbing his hands excitedly from behind the table, Oney looked at Tommy. “How are we doing this, cuz?”
“Swift here is going to scry and find a gnome. But to do that, he needs to use the right kind of tequila.”
Oney clapped his hands and dual-pointed at Tommy. “A matching game. I like it!”
“Where did you get all this liquor?” Aaron asked.
Oney turned and pointed his fingers at Aaron. “I don’t ask about your business, and you don’t ask about mine. Right, cuz?”
The dwarf rolled his eyes. “Yeah, alright, elf.”
Oney smiled playfully, then raised his hands to address the crowd. “We have a matching game!”
Everyone circling around Aaron and Swift cheered. Oney continued, “For every wrong guess, we take a shot. Unless we guess right on the first guess, then we take all the shots!”
Laughter and cheers rippled around.
“And now, our guest of honor gets to make the first guess.” Oney made a small, silly dance, spinning his arms around before dramatically pointing at the person he was referring to. “Jackie, what’ll it be?”
“Oh, me?” Jackie responded with surprise. “Oh, Mother Nature, I don’t know. Um, how about that one?”
“Excellent choice!” Oney picked up a long, clear bottle with fancy angular patterns resembling an agave plant's leaves and held it out for all to see. “A blanco tequila from the Sergio Enriquez reserve collection. Known for its unique blend of floral and spice, you can taste the notes of grilled jalapeno, lime, lilac, and vanilla that combine for a savory herbal mixture that creates an experience your mouth will not soon forget.”
Aaron nearly leaped from his chair as he cheered with everyone in anticipatory excitement. Oney was not a masterclass barman, but what he lacked in bar skills, he made up in entertainment. The shots were poured, and glasses distributed. Aaron was on the edge of his seat, bouncing one knee as he watched the small plastic cups being handed out amongst the energetic crowd, waiting, waiting, waiting…
Finally, a cousin, or sister, Aaron wasn’t quite sure who it was, stood in front of the orc and dwarf. She held a beautiful smile and a small plastic cup holding a two to three-ounce pour of finely distilled, clear (blanco) tequila in each hand. Slowly, gracefully, she handed a cup to Aaron and Swift.
In ravenous delight, the dwarf snatched the cup and nearly shot the alcohol back, but a hand blocked the cup from reaching his mouth. He looked up to see the sister (he was pretty sure she’s a sister), chided him with a shake of her head, then motioned for Aaron to look to his side. The dwarf frowned. This was a game, and he had to play by the damn rules. He placed the cup down and looked to Swift for determination if this was the tequila they were looking for.
The orc had placed the shot glass on the armrest of his lawn chair and stuck his index finger all the way inside the cup. Swift studied the contents of the cup carefully as if waiting for some reaction to occur. The surrounding crowd had become quiet, waiting for a declaration of match or no match. The orc squeezed Aaron’s arm just above his Hacklet, withdrew his index finger from the cup, and kicked the shot back with a single gulp. Swift slammed the cup upside down onto the armrest and made the gesture for no match.
“No match!” Oney yelled. “Manuia!”
The cheer, “Manuia!” echoed through the crowd as everyone partook in their shots. Aaron made the same cheer and quickly threw his shot back. However, he didn’t want to get it done and over; the dwarf wanted to savor this shot, so he let it linger so he could taste the grilled jalapeno and savor the lime, and… wait. Aaron frowned as he swished the shot in his mouth and then swallowed. He did not taste grilled jalapeno, or lime, or anything. There wasn’t any taste at all! Aaron coughed and sputtered as he spat out the realization, “Water! This is water?”
Some in the crowd looked confused, but others were laughing hysterically. Even Oney, from behind the table, was laughing. Tommy just shook his head and smiled.
“You gave me water?” Aaron glared angrily at Oney. “You gave me a water shot!”
Oney held his hands up as he laughed, “I just heard you were taking a break, figured we’d help you out.”
“Help me out?” The mad dwarf jumped up from his seat. “Help me out? You piss-covered, coprolite-livered, motherf—"
Aaron halted his tirade as a passive investigation check scrolled past the periphery of his vision. He turned to see Tinā standing on the back porch. She stood quiet and elegant, her face impassive, but her penetrating eyes saw through to his soul.
Refusing to offend Tinā, Aaron’s mouth closed and shrank into a small, tight, imperceptible line as he ground unyelled boulderish insults between his teeth. The dwarf sat back down and smoldered deep into his chair. When he spoke, his voice was low but loud enough for Oney to hear. “Curse you guys.”
More laughter burst from the crowd in response to Aaron’s statement. One island elf shouted out, “If you give a dwarf some water…”
“He’ll curse you the rest of your life!” Yelled another.
“You can take that to the Core!” Aaron shouted back.
More cheers and laughter erupted, along with applause, pats on the shoulder, and a few hugs. Despite the disappointment and the teasing, the family took the time to remind Aaron he was loved, and it was difficult to stay truly angry at that.
“What’s next, m’lady?” Oney cried out above the crowd.
“That one!” Jackie pointed with her bandaged hand.
“Ah, a fine choice; fine choice, indeed,” Oney said. “Harvested from the finest blue agave of the Middle Country and aged in deep oaken barrels of the North, The Menéndez Real is an extra añejo specially distilled to deliver a decadent bouquet of dried kiwi, ripened papaya, and a touch of chocolate milk. Experience the dense, moreish taste of a carefully crafted tequila that will blow your mind.”
The bottle in Oney’s hands had a much simpler design than the last. From the tall and slender bottle, he poured its amber contents into the many plastic cups that littered the table’s free space. Aaron tried to watch carefully for his cup, but everyone was crowded too densely, and too many hands were passing by cups for him to track, which would be the shot he received.
The shots were distributed quickly, and the sister once again held two cups, except this time they held the amber alcohol. Her smile was unwavering as she handed the orc and dwarf their cups. Aaron held his suspiciously. It certainly wasn’t water, but the dwarf was confident it wasn’t tequila either. The coloring seemed off…
Swift repeated his actions from before, sticking as much of his index finger in the shot as the cup and contents would allow. The orc studied and shifted his head, looking for something, though Aaron did not know what it was. The orc squeezed the dwarf’s arm for a moment longer, withdrew his finger, and drank the shot. No match.
“Manuia!” Cheered across the crowd as everyone took their shots in celebration of another mismatch.
Aaron’s lip snarled slightly in suspicion as he eyes the amber liquid in his shot glass. He was confident the family was not going to give him some that crossed the line, like piss or worse. There was loving humor, and then there was malevolent humor—the family held no malevolence. Still, Aaron hesitated a moment longer before taking the shot.
“Apple juice?” The dwarf gagged and coughed. “You gave me a shot of slagging apple juice?”
Oney shrugged, “It was the thing I had that was the closest color to the extra añejo, cuz.”
“Oh, slag,” Aaron kept his mouth open wide as he fanned his lolling tongue. “I can’t get this off my tongue; the juice is stuck on my tongue.”
“Here, buddy,” Tommy smiled, handing Aaron a tall glass of vaifala.
The dwarf quickly gulped down the thick coconut and pineapple slurry, washing the film of apple juice away from his tongue. Aaron sighed, “Enough with the fake shots. If I’m going to drink something, let me sip on this all night.”
Tommy smiled in acknowledgment and patted Aaron on the shoulder, then blended back in with the crowd.
“M’lady, I must ask that you choose another!” Oney cried out.
“I choose you!” Jackie yelled excitedly while pointing at Swift.
The orc froze from the sudden attention and stared wide-eyed at Jackie. Aaron never thought that green skins could turn red, but looking at Swift, the dwarf was confident that orc was blushing burgundy.
“Go on, silly,” Jackie smiled playfully. “I want you to choose the next shot.”
Flustered by the sudden attention, Swift’s eyes darted across the crowd as he remained flushed red.
“Choose the shot,” Someone chanted in the crowd. It was quickly caught on by another, and another, until everyone was chanting, “Choose the shot. Choose the shot. Choose the shot.”
The orc’s head whipped around with indecision, still flabbergasted by the unexpected attention. Swift looked to Aaron, who simply shrugged dismissively and nodded to Oney. Swift looked to Oney, who stood behind the table and held his arms open wide at the variety of tequila to choose from.
“Choose the shot. Choose the shot.”
Swift looked to the crowd, then back to Oney and pointed. Oney held up a bottle questioningly, but Swift shook his head and pointed again. Oney held up another bottle with a raised eyebrow, and Swift confirmed the tequila of his choice.
The family cheered with Swift’s decision as Oney held the bottle up for all to see. It was a bottle of exquisite glasswork that swirled and swayed like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. Aaron looked to the sky above, grateful for his shades and surprised they were having this sort of party in the middle of the day. He shook his head and chuckled—that was the family. It didn’t matter when or where so long as they had a reason to celebrate.
“Our next choice of tequila,” Oney declared. “Is a newly released bottle of cristalino from the infamous Miguel Solange distillery. This bottle has been given the name Suspenda la Realidad for its complex multibarrel aging process and ultra-filtration techniques. Become one with the agave core as your palate melts into the herbs and cinnamon, nutmeg and crème brulee, spice and spectacle, all part of a new reality that is this tequila.”
Excitement cheered throughout the crowd as cups received their pours. Aaron held his glass of virgin vaifala tightly and cursed Oney for being so good at describing the tequila. The dwarf generally preferred a good, hard whiskey to any other liquor, but damn if Oney didn’t make him want to take on tequila for tasting.
The sister only brought one plastic cup for Swift this time, but Aaron still nodded dubiously toward her services. Swift repeated his initial process as before, sticking his finger in the cup and analyzing it closely, then squeezing Aaron’s arm.
Aaron began raising his glass in celebration, but Swift suddenly pinched his arm. Frowning, the dwarf turned to warn Swift not to do that when he felt it again, but it wasn’t a pinch; it was a shock, like electricity. Looking at his arm, Aaron saw small currents of electricity shooting between his arm and Swift’s. The orc maintained focus on the shot that contained his finger. The dwarf was about to ask what was happening when a jolt of electricity shot him back into his chair.
Suddenly, a bright column of light opened around Aaron, blinding him despite the shaded spectacles. The dwarf yelled out through the electric pain, “Swift!”
In a violent crack of lightning, Swift, Aaron, and the column of light were gone.