“And because of the quick thinking of Tobian, he pulled out a vial of acid, then used it to burn the creature and free himself,” Darius said, finishing his point by shaking some spice upon his potatoes and then scooping up a large mound to shove into his mouth. “Gilda, you should have seen it, the boy…”

“Oh dear!” Gilda said. She threw a look at Tobian, focusing on his head as if to look for scars or burn marks. “I know it is dangerous, maybe Toby should stay…”

“Mom,” Tobian interrrupted. “I was safe. Darius would not have allowed the creature to kill me; he was taking care of his with ease. I have to learn otherwise; I’ll never become an adventure.”

“Brave, like Sterling!” said a young girl, probably half Tobian’s age, sitting at the table next to the mother. “I miss him.” The little girl sank into her chair until only the top of her head was visible.

“We all do,” Tobian said as he glared at his mother. “There is danger in everything, I’m glad I can help remove some of it from this world.”

“I’m sorry, ” Gilda said. “I couldn’t bear to bury another child.”

“You will not, Tobain has proved himself resourceful and quick on his feet. His packwick ability has grown; he is probably the strongest in a hundred leagues. He can store almost double the volume in magical bags and has been practicing calling items in a way where they fly out. With more practice and training, who knows what he could achieve.” The Professor said. A moment of silence followed, and everyone ate a few more bites.

“Bleeeech!” Darius burped, shaking the silence apart as well as decorum.

“Eewww,” Penny said, holding her nose.

“Please, excuse me,” Darius said as he covered his mouth.

“I don’t think Sterling worked on his packwick ability, one of the few gifts from our cursed bloodline. I know he claimed he could see magical auras that lingered for days. For as good as that was.” Gilda said.

“Actually, it allowed me to see a hidden room and find a hidden chest they missed,” Tobain said.

Briefly, the mother's face glowed with pride as a smile crept on her face. A second later, it was replaced by a neutral frown.

“Oh, it's a funny story,” Darius quickly said, little specs of food flying out of his mouth. “It was a big chest, and Tobian walked up to it.”

“A story for another day,” Tobian said, glaring at Darius. “I’ve got to get up early to help in the shop before we go, and I’m sure some people would like time for a good soak before bed.” Tobian threw a glance at the Professor and Tristan.

“Tobian is correct; we’ll tell the story another day. There is supposed to be another prison four or five days travel from here. We’ll go clear it out and swing by here on our way to Riccastre.” The Professor said.

“Thank you for stopping by and having dinner; I hope a home-cooked meal helps pay for taking care of my dear Toby.”

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Tobain himself pays for his being there. The meal, however, pays for those funny stories.” Tristan said as she lifted a cup in the air. “May the joy in this house never empty, unlike our cups.”

The group nodded and then finished the remaining liquid in their cups. Darius quickly emptied his, refilled it with water, and downed it. They all promptly finished what leftover bites of food still left on their plates. Darius picked up what dinnerware he could and took it back to the kitchen. The Professor conjured a little water elemental in the kitchen to clean the dishes. Tristan sat at the table with the mother and walked her through a prayer for her remaining children and her husband.

Once the table was cleared, the group bid farewell and thanked Tobian’s Mom repeatedly for dinner. The Professor was the last to leave; he reached into one of his pouches and pulled out a thin book with bright colors on the cover. He handed it to Penny, who took it and ran to a corner near a lantern to read it.

“If it is too easy for her, let me know. I’ll keep an eye out for something else.” The Professor said to Gilda before bowing and then stepping out.

The sounds of the group walking along the wooden sidewalk faded quickly. Tobian returned to the table and sat down, where his mother joined him.

“I was looking over the books and inventory. Are you guys doing ok?” Tobian said. “I still have some coin left over from the last sale.”

“We’re fine; the shop was just running low on some stuff; Thomas went to sell some of the inventory we’ve had forever. Like the Trident of Fish calling, the closest sea is too far for anyone here to buy it.” Gilda gave a little smile.

“Would there be a market for enchanted stonework? The prison walls are enchanted, Darius thinks we could get some of the bricks and sell them.” Tobian said.

“Maybe, but I doubt anyone would want stonework from a prison. If we didn’t tell anyone where it came from,” She paused for a few seconds. “No, no one would want it. Even if we didn’t say where it came from, people would assume the worst that it was cursed. Too much effort, and we’d need a packwick to haul it once purchased.”

“They are treating me well, Darius hasn’t called me a lootboy in a while, and I’ve been learning how to use a sword and dagger. The Professor wants to see if I have any aptitude for magic when we swing by Shuma.”

“Shuma! That's four weeks on the boat. The storms on the Blackreach Sea alone!” Gilda lowered her head as little tears fell onto the table.

Tobian got up and walked over to his mother. He pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her. Rather than taking a seat, he knelt next to his mother.

“Mom, I’m going to be fine. The Professor is one of the most powerful wizards in the world. Sirah is not only the best tracker and trap finder, but she knows the weakness of living or dead things. We stood down a dragon using invisibility to hide its location. If I hadn’t spotted it with my magical sight, they could have been hurt, but we were able to stand and get it to leave peacefully. We even got it to agree to leave the nearby towns alone.” Tobian said, hoping the group's prowess would help provide some comfort.

“I know, just I keep thinking of Sterling, and I… I…” With a quick dab at her eyes, she took a deep breath and looked Tobian in his eyes. “A mother always worries, even if I wrapped you in a blanket and kept you locked in a room. I’d… we’d worry. Your father, while he may not admit it, also worries. It is the burden of being a parent.”

“We’ll be ok, but know I’m not dumb. I know there are dangers and have faced some. While we may encounter something we can’t handle, I’d also trip on that floorboard Da hasn’t fixed.” Tobian stood up and pointed at a loose floorboard. “In fact.”

He walked over to the board and carefully stepped along its length. He felt where the crossboard under it was located. Then he reached inside a pouch and pulled out nails and a hammer. A handful of various nails appeared in his hand. Selecting the longest two, he knelt and proceeded to hammer them into the board. When it was secure, he stood up and looked at his mother; she still sat at the table, her mouth slightly open.

“Some problems I have to solve myself, and bringing in items we find to you will help solve some of your problems.” Tobian gave a little smile. “I already spoke to the guys. I’ll leave my share of the gold at the shop when we leave. You can hang onto it for me or use it as you see best because my family is my greatest treasure.”