Chapter Four Hundred and Sixty-Five — Wake Up and Smell the Eggs
Chapter Four Hundred and Sixty-Five — Wake Up and Smell the Eggs We ended up having a big sleepover in the cargo hold.Well... no, we didn't have to throw an impromptu sleepover party in the biggest room on the ship, but I had the opportunity to do so, and we were welcoming a new friend besides!Awen and Calamity actually returned to the Beaver sometime past midnight, both of them looking absolutely exhausted, but once we got some leftovers into them they perked up and told us about the part of their day that I'd missed.Both of them had passed the Exploration Guild exam, at least according to Sir Tissue. The entire group had, in fact, which was nice to hear!Mostly it came down to everyone handling themselves very well during a very typically unorthodox situation. Sir Tissue gave them all a bit of advice (Calamity to learn some long-range communication skills and to hone his tracking a little more, and Awen to learn to fight closer up so that she wasn't caught unawares if she couldn't use a crossbow) and then set free.But before that, they'd spent the day guarding the bandits we'd captured until a team of guards came down from the city to escort them to Port Royal's much bigger prison.It was deemed too risky to have them use the teleportation system, which wasn't designed to be used by so many people in such quick succession to begin with. There were lots of problems with that kind of magic, according to Amaryllis, and it was a wonder we'd gotten to use it at all.Anyway, the long and short of it was that some of the more talkative prisoners let slip that Rainnewt was their boss, but he was working through an intermediary in the city. They didn't know who, or wouldn't spill, but it was probably someone important.It was something to keep in mind going forwards.Awen helped build the biggest and best pillow fort in the hold, then we all let the long day sink away. I'd spent my share of energy, and was out almost as soon as I finished snuggling in between Amaryllis and... I think Caprica's the one I grabbed onto to use as a cuddle pillow? It was hard to tell.The next morning, we woke up and picked up the bit of a mess we'd created the night prior before we cooked up a big breakfast."So, plans for today?" Amaryllis asked.I nodded. "I'd like to visit Booksie in the morning." I said. "Just to make sure she's alright. I don't think she has all that many friends in Port Royal, except for Cholondee and Rhawrexdee, of course, so we should definitely spend as much time with her as possible!""She's an acceptable acquaintance to maintain," Desiree said as she stuffed herself on toast in a rather unlady-like way. I discovered that morning that she had a knack for Fire magic. Or at least, a spell to make toast?Our original chart of shore leave scheduling was kind of out the proverbial window, but at least we had guards keeping the Beaver safe, courtesy of Caprica and the rather paranoid (according to the princess) sylph at the embassy, so I didn't mind telling the entire crew that they could head out whenever.Which was why there was a whole gaggle of us heading out to visit Booksie. Myself, Amaryllis, Awen, Caprica, Calamity, and Desiree, who was still a little awkward, but was coming around to the idea that she was now stuck with our friend group.We crossed the city, but got waylaid on the way.First, by some street food vendors. Then by a small shop that sold magical scrolls that Amaryllis wanted to check out. Then by a forge that was displaying parts that Awen really needed to see."I'm starting to form an opinion about your companions, Captain Bunch," Desiree said as we found ourselves alone for a moment."Oh?" I asked. "They're all very nice friends, aren't they?""I suppose. They're also rather scatterbrained and hectic. Though you seem to aim for friendships with people whom others might consider experts in their respective fields. I, of course, am one such genius myself, and am therefore deserving of your friendship and positive attention."I laughed, then leaned to the side to give her a hug. Compared to all of my other friends, Desiree had received barely any hugs at all, so I had a lot of catching up to do! "I have the best best friends," I said with a serious nod.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.The foxgirl looked like she was ready to add something, but then she decided against it just as Awen finally plopped out of the shop. I didn't push the issue, if she wanted to talk, I was always around.We did make it to Booksie's shop in due time, and it wasn't even noon yet! We arrived as a group to Booksie's front door, with Calamity chuckling as he pointed out the people looking at us.There were a lot more than I had noticed the night before. And some were hidden enough that I wouldn't have noticed them at all without Calamity's help. There were plenty that were dressed like normal passersby, and a few watchers tucked away in shadowy nooks, almost invisible to the naked eye.I hoped that all of them had Booksie's best interest at heart, but I could hardly go around questioning every last one of them to see if they were here for a good reason or not. So I settled on knocking on Booksie's front door and waiting with my friends arrayed behind me.It didn't take long for Booksie to open the door. "Broccoli!" she said. "And Amaryllis, and Awen, and Caprica, and Calamity. Oh, and Desiree as well. Wow, everybun's here, huh?"Booksie looked a lot better with a night's rest in her. She was brighter, fresher, and the stress lines across her brow and the stoop to her shoulders had faded.There was still something a little off though, a little brittle. Some faint fear visible in how her eyes kept darting to the observers surrounding her house. But the smile she gave me was genuine, so I think she was in a much better spot than last night."Hi!" I said before raising my arm for hugs. She laughed and let me give her a good squish. "Did you sleep well?""I think so. I woke up a few times, but... well, I got some sleep in, and a lot more than usual. I was just fixing a late breakfast for Rhawr and I.""Do you need help? We came over to check up on you, make sure you were okay," I said.Booksie smiled, then moved out of the doorway and gestured us in. "Come on. You can help in the kitchen, if you're up for it, or just peruse my collection. Goodness knows I haven't sold much recently."My friends and I streamed into Booksie's shop, and it didn't take long for us to split into two groups, those that wanted to look around and read, and those that wanted to help in the kitchen. The latter group was myself, Booksie, Desiree, and surprisingly Amaryllis, whom I didn't think of as a very kitchen-y kind of bird. Maybe she just wanted to socialise."Whoa!" I said as I took in the big wok-sized pan on the stove. It was filled with eggs. Next to it was a wooden carton with holes for some three dozen eggs, all of which were empty. There were two more cartoons like it nearby. "That's a lot of omelette."Amaryllis made a face at that."Rhawrexdee has a man's appetite," Booksie said with a nod as she returned to the stove and started to stir the omelette. It took both hands and a large wooden spatula. "This is just an appetiser for him, really.""Do you cook for him often?" I asked.Booksie blushed prettily. "My mother always told me that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. Rhawrexdee doesn't insist that I cook, but I like it when he enjoys what I make for him.""Well, I'm sure we can help," I said with a nod. "Unless you'd rather it all be made with love?"Booksie's little blush deepened quite a bit. "Broccoli! Come now, I don't mind a little help, and I doubt Rhawr will mind either. Can you stir? I'll get some more wood for the stove from the back.""Why not use a spell for that?" Amaryllis asked."Ah, it's too magic-intensive. The stove has a rune for it, but it's only good for heating a small pan. If I try to push in enough magic to heat this thing, the rune will burn out, so I need to fill the firebox with wood and cook that way, otherwise breakfast will only be ready for supper," Booksie said."I'm certain we can assist!" Desiree replied. "Fire is a speciality of mine, I'll have you know.""Oh... well, I wouldn't say no to that," Booksie said. "By the way, Broccoli... I was wondering if you could help me-us-with something?"
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Chapter Four Hundred and Sixty-Six — Operation Level-Up
Chapter Four Hundred and Sixty-Six — Operation Level-Up I blinked, then nodded. "Anything you need, I'll give you," I said.Booksie sighed with a shake of her head. "You can't just say that, Broccoli. At least hear me out first? Oh, and pass the pepper. Rhawr likes his food spicy."I found a small basket filled with peppers and passed it over, then when I saw that Booksie was preparing to chop them into smaller bits, I grabbed a knife and started doing the same. "So, what's the favour, then?" I asked.Our chat was accompanied by the click-thunk of knives tapping against the cutting board. I made a mental note not to touch my eyes, even with Cleaning magic-I didn't want to experience pepper juice in my eyes."Rhawr and I spoke a bit, and I think I'm going to take up his offer for training.""Training?" Amaryllis asked. "I can't imagine what sort of training you could do with a dragon. Though I suppose he might be knowledgeable enough with magical matters.""He knows a fair bit, but a lot of it is instinctual. Dragons aren't the apex just because they're massive, highly magically resistant, grow quickly, live for a very long time, and can fly." Booksie paused. "I mean, none of those things hurt. But they're also born with a keen understanding of magic and the World itself.""The world?" I asked.She nodded. "It's why, I think, dragons tend to avoid eating riftwalkers if they can."I blinked. Well, that was useful to know. I did remember that when we first met Rhawrexdee, he had given me a sniff and called me out on being from another world. At the time, he could very easily have gobbled me up. Actually, I was pretty sure that was still the case. I was proud of how far I'd come, but I was nowhere near the 'fight a dragon' level."Why do they care about riftwalkers?" I asked."Because they're summoned by the World itself to address a crisis," Amaryllis said with a nod. "It makes sense. The World is ... the World. Whether you're a dragon or a harpy, it is still unimaginably far beyond you. A dragon will respect its wishes, just as much as I do ... even if I sometimes question its choices concerning who, exactly, it picks to bring over.""Is that about me or about Rainnewt?" I asked.Desiree gasped, then pointed at me. "You are an otherworlder!" she said. Her tails swish-swished behind her in excitement. "I knew my keen senses had not fooled me from the moment I laid my eyes and tails upon you.""You did?" I asked."Indeed! I once said something in my beautiful and most artistic native tongue, the Noble Tongue, and you responded in kind. I suspected that you were a well-educated traveller, but you seemed utterly ignorant of my people and culture!""Oops," I said. Then I shrugged. I wasn't very good at keeping secrets, and this one was mine, so it didn't hurt anyone but me if I let it slip. Besides, Desiree was a friend, and friends should know a bit about each other's past and such! "So, ah, does that mean that the dragons won't help with Rainnewt?""Oh, I think Rhawr can look past his instincts just fine," Booksie said. Somehow that came out as very scary."So, this training, it's not in magic then?" Amaryllis asked. "Instinctual casters make for poor teachers at the best of times.""No, what he wants to do is something called powerlevelling," Booksie said. "The basics of it are relatively simple. When you're in a group and fighting against something, the experience earned for defeating that thing is shared. If your contribution is tiny, then your portion will be equally small, however."I nodded along. I had an inkling of where she was going with this."Still, a small portion from a large pool is still worth it. There are wild drakes to the north, gryphons to the west, and a large number of very powerful, very old swamp monsters to the east. All well within a morning's flight.""You want to go hunting with Rhawrexdee," I surmised. "And that'll give you a heap of experience, even if you're only helping a little.""Exactly," Booksie said. "That, and I think it's high time that I find myself a second class."Desiree gasped. "You've yet to challenge your first dungeon?" she asked."I haven't really needed to," Booksie said. "And this is where the favour comes in. I know that you've tackled a number of dungeons. Rhawr would help, but dragons... are quite a bit larger than some dungeons would allow. There are a few that dragon-kind know of and share the location of that allow even someone as large as Rhawr to slip in and complete the dungeon, but those don't offer classes I want, and are all very far."Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more."Wouldn't want to miss your own wedding," Amaryllis said.Booksie grinned. "Exactly.""Did you pick out a dungeon yet?" I asked."Oh! I have. Can you watch the eggs?" Booksie rubbed her hands on her apron as she slipped out of the kitchen. I checked on the eggs in the meantime. There were so many in this omelette that it was hard to get them cooked evenly. The peppers were all chopped up, so I started sprinkling some into the mix just as Booksie returned with a large book. "This is a copy of the Exploration Guild's Dungeon Guide," she said as she placed the book down on the end of the counter."You have your own copy?" Amaryllis asked."It's several years out of date, but yes," Booksie said. "It's hard to sell this one, owing to how it's liable to be outdated in a few spots. Still, it gives a decent idea of what to expect." She flipped the tome open to a page that was already bookmarked. "Here!"Amaryllis leaned over. I was a bit too far to make out the text and didn't want to abandon my spot in case the omelette got burned on the bottom. "A cooking class?""It's an exceptionally strange class, actually," Booksie said. "It's a legal and cooking class.""What's it called?""The Sue-Chef," Booksie said. "I think it'll be a nice combination for me. I enjoy cooking, so a few more skills in that direction couldn't hurt, and my business... well, it's a business. Having a good grasp of the law can only help with this kind of thing, I think.""Oh, uh, right, that makes sense," I said. I wasn't sure what to think about that name, so I decided not to think about it at all. That was an important skill, sometimes. "Where's the dungeon anyway?""Mattergrove. So to the west and south. It's not too far from the capital, actually," Booksie said. She winced. "If I wanted to go there on my own, it'd be a week by airship, but mostly because I'd need to go around and change ships midway. If I go with Rhawr, I can make it there in an afternoon, but it won't be a comfortable flight, and I'll arrive at the dungeon with no one to help me through it.""Oh," I said. "Well we can definitely help, then!" I said."For a small fee," Amaryllis added."But with a friend discount," I added on top of that. "A big one!"Amaryllis rolled her eyes. "I suspect we could get the fees out of the guild at this point, just for keeping an eye on you. We might even get a bonus mission out of it if the dungeon hasn't been examined in a while.""I have a bit of money," Booksie said with the kind of wince I'd expect from someone who really didn't."It's fine, don't worry about it," I said. "Maybe we can double-dip with the training after? I'd love to level up a few more times, and it'll be a lot more fun as a group!"Booksie nodded. "Don't tell Rhawr, but flying with him is a little harsh on the rear-end."I giggled. "What about a saddle?""Oh, he'd never accept that," Booksie said. "Dragons have plenty of pride.""Well, we could follow along in the Beaver. It's not nearly as quick or nimble as a dragon, but it does have beds and a kitchen and a washroom.""All of which are exceptionally good selling points, yes," Booksie agreed."When are you planning this trip?" Amaryllis asked. She was always the one looking out for the logistical part of things."Ideally? Very soon. The sooner the better, even. I'd like to get that new class up and maybe a few levels before the wedding, which would mean departing... well, today would be nice."Amaryllis sighed. "Today. That's... possible. But it's not comfortable.""We could go tomorrow at dawn," I suggested. "It'll give us time to get everyone onboard and prepped, and to plot a route, and to check our supplies. Awen hasn't finished fixing everything, but this'll be a good excuse to hire some help from the port so she's not alone with the repairs."Amaryllis sighed. "I swear, my life is one disaster after another, isn't it?"Desiree regarded her strangely, then turned toward me. "Forgive me, but I must enquire as to whether this bird lady is always so melodramatic."
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