Ar'Kendrithyst

With a Handy Aura, a rough plan, a quick trip to the market, and a stop by Spice Lady Ratchet’s store, Erick had all the pieces to start dinner. He had three hours to go till dinner, and more than enough food to make; he might not even make it, dinner might be late.

He started with dessert first. Lemon bundt cakes soon filled a table, while iced cookies filled four baskets. Two of the cakes were destined for other people, but those cookies were for Jane and the household.

Dinner would, of course, prominently feature potatoes. So Erick got right on that. Sliced, fried, then set aside until he could fry them again right before go-time, the potatoes were easy to make. Chicken came next. It was carved into popcorn sized pieces and breaded and fried, with spices so pungent, Erick had to conjure gloves and a face mask to stop his skin from burning.

When Rats woke up, Erick sent him out for beer. The redscale man smiled and gladly accepted this wonderful new responsibility. He would get the best beer, and it would only cost a few hundred gold. That was okay, money would not be tight for tonight’s service. Erick also told him to buy some fancy breads, too. Rats nodded; he knew just the place.

Erick roasted all sorts of vegetables, from carrots to corn, and not-eggplant and not-zucchini. He even managed to make a passable Ranch dressing with the spices Ratchet sold him, and sour cream he had made the day before. It was slightly different Ranch than how Erick remembered, but when Teressa woke up and tried it, she thought it was wonderful.

Jane showed up half an hour before sunset, walking home with Rats, both of them carrying kegs and bags of food.

Erick had decided to make pizza, too. Buffalo fried chicken pizza. The two-foot wide pizza came out of the oven, perfectly melted and singed, just as Jane tapped the first keg.

As the sun set over western Spur, and the sky turned cold, as winds flowed from the north, Erick laid out dinner for his daughter, and everyone else in the household. It was a nice, calm event. Erick burned his mouth trying out the spicy fried chicken, though he was not alone in that regard. The only one able to stomach the powerful spice was Jane, who absolutely loved it. Kiri almost managed to eat a whole fried tender, but rushed for the milk one bite to the end. Jane laughed, while Teressa and Rats chuckled. Poi ate his non-spicy chicken, smiling as he watched. The pizza was an absolute hit. The Ranch went fast, too; Erick had to make more of that, so he did.

Erick felt a joy, in this moment, in this time.

After dinner, Jane made coftea, while Erick sliced up cakes and set out cookies. Dessert was nice, too. Teressa spoke of the places she had seen and the monsters she had killed, while Rats talked of the people who had come through Spur. Poi spoke of history and facts, while Kiri talked of magic. Jane would go hunt Flame Essences tomorrow, but before she went, Erick had presents to give.

It had only taken him twenty minutes, scattered throughout the afternoon cooking, to go to his tower and actually enchant the blanks he already had, and now, he was going to give them to his people; if they wanted them. Erick excused himself from the kitchen table, and went to his tower to collect the presents.

Erick came back to the kitchen. Dirty plates and half eaten cakes laid scattered across the dark wooden table, while warm mugs of coftea steamed into the air, and people spoke of other places and different times. Nothing had changed between him leaving and coming back, but now, Erick carried ten rings in his pockets, and they felt heavy.

Poi was the first to go silent, and look up to him. Kiri looked up next. Conversation ceased.

Erick said, “I made rings for everyone. But these are special. If anyone ever finds out you have something like this, you might become a target, but we’re already targets. So...”

Kiri breathed in, sharply. Teressa and Rats frowned. More silence.

Jane said, “I think it’s a good idea. You all could do with some more defenses.”

Poi asked, “What are they?”

Erick pulled out his ten rings, and Handy Aura’d them out. The rings floated on unseen hands, to sit beside their designated people. The rings were unassuming things; a silver, plain sphere, set in a thin band of iron. There were no flourishes upon the jewelry, but everyone stared at them like they were priceless, or dangerous, or interesting.

Jane put hers on, first. Left ring finger, right ring finger, and done. She tilted her head, then sat calmly, saying, “That’s some good quality.”

“They’re a bit better than mine, but only by a few points.”

Jane said, “A few points adds up a lot.”

“Well. Yeah,” Erick agreed.

Rats took off his old rings and put on his new ones. He shivered. A moment passed, as he read the air, blinking. His mouth dropped open. He almost said something, but he chose to remain silent.

Poi, Kiri, and Teressa quickly put theirs on.

Erick watched, as eyes lit up, and brows furrowed, and Poi glared daggers at absolutely everyone except Erick. Poi’s look was one that declared that questions would remain questions.

Poi looked up to Erick, and said, “Thank you. These will do nicely.”

Kiri chuckled. “Oh my gods— I don’t want to know how. But I want to know. You know?”

Rats said, “Best not to.”

“Yes.” Teressa said, “Don’t poke around at this, Kiri.” She looked at the rings on her fingers, and said, “I’m not even sure we should have these.”

Rats said, “This solves so many problems for me. I’m using them.”

Kiri said, “Me too.”

“Me three.” Teressa said, “But… There is a danger, here.”

Jane said, “Danger is everywhere. Rats almost died the other day.”

Poi said, “The argument is a valid one to have. But we are using these rings. They solve a lot of problems for me, too.”

Kiri glanced up to Erick with a hunger in her eyes, but she looked away, to the rings on her fingers, and said nothing.

Jane looked to Kiri, then to Erick, smirking, as she asked, “How’d your [Death Spiral Fire], go, Dad?”

Erick exaggerated a frown at his daughter, as he glanced to Kiri.

“What!” Jane asked, all falsely innocent.

Erick decided to pull the bandage off quickly. “I did not get it—”

Kiri sighed out a happy, silent chuckle.

“—but I got something very similar—”

Kiri held her breath.

“—and something that is good enough to use in the place of [Death Spiral Fire].”

Kiri deflated, but quickly regained her composure.

Erick pulled out the box for [Endless Plasma Wrap] and handed it to Jane, across the table. At Kiri’s barely concealed look of supreme want, he handed her a copy, too. Kiri’s eyes went wide, as her breath hitched.

Jane took the spell, and spoke for the group, “Three times Willpower damage until the target dies. 1101 mana. Close range, though that’s not a big deal with Ophiel.” She dismissed the spell. “That’s a wyrm-killer!”

Kiri smiled softly, as she read the spell. She said, “It will serve.”

Erick changed the subject. “Anyone have any idea how [Teleport] works? I couldn’t get anything past the basic spell.”

Kiri kept her soft smile; remaining silent.

Poi said, “I have no idea.”

Teressa and Rats both shrugged, each of them touching the rings on their fingers.

Kiri said, “Uh! Yeah. It’s difficult to get [Teleport Object]. Proper training will help.”

“[Prismatic Ward] didn’t get made well, either.” Erick sat down and carved himself another slice of lemon cake, saying, “I did the rhyme and everything, but I think it was too simple. That spell is seven moving parts, all at once.”

Kiri asked, “How bad was it?”

“It was better than the Script version, for sure. But it was only 3 times Variable, and an unchanging area. Medium sized.”

Kiri paled, guttering out a long, drawn out, “Haaaa.”

Jane laughed loud.

Erick ignored Jane, saying, “So, Kiri. I was thinking to try a few Particle spells, and see about having you make them, and me copying them. Would you be interested in this?”

“Yes!” Kiri said, instantly.

Jane laughed again.

While dessert rolled on, and they spoke of magic, Erick went ahead and bought the rest of the spells necessary for Oceanside.