84: Rescue Plans

With everyone back, it was time to plan our actual departure—and what the plan even was.

Or so I thought anyway.

Micca suddenly appeared next to me.

“We got you something special!” she said excitedly. A moment later, an old-looking book appeared in her hands, and she handed it to me.

The Culinary Experience

Master Cook, Brù Din

“You got me a cookbook?” I said, quickly flipping through the pages. Recipe after recipe filled the book—so many new things to try. There was even a whole section on sauces!

“This is amazing!” I practically yelled, giving Micca a hug.

It really was an incredible gift. Up until now, I’d only been going off the super basics I’d learned from Martin and Geo. I’d been meaning to buy a cookbook ever since Boltron, but one thing had led to another and I never got the chance.

“You’re welcome. It was Jen’s idea too,” Micca added.

I gave Jen a hug as well, even though she was still distracted by Crisplet.

“Thanks for the book—it’s amazing,” I said.

She just chuckled. “You’re welcome. Now tell me what happened to Crisplet. He looks so… fierce now!”

Crisplet shot off a burst of bright embers.

I gave her a rundown of what had happened and explained his new abilities, with Crisplet happily demonstrating along the way—even going so far as to hit Liane again with Disruption Flare, catching her completely off guard.

“Hey! What was that for?” she snapped, turning around to glare at us.

“Sorry! Crisplet was just demonstrating his abilities,” I said. But Crisplet didn’t help the situation. A single ember flew over and hit right on Liane’s forehead.

“Right, you little ball of ash! Come here!” she growled, vanishing on the spot.

Crisplet dashed back into the oven, sealing the entrance behind him with a puff of ash. I couldn’t help but laugh.

I was just about to start reading through the book when Micca tugged my attention back again.

“Put that away—you can read it later. We have so much food to give you. It felt like we bought out their whole market,” she said, already pulling items from her storage.

She started with the meat, since there was less of that. They just didn’t have the storage space. She pulled out twenty Grumfels, two boars, and five large slabs of Buvul.

I stored everything as she passed it over, before she moved on to the vegetables: three full sacks of tubers, carrots, onions, garlic grass, and three large pumpkins. Then came more rolled oats, two sacks of flour, and a small sack of mixed whole grain.

Next came the fruit. There were dozens of apples and oranges, along with several I didn’t recognise—including one that looked like a star. She also pulled out piles of berries in all different colours and sizes. One in particular stood out: a giant, spiked green fruit I definitely didn’t recognise. When I stored it, I got the name: Graviola.

Once that was done, Milo remembered to hand me the dough from the baker, and we all sat down around the table to go over our plan. Crisplet was there too, seated on the opposite side of the table from Liane, I noticed.

“Right, let’s talk about the plan,” Hari began. “We’re heading to the capital. It’s a fairly long trip, and it’ll take even longer with the stops we’ve planned along the way.”
He pulled out a map and spread it across the table.

“We have a couple of options. First, we could head straight east toward the capital. It’s the most direct route, and we can stop at Dunhearth along the way—it’s only a few hours out of the way.”

“Alternatively, we could head south, cut through just past the forest, and meet the southern road. Then we’d follow the coast east. It would add significant time to our journey, but we may,”—he lingered on that word—“be able to reach Trev’s friend in the army before he arrives in Portland.”

He looked around at everyone. “Usually the army group moves slowly, visiting all the towns and villages along the way to recruit as many people as possible.”

Everyone nodded—except Micca, who spoke up.

“What happens once he reaches Portland?”

“Well,” Hari said, pausing, “they ferry soldiers across the gap to Lands End pretty regularly. That’s where they join the front line. If he’s already crossed… there’s not much we can do at that point.”

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He looked to me, almost apologetically.

“If we find him, can we do anything to help?” I asked, worried it would all be for nothing.

“Well, yes and no. Officially, once he’s signed up, that’s it. However, he’s from an orphanage,” Milo said, his voice tinged with irritation. “A couple of gold coins would probably convince his superior that he was ‘lost on the road’.”

“It’s that easy? Don’t they even care?” Micca asked, clearly shocked.

“Not at all. Several households have purchased guards that way, ones I know of personally,” Milo replied.

“I’d like to help him if we can,” I said, looking around. Crisplet gave a burst of embers, though I suspected he just wanted to support me.

“I don’t mind either way. The trade-off here is that the longer we wait to reach the capital, the more word will have spread—about your connection to dragons and Lily,” Hari said. He continued, “So it’s important to note: worst-case scenario, your friend has already crossed. By the time we reach the capital, every powerful faction and family will have heard the rumours and will want to see you… for various reasons.”

Jen chuckled. “Let’s be honest—they’ll know regardless. Messengers would’ve been sent the day Boltron was attacked, and probably a dozen more since.”

“I say we go find his friend. If we don’t do it now, we’re leaving him to his fate. And even if he survives, we all know no one comes back from that isle unchanged,” Liane said.

Everyone nodded.