Chapter: 3 – Dinner

The sun was setting as Tala and Lyn walked the city streets towards food and introductions.

Tala had the comforting weight of money in a pouch at her belt, while still retaining the hesitancy of the recently destitute. This money would have to provide for her until her first trip, as well as outfit her for that venture, and she still had no idea exactly what that entailed.

Thankfully, Lyn was leading them purposefully towards their goal, so Tala wasn’t delayed or sidetracked by her many musings. I really do need to focus on my surroundings more… In school, her introspections had kept her away from too much notice and allowed her to skirt the attention of many who might otherwise have called upon her or used conflict with her to elevate their own positions. Out in the real world? It was likely to get her killed.

As if to highlight the very lack of awareness she was contemplating, Tala was suddenly led from the busy, if relatively quiet, main streets into a crowded courtyard, filled with people, tables, and portable kitchens.

Mature trees stood, pleasingly distributed throughout the space. She noticed several braziers as well, though they were unlit since it was a warmer autumn evening. Ceramic plates, magically altered to release gathered sunlight in an even glow, provided a comfortable, if not bright, illumination.

There were people at every table, but no table was truly full. While the seating was biased towards the center of the space, the food carts—for that was what the cart-bound kitchens were—encircled the lot, doing brisk business.

Many passersby ducked into the area to buy food before continuing on their way, but some stayed, grabbing a seat as others vacated it, creating a slowly rotating, constant group of people.

It reminded Tala of the academy’s dining hall—if the people had been excited to be there and the food had ever smelled this good.

She inhaled deeply, instantly imprisoned by the rapture of succulent smells.

She couldn’t distinguish the smell of any one dish, or even one stall, among the milieu, but the combination was a joy and a half.

Lyn was staring at her again. “Are you okay? You look like a starving dog presented with a steak.”

Tala grinned. “It has been far too long since I’ve had a meal that smelled this good.”

Lyn quirked an eyebrow. “You still haven’t.”

Tala’s grin broadened. “What do you recommend?”

They made their way over to a particularly overburdened cart, lorded over by a large, but not truly rotund, woman. “Mistress Lyn! Good to see you!” The woman came around to the front of her cart to enfold the much-smaller Lyn. “And who is this waif you bring to my kitchen?”

Her reply came out muffled. “This is Mistress Tala. She’s new to the city.” As Lyn was released, she turned towards Tala. “Mistress Tala, this is Gretel.”

Tala began to bow. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Gret—” But she was cut off as Gretel scooped her up in an overpowering embrace.

“Welcome, child.” She turned and picked up a meat pie, thrusting it at Tala.

Tala took it, marveling at how thick and sturdy the crust felt. Not a drop of filling was evident on the outside as she took the proffered food. “Oh! Ah… What do I owe you for this?”

Gretel laughed. “Girl, that one’s on me. If you aren’t compelled to buy more after you eat it, well, that’s my fault for making them too resistible.” She winked.

Tala smiled and took a bite.

There were no words for the culinary delight, which the pie encompassed. It was a light cream, vegetable, and poultry mixture, with exactly the right blend and ratio of spices.

Gretel served several other customers while Tala devoured her own acquisition.

When she was, once again, up in the queue, Tala sang her praises of the offering.

“I like this one, Mistress Lyn. Will she be about for long?”

“I hope she will be, at least every so often.”

Tala nodded her assent. “I can promise I’ll be back. How much for another?”

“Five copper.”

Five ounces copper. So cheap? How? “How? These are amazing!”

Gretel smiled in response. “My customers usually get five or six.” She gestured to the other carts in the area. “We try to make our portions small so that our patrons can enjoy a large variety.” She leaned in close as if sharing a secret. “But, tell you the truth, most who try mine just fill up right here.” She straightened and winked again.

“Mistress Lyn, can I buy you a few?”

“Oh! Sure? That really isn’t necessary, Mistress Tala.”

She waved away the objection. “Nonsense. I’ll take ten.” She dug around in her money pouch before pulling out a one ounce silver coin. “Can you make change?”

“Easily.” Gretel took the silver, verifying the weight, and returned four much smaller silver coins, a tenth of an ounce each, and ten one ounce coppers. “So, you can easily try some of the other stalls if you’d like. I can’t hog all the good customers, now can I?” She winked yet again.

After tucking the coins away, Tala gave a slight bow. “Thank you.”

Gretel handed over the ten small pies on a wooden platter. “Mistress Lyn knows what to do with that when you’re done. I look forward to seeing you again, girl!”

Tala gave a wave as she followed Lyn towards one side of the courtyard. As they approached, Tala was able to guess where they were heading.

One table was a bit emptier than the others. A striking woman sat on one short side of the long, rectangular table.

Tala could not tell her age, or much else about her, because most of her features were obscured by the most all-encompassing, intricate set of spell-lines Tala had ever beheld. The woman, herself, was clothed as if she were expecting to cast, meaning with as little covered as possible. In all fairness, however, the intricacy of her inscriptions, and their pervasive nature, left the woman looking as if she wore a skintight outfit of woven silver, copper, and gold.

It was beautiful.

They approached, and Tala set their tray down in front of a couple of empty seats beside the woman. The inscriber lifted her gaze from her own platter of simple foods to regard Lyn and Tala, and Tala felt the telltale tingle of magic. Her eyes showed her minute ripples of power across the woman’s face, indicating that she’d activated her magesight.

“Mistress Holly, this is Mistress Tala.” Lyn gestured to the seated woman. “Mistress Tala, Mistress Holly.”

Tala bowed slightly. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“You’re cast quite dry, aren’t you?”

Tala hesitated, then quirked a smile. “I suppose I am.”

Holly’s head tilted to an inquisitive angle. “No? Interesting. If casting didn’t strip you of your ancillary lines, what did?” She leaned closer, even as Tala sat. “You must tell me.”

Tala cleared her throat. “I… um…” She swallowed and glanced to Lyn. “I was teleported here.”

Lyn’s eyes widened, slightly, but she didn’t comment.

“Teleported. That seems to be true. But why would you only have your keystone replaced…?” Holly’s eyes snapped back to Tala’s own. “You didn’t, did you?”

“No?”

“Be decisive. I can’t see the truth of your words if you have no confidence.”

“No. I did not have my keystone replaced. It was maintained through transport.”

Holly pushed herself backward, just a bit, nodding happily. “I knew it. I knew it. There is an… ethereal aspect to your keystone, as if another’s power was forced through it. Why it didn’t break your gate I’ve no idea, but I suppose by Hethron’s third law…” Her mutterings slowly faded below Tala’s ability to hear them, and she turned to Lyn.

“Is she… always like this?”

“Hmmm? Oh, yes. She’s quite brilliant, and so most of her conversations are with herself.” Lyn shrugged. “But she’s the best, and I quite like you.”

Holly’s eyes narrowed. “Still not giving you a discount.”

Lyn rolled her eyes. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

Thus, as night truly fell upon the city, Tala sat with new acquaintances, surrounded by the sounds of revelry and the hum of conversation.

This just might be possible. I might just be able to work free of this burden.

* * *

Tala licked her fingers clean of her last meat pie and leaned back, comfortably stuffed.

Holly finished the last of her own food, savoring a fruit tart, which had been covered with fluffed cream.

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“Now. Give me some blood.”

Tala’s lazy comfort flashed away in an instant. “What.”

Holly held out her hand, palm down, revealing a circle of bare skin, surrounded by vaguely familiar silver scripts. “Your blood, Mage. I need it to access your scripting records.”

Tala looked to Lyn, but the woman just shrugged. “It’s how she operates. My understanding is that it allows her to directly overlay the schema on her client within her vision, instead of having to do comparisons.”

Tala found herself nodding. “That does sound easier.” She glanced at the hand, still extended her way. “If a bit… gross.”

Holly rolled her eyes. “Well? Mistress Lyn did bring you here for this, right? Let’s see what we have to work with.”

Reluctantly, Tala pricked her own finger, willing a spark of power into the blood just as she pressed a drop down upon the empty circle of Holly’s flesh.

She had a moment of feeling oddly disjointed, but it passed as quickly as it had come. Her skin is much tougher to the touch than I’d have guessed.

As the blood came into the circle, silver scripts all over Holly’s body flickered to life, their power then flowing into lines of copper or gold. “I see.” The older woman stood. “Come, now. Stand up. Let me get a good look.”

Feeling incredibly self-conscious, and aware that they were in a highly public place, Tala stood.

Holly began moving her about, looking at various parts of her like an alchemist deciding if an herb was worth processing. Holly made an appreciative sound as she inspected Tala’s hands but scoffed as she looked elsewhere.

Finally, Holly poked her in the side of her left breast, just softly enough to avoid leaving a bruise. “Whoever designed these was a gifted idiot.” She snorted a laugh as Tala rubbed the side of her chest discreetly. “And he was likely in love with you.”

Tala froze. “What?”