Fire Heart Chapter 17

The two of us stopped and turned our heads back towards the forest where the voice had come from. A fully grown man was approaching us after having exited the forest a little ways away from where we had come out. His clothes were raggedy, his eyes were bloodshot and there was a distinctive air of confusion about him as he stumbled towards us.

“This man is clearly drunk.” I thought. I was able to confirm this when he got closer and the stink of alcohol and body odor assaulted my nostrils. Beside me Merilyn’s face scrunched up as well, as she was met with the unfamiliar and unpleasant scent of an unwashed human vagrant.

“Din’cha hear me? I asked what you brats’re doing ‘round here? Don’chu know it's dang’rus near the forest?” he asked, eyeing us suspiciously.

Grimacing at the unpleasant man I said, in the most childish tone I could muster “Oops, sorry mister! We were just playing, but I guess we went too far from town, huh? We’ll go back now though, so see ya!”

Merry whipped her head around and stared with sparkling eyes at my performance while my face became flushed with embarrassment. I hated simpering to this ape, but I was willing to set my pride aside to give Merry the experience she wanted.

I grabbed her hand and made to leave, but before we could the man said “Now wait jus’ a second…I don’t recall seeing either of you herabouts anywhere. Who’re your parents?” As he said this I saw an odd look start to form in his eyes, like he was eyeing a particularly fat pig that he couldn’t wait to eat.

Still unsure of whether or not this man was a threat, I said “Sorry mister, but our mom and dad told us not to talk to strangers. We really need to get home before they start to worry about us…”

The mans eyes didn’t change, but a leer began to split his features. “Ho, is that right? But everyone knows who I am- Tomas Kenny, the town drunk! Heh heh heh, if ya won’t tell me who yer parents are, then won’cha at least tell me the town’s name? Seems the drink’s made me ferget it.”

I paused. The man had already figured out that we weren’t from his village, so the question was-why did he want to make sure? What was he trying to get from us? I pondered that for long enough that he took my silence as me not knowing the answer to the question.

“Heh heh, looks like ya don’t know, do ya brat? Cuz yer not from ‘round here, are ya? Naw, you’re probly some runways off to join the rest of those brats. And since nobody knows who ya are…heh heh heh'' His leer stretched even wider. “Looks like it’s ol’ Tom’s lucky day, found me a couple o’ slaves I can sell. I’ll be drinkin some fine wine tonight!” he shouted, reaching out and snatching both of our arms. Now that we were in his clutches, the old man was howling with laughter “Haw haw haw! I reckon you two’ll fetch a fine price! ‘Specially the girl, pretty faces like that sell might nicely to Lords and Barons! Maybe if yer lucky one of them’ll let ya in their harem!”

With that the old fool turned towards the town and yanked our arms to drag us along with him. But, rather than pulling us it was him who was pulled flat onto his back. Neither of us had moved from our original positions.

“What the-” he tried to say, but Merrilyn interrupted him

“So this is what you and our Master meant about the humans.” she said, eyeing Tomas coldly.

“Yes…though to be fair, they aren’t all this bad. Most would rather kill you than subject you to lifelong torment.”

“I see. Still, I would like to have a look at more than just this one.”

“I had a feeling you would say that.” I said, grimacing again “Very well, but first would you allow me to…partake of him?”

She rested her head on my shoulders again and, eyes closed, said “If you must.”

Tom opened his mouth and attempted to speak again but this time he was stopped by my .

The skill had leveled up since i left the Stronghold and it now came with the extra ability Petrify

-A Skill granted to those who have eaten a Gorgon

Two immortal and one slain, take vengeance upon the so called heroes who stole her from you!

-The user gains the ability to paralyze small creatures at the cost of mana

-(Unlocked at Lv.3) The user gains the ability to paralyze large creatures at the cost of significantly more mana. Cost increases exponentially with the size of the opponent.

-(Unlocked at Lv.5) The user gains the ability to petrify creatures at the cost of mana. Cost increases exponentially with the size of the opponent. Time until full petrification can be decreased at greater cost of mana.

-Locked-

The man choked on his words and my skill bound his entire body in place.

“Now then, I have a question for you.” I said, now wearing my own leer.“ Would you like to play a game with me, you foolish little man?”

Tom’s eyes widened as I dropped the facade of a child and spoke with all of the pent up rage that this man had given me.

It was time for some fun.

****

One hour later and the two of us were well on our way to the town again after leaving behind what appeared to be the broken remains of a strange, stone statue carved in the likeness of the town drunk.

On an unrelated note, we now had quite a lot of information about the town, it’s geography, it’s residents, it’s economy, as well as the economy of greater Langrace. We also knew the town’s name- Elmbrook- Named for the type of tree that grew closest to the town and for the little river that flowed through the center of it. There was a single path that lead into Elmbrook from the forest, widened out as it passed through the town, and then came out the other end as a dirt road for carts to haul in goods to and from the capital. The town’s main export? Elm wood.

And the occasional runaway slave.

To my knowledge Estora did not practice slavery, but in Langrace it has been legal for the last twenty years. Ever since the previous King Leopold Von Randoll II had died and was succeeded by his first born son, Leopold Von Randoll III. That was also around the time when this country’s Saint defected to the Holy Popedom.

Of course, one wasn’t likely to see slaves working this far from the capital. A logging town like this would need to spend an entire year's income just to afford a single slave, so it was more cost effective to just do the work themselves. On the other hand, if someone from a town like this managed to catch a runaway they could live comfortably for decades off of the money they’d receive selling the slave back to the capital.

In other words, there was a lot of incentive to be suspicious about new faces since those new faces could be the difference between breaking your back at a sawmill and feasting on good meat and fine drink for years to come.

“I don’t understand.”Merry said, frowning “How could someone be so happy to destroy the life of another? Wouldn’t they at least consider how they would feel if the same thing happened to th-” she stopped suddenly, and her eyes became dull and lifeless.

I had seen that look before, whenever she remembered her past before meeting me.

“No…no, I understand it perfectly. To people like them, slaves don’t even qualify as real people. They’re just…things, to be used and tossed away at their own discretion.”

Seeing Merry’s mood turn sour I quickly tried to cheer her up, saying “Like I said earlier, not all humans are like that. Estora doesn’t even practice slavery, so maybe this country’s people are just…defective?”

“Maybe…” she said. She knew I was trying to make her feel better so she said “And that man did say that this country didn’t always practice slavery.” She smiled at my effort and I smiled back at her, though in my heart of hearts I wasn’t sure I really believed what I was saying.

The two of us were at the entrance of the village, but before we could go in we were stopped by a pair of guards.

“Halt. Who are you two, I’ve never seen your faces around here.” said the guard on the left.

“We’re from Erstshire, to the west! Our parents came here to sell potatoes, but we wanted to see what the forest looked like…um, we’re sorry if we weren’t allowed to do that…” I said, putting on my sincerest tone and staring at the man with wide, sad eyes.

“Is that so…” the man said, his tone softening. He was ready to let us go through but his partner to the right wanted to ask us one more question.

“Before we let you through, do you by any chance know the name of this village?” his expression was emotionless, like he was already detaching himself from us as people.

“Elmwood!” we both said loudly, with the brightest smiles we could muster.

The two men smiled in return and waved us on our way.

A few moments later Merry said “They both seemed so nice, but if we had given them the wrong answer they would have tossed us into slavery…” Merry said, frowning again as we walked past rows of houses on the outskirts of town.

“That is the duality of humanity. And the danger of them. They are capable of more kindness than any dragon, but the trade off Is that their capacity for cruelty is likewise unmatched.”

Merilyn nodded her head, as she was beginning to understand exactly what sort of creatures humans were.

“So that’s why you…and Rickurd…”

“…Yes, that is why I am able to love one human so much while hating the rest of them.”

Merilyn looked as though she had finally connected the last piece of a very convoluted puzzle. For a moment she stared at me emphatically, taking in all that I was now that she could understand it. Then she smiled and planted a kiss on my cheek.

“I accept you, everything you are and everything you have been. And I hope you will let me accept everything you will become as well.”

“Of course, do you even need to ask?” I said, rubbing my cheek where she had kissed it. I told her that humans don’t lick one another, instead choosing to kiss with their lips. Though I hadn’t expected her to take to it right away.

“No, but it brings me joy to hear you say yes.”

“Hmph.” I grunted, embarrassed.

The two of us walked in silence after that, marveling at the town and all it had to offer. I had been in several towns before coming to Elmbrook, but at the time I was more preoccupied with destruction than I was with taking in the sights. Merry on the other hand had seen no civilization outside of the dragonic kind and was enchanted by the idea of making and selling items at a marketplace. I could see in her eyes a hunger that had not been there before and I had the feeling that an idea was forming in her head. An idea that was likely to cause me a headache or two.

We passed a merchant who was selling fried meat on a stick and the smell was too enticing to pass up for me so, using a pouch full of coins that I had found on a stone statue, I purchased two of the kebabs and gave one to Merry.

“What on earth is this?” she said, eyeing the meat suspiciously.

“Human food. Their one great achievement that even I cannot criticize!” I said, happily chomping on the delicious meat. The taste was to die for, even compared to the human food Rickurd had given me. The meat was soft, chewy and melted in your mouth better than even the fattest deer or boar could. The human chef had added some kind of spice too, creating an all new kind of flavor that I was not familiar with yet made my eyes water with delight all the same.

Merry, astounded by my reaction, bit into her kebab too and was likewise instantly hooked on the deliciousness of it.

“How…” she whispered, looking starry eyed at the now meatless stick “How can I ever go back to eating it raw…?”

I couldn’t answer that. There was nothing more addicting than human food, but getting more meant we would need money, and acquiring money meant working for humans which was something I couldn’t abide.

“Maybe we can learn to cook stuff like this ourselves…?” I ventured.

Merilyn looked at me seriously-deadly seriously, and said “Illumi, we must learn how to make food like this! There’s no way I could go back to eating uncooked squirrel when I know there are delicacies like this-”

She stopped suddenly and her eyes widened like she was looking at something she had never seen before. I turned around to see what had caught her attention, but there was nothing there aside from the hustle and bustle of humans running around.

“Merry, what is it?” I asked, using telepathy so as not to draw attention.

But she answered with her mouth, saying “Illumi…i’ve just gained a skill”

“What!? Merry that’s incredible! What is it? What have you learned?!”

She smiled a wide smile at me, and said “I’ve learned

-A skill granted to those with a passion for the culinary arts.

*Note: Enhanced conditions met by Young Dragon Sorcerer Merilyn, Exception granted.

A feast! A feast! A feast for the heart and mind! A feast for the body and soul! Food is succor, food is life, food is peace and food is war! Nations fight for spice, countries move for salt! Yours is the most sacred and important of duties-do not fail in your pursuit of the most wonderful flavors!

For that is the toil of a chef.

- The user gains the abilities (Summon Pot) (Summon Pan) (Summon Cauldron) (Summon Knife)(Summon Fork)(Summon Spoon)

-Ability ‘Recipe Book’ unlocked

-Locked-

-Locked-

-Locked-

-Locked-

-Locked-

I was so proud of her. My dear Merry, despite being a sorcerer, had managed to unlock her second skill ever! It was truly a momentous occasion for her. Merry too was reveling in her skill as she was currently overlooking every aspect of the ability to make sure she understood it completely.

“It looks like I can store every recipe I’ve ever learned inside of this ‘Recipe Book’…no, I can even store recipes that I don’t know yet but want to learn in the future. The Kebab, it’s right here! ‘Spicy Beef Kebab’-but the ingredients are all blacked out…”

I wanted to congratulate her some more, but before I could I suddenly heard a voice say “Excuse me, you two? Could you come over here for a moment?”

For a moment I disregarded the voice, believing it to be directed at someone else. But when I looked around my eyes met those of the kebab merchant who was beckoning us over to him. I looked at Merry, who nodded her head, and the two of us went to see what the strange man wanted.

“You youngsters will have to excuse me for eavesdropping, but did I just hear you say ‘Recipe Book’?”

Merilyn nodded warily, as our earlier experience had made her suspicious of people randomly asking us questions. The merchant, sensing this, placed his palms up in a gesture of contrition to show that he meant us no harm.

“No need to be so on guard, it’s just that it’s a rare thing to see someone so young with one of the skills.”

“I-Is it?” she asked, unsure how to respond.

“Yes. In fact I daresay you’re the youngest person I’ve ever met with one, which is why I wanted to ask you- who is your Master that helped you learn the skill so early?”

“My Master…? Um, I actually learned the skill on my own and-”

But the man's eyes widened and he shouted “On your own? So you’re a Natural?!”

His reaction was drawing a crowd around Merilyn and I and I could feel my bloodlust start to rise as humans surrounded the two of us. Every exit was suddenly closed off and there was nowhere to run. But the man kept going.

“Child, if you truly don’t have a master then I must ask you-would you consider being my apprentice? I will show you the most brilliant recipes and exotic flavors that your palette, so limited by this far flung village, has ever tasted. For I am Nazir Alikar, culinary extraordinaire of the Eastern Sands.”

Merry, who was now thoroughly out of her depth with this strange man and the thrall of people around us talking excitedly, could do no more than stutter “I-i, that is, we..uh, um you see..”

But Nazir was already ahead of her, saying “Please, there is no need to respond right away. I will be in this village, bringing these people flavors they can so rarely afford to enjoy, for a week longer. Take your time considering my proposition, for life in the kitchen is as much a battle as life in armor!”

“I-I see…” was all she could say, looking to me for support but finding only a bundle of nerves that was desperately trying to hold in my urge to kill.

Crouching down so that he could look Merry at eye level, Nazir said “But before I go, allow me to leave you with a gift, and I hope in return you will give me the gift of your name, my talented young Chef” and then he leaned over and whispered something into her ear.

By now I was at my limit and Merilyn knew it, so she grabbed my hand and said offhandedly “M-my name is Merry!” and then the two of us ran down the street and hid behind an unoccupied blacksmith’s shop.

Behind us we could hear Nazir shout “Very Well! I hope to hear a favorable answer from you Merry!”

I was heaving as I fought my murderous desires, and Merilyn was forced to sit there and hold me for the better part of an hour until I calmed down.

Finally, when my convulsions had stopped, she said “Feeling better?” as she calmly stroked my hair.

“…Yes.” was all I could say. I was ashamed of myself for being unable to keep it together, even in a place as small as this. If I didn’t learn to control myself I would become the thing that held Merilyn back from obtaining her freedom.

“What did that man tell you?” I asked

Merry smirked and said “The recipe for his Beef Kebabs”

I had expected it to be something a little more important, and so I begrudgingly let out a chuckle. Merry too let out a little laugh as she stared down at me lovingly.

“So, will you take him up on his offer?” I asked sardonically.

Laughing again she said “Of course not, imagine if he found out what I really was. And even if he didn’t find out, as soon as he realized that I didn’t have a family here he would promptly try to sell me into slavery.” Though she said this, there was a slightly bittersweet tone in her voice.

I wrapped my arms around her and held her close, and she did the same to me. I knew what she wanted, I had wanted it too a long time ago, But no matter how human we made ourselves look, we were dragons. And nothing could change that.

Or so we thought. But there was a dark figure skulking in the shadows, watching us. And they would be the catalyst for the events that would change our lives forever.