Chapter Nine: Quest Rewards Part Two

“Ting-A-Ling” The bell above the butcher’s door chimes as we walk into the shop. A mix of fantastic smells in here assault me, all scents of raw meat, cured meat, the spices, and blood all mix together to form a beautiful aroma that I couldn’t help but take a deep couple of lungfuls, Vanessa though crinkles her nose and buries her face into my arm.

A deep voice comes from the back “Ah, customer’s! I’ll be with you shortly!”

A couple of meaty thwacks come from the back, and the sound of a cleaver hitting wood, before a big, guy with a potbelly come from’s from the back.

“Ah, welcome to Al’s Deli what can I get you today sir-, wait is that you Vanessa?” Says the big guy in a friendly tone. I wonder if he’s Al?

Vanessa bring’s her head off my arm, and says cheerfully “Hello Al, good to see you. Have you taken over your father’s deli yet?” Wait is his dad also named Al then?

Al laughs, while holding his stomach “Ohoho, no, no, no! My father carries this place still, I may be good butcher but he’s is a master! It’ll be a decade at least till he’ll recognize me, and I agree, for I have much to learn! Hahoho!” He then looks at me and says “Ah, who might this be? Is he your bodyguard? I couldn’t imagine you would need one, but he looks like a good slab of meat.” Hey I’m not just a slab of meat, but a premium cut!

Vanessa takes a look at me “Him! Protect me! Hahaha!” Then buries herself into my arm, laughing uncontrollably. Ow, well there goes my pride.

Still laughing uncontrollably, she motions for me to introduce myself.

I sigh a little, but then an idea flashes through me, “I’m Atlas Mule, a novice and Vanessa’s date for the evening,” I then pause for moment to let that sink and take a look at their faces. Vanessa’s is looking at me with her mouth open and going crimson, and Al’s bearded face is frozen for a second before he bursts out in laughter “Ohoho, you really had me going there for a second boy! But everybody knows that Vanessa’s a les-” He never got to finish as Vanessa put a dagger next to his jugular, “Not. Another. Word.” Vanessa hiss’s.

Al got the message turning pale.

I then remember what I was going to ask him, I stare him in the eyes and ask “Is your name really Al?”

Al look’s at me in the eyes and answers seriously “Why yes it.” Then bursts out laughing Vanessa’s dagger scratching his throat, “No, no, no! It’s actually Al Junior, my father is Al Senior! Ah, I like your date Vanessa, and had I known you were availability when I was a novice and you-” Her dagger press’s a little deeper, and he get’s the message. I wonder what she’s hiding? And... so his name is Al.

Vanessa walks back over to me after whispering something to Al, and I walk over to him and raise an eyebrow, only for him to shake his head fearfully. I decide to cut to the chase and ask him seriously “Can you turn this into jerky for me?” and then hand him my slightly leaking bag of meat.

Al looks over the meats pulls out a couple pieces looking over them, and then says “Well Mr. Mule these are some fine cuts, where did you get them from?”

“I’m pretty good at skinning and hunting.”

“Ah, I see. Well give me a moment while I figure out a price for this.” He pulls out a notebook and pencil, shows me a price that looks reasonable and we shake on it.

“Good, good my friend I’ll have this all done in a couple of days. So go have fun on your date!” Al says before leaving with my meat into the back.

Leaving the shop the bell rings again, and as we’re leaving Vanessa say’s “Al’s a nice guy just a bit of a blabber mouth.” I hear Al yell out from the back “I am not!”

Vanessa giggles and we move on to our next destination Carcajou’s place.

Vanessa guide’s me north to a large lot with a thick and tall, wooden wall surrounding it. Pretty normal as far as walls go, well aside from the fact it’s gapless, the wall all seeming to be one object.

We walk up to a dark metal gate, and I knock on it barely even rattling it. Vanessa sighs and puts a hand on a crystal in the wood next to the gate, lighting it up.

Then the gates open, and a butler appears before us who looks us up and down before saying “Mr. Atlas and Ms. Vanessa I assume?”

“Yes-”

“Follow me. Master Carcajou awaits.” The butler says and swiftly we walk through the lot following a brick path, passing several exotic and rare plants being cared for by homunculus, till we reach a large cottage in the middle of the lot.

The butler opens the cottage moves down a hallway and guides us into a cluttered room, full of papers and tools, with Carcajou sitting behind a desk wearing glasses and writing, with a maid standing behind him.

The butler gestures for us to sit down on a couch in front of Carcajou’s desk, and then goes to stand behind him.

The couch groans but does not give under my weight, and before I knew it the maid stood in front of me holding a plate and tea kettle, “Snacks?” She asks emotionlessly.

My stomach rumbles, “Yes please!” I practically shout.

The maid and butler give me a sharp glare and say in unison quietly “Please be quieter while the master is working.”

Hmm, on one hand I’m a guest and on the other hand I’m me… so fuck that.

I then shout “Carcajou! I’m here!” Trying to get his attention.

An invisible force held me down and shut me up.

He looks up from his papers and says “Yes I know, you idiot. Now shut up while the adults work.” Well it worked.

The servants look at me with half amusement and what look’s like sympathy, on the other hand Vanessa is looking at Carcajou with murder and trying not to jump at him.

It took a while but eventually Carcajou stops writing and looks at me, and the pressure stops.

He then says softly but his features firm. “Well what is it? You came here for something, so what is it? Are you already suffering from rebound again you freaking monster or do you want to become my apprentice and learn the wonders of alchemy? Well t-”

I interrupt him, and the servants are practically shaking “Can you make animal milk?”

He stares blankly at me. “What?”

That's odd I thought he heard me “Can you make animal milk?

Confusion pass’s over Carcajou’s face, “What, why?”

I open my bag full of furs and hand it over to him, and when he looks at the infant animals his features soften.

He doesn’t pass the bag back, and says “Theoretically I could. And I would need to do a health check on them, and then find out what would best be suited to help them grow. But yes I could make them milk…. But I will not do this for free.”