by Logan Jacobs
“I think that’s a good idea,” I told her. “I’ll have Kas and Asta do the same.”
“If he’s dealing dragons in Asgard, he probably has a dealer in Alfheim,” Eira said. “I doubt he’s been going there and stealing dragons on his own.”
“You’re right,” I agreed. “And even if that is the case, there’s no doubt he’d at least know about other dragon dealers in the area, or they’d know about him.”
“Yeah, a small-time dealer like that would definitely catch the attention of the larger groups around.” Eira nodded and then turned to Preyna. “Can you tell where in Alfheim he came from?”
“I’m afraid not.” Preyna shook her head. “I’m quite powerful, but that appears to be beyond my capabilities.”
“What about Ramir?” Asta asked.
“Asta,” Kas hissed, and she nudged the white-haired elf girl.
“Ow,” Asta pouted. “What was that for?”
“Surely, you aren’t suggesting my father is more powerful than the castle sorceress,” Kas said, and she turned to Preyna. “I’m so sorry.”
Kas had the utmost respect for the council members, and I had to stifle a laugh at her chastising Asta for suggesting we go see her father.
“Don’t be,” Preyna chuckled. “If anyone is more powerful than I am, it is probably your father. The man is twice my age with double my experience. He was even offered the job of castle sorcerer before you were born. He declined, of course, something about how he didn’t like to follow orders and we could go fuck ourselves.”
“Yeah, that sounds like my father.” Kas nodded, and then her eyebrows pulled together. “I can’t believe he never told me about that.”
“You probably weren’t even thought of when this happened.” Preyna smiled. “He’s everyone’s favorite grouch. Even Odin has a soft spot for him.”
“So, should we go see Ramir?” Asta asked again.
“I think we should.” I nodded. “He may be able to help us.”
“I’d like to come, if that’s alright with you,” Preyna said, and she stood up from her seat behind the desk.
“Of course,” I told her. “You’re welcome to join us anytime.”
“I appreciate that,” she said. “I can have a carriage come around to take us there.”
“Do you think that would draw too much attention to us?” I asked. “I’m sure it’s not every day you ride around town with a carriage full of citizens for no apparent reason.”
The last thing I wanted to do was alert Odin of how the council was working with me to free the dragons.
“Mmm, I suppose you’re right.” Preyna nodded. “Perhaps it will be better if we walk.”
“Can’t Blar make us a portal?” Asta asked. “That way nobody has to see us leave at all.”
“Good idea.” I grinned at the white-haired elf girl and then turned to the little dragon on my shoulder. “What do you say? Can you make us a portal to Ramir’s?”
Blar rolled his eyes and nodded. This would be the third portal he’d made in the last hour, and I couldn’t blame him for being a little annoyed. Things like this were time sensitive, though, so it was better if we didn’t have to walk several miles across town to Ramir’s.
“Oh, it’s been quite a while since I’ve traveled through a portal,” Preyna chuckled as she made her way around the desk. “Let’s see if I recall how to do this.”
“You just step through,” Asta said, and she cocked her head to the side and smiled sweetly.
“Right.” Preyna stifled a laugh at the elf girl’s naivety of her joke.
“Blar?” I asked.
The little blue dragon huffed, but then he stood up on my shoulder and closed his eyes. After a few seconds, a small portal appeared. It grew to the correct size, but I noticed it took him a little bit longer than usual to get there, and I figured having to create so many portals today was probably wearing him out.
It was good practice for his ability, but I knew it was taking a lot of energy, and I was probably going to have to make him a pumpkin pie later to make up for it.
We all gripped hands and stepped through the portal onto the street just a few hundred yards away from Ramir’s shop.
“Thanks,” I told Blar, and I reached up to scratch under his chin.
The little dragon let out a small sigh and then laid his head down on my shoulder. His body was growing heavy, though, and it felt like he could barely hold onto my hip, so I pulled his back legs up and tossed them over my other shoulder.
“Someone’s tired, huh?” Kas chuckled and scratched between Blar’s horns. “We’ve asked a lot from him today.”
“We have,” I agreed. “He’s pretty wiped.”
“Once we get to Father’s, you can let him sleep on the couch,” she suggested.
“I’m sure he’ll like that,” I laughed.
It didn’t take long for us to get to Ramir’s, and as always, the bell chimed as we entered the shop.
“Father,” Kas called out. “We’re back.”
“Oh, Kaspyr,” Ramir said, and he came out from behind a nearby bookshelf. “Good to see you-- what is this?”
“What?” Kas asked, and she looked around in a panic.
“What have you done to poor Blar?” Ramir asked, and he reached up to pet the blue dragon slung over my shoulders.
Blar batted his eyes pitifully and let out a deep sigh.
“He’s fine,” I chuckled. “He’s just tired.”
“He needs something to eat, I’m sure,” Ramir said. “Come on, I’ll make you all some food. I worry about you eating when you’re out running around. Oh, and Preyna, good to see you again.”
“I wasn’t even sure he knew I was here,” the blonde sorceress laughed as we followed Ramir to the back.
“Things don’t get by Ramir that easily,” I told her with a grin.
“So, I presume there’s something else you need,” Ramir said as we entered his large study.
Blar hopped down from my shoulders and walked over to the large sofa by the roaring fireplace. Then he hopped up onto the piece of furniture, sprawled out on his back, and immediately started snoring.
Inger flew over to him and curled up on the opposite side of the couch while Uffe walked slowly to the fireplace and laid down in front of it.
I heard a small squeak, and I looked over to see Svass stand up and lean forward on Eira’s shoulder. The little yellow dragon looked at Blar, Inger, and Uffe and then turned back to Eira, as if to ask permission.
“Go ahead,” Eira chuckled and gestured to the room. “Find a place to sit.”
Svass looked back and forth between Eira and the dragons for a few more seconds, but then she ran down Eira’s body and scurried over to Uffe. She circled around him once before she laid by his front feet and put her head on his neck.
Uffe opened one eye to glance back at her, smiled, and then closed his eyes and let out a little sigh.
“Uh, yes,” I said, and I shook my head and turned back to Ramir. “There is something we need.”
“Yes?” the man asked as he sorted through a basket of vegetables.
“A man recently tried to bring an egg into Asgard,” Preyna said when she saw me pause.
I wasn’t sure how much it was okay to reveal to Ramir in front of the council member, so I was glad she decided to speak up.
“And by egg, I assume you mean one that didn’t come from a chicken,” the old man said, and he turned around to flash us a quick glance before going back to choosing vegetables for dinner.
“That’s right.” I nodded. “Preyna was able to find out the man came from Alfheim, but she doesn’t know where in the realm he came from.”
“Mmmm, I see,” Ramir said as he turned a squash over in his hands.
“Father, can you figure out where exactly the man was traveling from?” Kas asked, and her voice was high-pitched with an urgency that starkly contrasted Ramir’s calm demeanor.
“There’s no need to yell, Kaspyr,” Rami
r tsked. “I’d be happy to help.”
“You would?” Kas asked, and she turned to me with round violet eyes.
“You can figure out where he came from?” I pushed.
“Oh, of course.” Ramir shrugged. “I’ll just need something with his essence on it. The spell won’t take too long, but don’t think you’re going anywhere before this dinner is ready. It’s nearly dark anyway, and you all need some sleep.”
“Father, we’re fully grown adults,” Kas said, and she crossed her arms defiantly.
“Maybe so,” Ramir conceded. “But you’re my daughter, and it’s my fatherly duty to feed you, so you’re staying for dinner.”
That last bit was said with more sternness than I’d ever heard in Ramir’s voice, and Kas immediately uncrossed her arms, muttered ‘yes, father,’ and leaned back against the wall.
“We’ll stay for dinner,” I said. Ramir was right, it would be better to travel tomorrow when we all were rested and the day was new. “But can you do the spell tonight?”
“Of course,” he said with a smile. “Just give me whatever object it is, and I’ll get started as soon as the stew’s on.”
“Preyna.” I turned to the council member. “Did you bring anything with you, or do we need to go back to the castle?”
“I…” The blonde sorceress pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.
“What is it?” Eira asked. “What’s wrong?”
“The man,” Preyna sighed. “We burned him.”
“What?” the redhead gasped.
“It was to make sure no one else found out about him,” Preyna explained. “I didn’t realize we would need an object of his at the time, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” I told her, and I placed my hand on her shoulder. “You were only doing what you thought was right.”
“Can you do the spell without something of his?” Kas asked her father.
“I’m afraid not.” Ramir closed his eyes and shook his head. “I must have his essence. Anything of his would work, his essence simply must be on it, though.”
“Was nothing of his saved?” Eira asked. “Nothing he touched?”
“No.” Preyna shook her head. “He was dead before I ever arrived, and my guards disposed of the body.”
“Shite,” the redhead breathed, and she turned to me. “What do we do?”
“Wait!” Asta shouted. “What about the egg?”
“The egg?” Preyna asked, and her blonde eyebrows pulled together before a look of realization dawned on her face. “The egg!”
“Would that work?” I asked Ramir.
“Mmm, well, as long as his essence is on it, I see no reason why it wouldn’t,” the old man said.
“Can you get the egg?” Kas asked with a wide grin.
“I most certainly can,” Preyna answered with a grin of her own. “I simply need to run to the castle.”
“It’s getting dark out,” I said. “I don’t want you going alone.”
“I appreciate that,” Preyna said. “But as you said before, we don’t want to raise suspicion.”
“No, I suppose we don’t,” I said, and I pursed my lips.
“It will take you so long to get there and back, though.” Kas frowned.
Blar sighed, got off the couch, and walked over to Preyna.
“Are you volunteering to be my escort?” Preyna asked the little blue dragon.
Blar closed his eyes, and a portal appeared in front of us.
“I suppose that’s a yes,” Preyna chuckled and turned to me. “Rath, do you mind?”
“Not at all.” I smiled and stroked under Blar’s chin. “Thanks, buddy.”
Blar nodded and then flew up to land on Preyna’s shoulder.
“We’ll be back soon,” the councilwoman said, and she stepped through the portal and disappeared.
“That was quite nice of Blar,” Kas said after the two had gone.
“It was,” I agreed. The little dragon had an attitude a lot of the time, but he was still generally sweet, and I knew he liked Preyna, so I wasn’t surprised he’d offered to take her back to the castle.
The two of them would probably have to walk a small distance, but nothing compared to how far Preyna would have needed to walk from Ramir’s shop. There was no way I was going to allow her to make that trip on her own, even if I needed to wait outside the castle for her.
It was nearly night, and I doubted the sorceress had been out in the city at night very often. While Asgard was generally a safe place, there were some arseholes who perused the bars at night and made fools of themselves, and I wouldn’t want her to run into any ruffians without me by her side.
Granted, she was a master sorceress, and I had no doubt she could handle herself in battle. However, I would never want to take that risk. I refused to risk that with any of my women.
I was sure they could all take care of themselves, but I would never leave them alone long enough to put the theory to the test.
“I don’t do this magic stuff for free,” Ramir said suddenly, and we all looked over to where he stood at the table with a large cutting board and an assortment of vegetables. “Come cut some vegetables for me.”
“Of course,” I chuckled. “We’ll help however we can.”
“I appreciate it,” the old man said with a smile. “These bones aren’t what they used to be.”
“Oh, Father,” Kas said as she picked up a knife and some small onions to chop. “Preyna said you were offered a position at the castle long ago.”
“Mmm, yes, I’d nearly forgotten about that,” Ramir chuckled. “I’m surprised she remembers, she was very young at the time.”
“You must have felt quite honored,” Kas said.
“I suppose I did.” Ramir smiled, and the skin around his eyes crinkled with delight. “Preyna has made a lovely sorceress, though, they were right to train her for the job.”
“Yes, she’s very talented.” Asta nodded.
I smiled to myself as I cut up some squash and put it into the pot Ramir had prepared. I had no idea what the old man was making based on the ingredients on the table, but he was a great cook, so I wasn’t about to question him on the recipe.
I did have one other question for him, though.
“Ramir,” I said. “I’m wondering something.”
“Yes?” the old man asked, and he raised a big bushy eyebrow at me.
“How are you such an excellent cook, but Kas has to put spells on her food?” I asked with a laugh.
“Hey!” the strawberry-blonde chuckled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I think Rath means it’s odd you can’t cook considering how well your father is able to cook,” Asta explained in her sweet high-pitched voice.
“Thank you, Asta,” Kas said dryly.
“You’re welcome.” The white-haired elf girl smiled and shrugged.
“I’m not sure I have a good answer for that,” Ramir laughed. “I’ve often wondered the same thing.”
“Father!” Kas chastised playfully.
“It’s true, dear.” Ramir smiled. “If you had to cook in order for us to eat, we’d all starve.”
“I manage just fine, thank you,” Kas sniffed.
“Her last meal was wonderful.” I grinned.
“You mean her last spell,” Ramir said with a point in my direction.
Ramir, Eira, and I shared a laugh, but Kas just glared at me, and Asta blinked in confusion.
“In all honesty,” the old man said, “I think it’s her talent for sorcery that gets in her way of cooking.”
“What?” Kas asked with a frown. “You’ve never told me that.”
“You never asked.” Ramir shrugged.
“How does her talent get in the way?” Asta inquired as she chopped some garlic into tiny bits. “Wouldn’t it be the opposite?”
“Yeah,” Eira chuckled. “It seems like talent could only help.”
“You might think so.” Ramir nodded. “But sorcery is very preci
se. A sorceress needs all the right objects, potions, spells, etc., etc. Of course, a great sorceress is able to improvise here or there, but that is very difficult to do. Sorcery is as precise as nature. One small thing going awry, too much sunlight one day, not enough water the next, one small thing can cause the downfall of a plant, just as it can cause the downfall of a spell.”
“I’d never thought of it like that.” Asta’s forehead wrinkled with contemplation.
“Most people haven’t,” Ramir said. “But Kas has, and it’s that attention to detail that gets in the way of her cooking.”
“Impossible.” Kas put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “People follow recipes when they cook. I can follow a recipe.”
“Anybody can follow a recipe, dear,” Ramir said, and he flashed her a sweet smile. “That doesn’t mean you can cook.”
Kas glared harder, and I had to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” the strawberry-blonde asked.
“How riled up you are,” Eira said with a grin.
“It’s just… your father is right,” I chuckled. “Anybody can follow a recipe, but it’s when you stray from the recipe that the best meals are created.”
“Spoken like a true cook.” Ramir pointed his knife at me and nodded.
“That makes no sense,” Kas huffed. “Recipes are supposed to be the perfect way to make the dish. How can straying from the recipe be a good thing?”
“And that’s why you’re not a good cook, dear,” Ramir said softly, and he patted her on the shoulder and picked up the now full pot to carry it over to the fire.
“You’re a cruel father, you know that?” Kas joked.
“I’m well aware,” Ramir laughed.
Ramir stepped over Svass and Uffe and put the pot on the fire while we all settled into the room. I found a seat on the sofa, and Asta sat next to me, with Inger at the end. Kas and Eira sat on the sofa across from us, and Ramir moved to his big, comfy chair opposite the fire. The old man smiled as he stared into the flame, and I thought about all he did for us. He joked earlier that he didn’t do magic for free, but in all actuality, his services would probably cost far more than we could ever afford, even with all the jewels and coins we’d come into recently.
Ramir’s talent was unsurpassable. Even Preyna had admitted the old man was a better sorcerer than she was, and I could only imagine one day Kas would be her father’s successor.
