Chương 13: XIII. Ossification

The worst part was that Missy's dress was pretty. She used to sew when we were younger as well, and even back then her needlework was better than mine. She even knew how to make the knot look like a little flower. So, of course she would make something good. The fabric was soft, and I equipped it outside. My dirty 'town clothes' went back to my inventory, and the black and gold dress with matching boots clung to my form.

If I had put this on normally, and Missy helped, this would look so much better – but I didn't want her help, and I just needed to not look like a vagrant. I crouched to tighten my boots, and continued down my warpath. The Gryphon's oak doors were open, and the central hearth was crackling. Nana's Traveler Stew was still bubbling, and hopefully would continue to bubble for many years to come.

The spice and flavour mixture was odd – carrots, for sure, but I think there were some peppers and spices from the Nereids still in the broth? I shook my head, trying to concentrate. My stomach growled angrily at me, since apparently two cakes and a piece of licorice wasn't enough to eat in two days… though it was hard to eat the stew at home without a good bowl that wasn't cursed.

"Ashley!" Lucy and Lucille yelled and ran at me, before hugging my legs. Their brown eyes were starting to fit their face more, and their brown hair had become a curly mop like Nana's. I tensed, but forced myself to relax.

"Hi, girls," I said, and rubbed each of their heads.

"You've both grown!"

"And ya shrunk!" Lucy shouted. She didn't release my leg, but her grin grew deeper. She was missing her right upper lateral incisor, which suggested she was nine years old. She was also three six years ago. Right. That too.

"She didn' shrink, Lu!" Lucille said. Her brown eyes were also starting to fit her face properly, and her brown hair was also a curly mop like Nana's. Her left upper lateral incisor was gone, which also – They're twins. You know how old they are. Also, Kenworth's The Whole Tooth and Nothing but the Tooth clearly states the eruption is typical at nine, not the absence. If our classification was right, she'd be 7, not 9. Hey! I don't like dentistry, and I was pretty close.

Being pretty close doesn't cut it, and we shouldn't be making incorrect hypotheses when other verifi–"Girls! Leave her alone," Mr. Marlowe called from the counter. His moustache had gotten even whiter, and his hair was starting to fall out. Lu and Seal stopped squeezing my leg, but didn't let go of my dress.

"Fine, take her to a table." They both giggled and continued to chatter. I think Lu was studying arithmetic and wanted some help, but Seal wanted some help reading a book about raccoons? It was hard enough trying to track one conversation, but they both sounded the same and were talking about different things! They guided me to a booth near the central counter, away from the open seats near the hearth. People would sit with strangers and talk about things there, and I wasn–"Wait, why am I here?"

I said, looking at Lu and Seal. Lu shrugged and Seal scampered off to the counter to grab the ale Mr. Marlowe was already pouring.

"Mama says that the Traveler's Stew is 3 coppa-ah-bowl," Her eyebrow furrowed and she raised her index.

"The uh… Meat is… DAD HOW MUCH IS THE MEAT?" I covered my ears as she shouted, but that was barely louder than the people talking around me.

"Good Protector, Lu, what did ah say 'bout hollerin' in front of the guests?" Mr. Marlowe had poured a bowl from the cauldron, and he and Seal walked towards my booth.

"IS ASHLEY THOUGH, NOT A GUEST!" she said, and Mr. Marlowe tapped her head with his opposite hand.

"Inside voice, Lu, inside voice. Go see if any of the other guests need a drink or somethin' to eat, will ya?" he said, and the two girls nodded and scampered off. He watched them leave, before turning to me and then raised his hand to the air. I considered it, and didn't move. He put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Ash, good to see ya back. Sorry it ain' in better times, but everyone's sayin' ya came back lookin' like Elora herself and smarter than Nyla."

"Thanks, pops," I said, and looked down. The dress was nice, but I could see my own clavicle protruding against my skin, and the barest hints of my ribcage.

"Gramps says I look like a [Draugr]." Pops snorted, and pushed the stew towards me.

"I can see that. Ya do look like the Grand Deceiver's Nutjobs, Ash. You wasn' wearing a funeral gown like tha' when ya saw him right? Eat, or the wife is goin' 'ave my head."

"Missy made this!" I said, raising my arms. The lace-weave against the shoulders slid up, and Pops frowned.

"Well... glad ya two made up then. Don' get what you two have been fightin' over but ya–""We weren't close!" I countered, and Pops shook his head.

"Anyways, you still like chicken, right girl? I'll have her make you some, have the ste–""How much is it, I'll pay."

"Wouldn't expect anythin' less from a Hart. Wouldn' be my place to get in the way of that," he said, and turned around. He whistled for Lu and Seal who immediately stopped chatting at a man and let him eat the stew he had ordered. Speaking of which, the stew smelled divine. Nana had started making it as a Celtan tradition, where anyone could add to the meal to be given a meal. Addy had put in an unpeeled orange into the first batch, and I put an entire peach – pit and all.

Pa had to fish it out and remove both the skin and pit. I think he had put in basil, and Ma used to love fishing and put in a river trout. Right, I had to learn how to fish, and I needed a [Fishing Rod]. Another future problem. The current stew was corn and potatoes with marbled meat; though with the way the muscle was cut and the firmness of it, it's clearly goat. I've nothing against goat meat, but I find it a bit too gamey… though, it is rude not to eat whatever's in it.

A traveler can't be choosy, and it's about the hospitality of strangers or something like that? I don't know much about Celtan tradition, outside of Nana explaining what a [Fae] was. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I dipped my spoon into the broth and pushed it slightly away. It didn't immediately sour, and meat and corn flooded the spoon's bowl alongside the liquid. I brought it to my lips and the scent and heat wafted to my nose.

My stomach growled angrily, but I had to do something first. I pulled out one of the [Uncommon] [Carrots] I had in my backpack. I wanted to sell it, but… I took the knife on the table and cut it into bitesized pieces, got up, and added it to the cauldron. Now, I could eat. There were definitely Nereid Peppers in there that were dried and brought by someone. I wanted to grow those too, but to do non-native crops I had to become a [Farmer]. Wait, did I even check what the new [Farm Girl] quest was?

The goat meat was as gamey as I figured. They're a cheap animal to raise, and could live off even my fields. I know most [Ranchers] and [Butchers] start by raising goats… though, rabbits and cows weren't that far off. When I found someone who could teach me how to be a [Rancher], I was thinking of chickens since they also hunt invasive parasites like Tomato Beetles. They also grow fast, the eggs are neat, and I guess they are pretty? Doesn't hurt that they're Adrian's favourite anima– RIGHT.

I slammed my fist against the table. WHERE WAS THAT PIOUS FUCK? I had got distracted by Nana's place, and Nana would know where he was. I stood up from my booth, but the kitchen doors swung open. Nana stormed out of the kitchen holding a plate with an entire chicken. The skin was brown and crusted thanks to the bread and oil mixture she bathed it in, and the potatoes to the side were mashed and creamy. Mr. Marlowe followed quickly behind holding… hot candied peaches?!

I sat down so I didn't get shoved down, and Nana slammed the plate in front of me. Her brown eyes studied my face, and her fingers reached toward my chin. I steeled myself, since there was no point in fighting it.

"Blessed Elora, ya eejit. First the Holy Boy goes aroun' and tells-it you'se is back an' ya don' even visit Nana and Pops? An' ya then walk in 'ere lookin' like tha'? Ash! Amelia would yell at me rightly if I let ya out of here without putin' some meat on ya bones, an' you is comin' back till ya don' look like a bloody [Draugr], ya hear?" Her fingers dug into my cheek and poked against the bone. There wasn't any give for her to latch onto, and she still pulled against the skin.

"Yes, Nana," I muttered. I swear I had something I needed to ask her.

"But look at ya!" she said, taking the knife from the table and cutting into the chicken. She immediately skewered it and pushed it into my mouth. When it didn't open, her fingers clenched my chin and pulled it down till it entered my mouth.

"Amy would be so proud. An' your [Symphonic] now! Bless your heart, ya studies wen' well?" I chewed the chicken. A [Cook] baking a chicken would take a few hours, but nana was a [Master Chef]. She had limited use of the [Symphony], like pa did, for her domain of work. I was never able to sense it before, but her own music was… It was a gentle breeze in a salt-torn island, where the cliffs and stones were named. The wind graced my cheek, and it whispered the sounds of each of her ten… no, nine, children.

The sun was as warm as her husband's hand, and the flowers smelled like garlic and cayenne. Ma did learn to cook from her.

"But why is yours so col– Blessed Protector, you is a scholar of Nyla! Honey, she's chosen by The Deluge!"

"Uh huh," Mr. Marlowe said, and put the pot beside the chicken. Steaming peaches cooked in honey and molasses greeted me, but if I reached for that right now, Nana would actually slap me. She sliced another piece of chicken and then skewered the potatoes and au jus on it as well. She brought it up to my face, and I had no choice but to bite into it.

"So, ya thinkin' of bein' a [Doctor], a [Nurse], or somethin' like that, sweetie?" There was a tinge to her voice that felt wro– You know what she's actually hoping for, Ash. Mom died to [Dragonpox]. Mrs. Bellamine is sick with it. Lucy and Lucille are running around the tavern, Mary Marlowe is working with the Hawthorne's. Kenneth, Ciat, and Saorise are doing their homework and tending the kitchen. There's a baby and a toddler there too. Grant was fine at Flowers-By-The-River. Where's Donald?

He's probably with Adrian. We'll get back to him in a second. She jumped to the Deluge, and even Melissa was impressed when she thought it was her. Madeleine mentioned her as well. Stop avoiding it. I'm not a [Doctor] though. Why aren't we? I swallowed loudly, having left the chicken in my mouth till my tongue burned.

"I… don' know yet. I was doin' my exams, but I…" Freaked out. Realized that you would have to inherit the farm and decided to withdraw your Agronomics Major and hide away.

"It's fine, Ash. I know how hard adulthood could be…" Nana said. And yet we're back here, tending to a farm and doing this. I thought we wanted more from life than to be some nobody [Farm Girl]. Is that why we haven't even checked what the next quest is? Well, we wouldn't have a ho– A [Doctor] is a cream of the cream of an [Expert] class. No one would look down at us there. Except Adrian. Well, that pious fuck is a [Paladin], Ash. That's a whole diff– What about an [Acolyte]? I waited for a response, but none came.

Nana too kept looking at me.

"I don't know. Have you seen Adrian?" I slowly said.

"Oh right! For his wedding with Mel–" I bit into the knife and it pierced my mouth, cutting my tongue and my cheek. My mouth tasted salty and rich, and I was pretty sure this was supposed to hurt. My hand shattered the glass mug's handle till it cut into my palm, and that was quaint.

"Oh dear Protector! Ben, go get The Inquisitor," Nana said, but I was perfectly fine. No one would see me mad, as I patiently stared ahead. Blood dripped out of my hand and mouth, but I could wait. I moved away from Nana's prodding. I just had to wait. His boots finally squeaked around the entrance, and he panted as he passed through the door. That was exactly 15 feet.

"Ashley! Are you alr–" I turned around and flung the shattered mug at him, and for once, he ducked. Good thing too, it was going at his pious, lying, cheating face. Oddly, the bones in my hand slowly began to repair themselves when they weren't clenching into the broken shards. ABILITY UNLOCKED (4/4) [Ossify] An Acolyte may harden and reshape bones. These bones can be used in place of tools, joints, and weapons. Adrian could Ossify and die.