Chương 38: The Roaring Forge

We stood outside the stone walls of Stoneford. Carts hooked to mules, travelers of all different species, knights, adventurers… all were represented here. The road leading to the gate was packed with movement. Wooden wheels rattled over fitted stone as harnesses jingled. Merchants shouted over one another, and the smell of forge smoke and cooked meat drifted through the air. I could tell just from the sight of it that Stoneford was a fair bit larger than Bramblewick had been. And better kept, too.

No dirt roads here. Everything was carefully laid and maintained stone. In fact, almost everything was made of stone. Even the hawkers had stone tables instead of wood. Strange. It would be inconvenient to move around, yet I saw just that as a hawker picked up the stone table to readjust it as if it weighed nothing at all.

"Master stonesmiths gather here," Marnie explained.

"It is what they are known for, and this is why they named the town as such." Someone nearby, a dwarven man far taller than most, wide and stocky, was selling stoneworked weapons. Their drab gray surfaces carried a certain sheen of danger. Among the weapons was a simple knife, not so unlike my own kitchen knife. I pulled out my would-be weapon and noticed it had quite a few nicks and cracks. It had been a gift from Lina, but it was never meant to be used in combat. Not the way I had been abusing it.

Marnie stared over my shoulder.

"You can get that fixed, I'm sure." She reassessed it.

"Or maybe you're due for an upgrade. You'll find no better place for stone-based equipment."

"No thanks," Vaelith said, as if we were talking to her.

"I prefer my weapons metal and forged in fire."

"Are we just going to stand here gawkin'?" Sable asked.

"Or are we going to find somewhere to eat, shit, and sleep… preferably in that order." Down the way, we came upon an inn. Marnie had said it was her favorite in all of Stoneford. Said it had the strongest drinks, as if that were the most important qualifier for an inn. Three stories tall and wide, with a swinging stone door, the name was etched into the stone above the entrance: The Roaring Forge Inside, it was bustling. Dwarves mostly. Mostly men as well.

The room was warm and loud, filled with the scrape of chairs, booming laughter, and mugs striking heavy stone tables with a clatter that could wake the dead. There was a scent of roasting meat mixed with bitter ale. I turned to ask Marnie, "Why was this place your favorite again—" Her eyes were wide as she took in the collective stature and muscles of the broad, well-worked dwarven men.

"Ah," I said simply. Sable smiled knowingly.

"What?" Vaelith asked.

"Did I miss something?"" Welcome!" a man said, his voice booming. I expected to see a dwarven man, but instead, I saw something odd. It was a man, for sure. Tall. Far taller than I was. He had fiery yellow fur that ran from head to toe, with a mane of deep red and orange. It was some sort of anthropomorphic lion-man. I hadn't seen one before.

"What?" the lion-man barkeeper said, tugging on his brown, stained apron.

"Haven't you seen a feralin before?"

"No," I replied.

"I haven't." The barkeeper smiled, showing a wide range of sharp teeth.

"Fair enough. Not many have who haven't traveled. We feralin typically stick to our own kind. I am a bit of a rarity out here in dwarven country."

"Yeah, but we love ya' anyway, Rurick," yelled one of the patrons. The entire bar erupted in agreement. Glasses clinked together, and everyone drank collectively. The barkeeper's eyes fell upon Marnie.

"Now, isn't that a sight for sore eyes," he said.

"Marnie the Potion Master. I haven't seen you in a few months. Still having issues with Lord Bracken?" Marnie growled silently in frustration.

"Garran Bracken… a bastard is what he is. Maybe I'll make him a potion that turns him into a toad. No, a worm. Yeah… that would be more fittin'." Everybody stopped to stare at Marnie, drinks precariously held in hands close to tipping. She forced a false laugh.

"Kidding… of course." The standard sounds of a full bar continued, albeit slightly muted. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"So then, Marnie, will ya' be needin' a room? As you can see, we've a full house. But if ya' don't mind sharin' somethin' small, we can accommodate."

"Fine," Marnie agreed.

"At least until I can deliver this damn minotaur head to 'Sir' Bracken."" Lord Bracken," Rurick reminded her.

"Remember, that temper is what got you driven off the first time. And what is this about a minotaur head? Wait… the bet! Are you telling me you actually did it?" Marnie grinned.

"Aye, with my trusty crew here." Rurick eyed us all as if he were doing so for the first time. He nodded to each of us, pausing when he glanced at Darwin.

"Darwin strong," my companion said, giving the man a wink with his oversized goblin eyes. Rurick grinned.

"I'm sure you are." His gaze fell on Vaelith. They stood at about the same stature and height.

"And you… you're a magnificent specimen."

"Say what?" Vaelith replied.

"I can tell at a glance how strong and vibrant you are. Come, you must tell me of your adventures. I will buy a round or two for you."

"For my friends too," Vaelith replied. Rurick nodded. We sat at the bar table. Vaelith reached out and clapped me on the back.

"Well, it all started when I found this one in a heap of trouble—" Some time later, three drinks down, I'd managed to stable Moolisa for the night. Inside, Vaelith was still talking to the barkeeper, who was less interested in her stories and more interested in… her. She, on the other hand, was trying to recruit him as a follower. I had brought in some of the Redcaps I'd gathered from Mossbelly and the other rootlings.

"Excuse me," I cut in. Rurick side-eyed me as he asked, "What do you want?" It was clear that I was interrupting his little game with Vaelith.

"I was wondering if I could use your kitchen. I have a cooking class, you see, and I wanted to make something." Slurring her words, Vaelith said, "Oh yeah… his food iz da best. It gives you stats. Stats! I am so strong I can boom-boom monsters. He's a Special Grade class. Me too, me too."

"Vaelith!"

"Special Grade?" Rurick said, taking a step back. I heard the door swing open a few times as others nearby who had heard quietly took their leave.

"You aren't going to do anything… weird," he asked.

"Are you?"

"No," I replied. Rurick stared hard at me.

"Well," I explained, "what I'm cooking is… monster meat. Or it's a plant. You know, I really don't know what to classify it as."

"Monster… meat?" Rurick asked.

"And you eat it?" I nodded. Rurick grumbled.

"Well… if my chef decides it's sanitary, then go ahead. But only if she agrees. It's in the back. I'm sure you can find your way?" I nodded, leaving the drunk Vaelith alone. Darwin I'd left with Moolisa, and Marnie had disappeared entirely. I wondered if she had gone to bed already. I stepped into the modestly sized kitchen. Everything was in order. Pots and pans were clean, sparkling, and set neatly, some down on countertops and others hanging from hooks.

Knives were arranged by size; sacks of grain rested against the far wall, and bundles of dried herbs hung from the rafters. I noticed something that looked like a refrigerator, and when I pulled it open, cold air spilled out. At the bottom were shiny blue crystals giving off a dim glow.

"What are you doing?" someone asked. I spun and found myself face-to-face with another feralin. It was a woman, at least from what I could tell. Floppy ears, a circular nose, blond curly hair, and pink skin… some sort of pig feralin. I thought she would have been fat, but she was anything but. She wore short shorts and a shirt that did not quite cover her belly button. I flushed and turned away.

"I, uh… Rurick said it would be okay."

"Did he now?" the woman replied.

"Because I just talked to Rurick, and he said it was up to me." I calmed my nerves, turned, and nodded.

"Yes, that is what he said."

"So then, again I ask… why are you rummaging through my wares?"

"Intrigued," I replied.

"I've seen something like this before." I pointed to the crude refrigerator.

"Something that keeps perishables cold." The feralin woman smiled.

"Ah, good eye. Thought of that myself. Well… they've used ice crystals to transport goods before, but it was my idea to have a stationary system for everyday use. Now I can buy in bulk. Saves coin. Get me?"

"Smart," I said.

"Oh, now don't try to butter me up. I was told that you have some sort of strangeness 'bout you. A Special Grade class, no less." I nodded.

"Does that scare you?" She blew a raspberry with her lips, her curled tail coiling in like a spring and then launching out.

"A class is a class. People make too much of it. A cooking-based Special Grade class is unique, though. Never heard of it before. I admit… I'm curious as to what it can do."

"Okay, then, let me tell you—" She shook her head.

"You aren't gonna tell me nothin'. Show me." I opened my status screen and flicked it over to her. She began to read, her eyes taking in everything all at once. Slowly, they widened as she became more and more overwhelmed.

"I know it's a lot," I said.

"But I only want to make one of my new recipes. The Redcap Pepper Jerky." She scrolled until she found it and then gave it a once-over so quickly that I couldn't even read it myself. Smiling, she said, "Color me impressed. Now I need to see you cook. Name's Pella. Let's get to it."