Base 12: Student Einervaene

"Einervaene, come on!" Vadei impatiently called from somewhere else in the building. Likely from downstairs now that I was actually mindful of her impatience.

"O-Oh!? Right..." I sheepishly mutter as I quickly finish up what I was doing. Oddly enough, now that I was aware of how much time I had spent up here. I couldn't help but make mental remarks at myself. It was just a little gift that I was wrapping up!

How did I take so long...!?

"Coming!" I call back to her as I make sure the present was well wrapped. And, with a smile on my face, I left the room and bolted it down the stairs.

"Car-" Vadei began to say before one of my heels got caught on the stairs as my foot was going down. But, rather than fall, I quickly turned into a mobile bolt of lightning and appeared at the bottom.

"Say something?" I ask her with a nervous smile as I tried to distract from the fact I nearly fell down.

"You burnt the floor..." Vadei comments as she makes a harsh sniff.

"EH!?" I let out as I look down. Only to look back up with an annoyed frown as she had lied for the sake of a quick smile.

"You've gotten quite good at that." she then says as she leaves through the open door.

"Will you two be back for dinner later?" Omb asks as he leans his chubby cheeks through the kitchen doorway.

"Are you kidding? We're going to a place that serves food!" Vadei reminds him, much to his annoyance.

"More for me..." he mutters before he smiles and nods on his way back in there.

"I don't know, I wouldn't want to impose on her." I say to Vadei after making sure that I had everything.

"She's invited us to the opening of her shop, knowing full well it was going to be busy because of what it is... We're staying and helping!" Vadei barks with a straightened-out back.

And, I brush my bangs back as I smile, "I am fine with that."

"I hope she doesn't mind us pigging out, though." Vadei jokes as she rubs her stomach through the pockets of her jacket.

"As long as we don't get in the way of her actually doing her business, I don't see why not." I comment with a shrug as I try to remember the fact that she has to make money.

"Liada makes them in big batches anyway, I'm sure she won't even notice." Vadei shrugs.

"No, I think she will..." I mutter with uncertainty as I remember the last time Vadei went overboard with her snacking.

"Not with how many people she has coming once the doors open." Vadei goes on to remind me.

"I suppose." I let out as I recall the various future customers impatiently knocking on Liada's door. It was hard at times, however, to tell if people just wanted to see her in person or if they wanted to eat. Even after all this time, Liada was quite popular purely because of what she was.

For one reason or perhaps even two...

"So are we bolting over or walking?" Vadei asks as we start to distance ourselves from Suhurlodst.

"Hm, I think it will be better if we go up..." I mutter as I look out across the vast distance between here and the city of Thrurstradtur. It was a vast stretch of green that was only broken up by the single, lonely farm that occupied it. Even then, its purpose made it nearly blend in with it all too.

So, I then take Vadei's hand and prepare my spell as I steel my mind. I have gotten a lot better at this, but it was still very difficult doing this. But, I was ready nonetheless and I commenced the process. One moment we would be lightning, the next, normal people.

However, our transmutative hopping left us right outside the place I was hoping to avoid. But Vadei was quick to let go of my hand when we got there. So I followed after her uncomfortably as she ran up to someone. A barely dressed man with slightly green hair.

"Oh, thought I smelled a familiar burn." Seigunfrei greets as he rests his arms on the wooden bars of the farm fence. And while Vadei ran up to him to look onwards at the crops, I lingered a bit further away.

"You alright, Sei?" Vadei asks him casually as she leans forward to sniff the healthy greens.

"A bit knackered, but, all should be in order once I catch my breath." he answers before he turns to the man further beyond the fence. A man I have only come to resent because of what he has been encouraging with his so-called help.

"Is Nin here, then...?" I asked with a shaky voice as I noticed the distinct lack of his usual flare of magic.

"He went on down the mountain not that long ago as he got a callback on a job." he answers before he pulls out his own little communicator. And, hearing that, I sighed in relief. It meant he would be out of the city tonight if anything...

"Then how come you haven't gone with him?"

"Eh, he mentioned how he needed to do more jobs to fill in for the money requirements, so I just let him take it on his own."

"Right..." I say as I turn to leave, only to stop as I notice that Vadei was not intending to herself.

"You still both got brought to the floor, right?" Vadei asks with a snicker.

"Of course, what else would you expect?" Seigunfrei asks her back with a loud, singular laugh.

"Some improvement?" she asks as her head turns back towards him.

"Try asking him to go easy on us."

"He won't ever do that." I say with a depressed tone as Vadei finally remembers what we were doing.

"Right, in a bit, then!" she tells him with a wave as she finally takes my hand again.

"I'll make a show later, so give Liadanann my regards." Seigunfrei tells us as he starts to wave as I start up the spell again. However, with this frustration now on my mind, I went a little too far with the distance. And we ended up crashing on the final stop.

"Practise more..." Vadei complains, clearly missing or ignoring my fouler mood.

"I will." I tell her with a nod as I watch her briefly hold her stomach.

"Now, let's hope it isn't too busy on the way in." Vadei comments as we start to move towards the slightly perturbed queue.

"It's only a smaller gate, so it shouldn't be an issue." I say to her as I make sure that the guards could easily find our passes. And, once I got them, we skipped right by the now annoyed queue with the guards just waving us in.

"Losers!" Vadei cackles as I put them away.

"You really shouldn't antagonise them." I tell her off with.

"Says the one who just couldn't hold in her excitement at us getting those damned things." Vadei remarks with a knowing smile as her nose starts to get busy.

"Should've made sure to wear perfume." I joke as I notice the difficulties Vadei was displaying with her expressions.

"And I would've thrown a bucket of water at you." she flatly comments but I knew that even with this tone that she was still joking.

"Found the good smells yet?" I decided to ask after a few minutes had passed us by.

"Yeah... That way." she finally answers with a stretched-out digit.

"I will never know how anyone can navigate this city." I comment before I look up at a passing airship. Only the government was allowed to use them so everyone had to walk. No magic either, that all got sucked out.

"I mean, the city does have this weird thing about it..." Vadei tells us as she tries to somehow gesture to nothing tangible.

"That is true." I say as a wave of magic washes over us and we suddenly appear vastly closer to where we wanted to go. However, now, we had to deal with an exceptionally large gathering of people. All for one dine-in bakery...

"Zap them gently and plow through." tells me with the corner of her mouth before I poke her to remind her of my absent magic. Smiling a little as she jumped back, yelping 'ow' to nothing.

"We'll just go around back, she told us where the key was." I tell her quietly before I start to go around the street to find an alleyway. And, quickly, we both filed into it and kept on going until we reached a small opening. But, although the area was filthy, as it was like a mini-dump, the bakery backdoor was well-cleaned.

If a little stuffed with old tools and equipment...

"Hello!?" Liadanann called out the moment we unlocked the door.

"It's just us!" Vadei called to her as we stepped inside to the lovely scented building.

"Lock it, please!" Liadanann calls back to us so I do just that. And, when we finally came across her. Vadei latched onto her for a hug.

"Hello!" she let out with a slight cheer as she enjoyed the hug from the large-chested woman.

"How's it been?" I asked as I simply went for a little wave while moving my present out before me.

"It's been a little hectic... But, I am really looking forward to having such a good first day." Liadanann informs us with a mixture of nerve-wracking excitement and held back terror. And I suppose the terror made sense when you considered the crowd... It would be mayhem sorting this all out once the doors opened at last.

"Well, I hope this somehow helps, then!" I tell her as I present the gift that I had made for her.

"Oooo, give!" she says as she greedily snatches it up before she then opens it up. And, contrary to how she opened it, she gently pulls it out and unfolds it.

"This is what took you so long...?" Vadei whispers to me with mocking disbelief...

"I thought she would like it..." I say with a pout before my face becomes engulfed my soft, clothed flesh.

"Thank you, Einervaene!" Liadanann nearly screams in delight before she quickly puts it onto her counter.

"I'm glad you like it!" I proudly answer as I giggle at the sight of my croquet within her bakery.

"So do you have anything we can ha-" Vadei starts to say before I pinch her mouth shut.

"Is there anything we can help you with?" I correctly ask.

Liadanann giggles first at our antics, though, "You can make sure all the tables and that are ready. And, if you don't mind... Maybe help the crowd come into my shop calmly..." she explains fine at first before some old fears become apparent.

"Still nervous around humans?" Vadei decides to ask.

"Vadei!" I let out, knowing full well where this might go if she dug it up too much.

"No, it's fine. But, yes, a little. But, back when this was just an old blacksmith, I had some time to get used to it all."

"I'd be hard-pressed to even remember what this place once was." Vadei says as she sniffs the air. Likely to make a point regarding the vastly different smell of the place.

"The oven is a converted forge and many of the chairs are made with old parts." Liadanann giggles as she shows off her craftsmanship in the meantime before a timer suddenly goes off.

"Don't worry, I've got it." I tell her as I was closer to the entranceway to the other side of the counter.

"Use the thicker gloves." Liadanann tells me as I open up the seemingly complex oven.

"Got it." I say once I pull the tray out. Smiling as I enjoyed the smell before she came by to take it out of my grasp.

"Now to put these out..." she mutters before the moves the empty tray back into the oven. A nervous stutter takes her over as she looks back at the full shelves and cabinets.

"You have enough, Liadanann, it'll be alright." I tell her as I try to move her out to the open floor so she can open the place.

"I... Uh..." she lets out as she freezes up, "Thank you for being here, you two." she eventually squeaks out.

"No problem, so long as you feed me." Vadei says friendly at first before humorous greed made its way to the front.

"Vadei!" I snap disapprovingly before Liadanann shows us how much Omb has influenced her.

"Feel free to eat all you can once I give the word!" she laughs out as she pulls us in for one final hug.

"Now, get to it!" I tell her with an encouraging tone and expression.

"Alright... And, that's it, The Blacksmith's Kitchen is finally open..."

"Now open the door." Vadei comments after the distinct click filled the air.

"OH! Right... Can someone put up a blocker on the staircase, please." Liadanann suddenly says as she makes sure the door stays closed until it is done.

"Right, right." I say as I put one in place. With my eyes briefly lingering on the upstairs as I recall what it was for. Liadanann's bedroom was up there. As well as...

"Welcome one and all! Please come in orderly and I'll make sure to have you leave fulfilled!" Liadanann declares, drawing me out of my thoughts.

"What do I do? What do I do!?" I let out as she quickly gestured us closer to the counter.

"Alright, the first few customers are probably going to want to snatch up a... HEY! NO FIGHTING IN MY BAKERY!" Liadanann begins to explains before she has to shout down a start-up fight.

"Sorry..." the young boys say as they get into their seats.

"Yeah, just, make sure everyone is in their seats and then serve them while I try and handle the wandering lot." Liadanann finishes before she hastily runs behind the counter. A process she probably couldn't make any louder if she tried. What, with her large body, tail and sharp claws...

"And here I thought I escaped slavery." Vadei jokes lightly as she puts on an apron just to give the impression that she worked here.

"Mush, then." I laugh out after hitting her with a towel.

"Just you wait..." she mutters before we get to work helping out our friend with her business. And, within the tighter confines of this building, it was easier to grasp just how many people were here. She might even have to briefly hire security to make sure the walk-ins were orderly and calm. However, carrying about all this freshly baked food was something else.

It made me understand why Vadei was so insistent on getting freebies. And, going by the expressions of most people, it was tasty enough to warrant eating as much as they could. It wasn't long before my own mouth was watering and the emptiness of my stomach became apparent. When was the last time I ate anyway...?

Well, I would just have to forget about it for now as more people had suddenly appeared. Where had they even come from!? We just sorted them out a moment ago! So many, in fact, that I was struggling to navigate about.

"H-Hey!" I let out as I struggled to get past one group before I thudded against the counter.

"Back in you go!" Liadanann ordered me frantically before she nearly slipped up on her own floor.

"There's too many...!" I point out before I have another order shoved at me.

"Then ensure they leave!" Liadanann reminds me with a nod before she barks orders at her customers to get them out of here. She even started to get uppity towards the seated ones just to make room.

"Gods help us..." I heard Vadei mutter as she passed me by. And I couldn't agree with her more.