Chapter 20 : amazing

The tavern went silent.

The card continued rising until it was eye level with Shawn, then flipped to reveal - the Three of Clubs.

"That's... not my card," Shawn said, disappointed.

"Oh?" Adom feigned surprise. "Are you sure? Maybe you should check your pocket."

Shawn reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a card. The Seven of Hearts. His eyes widened.

"But how did you—"

"Wait," Adom interrupted, pointing at the floating Three of Clubs. "What's that behind your ear?"

Shawn reached up and found another card. The Three of Clubs he'd just been looking at was now somehow behind his ear, while the one that had been floating was gone.

The tavern erupted.

"MAGE! MAGE! MAGE!"

Tara, returning with the milk and cookies, had to weave through the celebrating crowd. "Well," she said, placing the plate in front of him, "I haven't seen them this excited since the time Old Morris convinced everyone he'd caught a mermaid, and it turned out to be a painted cod."

"Thank you, ma'am," Adom said, reaching for a cookie. The moment he bit into it, time seemed to slow down. The chocolate chips were still melting, creating perfect pockets of richness that contrasted with the crispy edges and soft center.

The buttery sweetness spread across his tongue, accompanied by hints of vanilla and... was that a touch of cinnamon? The cookie somehow managed to be both delicate and substantial, crumbling just right without falling apart.

The system displayed: [+1 Life Force]

He closed his eyes, savoring each note of flavor like it was a symphony. In seventy-nine years of living, he'd never...

His eyes snapped open. "Hey!"

Where there had been a plate full of cookies moments ago, there was now a single lonely survivor, surrounded by guilty-looking crumbs. The drunk men around him were all chewing suspiciously, avoiding eye contact.

Tara's laugh rang out. "Don't worry, dear. I've got more batches cooling. I'll pack you a tray to take with you, since you seem to be enjoying them."

"These are the best cookies I've ever eaten," Adom said with complete sincerity, the kind that could only come from seven decades of comparison.

"TOLD YOU!" shouted the man from earlier, spraying cookie crumbs everywhere. He swallowed hard and pointed at Adom triumphantly. "What'd I say? Best cookies this side of the isles! This side of ANY isles!"

"I'll definitely come back here whenever I can," Adom said earnestly, reaching for the last cookie before anyone else could steal it.

Tara laughed. "You sound just like my boy. He's around the same age as you too. Gets this same look in his eyes every time I bake a fresh batch."

"Really? Your son is lucky to have these at home," Adom said softly, then added more quietly, "Makes me miss my mother's cooking even more." He made a mental note to visit home as soon as possible. Maybe take a leave?

"Say, Tara," one of the men piped up, swaying slightly on his feet, "wasn't your little one wanting to be a mage too? Should introduce him to our cookie mage here. At least he'd be paying for his treats, unlike some of us freeloaders."

Adom felt his cheeks burn - the drunk had a point.

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly—" Tara started.

"I'd love to help," Adom interrupted. "I could be his sponsor at the academy."

Tara fell silent, her hands stilling on the counter. "Are... are you sure?"

"Absolutely. These cookies are more than worth it," he smiled. "Has he been tested already?"

"Yes, since he was four. The stone turned silver for him."

"Oh?" Adom's eyebrows rose. "Why wasn't he taken in then?"

Tara's expression flickered, her hands twisting her apron. "There were... some complications with the process..."

Noting her discomfort, Adom quickly changed the subject. "Well, I'll do my best to have him join Xerkes by next semester. I mean it."

"Thank you!" Tara's eyes were suddenly bright. "I... thank you."

She looked like she was about to cry, and probably, to not ruin the mood, she exclaimed, "Oh! Wait just a moment," before disappearing into the kitchen. She returned moments later with a cloth-wrapped bundle that smelled heavenly. "Here you go, dear. Still warm."

Adom accepted the package, the warmth seeping through the cloth into his hands. "Thank you, really."

At that moment, a deep voice came from behind. "You're here."

Adom turned to see Kai, looking exactly as he had hours ago, as if time hadn't passed at all.

"I'm sorry for making you wait," Adom said, but Kai waved it off.

"Not a problem. Usually head out around this hour anyway." He looked Adom up and down, taking in the dried blood, torn clothes, and general dishevelment. "Rough night, huh?"

"Very. Yes."

Adom turned to Tara, who was still dabbing at her eyes with her apron. "Good night, ma'am. And thank you."

"GOOD NIGHT, KAI!" the entire tavern erupted in unison, then, "GOODBYE, COOKIE MAGE! COME BACK SOON!"

Adom waved, unable to suppress a smile as he followed Kai out, carefully clutching his precious bundle of cookies. The last thing he heard was someone attempting to start another round of "MAGE! MAGE! MAGE!" before the heavy door swung shut behind them.

The journey back to Xerkes was quiet, largely because Adom fell asleep almost immediately after settling into Kai's cart. He woke to a gentle shake of his shoulder.

"We're here," Kai said.

"Oh. Thank you," Adom mumbled, still groggy. "See you around."

Kai just waved, his strider letting out a soft whicker as they turned away.

The academy structures loomed unchanged before him - thank goodness. He made his way to his dorm, feet moving automatically along familiar paths.

"HOLY SHI-!" The scream pierced the quiet as he opened the door. Sam's eyes went wide. "Dude! What the hell happened to you?!"

"Went hunting," Adom said casually. It was a perfect excuse, really - mage students, especially those in their first three years, were actively encouraged to practice their spells through hunting, particularly if they were interested in becoming battle mages.

"You wanna be a battle mage?" Sam's eyebrows shot up.

"Been thinking about it."

"You've been so weird today. Like, cool, kinda. But weird."

"Thank you, Sam."

"You're welcome— wait, is that... are those cookies I'm smelling alongside all the blood on you?"

Adom chuckled. "Best cookies ever." He unwrapped the bundle, the aroma filling their room. "Wait, should we get milk?"

"There's the distributor down the corridor. Still should be working at this hour," Sam said, already heading for the door. "Don't start without me!"

Adom settled on the floor, exhaustion finally catching up with him. There was something nagging at the back of his mind, something important he'd forgotten, but no matter how hard he tried to grasp it, it slipped away like smoke.

Sam burst back in with two bottles. "Only one cow milk left. The rest is mooyak," he said, holding up a bottle of familiar blue liquid.

"Dibs on the mooyak then."

"Fine by me. I prefer cow anyway." Sam tossed him the blue bottle and dropped down beside him. "These smell amazing."

"Try one."

Sam bit into a cookie and his eyes immediately closed, just as Adom's had done earlier. "Who made these?!" he demanded through a mouthful of crumbs.

"A nice lady back at a—" Adom's eyes suddenly went wide.

"What? Are you having a stroke or something?"

"His name."

"Huh?" Sam asked, already reaching for another cookie.

"I didn't ask for it!" Adom groaned. "Her son's name! I just... I promised to help get her son into Xerkes and I don't even know his name..."