Into the Fire: A LitRPG Fantasy Cooking

Adventure (Morcster Chef Book 2)

Actus
Visit to download the full and correct content document:
https://ebookmass.com/product/into-the-fire-a-litrpg-fantasy-cooking-adventure-morcs
ter-chef-book-2-actus/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

Steamforged Heresy: A LitRPG Adventure (Steamforged

Sorcery Book 2) Actus

https://ebookmass.com/product/steamforged-heresy-a-litrpg-
adventure-steamforged-sorcery-book-2-actus/

Germination: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Battle Mage

Farmer Book 2) Seth Ring

https://ebookmass.com/product/germination-a-fantasy-litrpg-
adventure-battle-mage-farmer-book-2-seth-ring/

Blackmist: A LitRPG Adventure (My Best Friend is an

Eldritch Horror Book 1) Actus

https://ebookmass.com/product/blackmist-a-litrpg-adventure-my-
best-friend-is-an-eldritch-horror-book-1-actus/

Domestication: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Battle Mage

Farmer Book 1) Seth Ring

https://ebookmass.com/product/domestication-a-fantasy-litrpg-
adventure-battle-mage-farmer-book-1-seth-ring/
Unbalanced: A LitRPG Adventure (Class Shift Book 2)
Sean Oswald

https://ebookmass.com/product/unbalanced-a-litrpg-adventure-
class-shift-book-2-sean-oswald/

Invent: An Epic Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (The

Completionist Chronicles Book 7) Dakota Krout

https://ebookmass.com/product/invent-an-epic-fantasy-litrpg-
adventure-the-completionist-chronicles-book-7-dakota-krout/

Implode: An Epic Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (The

Completionist Chronicles Book 8) Dakota Krout

https://ebookmass.com/product/implode-an-epic-fantasy-litrpg-
adventure-the-completionist-chronicles-book-8-dakota-krout/

Book of the Dead: Awakening: A LitRPG Adventure Rinoz

https://ebookmass.com/product/book-of-the-dead-awakening-a-
litrpg-adventure-rinoz/

Azarinth Healer: Book Three - A LitRPG Adventure

Rhaegar

https://ebookmass.com/product/azarinth-healer-book-three-a-
litrpg-adventure-rhaegar/
 INTO THE FIRE
©2022 A.J. Nadir

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of
this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form
or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise
circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without
a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any
reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited
without the express written permission of the authors.

Aethon Books supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose
of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our
culture.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the
author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for
review purposes), please contact editor@aethonbooks.com. Thank you for your support of
the author’s rights.

Aethon Books
www.aethonbooks.com

Print and eBook formatting by Steve Beaulieu. Artwork provided by Paris Ioannou.

Published by Aethon Books LLC.

Aethon Books is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the
publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of
the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales,
or persons, living or dead is coincidental.

All rights reserved.

 C O NT E NT S

ALSO IN SERIES

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Thank you for reading Into the Fire

More Morcster Chef

Groups
LitRPG
 ALSO IN SERIES

Cleaver’s Edge
Into the Fire

Want to discuss our books with other readers and even the authors like
Shirtaloon, Zogarth, Cale Plamann, Noret Flood (Puddles4263) and so many
more?
Join our Discord server today and be a part of the Aethon community.
 CHAPTER ONE

Arek waited until an hour after brunch to tell his friends about the
doomsday clock that had etched itself back onto his claws. After all,
there was no point ruining a perfectly good meal with a problem as
mundane as imminent destruction.
Once everyone but Ming had finished eating, Arek drew their
attention to himself. He ignored the pit growing deeper at the bottom
of his stomach and held his hands out so the others could get a
better look as they spoke. The gentle, pulsing green glow of the
runes backed his words up, leaving no doubt that his magic had
returned.
“That’s kind of cool,” Ming said, finishing off the last piece of
apple pie and licking her lips clean. “Not the uncontrollable insanity
part, but... at least you’re strong again. Magic is fun.”
“I have an enchanted dagger,” Belmont said. Arek noticed that
the man had a hand wrapped around the hilt of his bright pink staff,
no doubt prepared to summon a shield if Arek went insane. The
thought was oddly comforting. “We could etch the runes off again. Or
do you believe that you’ve already lost control? Actually, if you had,
would you even know?”
“Relax, Belmont,” Malissa said. “If Arek had already lost control,
he’d be slinging magic everywhere. Judging by the fact that he’s just
sitting here, I suspect that he’s fine for the time being. That being
said, we should probably contact Magus.”
“That would be a good idea,” Arek agreed. “I’m certainly feeling
the desire to use magic again, but I don’t believe it’s enforced by
anything other than my longing to, well, use magic. It doesn’t seem
to be influenced by an external force, which is somehow more
concerning. As for the dagger, it’s worth giving it a shot.”
“I’ll go find Magus,” Ming said, pushing her chair back and rising
to her feet.
“Don’t channel a huge amount of pure magic in the middle of the
city!” Malissa called after Ming as the small mage darted away.
Ming cackled in response, running out the door and disappearing
into the morning crowd.
“Well, that’s not good,” Malissa said. “How did things go so wrong
so quickly?”
“Sorry,” Arek said.
“It’s okay. We’ll deal with it. We’ve gotten this far, so don’t you
think for a moment that we’re going to get brought down by a bunch
of fancy green lines.”
“Less talk, more stabbing runes,” Belmont said, sliding a dagger
across the table to Arek.
The blade shimmered with a faint blue light. It would have been
impossible to notice if the orc wasn’t intentionally looking for it.
Arek lifted the dagger and pressed the tip into his claw. He drew
a deep breath and gritted his teeth against the pain. The orc
increased the pressure, ignoring the pain that shot through his hand
as the blade bit deeper into his hand. He dragged it along a claw,
carving a thin line through dozens of miniscule runes.
“Well, that seems to have worked,” Malissa said.
The runes lit up. Before any of them could react, the furrow Arek
had carved into himself lit up with the same color as the runes. When
the light faded a moment later, the cut was gone.
“You ruined it,” Belmont grumbled. “You are a bad luck charm.
First you walk next to the river and get yanked in, and now this.”
Arek peered at his claw. His brow furrowed and his lips thinned.
“It never did this before. That arch did something to the runes.
They’re different.”
Belmont stood up and made his way over to stand beside Arek.
He kept a good bit of space between them and kept his staff
clutched tightly in one hand.
 “Let me take a look,” Belmont said. “I might recognize some of
them.”
Arek offered him his hand. Belmont took it and raised it to eye
level, examining the runes with a frown. Several adventurers sent a
glance in their direction, and one of them let out a cheerful whistle.
“Nothing I recall,” Belmont sighed. “They’re strange. The style
seems similar to the rune on the arch, but more modern. It’s like a
mixture of the two types. I’m sure Magus will be of more help.”
“You’re quite friendly with Magus,” Malissa said, tilting her head
slightly. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you compliment someone so
seriously or without looking like you sat on an anthill. What
happened between you two?”
“Absolutely nothing. He’s just a very capable mage.” Belmont
crossed his arms. “He might have also given me a book or two, but
that’s a topic for later. We need to make sure our chef doesn’t
explode.”
Just as the last word came out of Belmont’s mouth, a dull thrum
ripped through the guild. It was just a noise, but it passed with
enough force to make Arek feel like his bones were shaking.
Belmont leapt to his feet, raising the staff and preparing to
summon a shield before the group. The other adventurers in the
tavern reacted similarly, although they were slightly slower to the
draw than Belmont.
Ming strode back into the tavern with a sheepish smile on her
face. Magus stormed in behind her. A cute nightcap sat askew on his
head and he wore a long, flowing bathrobe. It might have looked
regal, had it not been bright pink.
“What is it with you lot and summoning me by mimicking an
explosion in the city?” Magus snarled, pausing to break down
coughing for several moments before resuming his tirade. “Have you
never heard of a message spell? You don’t have to use enough
magic to blow up a dungeon!”
“I don’t know a message spell,” Ming said meekly.
“I’ve got a bubble and a healing spell,” Belmont said.
“Some basic summoning magic for my daggers, but that’s it,”
Malissa added with an embarrassed grin.
 “I know one, but I don’t think it would be wise for me to be using
any magic at the moment,” Arek said.
“You know one?” Magus asked, his eyes narrowing. “And you still
let this little goblin call me with a pillar of pure magic in the middle of
the city? What is your prob—wait. You know a spell?” The mage
flicked his hand, summoning a dome of energy around the group to
block out the watching adventurers.
“That’s why I called you,” Ming said. “It’s a little urgent. Arek is
gonna blow up.”
“I don’t know where you all got the idea that I’ve become
explosive,” Arek said. He turned to Magus and raised his hand.
“However, there is still a cause for worry. It appears the dungeon
changed more than Ming’s eyes.”
“Explain,” Magus ordered. He coughed into his sleeve, but his
inquisitive eyes didn’t leave Arek for a second.
It took a few moments for Arek to go over the history of his runes.
Magus’ eyes narrowed once the orc had finished speaking. The pale
mage shook his head with a disbelieving chuckle.
“You played me. When I asked if you were magical, you said not
inherently. I suppose an external enchantment wouldn’t count. Very
clever. Makes me even more curious about your past.”
“My past is not the immediate concern,” Arek said. “Can you look
at the runes? We have already attempted to destroy them with an
enchanted dagger, but they repaired themselves.”
Magus walked around the side of the table and peered closer at
Arek’s claws. A thoughtful frown crossed his face as he scanned
them.
“Interesting. Very interesting,” Magus said, rubbing his chin. “I
don’t recognize these at all. They’re just like the runes in Ming’s
eyes. However, if you’ve had problems controlling yourself in the
past due to the runes, we can’t afford to delay like we can with Ming.
Arek, you’ve got a Truesight Artifact, right? Use it, please. Is
anything off?”
Arek shrugged and pulled the eyepiece out, examining himself.
 Vaugh-Arek
Male Orc, Age 29

Magical affinity: Runes

Magical power: 89 th Percentile
Magical energy: 55 th Percentile
Physical power: 82 nd Percentile
Karma: -3,802: C-Rank Adventurer
Guild: None

“Nothing is different,” Arek said, putting it away.

“What should we do?” Belmont asked. “If we get a stronger
weapon, we might end up chopping Arek’s fingers off. Besides, what
if the runes are controlling him? If we don’t understand what they do,
he could be under someone’s influence!”
“I don’t think someone else could have cooked like that,” Malissa
pointed out. “I highly doubt whoever made the arches in the dungeon
was also a professional chef.”
“That’s… a fair point, actually,” Belmont admitted. “That doesn’t
mean they couldn’t somehow influence Arek in the future, though.”
“Belmont is correct,” Magus said. “However, I’m not aware of any
method to remove the runes without completely chopping your
hands off. We have no idea what they’ll do if faced with a powerful
magical attack.”
“I find the removal of my hands to be a mild inconvenience,” Arek
said.
Magus sighed and rubbed his forehead, as if Arek’s answer had
itself greatly inconvenienced him.
“Very well. The first order of business is to run a field test. We
need to find out if you are going to lose control of your abilities in a
controlled environment.”
Magus raised his hands upwards. The air crackled and the group
vanished, leaving behind nothing but the smell of ozone.
They snapped back into existence in a wide-open field. Everyone
other than Magus and Ming promptly fell to the ground as their chairs
vanished from beneath them.
“Give us warning before you do that!” Malissa snapped.
“Sorry,” Magus said, but he didn’t sound particularly apologetic.
“Now, Arek, test your magic. Fear not, I will subdue you if you find
yourself unable to control your abilities. We’re far enough away from
the city, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
Arek slowly rose to his feet. He glanced down at his travel bag,
which had somehow teleported along with them. The flap was still
slightly askew. He could make out the red patch within the small gap.
The damn thing felt like it wanted to be seen.
“Are you sure this is wise?” Arek asked. “What if the desire to
overuse my magic comes back the moment I cast a spell?”
“You claim to be a chef, but you’re still an adventurer,” Magus
replied. His tone darkened and the air around him crackled with faint
blue energy. “For the moment, it looks like the runes will be a part of
you for the near future. When you inevitably get into trouble and your
team needs your help, you’re going to use the runes. Now, what
happens if you hold off now and go insane then? You become a
liability to your own team. An uncontrolled weapon is no better than
an enemy.”
“Hold on now,” Malissa said. “We contacted you for help, but
you’re not going to be ordering anyone other than Ming around. Arek
could go insane from using the runes! You have no place making
that decision for him.”
“Logically, Magus is correct,” Belmont said slowly. He ignored the
glare Malissa sent his way as Magus gave him an approving nod.
“However… I believe I am going to side with Malissa. We’re talking
about Arek’s life, not the outcome of a dice game.”
Magus rolled his eyes and turned to Ming. “Have you also
decided to become a philosopher?”
“Nah, I’ll just go with whatever Arek wants,” Ming said with a
shrug. “I trust him.”
Arek felt a bead of sweat trail down the back of his neck. He
swallowed and clenched his hands, setting his brow in stone and
giving Magus a firm nod. “Thank you, everyone. However, I think
Magus is correct. I cannot progress without making sure I am not a
threat to the party.”
A grin started to cross Magus’ face.
“I’m well aware that half the reason you want me to do this is
because you want to see an orc use magic,” Arek said, wiping
Magus’ smile straight off. “It just happens to be the best course of
action.”
“I am a scholar first and foremost,” Magus said with an
unapologetic shrug. “Do not fear. If you lose control, I will subdue
you without serious harm. These runes might be dangerous, but they
will not permit you to stand against me.”
The man’s words were a mere statement of fact, not an insult.
There was surely no doubt in Magus’ mind that he could stop Arek if
worse came to worst.
“Best get your shields ready, Belmont,” Arek said, drawing a deep
breath and walking several strides away from the party. “You might
need them.”
 C H A P T E R T WO

It was a strange feeling, yearning to call upon the magic within the
runes while simultaneously wishing they had never returned.
Unfortunately, when the lives of his companions were on the line,
Arek’s trepidation took backseat. The orc cracked his neck.
Years had passed since Arek had last attempted to draw upon
the full power of the runes. The occasional spell he’d cast to help
with cooking had drawn so little power from the already-damaged
runes that the orc hoped he’d forgotten how to properly access them
in the first place. There was no such luck.
The moment Arek’s mind drifted to casting a spell, he felt power
start to thrum within his hands. He swallowed and narrowed his
eyes. There was no backing away.
“Get ready,” Arek warned. He shoved old memories to the side as
he dredged up a spell he hadn’t cast in ten years. He mentally
brushed the spiderwebs away, bringing the knowledge to the
forefront of his mind.
Within the span of a second, brilliant green lines etched
themselves into his claws as individual runes lit up. The air around
Arek’s claws crackled. Energy exploded forth, stretching outwards
and expanding like an elastic bolt of lightning.
The green light grew darker, forming into a thick pillar about the
width of a fist and a half. One end expanded, forming into a large,
wicked blade. It had a slight curve that sharpened at the tip. Details
continued to slowly appear from within the light. The forms of furious
warriors and furious beasts decorated the entire shaft. Arek reached
out and grabbed the construct. It hummed in response to his touch.
 The light dimmed further before stopping at just a few shades
lighter than jade. The blade of the weapon seemed to hum slightly,
and the light at its edge was significantly brighter than the rest of the
weapon.
Arek kept his hand as far away from his body as he could. He
held the staff gingerly, as if it were about to explode.
“That’s an interesting spell,” Magus observed. He watched Arek
closely, his inquisitive eyes drinking in every detail. “That’s a
guandao, if I’m not mistaken. Not many mages bother summoning
weapons. It’s much more effective to fight someone from far away.”
“I am not a mage,” Arek said curtly. His voice was so tense that it
could have cut a steak.
“I’m not here to argue semantics,” Magus said. “Feeling any
urges to go on a killing spree?”
“You can’t just ask him that!” Ming whispered. “You have to be
more polite.”
“And how would you do that?” Magus asked, cocking an
eyebrow.
Ming cleared her throat and turned to Arek. “Ah…are we looking
any tastier than normal? Like we’d go well atop a bed of spinach,
drizzled with a lemon vinaigrette?” Ming paused. Then she licked her
lips. “Actually, that sounds kind of good….”
“I’m afraid not,” Arek said. “And, for the record, meat tends to pair
well with a salad that has more of a bite. Arugula might be the better
option, if you were so inclined.”
“You’re both psychopaths,” Malissa grumbled, doing her best to
take the situation seriously. She failed miserably at keeping the grin
from her face as Ming nodded thoughtfully in response to Arek’s
words.
“Just for educational purposes, do you think a person would taste
good?” Ming asked. “And, while we’re talking about knowledge at
that stuff, would they be best medium or medium-rare?”
“Do not answer that,” Belmont warned. “She was already an inch
away from eating a fishman. We do not need to encourage this
further.”
 Arek’s mouth snapped shut and he cleared his throat. As far as
the orc could tell, not a single trace of unnatural desire towards the
magic had appeared. A miniscule amount of the tension left his
shoulders.
“Of course. It was just meant to be a joke to lighten the situation.”
Arek waited for a few moments until Belmont glanced in Magus’
direction. Then he mouthed “medium-rare” at Ming and gave her a
wink.
Belmont didn’t see Arek, but he spotted the gleeful grin on Ming’s
face and immediately glared at Arek.
The orc shrugged, then dismissed the spell. The guandao
shattered into thousands of little motes of light that shimmered and
launched back into his claws. The runes faded back to gray.
“I’m not feeling anything yet,” Arek said before any of them could
ask. “It’s almost concerning, actually. There’s no way my runes were
repaired and improved for free. There has to be a drawback, and I’d
much rather know it than be in the dark.”
“Indeed,” Magus agreed, pursing his lips. “I recommend you all
stay within the city for the next few days. I have already started
scouring the libraries for any information relating to Ming’s eyes. I will
add your runes to the list, Arek. However, it does not appear as if
there are any immediate consequences to your magic. I don’t believe
you are a danger to yourself or the public, so you are free to do as
you please.”
“Well, that’s reassuring. The guild has been very effective at
solving our other problems,” Malissa said, frowning.
“We’re doing the best we can,” Magus said with a frown of his
own. He coughed into his sleeve. “It is impossible to believe how
deeply rooted that woman’s organization is. I don’t know why she
was foolish enough to challenge Belmont in the middle of the guild,
but this is churning up to be quite the conspiracy. It might be one of
the biggest scandals that the guild has ever had. So, for your own
safety, I strongly recommend against speaking of it further. Rest
assured, we are working to reach a satisfactory result.”
“Was that a threat?” Belmont asked, tilting his head slightly.
 “A warning,” Magus said. “Do not misunderstand my words. You
have nothing to fear from me. However, there are many in the
adventurer’s guild that would kill to keep the news of such a scandal
quiet. Politics are a very dangerous game, and you’ve inadvertently
stumbled into what may very well be the largest match of the
decade.”
“That’s not dramatic at all,” Arek said dryly. Magus, whose chest
had puffed out slightly in pride during his speech, seemed to deflate
as his epic moment was ruined. “The adventurer’s guild loves getting
into pissing matches with people. This wouldn’t be the first time one
of their enemies has infiltrated them, and it won’t be the last. I think
we’re a little more concerned as to why Belmont has been dragged
into it.”
“That being said, we’ll be playing it safer than usual,” Belmont
said. “The circumstances are irrelevant. We can’t take any risks for
the foreseeable future, or at least until we know who we’re dealing
with.”
“That is probably a wise decision,” Magus said. “I promise we’ll
do our best to bring more information to light soon.”
Their conversation petered off into an uneasy silence, with the
four of them awkwardly watching Magus. The blue-veined mage
coughed into his sleeve and cleared his throat loudly.
“Well, I think we’ve done what we needed to. Arek, I recommend
you avoid using your magic for the time being. I’ll contact you the
moment I find any useful information. With that being said, unless
anyone has any reason to stay here further, I’ll be taking us back to
Riverfall.”
“Can I have a new spell to learn?” Ming said, doing her best
puppy-dog eyes in the older mage’s direction. “I figured out the first
one, and it’s kind of boring.”
Magus sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. A faint blue
light lit up at the tip of his finger and he traced a line through the air.
The line split open into a tiny portal and he reached inside, hunting
around for something. He found it after a few moments and pulled
out a tiny white book that wasn’t much larger than his hand.
 “There are several spells at your level within this book. It’s quite
rare, so please—”
Ming snatched it from his hand and eagerly started flipping
through the pages, practically salivating at being able to cast more
than one pure magic spell.
“—be careful with it,” Magus finished. He let out a weary sigh and
turned to Belmont as he pulled another, much thinner book from his
bag. This one was a pale beige, with dozens of dark runes inscribed
on the front.
“And this one is for you,” Magus said, handing it to Belmont.
The armored man produced a thin black cloth from within his
travel pouch and wrapped it around his gauntleted hand before
taking the book. “What’s this?”
“You need a mentor or an incredible amount of money to learn
new spells,” Magus said, rubbing the back of his head. “You didn’t
get one during your exam, so I felt that it was my duty to step in.
Temporarily, of course. Just until you find a new mentor. The other
two books are just the basics. This one is more appropriate for a
healer.”
“I see. Thank you,” Belmont said, wrapping the book in the black
cloth and putting it into his travel bag.
“Well, then, it’s time to get back,” Magus said. “I have quite a lot
of work to do. A good bit of it will be explaining to the guild that the
giant spike of energy was due to an overeager apprentice rather
than a powerful magical artifact. So, is everyone ready?” He let out a
racking cough and grimaced, then wiped his mouth with the back of
his sleeve.
Before any of them could respond, pure magic arced out of his
hands and enveloped the group. Bright blue light lit up the clearing.
When it faded, they were all gone.
The Happy Sunflowers appeared in the bottom floor of the
adventurer’s guild, several feet away from the table they’d been
sitting at before Magus had arrived. The mage hadn’t come along
with them, and their arrival drew the attention of several adventurers.
“Well, that was…something,” Malissa said, letting out a weary
sigh. “I suppose we got mostly good news, though.”
 Ming grunted in what might have been agreement. Her nose was
buried in the book Magus had given her, and the small mage didn’t
seem particularly interested in tearing her gaze away from it.
“It’s still concerning,” Arek said. “Not to sound like Belmont, but
we need to be on our guard. If Ming and I were both affected by that
portal, it’s possible you and Belmont were as well. If even Magus
doesn’t recognize what the green runes are, we have to assume that
they’re dangerous.”
“You’re right, but is there really anything we can do about it?”
Malissa asked. “Magus is already checking the library. If we sit
around constantly worrying, all we’ll do is make it harder on
ourselves.”
“It is better to be overprepared than the alternative,” Belmont
said. “If we don’t know what your runes do, we should prepare for
the worst. We could barricade ourselves within our rooms and wait
until Magus finds further information.”
Malissa crossed her arms and shook her head firmly. “No. Being
careful is one thing, but we shouldn’t live in fear of something that we
don’t know. As long as we’re in the city, Magus can show up and
help if things go really badly.”
“What are you suggesting?” Belmont asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, we’ve got a good number of people watching us at the
moment,” Malissa said, lowering her voice. “Regardless of what we
do, I think it’s time to get a move on. We’ve got some time to kill, and
we just finished a dungeon. I think we should pay a visit to the
auction house.”
“I certainly wouldn’t mind that,” Arek said, nodding. “But not yet. I
like to cook when I’m stressed, and I think my runes reactivating is
sufficient cause for stress. I know we just ate, so I’ll keep the portion
small.”
“None of us are going to object to that. I know magic can drain
your energy, and we’re all quite active now that you force us to get
up before the sun.” Malissa gave the orc a smile. “I don’t think a little
extra food is going to hurt any of us.”
Ming was less subtle. She tore her gaze away from the book and
threw her hands into the air with a cheer. Several people in the
crowd glanced in their direction, but many of them were regulars at
the tavern.
The Happy Sunflowers’ antics had started to become something
of an expectation rather than a surprise, and the novelty had quickly
worn off. Almost everyone returned to their meal after rolling their
eyes or scoffing in Ming’s direction.
“What are you making?” Ming asked, clutching her new book.
She licked her lips like a predator.
“Nothing too complicated this time,” Arek said. “We don’t want to
spend all day cooking. If Voulier will let me use his kitchen, I think I
know exactly what we need. Malissa, are you going to be helping?”
“If you’ll let me,” the tall woman said, nodding. “I’ve been having a
lot of fun learning so far.”
“Good,” Arek said. “That’s how it should be. Now we just have to
hope Voulier doesn’t mind us bothering him again.”
Ming and Belmont claimed a table while the other two made for
the kitchen door. It swung open before they were halfway there,
revealing a rather irate-looking Voulier. The man angrily stroked his
moustache and adjusted his hat.
“You’re late,” he said irritably.
“How did you know we’d be coming?” Arek asked as the two
stepped inside and Voulier shut the door behind them.
“There was a ruckus in the dining room. Everyone other than you
is always polite and silent.”
“That’s fair enough, actually,” Malissa said as she bit back a
laugh.
“Don’t worry,” Arek said. “This won’t take too long. I’m just going
to be making some fried rice.” The disguised orc paused for a
moment, then sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. “Ah, could I
buy some rice off you?”
“If it’ll get you two out of my kitchen faster, you can have it,”
Voulier snapped. “Chop chop. Get to your spot and cook. Unlike you
adventurers, the rest of us have a real job to do.”
The other cooks, who were all watching Voulier’s exchange with
the Happy Sunflower members, quickly turned back to their stations
and pretended to be busy.
 Voulier stormed over to a cupboard and started rooting around in
it while Arek and Malissa walked over to their station. The tall woman
grabbed the apron from the hook on the wall on the way. The orc
couldn’t help but notice that while the wok had already been placed
on the stove, there were no signs of the station being in use by one
of the other cooks.
Arek set his travel pack aside and started placing some of the
spice jars from his bandolier on the table. Voulier shuffled by them,
practically tossing the sack of rice onto the countertop before
vanishing behind the island in the center of the room.
“Malissa, could you start by washing the rice? It’s important to get
rid of the starch so it doesn’t stick together. Just pour it into a bowl
and fill it with water. Swish it around a bit and then pour it out. Do
that two or three times.”
Malissa nodded. She finished tying her apron on and got to work.
The bag of rice was rather small, so she dumped the entire thing into
a clean bowl on the counter and stuck it under the faucet.
While Malissa worked, Arek placed two small vials and a bigger
canister on the counter. He turned to locate Voulier. The small chef
was already striding towards him, half a dozen ingredients cradled in
his arms. Voulier placed them on the countertop and crossed his
arms.
“Anyone can make fried rice, but few can make it well. Let’s see
what you’ve got.”
“Very well,” Arek said, a smile crossing his features. He let go of
the gold piece in his pocket, which he’d planned to pay the other
chef with, and assessed what he had to work with.
Voulier had procured several eggs, three thin red peppers, a few
green onions, a small pile of shrimp, and a healthy amount of garlic.
“I’ve got the rest of what I need,” Arek said before Voulier could
dart back to get more ingredients.
“Why are you telling me that?” the shorter chef said. “I don’t care.
Any chef worth his salt will be carrying the other ingredients.” He
huffed and crossed his arms, hiding a bottle of soy sauce behind his
back.
 Arek turned so that Voulier couldn’t see his smile. Malissa had
already finished washing the rice, so Arek commandeered the sink to
wash his hands. He then washed the produce and set it aside to dry.
“Do you know how to cook rice?” Arek asked.
“I do, actually,” Malissa said. Her inner brow raised and she
pressed her lips together. “My mother taught me—before the
kobolds.”
“I’m sorry,” Arek said, setting the bowl down and turning to face
the woman. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
“It’s fine,” Malissa said. She blinked quickly and turned away.
Taking a pot from the wall, she poured the rice into it before adding
water and setting it over the stove. “I’m replacing the bad memories
with good ones.”
Arek couldn’t find an appropriate response, so he settled for
taking his cleaver and finely mincing several cloves of garlic before
tossing them into a bowl.
While Malissa cooked the rice, Arek got another bowl and
cracked the eggs into it. He used the spoon to whisk them together
and set that bowl aside as well.
“The rice is done,” Malissa announced. Her voice had returned to
normal.
“Great timing,” Arek said. “For fried rice, we actually want to have
day-old rice. It fries much better. Since I don’t think we want to wait
that long…”
He set the wok over the stove and turned the heat on. The orc
raised a hand over the pot of rice, preparing to use magic. Then he
paused. A slight frown crossed his face and his hand lowered a few
inches.
“Is it safe for me to cast my magic? What if it gets corrupted by
my runes?”
“Did you have trouble controlling your magic when you tested it
out in the field with Magus?” Malissa asked.
“Well, no,” Arek said.
“Then it’s probably fine. You can’t live in fear, Arek. That’s
Belmont’s shtick, and I think even he’s getting tired of it. We’ll deal
with life as it comes.”
 The orc swallowed. He nodded and raised his hand back over the
rice. One slow breath later, gold light enveloped the rice. Several
minutes later, Arek lowered his hand. He let out a relieved sigh and
shook his head.
“It’s funny. I should have been the one giving you the comforting
words, but it somehow turned out the other way around.”
“It happens,” Malissa said with a slight smile. “That’s what friends
are for.”
Arek stopped to look at Malissa for a moment. A complex
expression flashed over his face. Then he nodded, his lips curling up
in the barest hint of a grin.
 CHAPTER THREE

The orc got back to work, taking the thin red peppers and cutting
them into tiny discs. He then poured a healthy glug of oil into the wok
and tossed the garlic in.
“Could you chop the green onions?” Arek asked. He offered his
cleaver to Malissa, who took it reverently. She stared down at the
knife for a few moments before getting to work.
Several seconds later, the fragrant aroma of frying garlic started
to rise from the wok. Arek scooped up the chopped peppers and
added them into the pot. The oil crackled and hissed as the new
ingredients touched it. Malissa finished cutting the green onions, so
Arek added them in as well.
“Garlic cooks very quickly, so we don’t need to give it long on its
own,” Arek explained as he stirred everything together with a
wooden spoon. “Peppers take a few minutes. We want to really fry
them, not just warm them up. Frying will help bring a lot of their
natural flavor out.”
Once the orc was satisfied, he removed a thin disc of pepper to
show Malissa. It had browned along the edges, but it wasn’t burnt.
Arek removed all of the vegetables from the wok, placing them into a
bowl.
He picked up the bowl of beaten eggs and poured it into the wok.
The orc added in a sprinkle of salt as well. He let everything sit for a
few seconds before he started mixing it together.
“We just want the eggs to be barely cooked,” Arek instructed. “If
we let them completely finish, they’ll be dry when the dish is done. At
the same time, we don’t want them to be wet and undercooked.
Nobody wants their fried rice to be goopy. Take a look and let me
know when you think the eggs are about ready.”
Malissa nodded and stepped forward to get a better look at the
eggs. Arek handed her the spoon and allowed the woman to stir
everything together.
“I think it’s ready,” Malissa announced a few moments later. She
handed the spoon back to Arek, who gave her an approving nod.
“Just about right,” he agreed, scooping the eggs out of the wok
and putting them into a bowl. “They could use a few more moments,
but we’re taking that time talking anyways.”
Arek took the shrimp and put them into the wok, flipping each one
when they turned opaque after just a few seconds. As soon as they
did, he removed them from the hot metal and set them aside.
Arek grabbed the pot of rice and dumped it back into the wok. He
let it heat, breaking up a few clumps that had formed, then followed it
up with all of the other ingredients. He stirred everything together as
quickly as possible to make sure the eggs, peppers, and onions
were well distributed throughout the rice. As he stirred, he added a
healthy glug of both sesame oil and soy sauce.
He picked up the two vials he’d set on the counter earlier and
popped the tops off. He shook a healthy amount of each one into the
dish, stirring constantly as the rice started to crackle and pop.
“Any idea what I’m adding now?” Arek asked.
“Salt, maybe?” Malissa asked. “Although I don’t know why you’d
add it twice. I would have guessed pepper, but both of those are
white.”
“You’re quite close, actually,” Arek said. “One of these vials has
white pepper. It’s much lighter than black pepper, and works well for
a milder dish such as fried rice. We don’t want to overpower the
flavor of the rice or the eggs.”
“What’s the other one have, then?”
“White gold,” Voulier said, appearing behind Malissa. She bit
back a surprised curse and turned to look down at the chef.
“What’s that?”
“One of the keys to amazing fried rice,” Voulier said, giving Arek a
begrudging nod. “It comes from Red Mount, and it’s a type of salt. It’s
absolutely incredible at boosting the flavor in just about every savory
dish. It works well in fried rice.”
“And there you have it,” Arek said, more than slightly smug.
“Fried rice.”
Voulier snatched a spoon and took a heaping spoon to taste. He
popped it into his mouth, not breaking eye contact with Arek the
entire time. He chewed slowly and then swallowed. Then he gave
the orc a single nod.
“It’s okay,” Voulier said. “Well done.”

“Thank you,” Arek said, inclining his head respectfully as he started

cleaning up the workspace. “We’ll be out of your hair now. I
appreciate you letting us use your kitchen.”
“It’s no pro—ah, don’t get used to it,” Voulier said, stuttering over
his words. “If word gets out that I’m running a charity case, the guild
will be overrun with entitled fools. I’ve only allowed you to cook here
because of your extraneous circumstances.”
“Whatever the reason, we still appreciate it,” Malissa said, smiling
at the mustached chef.
Arek finished up washing the bowls and set everything out to dry.
He slung his pack over his shoulder and picked up the bowl of rice.
Malissa grabbed several bowls and utensils. As the two of them
started towards the door, Voulier cleared his throat.
They paused when Voulier shuffled over to them and thrust a
paper package into Malissa’s hands.
“It was lying around the kitchen, picking up dust,” Voulier said
gruffly. “I would have just thrown it out, but maybe you can make
some use out of it.”
“Thank you,” Malissa said, surprised.
“Now get out!” Voulier snapped. “You are distracting my cooks.”
He waved a hand threateningly as the two scurried out the door
while hiding their grins.
The other two Happy Sunflowers members were still at the same
table. Both of them had their noses buried in the books that Magus
had given them. As they approached, Belmont’s stern gaze snapped
up to meet them.
He relaxed slightly when he realized who was walking over to the
table, setting his book down and wrapping it back up in a black cloth.
Ming was oblivious to their presence until they were within sniffing
distance.
Her nose twitched and she glanced up, casting a predatory grin
in the direction of the bowl of fried rice.
“What did you make?” Ming asked.
“Manners, Ming,” Belmont reminded. “It’s ‘thank you for cooking
for us.’ You’re going to anger someone important if you keep that
up.”
“Thank you for cooking for us,” Ming said, making a face at
Belmont. “What did you make?”
“Fried rice,” Arek said. He set the bowl down on the table.
Belmont grabbed Ming’s shoulder before she could dive forward.
“No hands in the bowl. I don’t want to get sick, and I know all too well
where those grubby little hands of yours have been. Use a utensil.
Even Arek uses a utensil, and he was raised in the wild. I think.”
“You’d be correct,” Arek said. “Although the first thing I was
taught how to do was use a utensil. It was quite important in my
tribe.”
“Really?” Malissa asked. It wasn’t often that Arek talked about his
past, but the orc had lived quite the interesting life, so every scrap he
dropped was like buried gold.
“Yep,” Arek said. He lifted his meat cleaver a few inches out of his
travel pack and smirked at the party. “They taught us how to use a
knife pretty early on. I’ll admit we didn’t get around to spoons and
forks, though.”
“Oh, get stuffed,” Malissa said. She rolled her eyes and set the
bowls out. She served everyone a portion and then sat down, setting
the package Voulier had given her on the table.
Arek chuckled. He noticed a flicker of a smile cross Belmont’s
face, but it vanished before it took hold. The armored man wouldn’t
be caught dead laughing at a joke.
 Ming brought her bowl closer. She curled her lip up at the spoon
and glanced at Malissa. The tall woman was looking down at her
bowl of rice. Ming’s eyes gleamed as she snatched her bowl and
tipped it back into her mouth, devouring the entire portion in three
rapid bites.
“This is really good! Thanks, guys!” Ming mumbled through a
mouthful of food.
Arek used the comically small spoon in his hand to get a taste of
the rice himself. He was tempted to take a page out of Ming’s book,
but after seeing the look Malissa was shooting the small mage, he
decided against it.
The fried rice was as good as he remembered it. The grains were
just crisp enough to give the bite texture, while the egg was soft and
flavorful. The dish had a smoky flavor with just a hint of salt that was
like a command in his mind to take another bite.
He obliged, this time getting a shrimp in the spoonful as well. It
was flavorful and slightly charred, just enough to add a bit of a
crunch. The rice wasn’t oily, but it still coated the inside of his mouth.
“It turned out quite well,” Arek agreed. “I’ll admit that I’ve had
better, but I think we’ve done a pretty good job.”
“It’s amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever had rice with this much
flavor,” Malissa said after swallowing. “I’ve had fried rice before, but
it’s never tasted like this. What did you do that was so different? I
saw you cooking, and it didn’t seem like you changed that much.”
“What do you think it was?” Arek challenged her. “You’re right,
fried rice is a very common recipe. Nearly every recipe has the same
basic ingredients. The toppings can be changed however you desire,
though.”
“The toppings? No. That’s not the difference I’m tasting.” Malissa
started out slowly, but her words grew more confident as she
continued. “The toppings would absolutely affect the dish, but not
like this. It’s like everything just has more… flavor. The meat tastes
meatier, and the dish seems more like a single conglomerate of
flavor rather than a bunch of different ingredients that ended up in
the same location.”
“So what do you think it is?” Arek pressed.
 Malissa’s lips thinned and she crossed her arms, thinking.
“Everything,” she said after several moments. “I don’t know much
about cooking fried rice, but I think it was the combination of how you
cooked each ingredient individually so that they wouldn’t burn or
undercook. I’m sure the white gold did something too, since I’ve
never heard of it.”
“Very good,” Arek said with a wide grin. “You’re right on the
money. I’m no expert on fried rice, but as far as I know, you’re
correct.”
Malissa nodded slowly, taking the information to heart as
everyone continued to eat. She was the first to finish. She pushed
her bowl away and pulled the package Voulier had given her closer.
She carefully tore open the packaging. White cloth peeked out at
her from underneath it. Malissa pulled it out of the package,
revealing a pure white apron. It had several pockets on the front and
was completely unmarred.
“Collecting dust, huh?” Arek asked with a chuckle. “That looks
like quite a nice apron.”
“I can tell,” Malissa said, running a hand along the smooth fabric.
“I should thank him.”
“I don’t think he’d appreciate it if you walked in there and said,
‘thank you,’” Arek replied. “I think we know enough about Voulier to
understand that. You’re much better off showing him his gift went to
good use. Make a dish that you’re proud of and let him taste it.”
Malissa nodded slowly. She folded the apron up and carefully
placed it in her extradimensional bag, sending a glance at the
kitchen before turning back to the table.
“I’m looking forward to it,” she said.
“So long as we don’t have to pay both of you for cooking,”
Belmont said, his lip curling in what might have been a small smile.
“There’s no ‘we!’ I’m paying all of Arek’s salary,” Ming grumbled,
stuffing some more fried rice into her mouth. “You’re just a moocher.”
Belmont shrugged, not denying it. “You made the deal, not me,
though I’m more than happy to profit off it. It’s not like ten gold is
going to break anyone’s bank, though. Especially not anymore. We
can earn a respectable amount of money in the F-rank dungeons.”
 “Speaking of money, why don’t we check out the auction house?”
Malissa said. “Now that we’ve eaten, I don’t think anything is holding
us back.”
Ming glanced up from her bowl the moment Malissa said the
word “auction.” “I second that. I like wasting money, and the guild still
owes us money from Greenridge. There’s no point letting it burn a
hole in our pockets.”
“That could be a good idea,” Arek conceded. “I’ll admit that I have
no desire to remain cooped up any longer. I would very much like to
check out what rare ingredients the auction has.”
Belmont crossed his arms and let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine.
Don’t forget about the strange magic on Ming and Arek, though.
We’ll have to keep a very close eye on both of them. Until we know
what happened, we must be wary of everything. For that matter,
Malissa, both of us need to be aware as well. We could be
compromised and not even know it. There’s no reason for the energy
to only have affected Arek and Ming.”
“We’ll be careful,” Malissa promised. “We’ll still be inside the city,
so it’s not like we’ll be far from help if we really need it.”
With their course decided, the Happy Sunflowers left the
adventurer’s guild.

Arek’s Fried Rice

2 cups of jasmine rice

1 and ½ cups water
3 tablespoons flavorless oil
2 eggs
As much peeled and deveined shrimp as you can handle.
(12 ounces is a good start)
1-2 green onions: Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons sesame oil (to taste)
4-5 serrano peppers or 1 bell pepper (diced or chopped,
respectively)
Pinch of MSG (optional): Thoroughly wash the rice and
cook it per instructions.

If possible, refrigerate overnight. If hungry, forge

onwards. It’ll still taste good.

1. Heat wok over medium-high and add a dash of oil.

Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and mix them together before
adding into the wok. Keep them moving until they are just
a tad undercooked, then remove from wok.
2. Add the shrimp to the wok and cook just until it turns
opaque, then remove it as well.
3. Add the peppers and fry until they start to show a bit of
color. Then, in an unexpected twist, remove those too.
4. Add rice back into the pan and cook until it is warm.
Add in the eggs, then the shrimp and peppers. Pour in
soy and sesame oil and sprinkle MSG, white pepper, and
a pinch of salt.
Taste the rice and add seasonings if needed. Enjoy while
sending smug looks at any watching haughty chefs.
 CHAPTER FOUR

It had been several years since the Happy Sunflowers visited the
auction house. Luckily, the city had a vested interest in leading
travelers to it. Riverfall taxed every item sold in the auction, so there
was no shortage of signs pointing the group in the right direction.
They traveled towards the north side of the city, passing through
the endless rows of identical buildings for several minutes. The road
was quite well traveled and lined with a multitude of shops hoping to
draw the attention of adventurers headed to or from the auction
house.
The road expanded as it merged with several other paths.
Beautiful green shrubbery and multicolored flowers of all sorts lined
the path. The farther they got, the more extravagant the greenery
grew.
At the end of the path was the auction house. However, it was
anything but a simple house. Huge would have been inadequate to
describe it. The massive gray building easily stood six stories high. It
strongly resembled a colosseum. There were large, open windows
on the bottom three levels, while the top three were closed off.
There was a single massive doorway with the doors swung wide
open. Huge marble carvings flanked it. A large crowd had gathered
before two heavily armored guards who were blocking the entrance.
“Is something going on?” Malissa wondered as they joined the
crowd of waiting people. “I don’t remember them regulating if people
could enter.”
A bald man with a curly beard glanced in their direction.
 “They announced that a rare weapon was going to be sold
today,” the man said. “When big stuff like that goes for sale, it draws
a lot of people to the auction. That brings out more sellers, so it’s a
self-feeding loop. If you guys haven’t been to a big auction before,
you’re in for quite the treat. Us small fry have no chance at getting
the rarest stuff, but who knows? We might be able to get our hands
on a cool little knickknack.”
Malissa thanked him. The crowd seemed to be growing rowdier
by the second. People pushed and shoved against each other, each
vying for a better view of the auction house entrance. One person
bumped into Arek, and his illusion flickered for an instant before
snapping back into place. Luckily, everyone was so busy trying to
see into the colosseum that nobody noticed it.
“I hope the crowd starts moving soon,” Arek said to Malissa,
leaning close so he wouldn’t have to yell over the din. “My illusion
isn’t going to hold up to dozens of people constantly bumping into
me.”
“We’ll leave if it doesn’t,” Malissa promised. “Unless you think we
should leave immediately?”
The crowd surged forward abruptly. The unstoppable tide of flesh
picked the Happy Sunflowers up and forced them towards the
auction house.
“It’ll be fine!” Arek yelled.
There was no way to communicate quietly at this point. The only
person who had any space around him was Belmont, and that was
only because anyone foolish enough to press against him got
impaled on his spiny armor.
“What’ll be okay?” Belmont called.
Someone bumped into Arek and the illusion flickered again.
Belmont’s brow lowered and his lips thinned. “Ah. That.”
The armored man stepped in front of Arek, forcing the crowds
back with a pink shield. Several people shot nasty looks in their
direction, but they quickly diverted their gazes when they met
Malissa or Belmont’s eyes.
“Is it really wise to irritate people like this?” Arek asked, breathing
slightly easier now that there weren’t people squishing against him
from every direction.
“It doesn’t matter,” Ming piped up. She’d stuck behind Belmont
the entire time, completely avoiding the mulling crowd. That was
probably for the best, as the first person to run into her would have
probably squished the small mage.
“Ming is right,” Malissa said. “The heavy hitters are already in the
auction house. Only the small fry like us have to wade through the
crowd to get inside. Besides, it’s not like we’re intentionally
antagonizing people. They’re the ones trying to push into us.”
“Fair enough,” Arek agreed.
They huddled around Belmont and his protective shields, slowly
making their way through the crowd towards the entrance. It took
nearly ten minutes just to reach the doors. The guards were allowing
a stream of people in at a constant rate.
A thin man watching from the sidelines dashed forward, muscling
past the crowd. He darted behind the guard and tried to leap through
the doors. An invisible force knocked him out of the air. He shot
backwards several feet, crumpling to the ground with a cry of pain.
Nobody seemed particularly sympathetic towards him. A few people
even jeered.
“I see they take their security quite seriously,” Arek observed.
“They wouldn’t be able to sell anything of value if they didn’t,”
Belmont said.
“I bet they’ve got a bunch of really tasty food,” Ming said
dreamily.
“Don’t get any ideas,” Malissa said, glaring at the small mage.
“You’re welcome to bid with your share of money, but if you don’t
win, we’re not getting into another fight, you hear me?”
Ming waved her hand dismissively. Malissa frowned, but they’d
reached the front of the crowd. Even with Belmont’s shields keeping
people at a distance, holding the horde of people back would be a
death sentence.
The four of them approached the doors. Arek could feel the eyes
of the guards boring into him. Somehow, he knew for a fact that the
two men had completely seen past the disguise. For an
uncomfortably long second, the guards turned to watch the Happy
Sunflowers enter the auction house.
Then the crowd surged forward once again. The guards turned
back, and the Happy Sunflowers slipped away into the much more
peaceful innards of the colosseum.
The room sloped sharply downwards like a sinkhole. Thousands
of wooden chairs arranged in neat circular rows surrounded a huge,
extravagant stage. Statues of golden dragons twirled around the
edges of the stage, prostrating them before it.
Four large braziers floated above the stage, lighting it with a
warm glow. The rest of the room was dimly lit with faint torches that
made it difficult to see the surroundings. For some reason, not a
single speck of light from outside had seeped in past the doorway.
The ceiling was far above them, shrouded in so much darkness that
Arek couldn’t even make it out. There were at least two floors above
them that the orc could spot, and he suspected there were even
more beyond that.
“Follow me, please,” a man with a smarmy voice whispered in
Arek’s ear. He spun, barely keeping himself from smacking the
shadowy figure standing beside him. “I am here to guide you to your
seats. Please move quickly.”
Unable to even exchange a glance in the syrupy blackness
surrounding them, the Happy Sunflowers opted to trail behind the
employee. They were led away from the crowd and the little
remaining light coming from the doors. The man led them down
several flights of stairs and into a row before gesturing to a group of
empty seats.
“You may sit here for the duration of your stay at the Dragon’s
Dance Auction House,” the man said, inclining his head in what
might have been a bow. “Have you attended an auction with us
before?”
“Once,” Malissa said. “It was a long time ago, though.”
“It is a pleasure to have you back. I presume you do not have an
account with us, then?”
“I’m afraid not.”
 “No problem at all. However, I will need to verify the amount of
gold you have on you. We need to ensure that you can afford to
back up your bids. If you set up an account, this process can be
expedited in the future.”
Arek didn’t have to see Belmont to know the man was frowning.
He hid a chuckle and pulled his sack of coins out of his travel pack.
He handed it to the employee.
“I know how much I’ve got in there,” Arek warned.
“Of course, sir. I wouldn’t think of it,” the man said.
Arek’s gaze narrowed and he watched the employee like a hawk
as the man shuffled through his bag. Once he finished, Arek took the
bag back and counted through it himself. It was practically
impossible to tell what the coins actually were, but it weighed about
the same. Arek resolved to count his money before he entered the
auction house in the future.
The employee scanned through all of the money the group
offered him. When he got to Belmont, the man woodenly placed a
single coin in the employee’s hand.
“Is one gold all you’ve got today? I’m afraid you won’t be able to
buy anything with a single gold,” the employee said with mock
disappointment.
Belmont wordlessly took his coin back from the man, placed it on
the armrest of the chair beside him, and placed a second coin in the
man’s hand.
“You can’t be serious,” the shadow-cloaked man said. “Do you
really think I’d be foolish enough to steal from a customer in the
middle of the auction house?”
“Yes,” Belmont said, removing the coin and placing yet another
one in his hand. “That’s three, by the way. Just in case you lost
count.”
He repeated the process until he’d gone through fifty coins. The
man huffed and complained the entire time, but Arek noticed he
didn’t actually leave. Once Belmont had finished, the man threw up
his hands and made a disgusted gesture towards their chairs.
“Just sit here and wait for the auction to start. It should be about
half an hour,” he said before storming back towards the door.
 Belmont swept his coins back into his bag and sat down on a
chair. He sent an uncomfortable glance over his shoulder and placed
his hand on his travel pouch.
“I do not like this new darkness spell they’re using,” Belmont said.
“It makes it far too easy for a thief to make away with our belongings.
Keep a close eye on your bags, everyone.”
“For once, I don’t think you’re being paranoid,” Malissa agreed.
“This wasn’t here the last time we visited. They’ve clearly made a
few upgrades, if we can call it that.”
Ming harrumphed and crossed her arms. “They better have
something worth eating,” the small mage grumbled. “How did that
guy even know how much money we had? I can barely tell the
difference between a silver and a gold with this light.”
“He was probably using some sort of spell that let him see in the
dark,” Arek suggested. “Maybe an enchanted item. Who knows?
Maybe the auction house is selling dark vision pendants and is trying
to show how useful they’d be by making it impossible for everyone to
see anything.”
They chuckled as they sat down. At the very least, nobody would
be looking too closely at Arek’s illusion. The orc hugged his travel
pack to his chest and turned to peer back at the entrance. He could
still see the crowd pouring into the building, but it was difficult to
track where they were going. The moment they stepped away from
the door, they seemed to blend in with the rest of the room.
He turned back and sat normally, trying to get comfortable on the
hard wooden chair. There was a strange box poking out of the
armrest that made it difficult to rest his hands properly. Arek frowned
and leaned down so he could get a better look at it.
“It’s the bidding button,” Malissa said, noticing Arek’s interest. “It
doesn’t work yet, but when you see something you want to bid on,
you press that button and say how much gold you’re willing to
spend.”
“Are you telling me that every chair in this room is an enchanted
item?” the orc asked, his eyebrows raising in shock. Even in his
travels on the other side of the kingdom, a show of wealth in this
proportion was ridiculous.
 “I—huh. I guess I am,” Malissa said with a frown. “How do they
have so much money?”
“Probably from mugging stupid tourists who let their employees
shuffle through their money in the dark,” Belmont grumbled.
Arek wasn’t exactly sure how long they sat in the darkness. The
stream of people from the crowd slowly dropped to a trickle.
Somehow, not a single seat near the Happy Sunflowers had been
taken. Arek could just barely see a few dark forms shifting around
near the stage and at the other end of the room.
“I wonder how many people are actually here,” Arek said quietly.
Something about the atmosphere made him want to remain silent.
Maybe that was the point. “It’s so hard to see who else is in the
crowd that if you told me we were alone, I might have believed you.”
“The room is about half full,” Ming said.
The four of them turned to her in surprise.
“You can see?” Belmont asked.
“A bit. There are faint outlines around people. Some are easier to
see than others, though.”
“An effect of whatever was done to your eyes, perhaps?” Belmont
asked. He shifted in his chair, moving so he could keep an eye on
Ming. “Are you noticing any strange feelings or other nonstandard
reactions?”
Ming scratched her chin and tilted her head. “Well, I’m a little
hungry.”
“We should contact Magus,” Belmont said, crossing his arms.
“Something might be trying to take over Ming’s body.”
“Belmont, if something was really trying to control Ming, I doubt it
would give her night vision first,” Malissa said. “I agree that this is a
side effect of that spell, but I don’t think it’s dangerous—unless Ming
feels uncomfortable?”
Ming shook her head. When she realized that they could barely
make out the motion, she repeated it aloud.
“Then there we go,” Malissa said. “So far, all that spell has done
is helped us. That doesn’t mean I trust it, but I don’t think we should
drop everything and panic at something like this. Magus is already
looking into things. If something was seriously dangerous, he’d find
us.”
Belmont drew a breath, then let it out and shook his head. “I
suppose you’re right. But the moment something feels off, we’re
finding Magus immediately.”
A low rumble filled the auction house. The Happy Sunflowers
turned to see the massive doors grinding shut behind them. The last
traces of daylight winked out, although that didn’t really affect the
dark building. The torches around the stage dimmed. Then fire
erupted out from them, reaching several feet into the sky. The flames
lowered to a more reasonable level, revealing a tall man standing in
the center of the stage.
He wore a tall purple top hat with a matching suit. Gold buttons
traced down his lapel, and his cuffs were trimmed with shimmering
dragons that resembled the ones surrounding the stage. He dropped
into a bow so low that his nose nearly touched the ground.
“Good adventurers!” the announcer called. “Welcome to the
Dancing Dragon. For those of you that do not know me, my name is
Alfons. I will be your host for tonight. Now, before we begin, I would
like to draw your attention to a few ground rules. First, please locate
the large wooden button on your right-hand side and press it.” His
voice was impossibly loud and incredibly slimy. Arek had absolutely
no doubt the man could sell a pair of wings to an angel.
Arek reached out and followed Alfons’ instructions, pressing
gently on the wooden box. It slid into the chair with an audible click
before raising back up to its original position. Alfons waited for a few
moments to allow everyone to test out the button before he
continued.
“That is how you will bid. Simply state the amount of money you
are putting up after you press the button. So long as you don’t
scream, nobody else will be able to hear you speaking. However, I
will announce the current highest price. You may also notice that, if
you are on the first floor, it is impossible to see your fellow
adventurers. That is a privilege reserved for the higher floors. This is
to ensure your safety and stop would-be robbers from liberating the
winners of the auction from their prizes.”
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
Gledhill, Pte. F.
Goldsmith, Pte. F.
Goodall, Pte. E.
Goodfellow, Pte. J.
Greaves, Pte. F.
Green, Pte. T.
Green, Pte. W.
Greenhalgh, L.-Cpl. F.
Greenwood, Pte. H.
Griffiths, Pte. P.
Grimshaw, Pte. C.
Grimshaw, Pte. R.
Grimston, Pte. R.
Grundy, Pte. J.
Guthrie, Pte. J.
Guy, L.-Cpl. J. W.
Hall, Pte. F.
Hall, Pte. F.
Hall, Pte. H.
Hall, Pte. H.
Hall, Pte. J.
Hall, Pte. R.
Hall, Pte. S.
Hall, Pte. W.
Hallisey, Pte. J.
Hamer, Pte. J.
Hamilton, Sgt. J.
Hardman, Pte. J.
Harling, Pte. J.
Harness, Pte. A.
Harper, Sgt. H.
Harrington, Pte. F.
Harrison, Pte. S.
Hart, Pte. S.
Hartney, Pte. J.
Haslam, Pte. E.
Head, Pte. W. C.
Hearst, Pte. A.
Heaton, Pte. S. J.
Hemmings, Cpl. J.
Heyes, L.-Sgt. W.
Heywood, Pte. R.
Heywood, Pte. W.
Hill, Pte. F.
Hill, Cpl. J.
Hill, Pte. T.
Hines, Pte. W.
Hockey, Pte. E. J.
Hodges, Cpl. L.
Hodgson, Pte. D.
Hodgson, Pte. G.
Holcroft, Pte. P.
Holden, Sgt. A.
Holden, L.-Cpl. J. G.
Holden, Pte. R.
Holden, Pte. W.
Holding, Pte. G.
Holland, Pte. W. H.
Holt, Pte. C.
Holt, Cpl. J.
Holt, Pte. J.
Holt, Pte. J. C.
Holt, Pte. T.
Holt, Pte. W.
Hopkinson, Pte. J.
Hopkinson, Pte. P.
Hopwood, Pte. W. P.
Horgan, Cpl. C.
Horrocks, Pte. S.
Horrocks, Pte. T.
Horsman, Pte. J. E.
Hough, Pte. F.
Houghton, Pte. H.
Houghton, Pte. J.
Howard, Pte. H.
Howard, Pte. J.
Howard, Pte. W. E.
Howarth, Sgt. J.
Howarth, Pte. R.
Howarth, Pte. S.
Howarth, Pte. W.
Howell, Pte. S.
Huddleston, Pte. A.
Hughes, Pte. J.
Hulmes, Pte. H.
Hunt, Pte. T. H. M.
Hurst, Pte. H.
Hurst, Pte. J.
Hutchinson, Pte. H.
Hutchinson, Cpl. R.
Hutton, Pte. W.
Hyland, L.-Cpl. M.
Ingham, C.Sgt.-Mjr. A.
Jeffries, Pte. A.
Johnson, C.Q.M.Sgt. H. K.
Jones, Pte. E.
Jones, Pte. H.
Jones, Pte. J.
Jones, Pte. T.
Jones, Pte. W.
Jones, Pte. W.
Kay, Pte. D.
Kay, L.-Cpl. W.
Kean, Pte. F.
Keighley, Pte. J.
Kelly, Pte. J. M.
Kelly, Pte. T.
Kenyon, L.-Cpl. H.
Kershaw, Pte. F.
Kershaw, Pte. J.
Kildare, Pte. R.
Kirk, Pte. J. W.
Kirkman, Sgt. F.
Kirkman, L.-Cpl. M.
Knight, Cpl. A. J.
Knowles, Sgt. E.
Knowles, Pte. R.
Lawless, Pte. J.
Lee, Pte. E.
Lee, Pte. G.
Lee, Cpl. J.
Lee, Pte. P.
Leech, Pte. J.
Lever, Pte. J.
Lewis, Pte. W. H.
Linton, Pte. G.
Livesey, Pte. F.
Livsay, Pte. W.
Lockwood, Pte. R.
Lomas, Pte. S.
Lomax, Pte. F.
Lomax, Pte. S.
Lomax, Pte. S.
Lord, Pte. A.
Lord, Pte. F.
Lord, Pte. J. E.
Low, L.-Cpl. W. A.
Lowe, Pte. F.
Lowe, Pte. P.
Lowe, Pte. R.
Lowe, Pte. S.
Lowery, Pte. J. F.
Lowther, L.-Cpl. W.
Lundregan, Pte. G.
Mahon, Pte. E.
Mahoney, L.-Sgt. P.
Manley, Pte. A. R.
Mapley, Pte. G. F.
Martin, Pte. R.
Martin, Sgt. T.
Mason, L.-Cpl. C.
Mather, Pte. A. H.
Mather, Sgt. F.
Mather, Pte. J.
Matthews, Pte. A. D.
Maughan, Pte. J. J.
May, Pte. J.
May, Pte. J.
Mayall, Pte. J. G.
Mayor, Pte. F.
McLaren, Pte. T.
McLean, Pte. J.
McMahon, Pte. W. H.
McNamara, Pte. A.
Merriman, Pte. T.
Metcalf, Pte. M.
Micklesfield, Sgt. J.
Midgley, Pte. F.
Mighall, Sgt. J.
Milburn, C.Q.M.Sgt. F.
Mitchell, Pte. W.
Monks, Pte. J.
Moore, Pte. G. W.
Morris, Pte. J.
Moult, Pte. J. W.
Murphy, Cpl. S.
Murray, Pte. R.
Nabb, Pte. W.
Nadin, Pte. S. H.
Naylor, Pte. F.
Nesbitt, Pte. R. W.
Newbury, Pte. W.
Newton, Pte. W. B.
Noble, Pte. G.
Nolan, Pte. W.
Nuttall, Pte. H.
Nuttall, Cpl. J.
Nuttall, Pte. N.
Nuttall, Sgt. W.
Nuttall, Pte. W.
O’Brien, Pte. J. W.
O’Connell, Pte. W.
Ogden, Pte. H.
Ogden, Pte. W.
Oliver, Sgt. J. A.
Orrell, Sgt. J.
Orrell, Pte. W.
Park, Pte. A.
Park, Pte. J.
Parker, Pte. F. M.
Parker, Pte. J. H.
Parker, Pte. T.
Parks, Pte. J.
Partington, Pte. F.
Partington, L.-Cpl. H.
Partridge, Pte. L.
Pearson, L.-Cpl. C.
Pearson, Pte. J.
Petrie, Pte. G.
Phillips, Pte. H. C.
Pitcher, Pte. P. H.
Pitt-Pladdy, Cpl. J. K.
Pollitt, Pte. J.
Pollitt, Pte. T.
Poole, Pte. C. A.
Pooley, Pte. J.
Porter, Pte. F. M.
Porter, Pte. P.
Porter, Sgt. R. W.
Preston, Pte. H. A.
Price, L.-Sgt. F.
Radcliffe, Pte. E.
Ramsbotton, Pte. J.
Ratcliffe, Pte. H.
Rawcliffe, Pte. J. R.
Reed, Pte. C. R.
Regan, Pte. F. A.
Richardson, L.-Cpl. S.
Rigby, Pte. F.
Rigby, L.-Cpl. J.
Rigby, L.-Cpl. J.
Riley, Pte. F.
Riley, Cpl. R.
Riley, Pte. W.
Roach, Pte. H.
Robinson, Pte. C. R.
Robinson, L.-Cpl. L.
Robinson, Pte. R.
Rogers, Pte. B.
Rowbotham, Pte. F.
Rowe, Pte. A.
Rowlstone, Pte. E.
Rudd, Pte. F.
Rumins, Pte. G.
Sagar, Pte. A.
Sale, Pte. H.
Sampler, Pte. A.
Savage, Pte. J. J.
Scaife, Pte. W.
Schofield, L.-Cpl. J.
Schofield, Pte. W.
Scholes, Pte. N.
Scorey, Pte. L. H.
Scotson, Pte. J.
Scotting, Pte. W. H.
Scowcroft, Pte. J.
Sculley, Pte. W.
Seal, Pte. W.
Sedgwick, Sgt. F.
Sharples, Pte. L.
Shaw, Pte. F.
Shaw, Pte. W.
Sheldon, Pte. G.
Shepherd, Pte. B.
Shepherd, Pte. F.
Shepherd, Pte. W.
Shillingford, Pte. A.
Sillifant, Pte. R. S.
Simson, Pte. J.
Skeen, Pte. J. T.
Slinger, Pte. R.
Smethurst, Pte. A.
Smethurst, Pte. R.
Smith, Pte. A. W.
Smith, L.-Cpl. C. F.
Smith, Pte. F.
Smith, Pte. G.
Smith, Pte. H.
Smith, Pte. H.
Smith, Sgt. J.
Smith, Pte. J. G.
Smith, Pte. T.
Smith, Sgt. W.
Spencer, Pte. G.
Spinks, Pte. W.
Stanley, Pte. H.
Starling, Pte. M.
Steele, Pte. A. A.
Stockdale, Pte. E.
Storey, Sgt. J. E.
Stott, Pte. W.
Street, Pte. A.
Stringfellow, Pte. A.
Stroud, Pte. W. J.
Studholme, Pte. W.
Sumpter, Pte. A.
Sutcliffe, Pte. A.
Sutcliffe, Pte. C.
Sykes, Sgt. N.
Taylor, Pte. A.
Taylor, Pte. D. W.
Taylor, Pte. E.
Taylor, Pte. H.
Taylor, Pte. G.
Taylor, Pte. J. W.
Taylor, Pte. W.
Taylor, L.-Cpl. W. H.
Tedford, Pte. G.
Tennant, Pte. F.
Tennant, L.-Cpl. J. H.
Tetlow, Pte. L. H.
Thomas, Pte. W.
Thompson, Pte. F.
Thompson, Pte. J. A.
Thompson, Pte. W.
Thompson, Pte. W.
Thornton, Pte. S.
Todd, Pte. W. F.
Tootall, Pte. T.
Toothill, Pte. T.
Travis, Pte. H.
Treloar, L.-Cpl. H.
Turner, Pte. F.
Tweedale, Pte. W.
Tyrer, Pte. J.
Unsworth, Pte. F.
Upham, Pte. H.
Vardon, Pte. R.
Viggers, L.-Cpl. H.
Wagstaff, L.-Cpl. H.
Wakes, Pte. G.
Walker, Pte. C.
Walker, Pte. J.
Wall, Pte. T.
Waller, Pte. F.
Walling, Pte. J.
Walmsley, Pte. H.
Walmsley, Pte. H. A.
Walsh, Pte. R.
Walton, L.-Cpl. H. A.
Walton, Pte. T.
Watson, Pte. A.
Watts, Pte. T.
Webb, Pte. W.
Whalley, Pte. J.
Whalley, Pte. S.
Wharton, Pte. H.
Whatmough, Pte. R.
Whitehead, Pte. J.
Whitehead, L.-Cpl. S.
Whiteley, Pte. F.
Whittaker, Pte. J.
Whittam, Sgt. J.
Whittingham, L.-Cpl. H.
Wickstead, Pte. J.
Wild, Pte. F.
Wilding, Pte. W.
Wiles, Pte. G.
Wilkinson, Pte. A.
Wilkinson, Pte. D.
Wilkinson, Pte. J.
Wilkinson, Pte. J.
Wilkinson, Pte. M.
Williams, Pte. A. E.
Williams, Pte. G. W.
Williamson, Pte. J.
Wilson, Pte. A.
Wilson, Pte. E.
Wood, Pte. H.
Wood, Pte. H.
Wood, Pte. J.
Wood, Sgt. J.
Woods, Pte. J.
Woodward, Pte. A.
Wright, Pte. W.
Wroe, Pte. V.
Yates, Pte. H.
Yates, C.Sgt.-Mjr. J. H.
Yates, Pte. T. F.
Yates, Pte. W.
Young, Pte. W.

1/6 BATTALION LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS

Officers

Blake, Capt. G. S.
Clegg, Capt. A. V.
Griffiths, Capt. and Q.M. W. H.
Spafford, Capt. and Adjt. A. L.
Griffiths, A.-Capt. J. F. U.
Harvey, Lieut. F. W.
Holden, Lieut. N. V.
Leake, Lieut.
O’Neill, Lieut. S.
Smith, Lieut. J. H.
Aitken, 2nd Lieut. J. F.
Duckworth, 2nd Lieut. E.
Isherwood, 2nd Lieut. N.
Noxon, 2nd Lieut. F. C.
Taylor, 2nd Lieut. T. R.
Thompson, 2nd Lieut. G. C.
Wyatt, 2nd Lieut. J. L.

Other Ranks

Ackroyd, Pte. B.
Acton, Pte. J. W.
Adams, Cpl. G.
Adshead, Pte. L.
Allsopp, Cpl. A.
Anderson, Pte. A.
Appleton, Sgt. H.
Armstrong, Pte. J. W.
Armstrong, Pte. J. W.
Armstrong, Pte. W.
Ashton, Pte. E.
Ashurst, Pte. I.
Ashworth, Pte. F.
Ashworth, Pte. G.
Ashworth, Pte. J.
Ashworth, Pte. N.
Atkinson, Pte. F.
Atkinson, Pte. G.
Bailey, Cpl. W.
Ball, Cpl. F.
Bamford, Pte. W.
Barker, Pte. F. A.
Barlow, Pte. O.
Barnes, Pte. J. T.
Beaman, Pte. P.
Beere, Pte. R. E.
Benbow, Sgt. J. E.
Berry, Pte. F. W.
Birbeck, Pte. J.
Black, Pte. L.
Boardman, Cpl. J.
Boocock, Pte. F.
Boocock, Pte. T.
Boothman, Sgt. W.
Bowker, Pte. A.
Boyes, Pte. J.
Boyes, Pte. J.
Brereton, L.-Sgt. T.
Bridge, Pte. H.
Bridge, Pte. T.
Brierley, Pte. J. W.
Britton, L.-Cpl. F.
Broadbent, Sgt. S.
Brookes, Pte. J.
Brown, Pte. W.
Broxton, Pte. E.
Burgess, Sgt. J.
Burrows, Pte. J.
Butterworth, Pte. F.
Butterworth, Pte. W.
Callow, Pte. J. W.
Carpenter, Pte. W. H.
Carr, Sgt. P.
Chadwick, Pte. C. H.
Chadwick, Pte. H.
Chadwick, Pte. W.
Cheadle, Pte. A. P.
Child, Pte. J. W.
Clark, Pte. H.
Clarke, Pte. E.
Clarke, Pte. W.
Clegg, Pte. A.
Cockerill, Pte. W.
Connolley, Pte. F.
Connolly, Pte. J.
Conoley, Pte. T.
Consterdine, Pte. F.
Cook, Pte. C.
Cook, L.-Sgt. R.
Copeland, Pte. G.
Cotton, Pte. E.
Crossley, A.-Sgt. G.
Crossley, Pte. N.
Crosswell, Pte. H.
Crowther, Pte. H.
Cryer, Pte. E.
Cryer, Cpl. J.
Curran, Pte. P.
Daniels, C.Sgt.-Maj. S.
Davies, Pte. C.
Dawson, Pte. W.
Dean, Pte. A.
Dean, Sgt. J.
Dearden, Pte. E.
Dix, Pte. C. H.
Donegani, Pte. T.
Doswell, Pte. H.
Dougherty, Pte. J.
Drouthwaite, Pte. W.
Emerson, Pte. W.
English, Pte. P.
Entwistle, Pte. H.
Etcalfe, Pte. C.
Evans, Pte. G. E.
Farnworth, Pte. E. A.
Farrar, Pte. J. W.
Farrar, Pte. W.
Fielder, Pte. F.
Firth, Pte. F.
Firth, Pte. F.
Fitton, Pte. A.
Fitton, Pte. J. A.
Fitton, Cpl. W.
Fitton, Sgt. W.
Fores, Pte. A.
Foulds, Pte. W.
Foulger, Pte. H.
Foxall, Pte. J.
Foxhall, Pte. J.
Freestone, Pte. J. W.
Fretwell, Pte. G. H.
Fretwell, Pte. J.
Gallagher, Pte. J. T.
Gannon, Pte. T.
Garlick, Pte. H.
Garlick, Pte. H.
Geldard, A.-Cpl. G.