Chapter 14: Sweet and Spicy

Chapter 14: Sweet and Spicy

One thing I worried about was losing things in my void bag. If it truly contained a pocket of infinite space, what would stop its contents from drifting off into the void?

It was simple enough to test. Miss Spencer was curious as well, so she supplied me with some old scraps of cloth she didn’t mind losing to toss into the bag.

I closed it once all of the items were deposited and waited a minute for good measure. To my surprise, the items were waiting for me right at the surface when I opened the bag.

Keeping everything organized was another matter. After about a dozen items or so, I was forced to rummage through the contents to find anything specific.

“If you want the bag to be more organized, you’re going to have to make compartments,” Miss Spencer told me when she saw my dilemma. “Don’t get me wrong. This is a fine thing you’ve created. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“How do I do that?” I asked, already wanting my first upgrade.

She smiled. “I don’t know. You tell me. The design techniques of magic bags are closely guarded secrets. I knew Shadow Thread could be used but it’s expensive. A spool alone can go for over one hundred gold depending on the quality. Judging by the size of the pocket space in your bag, I’d say that Shadow is top tier.”

“Did you hear that, Shadow?” I asked, looking down at my Shadow for confirmation. It winked.

“Do they always do that?” I asked Miss Spencer.

“Do what?” She asked, following my gaze. “I didn’t see anything.”

“Do you have Monster Vision?” I asked, suddenly realizing the problem.

“Heavens no,” she replied, staring at me. “Why on Earth would I have that?”

“Then how did you see what it did earlier?” I asked, suddenly confused that she witnessed our earlier transaction.

Miss Spencer looked puzzled for a second before a knowing smile formed on her lips. “Oh, that. While I can’t see the monster hidden in your shadow, I did see the hairs materialize out of nowhere after the coins vanished. It didn’t take much to figure out what you’d done.”

The bells on the door jingled, causing us both to look up. It was Leslie.

“Have you been here this entire time?” She asked, looking winded.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “I just got…”

It was dark outside. I panicked as I realized just how late I was going to be.

“We got a lot done today,” Miss Spencer said, giving me one of her patented smiles.

I ignored the compliment as I planned out all the things I had to do on the way home. First, I needed to pick up some food from Miss Aires along with some more delivery quests from the guild. Then, I needed to hurry home and try to placate Miss Havasu. She was already apprehensive about my new job and coming home late with nothing to show for it wasn’t going to end well.

Then there was Sam. I’d sent him out with three packages with no instructions on where to meet me after he finished. Knowing him, he either returned to the Chrysler Building or went back to the orphanage. There was a good chance he even made it back in time to do his afternoon job. I could only hope.

I took off at a run with a muttered goodbye to Miss Spencer. Leslie followed for some reason but I didn’t stop until I got to the Chrysler Building.

“Did you need something?” I asked, trying to think if she had any reason to be there other than following me.

Leslie doubled over, resting her hands on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath again. It was clear she wasn’t used to running long distances.

“I thought you needed this,” she gasped, extending her hand and offering me fifteen copper.

“You delivered the packages,” I replied, pushing her hand away. “Don’t you need the money?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s fine. You need this for something, right? You can make it up to me by questing with me again.”

I cringed at the thought of going back to the sewers. “Is there anything we can do besides killing rats?”

“Well,” she hesitated, kicking the ground nervously. “There are some other quests but they require us to work with the more established groups.”

“That sounds fun,” I replied, remembering the adventurer I’d seen on the second floor. “What do we have to do for them?”

Leslie looked down, refusing to meet my eyes. “Maybe you’re right. You don’t have to help me if you don’t want to.”

“No! I want to,” I found myself backpedaling when I realized I’d said something to hurt her feelings. “We can kill rats. I don’t mind at all.”

I couldn’t read her expression when she finally looked up. Was she happy? “Okay. So meet you here in the morning?”

“Sure,” I replied, watching her walk away before pushing the elevator button.

I rode the elevator in silence while wondering if I’d ever understand girls. She couldn’t possibly think I was useful down in the sewers.

The guild was relatively empty when I arrived on the top floor. While there was still a receptionist behind the counter, most of the adventurers that had been milling about were gone.

I was pleased to see the light still on in Mishun’s Southern Grill. She was busy clearing a table when I walked in, so I took a seat at the bar and waited.

“Got my copper?” She asked, wiping the counter in front of me before pouring a glass of blue juice.

I slid a copper across to her and she passed me the juice she’d just poured.

Goji Berry Juice

Grade: B

Created by Aires

“Try that,” she said with a smile. “It’s special. I just got fresh berries today.”

I tried a sip, trusting Analyze to warn me if it was poisonous. The creamy yet fruity flavor of the drink made it feel more like a dessert than a beverage. Fatigue I hadn’t felt until that moment washed away in an instant.

Effects: +5 Constitution (1 Hour), Quenched Thirst (4 Hours)

Suggestion: Pair with spicy food for optimal effect.

I looked up to see Miss Aires’ eyebrow twitching. “You best not be about to tell me how to fix it.”

“Okay,” I replied, giving her a sheepish grin. “I won’t.”

She frowned, planting her hands on her hips, giving me the impression I’d said something wrong. “Okay, out with it. I know you got something to say.”

“Try serving it with something spicy,” I repeated the Analysis. “That’s all I got at the moment.”

“Are you trying to get me to serve you free food?” She asked, looking suspicious.

“No!” I balked. “I don’t even like spicy food.”

Miss Aires stared me down for a moment before spinning on her heel and disappearing into the back. When she returned, she placed a bowl of food in front of me.

Jambalaya

Grade: B

Created by Aires

Effects: +5 Stamina (1 Hour) +5 Cold Weather Defense (4 Hours)

Suggestion: Pair with Goji Berry Juice +10 Fire Magic

I looked up at her. “But I don’t have any fire magic.”

“Boy, you must be so hungry that you’re talking in riddles,” she said, shoving a spoon into my hands. “Eat up before it gets cold.”

The bowl looked a lot like a stew. Only this one had chicken, sausage, and shrimp in it. Also, there was a lot more to the sauce than simple tomatoes and beef broth. The strong scent of it tickled my nose with the promise of heat.

Not wanting to let the chef down, and still remembering her delicious sandwiches, I dipped the spoon into the bowl and took a bite. While it did have a kick to it, the overall heat complimented the swath of flavors that flooded my mouth. The broth warmed me from the inside as it went down, lighting a fire in an internal hearth I didn’t know I had.

“Now wash it down,” she said, looking eagerly at me from behind the bar. “Tell me if the pairing works as well as you thought.”

I took another swig of juice. It didn’t taste the same at all. The aftertaste of the Jambalaya made the juice tickle my tongue. The Goji Berry worked well with the Cajun seasoning, nullifying the burn almost entirely. When I swallowed, it doused the fire, leaving behind only a pleasant warmth in the pit of my stomach.

“Mmm,” I moaned, figuring it was the best compliment to pay to a chef. While I was sure I’d gotten a special bonus to fire magic, I didn’t have any to test it out with.

“Is it really good?” She asked, preparing herself a bowl and a glass of juice.

I worked my way through the meal as she ate in silence. When she finished, she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Okay, I’ll give you that. They do go well together.”

“I just said something spicy,” I pointed out. “You did the majority of the work.”

“So I did,” she laughed. “You’re humble too. By the way, you never said why you were here. Did you bring me some Slime ooze?”

“Not yet,” I admitted. “I still need Leslie to teach me how to hunt some.”

Miss Aires laughed again, clearly amused by my ignorance. “Just poke them with a sharp stick. There should still be enough left to fill a bottle. Just make sure you lead them into an alley first or something.”

“Thanks for the advice,” I said before finishing the last of the juice. “I’ll just have to get my hands on a bottle.”

Miss Aires sighed and produced two glass bottles with locking lids.

“How much do I owe you for this?” I asked, looking at the bottles and the remains of my Jambalaya. “And the meal.”

“Nothing at all,” she said as she took the dirty dishes and placed them in the serving window. “I just wanted to see your skill in action again.”

“What can this get me?” I asked, sliding the remaining thirty-five copper I had over to her. “Do you think maybe you can throw in an eighth sandwich for free?”

Miss Aires frowned, looking at the money. “What’s this for? Do you like the po’boys that much? They only stay fresh for a day or two. You should just see me when you come to the guild.”

“I have family to feed back home,” I replied. It wasn’t a lie. I considered all the other boys and girls to be family.

Miss Aires thought about it for a moment before scooping up the money. “Let’s make a deal. You work for me and I’ll make sure your family never goes hungry.”

“How long?” I asked, realizing I couldn’t get tied down in a kitchen all day if I wanted to keep learning new things.

She frowned. “You have to eat every day, so come see me first thing in the morning. I have some basic chores that need doing and you’re free to leave when they are done. In exchange, I’ll personally take care of your family’s meals. How many relatives do you have by the way? Just the ones in your house, mind you. I’m not feeding everyone.”

I started counting. There were fifteen boys in my room and another twelve girls. Did I count Miss Havasu and her helpers? Naw. I stuck with the kids. They were the ones that were practically starving.

“Twenty-seven,” I replied, giving her a lopsided grin.

“Twenty…” she spluttered before trailing off. “How in the world? What was your mama thinking?”

“She died giving birth to me,” I replied. “I live in an orphanage.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, giving me a look I’d come to dread from adults. Pity. “Well, let’s see what we can do about that. There are leftovers here every day. I usually transform them into other dishes for the following day but I’ll give them to you. Provided you stick to our deal, that is.”

“Deal!” I replied excitedly, realizing I might get to keep my money.

She walked the coppers I’d paid her over to a cash register and shook her head. “You start work tomorrow. You still gotta pay today.”