Chapter 26: Fried Rice

The place where we’d chosen to rent a room was better than I dared hope it to be. While the area was only slightly above a slum, I’d expected more filth in the streets. Navanaean architecture and city planning were a step beyond what I had been used to in Ordia. Proper sewers extended nearly the whole of the city, even here where the buildings stuck together like too many teeth packed in a row.

I’d guess the outflow to be the River Nav, but we hadn’t encountered much of a stench crossing it, despite the midday autumn heat. We, or mostly my height had drawn some stares from the people here, but hardly anyone spoke out. Cultural or something unpleasant, I couldn’t say the reason.

Since neither Nelys or I spoke Navvish, Seyari spoke to those we encountered. Dry goods for a week had been purchased, and a room negotiated. Overall, we’d arrived without serious issue. That I felt absolutely dreadful solely due to my glamour dug a sharp edge into my mood that I’d tried not to show.

I hadn’t done very well at keeping my mood to myself, however. Seyari asked me not to scowl when she negotiated a large room for the three of us. Apparently, my dour mood and looming height had served wonders for negotiating the price of rice, but was unwelcome toward a place to stay.

This time I wasn’t the only one alone with my thoughts. Nelys had started off energetic, but their mood had dipped when it had become clear we’d no time to look around. I’d just gotten used to how nice it was understanding everyone around me. By the time we arrived in Linthel, I was certain I’d be quite the polyglot.

I was finally able to relax slightly when we had a chance to close ourselves into our room. To avoid an accident or running out of makeup, I’d let Seyari talk me into keeping my human glamour on for the week. I collapsed into the single small chair with a sigh. The wood groaned under my weight.

My tail would be drooping if it wasn’t stuffed up so tight as to make tinned sardines jealous. Wherever my tail was, anyway. The first chance I got; I’d learn more about my magic. And magic in general. For now, though, I pushed the thought out of my mind as best I could.

“What’s for dinner?” Nelys asked once they’d had their fill of exploring the room top to bottom.

“Fried rice,” Seyari replied. “There’s a communal kitchen downstairs.”

“Okay, will there be meat in it?”

“Yeah. We’re traveling light, not out of money. Though we’re getting close,” Seyari whispered the last part under her breath.

“Do you think they’ll have spices we could use downstairs?” I asked.

“No idea.”

I sincerely hoped they had something. Sadly, didn’t seem like I’d ever develop a tolerance for hot foods (much to the amusement of Aretan’s merc’s). I’d grown fond enough of cuisine beyond bland Ordian fare that I doubted I’d make it through a tasteless meal after the whirlwind disaster that was today (without crying at least a little).

Since we were laying low, I didn’t get to leave the room the rest of the day. My stature was too distinct. Although, I’d have to leave at some points in the next few days to keep up appearances. Seyari and Nelys, or Unara and Sylen, took to the streets to make sure they knew their way around until dinner actually happened.

Despite being asked to keep them closed, I took a peek out the shutters and was disappointed, but not surprised, to find we had a lovely panoramic view of a wall so close I could probably reach out and touch it. Tired of being cooped up and fresh out of interesting things to stare at in our room, I decided to take a look at the kitchen situation downstairs while the other two were still out.

Basic is the best word to describe the guest kitchen. I was, however, pleasantly surprised to find it clean, if barren. The centerpiece was an aged stone oven, which seemed to take no wood.

I inspected it and found a heating element I’d wager was enchanted. Such things were considered luxuries back in Edath. In Baetnal, however, I doubted many homes could afford to burn wood. Plus, I doubted this part of the world saw cold winters. We were still quite far north, after all.

Searching around more, I found basic pots and pans that seemed clean. As I expected, there were no spices or knives.

I knew I should stay in the room, but I wanted to try my hand at making dinner. Seyari and Nelys would return soon enough and I was hungry. I was absolutely not doing this because I wanted to cook for the two of them. Nope, not at all.

Mind made up, I returned to my room and fetched everything I’d need to make fried rice. Aretan’s mercenaries had made a variant every other night, though they usually spiced it a bit hot for my tastes. Since I got to be the lighter for the fire, I had used that as an excuse to stay around and help prepare. I felt somewhat confident in my ability to pull this off.

I returned downstairs with my two arms full of supplies. I had some difficulty carrying all the ingredients. I’d piled everything together assuming I had more limbs to hold it all.

The kitchen was no longer empty when I returned. A Navanaean woman was putting the pans I’d gotten out away while humming a bright melody I didn’t recognize.

She turned and saw me ducking inside with my awkwardly balanced load and smiled. She said something in Navvish.

Not understanding, I gave a ‘hello’ in Turquoiser.

The comfortably dressed woman nodded in recognition before replying in the same language, “Do you need any help?”

I was about to reply that I didn’t, but the pile chose that moment to fall apart. I managed to grab the bag of rice and our knife, but the spices, oil, meat, and vegetables spilled across the floor. My face burned in embarrassment, but the woman just gave a chuckle.

“Actually, I think I might.” I let slip a giggle of my own.

I carefully set the knife and rice on the counter. Together we picked everything up. Thankfully, the oil container hadn’t broken and none of the spice bags opened.

To my surprise, the washbasin in the room was connected to a pump and soon we were washing the dirt off the vegetables and meat shoulder to shoulder.

Well, her shoulder to my elbow. The woman was well-built, but not particularly tall, and exaggerated my height.

“Not a lot of guests use the kitchen these days,” the woman mused. “I’m happy to see someone’s not given up on cooking their own meals.”

I hummed a response.

“Oh, pardon me! My name is Vana. My husband and I run this place.” The woman looked up at me.

“I’m Karya,” I replied. “Does your husband check in guests?” I asked.

Her age seemed similar to the man we spoke to when getting our rooms, so I wondered if that was him.

“Yes, that’s him!”

We put the washed items aside and I began to oil the pan before replying.

“Sorry if I scared him earlier. S-Unara told me I was brooding.”

“Well you certainly left an impression! He’ll be fine though.” Vana chuckled again and pointed to the rice. “Do you mind if I wash the rice?”

“Good!” I paused at her question. “And, uh, no I don’t mind I guess.”

“Great! Oh, and let me know if you want me out of your hair. I’m a known chatterbox, so if I stick around, I’ll talk your ear off!”

Truthfully enough, I enjoyed Vana’s company. It took my mind off the situation I was in. As she said, Vana was a very talkative person.

I told her that I didn’t have a special diet or giant’s blood, or anything unusual, to grow as big as I was. She told me how she and her husband have run this place for several decades. I’d pegged her a bit younger than she clearly was, but I suppose she did seem to take good care of herself.

Apparently, Baetnal had grown rapidly the past few decades once trade with more regions had opened up. The neighborhood the inn was in had, according to Vana, gone downhill. Given the hints, like the magic heating element, and the size of the rooms, I felt she was probably right.

Vana stayed the entire time I was cooking and her help was invaluable. Without her, I doubt I would have added all the ingredients at the right time or remembered to cook the meat in a separate pan before cutting to small pieces and adding.

Right as we were finishing, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

“That’s where you are!” Seyari didn’t sound pleased.

“Are you making dinner? That smells amazing!” Nelys, on the other hand, respected my disobedient efforts.

“I thought I’d make us something while you two were out…” I trailed off dejectedly.

Worry creased Seyari’s brow and I didn’t blame her. I at least could have left a note. She looked like she was about to scold me for disappearing, but she saw Vana smiling pleasantly and thought better of it.

“Just tell me next time,” Seyari sighed. “You said you’d be in the room when we got back.”

“Sorry. I just wanted a nice dinner.”

“And I must say it’s a lovely dinner.” Vana tried to brighten the mood. “Your friend here is a kind soul, I can tell. If everything’s okay, then you should eat and forget about your troubles.”

“Yeah, let’s eat!” Nelys had clearly forgiven me.

“Sure, I guess,” Seyari eyed Vana carefully.

“Oh, my apologies! I’m Vana and I run this place with my husband. You already met him when you checked in.”

“We did. Sorry for getting worked up, Vana,” Seyari gave a shallow bow, but then fixed me with a glare that spoke of words to come later.

“Would you like to join us?” I asked Vana.

“Thank you, but I already ate. Getting a chance to cook with someone was reward enough. Enjoy your stay!” Vana gave a nod to us started to leave before turning back. “Oh! Don’t forget to clean up!”

I looked over the kitchen. Honestly, the mess wasn’t too bad.

Seyari looked to confirm Vana was gone before walking closer to me. “Sorry for snapping at you, but you need to make sure everyone knows where you’ll be at all times. We all do.”

“I get it. Can we just eat?”

Nelys was already dishing themselves a plate. Seyari and I followed shortly. There was a small table with four chairs and we sat there to eat. It was delicious. Probably not the best I’ve had, but since I (mostly) make it myself, the taste was all the better for it.

“How big of a risk was it that I spoke to Vana?” I asked.

Seyari swallowed and replied, “Since she’s the owner, it’s fine as long as you didn’t say anything that could compromise us.”

I thought back to our conversation. Most of it was a blur.

“I don’t think I did. She did most of the talking.”

Seyari pinched the bridge of her nose. “Great. Now I’m going to be worried about it.”

Nelys looked up, but when they saw that Seyari looked like she’d drop it, they turned merrily back to their large pile of fried rice.

The rest of the meal and evening passed uneventfully. Downstairs had a good number of patrons over the course of the evening, if the hum of conversation was any indication. The stone walls blocked most of the noise, thankfully.

Our room originally only had two beds, but when we had returned a third smaller one was placed inside. I silently thanked Vana. Despite everything, our stay in Baetnal was turning out unexpectedly pleasant.

At night, however, I tossed and turned trying to get to sleep. My glamour kept distracting me. I only slipped away into sleep when I managed to drag my mind away from the discomfort I felt.

***

The next four days were uneventful. The three of us took turns cooking to alleviate the boredom. Vana helped out with us frequently and I suspected she had little to do herself based on how few guests there were. The crowd downstairs sometimes seemed rather rough and from how she’d spoken of this part of the city, I don’t think she got along well with those patrons.

Seyari had gone out on the fourth day with Nelys to refresh our supplies. We’d made it to the halfway point and after tomorrow we’d try to arrange a way out of the city. Nelys was cooking dinner tonight. For all their antics and cuteness, they were seriously dependable when it came to certain basic skills.

However, I suspected Vana’s help was a major influence. Nelys had taken a liking to her and hearing about the stories the Navanaean told our petite friend always brightened the mood.

Which is why neither of us had a second thought when they were a little late finishing dinner. Neither Seyari nor I had the heart to deny Nelys cooking dinner, and there was no way to justify hovering without arousing suspicion. Not to mention how awkward and domineering the act would have been.

However, when they didn’t show up for several minutes, worry set in rapidly. There’d been no commotion. The kitchen was nearly under us and while we couldn’t hear their conversation some sounds always filtered up. Those hadn’t stopped.

As best we could without seeming panicked, both of us made our way downstairs, locking the room behind us.

When we reached the kitchen, my blood turned to ice.

Vana was finishing the rice, but Nelys was nowhere to be seen. Had we been wrong to trust her?

“Vana,” I called her name.

No response. I called louder and still nothing.

Seyari and I shared a glance before quickly entering the room. Nothing looked out of place, but Seyari started searching for anything while I moved over to Vana.

I put a hand on the older woman’s shoulder. She kept stirring without looking over at me.

I looked down. The rice in the pan was just beginning to burn.

I waved a hand in front of her face. Nothing.

Bending down, I looked at the inn owner. She was staring listlessly ahead.

Unsure of what to do, I grabbed her lightly and shook. She dropped the spoon and it clattered onto the floor. Now, she simply stood in place and stared.

“Fuck. She’s entranced.” Seyari spoke from next to me. “There’s no sign of a struggle, so they probably put Nelys under too.”

“Entranced?” I asked. “Magic, right?”

“Yeah. Rare magic. Usually, only demons of certain types can use it. Mortals can have the affinity in rare cases, though it’s usually weak.”

“A bound demon then?”

“Probably.”

My mind raced, trying to figure out if this was Malich and how he’d found us.

“Hey.” Seyari snapped her fingers at my ear. “Not the time to get stuck in thought. I’m telling you this now, because you need to know.”

“How do we snap her out if it?” I forced myself to get back on track.

Seyari sighed, “Depends on how strong it is. I’m surprised she didn’t come out of it when you shook her.”

“Would shaking her more work? I don’t want to hurt her.”

“Maybe, but probably not. I can try something.”

Seyari pulled on her magic and a small, gentle, whirlwind whipped up around Vana. Seyari’s brow furrowed in concentration for a moment before she let the wind go and slumped her shoulders.

“No dice. You have any way to dispel magic?” Seyari looked up at me.

“That’s a thing?” I replied, gobsmacked.

“That’s a ‘no’ then. Fuck! I don’t want to just wait around.” Seyari put her head in her hands.

“How long could it last?” I wracked my brain for anything.

“With how well done the effect seems, I’d guess however long the caster wanted it to last. Probably not more than a couple days.”

“Days?” I didn’t bother to hide my surprise. Magic was terrifying sometimes. “What did you do with the wind?”

“Tried to mix my magic into the spell and see if it would fall apart?” Seyari raised her head back up and bit her bottom lip

“Does that work?” I inclined my head.

“Not usually, but I’m out of options.”

I thought about all I could do and, in that moment, had an idea.

“I could try manipulating Vana’s anger? Would that work?” I asked, then quickly added, “I’d have to remove my glamour though.

“I have no idea. Go for it.” Seyari looked defeated.

“But if she sees me, I’ll out myself.”

“They already fucking know where we are!” Seyari shouted.

I drew back in surprise at her outburst. I knew both of us were beating ourselves up about this. If we’d just stuck together more, we would still be together. We may be compromised, but right now we’ve put Nelys, who is innocent in all this, into serious danger because of our own actions.

My nature as a demon dulled me to some emotions. I still felt nothing for the pirates I killed. But, right now, I was certain that this pain I was feeling in my gut was very real.

I nodded to Seyari. The kitchen didn’t have a door, but the stove was out of view so I dropped my glamour where no one walking by would see me. I stretched the kinks in my arms and tail out quickly before trying to feel out Vana’s anger.

There was none to speak of. After all, it took conscious anger for me to feel any in the first place. Still slightly unsure of what I was doing, I thought back to when I helped Elnie’s damaged anger on the Lady of Liseu and tried to extend my senses out the same way.

I pushed a bit of mana and felt something let it in. Carefully, I pushed in a little more and watched. Anger started to bubble within the older woman. I wasn’t going to push it far, but I wanted enough to where I could notice it. Something like I felt people get in heated arguments.

Despite how well everyone got along in the end back with the caravan, I’d had some time to feel out my empathic ability.

Once I reached that point, I stopped. For a few moments nothing happened. Then, Vana’s expression changed to a frown. A few moments more and she moved her hands to her head, frowning deeply and muttering.

Seeing that she was coming out of it, I drained away the anger I’d artificially put into her. Slowly, since I could to not let her slip back under. Also, to make sure I didn’t damage anything.

I was so focused on draining Vana’s anger that I didn’t manage to get my glamour put back in place in time.

Vana shook her head and looked around, eyes first landing on me. They went wide and she screamed.

I probably could have put a hand over her mouth. I’d rather her scream than try to stop her, however. Seyari cursed and looked toward the door, indecision weighing on her features.

“Vana! Sorry! It’s me, Karya!” I put on my best toothless smile and pulled my scarf down to show my active binding collar.

I brought another hand up and rubbed the foundation covering my mark away.

“K-Karya? What? What happened. You’re a demon!?” Part of what the older woman said came out in Navvish, but I understood well enough.

“Someone or something came in and entranced you.” I tried my best to put on a reassuring tone.

A masculine voice from outside interrupted. “Vana! Is everything alright?”

Vana took a deep breath in and I leaned back so she could reply.

“I’m fine dear! Just a scorpion under the stove!” she shouted.

“Did it sting you?” came the shouted reply.

“No! Unara got it for me!” Vana finished.

I blinked several times in surprise. “What? Why?”

Vana looked at me seriously. “I don’t know what you and your friends have gotten into, but I want my husband to stay out of it.”

“Oh, I—”

“Let me finish. You’re hiding from someone. You’re lucky I’m a good judge of character or I’d turn you in myself. Covering a contracted demon’s mark and collar is highly illegal.”

“Okay.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Seyari spoke up in my stead. “Sylen was with you, right? What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Yes, your friend was with me. The last thing I remember is talking to a man who seemed oddly, well, gray. Funny, I can’t remember anything else about him.”

Seyari and I shared a glance. Immediately, I thought back to the gray demon next to Prince Malich at the gate last week. It had to be them, right?

“That’s a good clue. Thank you,” I said sincerely.

“You’re welcome. I hope you find your friend.” Vana looked between the two of us and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t harbor fugitives. Pack your things and leave.”

I wanted to protest but before I could even make a peep, Vana continued.

“Now,” she said.

I nodded my head and put my glamour back on. I pulled my scarf up above my nose to hide my mark. With a last, forlorn look at the now burned rice, Seyari and I walked quickly upstairs to get our things.

Thankfully, the room hadn’t been broken into. Everything was as we left it. We’d planned in case of something like this, so packing again took little time. Even Nelys had mostly kept their stuff in a neat pile. I took their pack along with my own.

Downstairs, we paid for our room quickly. Seyari made up some excuse about misremembering a date and within minutes we were back on the street.

My head was still spinning and my empty stomach was doing flips.

“What now?” I asked the air.

“We get another place to stay and try to find out more about Malich,” Seyari replied in a frustrated tone.

“We’re going to rescue Nelys, right?” I asked.

“Yeah, we are.”

“What can we do about the entrancing magic?” That my lucidity could be stolen from me had me worried.

“I’ve heard stronger auras are hard to enchant. More importantly, this demon requires their targets to be aware of them. We can use that.”

We walked quickly back to the nearest square. I knew Seyari was doing this to lose a tail in the crowd, but given my position above everyone else, I couldn’t see that working. How did we ever delude ourselves into thinking we could hide from the Third Prince in his own city when I was so distinct?

Sure enough, only a few blocks later, a young masculine-sounding voice called out to us in Turquoiser.

“Excuse me, tall miss?”

I turned to see a young Navanaean man in work clothes.

“Yes?” I replied, careful to keep my face covered.

“Someone told me to give this to you.” The young man handed me a weighty bundle wrapped in cheesecloth. “Said to tell you ‘you’re late’.”

I took the package from him. “Who told you this?”

“Uh, I-I don’t remember.”

I glared at him.

“N-no, really I don’t I swear! It’s w-weird, but I really don’t remember a thing except what he told me.”

I let out a sigh that turned into a growl. The young man’s eyes widened and he ducked quickly back into the crowd.

“The same fucking demon,” Seyari said from next to me.

“It has to be,” I replied.

Carefully, dreading what I might find, I opened the cloth. Inside was Nelys’ blue coral pendant. Both the pendant and the leather strap looked undamaged.

“Shit.” Seyari’s brow darkened.

“Yeah,” I replied, then hesitantly asked, “what now?”

Seyari’s disguised eyes shone with anger. “He said we’re late. Let’s not keep him waiting.”