Bab 40: Were you walking on eggs?

He followed the dwarf and the elf deeper inside the forest. The explanation he gave was reasonable but still, it wasn't satisfying. They still had the urge to pluck his eyes out and play with them. Stephan felt a shiver run down his spine at their thoughts even when he didn't know about them. He hugged himself dramatically saying someone was eyeing his body for something immoral. Gillibrian let out a long sigh.

Since meeting him, Stephan only treated them as lower ones. Despite them having more experience in the wilderness, he remained one with unspoken boundaries. He did what he wanted and never consulted them, pulling them into different dangerous areas. The two scowled at Stephan's dramatic behaviour and eyed each other for a change. It was as if they were thinking about the same thing.

Since he liked being in danger, why not create more for him? On the other hand, the sight of the dwarf and the elf being chained was good to see; it was as if the witch knew exactly what Stephan thought of doing.

The three of them moved to a nearby river, washed their faces and did their morning routines. Stephan returned before the two finished since he was in charge of the current breakfast. Soprana pulled a small pouch from her sleeve and took out some vegetables. She wasn't the best cook in the world and was the one who spilt that soup. It was a way for her to push the blame on another one and make him do what she couldn't.

She placed carefully the ingredient needed alongside the materials and waited for Stephan. It wasn't long until she saw his silhouette trailing lazily between the trees. Curiosity was the first thing that made her keep the three of them alive and also the ring; if he died, she would know about it and it would be troublesome shaking her off. Aurora was someone who didn't punish people normally; she was careful in making life a living hell.

"So what will you make for us?"

"Listen here, Witch Soprana. I am not the greatest cook but I will do my best," he whistled at the sight of the fresh ingredients.

He had spent his journey since he came to Masmoenia, whether it was the past one or the future one, with poorly made meals. Mostly bread and berries from the forest, except that time when the stupid head of bandits invited him for a meal. He started making the soup Soprana requested, trying to recall all the videos he watched on internet to make a decent meal.

"I am surprised you took so much time coming to us. Were you walking on eggs? Afraid to crack one of them?" Stephan shot at her.

"You have such an annoying mouth that it makes me want to stitch it manually."

"Are you sure you know how to sew? I heard witches only had time to experiment with their appearances. You know how to keep the airbags," his hand traced the shape of breasts over his chest, mentioning to her how she was an old hag and now she looked so young. "I bet it must have taken you a hundred years to reach it."

Soprana glared at him, unsatisfied with the familiarity he spoke with. Her finger twitched to send a wind current to teach him a lesson but she would decide on that a little bit later since she needed to know why he wanted to talk to her, especially when he was her disciple. No one would really want to be on the bad side of Aurora Von Peregrinator.

"What do you want from me and how can you pay for it? I bet Aurora must have told you about me since you came aiming for my hut and disturbing my reading time," she stopped for a few seconds thinking of a scenario if he burst the door and stepped inside without permission. "She must have told you I didn't like visitors and also the moment you would step inside. I would pull a powder I made from a drawer nearby my chair and proceed to rub it over the palm of my hand, filling the hut with a sweet smell. You will mostly lose your balance as the illusion would distort your mind."

"So I will faint. Obviously, I know that. I wouldn't expect to come unscathed from your abode and certainly, you would have robbed me of everything, even my virginity," his face was so serious about the last word that it made her burst into laughter.

She laughed tapping her leg with a hand and it kept going till he finished cooking his soup and he handed her a bowl of it. She grabbed the bowl happily and swallowed the whole thing entirely, not caring about the hotness of the beverage. Stephan expected her to say she burnt her tongue. However, she was well and she asked for a second one. He assumed hot people would find it easy to deal with hot things.

"Why did you come here?" he asked. "I guess you came here for a reason and I wish to know what you think about it since I intend to choose my words wisely."

"I am too hungry to answer that," he grabbed the bowl from her hands and filled it again. "My orb strangely brightened when you came near my hut. I realized it until you left. I kept that orb oriented over something I wish to have back to me and the reaction from it meant you had the key to it. I looked through your body and found this piece of garment with a drawing of a key. Does this mean something?"

She pulled the piece of cloth from her chest and unfolded it. Stephan eyed her with disgust.

"As I thought you are a big pervert. My body is in danger. Can I have a promise you wouldn't defile me? I am not interested in what you aim for."

"Don't misunderstand me, boy. I am not interested in what you have and furthermore, there is nothing to look at."

Her words reminded him of what happened when he had no equipment on him. It was such a blow to his pride that he clasped his chest in pain. "You wound me, witch Soprana. I wonder if I still have the ambition to bargain with you."