章 21: Chapter 21 - Slow burn
The next night didn't have any surprises for Lilly, not even a normal dream. She awoke feeling refreshed, but maybe a little disappointed, and just lay in bed for a little while, taking in the new day. 'Today I'm going to try enchanting for real again. And meet Mia. I'm not sure which one I look forward to the most…' she pondered, a mix of anticipation and nerves fluttering in her heart.
After a bit of meditating, observing the flames whirling within her core, she felt ready. She got dressed, and spent a bit more time on her hair than she had in a while, feeling conscious of meeting Mia again for the first time after their relationship had started. 'It will be fine, I'm sure she's also a bit nervous.'
She greeted Gramps and ate some breakfast before leaving, hoping to use the day for everything it's worth.
The road to Mia's smith was unusually long today, much like last time Lilly had walked it. Her head was filled with thoughts of possible conversations they might have when they met, and she couldn't think of a good way to greet her. Was 'Hi Mia' too casual? What about 'hello sweetie', was that too direct?
As she neared the smithy, the familiar sound of hammer striking metal reached her ears, a reassuring yet nerve-wracking indication that she was close. Her nerves continued to rise, until she almost stopped walking, making her feel silly. 'It's just Mia, I know Mia, she's probably also nervous.' Lilly tried to convince her emotions to calm down a bit using logic, and it helped a little bit.
She eventually reached the door, and in a moment of bravery decided to open it and enter. Mia was standing and hammering some blade of sorts, but turned around when Lily entered, with a greeting.
"Hi listheart– no, damn, aaagh!" Mia's initial confidence faltered into a flustered stammer, her hand flying to her face in a mix of embarrassment and defeat.
Lilly couldn't help but laugh, quickly understanding Mia was just as nervous. "Hahah, was that a mix of Lilly and sweetheart? Good job!" She gave her a thumbs up.
"Shut it, Lilly! What's up with you, you don't seem nervous at all!" She complained, not noticing Lilly's nerves being helped by her clumsy greeting.
"I was super nervous! I kept thinking about what greeting I should use, same as you it seems. But you messed it up so I didn't have to, how sweet of you, dear." Lilly joked, like Mia had done it on purpose to help her.
"Oh, I knew that, of course. Okay… Y– you look good today." She said, getting red in the face.
"Are you still using practiced lines? Thanks, you also look good Mia." Lilly also got some rosy cheeks, even though she tried to be casual about it.
"I was just hoping we could compliment each other freely, Dad said that was important… Oh, thanks for that by the way!" She said, not being thankful at all. "He came in right after you left, asking about you finding me a suitor? Are you dumb? I needed more time to prepare, Lilly!" Mia seemed rather indignant about that.
"Right, I'm sorry about that, Mia. It was funny." Lilly responded with a straight face, like that was enough of a reason.
"Well, okay, it was a little bit funny. But please consider next time, the conversation became a bit of a mess. He was happy after I told him, although I sensed a hint of apprehension," Mia said, telling Lilly about the conversation with her father after she left.
"Well, he's happy for you, like I knew he would be. Good news about the future by the way, there are indeed potions. Lilly confirmed it." Lilly said, hinting at the 'having kids' problem.
"Oh, that's good." Mia said. She seemed happy about it, but also like it didn't matter much to her yet.
"You know, quite a few things happened after I left here a few days ago." Lilly said, eager to tell Mia about the flame and the dream.
"Really? Right, the flame thing! Can you tell me on the trip over to Elly's?" Mia asked, not curious enough for the situation.
"Mmmh, I'd rather keep it a bit quiet in public places honestly. Elly already knows about it since I saw her yesterday." Lilly told her, hoping to take some time for it now.
"Alright then, I'm all ears," Mia said with a patient smile, casually taking a seat on the anvil.
"Would you like me to put out the forge?" Lilly asked, as a way to start the explanation.
"Put out, like with water? That's dangerous Lilly." Mia said worriedly, not knowing where she was going with that question.
"No, more like this," Lilly murmured, focusing her gaze on the forge's flames. With a silent command, they obediently flickered out, vanishing in an instant.
"Whoa! Lilly, that's amazing! You can control flames now?" Mia asked excitedly, shocked by the sudden change in temperature.
"I think so, they listen to my commands at least. I don't know how it works yet, but I can also do this." Lilly said, as she conjured a vermilion flame in her hand, moving it around in cool ways.
"Wow, that's so cool!" Mia said, still excited. "Can you control the temperature as well?"
"Yeah, I can make really hot flames. I was thinking about helping you forge if you need more heat actually." Lilly remembered Mia complaining about the heat of the forge while she was making the mithril blade.
"That would be so great! At least if I'm going to use some tough metals again. How hot can you go?" Mia asked, curious to know the limits to Lilly's new powers.
"I don't know, but I think it can get dangerous if I try. I wouldn't even know how to measure it."
"Oh, I have the solution to measuring at least. We have a magical temperature gauge right here." Mia said, retrieving a small scope with a dial on it. "We need it to know the temperature of the forge. You just point it at something and it will tell you the temperature." Mia explained.
"Oh, well, how high does it go?" Lilly asked, now a bit curious to try.
"Up to 5000C, it should be fine. If you get over that then I'll be scared. And you can test it at the forge, it's made to take a lot of heat." Mia said eagerly.
"All right then, I'll give it a little go. You have the fire-protection bracelet on, right?" Lilly asked, worried for Mia's safety.
"I have it, but if you're thinking the gauge doesn't go high enough then I'll stay far away either way." Mia said cautiously, while moving to the other side of the smith to be safe.
"Okay, here goes nothing," Lilly said with a determined nod. She focused her mana, gradually conjuring a flame within the forge. At first it was just a small flame, so she made it a little bit bigger before pushing the temperature. 'Be hotter.' Lilly commanded, and she could see the color get more intense.
"How hot is it now Mia?"
"Uhm, 1600C at the moment." Mia answered after checking the gauge.
'Hah, you can do better than that flame. Get much hotter.' Lilly urged, almost challenging the flame. It responded as if provoked, growing deeper and deeper vermilion, furiously increasing in temperature.
"Oh wow, 3200C, 3900, 47– Lilly, stop!" Mia exclaimed, watching in horror as the forge started to melt around the flame.
'Oh shit, stop it flame, be cold!' Lilly's voice spiked with urgency as she realized the gravity of her miscalculation.. It did stop as she told it, but the damage was done. The forge was no longer recognizable.
"I'm sorry Mia…" Lilly said apologetically. She felt responsible for this, even though Mia had said it would be fine, Lilly hadn't been careful during the testing.
"Oh my god Lilly, that was intense! But it's not your fault, don't worry about it." Mia said, trying to gloss over the damages.
Lilly looked around a bit and could see leather and wooden tools on the wall being scrunched up and burned. She felt really bad about this.
"Gods, look at all the burned tools Mia! This is horrible!" Lilly argued against Mia's downplaying, thinking she was just being nice.
Mia, trying to ease Lilly's guilt, offered a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't beat yourself up. Most of those tools were past their prime anyway. Plus, I've been thinking about upgrading the forge for the tougher materials I'll be working with. So, really, it's okay."
Mia was really good at this, Lilly realized, almost feeling convinced. "I'll pay for at least half of the damages, no matter what you say Mia."
"No way, you need gold for materials! Let us take care of it." Mia argued back stubbornly.
"No way, not happening. Call it a business expense then, I've gotten my enchanting table covered by Elly so we need to at least share the expenses of your forge," Lilly argued back, just as stubbornly. She wouldn't let Mia pay for her mistake like that, and Lilly felt she was on the winning end in their professional partnership economically, so this was the right thing to do.
Mia sighed, a reluctant acceptance in her eyes. "Alright, if it makes you feel better, you can cover half the expenses," she conceded, though clearly not thrilled with the arrangement.
She walked over to the tools hanging on the wall, looking to see if any of them were salvageable. The metal tools were fine, but the leather and wooden ones were significantly worse off. The anvil next to the forge also looked a bit discolored from the heat, but still usable. "That really is some power there, Lilly. Is that what you got from the thing your mom said?" Mia asked curiously.
Lilly casually recounted her newfound abilities with a clever smile. "Yeah, that, and a bit more. I'm now immune to heat and fire, can communicate with the dead in my dreams, and my mana has turned into vermilion flames." She paused, anticipating Mia's reaction.
Mia just looked at her for a second with wide eyes. "You can– you spoke to your mom again?" Mia said first, deciding that was the most important one.
Lilly was happy that was the thing Mia focused on, thinking it had been for her sake. "Yeah, the night after I left here. It was amazing, we hugged and cried so much! She's doing fine in the afterlife, her and Dad both," Lilly said happily, thinking back to the wonderful dream she had.
Mia's eyes lit up, a genuine joy radiating from her. "Really? Lilly, that's wonderful to hear!" She had seen how Lilly had taken her parent's death all those years ago, so she knew how much it mattered. "So there is an afterlife then," Mia said, this time mostly to herself, while looking into the ground. She hadn't lost anyone really close to her as far as Lilly knew, but learning about that would still be shocking, in a good way.
Lilly shared the details of her conversation with her mother, choosing to omit the personal advice she'd received. 'I might tell her about that one another day.'
"Wow, you're like some ancient descendant of a super bloodline just like I thought then. How does it feel?" Mia asked, hoping to understand some of Lilly's thoughts around it.
"Still very weird, honestly. I feel like I could destroy cities if I got the chance, and it's so weird to think about. And the flames following my orders instead of me moving them consciously, it's a bit bothersome." Lilly suddenly had a thought again. "Hang on a second Mia," she said while holding up a finger.
'Uh, flame, can you act like normal mana that I can control?'
Lilly's body suddenly felt overflowing with immense power, unlike anything she felt before, even with the amulet. She found it hard to control even, quickly trying to reverse the change. 'Not all at once please, that's too much mana!' She thought. And as quickly as it began, it stopped, and she felt normal again.
Still, there was a bit of normal-ish mana left in her core, allowing her to manipulate it like normal. A triumphant grin spread across Lilly's face. "Yes! I can still control it! This flame is awesome!" Lilly exclaimed. She was really starting to feel like the flame could do anything she asked.
"That's great Lilly, you're getting the hang of it." Mia said supportively from the side.
"Yes, now I can… Uh, use normal spells I guess? And enchant worse than the flame… Huh, I guess my control isn't all that important anymore. But it still feels good to be able to control it though, like moving a body part I couldn't for a while." Lilly said, suddenly less excited than a moment ago.
"Well, it's important to have some control, I think. But can we go to Elly now? I really want to get these enchanted," Mia said, holding the necklaces she had made. They were quite pretty, but with a simple shield-like design they didn't stand out much.
"Yeah, I'm good to go, sweety." Lilly responded, hoping to get a reaction.
"Then let's get out of here, honeybun." Mia retorted, her tone playfully prepared, as if she had been waiting to use the term.
"Honeybun, that's a new one." Lilly remarked.
"... My parents acted like lovebirds after I told them about us, so I guess I picked it up there," Mia said, seeming annoyed at her parents' antics.
"Hah, that sounds like them."
Leaving behind the charred remnants of the smithy, Lilly and Mia set off to visit Eolande. Their goal was clear: to finish all their enchanting work while the full moon was still here.
One knock was all it took for Eolande to open the door, reminding Lilly of an earlier visit. "You really are an efficient door opener, Elly. I hope you don't stand beside it all day waiting."
"Nonsense, you just walk so loudly I know well ahead of time you're coming. Especially with this flirting you're doing while you walk, I could hear it from miles away," Eolande responded, teasing the two of them just like Lilly expected her to. She let them inside the old store on the first floor, where nothing much had happened since she moved in.
"We barely talked on our trip here Elly, I think you just couldn't wait for us to come." Lilly said as they all walked upstairs to the living room.
"Mia, congratulations on your relationship. I bought a cake for the occasion!" Eolande said, ignoring Lilly's accusation of really looking forward to the visit. She showed them both the cake she had bought once they were inside. Lilly recognized it right away.
"Oh, thank you Elly! That's my favorite! You must have bought it somewhere nice." Mia joked, grateful to see the cake Gramps still baked for her sake sitting on the table. It was filled with soft cream and apple jam, and the sponge had an airy and sweet feel to it.
"It was a rather rundown place, but the service was good at least." Eolande said, smiling at Lilly, who took it all with a stoic face.
"It is the finest bakery in Thundrel, I'll have you know." Lilly said adamantly, leaving no doubt about that fact. They all sat down around the table, with Mia and Lilly sharing a small couch. Lilly noticed Eolande smiling slightly at them sitting together, which Lilly found to be silly of her. It was just sitting together, no big deal.
As Eolande began distributing plates and spoons for the cake, she paused and looked at Lilly and Mia. "I almost forgot, would you girls like something to drink with the cake? Some tea, perhaps? Or maybe something cold?"
Lilly glanced at Mia, silently asking for her preference. "Tea would be lovely, thank you," Mia responded with a grateful smile.
"Tea sounds perfect, Elly. Thanks," Lilly echoed.
With a nod, Eolande moved to a sideboard where a teapot sat beside an elegant array of cups. "I have a special blend today. I think it'll complement the cake nicely," she said, pouring the steaming tea with a practiced hand. The aroma of herbs and a hint of citrus filled the room, adding another layer of coziness to their gathering.
"So, you're prepared for the enchanting today?" Eolande asked, returning to the table with a tray of filled teacups.
"I think so, I'm just a bit nervous about my flames and the resulting enchantment. Did you prepare some crystals, Elly?" Lilly asked, her apprehension momentarily distracted by the comforting warmth of the tea cup in her hands.
"I've prepared them, yes. The challenge will be fitting them into the necklaces post-enchantment without breaking their magical continuity," Eolande explained, her tone shifting to a more serious note. "Do you have any suggestions, Mia?" Eolande asked, hoping there was a simple way to attach the crystals to the necklaces.
"Hmm, we could probably use Lilly's flame to create an acceptable bezel setting using some leftover electrum. But it depends on how the crystals look." Mia responded, clearly having a solution ready.
"Oh, that might work well. The crystals are mostly in a brilliant cut, so it should work well."
"Really, you cut them yourself?"
"Of course, that's half the reason I got into them. They look so pretty!"
Lilly wasn't following much of this conversation. She held up her hand, like a student waiting to ask a question, while using the other to eat cake. It was a good cake, but not her favorite.
"Yes Lilly?" Eolande finally asked.
"Could you explain what a bezel setting is? And what do you mean by a brilliant cut?"
"Oh, sorry Lilly. A bezel setting is a classic method in jewelry making where the metal is wrapped around the stone to secure it. As for cuts, that refers to the shaping of a jewel. A brilliant cut, specifically, is typically round with a pointed bottom, known for its ability to catch light beautifully." Mia answered, looking apologetic for not including Lilly in the conversation earlier.
"Oh, and I can help make the setting?" Lilly asked, wondering how.
"With your flame, melting some electrum shouldn't be a problem. We need to melt some to set the jewel properly, at least without any other preparation." Mia explained, while eating some cake herself.
"Well then, we have a plan I guess. The steeldrake scales are in the enchanting room already, so I'm ready when we're done eating." Lilly said, again looking forward to enchanting.
"There's no hurry, Lilly," Eolande said, with an expression indicating she wanted to talk a bit first. She gestured elegantly towards Mia. "Have you taken this lovely young lady on a date yet, Lilly?"
Lilly felt a bit struck by that question. She looked at Mia, and Mia looked back at her looking just as bewildered. 'Right, that's normal couple stuff. But we already know each other well, is it necessary?'
"No, not yet Elly. But… I guess I should?" Lilly said, looking back at Eolande and hoping the answer was good enough.
"I think you should, Lilly. The two of you know each other well already, but you need time to develop the relationship beyond friends or colleagues. It's fine to take it slow of course, as long as you remember to spend time on the relationship, outside of your business." Eolande explained her reasoning, likely based on a lot of experience.
Lilly was a bit surprised to hear that, but she had to admit it made sense. She had kind of just hoped the relationship would develop while they interacted as usual, but Eolande would know more about that than the two of them.
Lilly glanced at Mia, a hint of sheepishness in her eyes. "How about a date after we sell these necklaces, Mia?" she asked, her voice tinged with a mix of hope and uncertainty.
"I'd love to, Lilly. I think it makes sense, what Elly says." Mia was looking thoughtful, probably thinking about how she would like the two of them to end up. "But where would we go?"
"Oh, I've always wanted to go to the floating restaurant," Mia said, with stars in her eyes and a hopeful look.
"You mean Skyview? We're not made of money Mia, that place is expensive. What about a picnic in the golden garden?" Lilly asked, hoping to decrease the price tag a bit.
Mia pondered for a moment, a touch of disappointment in her voice. "Well, the golden garden is romantic, at least. It could be lovely," she admitted, though her tone hinted at a lingering reservation. "But, Lilly, for our first date, I was hoping for something... a bit more special, honestly," she added, her eyes reflecting a mix of hope and gentle challenge.
Lilly also felt the desire to make it special. "Okay, we'll see what we're left with after we sell the necklaces then. But we need to cover a new forge and the material costs for the electrum, so I wouldn't have too high hopes."
"Yeah, you're right. We'll have to make these necklaces valuable then!" Mia said with a spirited smile, while getting up from the couch, ready to move on to the enchanting.
"I'm glad you figured it out, girls. Just leave the plates, I'll get it later." Eolande said calmly, while they all went to the enchanting room.
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