183 - Good Ideas? We Don't Do That Here.

Alexandra was running through the streets of Balrum’s lower city. She was late. After promising Willow that she would pick up Nara from school, she truly believed that she had time to stop by the inn to complete her daily quest.

She was right. When she was done with Erik—or rather, when Erik was done with her—she still had plenty of time to stop by the Hands for healing before the kids would be released. But as she was strolling down the street from the temple of Fanon, she passed by Medh’s shop and couldn’t help but stop by.

It wasn’t her fault that she’d gathered so many mud elemental sources.

Medh, gracious as he was, reassured her that being a little late was nothing in the grand scheme of things. In fact, he bought all her mud elemental sources at a good price. Since the transaction went well, Alexandra was in a good mood. So she told the merchant about her sighting of the solar elemental.

Naturally, Medh was very interested.

One thing led to another, and after another promise to eventually hunt it down, Alexandra left Medh’s shop long after school was over.

So she ran.

The school was a wooden building in the middle of the lower city. It took many debates at the municipal council to move it from its troglodyte origin to where it was now. Like every building in town, it was a mix of wood and stone. This one stood separate from its neighbor, with an open field in front where children could play.

In this field was Nara, sitting alone on the dirt.

Alexandra felt guilty. She moved closer.

Nara didn’t notice her until it was too late. Alexandra put a hand on the girl’s shoulder, sending a jolt down her spine. She flinched.

“It’s me,” Alexandra said, blaming One Among Many for hiding her presence.

Nara looked up at her and scrunched her nose.

“What? Lost your tongue?” Alexandra asked. “How have you been when I was away?”

The girl frowned. She didn’t answer and tried to take a step back, but the hand on her shoulder held her firmly in place. She looked away.

“Don’t look for Willow. I’m the one picking you up today.”

Nara’s head went down.

Alexandra’s lips twitched. “Speck.”

Despite the still-fading daylight, the darkness elemental took the risk to show itself. Just a little. They were in the middle of town. It extended a tendril of darkness and brushed Nara’s face.

“Long. Time. No. See.”

Nara looked at the shadow with a smile. Then, as if she suddenly remembered something, she ruffled through her pockets. She took out a small, smooth, black pebble and handed it over to the elemental.

Alexandra felt pure elation radiate from her bond.

“Thank. You.” Speck carefully received the gift and hid it away in its darkness dimension.

“Happy now?” Alexandra asked. “Let’s go home.”

Nara made herself small.

Alexandra wanted to roll her eyes. What was wrong with this kid? She leaned closer. “Let’s go, Nara. You can play with Speck inside.”

But the girl didn’t listen. She grimaced, flicking her head away from her.

She really doesn’t like me.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. “You can tell me.”

Nara didn’t even look at her.

Alexandra felt a knot in her heart. Weird, she thought. I shouldn’t care that much.

Shaking her head, she switched tactics and picked up a stick on the ground.

Let’s see… I hope it works.

It was a common stick. Straight, dry, about the size of her forearm, and perfectly sized to fit into Nara’s hand. Alexandra felt the mana coursing along its length as if it were still attached to the tree it came from.

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Alexandra pushed her intent into the stick, talking with the ambient mana. A broken branch would never find its way back to the tree, but it didn’t mean it was the end of its life. Sticks and twigs were beloved, particularly by humans.

As if understanding her meaning, the mana reacted. It still coursed through the stick, but slower, less desperate to connect.

Seeing this, Alexandra whispered sweet words to the stick. It could earn someone’s affection, if and only if it did as she said.

The stick resisted, uncertain that her words held weight. A flash of solar mana paired with the mental image of the stick turning to ash was enough to persuade it.

Mana Persuasion 4 -> 5

Alexandra smiled as she presented the stick to Nara. The girl looked at the enchanted object with clear distrust.

“Take it,” Alexandra said.

With the tip of her fingers, Nara grabbed the stick.

As soon as it was firmly in her hands, the enchantment reacted, and the stick started glowing. Nara’s eyes went wide.

“Aim it at the sky,” Alexandra said.

Nara did as she was asked.

“Now, release.”

A blinding burst of light fired into the late afternoon sky. When it reached its apex, it exploded into a myriad of colorful motes illuminating the town below.

“How is it?” Alexandra asked, leaning closer to the girl.

Again, Nara scrunched her nose. This time, she didn’t move away. “You stink,” she said, her voice so low Alexandra didn’t catch it.

“What did you say?”

“You stink!” Nara shouted louder than she’d ever done.

Alexandra recoiled. She raised her arm and smelled beneath her armpits. “Eh.” She shrugged. “Could be worse. Is that why you’re being so skittish? You could have told me.”

Inside, she wasn’t singing the same tune. This damned Basic Hygiene skill is supposed to prevent that.

“Thank you,” Nara whispered, hugging the boomstick tightly.

“Alexandra,” Speck called.

“What?”

“Bad. Idea.”

She scoffed. A bad idea? Her? Bribing Nara had worked perfectly. Of course it did. What child wouldn’t like having their personal magical firework device?

“Oh.”

Alexandra looked at the girl and at the explosive stick she was holding.

It should be fine… Right?

“Hey, Nara,” she started, trying to make her voice as sweet as possible. “Let’s keep the stick a secret between us. If anyone asks, it’s just a normal stick. Okay?”

Nara nodded.

“Great.” Alexandra smiled. “Then let’s go home.”

Better dip before anyone asks what the commotion was about.

They got home right as the sun set behind the mountains. Willow and Kam were already there, preparing dinner.

“Finally,” Willow said, giving Alexandra a look that made it clear she knew she’d been late. “We thought we would have to eat without you.”

Alexandra searched for Kam’s eyes, looking for support, but the boy shrugged. She was on her own.

Nara strode toward Willow, stick in hand. “Look what Alexandra made me.”

Alexandra bit her lip. Fuck. It was supposed to be a secret.

“A stick?”

I better not say anything. She might not.

“Yes! Look.”

Nara raised her arm and pointed the stick to the ceiling. Light gathered at the tip.

Alexandra braced, hoping for the best.

Fireworks exploded out, drowning the room in motes of mana.

The magic subsided, leaving behind a rain of sparkling dust that dissolved against the floorboards.

The dining room was dead silent.

Nara blinked, her small brow furrowing as she looked between the glowing stick and the adults. The praise she anticipated hadn’t come. Confused, she lowered her arm and pulled the stick close to her chest.

“It makes lights,” she offered, her confident demeanor evaporating.

Willow hadn’t moved. Her hands, still dusted with flour from preparing bread, hovered over the counter.

She turned her head, her gaze locking onto Alexandra. Her eyes flicked from the ceiling—where faint scorch marks marred the wood—to Nara's highly explosive new toy, and finally back to Alexandra.

Kam looked at the weapon, then to the side. His head was bowed, his shoulders rigidly squared, maintaining his unbothered, stoic facade. Yet, the twitch at the corner of his mouth and the tremor of his chest gave him away. He was thoroughly enjoying Alexandra's impending doom.

Alexandra swallowed hard, offering Willow a weak grin. “It's… enchantment? A practical demonstration. For educational purposes.” She hesitated. “Yes. Educational. It’s harmless.”

Willow took a deep breath, her nose twitching with anger. But it wasn't just anger that made her nose twitch. The sharp and distinctly unwashed scent of a certain woman might also have played a role.

Willow raised a hand, pointing a single finger toward the back door.

“Out,” Willow said, her voice calm.

“Willow, listen—”

“You are late. You gave a child a pyrotechnic stick,” Willow said, stepping forward. “And above all else, you smell worse than after spending a day in the sewers. Wash. Now.”

Alexandra opened her mouth to argue that her Basic Hygiene skill was supposed to handle the heavy lifting, but she knew she had no leg to stand on.

“Speck,” Alexandra muttered under her breath as she retreated toward the door. “You could have warned me.”

“I. Did,” the darkness elemental whispered back as it slipped out of her body to play with Nara, sounding entirely unbothered. “Bad. Idea.”

Kam let out a stifled snort, quickly converting it into a rough cough when Willow glared in his direction.

“Traitor,” Alexandra said.

Defeated, she turned on her heel and slipped out into the cooling evening air.