World Sphere - 75 - Fries, Milkshakes and Politics

Chapter 75: Fries, Milkshakes, and Politics

The table of five women and Bylura, the small Wolfsguard, looked at me as I approached. Many had smiles on their face, and it was Leda who jumped out of her seat, wearing a dark gray uniform, to come and hug me. Leda spoke in a giddy voice. “Storme, it is good to see you!” She said in my ear before backing up. “We saw you fight and knew you would win every time!” 

I saw Tessa Torrent grimace. Her platinum blond hair was styled in a bun. She was also dressed in very fashionable clothes. Loriel, noticing me staring at Tessa, spoke with a sly smile. She indicated Tessa as she spoke. “I ran into my good friend in the capital a few days ago and told her about this fabulous new restaurant opening in Aegis City. I told a lot of my friends,” she indicated the filling dining room.

Tessa’s face was turning red as I stared at her. I felt drawn to her and I didn’t think an ability influenced it. “I asked to come when I heard it was your restaurant. What do you suggest on the menu?” It was obvious she didn’t want Loriel to take credit for her presence here.

Cillia was smiling at me but had not stood, maintaining decorum unlike Leda. I addressed Tessa. “If you like something spicy, then I suggest the BBQ gargoyle burger with the red pepper fries.” She looked down at the menu and then over at the painting of two gargoyles with silver orbs for eyes standing in the rain.

“I don't think I have ever tried gargoyle before,” she started to say, and I laughed. I cast cleanliness to give off a strong vanilla aroma, and then I walked over to her chair. Loriel’s massive wolfsguard tensed as I approached Tessa, who was seated next to Loriel.

I ignored him and showed her how to read the menu. “This row here is all the burgers made with beef, and this side is the chicken. Here are the toppings and sauces for each sandwich. Then you have to select what type of fried potato stick you want and the dipping sauce. Right now, we just have ale, water, and stout to drink.”

I had been close enough to smell her perfume, and it reminded me of strawberries. My explanation of the menu got the others to figure out what they wanted. I stepped away from the table and told the waiting server the meal for this table was on me. I made a retreat to the kitchen.

I heard a few people complain about the food prices. However, they shouldn’t complain once they receive their orders. The burger and fries were portioned twice as large as what you'd typically get at a normal restaurant.

Most of the conversation focused on the murals, which made me happy. The lighting from the globes enhanced their depth and beauty. I paused in my retreat and loudly announced, “Thank you for attending our opening. Feel free to explore the mural gallery. The Shiny Platinum offers exquisite art and delicious food!” 

My announcement had half the seated people start to wander from their seats. It caused chaos for the servers trying to get orders and keep track of people at their assigned tables.

The only child in the restaurant was staring at the panel of the black dragon fighting an adventurer. He was enthralled so much by the dragon that I paused and closed my eyes. I went into my pocket and created copper, and then made a fist-sized replica of the dragon. I pulled it out and handed it to the boy, smiled, and continued to the kitchen.

I started asking why we didn’t have twenty burgers on the grill already. They hadn’t received orders, but they could see all the people out there! Soon, chicken and burgers were being cooked in anticipation of orders for a fast turnaround. The barkeeps were going into the walk-in to fill drink orders. Cold drinkBaskets of fries were being dropped in the hot lard. I checked the stock of rolls and got the bakers going on more. Then I schooled my two head cooks for the next hour.

I remembered with vivid memories that things never went smoothly on an opening, but we were managing. The dishwashers were running citywide to restock supplies that were running low. When I felt the chaos was being managed, I went up to my room. I was surprised to find Remy next to me. He had been helping sort the chaos.

Remy nervously asked. “Storme, what do I do with the coin? It is so much, and I don’t know where to put it. Someone paid with a gold, and I had to run to my room to make the change.”

It was one of those things you didn’t think of. Since I had set the cost of a meal at one silver, I just assumed everyone would pay with one silver coin. “Remy, you can hire a money changer to work during hours, so you don’t have to do all this work. We can head over to the Depository in the city and establish an account for the restaurant and bakery as well. Let’s actually do that now since I am leaving tomorrow.”

I already had an account at the Depository that Wynna had set up for me. I had circumnavigated using it by making coins to cover expenses. Everyone on the outside looking in, thought the coins were coming from Callem.

As I walked with Remy, I thought aloud. “When you need to make a deposit or withdrawal, you should grab two of the three guards from the warehouse to accompany you.”

Remy nodded as we discussed his security and how to document different business transactions. It took over two hours to set up Remy at the Depository and link his token to only him. I deposited three platinum into the new account. If the restaurant performs well, then I likely wouldn’t need to add more to the account in the future. I was glad this was one more headache I wouldn’t have to deal with.

On the walk back, Remy started talking. “I have been looking into the delve team that shorted us on the stone. They primarily deal in stone, lumber, and soil from dungeons. I think they operate in the capital at the Progenitor dungeon. That is the dungeon that the Bricios have complete control over. It is located on the estate of the Halifax Bricio. He has two sons who manage the dungeon, Abaddon Bricio and Baladan Bricio. The dungeon serves as their own private bank.”

I knew Abaddon Bricio. He had assaulted Cillia at the naval academy, and Loriel was trying to escape his intentions to wed her. I looked at Remy as I walked and asked, “How did you figure all this out so quickly?”

Remy said more softly. “I spent a lot of time at the adventurer’s guild hall. Many of the delvers who hang out there have been around for a while. They like to talk. One veteran, Ullmark, used to work on the Bricio estate and used to delve the dungeon.”

I thought as we were getting closer and closer to the warehouse, “Why did he leave?”

Remy looked uncertain. “I think he didn’t like the Bricios’—or maybe what he saw. He knows to keep his mouth shut. The Bricios are pretty unforgiving.” Remy looked a little scared himself, talking about the Bricios with his eyes darting around.

“Is this Ullmark part of a delve team?” I asked.

“No, he is kind of a freelancer. He charges two gold per delve to help teams in the Frost Vault,” Remy said.

“Do you think he is a good person?”  I asked Remy seriously.

“Good? Not bad, for sure. He used to buy me an ale when I was depressed. He always helps new delvers too. Gives them a quick education on the Frost Vault,” Remy said, looking at me questioningly.

I nodded thoughtfully. “Tell Gimble to go interview him to see if he is a good fit for our delve team.”

Remy shook his head. “I don’t think he will join. He likes his independence.”

“That is fine. There is no problem with Gimble talking to him and asking,” I said as we reached the Shiny Platinum. “I am going to be working on finishing the plumbing for the apartments and enchanting the kitchens. If something needs my attention try to handle it yourself before coming to get me. I am taking the late skyship to Hen’s Hollow and will be resuming my academy training. We will be back every seventh day for a dungeon delve.” I shook my head in realization—somehow I had become a delver and liked it.

I knocked on doors and then bypassed locks with my metal-shaping ability to enter rooms. I left the doors open as I finished the plumbing and did some quick artificing for the small cooler units and stovetops. I had finished the third floor and was just starting on the first room on the second floor. It was Aelyn’s room. Aelyn came to the door when I knocked and was surprised to see me. Her face turned bright red. My heart sank as I guessed she had someone inside—maybe Gareth.

“I wanted to finish connecting the water and the enchant you cooler and stove,” I explained to her. She nodded and was about to move aside when Isla shouted from the other end of the hall.

“Storme! Come and join us!” Isla speech was slurred as they were making their way up the stairs to the third floor were Loriel’s room was. It was Cillia, Leda, Tessa, Loriel, Bylura, Isla and Gammon, Loriel’s Wolfsguard. Leda was waving her hands for me to join them. It was Tessa membership with the group that made me decide to join them.

“Sorry Aelyn, I will work on it next seventh day. Do you want to join us? I don’t want to be outnumbered six to one,” I asked already knowing her answer.

Aelyn surprised me. “Yes. I haven’t talked with Leda and Cillia in a long time.” She closed the door behind, and a missile was launched from the other end when she stepped into the hall.

I dodged Leda, who was like a human projectile, as she embraced Aelyn. “If we had known you were here, you could have eaten with us and gone shopping!” She took Aelyn’s arm and led her to the waiting group. Leda was heavily intoxicated. I almost tried to sober her up, but then thought maybe the whole group was a little tipsy too. Maybe I could get some answers and learn more about Tessa.

We went to the apartment, which Loriel had claimed, and the living room was a horseshoe of padded furniture for entertaining. I took a seat, and Aelyn immediately sat next to me. Everyone in the group showed signs of intoxication except Bylura.

“Bylura, please get us some of the Miaden Red,” Loriel said. Bylura went and poured out glasses of red wine and handed them out. I took a glass and sipped it. Very fruity and high in alcohol content.

They chatted for a bit about their shopping before Tessa was the first to address me. “Storme, I was very impressed with your restaurant.” I might have blushed. A chorus of affirmations came from the others. The conversation switched to the food, and especially the fried potato sticks and dipping sauces. We had four varieties of potatoes, and two were slightly sweet, and two were starchy. Interestingly, they were all different colors: purple, gold, white, and blue.

The drunk women tried to decide on the best potato, but everyone had a different opinion. Loriel sent Bylura down to the restaurant to get the assortment of sauces and plates of each variety of fry so they could decide. While we waited for Bylura, Loriel talked, “So Storme, now that you have what is sure to be a successful restaurant. What are you going to do next?”

I had an eager array of beautiful women hanging on my every word, “The restaurant still needs some tweaking. A wider array of beverages. And I want to offer different sides other than the fried potato sticks—mac ‘n’ cheese and fried onion rings.” Aelyn squeezed my arm excitedly. Aelyn loved junk food, and onion rings were one of her favorites.

Two servers from the restaurant entered with trays of sauces and fries. Bylura followed them in. The servers bowed and rushed out. I looked at Bylura. “Bylura if you used my name to get this delivered so quickly, I am guessing you didn’t pay for the food?” Her eyes met mine with a challenging stare. I tossed her two silver coins, which she snatched out of the air. “Go give these to the two servers.” Bylura left in a huff.

I smiled inside because I knew what was going to happen after I said my next. “I also plan to add milkshakes to the menu. That is ice cream blended with milk to make a thick, creamy drink.”

“You have ice cream here!” Leda shouted. Aelyn squeezed my arm in excitement as well.

“Yes, we have just chocolate and vanilla, but it will not be on the menu for a while. I suppose I could have the head cook make up some special milkshakes so you can try them,” I said conspiratorially eyeing Tessa.

Tessa smiled. “I want to try a milkshake.”

“I will return shortly,” I said, smiling at Tessa. Aelyn’s arm released me but I think Aelyn just pinched me? Maybe she didn’t want me to leave her alone with these woman. I wouldn’t be long.

I left to go to the extremely busy kitchens. Surprisingly, the restaurant was still packed, with a short line outside. I guessed the novelty of my place was spreading through the city. I didn’t hear any complaints about the prices either. I pulled a cook aside and had him make the milkshakes and send a server up with them when they were ready.

I found Marcellus, my manager, and asked him how things were going. The old veteran was sweating but smiling. “I will say, other than the few Wolfsguard standing behind a few of the customers, things are going great. The Wolfsguard scare the customers a bit,” he explained.

“That cannot be helped,” I said and only spotted one Wolfsguard currently standing at a table with an array of men in magistrate robes.

Marcellus knew who they were. “The Miaden port controllers. Their offices are on the other side of the docking platforms. With how much they are enjoying the food, I expect you will see them in here every day.”

“Give them bottomless ale,” I said, then I had to explain the concept. Basically, free refills should generate some goodwill. I knew if the restaurant kept being successful, it would attract attention. I sighed, as it meant I would have to be nice to Loriel Miaden. I guessed her presence was already shielding me.

I was about to head up the stairs when Marcellous stopped me as he remembered something. “Storme, sir. The young boy you gave that statue of the dragon to—he asked if there were more of the other creature figures for the paintings.” It took me a second to remember I had made a copper figurine of the black dragon and handed it to the only child who was one of the first customers.

I thought for a bit. I had made it on impulse and not given it a second thought. It was pure copper, too, a soft metal, so the boy could bend the wings and legs into other poses. Figurines could sell well but bronze was a much better alloy. Did I want to waste my time on making figurines, though? 

“No, there are no more figurines. But install some shelves on the wall over there,” I pointed at the entry. “I will see if I can find a crafter to make some. They won’t be cheap, though.” He nodded and grinned at my insinuation. I made my way upstairs as I wanted to get some questions answered.

I entered, and the milkshakes were right behind me. The cook must have worked hard to get them done in so short a time as my conversation with the manager. I watched as the woman around the room sampled the drinks. There were a lot of sweet tooths here.

“So, Loriel. Tell me about your problems with Abaddon Bricio,” I went straight to the point.

The entire room went silent, and Gammon’s muscles flexed. Cillia’s face had been soft, and although she had been quiet and enjoying the conversation, it suddenly went into a scowl. That same hardness when I first met her. Leda put her arm on her for support. Even Tessa had a look of disgust on her face.

Loriel cautiously put down here milkshake, unaware of her milk mustache. “Why do you ask?” She said cautiously.

“I recently found his delve team cheated me out of a few golds,” I said unconcernedly. Isla looked about to speak but I waved her off, wanting to deal with Loriel.

Tessa surprisingly answered. “You should just avoid dealing with them. If you blow too much wind at them, the Bricios will retaliate, Storme. My family has had unpleasant dealings with them in the past. If my father didn’t passionately hate the entire Bricio family, then I may be stuck in Loriel’s shoes. Present company excluded,” she said to Isla.

Isla nodded in thanks before speaking passionately in support of Loriel. “Loriel may be in the line of succession for the Miaden seat, but she is on her own. She has no support. She has to fend off advances from multiple fronts.” Loriel waved her hand to silence her friend’s support.

Loriel looked at me for a moment as the room remained silent. She was the power focal point of this group around her. A group she was trying to get me to be part of, but I kept resisting. I wanted to know why Tessa was now in this circle. Was she here because of our duel and because I clearly found her alluring?

Loriel finally spoke with a heaviness. “There is much more going on in Skyhold than most people know. The very balance of power and the fate of the people are played for sport. A few generations ago, the Bricios raised the stakes. They took pieces off the board with subterfuge. Successors disappeared in dungeons, others went to the lowlands and never returned, some came down with incurable illnesses, others suddenly resigned and went into seclusion, and many more things not in the histories, Storme.”

I wasn’t moved at all as I wasn’t surprised by the cutthroat nature of the politics of Skyholme’s elite. Loriel continued after giving me a moment to digest. “The recent onslaught by the Sadians,” she looked around the room at her audience before continuing, “was the first terrible move in generations by the Bricios. Not only is the Skyholme navy greatly weakened, but we lost more than a dozen of our most powerful mages, Storme. The Bricios laid the blame at the feet of the Torrent family publicly, but everyone in Skyhold knows the Bricios were the ones making the decisions.”

I knew that hundreds on Titan’s Shield had died in the attack. Mages were rare; only one in ten persons was born with an awakened core strong enough for real magic, and very few had a large aether core or matrix to become powerful mages. I looked at Cilia for confirmation.

Cilia nodded. “My grandfather has told me something similar. He thinks there will be a draft once the new Harbinger skyships are ready. The navy does not have enough combat mages for the skyships.”

“So, what is the point of your circle of friends here?” I asked Loriel, trying to understand her pursuit of me and why she brought them into her inner circle. Tessa, who was very new to this group, looked a little apprehensive, but looked to Loriel as well.

Loriel bit her lip, thinking of the diplomatic response. “At first, I just wanted to surround myself to be protected. It is not just Abaddon that I am concerned about.” She paused before laying the bomb. “I am making plans to flee if Skyholme collapses. The Bricios are working to enforce terms of service from all mages with real power. The kickback will be immense, and I think it will tear Skyholme apart.”

I looked doubtfully at Loriel. Sebastian had similar thoughts, though. The Triumvirate had a strong enough pulse for the people to know if something was going to start a civil war.

Loriel continued. “It has already started, Storme. Ask Talia next time you see her. She will confirm it for you. The lesser mages at the Mage Academy are being funneled to the navy.”

That seemed to sober up the group and dampened the conversation. I stewed a bit as my company regained their stomachs and finished most of the food. Why was I being dragged into this? Selfishly, I wanted to do what could to protect my family.

I asked softly. “How long do you think?”

Loriel grabbed the last purple fry on the tray and chewed it. She was hiding a smugness—she thought she had won me over. She finally said. “The draft would occur at the end of this academy year. It will just include mages. It will coincide with the commissioning of five new Harbinger skyships. This round of conscripted mages will cause some unrest but will only target the mages not tied to Triumvirate families.”

Rather than fall into Loriel’s designs, I stood. “Thank you for the information.” I looked at Aelyn. “We should head back to Hen’s Hollow.”

Loriel, quickly seeing I was not going to beg her for my protection, stood. “I can fly you back at any time on my skyship. Stay a while longer.” Cilia and Leda, wearing their dark gray uniforms, looked hopeful that I would accept.

“No, we can take the regular transport. Thank you for getting the restaurant off to a great start. Loriel, the rent for the apartments is three gold per month. The agreement was that you could have one of the apartments, not live here rent-free. Remy is two doors down. You can pay him.” I left the room with murmurs of surprises behind me.

Aelyn seemed happy to be leaving with me. “You are charging her rent, too? That was a little vicious seeing what she has done for you.”

“Not in the least. These apartments are worth more than triple that. Looking at the furniture in her sitting room, she probably spent two or three hundred gold in that sitting room alone. This way, I am not doing her any favors that she has to repay me in the future.” Aelyn looked perplexed at my logic.

We reached the top of the platform, and I asked the air. “Why was Tessa Torrent there?” 

Aelyn attention snapped to me. “What? What do you mean?”

I faced her in thought. “They recruited her because I flirted with her when we fought. I found her attractive.” Aelyn frowned. “But I thought she would be smarter than to get pulled into these games. Maybe I just thought more of her.”

Aelyn chewed her lip. “She was there for you, Storme. Not Loriel. I could see her staring every time you were not focused on her. Her thoughts were…”

I grinned somewhat boyishly. “What did I tell you about using your ability?” I sighed. “Did you read anyone else?”

Aelyn was unabashed. “Yes. I have been working on my ability with Selina. It is kind of like a spell form, and it has gotten slightly stronger. I still cannot read Callem.” I looked at her impatiently.

Her jaw tightened. “Tessa is infatuated with you. She is interested because you are someone outside the three houses with a confident bearing.” I wanted to fist-pump but just nodded slightly.

“What did you glean from our heiress to the Miaden seat?” I asked curiously.

Aelyn smiled devilishly. “Oh, Loriel is definitely thinking about how much of an asset you could be. But I think what she said is true. She is worried about the fate of Skyholme. She was harder to read than the others and had some training.”

I nodded. “Aelyn forgot what I said about not using your ability. It is too useful. We should spend more time together than just dungeon delving too.” Her pale elven face flushed pink. “I need your help to navigate this cesspool. When we get back, we are going to talk with Callem and see if Sebastian can confirm what Loriel said. If it is true, then I need to start planning to keep my family safe.”

Our skyship finally called for us to board and we were headed back to Hen’s Hollow.