Chapter 9: Mission and delivery

Another day arrived. Sun watched everything in silence, although dark clouds were accumulating around the sky. It was a regular morning. Allan woke up sooner than expected and looked outside.

“It seems like the weather today will be rather unpleasant. Nothing beats the day more than bad weather. At least it's the perfect excuse to stay inside.”

Allan, unbothered by the potential storm, was happy. Not like he was going outside very often. The weather was always uncertain. Huge wind from a shore a few dozen kilometers brought constant trouble. Storms and typhoons were occurrences every year.

“This is an amazing find! Father is an owner of the soul fire? That changes everything that I can think of on so many levels.” Allan recalled last night.

“From a way of making alloys and ores. To enormous changes in forging. I am not even sure about its… magical properties. It is said that they are good at controlling the temperature.” Allan flipped through the latter part of a First Order of mixing as he was looking at its content.

“It is a very rare material. Their origins usually stem from extreme heat and a warm environment. They are further expanded to tiers, depending on their power.”

“Makes sense. Not much to add to that.” Allan found nothing else about them, apart from a few glimpses here and there. Book tells a brief overview of their origin and what it was very little. His father’s work could assume their usage. He had a lot of materials, but Allan had no way to know them. He believed the words which were described in the First Order of Mixing but was still disappointed. Only a little, but it still counted. It described names with no illustrations or colors. Nothing that he could believe with certainty.

“I can think of it as an ultimate helper. It seems like they don’t need a source of fuel and can exist on their own. There is also a possibility of a much higher level of heat than normal wood or charcoal.”

Deducting everything he could. He pictured a ball of fire and its characteristics. Although it was all he could do.

“One day, I will learn much more about it. I must believe.” Allan couldn’t help but think about his father’s attitude. Maybe it was a curse. To know so much, but not be able to touch them, know more about them and work with them, makes it very hard for Allan to not feel some sense of greed.

Calming down, Allan changed into his home clothes and went to have breakfast. He found some harder bread and a few pieces of dried meat.

“Such a weak meal.” In a fishnet sack were the last 4 pieces of eggs. “I will make scrambled eggs, add some chopped bread to moist it up with meat on a side.”

“It will not be enough for father. Only for me.”

As Allan prepared a wood stove and got started, he heard steps from below. Clayton appeared in the kitchen, looking refreshed and in a tight blouse and shorts.

“Good morning Allan.”

“Good morning, father. How come you are here so early?” Asked Allan.

“I heard you come to the kitchen from below. Will you finish our food stock?”

I guess. Do you want some? Eggs, bread, and some meat?” Allan offered.

“No. That's enough for you. I will buy some quick breakfast on my way to Boris.” Clayton shook his head.

“I see. Do you want to buy some groceries too?”

“I won’t have enough time. Boris wanted me to come early today.“

”I will keep you some money downstairs. So make some purchases as you like. Also, there is a mission I am giving you for today!” Said Clayton in importance and a firm voice.

“What mission?” Asked Allan, while starting a fire at the stove.

“Bring a letter to Thomas. That is all.” Tasked Clayton.

“Letter? Sure, I have no problems with it.” Allan answered. “Oh wait! Today will be terrible weather.”

“Really?” Clayton did not know that, because he woke up, not that long ago. His bedroom window did not face the sky as much.

“Deal with it,” Clayton added in indifference to his son's worries. Walking away, he was giving no chance to Allan for protests.

Allan couldn’t help but curse inside.

After finishing cooking. He ate his fill. It wasn’t terrible at all. The bread got some moister from eggs and meat provided some interesting texture and taste to it.

“Good meal.”

It satisfied Allan, and now he was ready for this day. He cleaned up the kitchen and went downstairs. His father changed to his vest and thick fabric trousers. He was sitting at his office as usual.

On a table were a packed letter and some coins.

“I will leave within an hour. So you can go now or do it later.” Clayton pointed at the table.

“I want to prepare some things for my work later today. And I still have some contract to do for the Lonely Tiger restaurant.”

“Alright.”

Allan still had to repair kitchen knifes and make a knife for his contract. He changed into his leather attire and went upstairs to get the knives. He usually let his own work in his room so it would be outside of the shop's room and storage. . . He held a knife in his palm. Sharpening it over the gray-looking whetstone secured to the sharpening station. At a table were 8 finished knives which were sharp as they can get.

In about 30 minutes, he was done with sharpening the edges as well as the whole smooth surface of the knives.

Afterward, he pondered about the second contract for a knife gift. It was a simple one. Requirements for 20 centimeters long blade, ebony wood handle, and engravings of the words “for a Sofia“.

“Alright then. Sounds easy enough.”

First, he started a fire in the furnace, then worked his way to a quick sketch of the blade. Allan decided to use a refined steel plate. Which needed little heat, and a hammer and was ready to go.

After a while. Clayton took his cloak and a hat. Since the weather will be windy, he changed to a better cloak, which will protect him well.

“Take care of the shop. Don’t forget to lock the main door and don’t forget about that letter.” Clayton said to Allan. “And don’t open it and read it too. It’s for Thomas.”

“Have a good day, father.” Allan waved with his hammer.

He left.

“Read? It is not my business what is inside.” Allan thought.

All of sudden, he gets an urge to open it and read it.

“No. No. No. It is not my business… I can be a spy, but my morals are great!”

Resisting himself, he gets to work. By the time for lunch, he was finished with his blade and handle. Most time was spent carving up the design he came up with. There were vines and pieces of flowers around the words. He used fine carving knives that his father had in his collection. They are usually used for many types of wood.

“It isn’t stated that it should have been on a blade or a handle.”

Blades of such thinness shouldn’t have engravings in them in case they get damaged or cracked. Blade engraving was done with thicker pieces where they would not hurt the blade. It is still for aesthetics only.

With his contracts done, Allan put sharpened knives into a box. He then made an ebony box of higher quality for the knife he made. It enhanced overall quality and made a nice-looking addition. It was a gift, after all.

Allan reconsiders his choices. He could finish his errands right now. Making his protection experiments later this day.

“I will make my contract errands and while I am at it, give this latter to Thomas.” Allan decided to go right now. Having not much do to since the shop was closed.

“Little weather storm won’t stop me. Right?” Allan thought while putting on a thick cloak made from leather and fabric. They used it against rain and high wind, which was common in this area.

Having his cloak, he put his stuff in a big sack made from leather and hid it under a cloak. It was a little uncomfortable, but better than nothing.

Locking the door, Allan looked at the sky. Rain already started and dark clouds shrouded the sun.

“You gotta do what you gotta do.” Allan sighed. Not willing to go, but having no choice.

After walking in a rain for some time, He opened a door to Lonely Tiger pub. There were quite a lot of people. It was past lunchtime already, but people were not willing to leave yet because of the storm. He put away his hood.

“Hey! Allan, what are you doing here this time?” Allan looked at Thomas, who was preparing drinks and all kinds of beverages for customers who wanted to warm up in this chilly weather.

“Contract, mister Thomas. Also, there was a letter that my father wanted me to give you. Allan said as he walked to a bar, handing Thomas a letter from his bag.

“Clayton did? What in the world does he want?” Wondered Thomas.

Allan walked by, knocking on a door to a kitchen. Seeing an unfamiliar face, which shoved a door open, Allan asked about Berg. In a minute, Berg took Allan inside.

“You finished Allan?”

“Yes. I have all knives sharpened and gift as well.” Allan answered as he gave Berg 2 two boxes from his bag. Berg opened them and checked them. In the first were all knives. “Excellent, your work is always of high quality. For these, it should be 1 silver coin for a blade as usual. As for this gift. I will need to ask a friend how much he will be willing to pay. Do you wanna bargain with him by yourself?” Berg asked.

“No. Deal with it as usual.” Answered Allan.

In a few minutes Berg came back, “Here is 10 silver for quick work and two 50 silver coins, 1 gold 10 silver in total.

“Only one gold for that nice knife? I even included a nice storage box.” Said Allan in dissatisfaction.

“Hey. Do not blame me for this. How long does it take to make it?” Berg asked. If it was too much, he would ask his friend for more.

“A few hours. But its quality is superb! It should be at least a gold and 50 silver.” Allan answered.

It left Berg speechless.

“If you get me some nice lunch box, I will consider it even.” Added Allan. He wasn’t exactly a good businessman.

“Hahaha, Sure. I have no problem with that. We have a lot of leftovers. I will make you something nice.” Laughed Berg.

“Wait in a bar. I will give it to you soon.”

Allan walked away. Jumping onto a high chair, and getting some water from Thomas left more to his good mood than usual.

“What a grim atmosphere today,” Allan commented as he looked around him. A dark bar with little light from windows made it quite darker than usual.

“Have you looked at the letter, Allan?” Thomas asked with a serious expression, without expressing any of Allan's words.

“No, I did not! I am a serious worker with good morals.” Allan said.

Thomas looked at him with a weird look. “Sure you are.”

“Can I send a letter through you as well?”

“Ugh, I am not a postman, mister Thomas, but I can,” Allan grunted, wondering what was inside this letter.

Thomas laid down a letter in front of Allan. In about 20 minutes, Berg tossed a wooden box at Allan. It was a little heavy. He took into consideration Allan’s appetite, so he wasn't cheap at all. Meanwhile, Thomas looked lost in thoughts.

“Where to?” Asked Allan.

“26th street. Old man Burny’s shop. You should know about it.” Answered Thomas.

“That's a shop that father visited yesterday,” Allan remembered and was even more curious than before. This was suspicious beyond anything that he expected.