Seekers of the Stone Maker
Campfire Meals

Ana could feel the exhaustion overtaking her, but she pushed on. Blight’s kitchen roared with heat in the same way that he did. She was used to being in a kitchen back home, helping her father and brother run the business when possible. It felt a lot different from home, though.

The entire room was covered in various scorch marks, and she assumed it was due to Blight’s explosively upbeat personality and physique. Besides the general markings, the kitchen was immaculate, considering it was placed at a campground. Everything had its place, quickly within reach of anything they needed to prep or cook, and Ana found herself lost in her work. Every once in a while, she could hear Blight whistling, and she listened happily, remembering the crowded restaurant back home, where music was known to come and go carelessly, with various patrons joining in regularly.

Happy with their meal, Blight and Ana worked quickly to plate and set everything on the large tables in the dining room. When finished, he looked over to her.

“Ring the bell outside, and everyone will know to come in. I have to start with breakfast.”

“Breakfast? This late?”

“Valas sleeps during the day, so his meals are swapped. It shouldn’t take but a few minutes, though. Go have a seat and eat!”

Ana smiled and walked quickly to the front door. On the outside, just to the right side, was a large bell affixed to the exterior wall. It was small, which made her worry that people wouldn’t be able to hear it, but once she knocked the metal ball into the interior lip of the bell, it rang out way louder than she assumed it would.

She waited, but nothing happened.

Did I ring it loud enough? She started to worry.

She stood and waited, the seconds turning into minutes.

“What’s the holdup?” Blight called from inside.

“I- I don’t know?”

Blight approached the front, grabbed the cord, and threw the ball back and forth inside the bell.

“All right, you beasts! Get in here and eat, or you’ll starve tonight!” He yelled out.

As if on cue, doors opened in every direction, and the crowd grew as they made their way to them from all over the camp. Blight smiled, looking over at Ana.

“Sometimes you just have to call them what they are, ravenous beasts that only answer to hollering and food,” He laughed.

Blight turned back inside, and Ana watched as everyone entered. Once most of them had sat and grabbed a plate, she went to her friends sitting at the end of one of the large tables with Elysium and Torra.

Ana expected to feel a little desensitized to the food since she was in the kitchen with it for hours, but the moment she took the first bite, she was stunned by the flavors. Not only was it incredibly well made, but it was still as hot as if it just came out. She wondered how he had managed that and made a mental note to ask later.

It was silent, which confused her for a moment.

Did they like it?

Is this how they always are?

Then, as silverware hit the plate, noise erupted as people sang, talked, and drank from the large barrels at the end of the hall. Her worries dissipated, and she joined in on the conversation. It felt like home, and it made her smile.

After an hour, everyone slowly made their way outside. A large fire pit was set and ready in the middle of the campground. Ana watched as a small group pulled fire out of thin air and placed it inside, where it erupted out and up. Black smoke filled the sky briefly, then cleared as the magical fire took over and gave heat, leaving an iridescent plume above.

Nearby, Ana saw a small light move quickly around the fire. As it stopped, she could see a fairy, smaller in height than her arm’s length, fly by and stop at one of the large logs used for seating. The fairy was very muscular, with pink hair and vibrant wings. Ana stepped closer.

“Hello.”

“Oh! Hello! You must be one of the guests with the Moonbright Troupe.”

“With Mr. Muffins, the twins, and Rhokhishi, yeah.”

“Yup, that’s them. I’m Gisela.

“Ana.”

Ana sat down near Gisela and stared into the fire momentarily before speaking again.

“So, what do you do here?” She asked.

“A little bit of everything,” Gisela smiled. “I help with building and taking down the tents, I help out with shows, and I run some of the games sometimes.”

“Not to be rude, but how do you take down and build something…”

“So large? Yeah, everyone wonders. I’m just really strong.”

Gisela flexed her muscles and smiled wide.

Underneath her coat, Ana could feel Sir Nibs moving around. She pulled at the collar, and the squirrel popped out and sniffed at the air. She watched as it looked over, saw Gisela, then froze.

“What’s wrong, Nibs?” Ana asked.

Sir Nibs hopped off her shoulder and ran over to Gisela. It reached for her shoulders, then started chattering away frantically. Ana watched as Gisela’s eyes widened the more Nibs spoke to her.

“You speak Squirrel?” Ana asked, confused.

“It’s not Squirrel. It’s a fae language,” Gisela stated, listening more.

Nibs talked for a few minutes, and Ana sat quietly as Gisela translated.

“Nibs wasn’t always a squirrel. He says that something happened before coming to Midgard, and when he tried to replace a way to fix himself, he found himself in a town. That’s where he found you. It must have been your fae ancestry that signaled him.”

“Fae ancestry?”

“Yeah. I mean, you are an eladrin, right?”

“Yes. One of the elven eladrin.”

“You must not know eladrin history then! Eladrin are elves, but they originally came from the Fae Realm. Did you not know this?”

“No…”

Am I fae? Ana thought to herself.

“Well, Nibs says he needs a blood ruby to fix himself. I think Valas or Kohl might have one. Let’s go ask them!”

“Of course!”

Nibs hopped onto Ana’s shoulder, and they followed Gisela as she flew towards a large building near the guest cabins.