Part 5
Dinner continued with the same effortless warmth, stories flowing as naturally as the tea that Ruby quietly refilled whenever anyone's cup neared empty. Theron spoke of rebuilding bridges washed away by spring floods, of wrestling an angry wild boar that had somehow wandered into the vegetable garden, and of the unfortunate afternoon Mira had attempted to teach a family of squirrels how to organise acorns alphabetically.
"I was helping," Mira insisted.
Theron nodded seriously.
"The squirrels disagreed."
"They weren't listening."
"They chased me."
"They chased everyone."
"They chased the postman."
Ruby smiled into her tea.
"He still won't walk through the orchard."
"He started throwing letters from the gate."
"It saves him time."
"It terrifies the squirrels."
Mira looked genuinely thoughtful.
"...That explains why they dislike him."
Adrian found himself laughing until tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.
It had been...
Too long.
Far too long since laughter had come this easily.
The burden of being Mayor had slowly taught him to measure every conversation against responsibilities still waiting on his desk. Every quiet moment became another opportunity to think about trade agreements, town walls, guild requests or reports from distant patrols.
Here...
Nobody expected anything from him.
He wasn't the Mayor.
He wasn't the Sovereign.
He wasn't the man who defeated Valdrik.
He was simply...
Adrian.
A traveller sharing dinner with a family that had somehow made room for him without asking for anything in return.
The realization settled quietly in his heart.
He hadn't realised how much he needed that.
Theron suddenly set his spoon down with theatrical seriousness.
"I've reached a decision."
Ruby looked up.
"Should I be worried?"
"Probably."
"I thought so."
The enormous elf stood slowly, folded his arms across his broad chest and looked directly at Adrian with all the dignity of a king preparing to announce a declaration of war.
"Adrian."
Adrian swallowed another mouthful of stew.
"Yes?"
"I have observed your appetite."
"I'm suddenly concerned."
"You should be."
Theron nodded once.
"I formally challenge you."
The room immediately fell silent.
Mira's eyes sparkled.
Ruby quietly closed her eyes.
Elena sighed into her teacup.
Oak opened one eye before deciding this wasn't worth standing up for.
Adrian leaned back slightly.
"...To what?"
Theron's grin slowly spread from ear to ear.
"A contest."
"I was afraid you were going to say that."
"The rules are simple."
Ruby raised one finger.
"They're never simple."
Theron ignored her completely.
"We each receive one fresh loaf of bread."
Mira immediately climbed onto her chair.
"I'll judge!"
"No, you won't," Ruby answered.
"I already have scorecards."
Theron looked genuinely impressed.
"You made scorecards?"
"I made them yesterday."
"...You knew?"
Mira smiled proudly.
"I know you."
Ruby pinched the bridge of her nose while trying not to laugh.
Theron looked back toward Adrian.
"So..."
He extended one enormous hand across the table.
"...What do you say?"
Adrian looked at the offered handshake.
Then at Elena.
She slowly shook her head.
"Don't."
He looked at Ruby.
She smiled kindly.
"You don't have to."
He looked at Mira.
She was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Please say yes."
Finally...
He looked back at Theron.
A slow grin spread across his own face.
"...You're on."
Theron slapped the table so enthusiastically that every spoon jumped.
"HA!"
He pointed triumphantly toward Ruby.
"I told you he'd be fun."
Ruby simply smiled.
"I never doubted it."
Outside, the last light of day disappeared behind the emerald forest, while inside House Sylvaris, laughter once again filled every corner of the home. For just one evening, the worries of kingdoms, ancient theatres and impossible mysteries remained beyond the walls, leaving only good food, good company and the promise of a completely unnecessary bread-eating contest that everyone secretly knew Theron had been planning since breakfast.
The challenge spread through the house with astonishing speed.
Not because anyone shouted.
Because Mira disappeared.
One moment she had been sitting beside Adrian, enthusiastically scribbling something into yet another notebook. The next, she had vanished through the kitchen door with a speed that would have impressed most adventurers.
A heartbeat later her voice echoed from somewhere upstairs.
"I FOUND THE SCORECARDS!"
Theron folded his arms proudly.
"I told you."
Ruby looked up from clearing the table.
"You encouraged this."
"I absolutely encouraged it."
"I know."
"It's healthy competition."
Ruby smiled patiently.
"No."
"It's bread."
Theron considered that.
"...Healthy bread competition."
Elena leaned back in her chair, a steaming mug of tea warming her hands.
"I'm not stopping this."
Ruby laughed quietly.
"I wasn't expecting you to."
"Good."
"I've learned that trying to stop Theron only makes him more determined."
Theron nodded once.
"That's true."
Mira returned carrying a small wooden box nearly half her size. She carefully placed it on the table before opening it with the excitement of someone revealing an ancient treasure.
Inside...
Were dozens of little wooden signs.
Each had beautifully painted numbers.
Some displayed scores.
Others had names.
One simply read:
GO BEAR!
Theron smiled proudly.
"My favourite."
Mira pointed toward another.
"I made one for Adrian too."
She held it up.
SLIME POWER!
Adrian rubbed the back of his neck.
"...I don't know whether I should feel encouraged or embarrassed."
"Encouraged."
Mira handed it to him with complete seriousness.
"I spent a long time painting it."
"Then encouraged."
Theron disappeared into the pantry before returning moments later carrying two enormous round loaves of freshly baked bread.
Adrian stared.
"...Those aren't loaves."
"They are."
"They're wheels."
"They're rustic."
"They're enormous."
"They're delicious."
Ruby looked at Adrian sympathetically.
"I made those this morning."
"They smell incredible."
"They're also very filling."
Theron looked almost offended.
"Don't discourage him before we begin."
"I'm informing him."
"You've taken all the mystery away."
The two loaves were placed side by side in the middle of the table.
For several long moments...
No one spoke.
Theron slowly rolled his shoulders.
Adrian stretched his neck almost absentmindedly.
Mira climbed onto her chair and dramatically cleared her throat.
"As the official judge..."
Ruby interrupted gently.
"Unofficial."
"As the official unofficial judge..."
"...Better."
"...the First Annual..."
She frowned thoughtfully.
"...Actually..."
She looked toward Theron.
"How many of these have there been?"
The enormous elf scratched his beard.
"...Twenty-three."
Mira blinked.
"...Why did nobody tell me?"
"You were born halfway through them."
"Oh."
She nodded.
"That explains it."
She looked back toward the competitors.
"The Twenty-Fourth Annual Bread Championship..."
Theron raised one finger.
"...House Sylvaris Division."
"...begins now!"
She dramatically rang a tiny brass bell.
Neither man moved.
They looked at one another across the table.
Theron smiled.
"Ladies first."
Adrian laughed.
"I appreciate the offer."
"I wasn't talking to you."
Ruby threw a folded napkin at him.
It struck him squarely on the forehead.
"You deserved that," Elena said.
"I usually do."
The contest began.
Theron calmly picked up the first slice.
Butter.
One bite.
Gone.
Another slice.
Gone.
No hurry.
No panic.
Simply relentless consistency.
Adrian decided to match the pace.
The bread was still warm.
The crust cracked softly beneath his fingers while the centre remained impossibly light and fluffy. Rich butter melted almost instantly into every bite, carrying the subtle sweetness of fresh cream across his tongue.
He closed his eyes.
"...Ruby."
She looked up.
"Yes?"
"This..."
He took another bite.
"...might be the best bread I've ever eaten."
Ruby smiled.
"I'm glad."
Theron swallowed another slice.
"It is."
He looked toward Adrian.
"Don't distract the baker."
"I'm complimenting her."
"You'll gain favour."
"I thought that was the point."
Theron frowned.
"...Fair."
Several minutes passed.
Conversation continued naturally around the table despite the contest.
Mira announced imaginary scores every thirty seconds.
Oak wandered hopefully beneath the table searching for dropped crumbs.
Elena quietly sipped her tea while occasionally smiling at the increasingly ridiculous spectacle unfolding before her.
Then...
Something unexpected happened.
Theron looked down.
His loaf...
Had become noticeably smaller.
He looked across the table.
So had Adrian's.
The giant elf blinked once.
Then twice.
"...Huh."
Adrian looked up.
"What?"
"I thought..."
Theron scratched his beard.
"...you'd stop."
"I like bread."
"So do I."
Another minute passed.
More slices disappeared.
Theron slowly leaned forward.
"Ruby."
"Yes?"
"How much has he eaten?"
Ruby looked thoughtfully between the two loaves.
"...Almost exactly the same as you."
Theron looked genuinely impressed.
"No one's done that before."
Adrian smiled.
"I've been told I have an unusual appetite."
"You've been told correctly."
Mira quickly held up two scorecards.
BEAR – 10
SLIME – 10
She gasped dramatically.
"It's tied!"
Theron pointed toward Adrian.
"I like him."
Ruby laughed.
"I noticed."
Theron looked thoughtful.
"...Actually..."
He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.
"...That's interesting."
Adrian lowered another slice.
"What is?"
"You aren't eating like a warrior."
"...I'm not?"
"No."
Theron rested his elbows on the table.
"You're eating like..."
He searched for the right words.
"...your body keeps making room."
Adrian froze.
He hadn't noticed.
His stomach wasn't full.
Not even close.
It wasn't that he wasn't eating enough.
It was...
His slime physiology was quietly adapting.
Breaking the food down almost as quickly as he consumed it.
Turning it into mana.
Energy.
Healing reserves.
He looked at the remaining bread.
"...That explains a lot."
Theron slowly smiled.
"I wondered."
Ruby gently rested one hand on Theron's forearm.
"Enough."
The giant elf looked at the untouched half of his loaf.
Then at Adrian.
Then back at Ruby.
After a long moment...
He nodded.
"Enough."
Adrian looked confused.
"...We're stopping?"
Theron smiled warmly.
"This stopped being a contest."
He reached across the table and offered Adrian his enormous hand.
"It became an observation."
Adrian shook it.
The grip was powerful.
Steady.
Respectful.
Theron smiled.
"I've met many strong people."
His expression softened.
"...Very few understand their own bodies."
He squeezed Adrian's hand once before letting go.
"You still have much to learn."
Adrian nodded.
"I know."
Theron chuckled.
"And that's why you'll keep growing."
Silence settled around the table.
Not awkward.
Comfortable.
Mira quietly erased the scores from her board before writing something completely different.
She proudly held it up for everyone to see.
EVERYONE WINS
Ruby smiled.
"I think that's much better."
Theron looked at the sign.
Then at Adrian.
Finally...
He laughed.
A deep, genuine laugh that filled the entire house.
"You know..."
He leaned back in his chair.
"...I think you're going to fit in around here just fine."
Adrian looked around the table.
At Theron.
At Ruby.
At Mira proudly displaying her sign.
At Elena quietly smiling into her tea.
For the first time since arriving in Verdant Reach...
He realized something.
He wasn't simply visiting.
He was making memories.
The kind that stayed with a person long after the journey continued.
And somehow...
He had a feeling this would not be the last time he sat at this table.
Dinner slowly came to an end, though no one seemed particularly eager to leave the table. Empty bowls had long since been replaced by steaming mugs of herbal tea while the remains of the evening's feast rested scattered across the polished oak surface. Crumbs from fresh bread dotted wooden plates, laughter still lingered in the room like the fading notes of a favourite song, and somewhere beside the fireplace Oak had rolled onto his back, snoring loudly enough that Mira insisted he was "dreaming about chasing very polite rabbits."
The conversation drifted naturally from one topic to another without purpose or destination. Theron told the story of the time he'd accidentally built an entire woodshed upside down because he had been talking to Ruby instead of paying attention to the plans. Ruby politely reminded him that it hadn't been an entire woodshed.
"It was only the roof," she corrected.
Theron nodded thoughtfully.
"The roof is an important part."
"It certainly became important when it rained."
"I fixed it."
"Eventually."
"I fixed it."
Ruby smiled into her tea.
"You did."
Mira giggled.
"You also nailed your sleeve to the wall."
Theron looked genuinely surprised.
"...Did I?"
"You did."
"...That explains why the hammer disappeared."
"It was still in your hand."
The giant elf stared thoughtfully into the middle distance before sighing with complete acceptance.
"I've had a fascinating life."
The table erupted into another round of warm laughter.
Adrian found himself leaning comfortably back in his chair, one hand wrapped around a mug of fragrant forest tea while he simply... listened. He hadn't realised how long it had been since he'd sat in a room where no one expected him to solve a problem. There were no guild reports waiting to be signed. No disputes between merchants. No patrol schedules. No monsters threatening the walls of Stonehollow.
For one peaceful evening, he was simply another person around the table.
He hadn't realised how much he'd missed that feeling.
Eventually, Mira yawned.
It wasn't the polite sort of yawn children attempted to hide.
It was enormous.
Her entire body seemed to stretch with it until she nearly tipped backwards off her chair.
Theron smiled knowingly.
"There it is."
"I'm not tired."
The words came immediately.
Ruby raised an eyebrow.
"Mira."
"I'm only... resting my eyes."
"You were asleep halfway through that sentence."
"I was thinking."
"You were snoring."
"I think loudly."
Theron laughed.
"I'll remember that one."
Ruby stood and gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from Mira's face.
"Come on, Curious Micky."
"I can still ask questions."
"You can ask one more."
Mira's sleepy eyes immediately turned toward Adrian.
She thought for a long moment before speaking.
"If..."
She yawned again.
"...If you could go anywhere in Eryndor..."
"...where would you go first?"
The room became quiet.
Adrian hadn't expected the question.
He looked into the warm tea swirling gently inside his mug before smiling to himself.
"I don't know."
"You don't?"
He shook his head.
"When I first arrived here..."
His voice softened.
"I was just trying to survive."
Everyone listened.
"I didn't have time to think about seeing the world."
He looked toward the window where the moonlight now spilled gently across the orchard.
"But now..."
A small smile crossed his face.
"I think I'd like to see all of it."
Mira's eyes brightened despite her obvious exhaustion.
"Me too."
Ruby looked affectionately at her daughter.
"You still want to travel?"
Mira nodded so enthusiastically that she almost woke herself up.
"I want to see the Emerald City."
"I want to see the ocean."
"I want to meet dwarves."
"I want to ride a griffin."
"I want to learn why mushrooms grow in circles."
"I want to—"
Another yawn interrupted her.
Ruby smiled.
"I know."
Mira looked toward Adrian.
"When I'm older..."
She smiled with complete certainty.
"...I'm going to explore everywhere."
Adrian returned the smile.
"I believe you."
"No."
She folded her arms with surprising confidence.
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
Their eyes met.
For just a moment...
The twelve-year-old explorer and the weary Mayor shared exactly the same dream.
To see what lay beyond the next horizon.
Theron gently lifted Mira into his arms before she could protest. The little elf instinctively rested her head against his shoulder, already half asleep.
"I wasn't sleeping."
"No?"
"No."
"What colour are my eyes?"
She frowned.
"...Blue..."
"They're green."
"...I knew that."
Within seconds...
She was asleep.
Theron smiled down at her with the quiet tenderness only a father could possess.
"They grow too quickly."
Ruby rested a gentle hand against his arm.
"They always do."
Without another word, the giant elf quietly carried his daughter upstairs.
The house grew noticeably quieter after that.
The cheerful chaos settled into a peaceful silence broken only by the occasional crackle from the fireplace and Oak's contented snoring. Elena had stepped outside onto the porch with another mug of tea, leaving Adrian and Ruby alone in the softly lit kitchen while she slowly washed the last of the dishes.
Adrian stood.
"You don't have to do those."
Ruby smiled without looking up.
"I know."
"I can help."
"You've travelled for days."
"So have you."
She chuckled softly.
"That's true."
For a while...
They simply worked together.
Adrian dried each wooden bowl before placing it neatly into the cupboard while Ruby quietly cleaned the table with practiced movements. The silence between them never felt uncomfortable.
It felt...
Peaceful.
Finally, Ruby spoke.
"You've been carrying something."
Adrian's hands paused for just a heartbeat.
She quickly added,
"I'm not asking what it is."
He looked at her.
She met his eyes with the same gentle kindness she'd shown since he first walked through the door.
"I only wanted you to know..."
She carefully folded the cloth she'd been using.
"...that whatever it is..."
"...you don't have to carry it every moment."
Adrian remained silent.
Ruby smiled softly.
"My grandmother used to tell me something when I was young."
She looked toward the fire.
"'Even the strongest tree rests when the wind becomes too heavy.'"
She turned back toward him.
"Rest isn't weakness, Adrian."
"It's how we find the strength to keep walking."
The words settled quietly into his heart.
He thought of Stonehollow.
Of being Mayor.
Of the Slime Echo waiting back home.
Of Grandma Lilly on Earth.
Of the theatre.
Of Velcrest.
Of the folded playbill still tucked safely inside his bag.
For the first time...
He admitted something.
Not to Ruby.
To himself.
He was tired.
Not exhausted.
Not defeated.
Simply...
Tired.
He smiled.
A real one.
"Thank you."
Ruby nodded gently.
"You don't need to explain."
"I know."
"And when you're ready..."
She blew out one of the kitchen candles.
"...this house will still be here."
Adrian looked around the warm kitchen one last time.
The smell of fresh bread still lingered in the air.
The fire still crackled softly.
Upstairs, he could hear Theron laughing quietly at something Mira had apparently muttered in her sleep.
Home.
It wasn't his.
Not truly.
Yet somehow...
House Sylvaris already felt like a place he would always find his way back to.
Outside, the moon climbed higher above the forests of Verdant Reach, and for the first time since meeting the impossible man in the impossible theatre...
Adrian slept without dreaming.