Mages of Rubia ✔️

16

Since moving to Himnoa, my life has been uneventful. I started working at a forge nearby, my surname helped me get in. Mostly I just hand things to the blacksmith, but I've started learning to make my own stuff.

Ravana jokes I only chose that job to get muscles. Really, I was thinking of my dad when I chose. I keep thinking of what he would have been like. Wondering about his visions. It's been a few months, though. My hair's grown a bit, long enough for Ravana to try giving me fancy hairstyles.

He's braiding my hair while I assess the dream I had last night. I don't bother trying to hide it from him, most of the time when I'm asleep he's watching my mind.

"At least it's only one person, right?" Ravana murmurs, stilling his hands a moment.

"Yeah, but I can't even have my mind to myself? It's ridiculous."

"You're making me feel guilty."

"That's different, you have permission to be in my mind," I say dismissively.

He ties my hair and leans forward to press his chest against my back. "Sometimes you are incredibly sweet."

I lean back into him. "Sweet is not a word to describe me."

The alarm on my end table begins ringing. I move quickly to stop it, then start searching for my shoes.

"I have to get to work, sorry."

"I know. Go to your forge, mister smith, get buff."

"I know you say 'mister smith' as like, my job, but that is my name, you know."

"It's a good name. I might just take it."

"Ha, ha, sure. As far as I've seen, there are no wedding plans in our calendar."

"Not even a courthouse wedding for tax reasons?"

I shoot him a good-natured glare, and head out to the forge.

-

Turns out I'm a pretty decent smith. Palmer, the one in charge of the forge, keeps saying he's surprised at how strong I am for my stature. It's been quite a while so he's teaching me more complicated things now.

"All mages are like that. Demonic strength," Ravana mutters, "And you being a beaston certainly helps."

"Sure. Well, I suppose I should get dinner started," I say, looking out the window to see the sun setting.

"Ugh, I always forget about food. I miss my job, I never had to eat human food with all the blood sacrifices."

"Gross."

"It is not, it's basically normal."

"You're just too lazy to chew."

"I'll chew on you if you don't shut up."

"You wish."

Ravana groans loudly as I head to the kitchen. "You're ruining my afterlife, Lief."

"Good!" I say back.

I don't bother listening as he starts muttering some nonsense or other. I'm trying to figure out what to make. I never really did much cooking in the colony, we mostly just had bread and whatnot. But Ravana taught me a few things when we got here.

I decide on grilled cheese, because it's just easier.

"We have to go to the store sometime soon," I say, looking through the fridge. The only meat we have left is honey ham slices.

"I'll go while you're at work tomorrow."

"Don't be afraid to steal," I mutter. We're already illegal citizens, he may as well.