Mountains and Buffalo.

Chapter 2.

I expected my day to go peacefully. And for a while, it did. I was in the cozy kitchen downstairs, sitting on a stool by a tall round wooden table, having morning tea and eggs. Flinty was with me, and though she was playing with her food, we talked. She was mostly talking about how tea was a type of plant, and how bits and pieces of it were dumped in hot water to make it, well, tea.

I was a bit sad to discover that it was just a regular plant. My tendril couldn't imitate non-magical plants, so it looks like having a monopoly on tea was out of the question. Speaking of the tendril, that's exactly what Flitny wanted to see.

"Sorry... what?"

"That wooden thing you used, it was so cool! Can I touch it? I wanna see how it works!"

Usually, I wouldn't say no to such words from a little girl, but this was a little girl whose parents had no idea what kind of upbringing I had. If her mom were to walk downstairs and see me without my coat and shirt on, letting her daughter play with wood that was coming out of my chest... well, it's reasonable to say she'd freak out. I would if I didn't know any better.

But I still couldn't resist Flinty's face. She was smiling so gleefully, and she looked so excited, and her cheeks were tinted rose ever so slightly. So I made her a deal. I would show her, but we needed to do it in a place where nobody would see. Simple enough, right?

Well, I got my coat on, and Flinty changed into outdoor clothes, which were a white shirt and a thick, sleeveless piece of cloth that resembled a piece of body armor and reached to her knees. It was a very pretty shade of navy though, and there was a pretty pattern of curvy grey lines at the top.

Her family had to be rich, right?

Oh yeah, and then she had a nice pair of light brown pants. They looked a lot like mine.

Well, that aside, since I didn't know the city well, Flinty was yet again dragging me around. This time though, she didn't know of the right place either, so I had to help her scout out an area.

"Hey, I have an idea," I said while rubbing my hands together, "why don't we go to the Tea Mage's shop?"

"Ah, that's a great idea, Kenny! Good thinking."

I know I know, I'm pretty awesome. And pretty clever, too.

She took me by the hand and carried me around again. The tea shop was a few minutes away. When we got there, Flinty performed a very specific knocking pattern on the door for ten seconds, and then it opened by itself.

That's the first time I've ever seen something like that. Who would've thought that doors could be magical too?

When we stepped into the shop, the bright sun was nowhere to be found. The shop was dim, and there were shelves in rows carrying plants in pots. Probably tea plants. There was a subtle green hue to the room which made it possible to see, but I had no idea where it was coming from.

"Is that Flinty I see?"

"Mister Freed!"

Flinty ran over to a man in a robe too big for him to fit into, and exchanged a hug.

"Did you bring a friend?"

"Mhm! He says that he really likes your tea!"

"Oh ho ho, you have good taste, boy," said the mage while rubbing his bearded chin. "So, what brings you here today, Flinty? Another box of leaves?"

"No, um, actually, we're hiding here."

"From what?"

"Not from anything, just so Kenny can show me something in secret."

"Ah, I understand. Then please, excuse me while I go to the back."

The mage stood up and winked at me. I didn't understand what he was implying, but he did go to the back.

"Alright, can I see it now?"

I showed her the tendril. I didn't have my coat or shirt off, so the most she could see was the part around my hand, but that was enough for her. She began poking it and then tussling with it, but she got upset when it didn't do anything spectacular.