Dreisterne

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5

The tavern buzzed with lively chatter and clinking mugs, the warm glow of the hearth casting flickering shadows across the room as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. Amidst the noise, Nathan and Harald sat at their usual table, eyes glazed over in boredom, as Harald passionately launched into yet another impassioned sermon about Anna Noble—his muse, his ideal of elegance, and apparently, the centre of the universe. Keith idly swirled his pint of ale, barely stifling a yawn, while Nathan, barely keeping from snickering, leaned back in his chair, clearly acclimated to Harald's usual bout of dramatics

"Blimey, H, can't you give it a rest?" Keith asked, not looking up from his pint. "We're trying to have a pint here, ain't we, Nate?"

Nathan chuckled and took a sip of his ale. "Agreed. I think we've heard enough about your reviewing Ms. Noble's 'lessons' for one day, Harald."

Harald, undeterred, continued to expound upon the virtues of their instructor. "Meine Freunde, you must learn to observe the subtleties of magic. The way she moves, the way she speaks... it's all a lesson in itself."

Nathan raised an eyebrow incredulously. "I'm not really sure if ogling could be considered a proper approach to learning, to be frank."

Harald tutted. "Mein Herr, how could you doubt me so? Do not forget that I've gleaned knowledge from my conversations with dear Frau Noble. Now, observe..."

Harald breathed in, and a small flame erupted at the tip of his finger, no bigger than a candlelight. He then increased and decreased the size of the flame, his face drawing a clear picture of confidence in his skills. Nathan and Keith watched attentively, but the latter wasn't really impressed.

"Is that it?" Keith asked sceptically. "I could do the same thing just playing around with a lantern's wick adjuster."

Harald laughed as he replied, "Funny you've mentioned 'adjuster', Herr Nimbus. From the research I've made through notes I took from my discussions with Frau Noble, I have learned to control the flow of my mana better when casting my spells, affecting its shape and intensity with my will." The pyromancer changed the flame on his fingertip into various shapes to accentuate his point. Taking things up a notch, Harald produced more flames at each tip of his fingers, and finally, a small blaze danced on the palm of his hand. Then he reversed the process, from the sizable little bonfire back to a small spark at his fingertip, and back again with gusto.

The landlord, a stout man with a bushy beard, hurried over to their table. "Ah...young man! Please, put that out before you burn something. You're scaring away the customers."

Harald reluctantly extinguished the flames, but his mood remained intact. "As I was saying, with the proper application, my flames could be used in a variety of situations as many times as I like before I need to cool down. Wait till you see more of what I've found from our conversations!"

Keith raised his hand, palm facing outward and fingers spread slightly, offering a calm, accepting gesture. "Well, what can I say, Harald? I'm sold. Ms. Noble is a thing of wonder," he said with a small nod.

Nathan said, "Indeed. In fact, I feel tempted to learn some magic, myself. A spell or two in my repertoire could be useful for our journeys ahead."

Harald laughed, his chest filled with pride. "Do you, now? I am more than honoured to pass on what I've learned to my associates. In fact, I can help unlock your mana circulation and run you through the basics. What say you, meine Freunde?"

Before Nathan could respond, Keith chimed in. "Hold on, H, I think we should focus on getting some work, earn some coin."

Nathan smiled wryly. "Don't worry, Keith. I've earned enough to support us for the next two months. We're set for a while, at least."