Porlifi didn’t tell Wilpen, or anyone for that matter, the memories she slowly began to recollect. They began when she first was able to think after months of Wilpen’s care. Porlifi regained her name, then her abilities, but she couldn’t remember what had happened.  But the closer she got to Wilpen, the more affection she gained from the kind woman, the more she remembered.

Like flashes of someone else’s life, she saw through their eyes a child. A hand reached for the child’s tear stricken cheeks, mimicking that of Wilpen’s to Porlifi just the other day. Porlifi, for the life of her, couldn’t remember who this child was, but clearly they were close to her as these were supposed to be her memories.

Wilpen’s embrace reminded Porlifi of a moment where she, too, hugged the child. But this time the child looked older and cleaner than the previous memory. The child smiled brightly at her, stars in his eyes like he was enamored by a hero. And those eyes stared at Porlifi, whose hands cupped his cheeks then stroked his hair. Who was that child… and why did her heart hurt so much at this memory?

Porlifi recalled her age, either 22 or 23 this year depending on how long she was in that unconscious state. But she still couldn’t recall why she was in that state in the first place… except for the haunting silhouette that appeared in her dreams. Like a vivid nightmare, the silhouette was a misshapen monster that even adults would fear. But that didn’t matter at the moment, as she had her recovery to focus on.

Wilpen made sure that Porlifi couldn’t leave easily this time around, especially since she attempted leaving. Wilpen feared the possibilities of what could happen to Porlifi, and had the younger check in with her periodically. Porlifi didn’t mind this at first because it was understandable. After all, it wasn’t too long since Porlifi was able to actually converse and walk without aid. But Porlifi didn’t want to rely on Wilpen any longer than she already had.

Porlifi made it possible to sneak out of her room without Wilpen knowing. She had to get this talking situation figured out because she was not going to let the chicken breast do all the talking. She has gotten sick because of it too many times, and by too many times, it was really twice. More than once was enough to get her annoyed. She stuffed the blueprints into her shirt  that she had been preparing for the past few days, and carefully climbed out the window of her room. She made sure not to be seen from any of the inn’s windows. But this was no easy feat considering her lack of forearms. She had almost slipped and fallen several times in the span of ten minutes.

She cursed the man who she was going to see, but it was inevitable when he was the only one she could think of, and knew of without bringing too much attention to herself. Problem was that he wasn’t too fond of her, and rightfully so. But he was her only chance to finally rid herself of the damn raw chicken breast. And food poisoning.

Porlifi leaned down to let her hood fall over her head and leaned against the inn’s back wall. She looked left and right before creating a magic circle in the ground with her foot and dropping the piece of paper from the time he tried to get her to write her name. She carefully placed the paper on the circle with her foot and stepped on it. With the lightest glow, a faint trail was visible that could only be seen with a mage’s eye.

This spell would work best if it were a personal belonging of the person, but it was a good enough tracking spell. It had the faintest idea of who she was searching for and it was enough for now. She followed it. It led her to and fro around the small town but eventually she found herself standing before a small building with smoke rising from a chimney. Above the door was a metal stake with a wooden plate hanging off it that had faded but managed to announce a smithy.

Porlifi entered the smithy to see a single figure leaning over and hammering away. She closed the door behind her and announced her arrival as best she could with her damned chicken tongue.

“Hello, Japlir,” she greeted as she kicked off the door and walked a few steps forward.

Japlir turned around quickly, shocked to hear a voice so sudden. He immediately jumped to his feet upon seeing Porlifi and stepped back.

“Now, I know we don’t see eye to eye, Japlir. But I believe that you can be of some help for me. All I need is for you to make something for me, and I can put in a good word for you—with Wilpen, I mean,” Porlifi said without hesitation as she stepped forward once again.

“You see, it’s a bit difficult to speak nowadays. I’m sure you understand. It’s simple, really. I have the blueprints and I expect it to be done as soon as possible. Can you manage that, Blacksmith?” She said as she pushed her shirt open to reveal the blueprint hidden within her shirt, crumpled and slightly damaged from her journey getting here.

“What are you doing here?” Japlir asked as he stepped back the more Porlifi stepped forward. Any idiot would have noticed how obvious he had picked up a nearby weapon that was leaning on the wall.

Porlifi stopped and glared at Japlir. She couldn’t believe the audacity of this man to ignore her very nice demand that wasn’t asking much of him. “Put down the sword, Japlir. I’m not stupid enough to kill the man who will build me a tongue.”

“A tongue?”

Porlifi sighed and shook her shirt to let the blueprint fall. “This will help you along the way. I’m sure it won’t be difficult, you know how to read, right?”

Jackie glared at her but stepped forward to pick up the blueprint. He scanned the paper and read the paper again and again before placing it on his smithing stone. “This is all the more reason why I shouldn’t trust you, Porlifi.”

Porlifi sighed and stepped forward to meet him at the stone. “I’ve had enough playing nice, Japlir. I can’t always speak with such a primitive tongue. You have the skills to create what I need at this moment. If my offer is not enough for you, then how about I supply you with better materials than the pathetic metals given to you by some third-rate supplier?”

“With what money? You fail to remember that Wilpen found you close to death just a few months ago. How can I take your word for granted? You’re the most suspicious person in this land—maybe the world.” Japlir countered as he crumpled the paper in his hand.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched the paper shrink in his hands, then she raised a brow. Her eyes glanced at the pitiful weapons hanging on the walls and laying on the floor. “Have you not seen your rudimentary arsenal? What children will be swinging these playthings? You need a better supplier. And I am willing to be that person with the simplest of favors.”

“You seem to be doing just fine,” he mumbled under his breath and dropped the paper.

“How stupid are you to not recognize the health risks of having a damned raw chicken breast in your mouth,” Porlifi countered sharply. She desperately wanted to slam Japlir’s head into the wall, well, anything to make him realize what kind of person she is. But she kept her cool and then said, “Gifting me a new tongue is not a danger to you or anyone you know. Although magic is my expertise, it can not be triggered through incantations. If that was so, then I would have died the second my tongue was taken from me.”

Porlifi was not the most impatient person in the world, nor did she hate commoners, but this one in particular was easily pushing her off the edge. She wanted to draw magic circles all over and completely obliterate his smithy. But she needed him. And he was a good friend of her savior. Plus, he wasn’t an enemy that appeared in her memories. Dealing with him as she wanted wasn’t going to get her anywhere.

“Just accept my favor and I’ll easily supply you with enough iron to make you a house entirely of it if you wanted. It’s a simple offer that will benefit you the most.” Porlifi said as she started making a magic circle with her foot. She was confident he was going to accept after hearing her but he balled up the blueprint and tossed it back at her. She could feel the thinnest line of patience beginning to tear within her but she kept her cool.

“Quit being stubborn, Japlir. I don’t want to have to use force. Can’t you see I’m being incredibly nice?” She continued drawing the circle with her foot then used it to make another. It would seem she would have to use drastic measures on this stubborn mule. She finished the circle and placed one foot in it.

“Do you know what happens when I activate this spell, Japlir? No? Would you like to find out with me? Because if you don’t agree to making that tongue then I’m afraid you’re going to regret your actions a little too late,” she said as she looked down at the circle. It was a spell that gathers the water in the air to create a mist of illusion. She was going to use it to terrorize the poor soul. Of course, none of it will be real and he’ll just be stuck in a trance until he breaks from it or Porlifi releases him. After all, she’s not a monster. At least, the monster in her memories didn’t seem to be a reflection.

He looked down at her foot and the circle as if contemplating whether it was worth it or not. He seemed to look at her arms, or what was left of them, then back at the circles. From Porlifi’s point of view, he seemed to be weighing out the possibilities of what she was capable of. And she was surprised by that because she didn’t expect him to be that smart.

He stepped forward and with a sigh he picked up the crumpled paper. He carefully unwrapped his oh-so-nice gift and looked at it again. His hands fell in defeat and he sighed again before accepting the deal.

“Fine… I’ll work on it immediately,” he mumbled and plopped onto the stool in front of the stone. He tugged on a glove and looked at the paper.

“Good boy,” Porlifi teased and kicked the spell away. The dirt broke the carefully drawn circle and a new canvas was made. Porlifi began to scratch her foot into the dirt to create a new circle with all new markings and purpose.

Japlir noticed this and shot to his feet. Panic struck his body and he almost stepped on the circle as he said, “Wait! I said I agreed! What are you doing?”

Porlifi sighed but continued to draw the circle. “I’m holding my end of the bargain. I’ll give you a taste of what it’s like to be on my side. Now sit down and let me do my work.”

As she drew in the ground she explained, “This will give you a small percentage of what I can supply so think of this as a teaser—a sample, if you will. Of course, I’ll give the rest once you’re finished.”

She was finished sooner than Japlir could speak and stepped on the edges of the circle. She breathed a deep breath then released it. A shining white light blinded Japlir’s eyes and the ground rumbled in front of Porlifi. When the light subsided, it revealed misshapen deposits of steel.

Japlir’s jaw dropped and immediately stepped forward to examine the iron deposits. He touched one and tapped a finger on it as if to test if it was real and not an illusion. He looked up to see a cocky smirk on her face.

“I won’t rush you to make me a tongue, but just know that my patience is running thin because a certain nuisance that made things harder than it should be. I trust that you will be working diligently in my absence, Japlir,” Porlifi warned as she left the smithy.