Once Enoki had finished explaining hir plan in detail to create the melomel, En’mat looked at her beloved tapestry before slowly sitting on the bed. Ze carefully walked up and looked her in the eyes. 

“You good?”

“Am I good? No! I am not good!” The cape flames were smoking a bit as she flopped backwards onto the bed. 

It was nice to see some things were universal. Or would it be dimensional? Either way it took a moment for Enoki to climb up onto the bed as well. Ze gently put a hand on her own. “It will be ok. If it’s too much, you don’t have to help. I mean, I was expecting to have to do it alone anyway.”

“And you have brewing equipment? Know how to make barrels? Can get into the garden through the secret tunnels? Any of that?” She let out a breath. “I’m sure if we explain that it could be the end of all things, then you will get help.”

“No. Remember the shapeshifters? They didn’t believe or trust. We can’t risk that. I need to get in and get the honey and fruit myself. Then get the wood myself. That way I can be sure. I don’t want to risk anything here. Not if I can help it.” Ze flopped down next to En’mat. 

“You seem so ready to help us protect everything we have. Why?”

Enoki looked up at the ceiling, noticing the small blossoms and fruits that a rather tall elf probably painted over time. A few of them were still just pencil lines. “Besides the fact it’s right? You realize I just lost everything too?”

En’mat looked over to see hir ruby eyes tearing up a bit as ze tried to smile. “I’m never gonna taste my mom’s hot dish again. Or Dad’s attempts at Bar—b—que. I won’t get to see my brother become this great chef at some fancy ass restaurant. Or deal with my sister bugging me about when am I gonna get married and get outta my dead end job.”

Ze wiped hir eyes a bit. “For me? This world is already so amazing and full of flavors and sights I can’t wait to see in person. Not just copied memories in my head. But my world might as well be dust. How can I let whoever is the last of their people deal with that bullshit? Can you imagine that? Being the last of your people in the world?”

There was a firm squeeze of hir hand. En’mat’s own hand enveloped hir own completely. They laid there silently a moment before speaking up. “Alright. We can go. I’m allowed a visit, so we can try tonight. I do need permission. We can get what you need, start the process, and then head to where the trees are.” 

“Thanks.”

A comfortable silence settled in the room. The flames still flickering a bit just on top of the quilt. The mattress shifted as En’mat rolled over. “You can keep them alive. In a way. You know the recipes. And the flavors and smells. The stories. Perhaps we will find a proper scribe in our travels.”

Enoki smirked. “Our travels? You got a job here.”

She shrugged. “A year off is nothing. I can take such a tiny amount of time off. My mother took five just to start my life.”

“Huh. I need to get hired here. Moms would only get six weeks unpaid leave. They got dental?”

“There is a great deal of wine to drink.”

“Another perk.” Ze was quiet another moment before speaking up. “My grandmother could make an amazing red wine sauce.”

“Tell me about it. About your home. You need to sober up a bit anyway.”

“Well. I guess I should start with the time my brother decided to hide my toy lime in the freezer.” Enoki smiled a bit at the memory. 

En’mat rolled onto her side, looking at Enoki as if trying to decide something serious. “Alright but one thing first?” 

“What’s that?” Ze asked.

En’mat cleared her throat. “What in the Great Cycle is a lime?”

**

It was a while before Enoki felt fully sober. While it didn’t hit too strongly, it was very long lasting. Something that would need to be considered when taste testing the melomel. After all, if cursed wood was being used, it might kill an elf. They’d have to hope that Enoki was a bit more sturdy if that was the case.

En’mat opened the door to try and get the Great Lady Inferno, and there she was in her grumpy glory. Enoki just gave a big grin and wave as Ul’ta strode inside, half pushing En’mat out of the way. 

“Now, you are sober. You are awake. What happens if we don’t let you have that which you seek?”

“Right to the point. Easy. You all die. Maybe everyone in the world. I need to make a fruit mead and I need to make it fast. I’m currently sitting at 388 days left. You guys were my first step on this whole thing so we need to get moving.”

“I suppose we can allow that then. You will be cleaned properly before we take you in. You look like you haven’t had a bath in days.”

Ze lifted hir arm and took a sniff before making a face. “Yeah, being a shapeshifter does not help with needing deodorant I guess. So, I’m ready when you are.”

“Fine. We don’t have much time. You can not enter with any of your things. You may take one cloth with you to hold the fruit. We will provide jars for the purpose of holding the honey. Now come along.” Without another word she started to stride out. 

Enoki looked at En’mat. “I stand by my not trusting her but for now. . . ” Ze held up hir arms. “Up mommy?”

“I thought you weren’t a child.” En’mat smirked. “You better run, she moves fast.”

Ze groaned and started jogging after the two. “You both suck. This is shorter person discrimination.”

“I would feel terrible, truly, had I not heard your tales of how you held spices out of your brother’s reach.” En’mat chuckled as she kept up her long strides. 

By the time they got to the lowest levels, Enoki felt like hir clothing was soaked through. There were three sets of doors, and the two elves were starting over to the left side. Enoki started to follow when two female elves stopped hir. With a glare, Enoki stopped and looked at the other two options. 

“Wait. Is there a non binary bath?”

“It is rare, but it comes up. We have made certain everything is prepared. Remove your clothing, rest in the waters, wear the robes provided, and leave your items in that room.” One of the other guards opened the door and waited for Enoki to walk past.

As she walked in, part of hir worried this was a trap. In some ways it felt too easy. Annoying? Sure. But definitely too easy. Once inside, the door closed behind hir, leaving just the sound of running water and a light steam filling the brightly lit space. Ze looked at the clothing, gently tugging on it. It wasn’t really coming off. Ze knew the clothing could change from hir first night. Closing hir eyes, Enoki imagined everything retracting to turn into a small cape and bow, leaving nothing else. When hir eyes opened, the travel clothing was gone, even the boots. 

“Ok sentient clothing. We’re going to have to figure some of this out.” Ze briskly walked across the floor. 

What was available? That was the question for the moment. Entering the main area of the bathroom showed what looked like water pouring from a hot spring of some sort. Nearby was the soap, wash cloth, the robes, and a basket with a pair of pruners to cut the fruit off the tree. 

Perfect. 

Within moments, Enoki had a cloth on the wall and was carefully putting the backpack, robes, basket and tools in the storage space. If things went well, ze’d make sure to return everything. If not, at least no one would be tipped off to the plan too soon. Enoki had the feeling fire ass had gotten just enough information to guess about hir magic items and what they could do. It’d be a lot easier to capture a problem if the magical armor and weapons could be taken away. Even if the backpack couldn’t be rummaged through it could be stolen. 

Once that was sorted, ze looked at Bob and McStabby. “Ok you two. You know what I need you to pretend to be.”

In an instant the two disks had become perfect replicas. Well. Perfect enough. If someone looked closely enough they’d notice the discoloration. Ze’d just have to hope no one looked that closely. 

Next was to get cleaned up and ‘dressed’ properly. Admittedly it had been ages since ze took a long hot soak. At least a few weeks since anything nicer than a shower thanks to the apartment bathroom. The one at home had been too small and cramped. And sometimes it was hard to look at hir body since puberty blockers were not a thing hir parents’ insurance approved. It was honestly a bit freeing to look exactly as ze wanted and not have to think about it. 

Ze sat in the water, closing hir eyes and just trying to enjoy this. There was a very strong chance that this would be the last moment of quiet and reflection for a while. Thoughts of home kept floating up, things hir father would be mad about. How hir mom would insist on getting gifts for everyone in the family. Maybe ze could buy some little things just for the memory of them. There was enough storage space.

It wasn’t until the first door opened the memories and dreams disappeared. “Mixter. You are to report to the tunnel as soon as possible.”

“Right, sorry. Had some deep in dirt. Just need a moment!” As ze spoke ze climbed out of the hot spring, trying to make sure hir body didn’t literally melt as ze did.

Instantly the sentient clothing turned into a perfect replica of the robes. Picking up Bob and McStabby, Enoki took a deep breath and started towards the tunnel door. “Ok. Let’s go.” 

**Need something to read while you wait? Check out these entries! Links below**