420 Easy Days (1/2)
”Shit...” Pon glanced down at his dominoes, he wasn't even close to going out. ”Guess I'm drawing.” He picked up a tile and placed it in his holder. ”Pass. My luck is crap.”
Wind nodded in agreement and sat a tile down. ”Last domino.”
”Nice try, but too little, too late.” Nix placed his last tile on the table. ”We have a winna.”
Pon leaned back on the cushioned chair. ”I use to be good at this game.”
”You guys going to eat lunch?” Hyai's voice called from downstairs.
Nix looked at the other two before answering. ”Yes!”
”Can't say no to Hyai's cooking.” Pon frowned when he said it. ”Semmi burns everything, and I'm worthless in the kitchen.”
Wind nodded in agreement. ”She does, you'd think she was a fire mage.”
”Can't have everything. She's already smart and funny.” Nix started gathering up the tiles and stacking them in a wooden box that the Guild carpenter Lena made for him before she became Shipwright Lena. She had also made the dominoes. ”Any word how Lena is doing in Izzin?”
Wind shook his head. ”No word.”
”Same here,” Pon agreed. ”I bet Darsi knows, they both came from the Gladis Hub.”
Nix stretched his arms over his head. He spent the early morning fishing. Both Jun Li and Semmi had success, while he was blanked. When he emerged from his post-fishing shower, he discovered Pon and Wind playing dominoes on his 'black table.' ”How'd you choose that name, Pon?”
The old mage shrugged. ”It was either Pon or Cuppiecake Ninja.” [Reader Shout-out!]
Wind made a face. ”I think you made the wrong choice.”
Nix chuckled and got to his feet. ”I agree.”
*******************
The three men came down the stairs a few minutes later. Fajii went with Ronnie and Bali to Free Trader City while Mina accompanied Nansu in a search for sea-herbs. Mina's Vilas were very good at finding the herb, and they added security to what might otherwise be dangerous.
”Dining room or kitchen island, Hun,” Hyai asked?
”Island, there's only five of us.” Nix motioned for Wind and Pon to have a seat while he walked around the island to the fridge. ”What should I do?”
Hyai shook her head. ”You should sit, we got this.”
Shae scurried into the kitchen from the pantry. ”Too many cooks isn't good!”
Nix made a face. ”You're letting Shae cook?”
The salamander's arms wrapped around Nix's waist from behind him. ”What's that mean?”
Nix shrugged slightly. ”I hope you confiscated her ghost peppers before you let her near the food.”
Hyai frowned slightly. ”Should I have?
/Men's club: Nix: Be careful. Shae thinks ghost peppers are candy.
/Men's club: Nix: Yeah, it looks like a standard orange flame but they are higher-tiered.
/Men's club: Wind: That Djinn is a top-end companion.
/Men's club: Nix: Don't even speak. You have the King.
/Men's club: Pon: Yeah... bastard.
/Men's club: Wind: Morti came back last night?
/Men's club: Nix: Yeah, Scarlett and Mortimus brought him to Nescari. I thought I'd give them some time together.
*******************
Nix was tempted to make Pon cover his eyes but he couldn't look away long enough to say anything to him. Hyai's companion summoning was like nothing anyone from Inferno had ever seen. Instead of a partner to fight alongside you, her companion melded with her.
Hyai floated easily about ten feet off the ground. Her clothes disappeared during the summoning, her voluptuous form covered only in orange flames, even the hair on her hair resembled a forest fire. You couldn't quite see her skin, but the outline was there beneath the flames.
”What do you think, Nix?” Hyai's normal voice changed slightly, it had the barest raspy sound to it.
”Orange flames, but much higher tier than they should be. Almost like my Phoenix flames.” Nix turned toward Shae who was studying them with great interest.
The iridescent salamander seemed fascinated by the change. ”The Gemini Djinn is breathtaking. Try using a flame strand on her.”
Nix nodded and moved closer. ”Going to wrap a regular flame strand around your ankle.”
Hyai moved closer to him. ”Go ahead.”
Nix shot out a strand of orange flames that wrapped around gently around Hyai's ankle. The strands immediately matched the darker orange of her flames. ”Flame absorption?”