Another coffee, miss?"
"Please, a Glowcap Latte, with a-"
"-dash of fyora dust on top." The baristo set another mug on the table in front of Caite, "This one's on the house."
She looked up, brows furrowed. "How do you know my order?"
"You-" he cocked his head, "-you come in here for hours everyday, your nose is always in a book. You've ordered at least three cups a day, for months. How could I not know your order?" The baristo shrugged, a small chuckle in his breath. "How's the research going?" He gestured towards the stacks of books surrounding the laptop.
"It's, um, fine." Caite glanced around, straightening the papers and books spread out affront her. "I'm sorry, Baelec, was it?"
"Bayron, my friends call me 'Bay'. What are you researching?"
"Oh, well. . ." Caite's eyes shot back and forth while she bit her lip. "It's nothing. Nothing you'd enjoy, anyway."
"That seems a bit presumptuous, I enjoy a wide variety of subjects!" Bay grabbed the two empty mugs from the table, turning to put them on the counter. "I enjoy learning about the flora and fauna, their environment, and flower arranging. I play the piano, fence, and have a pygmy moon serpent! He requires lots of love and attention, for the record, and-" the door tinkled shut.
Caite rushed down the cobbled sidewalk, books and papers in hand. "That was close," she thought to herself. She crossed the street, watching for (buggies), then stopped at a bench to load her books and papers into her satchel.
'Pricurna: The Whats and Whys of Tekogh's Laws of the Past' the spine of one of the books read. To look into the past was frowned upon in the Kingdom of Tekogh. You could look back, say, twenty years, and few would think anything of it. Family, technology, recent history of the kingdom, et cetera. Look beyond that, and there was little to find. Few fae even cared. No family tablets passed down, no folk tales told at parties. It's all about the here and now. The present, or pricurna, as we call it. Oh, and to look beyond pricurna is illegal. "Maybe I need to find a new cafe, I can't risk my research getting out."
"Miss?" A familiar voice called out from behind. "Miss!"
"Maybe it's already too late…"
"Hey! Glowcap latte with fyora dust!" He was closer now, maybe even close enough to- "Hey!" He turned Caite around, "You left this in your rush out. I mean, I turned back and you were gone! Here's your book." Bay handed her the book and ran his other hand through his hair, catching his breath.
"Thank you. . ." She started slowly, cheeks flushed, avoiding eye contact. "I'm sorry, I realized I was late for something, then I couldn't hear you over the wind." She took the book, it was 'Lost in the Pines'-her "for pleasure" book- her place-holder had fallen out in the craze.
"It's not a problem, I thought about just holding onto it for you to get tomorrow, but you ran off like you'd never come back. . . I wanted to make sure I got to see you again." He paused, staring at her intently. "You do have a tab, you know. . ."
"Right! I'm sorry, I lost track of time in there, I've- um- I've really gotta be somewhere, and. . ." Caite oscillated in her stance, anxious to both rectify the situation and get away. The nonsense spewing out of her mouth refused to cease. She fumbled through her bag, eventually finding some loose change. "Here, will 12 motkots be enough? I think I have more in here, if you'll give me just a second. . ."
"Oh, yeah, 12 is more than enough. See you tomorrow? Same time?"
A lull hung in the air, almost as thick as her book bag. She grabbed her earlobe, tugging on it gently, before a titter fell through her timid smile. "Um, sure! I've really got somewhere to be, see you." Without missing a beat, Caite turned on her heel and sprinted up the little cobbled lane.
After Caite got over the hill, her pace slowed to a brisk stroll, eventually stopping at a bench to resituate her bag. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Roses, peonies, and friffer blossoms filled her nose. Spring was here, and with it, nature bloomed. New lives began, and old lives were reborn. Caite opened her eyes and closed her bag. "I can't go back to The Glowcap…" she whispered, picturing the cafe. "If he were to find out about my research he'd probably turn me in, or worse, get shut down! I'll have to find somewhere else… Maybe The Potion Shoppe, or Tails and Teacups, or-"
"Tell me I'm not losing my best customer!"
What is he doing here?! Caite's mind was spinning.
"Glowcap! You've gotta come back! I even ordered more pricurna books for you! And fyora dust! You're, like, half of my sales! I even- why are you staring at me like that?" Bay paused, noticing Caite's wide eyes and fearful demeanor.
"Why are you following me? Don't you have a cafe to run? I paid you your money, now what do you want from me? I already told you, I'm busy! I've got somewhere-"
"-to be. Yeah, I heard you the first few times." he cut her off. "I'm sorry I followed you, I just…" Bay trailed off, looking down and running his hand through his hair.
" 'Just' what? Didn't have any other customers to impede?"
"I'd been serving you all these months and didn't even know your name, okay? I just wanted to know your name. I'm sorry for 'impeding' your day, I hope it gets better…" He gave a small, awkward wave, then turned and left. His usual honey-colored aura was now a dark blue-grey.
It's for his own good, Caite whispered in her mind. Keeping everyone at wing's length is just what's best for now. Though Caite herself didn't have wings, that's just how the expression went. Royals had wings, at least those in the bloodlines. Wings were a dominant gene, so there were no mix-ups in who was royalty and who wasn't.
Nevertheless, they were all fae, treated equally and sharing a sense of community. Especially here in Catekogh. The capital city, while divided into boroughs for cultural and administrative reasons, was truly about solidarity. The fae's culture, though a bit tricky, was all about helping one another out. No one went hungry, no one without a home. Greed simply wasn't a thing among the fae. It was, quite literally, built into them. Everyone worked, and everyone thrived, a beautiful work-life balance.
Some fae spent their time in a lab, playing with mechanics to create new technologies. Others invested their time in spellcraft and alchemy, making potions, talismans, and other magical items for the everyday fae's procurement.
Bayron owned and operated the Glowcap Cafe, a splendid mix of technology and alchemy. With most plants and animals having magical properties, most foods and beverages therefore could carry over certain traits if acquired and handled properly and with the utmost care. For example, glowcap grog is a steaming cup of glowing mushroom tea, swirled with luminous honey, and a sprinkle of moonstone dust. It's best for keeping one awake and alert during late nights and giving the drinker courage. It can be made into a tea-latte with meadow maid milk for a "splash of calm".
Caite, however, did not feel calm at all. In fact, she felt quite nauseous. Her stomach churned, she couldn't quite catch her breath, and the cobbled alley began to sway around her. She leaned against the side of a building and closed her eyes, coming back to the smell of spring in the air.
A sudden thump landed on her chest, then the ground. Caite, startled, reached for her bag, hoping whatever it was was small enough to scare off with one, good, smack. But, upon opening her eyes, something stopped her. Maybe it was the thing's big, cute eyes, how it now sat quite eager in front of her, or the little "Bwrrr," that trilled out of its throat. However, the thing leapt from its eager perch, and Caite's arms gained a mind of their own, pinning the tiny creature to the cobbles with the bag. It whined from where it laid, obviously in pain.
"Oh, no. Oh, I'm so sorry little guy!" Caite gently lifted the bag and swung it back over her shoulder. "Hold on buddy, I gotcha, just hold still." She picked up the creature, not having realized just how small it was. It barely filled her two hands, tail outstanding. "Oh, boy. What am I gonna do with you?" She flashed back to the cafe, "I play the piano, fence, and have a pygmy moon serpent!"Of course! She thought, Bayron will know what to do! He may not like me now, but he won't refuse help to this little guy! She turned and ran as fast as she could, the tiny being whimpering the whole way.
"Excuse me! Sorry! Watch out!" The crowds were thicker with everyone on their way for the evening [vigil]. Oh no! What if he closes for the [vigil]! It's almost sundown! Caite weaved through the buildings, the sun creeping closer to the castle's horizon with every step. The bell tingled as the door swung open, Caite panting heavily.
"We're closed. Come ba-"
"Help! Help me! Well, help him! I'm sorry about earlier, but I smacked this thing with my book bag and I think I hurt it- well, I most definitely hurt it- but I know you said you had a moon serpent and maybe this guy is similar, and-"
"Why did you smack him with your book bag?! That's practically a death sentence!" Bay rushed around the counter to where Caite stood with the critter. "Glowcap… what is this thing?"
"You're the serpentine expert, you tell me!" She held it closer to his face. "Caite, by the way."
"No, it doesn't look venomous." Bay picked up the creature to inspect it better.
"What? No, me, I'm Caite. You said you wanted to know my name."
"Oh, of course. My mistake. Now, I'll get this guy patched up upstairs, you stay down here and see if any of these books can tell you what he is." Bay trotted up the staircase, enthralled by the little life in his hands.
Caite scoffed, "Oh, of course. My mistake." She rolled her eyes, then turned towards the shelves. She hadn't read all of the books here, but she'd scoured the titles countless times. Bayron had a wonderful selection of books on the flora and fauna of the kingdom, some regarding a wide variety of life, and others about individual animals. Caite began picking up the most seemingly relevant ones, stacking them one by one in her arms.
[Caite flips through lots of books]
"Serpents, while similar to dragons in, are quite different from their winged counterparts… They fly by manipulating the winds and clouds around them, having been gifted this ancient art of the gods… Their hair-like maine, whiskers, and horns adorn their square faces… long, slender bodies…" Caite's eyes couldn't help but begin to close, her head bobbing like an apple to stay awake as she continued to note anything of worth, though there weren't more than three lines truly depicting dragons in her whole stack of books.
"Alrighty, this little guy's all fixed up. Any news on his species?" Bay came back down the stairs, the creature perched happily on his shoulder.
"Well, from what I can find, I think he's a dragon! He appears to be in the cumashder stage of his life, based on his size. He's relatively young. There's a chance we can narrow down the breed a little more, but you don't have a lot of information on dragons for having one of your own."
"I don't have a dragon, I have a serpent." Bay snapped, "They're different. Serpents are longer and have shorter legs; they don't fly as high or far, either." He put the shoulder dragon on the table, then walked back behind the counter. "Are you hungry, Glowcap?"
"No, I'm fine, thank-" a plate of elven berries and a slice of luminous bloom cake landed in front of her, "-you. You didn't have to get me anything."
"You missed the [sunset rites], you must be starving. Just eat it.
"So, he's a dragon, but there's nothing on what kind?" Bay sat down in front of her, a whispering pines latte in hand, and looked through the books covering the table.
"Nope, just differentiating between dragons and serpents. I thought all the dragons had left for the isles?" Caite nibbled on the berries, their sweet-tart juices popping at the slightest crunch.
"It is that time of year, maybe this guy was left behind, being so small and all." Bay sipped from his mug, petting the dragon's little head with a single finger.
"He is weirdly small for this spring. Do you think he was a runt?" Caite thumbed through the book one last time, eventually closing the cover.
"I'm not sure. I'm not exactly the outdoorsy type. I mean, they're pretty reclusive creatures. It's not just a weekend trip to find them, you know. You have to be out there for weeks to even find a trace! And, that's only if you're lucky."
[Bay's moon serpent and Nib get into a cat-like fight, hissing, scratching, etc.]
"You sound like you've tried…" Caite prodded him a bit, his gaze peaking her curiosity. She thought his eyes held a sadness and yearning, as they stared into the distant mountains, nighttime almost completely encompassing their slopes.
"Ha, a time or two. But, like I said: I'm not exactly the outdoorsy type. I mean, come on. Look at this place! No way any of those stone sprites could put together this masterpiece!" He gestured around the cafe.
Caite looked around, noting the cocky behavior. He wasn't entirely wrong, though. The style was very original, even for the city. The walnut wood with the shamrock green booths, the whole toadstool theme, the delectable menu, every detail was carefully planned and executed. The Glowcap Cafe was nothing short of sublime. It was peaceful, and mimicked nature in a refined way. The etchings in the wood, the moss blankets, and leaf pillows; Bayron's intent for his restaurant was clear: he wanted it to become a second home for fae throughout the city.
"This little guy is gonna need a lot of rest, he fell pretty badly on his wing. It's not broken, but definitely needs some rest. Why don't you two head back for the night, and we can start fresh in the morning?"
Caite looked at her notebook, the page barely had two lines in it. With a heavy sign she stood and began replacing the books on the shelves. "Yeah, you're right, okay. Start fresh in the morning. I do have one question, though," She turned to Bay with a puzzled look, "What do I feed this little guy?"
Caite began walking back to her apartment. With the sky now dark, the city really came to life. The city was beautiful during the day, but at night it was really stunning. Everything had its own bioluminescent glow; it was a gift given by the gods to help two of the first fae find their way to each other, using dust made from the Blue Moon, or so the folktales said. The plants all shimmered with their faint, ethereal light. Pinks, blues, and greens lit up the cobbled roads. The streetlights lined the tiny avenues, glowworms flitting happily inside each one, emitting their warm yellow glows. The luminous lanterns floated overhead, swaying back and forth between the buildings, and twinkling tail frogs hopped from lilypad to lilypad in the pond as Caite reached her building, their tails appearing almost as little flames.
"Alright, buddy, you ready to see your new home?" Caite unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped inside. The little dragon let out a sweet trill, his golden tail flicking from side to side. The industrial warehouse-turned-condo was garnished with all kinds of flora. From the wrought-iron spiral staircase, to the oversized windows looking out across the city, potted flowers and fruit-bearing vines decorated her home.
But, these weren't what the wee being was interested in, for there had been a slight chill in the breeze on their walk home. The dragon scurried down Caite's arm, bounding onto the sofa, then onto the red brick hearth. The dragon circled himself a few times before burrowing into his self-made dragon-tail nest. He popped his head up, inspecting his surroundings, before realizing that the inglenook, in fact, did not have any wood in it, let alone a flame. He looked back at Caite, who was now in the kitchen pulling whatever goods that Bay had sent home with them out of the bag and onto a dish. He huffed, then squawked at her.
"What?! What's wrong?!" Caite exclaimed, looking up from her task, swiftly dropping a pastry on the floor.
"Bwwrrr-errr," the dragon growled, now stomping his small, roundish feet over to what he could only guess was a poorly stocked kindling bucket.
"Oh, you want a fire? Um, I don't really have fires here, I'm not even sure if the chimney-thing is open, buddy." She looked back down, grabbing a wet cloth to clean the meadow maid cheese and elven berry jam off the floor. "Don't we need to make sure it's clean first?"
"Brrr-wrrr, errr."
Yeah, just keep talking at it, maybe it understands you more than you understand it, Caite thought to herself. Caite stood up and rinsed the rag in the sink, her back now to the dragon. "I mean," she turned around, focused on the task at hand, "I don't even think I have any–" a fire crackled from across the room "–wood."
"Wrr," the dragon trilled, then let out a small pop and an even smaller spark from his mouth.
"Wait. Dragons were actually given fire? I thought it was just a myth, a folktale…" her voice trailed off, bewildered by the sight before her. She was sure she had tossed out that pile of logs that neighbor had left by her door.
Caite shook the thought out of her head before grabbing the plate of goodies and heading over to the hearth, where the adorable beast had curled back into his self-made bed. She set the treats on the bricks in front of it, slouching onto the floor beside them.
"What's your name, little guy?" She stroked the bridge of his leathery nose with her finger. "Hmm, what about Scales? You seem to be a just fellow."
The dragon looked up at her with what appeared to be a snarl, before stretching to grab a bite to eat.
"Ope, my bad. Maybe we save the name-game 'til tomorrow, huh?" Caite chuckled a bit, then sighed. "Alright, little guy, I'm off to bed, then. Don't burn the house down, okay?" With that, Caite hopped up from her spot on the floor and picked up her mug full of warm cream. She followed the spiral stairs up to the loft, leaning over the railing on her way. "Sleep wherever you want, buddy, mey drembeafil thwonder."
Caite slipped into the fluffy covers, finishing her cream. The dreamweaver outside her window prepared a new tapestry, the silver strings sparkling in the light of the moons. I think I have more questions than answers, again. May the gods help me find the truth, if they care for such a thing. Caite rolled over, as if turning away from her questions somehow made them obsolete. Either way, they were tomorrow-Caite's problems, now.