The Realm of Austur Episode 1: A New Light

Continuing to gasp for air in between heaves as Elia treats him, it takes a few minutes for the massive cramp in Hamon's stomach to subside. "Just me being reckless." He tells her when she asks about his rib, managing to sneak in a single begrudging thank you just before Jet takes her to get some rest.

By this point, Alto and Wha-wha are both quite otherwise distracted. Taking the opportunity to sneak out while nobody is looking, Hamon undertakes a most dangerous stealth mission; find out how a waffle iron works.

Tip-toeing towards the kitchen, he ducks between the hallway walls, just out of sight and peers in. Three nymphs slave away at the mountain of dishes, cleaning them at a quick pace with the help of their water elemental powers. Using his cloak as a grappling hook and the speed of the wind, Hamon waits until the nymphs are suitably invested in their conversation about what sort of curtains would go best in a 'Pearl's' new house and leaps into the rafters above unnoticed, crouching on the support structure like an aerial predator. He takes his gold coin and allows it to drop onto the ground, gaining the nymphs' attention. One goes to pick up the gold coin, but Hamon causes it to roll around in a short circle, avoiding her reach. He continues making the curious nymph play cat and mouse with his coin until the other two join in to help her. With all three joining in on the chase, Hamon moves the coin out of the room, the three nymphs pursuing it.

That should keep them distracted for a while. Now, let's see what we're dealing with here.

Hamon begins poking his nose around the kitchen, investigating every vaguely mechanical object. Finding his target was a quick affair to the lack of technological equipment in the kitchen, although searching every corner of the room extended that search because of its sheer size. The waffle iron is easily identified by the checker pattern on its interior, a small cord extending from it into some unknown power source.

This doesn't look like any magitech I've ever seen, but it's fairly easy to figure out what everything does. This wire must conduct mana or some other power source, heating this metal grid. You take the pastry and press it down for a couple of seconds and it's good. I have to compliment the brilliance of whoever made this.

His curiosity sated, Hamon gets onto the ceiling again just on time to here the nymphs walking in, one of them evidently bragging about finally getting to the coin. Hamon grins as the poor nymph screams in shock, and a moment later scattered golden dust rematerializes in his palm as a solid round object. The nymphs notice a slight breeze on their way back into the kitchen, as Hamon makes his way out undetected, whistling a tune and flicking his gold coin in the air while he leans against the wall and watches the newcomers who hadn't been there before.

So that's the happy couple...

"Apparently I didn't enjoy myself enough since you aren't trying to kill me on the spot." Hamon replies, flinging his coin in the air and making it rise and fall just slightly more slowly than the laws of physics would ordinarily allow. As it hangs there, he flashes a cocky half smile at Poison, taking his meanness as a compliment. "I always was taught that going for the biggest secret first is a great way to not learn anything. And I guess that was true here, too."

Scowling, Hamon nods his understanding. "I think I catch your drift... But if knowledge of this apology makes it out of the castle, I'm taking you with me."

He approaches Poison, still bearing the coin openly. "Hey there." He greets cautiously. "I see you were, ummm... Interested in my coin. I merely wished to... Provide a distraction, and any hurt I caused as a consequence was completely unintended. If you'd like, I can give you a whole lot of gold coins, but this one is special." As if to illustrate his claim, he turns the coin around, showing her the woman's face on the heads side. "Her name is Esther. Only thirty of her kind were minted, and I consider her something of a good luck charm, you see."