The suggestion of a discount does have an effect on Foreman as he tries to hold back a smile. Settling for calling me strange again, he returns his focus to the branch leader, dragging her into his shop. Not one to stand around not doing anything, Raya jumps down and starts dragging Davion into the shop as well.

  It doesn't take long for her to return, having just dumped his body inside the first room. She has managed to get her new outfit dirty while working in Foreman's workshop, and now she looks like a greasy little mechanic. Noticing my stare, she responds with a bright smile, eliciting a question from me as to what she's so happy about.

  Instead of responding right away, she moves to my prone form and starts climbing me again. It takes a while, but she moves to her perch atop my face at a leisurely pace before settling down on my snout. Not content to simply sit, she lies down on her stomach and spreads her arms out on either side of my muzzle.

  "I know you're going to help those people. It's the right thing to do and you get to have all the undead treats you can catch. And if the dumb adventurers try anything, just make them treats, too."

  Raya's casual consent to attacking adventurers does feel reassuring, as it pushes away any doubts I might have had on the matter. It's not lost on me that this is a time-sensitive task, but I still worry about the reaction of the adventurers and my less-than-ideal magic reserves.

  "If I do go, how will you stay safe? And what about Lauren? I can't just leave you in the middle of a city of questionable hostility."

  With a few slaps to the side of my face, she laughs at me.

  "Kira, you're being dumb again. The people here like you for saving them. I spent time with them, remember? They keep complaining about not having enough things to throw at the noble dummies, and when adventurers talk about how much gold you're worth, they get thrown out of shops."

  "I still woke up bound..."

  "But how much of you was bound? They left your tail, jaws, and wings free. Remember the steelback? You broke its skull, so what could an adventurer do? I know it wasn't okay, but it also wasn't as bad as it could have been."

  Not one to stop when she gets going, Raya launches into a rant about how the citizens of this city are discussing the matter freely. According to her, most folks consider me a blessing in their hour of need, and the general consensus appears to be that the guild did well to limit the ambitions of the nobles.

  Dang it! She's making me consider things in broader strokes...

  "So how come you didn't say anything earlier, Raya?"

  "I thought Lauren told you. I'm sorry... I should have made sure..."

  Well, one thing is for sure: none of this is Raya's fault. I'd give her a nudge of gratitude, but I'm not quite flexible enough to nudge her on top of my face. Nevertheless, we can't let hindsight keep us down. Although this is a golden opportunity and given what I can smell, I have to take it.

  "We're even if I can have some of your treats."

  Her frown turns into a delightful smile as she thrusts her hand into her pocket while getting up. Walking to the tip of my nose, she bends down to grab hold of my nostril while lowering herself to give me my deserved reward.

  Delicious! Ooh! Something was minty! We need to bring a crate home. The little gobbies would love to try exotic candy like that. Letting go of me, she kicks herself off my nose and lands on the ground, placing her fists on her hips.

  "Okay! New plan, Kira! We're gonna find some people to feed you magic and then you can go kill all the mean dead things! To find people, we have to go... this way!"

  The momentary hesitation is a pretty clear indication that she's making it up as she goes, but I can't sit around here all night, so, getting up, I follow her.

  The street she has chosen appears to be a minor road with housing. The place is littered with glowing streetlights, and as we walk, the sounds of shutters opening make it clear that the locals are curious.

  Showing no sign of ever being shy, Raya calls out to the locals, asking them to bring out anyone with magic who would like to help others threatened by the undead. It doesn't take long before a few folks start crowding the street, and seizing the opportunity, Raya asks them to touch me and focus on giving me their magic.

  I don't feel like she's selling it very well, but one guy, a felifolk, does walk up to me and puts his paw on my arm. The flow of magic and the passed-out fuzzy boy makes it clear that I don't know what appeals to these people. The gasps of alarm are more in line with what I expected, but as someone rushes to inspect the now-unconscious guy, they conclude that he's safe, just drained of magic.

  Looking inward, I can't tell how much he had, but it wasn't much. With her quick mind, Raya starts telling people that they'll sleep through the night if they become magically drained as well. She doesn't seem keen on including the extra side effects of being drained of magic. An older lady steps up and takes her place by Raya's side as they start calling for more help.

  At least with the old lady, the side effects are included, and it does subtract a bit from the pool of volunteers. It doesn't mean the flow of people stops, though, and as we walk further down the road at Raya's pace, more come out to share their magic. It’s taking a lot more concentration than I had anticipated, as I’m having to both walk slowly to match Raya and concentrate on not stepping on any of the citizens coming out to pass out.

  I haven’t stepped on anyone so far, and the line of unconscious people in our wake grows. Though as I look back, it becomes clear that they aren’t being left to fend for themselves. A group of more physically gifted people has appeared to help carry others back home. And before long, they have a pretty good rhythm going.

  Most of the contributions to my magic don't amount to more than drops, making this feel a little futile, since I have yet to restore my scales to their natural, beautiful, and defensive norm. I’d also like to finish the creation of Henry’s hammer before leaving, since he deserves a reward for punching a jerk for me.

  Getting a head start on my recovery, I channel magic into my scales, just enough to make it sting, and the sensation of regrowth begins. It’s going to take a while, but at least something is being done. The best case would be going home and resting on my hoard… I miss my hoard. We need to speed this up.

  “Do any of you folks know where we can find people with a lot of magical power? I appreciate your help, but I need a lot more magic than this.”

  “Alchemist’s Row. Dem fumesniffers got deh brainsquish goin’, an’ dey’ll do anyfin’ fer a new fin'."

  Okay, so that’s a location, probably. I’m just gonna nudge Raya and make sure she understands what this old, gray cat person said.

  “He said that the alchemists stink and they’re crazy, but they’ll help us in exchange for a gift.”

  “Do we have time to go shopping, Raya? I’d think we’re in a bit of a rush.”

  “We’ll figure something out when we get there.”

  As Raya turns and continues down the street, I catch sight of a familiar smile, indicating that she’s keeping something secret. As if she already knows what we’ll trade for their magic. I’m not giving up my gold, and I don’t have any pockets, so I hope she has something fancy they might like.

  As we walk, the air turns from a pungent city smell of manure and wood smoke to a rancid and stale stench of… I have no idea what it is, but it’s gross and I don’t like it. Not as bad as Joras's ‘perfume,’ but still pretty awful. It makes me want to go back to the smell of manure. At least I haven’t been anywhere with an overwhelming fish stench. I’m gonna focus on that and be appreciative as I force myself to continue toward the source of these acrid fumes.

  Neither Raya nor the old lady seems to mind it, though. I have no idea why she’s still following us, but no harm done, so I’m not gonna oppose it.

  The buildings change from beautiful wood and brick to, well, still wood and brick, but overgrown with vines and creeping plants and… they’re freakin’ wiggling… Nudging Raya, I get her to watch them as well and, instead of a reasonable response, like being grossed out, she gets excited. Pulling out her dagger, she starts cutting into the plants, collecting samples and looking confused.

  “I forgot my extra pouch… I don’t want to mix it with the other plants.”

  Without any hesitation, the old lady pulls out a small pouch and hands it to Raya with a smile. She’s certainly earning her keep, though she hasn’t offered any directions.

  As we enter a street littered with broken glass, spilled whatever that goop is, and fuming buildings, it becomes clear that we’ve arrived at the alchemist’s row. The plants have subsided, becoming no more than a few grasping vines here and there. Along the foundation of every building, there are glowing flowers, lighting the way for us. They’re quite a contrast to everything else here, given how gross this place is. I do find myself curious how they manage to restrict their pollution to this place and not spread it throughout the city. It has to be the plants.

  The place is eerily quiet and, unlike other places we’ve been, nobody seems to show enough interest to come say hi. Ooh, this is an opportunity for me to knock and be a patron of a shop! I will rise to the occasion and conquer this challenge! You’ve got this, Kira!

  There’s a door with fancy runes, and I’m gonna knock on that one. As I approach the building, the runes begin to glow, as if reacting to me. With a gentle knock, I make my presence known as I lower my head to the doorway to greet the owner of the house. I didn’t even break anything! Go Kira! Points for me!

  “Unless you got Stone Golem’s hemorrhoids, piss off. I’m not buying.”

  I know what hemorrhoids are, but I have no idea what they might be for a stone golem, or how you’d go about collecting them. The desire to find a stone golem grows, and I definitely have to shelve that idea. I should probably reply to this guy as well.

  “We’re not here to sell anything, we want to trade for your magic.”

  Boots stomping draw closer to the door until it swings open and in the doorway, there’s a freakin’ plague doctor! Bird mask with glass ports and a beak! He even has a cool leather hood! Unfortunately, my staring is cut short as he slams the door in my face. That’s a bit rude… I won’t be deterred, though! Pulling my head back, I knock again. I’m getting great at knocking without breaking things. I don’t even hear things falling to the floor as I knock. And if nobody notices the dents, I’ll say it was perfectly done.

  “Kira, I don’t think he wants visitors.”

  “Whoever that was is correct! I do not wish for visitors at this hour! Especially not draconic solicitors! Begone!”

  “Okay, no magic trade, but can I see your outfit again? Plague doctors are so cool and you’re the first one I’ve seen. If he declines, we’ll try somewhere else, okay, Raya?”

  She nods as the door swings open again. I have no idea what sort of expression this guy has, since his entire face is obscured, but he opened the door, so it can’t be a bad one.

  “How did you come to know of my affinity? It is a closely guarded secret, yet you knew at a glance. Is it some draconic wisdom? Are you here to consume me for my past sins? Are you a demon sent to collect my soul?”

  What the heck? There’s a lot to unpack there, geez… First, I’m gonna go ahead and deny anything demon-related. I don’t associate with any denizens of hell, as far as I know. I am curious about these past sins, though. I’d nudge him about it, but I’d break his doorway. Ugh… I have to ask… verbally…

  “It isn’t draconic wisdom, I just recognize the outfit. And what are your past sins? I’m quite curious to know more.”

  With one arm crossing his chest and his other hand to his chin, he looks into the empty air for a moment, with a distinctly ‘thinking’ air about him.

  “More importantly, explain the morphling. How does a morphling manage to merge a Dragon and a Goblin? It does not match the studied field. And given the morphling and the Dragon, what, pray tell, is the old hag? Shapeshifter? Spirit? Divine entity? It does not give off divine energy. Does it serve a purpose? Emergency nourishment? Too skinny, you should feed it more to fatten it up for that purpose. Do NOT be stingy with your emergency rations.”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  That’s a lot… Giving Raya a look, I hope she’ll-

  “You decided to knock on this door, Kira. It’s your responsibility.”

  Dang it. I had hoped she would take control of this situation, but it looks like I’m on my own. First of all, I need to deny these ideas of the old lady being emergency rations. She isn’t, and as I say so, all I get is a ‘hm.’ Not all that helpful, but at least we’re talking. I am curious about this morphling thing, though. And-

  “You keep moving a little and pulling back. What does this mean? Is it a ritual? Are you scenting me? Am I scenting you? Do you have neck cramps? I have an ointment for that, though I don’t know its efficacy given your scaly exterior. It has a reduced effect on lizards, though that may be attributed to their natural resistance to poisons. Do you have a natural resistance to poisons? Are you a lizard, perhaps grown beyond expected parameters?”

  “I’m not a lizard, dang it! And stop it with all the questions, there are too many of them. Stop laughing, Raya! I’m not an overgrown lizard!”

  I’m beginning to think that I chose very poorly when I picked the shiny rune door… I should’ve picked a mundane wooden door. Where did the old lady go? She’s disappeared, and I was too caught up in the barrage of questions to notice.

  “I recommend restricting the movement of your rations. Having one’s rations wander off is less than ideal.”

  “Thank you for that valuable input, plague doctor…”

  “You correctly identify the equipment I wear, that by itself is an oddity, though more so is the fact that you use the old traveler name for it. How curious indeed. You said you needed magic, I have an abundance, yet I must demand an allowance of questions to be asked and answered, and in exchange, I will award you the magic I can spare. Do you agree?”

  “Sure. First question, what’s the common name for your outfit?”

  “Oh! I do see my error. I did not specify which of us would be asking questions. How delightful! Morphling, pay attention. Outwitting your opponent, whether by chance, happenstance, or skill, will often lead to an advantage. The common name is the alchemical restrictor. May I ask a question?”

  “You just asked a question about asking a question, so you may. Which you’ve done, so my next question is, 'what is a morphling?'"

  Instead of being offended by my using his question as the question allowed, he bursts out laughing, telling Raya to pay attention again.

  “A morphling is a creation of the alchemical arts, akin to the slime, though it features specific attributes designed to create a dual, yet malleable outcome. Though the being itself is reminiscent of a chimera, it often shows a more desirable disposition atop the ability to reattribute itself when offered alternatives. I would like to request the opportunity to ask a question of you.”

  “Request denied. What’s an alchemical restrictor?”

  First impressions aside, this guy seems like quite a character. Instead of being offended by my denial, he bursts out laughing again, giving the impression that he may be nuts.

  “It is an alchemical creation to restrict my magical affinity. Which is of quite significant importance as I do not have a desire to share that particular gift with the world at large. Now I would like to ask you a question.”

  “We all want things we can’t have. Is your affinity for plague magic something that you struggle to control?”

  Given that he mentioned me knowing when I said plague doctor, I can only assume that’s related to his affinity, and if he wears his restrictor at home, he might be in a situation similar to Tiffy the lightning witch. I don’t know anything that conducts plague, though. Maybe copper, but it has to be tested first. Given that both copper and its alloys tend to be antimicrobial, dragon’s gold might be as well, since it is a copper alloy.

  “Kira, you’re being mean, let him ask a question.”

  “Fine. One question.”

  “Most generous, morphling. I would thank you, but I do not know if you are bound by fae rules. I do not wish for any curse to befall me. I hope you understand. Now, though I had wished to ask for what purpose you desire to acquire magic, I find myself curious to learn of the subject your thoughts dove toward as your eyes focused upon the empty air. What were you thinking?”

  I have the impression that he has been honest with me so far, so I’m not gonna hold back. I bring up what I know of copper and its properties, and how it might affect his plague magic, if that is what he struggles with. He seems quite interested, even taking a few steps closer to me as I talk. I don’t know if it’s relevant in this world, but I make sure to mention the risk of developing a copper allergy as well. If it’s something he wants to explore, he needs to know as much as possible. His attention seems especially drawn to me as I talk about alloys, like bronze, brass, and Dragon's Gold.

  In the middle of my explanation, I feel a soft impact on the underside of my lower jaw. Pulling my head back, I notice that he has left his home and it's his beak I hit. I can’t see his eyes, but I’m getting the impression that he’s quite excited to hear about copper. Noticing that I’ve stopped talking, he takes a step back and adjusts his outfit to sit just right.

  “I do believe the turn to pose a question falls to you. May I address you as Kira? I suspect it would become tiresome to refer to you as simply your species.”

  “That’s a question! And you may. Now-”

  “Ask him if he’d be willing to trade his magic for a question.”

  Ooh… That’s a good idea. Raya’s getting the hang of how this nonsense works. Giving him a look, I make it clear that that’s the question I want to ask. I’m sure he understands it. Well, I was sure, but we’re just standing around staring at each other.

  “You must ask the question.”

  “Right. Would you agree to trade your magic for a question?"

  "I would not. Though, that is motivated by the knowledge that you are a Dragon with knowledge of the mixing of metals. It would take a fool not to see the opportunity presented."

  Oh, so now he's trying to be shrewd. That at least doesn't shut down the conversation.

  "Would you agree to trade your magic in exchange for an ingot of Dragon’s Gold?”

  “I would not. The question is too open to interpretation. I would be willing to trade one transference of magic in exchange for one ingot of Dragon’s Gold.”

  Okay! Now we just need to… Dang it, we didn’t bring any dragon’s gold.

  “Would you be willing to travel to Tuiran to fetch the dragon’s gold? I don’t have it here, but I need the magic before I can leave to fight a bunch of undead.”

  “I accept your circumstances and agree to the alteration of the deal. Though adding the information shared about its properties, I suspect this deal favors me. I shall endeavor to even the scales. I do not know whether you are bound by fae rules, and I do not wish for you to grow resentful of an unfavorable deal.”

  As I begin to question his repeated mention of fae rules, he wanders off into the street and starts knocking on doors. It’s slow progress as he repeats the questioning he gave me and receives a bunch of questions in return. Both he and the other parties take turns answering each other. Given their proficiency, I don’t know if that’s just how people talk here, or they're used to dealing with this very odd plague doctor.

  That’s not for me to judge anyway, especially not since he’s getting results. There’s a growing number of robed and stinky individuals encircling me. They seem curious and not at all frightened as they discuss the properties of dragon materials in alchemical goods. The general impression I’m getting is that they’re just being matter-of-fact, rather than discussing how to use me. To that point, none of them have asked me to donate any bodily fluids, so that’s a bonus.

  Given how late it’s getting, I’m surprised by the turnout. We’re closing in on thirty alchemists, and more join the crowd discussing dragons as alchemical goods. All things considered, they’re being quite civil about it.

  “If you wish for the antidotal properties of the draconic spleen juice, you would be better off and less incinerated chasing after the powdered kidney of a Govorian sand serpent.”

  “Though you are correct, the efficacy of such a substitute would render the creation inferior to a degree not suitable for the desired universality of a dragon-based concoction. Of course, you know this already.”

  “Indeed. Yet we must all allow concessions at times. Though no doubt a curious experience, being incinerated will lead to a drop in sales. Present your proposition for managing your shop as a mere pile of ash. Should you find yourself incinerated, do let me know. I would not want to miss the opportunity to brew a potion using an actual alchemist.”

  Okay, so they’re all nuts. How is he supposed to let you know if he has been incinerated?! At least Raya is here to keep this sinking ship sane.

  “I have some Dragon boogers for sale, how much can I get for them?”

  Dang it, Raya is joining the legion of maniacs... She’s holding out one of her small pouches, and, well, I guess it has my boogers in it. I wouldn’t have thought they would be worth anything, but she has now started a bidding war. I might as well lie down, since this promises to take a while.

  The dang price started at fifty silver coins as muttering about how adventurers don’t collect such things spreads. The price has grown to two gold per booger, and freakin’ hell, I’m valuable as heck. As the alchemists grow more insistent, Raya directs me to lower my head, and as I do, she climbs on and stands atop my nose to see over the group of maniacs.

  As I ask her how she has managed to collect a pouch of my boogers, she turns around with a smile and declares that I’m a deep sleeper... That’s gross, and I need to find some inspiration for a way to punish her. I don’t feel like a puff of smoke will do it this time. Although, on the other claw, someone just bid three gold per booger.

  Accepting the bid of three gold, Raya pulls out a gross lump of nasal debris and taps me a few times to let her down. As she hands the nose boulder off, the alchemists gather to inspect it as they unleash a series of scholarly noises. As the buyer offers to pay for the rest, Raya shuts him down, saying that she’ll sell one at a time and that she has seven left.

  The enthusiasm of the now forty alchemists grows as they’ve had a look at what she’s selling. With the next up for sale, the bidding is quick to get out of control and she’s being offered potions and reagents as stand-ins for gold. There are fire resistance potions, those stupid potions that let people sneak up on me, and a bunch of other effects. None of them really stands out to me.

  It’s so weird to be surrounded by people who know which parts of me are especially valuable, but I feel safe. I don’t get the sense that any of these people want to harm me, even as they bicker and argue in their bidding war to buy whatever nonsense Raya has collected.

  As she holds up the last nasal nugget, surrounded by potions, flasks, gold, and trinkets, she accepts a bid of herbs that are promised to be valuable in the creation of certain utility potions, empowering the effect and, in some cases, specializing it. I’m not sure she has thought this through, though. The amount of loot she has collected will require a satchel or two. As I point it out, she takes a moment to look around her immediate area and finds herself at a loss for what to do.

  Not one to give up, she pulls out a different pouch and rummages through it. As her expression changes from concentration to excitement, I feel a growing worry as well as curiosity. As she pulls her hand out of the pouch, she is holding a small, transparent rock.

  “I will trade this eye booger for two bags to hold all my things!”

  And now the alchemists are scattering… I’m not sure what to feel about Raya collecting my things. On one claw, it’s gross. It’s definitely gross, but on the other claw, that’s a lot of loot for things I would discard without noticing…

  The first alchemist to return is a younger man who almost trips over his robes, but he’s carrying two large satchels. They’re too big for Raya, so I suspect I’ll end up… I would have ended up carrying them either way, because I often carry Raya. Never mind that. We’re done with the auction, and now we should find somewhere to sleep. Raya can’t stay up all night.

  Nudging Raya, she climbs up on my face with a yawn, and as I stand up, we get ready to leave. At least we’re making off with quite a haul of things that are probably valuable. Lying down on my muzzle, the bags hanging off to the sides, she mentions how fun the auction was.

  “Kira, I must ask, have you changed your mind regarding the acquisition of magical power? If so, we must revisit the deal, as I cannot maintain my contribution to the successful transaction without changes occurring.”

  Crap, I forgot about that in the hubbub. Right. Walking backwards and cautiously stepping back over the alchemists, they line up and discuss the subject of magic depletion. As the first alchemist falls, I feel a jolt of energy reminiscent of the branch leader. Geez, these guys are juiced.

  “Now, though it appears as simple fainting, the actual mechanical driving force behind the loss of consciousness is a temporary disconnection from the Soul itself. Though fearsome as it sounds, it is quite harmless. The body itself will collect magic from the surroundings to stabilize the connection, hence the unconscious state. No magic is wasted on foolishness such as enhancements or what have you. It is a safeguard, not a punishment.”

  “Such is the wisdom of the Gods. Left to our own devices, we would soon find ourselves threatened and succumbing to the wear and tear of true magic exhaustion.”

  “I believe you mean depletion. Exhaustion is simply the expression of critically low magic levels, as experienced by the body, whereas depletion is the continuation of the path until the Gods themselves must protect you from your own foolishness. Now, what would that tell us about our current dealings?”

  Two of the alchemists having a discussion about how foolish this is while in line to do the exact thing seems odd to me, but then again, the leading scholars of a given field tend to be eccentric, to say the least.

  “How could we deny ourselves an experience such as this? We were promised the opportunity to magically connect with a Dragon, and as we watch others fall into the world of the unwaking, I find my excitement grows.”

  “It is as you say. This is no mere exchange of magic. There is another layer to this enigma. One which we have yet to uncover, though the Dragon appears to know it quite well. What secrets she must hold! Oh, the pain we must go through to explore what is revealed to us! It will be exquisite! I cannot wait for my turn!”

  And he appears to be unable to wait as he sprints ahead of the line and touches me. Another burst of magic, and he falls to the ground, joining the growing pile of robed figures.

  Turning my senses inward, I take a look at my magic and it appears that they’re doing a remarkably good job of helping me recover. There are still fifteen alchemists left, and if they have the same amount of magic, I might not have room in my inner lake for it all. But I do have something to spend some magic on. Stupid healing magic…

  This is gonna suck as well. Pulling on my magic and gritting my teeth, I prepare for the incoming flare of pain. Pushing my magic into my scales, the assault on my senses arrives, but this time, I’m more prepared for it, given how recent my experience with this has been. The sensation of my skin tearing to let new scales grow is both bizarre and painful, but I can endure it. I even manage to keep my wings folded. Good job, me. I didn’t destroy any property this time.

  I don’t feel like collecting the scales I shed, so instead I offer them to the people who’ve given me their magic. There are still a few conscious alchemists, and they are quick to accept before approaching me.

  “I trust the extraction has been successful, Kira. And I see the morphling has collected quite a price, though I fear I must have missed quite a divine opportunity for my fellows to give up such a quantity of goods. Though the quality may be low to qualify for higher mass while maintaining low value, I do not know which is the case. Do you still require additional magic? If so, I have no intention of backing out at this juncture.”

  Showing up out of nowhere, the plague doctor brings up an interesting point about the quality of the potions Raya received. I have no idea whether they’re worth anything, and I’m pretty sure Raya just accepted whatever sounded good and got the most reactions from the other participants.

  The plague doctor being willing to share his magic is pretty useful, though. I still need to create Henry’s hammer, and afterward, I’d like to be topped off on magic. At least as well as I can be. We’re closing in on midnight, so if I want to help another city with their undead issues, I do need to get moving. Giving my head a little shake, I ask if Raya knows where Henry is, but she doesn’t and points out that… we should ask Sarah…

  If memory serves, we sent Sarah to find mages and now we’ve left Foreman’s workshop. I think this time, I will apologize to her. We did rudely leave the place where she knows we were. And she did assault a higher-ranking guild person when she got offended that I hadn’t been healed. Yeah, she deserves an apology. Two, actually. One for leaving her to search for me and one for the attempted murder. In case I get distracted, I’m gonna ask Raya to remind me.

  “I understand the second thing; that wasn’t nice, but if she can’t find you, Kira, then she’s a bad adventurer.”

  As Raya looks behind me, I realize what she’s talking about… I’m great at keeping the road repair crew employed. Never mind that! Next stop: Finding Henry and making his hammer! And we’re bringing the plague doctor!