"Hi grandpa!"

Hello there lad. An' good evenin' to ye too!
Glad to see you in such high spirits today.
Not seen you in a bit have I? How longs it been? A week now?

"I've missed your stories grandpa."

I've missed tellin' you 'em. Slap, pat pat. Come on an' sit down. I say, as I pat me lap.

I left off where I got to the Village right?
So, how about we go from there.

"Mmh."

Alright. So!
Finally I arrived at the village. The Village o' Mary. A fine place it is.
It was rather different from how it is now. Back then there were mostly shacks
an' lil' stables for homes. The farmland was just as big as it is now though.
I don't think anyone here would change it for the world! 'Ose farmlands
are precious to the people 'ere. Even I admire the effort put into 'em.

Unlike the crops at me hometown above, the crops 'ere are different from
what I'm used to. Simply by lookin' at 'em you could tell they're an unusual crop,
even by our Great Sea's standards!
An' lookin' at 'em was what I did.
People were sprayin' somethin' onto the plowed fields.
How strange. I thought to me self. 

I waltsed up to one o' the people at the fields an' wringed a question 
through 'em,

- Hey, ye got any work I could do around here? I asked as I spun me hand
to say hello.

It was a man in black an' white, plat attire, with a pair o' void-like purple overalls an’
void-like purple ‘air.
The back o' 'eir overalls hung a hoe, clutched on tight. The shiny, black boots held
onto 'eir feet, sparklin' from the sandy dirt they were standin' upon.

Openin' 'eir mouth, the man responded,

- Yeh, we've got work ya can do, but we ain't got much to pay with.
If ya're happy with food an' clothes 'en 'at's all good.

- Food, clothes? Sign me up. 'Ose are the best things I could ask for right now.
I've heard this place is famous for its food. If so, I've got to try some right?

- Alright 'en! We have three jobs ya can do. The more ya do the more we pay.
We need ya to holly the plants, wrangle some critters nearby an' take up some
supplies to the Arch-Mage.

- What do ye mean holly?

- Oh right, ya're an outsider ain't ya. Hollyin' is our way o' growin' our plants.
Just rinse 'em with magic an' that's all.

- Slight issue

- Hm?

- I don't quite know how to use magic. Didn't even know I could use it to begin with!

- Ah I see, well if ya don't know yet it's best you not do that one 'en.
Actually. If ya talk to the Arch-Mage ya could get 'em to teach ya how to.

- Nice, but ain't that goin' to be a problem?

- How so?

- Well from what I've heard, the Arch-Mage doesn't take kindly to visitors.

- I mean, ya're not wrong...
Ah it'll be finee.
Just bring up supplies to 'em an' they'll be talkin' before ya know it.

- Okay 'en. An' what about 'ose critters you were talkin' about?

- Well, when I say critters.... They're more like sharks...

- Sharks?!

- Ya don't have do to it.
If ya do, ya can leave it till last if it's 'at bad.

- No, no. I were just a lil' startled from the jump of critters to sharks.
I'm fine if it's a shark. I once punched one in the face ye know!

- Ya don't say? Well, I wouldn't recommend ya do that now.
I don't want the seas stained with blood! Yehehe!

- Don't be laughin' 'bout that. I ain't dyin' as soon as I got 'ere now!

- Just try to learn some magic an' you'll be good to go.
If ya're an outsider it should be all good. They're usually rather lucky with their
affinity to magic.

- Alright 'en. So, before I head off, where does the Arch-Mage live?

- Well, before 'at ya might want to get the supplies!
Go to the big buildin' near to the mana fountain an' they should all be in there

- Mana fountain?

- Ya'll know it when ya see it.

An' with an 'Alrighty' I went off in the direction they pointed me in.
Lookin' around I found a quick difference between that o' the Capital
an' the village. The village wasn't exactly brimmin' with riches.
They weren't livin' in the steadiest o' homes either. As I said before,
they were housed in stables an' broken down homes the size o' said stables.
Not the greatest livin' conditions.

Only thing keepin' em out o' complete famine was 'eir supplies o' food.
Actually, speakin' o' food, I'm hungry! Get me somethin' to eat would ye lad?

"....."

No? Come on, for your dear grandpa?

"I wanna hear your story though, grandpa."

You can, I just need somethin' in me belly first! Anythin' will do. Get me
one o' 'ose slices o' nead 'ould ye?

"What? But the last time you had nead you ate so much we ran out.
If you have, I'm having too!"

Alright, but don't let your mother hear—they'll tear me apart.

"Deal." 

***

Now, upon arrivin' at the fountain described, I stopped for a second.
I wanted to really take in the sight before me. I say as the lad tosses me a slice o’ nead.

It was an ordinary lookin' fountain, yet it spewed some strange fluid.
It was completely colourless, yet shined rainbow in aura.
It was crystal in appearance, yet smooth as liquid butter.
It was indeed a mana fountain.

What a brilliantly, beautiful thing, muffles me, as I chew on me food.
Illusionary by appearance, yet optically masterful by presence.
A work of art, illustrated by nature and sculpted by man.
The more I stared, the more infatuated I became.

Unfortunately, whilst I'd have loved to have stared at the fountain for hours,
I had a job to do.

To me left was a large buildin'. Burgundy stripes served its walls, alongside some
purple, linin' up in joint arms.
It seemed like the only place bein' given some treatment in the whole village.
It were ripe an' proper it was. Not as much as it is now though. Yes, it was the
town hall. Probably where all the taxes ended up too! Ahaka—cough—cough.

"Agh troublesome nead."

Pat, pat. I hit me chest as I choke on me food. 

"You okay grandpa?"

Yes, yes. I'm—cough—fine.

Nevermind 'at though. Where were we—

"What are you doing here Clay?"

Oh. Uh, hi Jenni. I was... asking your son how their day was.

"Like you were. What are you doing, telling Flint your stories again." Jenni scolds.

Well, it doesn't hurt does it? What's he goin' to do? Grab a knife an' start stabbin'
at someone?

"With you telling the story I wouldn't be surprised."

My apologies for tellin' a few stories, Jenni.

"You can tell a few stories, just make them more appropriate."

If I were to make 'em appropriate they wouldn't be tales I could tell
truthfully! I'm tellin' 'ose tales how they happened.
Where's the interest in lies?

"Then tell them a different story."

No chance-arees there Jenni. I got no more stories.
I already told the lad o' me tales from above.

"Then tell them again."

Again? What will they get out o' that? This ain't like some novel you read.
I ain't goin' to tell 'ese tales again.

"Well, you seem glad to do so at parties."

That was me tellin' 'em to different people, Jenni. I don't see you chattin'
any different when you talk to your people.

"My people? What are you trying to say?"

What I'm sayin' is that I don't see what you're goin' on about.
Just let him listen. What's the harm?

"We've gone over this again and again Clay. No!"

Well how about we hear what the lad thinks? You've not even asked if he likes them or not.
What do you think me boy?

"I doubt he wants to hear your tales, quit dragging him to listen."

"But I like grandpa's stories momma."

"Well... Argh... Alright. Fine! Just don't get detailed and no bad language!"

I may be a sailor, but I have a clean mouth, I'll tell you that.

"Okay, okay. For now though, you're going to have to say goodbye to Flint,"
She says compromisingly.

Wait why?

"They have school tomorrow; they can't be sleeping too late."

True, last time I were here earlier, I guess.

"Last time?"

Oh uh got to run! See you later lad.

"Oh no you don't"

Ow, ow me ear. Quit pinchin'. What do ye want?

"Stop calling him 'lad', I haven't heard you call him by name once yet."

He's but a boy. I'll wait for him to age a while, once he's grown up
then I'll treat him by name.

"You never fail to win in conversation, do you?"

Never have, never will! An' I'd like to keep it 'at way.
Anyway, I'll see ye later alligator.

"In a while crocodile." replies me lad.