Arcanum 189 Carvell Dinner

"I picked up some seeds! to make our room more homely." She beamed.

"I managed to place an order for some arrows, so I'll need to collect them before we leave." Grace smiled.

"Found nothing useful?" I asked Morgana noticing, her hands were empty.

"Nah there wasn't any rare materials sadly.. but there were a few things I'd like to forage on the way back." She smiled.

"What you got there?" Daisy asked Jay.

"A bundle of rope." Jay answered.

"Rope? what do you need that for?" Helen inquired.

"I'm going to capture Mr Wayne and see what he's up to," Jay answered.

"You're planning to do what?!" I asked Jay in shock.

"I'm planning to capture Mr Wayne and interrogate him myself." He explained.

"Wait what why?" I asked in confusion.

"I don't trust this Mr Wayne person," Jay replied.

"he does seem extremely suspicious that he did everything for nothing." Helen agreed with Jay.

"I do things out the kindness of my heart." Daisy tried to interject.

"Yeah, but you're a Disciple of Serra he's different," Jay argued.

"Jay there are good people in this world..." I tried to persuade him.

"Well, I'm sure he can make his point when we capture him," Jay answered and walked off.

"He's really determined to capture this Mr Wayne dude." Morgana looked as he walked away, utterly determined.

"Oh, there's a building I need to visit quickly," Jay said leading the way through the city, arriving at a very rundown building.

He gave the door a series of knocks which sounded like some secret code, causing the door to open slowly as a very young dirty boy opened the door. The building stank of horrible, making all of us except Jay and Morgana recoil at the smell. "You guys can stay out here." Jay offered and walked in.

"I would go but.. the smell is a little strong," Daisy said physically walking a good distance from the entrance.

"I'll watch him", Morgana answered, walking in.

"What is this place?" I asked as the rest of us rejoined Daisy and getting away from the smell.

"That looks like a place where the homeless gather," Grace answered.

"What's he doing there?" I questioned, everyone, shrugged with no idea. We waited for a bit before Jay came out with Morgana following behind him.

"What happened?" we asked.

"I guess that building is generally where most the homeless families sleep and live, I wanted to see if some of my old friends were around but they disappeared the same time Mr Wayne arrived, apparently arrived," Jay informed everyone.

"Okay now I'm interested in what My Wayne is up to especially if he's taking young homeless kids." Grace now joining Jays side.

I panicked as keeping Paul's secret was getting increasingly harder especially since we are planning to ambush him and question him on his motives, and he clearly didn't want his identity known otherwise he would have come as himself.

"Oh, before we get back there some more stuff I want to buy, is there a general store that sells a broad selection of things?" I asked Jay.

"Sure it's on the way back." He led us to the store.

"I'll be two seconds." I said rushing inside buying some more ingredient and walked out.

"What you got there?" Daisy questioned, looking eagerly in the bag.

"Just something to add onto dinner tonight." I smiled.

"Where did you learn to cook so well?" Helen questioned.

"Well, as a kid my mum always taught me how to cook, being old-fashioned she believes that all girls should be able to cook for their family and husbands. Also, when Paul and I were together, he would always cook for us so I learnt a lot from him." I smiled.

"Paul can cook?" Grace questioned.

"Yup." Paul's cooking is the best, Daisy nodded.

"You think whatever Paul does is the best." we all sighed at her reaction.

"But the food he makes taste good though!" She argued.

"that may be so but we'll hold judgement till we taste it ourselves." Jay laughed.

"Oh, wait for a second," I asked everyone as the shop front came to view. "This is yours," I said handing Daisy the Wood Peel, "Grace this is yours." I said handing her two brushes and a metal pot "and lastly this is yours." I said, handing Helen all the loaf tins and taking the last metal pot out for myself.

"Emilia you didn't have to," Jay said, looking moved by the gesture.

"No problems." I smiled and gestured him to walk on.

"Mum, Dad, we're back." Jay said, opening the door to an almost empty bakery.

"Did you guys get a room?" Miss Carvell asked.

"Yeah and we did some shopping, and we brought gifts!" Jay smiled at his parents.

"What? oh girls, you didn't have to!" Miss Carvell gushed, so touched that she was on the verge of tears.

"thank you for taking wonderful care of us," Helen said giving her the loaf tins.

"Son, you've made some amazing friends here." Mr Carvell smiled.

"I know.." He smiled, helping his mum accept all the gifts.

"Come here, all of you!" She said giving us all a great enormous hug making Helen, Grace and Daisy look as if they were also on the verge of tears.

"If you don't mind could I add something to the dinner plans?" I questioned.

"Sure just tell me what you need and I'll get you sorted." She answered with a smile, walking into the kitchen.

"Um is there anything we can help with?" Helen asked politely.

"Sure thing come on over, I'll teach you my secret recipe." She smiled as I began making Yorkshire puddings.

Everyone placed their weapons in the corner again and putting on an apron to help cook. "Oh mum we need to make extra vegetables.. Emilia doesn't eat meat." Jay notified his mum.

"Oh.... sure thing, I'll make extra vegetables." She smiled, but I could tell she was a little shocked.

"So dad have you and mum been good?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, we've been doing great after Mr Wayne came to help us, it was like you going to Atlantis was a big blessing." He smiled and let out a big jolly laugh.

"Have you heard from Charlie, Derrick and Billy?" He questioned.

"Oh yeah, when Mr Wayne came to help us he also took them as well apparently he sent them to an orphanage to help those in need." Mr Carvell answered.

"If he's so nice, why doesn't he help everyone? There are still homeless people stuck here." Jay questioned.

".. He says he only helps those who want to change." Mr Carvell reluctantly answered.

"Who in the right mind wants to be homeless?" Jay asked instantly getting frustrated at the thought.

"It was hard for us to see at first.. but he is right, some people just have undesirable traits and constantly make the wrong decisions that keep them homeless." Mr Carvell answered but seemed like it hurt to say. "He said no matter how much gold you give some people.. all they would do is gamble it or spend it on alcohol and squander it." Mr Carvell added, making Jay go mute. "I know I know it was a hard fact for us to accept.. every week he visits he really tries to help as many families as he can, he really is a good man." Mr Carvell answered.

"I'll tell you what though when you left that Vancliff girl regularly comes to see if you're back." He chuckled.

"Really?.." Jay questioned.

"Yeah she comes at least once a day and every time she arrives she would look back into the kitchen, you can tell she was looking for someone." Mr Carvell smiled.

"Yeah.. she told me why she was looking for me," Jay answered.

"Oh, and what's that?" He replied.

"She wanted me to help me train more in spell casting.. but I'm only here for one night and it's not safe to have her practice by herself," Jay answered.

"Can't you get her into Atlantis? It'd get her out of her family's influence." Mr Carvell asked.

"Nah only been here two weeks.. and I don't think I have any influence to even affect the picking process," Jay answered.

"Poor girl... she's a friendly girl.. a shame her family isn't great." He commented.

"What has the Vancliff family been doing?" Jay questioned.

"Still taxing heavily everyone who uses their lands or tries to run a business and inflating prices." Mr Carvell answered.

"Yup its lucky for us that Mr Wayne comes by with his deliveries every week without fail and gives us a good price." Miss Carvell added, still preparing everything for dinner with everyone else.

"And Nathaniel and Gabriel?" Jay questioned.

"Doing what they do best starting fights and leading the Vancliff mob when people refuse to pay or late." Mr Carvell answered.

"They didn't try anything to you guys right?" Jay questioned.

"Oh, no.. one time they did but the day after their father forced them back to our shop forcing them to apologise and agreed to pay our repairs. Then the next time Mr Wayne was in town he handed Edward a letter that seemed to make him furious." Mr Carvell explained.

"Wow, someone that can stand up to the Vancliff family.. he better be careful." Jay replied.

"I'm sure he's just a bigger fish then the Vancliff family." Mr Carvel answered.

Slowly all our efforts bore fruit as one by one each dish combined into a perfect roast dinner, "The smells alone is making my mouth water." Daisy said, almost unable to keep control of herself.

"Oh, watch yourself fresh Yorkshire puddings they're hot!" I said, slowly tipping them into a sharing bowl.

"Right.." Jay's family held hands also grabbing ours making the rest of us awkwardly follow suit. "Thank you Bountiful Goddess Cevena for food on our table and may your blessings forever shine upon us." Jay's mum said grace. "Okay, everyone time to eat!" She smiled as Mr Carvell carved out the perfectly roasted chicken, while Miss Carvell one by one filled everyone's plates.

Daisy's eyes widen in shock when she tasted her first mouthful. "Careful mum that one eats ALOT" Jay joked making us laugh.

"It's so good!!" She mumbled, her mouth still full of food.

"Oh my Lord these Yorkshire puddings are divine!" She said gesturing everyone to try.

"Oh wow crispy and soft in the centre..." They all enjoyed in awe.

"I must admit the roast vegetables are amazing." I smiled happily, eating the vegetables that was cooked for me.

Chapter end