Sorry this chapter took a few days! I've been having some technical issues with Chapter 107 on FF. It still isn't resolved, even after re-uploading it several times. But I'm just going to press on! Oh but if you can read this chapter, please let me know if you had any trouble with reading 107. Thanks! And if you can't, please look up this story on Archive Of Our Own!


Zami huffed impatiently, taking a seat on the floor by the fireplace. He scowled bitterly as he watched Mythene and her father get ready to head out, to pay their respects to the dead for the Harvest Festival. His eye caught Mythene's, and she gave him a stern scowl before turning to pack up her offerings into a little woven pouch. Even despite his insistence that he could just stealth, she was adamant that neither he or Jazax was to leave the house until the Festival was over. And Zami wasn't sure why he was even listening to her. Maybe it was that serious, worried look on her face, or the way she anxiously wrung her hands whenever she considered it. Or maybe she was just trying to please her father. Who knew?

"Tell them they're forbidden from entering the bedrooms," Caserion spoke up, grunting slightly as he packed his own pouch of offerings, "Nor are they allowed to start the fire."

"An'da," Mythene frowned, pressing her lips together tightly as she looked over to the other night elf, "You do know they can understand you…"

Caserion just grunted again, tying his pouch closed. Mythene sighed softly, tying her own pouch of offerings closed, and turned to look towards where Jazax and Zami were beside the cooking fire.

"Please," She said to them in Orcish, "Do as he says, and cause no mischief while we're gone."

"Yeah, yeah," Jazax waved a hand dismissively, before grumpily crossing his arms.

"And no leaving the house," She added, before turning to Caserion, who looked unimpressed.

"Must you use that vulgar tongue in this house?" He tsked before turning to the door.

Mythene frowned again, looking back once more to give the other two an apologetic look, before following him out. As soon as the door was shut, Jazax scoffed and uncrossed his arms.

"I dunno about you," He said as he looked at Zami, "But I ain't gonna sit around here all week long. If they don't want no goblins around, then I won't be a goblin. Simple as that."

"Huh?" Zami cocked his head to the side, "What'cha mean?"

"I got me a plan, see?" Jazax got a mischievous glint in his eye and he moved over to the empty cooking pot, "Help me get this thing, would'ja pal?"

Zami quirked an eyebrow but stood up and went over to the cooking pot, pulling it down from the hook and setting it in front of Jazax. The goblin peered inside of the empty pot before nodding.

"Yeah, yeah, this'll do nicely," He said with a grin, before rubbing his hands together and cackling to himself.

Zami blinked, watching Jazax run and fetch something from his nearby pack. Then he extended his mechanical workstation before turning to Zami.

"Be a pal and put it here?" He said with a nod to the table.

Zami curiously obeyed, wondering where this was going. He was actually a bit worried, judging by the goblin's grin, that he was going to end up making something explode. That was definitely the last thing they needed right now.

Jazax reached into his pack and pulled out a well-beaten toolbox. He set it on the workstation, flipped it open, and fished around for a moment. Then he pulled out a leather satchel, dumping its contents across the table. Zami could only guess but, at a glance, they appeared to be various alchemical bits and bobs. Dried bits of plant, vials of mysterious liquids, a couple odd-looking shriveled up organs-from animals… hopefully.

"Let's see, let's see…" Jazax mumbled, beginning to uncork vials and dump their contents into the cooking pot, "A little of this, a little of that…"

Zami looked into the pot curiously, watching the puddle of liquids inside begin to change colors and bubble with the more ingredients the goblin added. His anxiety about the end result of this mixture growing, he turned to Jazax nervously.

"Uhh, what is dis?" He asked, pointing to the pot, "What'cha doin'?"

"Makin' a potion," Jazax answered shortly, shoving something into the pot that Zami was fairly sure was a severed elven ear.

"Right, right…" Zami's gaze drifted back to the pot, "And, uh, what's it do?"

"Look, I kinda gotta concentrate, y'know?" Jazax glanced up at him, "This happens to be a pretty particular mixture."

"It ain't gonna explode, is it?" Zami asked bluntly.

"Nah," Jazax shrugged, before pausing to glance up, "Well, I mean, unless I do it wrong. So, uh, you might wanna back up. Just in case."

Zami frowned and took a wide step back. Then he looked around for a moment before his gaze caught on the archway leading into the hallway. He thought about it a moment, before his curiosity got the better of him.

"I'm gonna go look around," He admitted frankly, almost wishing the goblin would advise him against such.

But Jazax just nodded.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," The goblin mumbled, already engrossed in his work.

Zami stepped into the hall tentatively, wondering if he should resist the urge to be nosy. It was definitely tempting, though. In the entire time they'd known each other, Mythene had never really revealed all that much about herself. He knew she would never open up about herself willingly. He glanced at the door to Mythene's bedroom, recalling the sound of her crying from the other side, and frowned deeply. Once he approached the door, however, he found that he hesitated once again.

Zami stood outside the door for several moments, hand extended towards the doorknob. His curiosity gnawed at his insides, imploring him to at least just take a peek inside. But as tempting as it was, his hand soon lowered back down to his side, and he stepped away from the door. It was none of his business. Not his place. He found that he respected Mythene too much to invade her privacy in such a way.

But the same wasn't true for Caserion. He didn't respect that guy at all. And so that's why he had no problem casually barging into the other bedroom.

Taking a quick look around, Zami noted there wasn't much in the way of furniture. There was a simple bed, far too small as was the case with all elven beds. There was also a little table beside the bed, a nightstand perhaps, with a little drawer. On the other side of the room was a little bench and a little end table with a stack of books. A potted flower sat upon the windowsill. It was really a rather plain room.

Seeing nothing else of interest, Zami approached the beside. He tugged on it, but it didn't budge. A lock? With an amused snort, he looked around the room quickly for a potential tool. Seeing nothing, he glanced aside and, clearing his throat, pulled on the drawer sharply. The swift force breaking whatever flimsy locking mechanism, the drawer then slid open easily. Zami then peered down into the drawer, spotting a few bits of cloth and a few spools of thread.

But his eye was instantly drawn to the little leather-bound book, a journal perhaps, hidden towards the back of the drawer. It nearly blended in with the wood, and he probably wouldn't have even noticed it if his roughshod manner of opening the drawer hadn't pushed it forward a bit. Zami picked up the book curiously, untying the binding leather cord around it, and flipped open to a random page...