Chapter 19: "A Lesson in Patience!"

"Anyone I find slacking off I'll throw into the Prontera moat! Get up and move!"

Alaylle quietly enters the Prontera Forge carrying a basket. She immediately sweatdrops upon hearing her father yell at his workers.

The Prontera Forge, located just southeast of the Prontera fountain square, is a bustle of activity. In the back, several blacksmiths are tempering and upgrading various weapons and pieces of armor. To the left, several workers are tending to a machine that turns rough ores into usable ores for refining, and to the right, a few people sit polishing sheets of metal for sale. Corin stands at the center of it all, yelling out orders, instructions, and especially keeping everyone working.

Alaylle quietly walks over to her father and looks up at him.

"Get moving! We just got another custom-Err?" Corin takes another look down at Alaylle. "Ah ha ha! Sorry about that, Alaylle!" Corin rubs the back of his head with his right palm. "Things are just really hectic today…"

Alaylle nods slowly. "Oh no, it's alright Daddy! Umm…" Alaylle looks back and forth. "Where did you want me to help?"

Corin thinks for a moment and then turns behind him, yelling out, "Clear out forge number 8!" He then turns back towards Alaylle with a smile. "There you go! Number 8's yours! I really gotta thank you… we're so busy my eyes are spinning! And… your help does a lot more than my yelling." Corin looks behind himself again. "Move it! Clean that area up and get it ready for my daughter! It better be ready by the time she walks there or I'll throw you into the Prontera moat!"

Alaylle sweatdrops at her father's usual threat to his workers, but then nods happily. "I'll do my best, as always!" She deliberately walks slowly to forge number 8, humming softly. By the time she's reached it, a clean table has been moved by the forge fire, and a large pot has been set up above the fire.

Alaylle smiles and starts preparing a stew for her father and his workers. Soon, a wonderful aroma fills the forge, and Corin has to repeatedly yell at his workers to concentrate on their work.

Alaylle simply sits by the large pot, standing up to taste its contents once in a while, and adding in more ingredients. 'Sometimes… Daddy gets so busy with his work… that he can't come home for lunch… so… during those days, I come a few hours before lunch and make it here… and for everyone, not just Daddy… Eyahh… I hope it comes out good again this time!' Alaylle takes another taste from the pot. "Hmm… just right… Everyone, lunch is ready!"

Corin grins at his daughter. "You heard her! Lunch break!"

The workers and Corin quickly line up, as Alaylle distributes bowls of stew to all of them, including herself.

"Huh? Stew? I could have gone out and gotten something a lot better than stew!" "You're new here, aren't you?" "Yeah, so?" "Taste it. Oh, and you'd better sit down for this." "Hmph, how good could this… Whoa!" "Heh, told you."

"Thanks for doing this, Alaylle" Corin gently hugs his daughter.

"Oh no… its no problem at all!" Alaylle smiles happily.

"Hmm… after this… go take some free time, Alaylle… okay?" Corin glances at Alaylle while taking a spoonful out of her bowl.

"Eyaah! Daddy! No stealing food from me at work!" Alaylle quickly steals a spoonful back from her father's bowl.

"Bwahahaha! Then it's war!" Corin grins at Alaylle.

"It always was!" Alaylle giggles and prepares to defend her food.

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After an exciting, but yummy lunch, Alaylle walks out of the Prontera Forge and thinks over what to do with her free time.

"Hmm… Oh! That's right! That paper Mommy gave me!" Alaylle quickly takes the paper out of her pocket and looks it over. "Hmm… north-east of Geffen, huh? Eyaahh… I can't walk there… by the time I get there, it'd be late…" She looks back down at the paper. "Oh! Okay! That'd do the trick!" She walks over to the east gate, where a Kafra quietly rests against the wall, looking slightly bored. "Um… could you teleport me to Geffen?"

The Kafra looks up at Alaylle from her boredom. "Oh! Miss Alaylle! Yes, Miss Neyrilla told us to teleport you to Geffen if you asked… waaaait! I almost forgot! You can ask the Kafras in Geffen to teleport you back to Prontera too!" The Kafra smiles at Alaylle.

Alaylle blinks her eyes quickly. "Aahh… uhm… but… isn't there usually a charge?"

The Kafra nods slowly. "Yes… usually… but Miss Neyrilla is handling it, so don't worry, alright? Well now… all ready?"

Alaylle smiles happily. "Yes! All ready!" She blinks her eyes quickly. "Well… that was fast…"

Alaylle looks around being a bit bewildered from one minute being in Prontera, and the next second being in Geffen. "Waaaa! Geffen! But… I'm not here to sightsee… so… I should follow that slip of paper!"

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Alaylle enters the field northeast of Geffen and looks around. "Looks like a normal field to me… I wonder why Mommy wants me to go here?" She quietly walks around, taking in the surroundings.

The field northeast of Geffen is a field of greenery. Large trees of various types grow here, from the exotic palm, to the rather ordinary pine. The most notable feature of this place is how the Geffen River runs through the field, effectively giving the field an impression of being 4 islands. Sturdy wooden bridges connect all four "islands", and allow easy access to them all.

"Wow! Look at that thing! It's so big!" Alaylle stares at a giant snail whose shell is at waist-height with her. "I gotta find out what that is!" She quickly pulls out her monster book and flips through the pages. "Hmm… Ambernite! Ambernites are giant snails that eat vegetation and prefer areas with lots of water nearby. The reason for this is unclear, although it is believed that they enjoy a swim in fresh water once in a while, or perhaps they use the water to cool off. Often hunted for their large, colorful shells, which some people collect. Although they seem slow and harmless, an Ambernite can go into its shell and roll at an attacker to defend itself. Recent data shows that Ambernites can even out roll Pecopecos in a straight sprint." Alaylle looks back at the Ambernite crawling in front of her. "Doesn't seem so fast." Alaylle quietly sits down on the grass and watches the Ambernite slowly crawl in front of her.

Suddenly a swordsman jumps at the Ambernite in front of her. The Ambernite quickly retreats into its shell from the sudden movement and quickly rolls away from the swordsman. "You aren't getting away snaaaaaail!" The swordsman chases after the rolling snail shell.

"Wow… I guess… they are pretty fast!" Alaylle watches the swordsman chase after the rolling Ambernite. She hops to her feet and searches for another Ambernite. Upon finding one she sits down and watches it slowly crawl on the ground. "…They're kinda cute… I mean… in an 'I'm a Giant Snail!' sort of way… I think it's the shell."

Alaylle quietly watches the Ambernite crawl past her. "I wonder what I'm supposed to be doing here?" She watches the Ambernite slowly crawl up to a red mushroom and start eating it.

Suddenly the same swordsman jumps out from behind a tree and slashes at the Ambernite. The poor Ambernite goes flying out of its shell, looking stunned. The swordsman quickly picks up the shell and runs off. "Yahoo! Looks like I'll get a nice chunk of zeny for this one!"

"Oh no oh no oh nooo!" Alaylle quickly runs over to the stunned Ambernite and fans it with her hands. "Are you okay?"

The shell-less Ambernite shakes the cobwebs out if its head out and looks up at Alaylle, frightened.

"Oohh… poor Ambernite! No shell! I'd feel scared too if someone came by and took my clo- Uhh…" Alaylle suddenly blushes deeply. "A-anyway! Let's find you another shell!" She gently picks up the Ambernite in her hands and looks around.

The Ambernite shakes in fear at being picked up, and carried, but calms down when it realizes that Alaylle isn't going to eat it.

"Aaahh! Here we go!" Alaylle smiles happily as she finds an empty Ambernite shell that's a bit cracked. She places the Ambernite near the shell. "I'm sorry… it's not perfect… but… it'll have to do for now. But… at least you have a shell now!"

The Ambernite goes into the shell, and in a moment sticks its head out, and starts crawling around with it.

"Okay… now… let's find you a good shell now that doesn't have a crack in it… So you can roll around!" Alaylle kneels down while looking at the Ambernite. "Go into the shell for a while?"

The Ambernite pulls itself into the shell, while Alaylle picks up the Ambernite, shell and all. Alaylle looks at the ground while walking around, trying to find a better shell.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Alaylle looks at the Ambernite she's carrying, and the Ambernite sticks its head out of its shell. "I'm Alaylle! Nice to meet you!… Um… Hmm… I know! I'll call you Amber! That's a cute name!"

Amber sweatdrops at being named by someone who just met her, but then nods and goes back into her shell.

Alaylle finally finds a nice, unflawed, empty Ambernite shell and quickly places Amber by it. "There we go!" Alaylle smiles happily as Amber goes into the new shell. "Now you can roll around!"

Alaylle looks up at the sky. "Eeep! It's getting late! I'd better head home!" She turns back to Amber. "See you later, Amber!" Alaylle picks up the cracked shell and runs off towards Geffen.

Amber, if she had eyes, would blink in utter confusion. She then quickly spots a red mushroom growing by a nearby tree and starts munching on it.

End of Chapter 19
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Chapter 20 Preview!

: "Heh…"

Alaylle: "Umm… and you are?"

: "I hate these bots!"

In the next Chapter: "A Fiery Meeting!"

: "They should all burn!"
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