Stepping out of the carriage, Aliza and Tera were greeted by a decently sized two-floor Tavern with lights glowing from the windows. Looks as though the place had renovations done recently with new wood around the windows and a fresh coat of paints and finishes. The door was well sealed as its window fogged from the cold outside, with not a scratch or fingerprint in sight.


    “After you Miss Menona.” Tera gestured to the door. Aliza nodded and hurried as the cold breeze brushed her ears.


    Upon entering, the tavern was having a slow night. The place looked like it could easily pack 150 people both from the top and bottom floors but due to the cold or the service. The inside seemed to be a cozy environment with the polished mahogany floors and beams, the hearth making the rich reds and browns glow. The hearth was made out of grey and blue stones and had a lone chair sitting comfortably nearby. The table layout made an open path to get from the front door to the bar at the back wall with ease. In the right corner of the dining hall, was a simple piano with three petals at the bottom. A small window in the middle of the right side let out an inviting aroma of savory smells.


    “Oooo… that has to be oxtails. And… pork loin? Marinated pork loin.” Aliza smells.


    “How did you know that?” Tera looked surprised at her client''s keen smell.


    “Mama used to cook oxtails all the time when I was little. She was friends with the local butcher and taught us how to marinate for the winter. I know those smells anywhere.” Aliza warmly smiles, her expectations high after smelling the enticing aroma.


    Heavy footsteps came down the stairs, an iridescent shine reflected on the women from the light of the hearth. Stepping towards them, was a gleaming scaled Crystal Dragonkin with bright blue eyes and smooth spikes on the top of its head that were almost translucent. At least seven feet tall and slim, Aliza couldn''t help but stare in awe of the kin''s beauty.


    “Welcome ladies to The Gleaming Dragon. I’m Sodras, the owner of the Tavern. May I seat you?” He greets, and his low silvery voice leaves Aliza in stunned admiration. Tera, keeping her pleasant smile and professionalism, gave a solid nudge to Aliza breaking her quiet observation.


    “Oh! Uh… yes actually…” Laughing off her fumbling, she cleared her throat and tried again. “I’m here for your job opening for a waitress and prep cook?” She says handing him the flyer.


    “Ahh yes. May I have your name?” Sodras asks with a sparkle in his eyes.


    “Aliza Menona.” Aliza eagerly answers.


    “Lovely.” He purrs before turning his attention to Tera. “And yours, miss…?”


    “Mrs. Stroud and I’m her Immigration Judge.” She professionally finishes. She reached out her hand and gave him a firm handshake.


    “Ahh my apologies, Mrs. Stroud. If you like, we can seat you at the bar while I talk with… Miss Menona?” He asked cautiously. Aliza nodded. “Good! Come have a seat and we can speak more of the position.” He gestures to one of the tables by the hearth. Both women looked at each other and wordlessly agreed to the arrangement. Tera patted Aliza on the back and headed to the bar to catch up on work.


    The hearth gave Aliza a comfort like a mother''s embrace as she silently enjoyed the warmth. Taking off her coat, she sat and warped the fur around her freezing hands. Looking back at the owner, his scales shined like polished sea shells with a pink and teal ray around them, his pearly white claws were rounded and smooth at the tips. Looking up at his eyes, they were calm yet intimidating, probably the most striking creature Aliza had ever laid eyes on. Before either of them could speak, Aliza felt a tickle in her mind. A soft tickle that she couldn’t explain, almost intrusive and…unwanted. She gave her head a slight shake, she could feel a slight discontent.


    “So Miss Menona, what interests you in this position?” Sodras asks, raising an eyebrow to her.


    Aliza straightens her posture. “I am new to Syris and currently looking for employment to gain my citizenship. I have cooked for family and friends since I was 8 and thought I could put those skills to work here.”


    Intrigue formed on Sodra’s face, his arms fully leaning on the table, “Aye, I see. Where did you come from that brought you to this fine country.”


    “Icurus.” She replied softly. Sodras''s expression straightened, saying nothing for what felt like forever.


    She prepared for the worst as her nerves started to charge… and that strange tickle became more intense, this time it felt like a building migraine, but quickly faded away. She kept her face straight so as not to show discomfort. A couple of moments passed and the owner’s bright smile returned.


    “Well, welcome to Syris Miss Menona.” He replied with a cool tone.


    “Thank you.” she exhales. What was that?


    Sodras’s brows slightly furrowed as he continued on with the interview, “Now you said you cooked for family and friends for years. Have you had any experience in a Tavern before?”


    Aliza shakes her head, “No, unfortunately. Most of the taverns in Ardos are family-built and only hire their own kin.”


    “So you wouldn’t have any experience as a waitress either.” Sodras leaned back in his chair but kept his hands intertwined on the table.


    Aliza’s hands kept fidgeting and clenching from under her coat, her fur becoming slightly damp from her sweat. “No, sir. But I am a fast learner. As far as the prep cook, my mother taught me everything I know about cooking and I’ve made numerous dishes for my friends and family back in Icurus. I’m… not that good at explaining but I can show you my skills if given the chance.”


    Sodras'' eyes narrowed, but there was more curiosity behind them.


    “Wait here.” He sits up from his chair and heads straight to the kitchen. After some time, Sodras stood in the doorway and gestured for Aliza to come to him. Confused and a bit put off, she stood and strode to the kitchen still gripping her coat. She walked into a warmly lit kitchen with finely packed bricked floors, a large island with different utensils and cutting boards on it, bags and crates of produce, and a large cast iron stove top. In the far back of the kitchen, there were two thick doors with one having a blue knob and one red one.


    “Let’s put those skills to the test, shall we Miss Menona?”


    “Wait, you’re allowing me to cook? Right now?”Aliza quickly turned to Sodras, a new weight landing on her shoulders.


    “For someone with no experience or references, better to see it than hear it. Right?” Sodras urged a not-so-subtle challenge he just threw to her.


    “Y-yes sir.” Aliza looked back to the kitchen and that shadow of doubt started to creep into her mind. Pleading, no, begging her to run out the door. But her feet were cemented in place, that little bit of courage growing inside as she eyes the fresh ingredients around the kitchen.


    “Good! What I want you to prepare today is a simple pasta dish—spaghetti, rigatoni, lasagna, whatever you like. You have 45 minutes to prepare it. If it’s good, I will hire you. Deal?” he purred.


    A large devious smile spread over Aliza’s face. As if a candy store owner gave the keys to a child with an overpowering sweet tooth. Hanging her coat up and rolling back her sleeves, she gave a glance at the owner, who was both fascinated and fearful of Aliza’s expression.


    “It’s a deal.” Before she got started, there was one component that was missing. “One question if I may,” She asked. He nodded. “Umm, where do you store your meat?”


    “In the pantry. Where else?” he laughed. But when Aliza went to the large spice pantry, he quickly reminded himself of her origins. “Sorry, I forgot. Icurus. Come with me.”


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Heading toward the thick doors he opened the one with the blue handle. Inside was a large entryway with shelves that made a U-shape. And on those shelves was an array of beef, pork, and chicken waiting to be cooked. It was almost as cold as outside and backing away from the door, the heat of the room warmed Aliza again. Looking up at the ceiling inside, there was a lightbulb in the center, and a glowing bright white crystal a foot behind it.


    “What kind of sorcery is this?” She exclaimed, pointing at the crystal.


    “Glanor. One of the magical elements that powers our world. The magic helps control the temperature. Here, everything stays cold. In the other pantry, food stays warm.” He gestures for her to follow and he demonstrates the next-door pantry. Walking in was nicely warm like the start of a summer day. The layout was the same as the other, but here were cooked meats wrapped and labeled along with what seemed to be leftovers. Still fresh and colorful as they should be.


    The spark was now a full-on blaze in Aliza’s heart.


    “Noted! Please continue your duties and I will have your dish out to you shortly.” Aliza excitedly sends him off. Sodras nods his head and leaves the kitchen.


    He takes his seat in the oversized chair.


    Tera steps over to the luminescent Dragonborn, sitting in his oversized chair by the hearth, standing over him with a glare of disdain and annoyance.


    “May I help-” The Dragonborn looks up to her, but Tera interrupts him.


    “I will not tolerate the fact you tried to violate her privacy with your mind reading, it''s enough she is distrustful of the world already, the last thing I need my client to worry about is the fact even her own mind is not safe!” She leans into his face, gritting her teeth and her elvish ears pointing flat to the ground, her sending stone glowing…He already knew her husband was listening.


    “Forgive me…the Icarian origin-” The Dragonborn timidly replied but Tera cut him off again


    “That will not be a viable excuse!” Tera snaps. “Violate her mind again, I will bury you in so much litigation, you will need a fucking dwarf battalion to dig you out!” Her stern hard finger jabbing into his chest made him cower into the chair even deeper.


    “Now…considering this, I hope you give her a fair chance during her interview…” She straightens her posture, morphing back into her ladylike demeanor, and steps away from the owner, her sending stone dimming dark again.


    Aliza grabbed a slab of steak from the cold pantry and rushed to the prepping island. She grabbed her water-filled pot and had it sit on the stove for later. She then grabbed flour, eggs, salt, and oil and started to make noodles from scratch, making a flour well and combining the ingredients to make the dough. Her arms burned from the kneading but she fought through the pain to get the dough to a smooth and round perfection. Who needs the lumber mill when you can just knead dough, right?


    Rolling it out to the thinness she wanted and carefully cutting the dough into spaghetti, she sat it on a board and had it set aside for later. After quickly cleaning the flour, she grabbed the meat and started slicing and mincing to make ground beef. Somehow, the beef still shined even after the aggressive mincing she was doing. After grabbing and prepping different spices and tomatoes, she was ready to cook. In the corner by the entry door was the firewood and on a shelf above them were matches and mason jars that seemed to have kindling. But it was just a foot too high from her reach.


    She hopped and stretched but she couldn’t grasp the damned items. She opened the doors to ask for help, but the owner was nowhere around.


    “Now that I think about it, where is the staff? Shouldn’t there be a cook here to assist?” Aliza thought to herself. She just got 2 steps from the kitchen when she looked at the clock above the fireplace and saw that she had 20 minutes left to cook. Panicked, she ran back inside the kitchen, she had to get those matches and kindle somehow. She looked at the pile for a second and leaned gently on it. She reached the top which was just barely taller than her. Hopping lightly to see if it would give, thankfully it didn’t.


    “Luckily, it hasn''t been too long.” She shrugged and smiled.


    She got her bearings, hoisted herself up, and balanced on one arm enough to grab a pack of matches and a jar of kindling before landing lightly in the balls of her feet. A bit of pride took her smile but wasted no more time as she jetted to the stove to get the fire going. She cooked and assembled the dish with seconds to spare.


    Peeking outside the door, Aliza sees the owner back in his original seat, staring into the fireplace. Aliza dusted herself off, held her plate like a waitress would, and confidently strode to the table. A few heads, including Tera’s, turned as Aliza walked, following the steamy aroma of her dish.


    “Here is your meal sir,” her velvety voice greeted.


    Turning to her with his charming smile, she could see his eyes dilate just with the smell of her dish. The steam rolls off the dish as she sits it in front of him. The presentation was nothing professional, but the smell was divine. The fresh tomatoes, basil, thyme, and garlic powder uplifted the sauce. The meat was in chunks but they absorbed the sauce well. All were sitting on top of the homemade spaghetti noodles.


    “I apologize that they''re not meatballs, I didn''t have time to make breadcrumbs. But I still hope this dish is to your delight.” That charming smile on her face was infectious. Tera and the other patrons smiled and looked at Sodras in anticipation. Maybe even a little envy because none of them would be tasting her dish that day.


    The owner said nothing, just drooled as he sniffed the aroma. He took his fork and twirled the spaghetti and meat until it was perfectly wrapped. Taking a bite, he slowly removed his fork from his mouth and closed his eyes as he chewed. Aliza gathered her hands and started fidgeting her skirt. Her head still held high and written with confidence, but her thoughts raced trying to anticipate his response. He finished his plate in silence for what felt like forever, he wiped his mouth and turned to Aliza.


    “How long did it take you to prepare the ingredients, Miss Menona?” He asked plainly.


    “Umm… I wasn’t exactly looking at the clock, sir. By the time I was ready to cook, I would say it was almost 20 minutes.” She responded hesitantly.


    “Did you use the boxed noodles in the regular pantry? And where did you get the ground beef? We hadn’t gotten that shipment yet.” He wondered curiously.


    Aliza’s head tilted, “The noodles I made were from scratch. I didn’t realize noodles came in boxes. If that’s what you would have preferred, my apologies sir. As far as the ground beef I prepared using one of your steaks.”


    “You know how to do all of that?” Sodras eyes widen and brows raise.


    “Y-yes sir. My mother… taught me from a young age how to do this. I’ve only prepared dishes like this ever since.”


    A few more moments of silence passed, and Aliza practically had the front of her skirt in a ball. She looked to Tera, who had stopped any work she had in front of her to hear of Sodra’s feedback. But seeing Aliza’s fearful face, she hurried to put her things away and be at her side. She didn’t know why she did that; her intrusive instincts controlled her mind for a moment.


    “So… um… how was your meal…sir?” Aliza stuttered.


    Sodras stands and smiles at Aliza. Extending his hand he says, “When can you start Miss Menona?”


    Aliza’s smile beams with excitement and she returns his gestures tightly. “Whenever you need me, sir!”


    Sodras laughs as he wiggles out of her surprisingly tight grip. “Good. How about the next Monos at noon?”


    “Done and done!” Her enthusiasm turned timid as she thought about one important detail. “What do you pay?” Aliza asked curiously.


    “Hmmm… as this is for both a waitress and prep cook, 20 GP a week plus tips.” Sodras proposes.


    “I accept sir!” Aliza responds with a large gleaming smile.


    “Good! Good job today.” He compliments as he walks back to the kitchen with his cleaned plate.


    “Yes sir! Thank you!” Aliza exclaims. She turns to Tera whose face beamed with joy and pride. Aliza wanted to embrace Tera, to thank her for leading her to this opportunity. Fighting her eagerness, she could only smile back with her hands clasped over her heart. Tera grasped Aliza’s shoulders and smiled brightly at Aliza, non verbally congratulating her. When Sodras returns, the woman''s professional demeanor returns. Tera quickly sat down with the owner to fill out paperwork for Aliza’s employment for her naturalization period.


    “Have you checked the apartments nearby Miss Menona? Matilda has a new vacancy ten minutes from here if you’re interested.” Sodras suggested.


    “Oh?” Aliza perks up from filling out her portion of the paperwork.


    “It’s no Titan’s by any means but it''s something. I’ve known Matilda for years. She can get you a good deal.” Sodras suggests.


    “As long as the place has a kitchen, it’s better than nothing to me. The Twin Barrels has been kind to me but I’ve been dying to make my own meals for a while now.” Aliza’s gentle and friendly nature somewhat soothed the Dragonkin. His shoulders visibly relaxed and a small smile grew on his face.


    Sodras laughs showing his literal pearly whites. “Well judging by your cooking today, I would be missing my cooking too if they all tasted like this.” Aliza giggled. She wanted to ask again about his views on her food, but he quickly signed the rest of the papers for Tera, shook both of their hands, and went upstairs. Both women looked at each other awkwardly. Why was he in such a hurry? Looking around the area for an explanation but there was nothing. Both just shrugged off the awkward end and carried themselves out the door.