Zensuon: Crystal Age

Where the Shiny Things Are

Where we learn a bit more, and so do our duo.

Mica woke up from reading a book. He was sitting down on the big armchair in the library. The one his father had made in the factory for guests. He enjoyed it because it was made for various big-folk representatives and thus he could just wallow in it like it was a vertical bed of sorts. He woke up from some strange nightmare while reading what appeared to be this 'Land of Adventure: Zensuon' book on his lap, and looked up to the knocking that riled up his consciousness back to the waking world- it was his father.

"Hey, Dad." Mica smiled, waking up slowly as he used both hands on the sides of the big cushion of the chair to straighten his back.

"Mica, you can't plant your head in books all day. Help me out with the inspection today." Announced Shlomo Hershfield, a similar looking, though somewhat chubbier halfling man, with a white suit and a black-brown tie hanging from his neck, with some lights coming out of it at points in various colours of the rainbow. He came in picking up a folder and going through the papers therein, looking for some piece or another.

"Come on, Dad. I was just resting. I've already finished my lessons. Do you know how hard it is to follow magic practice with combat training?" Mica looked irritated, it was his father after all that insisted he take those lessons, and now he also wants him to double as his assistant all day?

"Where is Goldstein, by the way? Isn't he supposed to be helping you, instead of you coming here?" Mica pointed out, looking around as if the small (small for a halfling, even) man would jump out from somewhere.

"Don't try to change the subject. You know your mother, rest her soul, wanted you to be a real mensch and learn all that stuff. I'm not saying it's unimportant, but you must learn to take care of the family business now." Shlomo glanced at his irritated-looking son as he passive-aggressively got up, put the book back, and huffed.

"Fine, Dad. Let's go do the rounds." Mica said as he grunted and followed his dad, who finally found the file and waved it around.

"And don't worry about that nebech Goldstein, he had himself an off day. He deserves one too!" Shlomo shouted loudly as he exited the room, so the entire floor filled with gem workers below could hear him shout and have a good laugh.

Mica smirked.

He knew his father really appreciated Goldstein, but he was a bit hard on him. It was probably because he had hoped Mica would be filling the role instead, but really, he's still young, he wasn't sure why his father was so aggressive about him filling his shoes when he was still uncertain about what he wanted to do. For Styllia's sake, he was still just in his twenties, he had time.

Mica shook his head and went out of the room to see the unlit working floor... below? Wait, why was it unlit? Usually, he'd see about a few dozen workers down there sorting and carving gems, and didn't he just hear them laugh?

He looked down at the floor. Why is there a dark hole there?

He touched it. Is that... black goo? It's thick... and warm.

He smelled it. It smells like metal.

He looked up from the floor. Why is Dad just standing there? Dad? Dad?

"Why is there a hole in your stoma-"

The halfling jarred awake. Heaving hard. He glanced left: darkness. He glanced right: darkness, but part of it was green and grunting. Alright, so this is not the dream, right? What I just had was the dream, right. Mica shook his head.