“And you guys are sure about this?” Asher asked, starting to regret letting Moxy take the lead in finding them a seeker. After hearing that she had a plan for where to start looking, he’d expected some sort of seedy tavern, similar to the one he’d found seekers hanging out in back in Dormaul.

  Instead, they were walking through rows of what looked like cabbages in one of the farming sections of Furora, albeit ones growing from large bushes rather than the ground.

  “I know it sounds weird, but I was there too,” Samantha shrugged, examining the cabbage plants as they walked past, their shoes crunching on some sort of pellets that looked like they acted as fertilizer. “Everyone swore that if shards weren’t an issue, and we didn’t know even the rough section of the city our target was within, Mama Fouger was the one to ask.”

  “I get that… But I find it hard to believe that someone with the name ‘Mama Fouger’ is our best bet for tracking down Rulfar,” Asher said, swatting at some tiny insect that landed on his neck. The entire field of crops was filled with the annoying gnat-like bugs, and he and Samantha were having no end of struggle trying to keep them at bay. Moxy just blasted off a small Air Nova every now and again to send the insects flying, chuckling as she watched their struggles.

  After Recalling back to Furora last night, Asher met back up with his companions and ran them through everything he’d learned about the city from Rosh and the library. In exchange, Samantha and Moxy told him what they learned about the seekers, informing him about the fabled Mama Fouger and where they could find her.

  Asher had distinctly not told Samantha anything about his discovery that he was functionally immortal. He wasn’t planning on keeping it a secret forever, but he didn’t want to make her worry until he’d at least looked into possible solutions to the two of them growing separately in age. It would be a more immediate issue if he were still a teenager, but at the ripe old age of twenty three, he could probably hide the fact that he wasn’t growing older from people for a good couple of years if need be.

  He wasn’t planning on keeping his eternal youth a secret for anywhere near that long from Samantha, but it was nice to know he had some time to come up with what he was going to say to other people he interacted with frequently, like Draken or Rosh.

  It wasn’t long before the three of them found themselves standing in front of an old house in the center of the field of crops. Despite its clear age, the house looked as though it was well taken care of, and it even had what looked like a rather fresh coat of paint on it. There were a number of similar cabbage plants hanging from the porch, growing down on a few vines. Asher knew from Rosh’s lecture that each of the blocks of crops dotting the checkerboard-style makeup of Furora was watched over by a single family. Most often, that family lived in the lone structure in the entire farming plot. That meant somehow, Mama Fouger had gone from some sort of famous seeker, to a respected farmer in the community.

  Asher had no idea how one went about making such a career change, but he supposed he could ask her himself once they met her.

  Samantha went to walk up and knock on the door, only to jump back when it was thrown open with a bang, revealing an elderly woman with a large crossbow she looked like she could barely carry clasped between her shaking hands.

  The woman who was presumably Mama Fouger appeared to be in her late nineties, and had not aged all that gracefully. Her frame was shrunken and her limbs withered, and she had massive glasses balanced on a crooked nose, the lenses of which looked thick enough to stop an arrow. She huffed and puffed as though opening the door had been a struggle for her, and Asher wouldn’t have been surprised if she keeled over right then and there.

  Before she’d even registered what the threat was, Samantha manifested her emerald wings, using them to shield herself as she whipped out her bow. But as they took in the older woman standing before them, Mama Fouger spoke before they could explain themselves.

  “Finally back for my head, are yah?!” the old woman shouted, struggling to raise the too-big crossbow and aim it at them. While she did manage to lift the weapon high enough to potentially hit one of them after a few seconds, Asher blinked as he realized she was aiming for the space directly between him and Samantha, as though she couldn’t actually see where they were standing. While the crossbow shook and Mama Fouger threatened to send a rather large bolt straight through one of her weird cabbage plants behind them, Samantha cleared her throat.

  “Are you… Mama Fouger?”

  “Don’t even know the name of your own target?!” Mama Fouger screeched, letting out a sharp laugh that quickly devolved into a coughing fit. Before any of them could so much as offer her some water, the woman pulled the trigger on her crossbow, sending the large bolt shooting past them and straight into her crops with a loud twang.

  “Mama? What are you-?” a large man appeared behind her, looking out of breath. Quickly taking in the scene before him, he cursed and snatched the crossbow out of Mama Fouger’s hands even as she pulled another bolt out from some hidden pocket in her clothes to reload it. “Mama! How many times do I have to tell you?! Not everyone who comes to visit is after your head!”

  “Of course not, I killed those bastards years ago!” Mama Fouger wheezed, finally recovering from her cough as she stretched up to pat the newcomer on the cheek. “Reggy, dear, would you go make us some tea? We’ve got guests, and we don’t want to be rude now.”

  Reggy shared a glance between the three of them and the crossbow he held in his hands, before sighing and nodding his head. “Of course, Mama. Do you need help getting back to your seat?”

  “Do I look like I need your help?!” Mama Fouger snapped, reaching up to presumably grab Reggy’s ear, only to instead grab one of the loose leaves of a hanging cabbage plant. Grumbling to herself about respect, Mama Fouger headed back inside, ripping the cabbage off the plant and dragging it along behind her. As soon as she was inside, Reggy closed the door, letting out another weary sigh as he placed the crossbow down and turned to face them.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “Sorry about Mama Fouger,” he said, chuckling as if being greeted by a crossbow to the face wasn’t a cause for any sort of concern. “How can I help you three?”

  “For starters, I want that woman’s autograph,” Moxy grinned, laughing as she peered over her shoulder at the plant that now had a crossbow bolt sticking out of it. “Not that I ever thought I’d live to see old age, but if I do, I want to be just like Mama Fouger!”

  “Is she always like that?” Samantha asked, frowning at Reggy. “We were told Mama Fouger was the best of the best when it came to seekers. Is this some sort of practical joke?”

  “No, Mama’s retired now, but she’s definitely the best when it comes to finding a target,” Reggy confirmed, smiling as he stared over their shoulders like he was reliving an old memory. “You should have seen her in her prime. One of the scariest warriors to roam the city, and impossible to run away from. The nobles tried to convince her to become their guard captain on more than one occasion, but Mama always refused. Said she didn’t want to dance around and worry about their ‘rules and tight pants.’ Whatever that even means.”

  “Are you her family?” Asher asked, catching himself from saying ‘son’ at the last second. With how old Mama Fouger looked, Reggy looked more like he was her potential grandson, or even great-grandson perhaps.

  “In a sense,” Reggy said, smiling as he opened the door and motioned for them to follow him. “Here, she’s probably asleep now. Come inside and we can talk about who you’re looking for.”

  More curious than anything, Asher followed Reggy inside, with Moxy and Samantha right behind him. The old farmhouse was cluttered with so many random knickknacks and tools that there wasn’t a ton of space to stand, but Reggy shepherded them over into a cozy living room that someone had crammed three entire couches into around a fireplace. There was also a large comfy chair, which currently held a snoring Mama Fouger.

  Motioning for them all to take a seat on one of the couches, Reggy picked up a discarded blanket and tucked Mama Fouger in, before vanishing into a small kitchen off to the side. He returned only a few seconds later, carrying a tray filled with already-prepared tea.

  “Mama Fouger told me you three were coming,” he explained as he put the tray down and motioned for them to help themselves. “Her mind might not be all there these days, but her skills haven’t grown any weaker than they once were. Nobody sets foot on her farm without her feeling their approach.”

  “I’ve never actually considered how such powerful skills might affect someone as they grow older,” Asher admitted, sipping from his tea as he gazed upon Mama Fouger’s sleeping form. He tried to imagine what would happen if someone with a Strength element grew senile, or someone with a Fire element with PTSD suddenly thought they were back in a war they’d fought decades ago.

  Perhaps the reason why he’d never really seen anyone Mama Fouger’s age out and about was because they were taken care of in incredibly well-guarded nursing homes.

  “It’s not easy,” Reggy said, gazing lovingly at Mama Fouger. “Half the time she wakes up and demands her crossbow, saying she can feel her target and needs to go find them. In reality, all the targets she’s feeling are her own family members living their own lives throughout the city. They come visit frequently enough, but she doesn’t even recognize them half the time.”

  “She seems to recognize you at least,” Samantha offered, giving him a small smile. “You must be someone rather special to her.”

  “Oh, no,” Reggy said, chuckling as he waved a hand. “My name’s not actually Reggy. Reggy is one of my older brothers, the very first kid she ended up taking in. We all realized ages ago it was easier just to let her call all of us Reggy than confuse her with our actual names.”

  “I’m sorry,” Samantha said, wincing as she glanced at the snoring Mama Fouger. “What is your name then?”

  “When I’m here, in Mama Fouger’s house? It’s Reggy,” he said, grinning at them. “Now, that’s probably enough pleasantries. Who are you three looking for?”

  “A man named Rulfar,” Moxy said, lifting a hand high above her head. “Tall, built like a bull, carries around a giant axe. Can she help us find him?”

  “Maybe… Do you have anything that belongs to him?”

  Moxy looked at Asher, who merely shook his head. “No, we don’t. Is a description not enough?”

  “Maybe back when Mama Fouger’s mind was better, but no, not these days,” Reggy said, sighing as he leaned back. “She can’t really leave the house much. Normally the quick job she takes here and there is little more than her pointing at a map of the city to give you a location of the sector your target is in. Still incredibly helpful with how large Furora is, but nothing compared to what she was once capable of.”

  “Actually… I don’t have anything that belongs to him… But I do have a skill that lets me share my memories,” Asher said, an idea forming in his mind. “Would giving Mama Fouger a memory of Rulfar work?”

  “Oh yeah, that would work no problem,” Reggy snorted. “Mama Fouger is more than capable of sensing people based on a memory. With how frequently she wakes up and tries to go on a hunt for her kids despite all their old belongings being tucked away, she’s made that clear enough.”

  “You don’t think giving her a foreign memory is a bad idea?” Samantha asked, looking at Mama Fouger nervously. “I mean, if her mind is already as scattered as it is…”

  “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine,” Reggy reassured her. “One of my sisters is a traveling merchant with a similar skill. She shares a couple of memories whenever she stops by of the different places she’s traveled to. Mama Fouger always loves seeing her adventures. If anything, I think it actually helps give her some clarity for a bit. Almost like she can tell the difference between a new memory and an old one.”

  “If you’re sure,” Asher said, in agreement with Samantha’s concerns. He wanted to find Rulfar, of course, but he wasn’t about to turn an old woman’s mind to mush to do it.

  “Trust me, she’ll love it,” Reggy said, leaning forward and tapping Mama Fouger’s hand. “Mama? Are you up for helping a few kind visitors with a quick seeker job?”

  “Of course I’m fine!” Mama Fouger snapped, jerking awake and pretending as if she hadn’t just been utterly dead to the world for their entire conversation. “Who are we looking for?”

  Reggy motioned for Asher to do his thing. With a shrug, Asher leaned forward, laying a hand on Mama Fouger’s forehead and pushing his memory of meeting Rulfar toward her. With a grunt, Mama Fouger slapped his hand away, shoving a finger in her ear and twisting it around as she began muttering.

  “Approximately six foot eight, northern descent, capable fighter at first glance, but favors his left leg. Strong constitution, weak mental fortitude, chatty. Rulfar the Hound…”

  Asher could only blink as Mama Fouger rattled this all off instantly, as though she’d gotten a glance at Rulfar’s medical records and run a full diagnostics on the man from the few seconds of memory he’d given her. This didn’t appear to be all that unusual, however, as Reggy merely nodded and pulled out a large map.

  “Excellent job, Mama,” he said, placing the map before her. “Can you help locate him for them?”

  “What a stupid question,” Mama Fouger said, slapping a finger down hard on the coffee table. “He’s right here! He’s been here for days!”

  Asher stared at Mama Fouger’s finger, which was pressed hard against the wood of the coffee table a good couple of inches off the edge of the city map entirely. Glancing up, he saw the thin line Reggy’s lips had formed, and the man let out a contemplative hum as if he recognized roughly where she’d tapped.

  “That… might be a problem.”

  more words once all the editing was said and done, which is functionally equivalent to two additional chapters of content added just going by word count haha. More details will be coming as we get closer to the eventual stub date, but that's still a ways away. The book is being published on May 19th, and it would mean the world to me if any of you guys who want to support the launch of my first actual book, or who might be interested in rereading the professionally edited story again from the beginning, would be willing to check it out when it does. If you happen to fall into one of those categories, you're super awesome, and I really appreciate it! Here is a link to the preorder just to keep it on everyone's radar!

  https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0GGZVWY8D

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