Trelix never remembers that I visit every day, so he greets me as if he hasn't seen me in months. He examines my ear and is impressed with my progress. He tells me about an assignment Gerta did well on. He's so proud of his daughter, but she did that assignment last year. He recalls his past much better than his present, so I mix up stories of my new adventures with some of the fun things we did when I was younger.
In some ways, he's still Trelix. He's quick with a laugh, although it's not as hardy as it used to be. And he loves gossip. I'm trying to get better at it, but I honestly don't care what others do. Fortunately, I don't need fresh material or even original stuff, so it's easy to shock him or make him laugh.
Sometimes I catch him gazing in Carfron's direction, and I wonder if he can sense something there. Gretchen and Jonah make Carfron nervous, but he doesn't seem to mind Trelix scrutinizing him, which makes me believe that Trelix can't see anything. But who knows, he may blurt something out one day.
I'm late when I meet Jonah for lunch. The elves call late lunch wasa-nini, and it's a popular time to meet friends. We're trying a new place that serves only herbivores—to feed them, not eat them. Several tribes have sought refuge in Cromsmead, and the people are more diverse than usual. It's causing some problems, but also good things, like this restaurant, Hazaụlọ. I don't know what the name means or what language it is.
I wasn't too sure about it because it's in the basement. Space is at a premium now, so the castle is being used for all kinds of things. On my way to the restaurant, I pass a smithy specializing in shields, a beauty salon that sharpens horns, and a fruit stand that are all new to this passageway.
The halls are bustling with creatures of all sorts vying for position; some even opt to fly. The noise, crowds, and controlled chaos make me miss New York. There's a line at the door, but fortunately, Jonah has already pulled a table close to a window that has a pretty view of the village.
"I see why they chose this place for a restaurant. I don't know why I'm so shocked that elves even decorate their storage areas," I say as I look around. On the longer walls, purple bricks and blue-grey stones form any number of mythical creatures. They're not carved. The bricks are uncut and pieced together to make an extraordinary relief. The space is divided with a crazy amount of haphazardly spaced archways. The ceiling resembles an inverted mountain range with so many arches converging into such a small area.
Behind me is a lifesize mosaic dragon that's so large I can barely reach the beautifully crafted scaly toe. The artist in me wants to study every relief, but I don't want to be rude to Jonah.
"How is that possible?" I ask, pointing at the scenery out the window.
"It's a mirage."
"Can we change the view? I see this every day," I ask after taking a seat.
He touches the window, and a bunch of symbols appear. "What language is that?"
"Tọgàdello. I thought it was appropriate because of the proprietor," Jonah says as if that should make sense.
"How many languages can you speak?"
"All of them," he answers as a waterfall appears out our window.
"That's nice. Can I pick one?"
He pulls up the symbols again. I touch an upside Christmas tree, and the landscape changes to silvery water reflecting a starry sky. Lights streak across with a musical whistle as they pass. "Nice. It reminds me of the Voyage," I say.
"What would you like?"
"A menu," I answer with a grin.
He grins back. "Would you like me to order for you?"
