For Zeltara, it had become increasingly common for her mornings to begin with the detonation of small explosives in her immediate vicinity. This might be alarming to most people. She had woken up the neighbors enough in the past few months. But the elf covered head to toe in soot saw it as a cause for celebration. After all, it wasn’t every day someone came a small step closer to having their name written into the history books.

  Inside a small bedroom cluttered with history books and machinery parts, a young teenage elf labored at a workbench. Her hands fiddled with the pieces of metal in her hands. Her only sources of light came from a candle on a nearby desk and the moonlight from the window. Zeltara had gotten used to working in the candlelight before sunrise. She often found herself working too much during the day to have time for her personal projects. The pieces in her hand came together with a click, one step closer.

  Zeltara knew she was close to making a breakthrough. In her hands, the elf held a small black marble with a hole in it. Her hand moved over to a clear bottle of black powder on her right side. Carefully, Zeltara picked up the bottle and poured the contents into the marble. She needed to pour gently for two seconds. Too much and it would end up like the previous attempt. She was lucky that the explosion hadn’t woken up her father. He always slept like the dead. The elf set aside the bottle. The last step was to insert a cap into the hole and twist it. It locked in place with a click. With that, her project was now complete, hopefully.

  In Zeltara’s hands held her latest invention, what appeared to be a normal black marble. She had worked on it for months now. Zeltara spun it around on her fingers to check for imperfections along the surface. With none found, she shook it and leaped behind her bed for cover. She waited for a moment before peeking over the edge. No explosions this time. With a huge smile, the elf barely stopped herself from yelling in celebration. She would need to do more tests later, but this appeared to be a success.

  Zeltara got up, grabbed the candle from the table, and left her room. She walked down the dark hallway towards the bathroom. She passed by various family pictures and a grandfather clock. The worn wooden floorboards creaked softly with each step she took. She reached the bathroom and entered. Closing the door behind her, she set the candle down and turned on the sink. Zeltara rinsed her short red hair with water to get all the soot and grime out. She wiped off her tan tunic and brown pants. Next, she scrubbed her face. With a splash of water, she finished cleaning up and looked in the mirror.

  Her amethyst eyes framed in fair skin stared back from the reflection as the elf failed to find any more signs of filth. Her gaze moved towards her pointed ears. They may have given substantial grief in her life, but Zeltara could never hate them. They were the only things her mother left for her after all. She could still faintly remember the days her father would look upon them with happiness and pride. Those days were long past now. She shook the thought away before turning the sink off and leaving the bathroom.

  Zeltara returned to her room and cleaned up the mess her earlier failed attempt had caused. She put the scattered parts into the trash beside her workbench with the other failures. The elf knew she was creating inventions perhaps never seen before. It came with the territory that there would be more than a few failures. She refused to let herself be discouraged in her endeavors. Zeltara went to pick up the books lying on the ground. The first was a history book that detailed long-abandoned ruins from the first era. The once grand civilizations and wonders that ruled with might were now forgotten by everything but a few old historical texts. So much knowledge was lost in the sands of time. In a passing thought, Zeltara wondered if she was perhaps not inventing something new, but rather rediscovering something that was lost.

  With her cleaning done, Zeltara returned to her workbench and picked up the black marble. While absentmindedly inspecting it, she thought about the progress just made. What she created today was but one step toward her dream. Countless discoveries were waiting to be made. The mystery was so tantalizing, and Zeltara couldn’t wait to spend her life searching for the secrets of the forgotten civilizations. In just a few short years, she would step out into the world and begin unravelling the lost knowledge of the past. Nothing was going to stop her from reaching this goal.

  “Zeltara!” A shout came from her bedroom that slammed open. She almost dropped the marble in surprise. Zeltara turned to see her father, Kolidran, standing at the doorway. He was a portly human with a tan skin tone, graying brown hair, and a serious expression. He saw his daughter sitting at her workbench and said, “The workshop is opening soon. I need your help downstairs.” He takes notice of what Zeltara is working on. “I’m glad of your continued interest in the family business, but how many times have I told you not to waste time on your gadgets? There are plenty of orders and repairs to be done downstairs. Now, come along, we’re already behind schedule.” Her father then turned and lumbered down the hallway.

  “Sure thing, Dad.” Zeltara followed him past their living area and down the stairs. The family workshop occupied the entire first floor. A wooden counter with a cash till was near the front entrance. Behind it were several workbenches with unfinished orders on them. Tools lined the wall, and the back opened to the outside where a blacksmithing furnace was located. The workshop was small, yet suited the needs of the father and daughter. She always thought the place had a rather cozy feel to it. Kolidran walked to the counter and wrote on a piece of paper.

  “We’re almost out of groceries. I’ll handle opening shop for the day while you go to the markets to restock. Try to be back quickly so you can help me. It will be a busy day.” Kolidran handed her the paper. Zeltara read the list and agreed to the simple task. She was glad to get some morning air before work today. Perhaps it would help her stay awake after the early morning she had. Zeltara and her father exchanged quick goodbyes. She made sure to grab a basket before leaving through the front door.

  Zeltara exited the shop onto the cool morning streets of Urada. The sun had not yet fully risen, leaving the streets to be lit by streetlamps. The mana that powered them left the street lit in a warm cerulean color that reflected off the stone pathways. She walked towards the central market a few streets away. Zeltara took in the sights as she walked. Stone buildings with wooden roofs lined the streets. When illuminated by the street lamps, it gave the pathway an ethereal look.

  The sun began to rise, waking up the rest of the town. The beams caused the streetlights to shut off with an audible click. Several people came out onto the streets to begin their morning routines. To her right, Zeltara noticed a woman sweeping inside of her shop. With each sweep, a small gust of wind blew dust and dirt out of the shop. After another minute of travel, she passed two men exchanging morning pleasantries. One had an unlit tobacco pipe in his mouth. Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers, causing a small flame to appear at the end of his thumb. He then lit the pipe and smoked. With a small flick of his wrist, the flame disappeared. The elf ignored the jealousy that flickered within her. She knew that watching never helped, but mana always fascinated her. A power that was limited only by the imagination, but out of her reach. She dispelled those thoughts and continued on her journey.

  Zeltara reached the central market stalls. She began shopping for groceries needed on the list. She didn’t converse with any of the stall owners beyond the bare minimum. It wasn’t like they would want to talk to her anyway. No, the only thing they gave was cold indifference. Best to get it over with quickly. Besides, the faster she was, the more time there was to talk with a certain somebody worth conversing with.

  Next, Zeltara headed to the last place she needed to shop. Down the street from the market stalls stood The Bread Basket Bakery. After a quick walk over, Zeltara entered the shop. Various ovens lined the stone walls inside the bakery. By one of the ovens, the baker stood with his hand pressed against the side. His palms emitted a teal light as the stones at the bottom of the oven started to glow orange and the oven heated. He then walked to a table in the back and began to knead dough.

  Zeltara turned her attention to the front counter, where she saw an old elf woman waiting. The elder noticed she had entered the shop and gave a welcoming smile. She waved the younger girl over and said, “Zeltara, it’s wonderful to see you again. Are you shopping for your father again?”

  “Selossa, good to see you too,” Zeltara said as she walked over to the counter. “Yeah, Dad made me get groceries before the shop gets too busy. How have you been doing? Hallard isn’t working you too hard, is he?” The baker briefly glanced up at the mention of his name but said nothing.

  “Oh no, Hallard is a sweetheart, as always. I’m still thankful that he hired me to work here. Many other places turned me down, but that man has a heart of gold. How is the workshop doing? Not getting too busy there, are you?”

  “The workshop is doing great. We’ve been seeing an uptick in business lately, but that’s normal during the summer. Dad has needed my help more recently, so I haven’t had a lot of free time. He’s been teaching me how to take over the business. By the way, two loaves of bread please.” Selossa walked over to the nearby display and grabbed two loaves. She returned to the counter and began to wrap them.

  “Well, I’m glad to hear your two are doing so well.” She handed the two loaves of bread to Zeltara, who placed them into her basket. “I’m so happy to hear that your father is teaching you the business. It’s so kind of him to do so. He must really love you. Thirty bronze coins, please.”

  Zeltara handed the money over. “Of course he does. He’s my dad. He always wanted me to learn the family trade. It’d be that way for any family, wouldn’t it?”

  Selossa paused for a second before answering. “Well, not everyone would be willing to do as your father did. It was a big responsibility to take care of you and the shop. And with your ancestry, well, there’s a reason there are only a few elves living in Urada.”

  Zeltara’s expression soured. “I’m all too aware of that. People make it known to me every day, even if they don’t say anything. I’m glad we have people like Hallard and my dad out in the world.” Zeltara smiled at the thought. “But enough about all that. It’s been a week since I’ve been able to get away from the workshop. Anything new around town that I should know about?”

  “Nothing too exciting has happened recently. Though I have heard of a certain someone who has come to town. Someone who I think you’d be excited for.” A sly smile had settled on Selossa’s face.

  “Come on now. No need to tease me about it. Just tell me who it is.” Zeltara was excited. If Selossa was teasing her about this, then it could only be a few possibilities.

  Selossa waited for a moment to keep Zeltara in suspense. The younger elf could feel herself fidgeting in suspense. Finally, she said, “Well, a little birdie or two recently told me that the traveling minstrel has come to town. He arrived a few days ago and should be around for one or two more.”

  Zeltara could hardly contain herself. “Really? The traveling minstrel has arrived? He hasn’t been here since early spring. I can’t wait to hear what stories he has to tell. Maybe he’ll have something new for sale I can use for my inventions.” Zeltara’s heels bounced as she could barely keep herself from jumping for joy. “I’ll have to ask my dad for a day off tomorrow. This is the most excitement Urada has had since the summer solstice festival last month.”

  “Well, I’m glad that you’re happy, dearie. I knew you would love the news. The last time a traveling minstrel came to town, you didn’t talk about anything else for the next three visits.”

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  In the back, Hallard finished preparing the dough and walked over to the counter. “Alright you two, quit yapping. I’ve got a business to run so get going, girl.” He pointed to the door. Zeltara and Selossa exchanged quick goodbyes before the younger elf left. By now the sun had risen completely, and people were walking the streets. She made her way back to the workshop at a brisk pace. If the elf hurried, she would still make it on time.

  Zeltara walked through the front door of the workshop to see her father helping several customers at the counter. Kolidran looked over at the sound of the door opening. Seeing Zeltara, he asked, “What took you so long? No matter, put the groceries away and help me with the shop.”

  “No problem.” The young elf went upstairs and put away the groceries in the kitchen. Upon her return, she walked to a workbench and began working on a repair order. While tinkering, Zeltara asked, “Hey Dad, there’s a traveling minstrel in town. He’ll only be here for a few days. Can I have tomorrow off so that I can go see him?”

  Kolidran had by then dealt with the customers at the counter. He walked over to his own workbench to work on an order. “Don’t know. Might be too busy tomorrow for just myself. Besides, I don’t want you to entertain your flights of fancy. I remember the last time you went to see one of them. Now, focus on your work. Don’t want to make any mistakes. We’re extra busy, so I’ll need help today.”

  Zeltara grimaced at the non-answer, but did as she was told. She figured that by working hard enough today, there would be less to do tomorrow. If her father could handle the workload on his own, then he might be more likely to say yes. It could even be a reward for all the effort she had put in lately. Zeltara decided to ask her father during dinner that night and threw herself into work for the day.

  The Workshop was known to repair almost anything. It could be tools, furniture, appliances, clothes, or even the occasional medium. If something was damaged, then The Workshop could fix it. Zeltara felt that the lack of a name was strange, but they were the only workshop in Urada, so it wasn’t like it was needed. That, and it wouldn’t surprise Zeltara if her father just named it The Workshop, considering how unimaginative he was. These thoughts filled her mind as she spent the day at the workbench making repairs and manning the counter. At one point, the elf and her father took a half-hour lunch break before continuing into the afternoon. It was all routine at this point. While tinkering with damaged items was one of Zeltara’s favorite things to do, she couldn’t help but find the monotony painfully boring.

  Work continued as usual until the late afternoon. Zeltara was repairing the leg of a broken chair when she saw a young man waiting at the counter. Since her father was distracted with his own order, she went to the counter to greet the customer. The man told her he was there to pick up an order and gave her an order slip. Upon reading it, the elf reached under the counter and grabbed a mana lantern. She placed the lantern on the counter and looked at the paper attached to it.

  “Well, it looks like you had a broken mana lantern here that wouldn’t light. Luckily, the problem was an easy fix. That’ll be two silver, and thank you for coming to The Workshop!” Zeltara said.

  The man took the mana lantern in his hands and examined it for a moment. He then took a quick glance at her before gaining a smug look. He turned to the elf and said, “It’s fixed, you say? Well, how are you able to know? For all I know, you could be trying to rip me off.”

  A fire ignited within Zeltara at the accusation. “Excuse me? Are you accusing me of shoddy craftsmanship? I fixed your lantern just fine. Now pay up and leave.” The elf had to hold herself back from saying or doing anything more. She knew it wasn’t worth getting into trouble over this jerk.

  “Well, it’s not like you would be able to check, what with you being an elf and all. And everyone knows what your kind is like. Always trying to take money from hard-working men like myself.” With a bit of showmanship, the man held a hand up to the lantern. The hand gave off a dim glow, and the lantern failed to light. “Would you look at that? It seems you didn’t do your job after all. I guess I’ll just take my lantern somewhere more reputable to get fixed. To think you wanted me to pay for this terrible patch job.” The man took a half-step turn towards the door to make an escape.

  “Just wait a moment, you-” Zeltara was interrupted by a hand landing firmly on her shoulder. She turned her head to see her father standing there glaring at the man.

  “Come back here and give me the lamp now,” Kolidran said. The man begrudgingly turned back to the counter and handed the lantern back to Kolidran. Her father’s hand glowed as it held the lantern. The device lit up with a cool blue light that filled the room. He then took his hand away from it, and the light extinguished. He gave the lantern back to the man.

  “Well, would you look at that? It appears to be working now. Must have needed a little more mana, is all. Now that will be three silver.” The man sputtered at the price increase, but relented. He handed the coins to him and stomped out of the shop. Kolidran turned and patted Zeltara on the shoulder. In a soft voice unusual for him, he said, “Don’t worry about him now. Let’s finish up for the day and have dinner, alright?”

  “Sure, thanks Dad.” She was still upset about the encounter but had long resigned herself to it. It took another hour to finally close. They finished cleaning and cleared the shop of customers. With the sun on the horizon, father and daughter made their way upstairs. They then started working on dinner together. Kolidran chopped up meat and vegetables while Zeltara stirred the pot and added spices for taste. Soon they found themselves with a finished stew. Zeltara set the table as Kolidran sliced a loaf of bread and poured the stew into two bowls. The two sat across from each other at a small table, ready to eat.

  Both of them brought their hands together in prayer. Kolidran said, “Kotodor, Amedori of good fortune, and the other holy lords presiding in Heaven. As we gather together to partake in this bounty, we pray that you bless this meal. We thank you for your daily guidance and the blessings you provide for us. Glory to the holy lords, amen.” With the prayer finished, the two began to eat their supper. There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes as they enjoyed their meal.

  Kolidran looked up at his daughter between bites. “I am proud of the work you did today. Every day, you improve and learn more about the business. If you keep this up, then someday you will even take over The Workshop from me.”

  Zeltara frowned at the praise and stopped eating. “You didn’t answer before, but could I please go see the traveling minstrel tomorrow?” She looked up at her father, who was now frowning too. He sat there eating for a few moments, deep in thought.

  There was a pause before he answered. “Unfortunately not. We’ll likely be too busy tomorrow. I’ll need your help for the full day.”

  “But we did so much work today. We should be ahead on orders. Why can’t I go see him? He’s the most exciting thing that happens around here. Besides, I want to see what he has for sale. There could be an inspiration for my inventions.” Zeltara smiled at the thought, but stopped when she saw the severe look on her father’s face.

  Both father and daughter stopped eating. The stew lay forgotten at this point. “That’s why I don’t want you to see him. He puts all these fancy ideas into your head. There’s no place for those trinkets you make. They don’t help anything for anyone.” Kolidran said, waving his hand dismissively. The fire from before reentered Zeltara as she defended herself.

  “They help me reach my dream. I want to go on a journey to explore the world. I want to go see the lost ruins of the old eras. Who knows what secrets lie within them? No one else in the world seems interested in discovery nowadays. Everyone is too happy to sit in their homes and watch life pass them by.” The passion that filled her voice at the end had no effect on the father.

  “No one’s interested because there’s no point in looking around old ruins. The sixth crisis ended twenty-eight years ago. They don’t have to wander around seeking adventure when everything they need is right there. Why would you waste your life wandering in the wilds when you can do something meaningful with your life? The Workshop provides a necessary service to the people of Urada. There’s no shame in making a future with the family business. Now, forget about this nonsense.” Kolidran, thinking the matter was finished, turned back to his meal. His daughter had other plans.

  “All you want is for me to sit here in this town and work for the rest of my life. That’s not what I want. It’s not what I ever wanted. But you don’t care about what I want, do you? It’s all about the family business, isn’t it?” Zeltara’s voice rose until she was yelling.

  “It’s about keeping you safe! Do you know how dangerous it is to go out in the wilds, with all those monsters and more? People get killed out there all the time. It is especially true for someone like you.”

  “Oh, so now you’re on about that too. Bad enough everyone else gives me crap about having elf blood. But to hear it coming from you too is just-”

  “Don’t get started on that, you know what I mean. Do I need to spell it out? You can’t use mana like everyone else. You can’t use the one thing everybody needs to survive in the wilds. How are you going to survive without using mana tools? You can’t light a lamp, start a stove, or even filter water. What will you do when a creature or bandit attacks you? You can’t use spells to defend yourself. Elves aren’t as physically capable as humans. All you’ll accomplish is getting yourself killed.” Kolidran was yelling at this point. Both pushed their seats back and stood up across from each other. Both were getting red in the face as both glared at each other.

  Zeltara shouted back. “Do you think I don’t know that? I know better than anyone just what my disadvantages are. What do you think my inventions are for? Do you think I just waste my time away in my room daydreaming about the future? I know what I want to do with my life, and it isn’t wasting it here at this place.” A tense silence settled as both took a moment to catch their breath. Kolidran looked over at a table to the side of the room. On it was a picture of himself and an elf woman with familiar hair and eye color. He scowled at it.

  “After everything I have done for you. I have spent years preparing you to take over The Workshop. The place my father created after his service in the war that he passed down to me. It’s everything I can possibly give you. And you want to throw it all away and run off gallivanting around the world. Just like your mother.” Zeltara's eyes teared up at the insinuation, but Kolidran hadn’t noticed. He raised his voice again. “Just like her, you want to leave me here. All alone at this shop with nobody to turn to. You’re probably planning to leave at the first opportunity, like her. Abandon me like she abandoned the both of us. Just take what I have to give and stomp it into the dirt. If you want to go and lose your life chasing some fantasy in some faraway land, then be my guest. But you’re no better than she is.”

  Kolidran’s words caught up with him, and he stopped himself. The father’s face fell when he realized what he had said in anger. He turned to see that his daughter had tears trailing down her face. Zeltara walked around the table and began making her way down the hall. Kolidran timidly reached out and opened his mouth to say something. However, the words now failed to come to him. As she stormed down the hallway to her room, she failed to hear her father’s apology or see his remorse-filled face. She sprinted to her room and slammed the door. The elf went over to her workbench and worked well into the night. She fell asleep there after several hours of fruitless labor.

  After a fitful night of sleep, Zeltara faced the morning with volatile emotions. Her expression reflected the storm cloud that was swirling in her head. At first, she didn’t want to leave her room, but an empty stomach had her heading to the kitchen. Although Zeltara hoped to avoid her father, he was there at the table when she came in. She planned to ignore him, but Kolidran had other plans.

  He waved to get her attention and gestured to the seat across from him. Zeltara begrudgingly obeyed the request, retaking their positions from the previous night. There was a moment of silence before. With guilt showing on his face, Kolidran said, “I’m sorry for what I said last night. It wasn’t right, and I don’t actually think that about you.” He raised his hand from under the table to reveal the picture from last night. The father gave it a look full of longing. “It’s just, you both are so alike in many ways.”

  “You made that abundantly clear last night,” Zeltara said. She was about to continue last night’s argument when Kolidran lifted his hand to quiet her.

  “That’s not what I meant. You don’t have the things I disliked about her. The qualities you share are what I love most about you two. You both are ambitious and have larger-than-life dreams. When something grabs your attention, you tackle it with a passion I rarely see. You see life differently than I ever could. That drive is what made me fall in love with her. It’s what I love about you.” A brief silence fell between them. Zeltara couldn’t find anything to say. Kolidran continued, “I just want you to be safe. You are my daughter, and I love you. Never doubt that. I just want you to be here, where you can live a quiet and happy life. A life away from all the trouble and stress of the outside world.” Kolidran chuckled. “Though you seem to not be interested in the quiet life.”

  Silence took over the room once again. Zeltara took several moments to find her voice again. “I’m sorry too, Dad. But I can’t help but feel the way I do. I know you want me to be safe. Please know that I’m not rushing into this. I know it will be dangerous, and I’m planning to take every precaution before I do anything. Just know that no matter what, I care about you. Even if I’m halfway across the world, I’ll still think about you.”

  “Well, at least you are better than your mother in that regard.” There was humor in his voice now. “You may have inherited her looks, but you have a heart like mine. Along with my bullheadedness and temper. But enough about that.” He stood up from the table with Zeltara following a moment later. Kolidran gave her a considering look. “How about you go and see that traveling minstrel? It’s true that we got a lot of work done yesterday. Take the morning off and go enjoy yourself. Try to be back by afternoon though. I may need your help by then.”

  Zeltara ran up and hugged her father. “Thank you so much, Dad! I promise to be back on time.” She rushed to her room to grab a satchel and outdoor boots. Coming back downstairs, the elf then dashed past her father but stopped at the doorway. Zeltara turned back to her father. “I love you too. You never doubt that either.”

  Kolidran took a moment to respond. “I don’t know why you and your mother share this wanderlust. It’s something I’m unable to grasp myself. I still think you should stop pursuing something so dangerous. But we can talk about that another day. For now, go enjoy yourself.”

  Zeltara agreed and left the workshop. The sun was already up and people filled the streets. She took off running so that she could arrive on time. Zeltara weaved through people as she made her way to the town square. In her haste, she bumped into a few people but kept pace with quick apologies. As she reached the outskirts of town square, the foot traffic began to thin out. Zeltara could see the telltale carriage of the traveling minstrel over the small crowd that had already begun to gather. Distracted by her goal in sight, she sped up to reach the crowd. This caused her to collide with two teenage boys, one blond and the other brunette. All three sprawled out on the ground.

  They all scrambled to their feet. Both boys were a few years older than her and at least half a foot taller. Once they both took in her appearance, they both sneered. The blond said, “Well, look who it is, an elf. What’s knife-eared scum like you knocking into us for?” The comment washed away the apology on Zeltara’s lips and replaced it with righteous indignation.

  “What did you just call me? Knife-eared, did your brains leak out of your head when you knocked into me? Who do you think you are?” The blond was about to respond when the brunette grabbed his shoulder. He pointed toward the town square, where a blond girl in a cloak was sneaking towards the crowd.

  The blond gave Zeltara one last glance. ”We’ll deal with you later, heaven forsaken elf. But first, we have to give someone else payback for earlier.”

  As they ran off, Zeltara wiped dirt off herself. She really wanted to go after them for their comments, but reluctantly decided to let them go. The last thing she needed was to miss the traveling minstrel. This didn’t last long, as the elf saw the two teenage boys harassing the girl the brunette pointed at. One had his hands around her wrists as she struggled to break free. Wanting payback for what they said earlier, Zeltara ran over to the three to give them a piece of her mind. Unknown to her, another teenage boy was making his way over to the group with similar intent. Zeltara didn’t know it at the time, but her destiny was about to take a drastic turn.