I sighed contentedly as the mining village of Gemena appeared on the horizon. Finally, the last stop before we hit Kinshasa.

“Do you know what I’m going to do now that I got sorghums?” I asked offhandedly.

Annie sighed on the driver’s seat beside me. “Are you still on about that?”

She had the reins for the day, and wasn’t the biggest fan of driving, so I was keeping her company. Yep, it was aaaall for her sake.

“Getting those sorghums was the best thing to happen to me on Erd since Bran’s special meat pies. So…?” I asked again.

“Ugh. Fine. What’re you going to do now that you’ve got sorghums?”

“Floss more!”

Annie glowered at me. “I think I’d rather be alone than stuck up here with you.”

“Awww, you love it!”

“Again, I love Balin. I tolerate you.”

“Ouf.”

“Do you have anything we could actually discuss?”

“Not really. Almost three weeks cooped up together has dried up that well. We could talk more about beer facts.”

Annie grimaced. “Even I am growing weary of beer facts.”

“We could discuss tha awful smell startin’ to permeate the wagon after Kirk-White’s seven dwarves spent three weeks cooped up in it.”

“Kirk White?”

“And Fighty, Casty, Flirty, Whiney, Bossy, Oldy, and Pete.”

“Those are…?”

“Our names.”

“Hah! Who’s Flirty? Aqua or Johnsson?”

I grinned. “Depends on who’s bein’ Whiney.”

“Uh huh. Can you go bother someone else?” Annie snapped the reins for emphasis, and up ahead there was a complaining bleat. “Sorry Penelope!”

“Nope. Balin’s walking with his team, Johnsson’s been keepin’ with Copperpot’s guards, Bran and Opal are ‘hanging out’ in their cart, and Malt keeps fallin’ asleep whenever we chat.”

“Then go spend time with Richter? Weren’t you learning from him?”

I shook my head. “Richter and Aqua are busy researching music magic with Berry. They want a handle on it before she shows everyone at Kinshasa University how to do it. Well, Richter’s researching, Aqua’s probably sitting in a plush chair and fanning herself.”

“Gods, I wish I could join her.”

“Nope. You’re stuck here with me for the foreseeable future. But don’t worry, we’re almost there! Only four more days to go!”

“Not soon enough. Hyah!”

*BAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!* [Translated from Prima Donna Goat] “If you continue to flagellate my sensitive porcelaine hide with those reins, I swear to the Gods I will EAT YOUR SOCKS!”

Annie winced. “Sorry Penelope!”

There was still at least an hour until we made it to the squat buildings in the distance, and we mostly spent it in silence. I quickly grew bored and started cycling through using my Abilities. Using Abilities often enough helped them evolve into better versions depending on usage. So far the only Ability I’d evolved was [Flash of Insight].

[Flash of Insight x 2] - Sometimes all an aspiring [Alchemist] needs to make an experiment succeed is the right idea. You gain a flash of insight regarding a subject of your choice.

This Ability can be used twice a day.