Chapter 266 - Alcon Epke

As Bittore was standing near the Fire, trying to fry some meat near it for the kids to enjoy... Well fill their stomach, it is hard to enjoy Rat bug meat and the two bags of food Mogranius and Eric provided can only supply them with a better taste only a few days if they solely depend on it, they had to make it last a bit more.

She saw Eric and Osira carrying a few Bricks together, to show off what they found. The perfectly carved rock is just an example of the technology awaiting for them on the fourth tunnel. Putting two and two together, Bittore thought that they didn't find anything special on Tunnel 4 and just brought these bricks up from the storage room, lending a hand.

But yet her face still smiled, an idea popped in her head right away and she was eager to present it for the good of this little tribe. "You didn't tell me that there are spare bricks down there!" She complained in a little bit of enthusiasm as she tried to stand up after.

"Oh there isn't!" Answered Osira directly since she understood that her mother meant the Storage room, gently putting down the 3 foot long bricks after she approached her mother and repeated. "Please sit!"

"Alright alright, I'm fine thanks to Eric you don't need to worry about me!" She kept showing gratitude towards Eric but unintentionally kept reminding everyone that he cried, even funnier it kept reminding everyone that Eric's tears were smacked out of him. There are only a handful of people up here at the moment but still. "He is the one we should thank more often, this little kid saved my life!" Afterwards as if irresistible, she grabbed Eric's cheek and squeezed it hard. Leaving a small little mark on it.

"Um yes indeed he helped us a lot so far." Regardless if she wanted to admit it or not, Eric was bold enough to figure out how the scary saw works. "We found something special at the fourth tunnel in our exploration row, I think you will love this."

The reason why Osira used those specific set of words? Simple once you get to know Bittore a bit better. Ever since she started living deep in the forest along with this tribe of Ignites, she has always tried to provide all the comforts of home. So when she wasn't hunting, she was building anything that would provide more and more comfort.

"There are a lot of these bricks down here, possibly thousands!" Osira explained in enthusiasm as she sat on the same piece of fur with her mother, to make her feel a lot more comfortable or at least make her sit longer.

"No way." She answered with her tone gently rising, "There are thousands of them?"

She sounds quite happy about it already, this one will surely tip the bucket. "Yes! And something a lot better, are you ready to hear about it?"

"Tell me!" She gave a light shout as she shook grabbed Osira's shoulders and shook them.

"I didn't like it, but there is this stone cutting saw that spins itself without any type of man power!" Once that sentence rolled out of her mouth, an approaching 37 year old man tripped on his own feet and almost fell on the Fire with a Ratbug on his shoulder.

Once he managed to regain proper control of his own balance, he took a peek at Osira and shouted! "What? That can't be possible!"

"Why can't it be possible?" Decided Eric to jump in the conversation, he operated the Stone cuter himself, saw it with his own eyes. "The Snow Ignites made the Carved path, not to mention this whole underground Kingdom!"

To back up Eric's word and fairly her own too, Osira added. "Yes, like it or not they are amazing at Stonemasonry. An effect of staying up here with no god damn vegetation to work on!" This place is nice yes, but the cold weather can be torturous.

"Take me there, please!" The man requested, apparently having a fancy for Stonemasonry.

"Should we...?" Tried Eric to ask gently, he doesn't know this man long enough so it isn't up to him to call the shots when it comes to assigning a possible future task.

"Oh totally." Answered Bittore with a fair amount of confidence, "Alcon Epke here is good with carving rock, you should totally trust him with that stone cutter."

"Yes!" Alcon celebrated with a fist on the sky and his foot long bush like blonde beard shook along with him, "Let's go right now."

Seeing another Fire controlling lady coming up here, Bittore repeated. "Wait wait wait." Fast enough to manage a situation even though she is just sitting near a fire, she with her position as a Grand leader stated. "Osira and Eric are noticeably very good at exploring. I need them down at the fifth tunnel on the left side."

"But what about the stone cutter?" Asked Alcon in disappointment with his enthusiasm dying down.

"You will still go down there, Ella will take you!" As much as Bittore is concerned, she can stop some or slow down some operations and send several people to explore, but she wants for Osira to spend as much time with Eric as possible! Bittore is 17 years old, after 16 a lot of girls start looking for a husband. Or their parents look for them, either way it is the age for engagement.

There is no rush up here but Eric had proven himself more than worthy. From facing demons, to helping them after betrayal. There is nothing not to like, she wants them together so as much as she is concerned this entire place will he explored by these two unless a rush is required.

"Me?" Asked Ella in curiosity, trying to figure out where the Grand Leader is trying to go with this, Alcon is a married man who even has a child. He is the father of the second youngest fire controller here, while Ella herself is the third youngest with an age of 22. "But the Ratbugs!"

"They aren't going anywhere, Alcon has to check this stone cutter out!" When Bittore gives an order it isn't certain what to expect, considering the effort she is publicly putting in to get Eric and Osira together, she got a bit spooked and suspicious.

But she just can't disagree with the Grand Leader, especially after considering how far she got them. "If you say so, can I do anything else?"

"Yes, Alcon tends to not pay attention to his safety. Please make sure he returns in one piece!" You would think that Alcon would be offended by that little comment, but no.

With a little sigh, he expressed. "Fair point." Afterwards with his tone rising he added. "Let's do this!" And ran out of the room, returning a few seconds after he asked. "I forgot to ask, where exactly is this magic stone cutter."

As if Ella expected for him to return, apparently knowing him for a few months to predict this act. She just slowly walked towards the exit until Alcon returned.

"Tunnel 4, on the left!" Answered Bittore swiftly as she shook her head from left to right showing both a little dissatisfaction from this set of hyper energy, and thanks to having her joy and humour set on point. Staying with children all this time helped too, they ask the most interesting questions and she has the most tremendous patience to answer them all.

"Now why won't you two get back to exploring aye? The kids are getting hungry!" Bittore requested, trying to make them explore alone again. Terrible idea if they face a tribe of Ratbugs but a fairly good idea to make these two "Love Birds" spend more time alone.

"Hey, I'm getting hungry too." Tried Osira to play around. "Most importantly, I'm your actual kid!"

"Oh fine!" She acted as if she complained and afterwards trying to tease her once more she added. "You need to add more weight on you, boys like a nice strong lady."

"Mother!" Osira pouted with her tone rising in embarassmant, even the little kids close by laughed.

"What? You are like a twig, right Eric?" Of course she had to push such a question on Eric, it appears like a direct question but indirectly she is trying to find out if Eric is one of those who constantly look at girls and what shape they have to offer.

"Uhhhh..." He stretched that one word, not knowing what to say. Based on one short peek he managed to get when she tied her hair up, Osira can be used to define the word perfection when it comes to fitness and a proper form in general. But how could he say that in front of Osira and her mother? His forehead started sweating from that very question.

"Mother stop!"