Noble blinked. "You can't fix it? But you just said you can fix anything!"
The tinker nodded slowly. "Normally that is true when I have the right supplies. Unfortunately, that last bit is the problem here."
"What do you mean?" The woman looked at the pieces.
"You did quite a number on this. And the worst damage is where the handle meets the pan. It sheared off, and I need to make a new way to attach it. That requires new bolts, and I don't have the ingot that would hold up to the heat it would undergo." Flame explained with a sigh. He handed the pan back to its owner. "I'm sorry."
"That's fine. It's my own fault for breaking it. Any idea when this ingot you mentioned might arrive?" Noble felt the man's emotions shift.
Flame scratched the tip of his nose.
"That's a tricky question. It should have come last week. Igor—you may have seen him; he is overly tall and has those red-rimmed glasses as big as his face—is my supplier. He was due with a shipment, and he's always on time."
"Do you think something happened?" Noble knew things rarely ran right on schedule in the Dream Realm, but this seemed excessive even by those standards.
The tinker shrugged. "Either that or it was diverted by Clan Song toward Godgrave. I have no way of knowing for sure."
"I can think of one way…have you visited the government offices to inquire about it?"
Noble knew that the government was not omniscient, but they would know if there was a sudden redirection of goods since it affected the city as a whole.
"Goodness, no! I'm not going to make a fuss." Flame took a small step backward.
"It's just a small inquiry. I can do it for you if you like." Noble was confused about why the man acted like he didn't want to step on a snake instead of trying to get answers.
Then she remembered that her experience with the government was quite different than most. Being a True Citizen or not mattered little in the Dream Realm, making many unsure of their status with the government.
The easiest answer was not to mess with the government at all and avoid the issue entirely.
"If you like, you may. I would not press you, though," Flame said in response to the offer.
Noble could feel his curiosity and concern. "I will do it right now. Well, right after I order a cake from Abyssal Fire. This was my last errand of the day after tending to this mangled pan."
"And I've disappointed you by being unable to help, yet you still are willing to step in for me. You are one of a kind, Master Noble. Truly…" Flame nodded.
Noble pulled at her ear. She had seen a copy of herself. It wasn't something she would like to have repeated.
"Thank you for the kind words. I don't mind helping, really."
But Flame shook his head. "I don't like to let kindness go unrepaid. I can't fix your handle, but with your permission, I believe I could melt it down and form a new pan entirely. I have a mold, and it would bypass the need for bolts."
"If you can get me a working pan, I would be most obliged." Noble set the metal on the table beside her and fished out her coins. "Will this cover the cost?"
"That will work," Flame nodded. "You can pick it up in a few hours. I will put this project at the top of my list!"
"Thank you! I'll try to have an answer for you before then." Noble promised.
She left the foundry, and rather than navigate the streets, she took to the air, finding Abyssal Fire by sight.
The restaurant and bakery looked like a shining beacon in the distance, especially when Noble confirmed that her favorite baker was inside.
Arriving around the back, Noble knocked lightly on the bakery's door.
"Rukee, is that you? I was just thinking, oh!" Sarai swung open the door.
"You were expecting someone else?" Noble smiled.
"You are a welcome surprise!" Sarai pulled on her friend's wrist and tugged her inside.
The warmth of the bakery and smell of fresh bread made the place feel like a second home.
'Wait, why is everywhere I'm going today so heat-centered?'
Noble shook off the strange observation.
"I hope I'm not bothering you. I am running errands just now. I need to order a cake for tonight, and I hoped my favorite baker might be able to help." Noble gave her friend a big hug.
Sarai clicked her tongue. "As if you could ever be a bother. Perish the thought! And a cake! What are we celebrating?"
"The boys passed all their classes. If you want to come by for dinner and cake, we would love that." Noble nodded.
The more, the merrier!
Sarai shook her head. "Some other time. I have plans. But I will certainly contribute something sweet for the occasion."
The lovely baker ducked past the ovens and waved Noble forward.
They went into the hall between the bakery and the restaurant.
"Lately I have been running out of things as soon as I make them, but this was a last-minute cancellation. If you want it, it's yours!"
Sarai pointed to a cake sitting on a narrow table against one side of the wall. It was covered in red fruit with white icing. It was small and round—the perfect size for her family. Noble's face lit up.
"It's beautiful! Yes, if no one else has claimed it, I will be happy to take it home."
Sarai's smile melted a little. "Well, it was supposed to be an engagement cake. I can only assume it was canceled at the last minute because their beloved said no. While I'm sad for them, I am a bit relieved for me. It was supposed to be shaped like a heart, but my new pan didn't come from one of the southern citadels yet, so I had to make do…"
"I'm sorry to hear that…" Noble paused. "Wait, was it a metal pan? And was your supplier named Igor?"
The baker gave her a strange look. "It was a metal pan, but no, Igor wasn't supposed to deliver it. Actually, her name is Rukee. You might have seen her. She has a long ponytail and audacious purple fur-trimmed coat."
'Ah, definitely not the same person. That would have been weird.'
"I don't know her, but you said she is coming across the Dream Realm? I hope she is safe!"
Noble chewed her lip.
Patting her arm, Sarai smiled. "I'm sure she is just delayed. That does happen. Her bright pink wagons will be showing up at the front gate any time now. Take the cake and push it from your mind. And give the boys my love!"
The baker lifted the cake from the table and pressed it into Noble's hands.
"I have to get back to work, but we need to catch up soon! Don't be a stranger!"
Noble nodded. "Thank you! And I won't."
As she headed back into the cool air of the city, Noble took to the air once more, this time with a cake in tow.
Very soon, she reached the government complex.