"Where young folks usually go to waste their time," the cobbler says. "They'd go to the orchard, scare each other with ghost stories in the cemetery, but most of them are really very good workers."
She looks to Imojin. "Pricknettle? Oh, yes. I'm sorry, you're visitors. She's the alchemist--Gellion's master--her shop is two blocks to the south on the west side of the street."
You make your way to Pricknettle's Potions and Poultice's, passing the Witch's End tavern on your way.
A blue haired gnome woman greets you as you enter the apothecary, "Welcome! Welcome. You're here for a tonic to soothe your aches? A poultice to draw out a disease? Something to change your hair color? How can Majara help you today?"
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"Ooh I think I'd like hair your color" she smiles brightly. "We are here on some important business though. We are looking for the missing apprentices. Can you assist us?"
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"You're looking at her! Majara Pricknettle, alchemist and apothacary," she answers Imojin.
"I don't really pay much attention to the comings and goings of other business' apprentices," the gnome says. "Might I interest you in something more practical for the adventuring sort? Alchemist's fire? Holy water? Vermin repellent?"
"Great! How many vials?"
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Faust sneers at the vial of Holy Water as it exchanges hands. Wretched stuff, do we really need that? A swift smash does just as well, if not better, and you'll never run out.
He approaches the counter. "I'll take one," he says, putting a bottle of Alchemist's Fire on the table. "Anything you have for poison and disease too."
"Tell us of your apprentice," he says, more a command than an inquiry.
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Majara bundles and tallies your purchases, including antivenom and antitoxin if desired. She is well stocked but carries nothing particularly unusual.
"Gellion has been gone for a few days," Majara confesses to Shalendra. "He's probably with that acolyte from the temple: Nolaria. They probably ran off to, well, you know, do what young people do."
"Well," the blue-haired gnome begins reluctantly, "I don't want to speak too ill of her, but Nolaria puts all kinds of dangerous ideas in his head. He was perfectly well behaved before he met her. Since then, he's been showing up to work late, sometimes looking like he's hung over. He started exploring dangerous places like the cemetery, the orchard, and the woods outside of town. At night! Humans can't see in the dark. He could get hurt! Anyhow, he was a good boy before he met her. I don't know what that old priest is teaching his ward."
"Yes."
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"Thank you for your time, and your honesty. We appreciate it very much. We'll continue to look into this, and find out what's going on." Shalendra smiles kindly at the gnome and then heads out of the shop tucking her purchases away.
"Where to next? We have three people left to speak with. The priest, the tavern and the bakery? Which one first? I'm inclined to head to the priest, and stop at any of the shops that might be on the way."
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"Frequenting a graveyard is an odd choice. All manner of dark things can reside in one," Faust comments. "What could they have been up to? If we are hitting them all, the order is inconsequential." Necrotic powers are always abound in a graveyard. What can't be harness must be put down. A group of unprepared fools... Unspeakable things may have befallen them.
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The Witch's End tavern and inn is just around the block. It is easy to hear the sound of people socializing inside as you approach. The smell of food cooking hangs around the tavern like a fog, and it smells great. A wooden sign depicting a dark haired woman engulfed in flame hangs over the door.
The tavern becomes deafeningly quiet for several long breaths as you enter, but then most of the patrons return to what they were doing before you entered. A six foot tall woman makes her way through the tables towards you, wiping her hands off on her apron.
"Yes? What can I get you? Find yourselves a seat," she says grumpily. "I don't think I've got any cheese, though."
"Not here! And that's the problem," the innkeeper grumps at Shalendra. She takes your orders and, as she leaves, grumbles under her breath, "Be waiting gods know how long."
Half of an hour later, she returns with your food and drink.
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Burning others for being different is a horrible thing to base an inn on. "Seems to be a trend in this town," Faust remarks callously. He eats his food tensely,
knuckles white as he grips his utensils. "Any idea where the delinquents could be?" Your attitude and pitiful service aside.
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"No. I don't," she answers tersely, "If I did, I'd drag him back to work by his ear."
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Takumi sips on his white wine, wondering if there's anything more than just her assistant's disappearance that is putting her in a foul mood.
"That is most unfortunate, especially during a time like that when you are feel of clients. We really do not wish to hold you back from the multitude of your chores, but there has been a mysterious spate of disappearing youths in the town recently, Master Morvinarr included. The mayor, in fact, has sort our help to investigate into it. This truancy of his, is it a common occurrence? Or might something have triggered his sudden disappearance? And would you know who he is usually in the company of after work?"
Kruptin eyes Takumi suspiciously as he speaks, but her hostility seems to relent to a degree when he provides the letter form the mayor. "So it's more than just Morvinarr who's missing? That makes his absence make a little more sense. He never missed a day of work until last night."
"Like I said, if I knew, I'd have gone and got him," the tall innkeeper says and walks off in a huff.
The innkeeper never returns to your table, though Shalendra catches a few nasty looks through toward your table from time to time as she carries food out to other tables. The lone and overworked waitress collects your money--unhelpfully providing no more information that you already knew, should you talk with her--and you leave unmolested.
You decide to take the longer way to the temple so that you pass by Gunty's Hearty Breads. You hear the baker, Gunty Keronna, cursing at an apprentice for burning a slate of loaves. Shortly after the doorbell rings upon your entrance, a burly man limps out of the back. "Welcome, welcome," Gunty says. "You want some of the heartiest damn breads this side o' the river, you come to the right place."
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"The bread smells better than the last bread I ate. I'd like a loaf please." Shalendra inhales the smell of bread pointedly ignoring the burned bread smell from the last batch.
"We are also here on some business for the Mayor. I understand your apprentices have gone missing. Noemi Tauralio is her name, yes? Can you tell us anything about her, and who she spend her time with?" Shalendra shows the letter from the Mayor.
"Yeah, she's gone," Gunty says as he makes change. He also seems to completely dismiss the mayor's letter. "But I ain't got time to chit chat. Unless one of you wants to go haul in the flour from the cart out back, then I can talk to the rest of you while that chore is being done."
"Noemi's been gone a couple days, but she's just sulking," the baker tells you. "I gave her quite the what's-for after she burned a whole pan of bread."
He thumbs his chin for a moment. "She's planning some prank to get back at me with all her no-good friends, I'm sure. I saw lights flickering above the orchard the other night and some weird buzzing sound. I went to check on it early this morning, but I didn't find anything but a bunch of trampled fruit."
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"Ah, why not. I'll take that honey-saffron brioche, and...is that really a proper mooncake, here in Isger?!? I'll gladly take that...."