It was amazingly dark. Not just black, but somehow 'superblack' if such a thing were possible. Even the stars couldn't be seen.
The fire had sent billows of black smoke and soot upwards: higher and higher until it blotted out any astral light. Atillea couldn't believe his eyes. He knew it would work, but didn't know it would work that well. Capra was impressed and immediately hired him as Court Alchemist.
Atillea was hoping Capra didn't want him to clear away the blanket of smoke because he wasn't quite sure how to. But Capra pranced around yelling with his insane laughter and getting everyone he could to agree that this was something amazing. It never even crossed his mind to have it cleared.
"Behold! This wizard has made for me a moon-blanket!"
A feast was thrown, partly in Atillea's honor, but mostly so that Capra could bore people with his endless recounting of the gigantic smoke bomb. This was directly in Atillea's favor, because everyone was now in awe and afraid of him. Power was power, and, here anyway, it meant you didn't need money.
Well, mostly, anyway.
As Atillea was on his way home, he stopped by the Gray Woods Inn for a drink to celebrate. Langia, the innkeep, smiled sourly as he entered. Business was slow at this hour: mainly because he had cleared the place an hour ago.
"Good eve, Master Magician! I suppose you want a free one, then?"
"Or I'll turn you into a toad!"
They both laughed at that. Langia pushed a mug of ale to Atillea and filled one for himself.
"Aye. I'll drink to that. I can't help you make a moon-blanket if I'm a toad," laughed Langia. "Oi, now. Drink hearty!"
They both guzzled their brews. Langia filled them both up again with the sipping ale.
Langia screwed up his face and grinned in mimicry of the town fool. "I'd 'ave given 'alf me mead just to see 'is face, wot!"
"Aye. It was a sight to see and pretty fair eating after."
They laughed again, but soon began discussing plans. Atillea wasn't a sorcerer so much as a warrior. Langia wasn't so much an inkeeper as he was an Alchemist. Together with a few other good men, they hoped to soon end the evil reign of the twisted King, Capra. There was much to do and they discussed many a plan until the sun rose.
