《Monsters Cookbook》


 The Culinary School Eccentric (1)

    ¡°The hunt begins!¡±


    Not the most common phrase to start midterms with.


    All of the second year¡¯s Hightail Chef Academy students were present on the field and as soon as the announcing teacher shouted the words, everybody ran in a speed that most didn¡¯t know they¡¯d be capable of.


    Except for Erion ¨C he had started running way before.


    Most people aren¡¯t against the idea of roommates as living alone can get pretty, well, lonely so it¡¯s nice to always have someone around. But for the (very) late Erion, it was a curse cast onto humanity ¨C or him specifically. His roommate studied right across the street, at the Tinkerer Hall, and he certainly had the spirit of his profession, always fiddling around with basically anything at the reach of his hands.


    In the night before, unfortunately, Erion¡¯s alarm clock was one of these objects.


    The apprentice chef had no idea of what the objective was but the gadget certainly stopped working ¨C or at least in the intended way. When the pointer indicated 8:00 AM, a soothing tone started coming out of it, sinking Erion into the Land of Dreams even more. It was when the cleaning lady opened the door two hours later that he finally snapped out of his sleep, desperate as he knew something was very wrong.


    Without time for proper hygiene and breakfast, the student ran through the open green fields, ignoring the road to reach the Farsan Woods as quickly as he could.


    He came out of the trees some time after the starting shout. The professors all gave him a confused look, not recognizing that the desperate looking, dirty and full of leaves lad was a student. His eyes crossed the scenery, observing all of his competitors doing their best to capture the forest¡¯s fauna. One was already setting up a bonfire to cook a massive boar and a few others started to appear with something in their hands.


    ¡°Sorry, kid. Maybe next time.¡±


    Erion¡¯s class counselor had quietly approached him, patting his back in solidarity.


    The problem was, Erion thought, that maybe there would not be a next time. Hightail Academy was one of the most competitive and selective schools in the world and every test was an elimination process, kicking out those who are not worthy enough to continue studying in the institution. If things are brutal with those who merely do poorly in the testing, Erion¡¯s fate was practically sealed as he slept too much.


    He would not easily give up his dream, however.


    ¡°There¡¯s still time.¡± He announced.


    The counselor could only feel the student¡¯s back moving away from his hand as the boy restarted his running, now with the objective to find whatever was left to cook. Far from an easy task it would be.


    More and more students came out of the trees carrying a nice piece of game and/or one or two baskets of fruits and vegetables. Some clearly did not mind about looting for a good while. After the first wave, a new group of people appeared. Their expressions were not as happy and some were clearly hopeless as they carried barely enough food for a meal. A specific girl carried only half a squirrel.


    And then there was Erion, entering the hunting grounds as even the students with scarce results came out of it with at least something. As he went under the shadows of the trees, a disturbing lack of silence deafened his ears and his nervous heartbeats were the only thing he felt. Not a single sound of life could be heard.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    He could not stop. No matter how grim the situation looked like, he had to cling on the slightest thread of hope his mind could produce. Maybe he would be forced to cook a vegetarian dish ¨C at least it was food.


    But it was helpless. Countless branches clearly ripped off of their fruits. Multiple holes in the ground signalizing the herbs that once were there. Erion¡¯s body was covered in sweat, although he still hadn¡¯t noticed it. Looking around, many trails were available and, without hesitation, he ran through them, decided to find at least a single edible thing.


    For ten ominous minutes he searched. Every empty nest and every fruitless bush were like multiple daggers stabbing his heart. He could almost see the face of the Testing Board while they declared his immediate termination and expulsion of academy grounds.


    Everything went away for a moment as, in a glance, Erion saw feathers.


    His head turned in shock. There it was: a lonely quail minding its pointless life. It was so small, even though it definitely was enough to feed a person. Something from Beyond must had sent it or the last students to leave simply weren¡¯t lucky enough to catch a sight of it.


    The desperate student¡¯s steps were slow and silent ¨C he was a hunter now, an eagle confident in its ability to catch a prey. His heart almost stopped when he stepped in a dry leaf and it crackled, but no change could be seen in the bird. Slowly, but surely, he was approaching and while he did it, hundreds of quail recipes popped up in his head. He was obliged to do his best in honor to the Gods who sent the animal there.


    When only a couple of meters separated the two living beings, Erion¡¯s movement came to a halt. He needed to jump or the quail would notice his intent. His legs were paragons of pain but he had the will to go through the hellish sensation.


    ¡°One, two...¡±


    It was beastly. The leap of a true predator. His hands got a good grasp of the bird instantly as his momentarily weightless body stood in the air. And as his legs firmly landed, he felt it.


    Cold.


    False.


    The strange feeling led him to remove his hands, however, curiously, they wouldn¡¯t come off it.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Initially, the thread of hope was very thin, barely existing. As the quail entered Erion¡¯s vision, it grew thicker and stronger. It was bright as a sun when his hands felt the aura around the bird.


    Now, it was gone.


    Being late completely blurred Erion¡¯s mind so much that he had forgotten the essential. Tools, weapons, traps. All of his were in the dorm¡¯s locker while someone¡¯s trap was between his hands. It was a glue-based one, the prey (and a predator at the same time) attacks it thinking it¡¯s food but ends up stuck, waiting for his end.


    The feelings of the student went far beyond embarrassment into the domains of hopelessness. Getting rid of the sticky substance wasn¡¯t difficult, but as his mind cleared, it became obvious that he had already been eliminated. Adding salt to the wound, a bell echoed ¨C only a few minutes left.


    Erion resigned. He should leave the woods and, with empty hands, walk to the Board professors, assuming that he could not find anything due to his lateness. Maybe he could reapply to the same entrance test he had gone through in the year before.


    After some harsh movement, his hands were free. Not in a hurry, he got up and took a heavy breath. Now that all hope had vanished, Erion felt fine. It was only a matter of walking back now, no need to look at every single detail of the ambient.


    As he moved through the trail that led him to that point, he noticed that he had moved way more than expected, probably an effect of the adrenaline. His once numb feet were now starting to feel ridiculously painful.


    ¡°I should just stay here¡­ It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything for me out there.¡±


    Not really minding what was in the path, Erion kept following the trail which once in a while was interrupted by really large roots or other kind of natural obstacle. After skipping a few, Erion was proficient in going through them but, suddenly, when he stepped on a little soil elevation, his foot sank in what felt like a gooey substance.


    Then, the substance moved.


    It was a slime.


    ¡°The monsters are probably starting to come now that the wildlife was cleared¡­ Goddammit.¡±


    He raised his dirty foot, removing the green goo with his sleeve. Erion was ready to continue moving forward when a quick head movement allowed him to notice that little fruits were being digested inside the monster.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Maybe¡­ It¡¯s a possibility, but...¡±


    And then, hope was back on the menu.

 The Culinary School Eccentric (2)

    The entire Testing Board was looking at the clock. They were mystified by the latest arrival and his will to still try even though he was behind everyone in time. Some of the professors were already pitying the students who could only gather a few ground herbs and one or two little fruits, they probably expected the late boy to show up defeated with his hands completely empty.


    Finally, it was 11 o¡¯clock. Madam Juliet, in charge of the exam, nodded to the man handling the bell. As the first ring hinted its sound, something moved in the woods and one of the professors got up and pointed, interrupting the bell man.


    Even the most concentrated students stopped what they were doing to see what was coming out of the green.


    Using his clothing to carry the dead slime, a shirtless Erion crossed the forest border in a hurry, almost passing out due to his final surge of speed. One or two students timidly applauded while the rest went back to their dishes without hesitation. The judging board watched in awe, imagining what was the boy carrying and how did he manage to find it. Madam Juliet shouted:


    ¡°What¡¯s your problem, Arcus?! Ring the damn bell!¡±


    He was also watching the student coming from the woods and the sudden loud ordering almost made him trip on his own leg. Finally, the bell rang, but Erion was already safe.


    ¡°Damn, I just had to forget everything in my hurry! There must be people with spare equipment.¡±


    Indeed, there was. But most were not keen to lend them to a competitor, specially one that ¡°didn¡¯t deserve it¡± due to arriving late. Luckily, Erion had enough friends to warrant some sympathy. A small pot here, a knife and a spoon there and he slowly gathered enough equipment to make at least a decent meal ¨C if a meal made of a slime can even be decent.


    While some were already doing their final touches on their very complicated and exquisite dishes, Erion was heating up the water while carefully picking the fruits he found inside the slime. The goo was dense enough to make the little things float so he would use half of them as decoration over the main part and the other half he would cut in tiny pieces and mix it with the soup, giving flavor and filling. Of course, his directions were all based on instinct ¨C not a single book he had ever read about high-level cooking cited anything close to a monster-based dish. His biggest fear is that someone had already tried in the past and it was so bad no one ever talked about it again.


    Lost in his pessimistic thoughts, Erion almost missed the water starting to boil. Throwing in the slime contents, he noticed that it had an alright smell, very rustic and similar to some basic soups. People around him also took notice of what he was doing, but most were too focused to even say anything although they were certainly disgusted and even outraged by it.


    Initially, the goo refused to dissolve and mix with the water, but it was slowly coaxed by the heat into a more liquid, soluble state, joining the water as it was the natural thing to do. The cook felt inclined to taste it, deciding to let it boil a little more just before putting the spoon into his mouth.


    Now that it flowed in the air as a colorful smoke, the smell definitely wasn¡¯t bad even though it certainly was unique. A mixture of sugary sensations and the roughness of the earth, like the concept of a slime creature was forming itself on your palate. It was kind of hypnotizing, specially for Erion as he always was fond of the new, of tasting what he had never tasted before. Suddenly, what was a stupid idea that surfaced due to an emergency started to not look so bad.


    In fact, Erion once again almost forgot to move to the next step: throwing in the mixed fruits. They were mostly nameless little sweetballs that came from weird, and probably poisonous, bushes and trees. Poison wasn¡¯t a problem, remembered the cook, as pages from an old book popped in his head describing ancient methods of removing poison from certain kinds of food. A particular one consisted in feeding a slime what you thought was poisonous and letting him digest it for a while, absorbing all of the bad stuff. He could only hope that the creature had digested the fruits for long enough.


    As the fire slowly merged the fruity essences into the mix, the smell started taking new shapes and flows. For a moment it felt citric, then very sweet, quickly switching to a bitter, almost unbearable nature. And it kept changing, improving itself at every iteration. Erion closed his eyes, doing his best to follow the intricate process of transforming a ¡°thing¡± into ¡°food¡± - not any food, a unique kind of it.


    Time started to feel more malleable as his senses blurred into a uniform, indescribable sensation. He had never felt it so much before, only slight hints of it. Cooking the slime was an experience much different than any other, it transcended the physical act of cooking and made he understand deep into his soul that it was nothing less than art. Or pure love.


    Only one thing could remove him from his very private world ¨C it was the roaring bell of the last ten minutes.


    In a moment of lucidity, Erion opened his eyes and saw the many tables and finished dishes. Few people were still working, making sure everything was perfect. There wasn¡¯t much more for Erion to do, the soup was ready. He carefully poured the cooked slime into a bowl, using his last fruits to give it the final touch. As he walked towards the exhibition table, people looked at him with curiosity. Everybody knew what happened at his cauldron, but most refused to believe that someone would risk making a dish out of a monster. The judging board was certainly in turmoil and a few of the professors were passionate about not touching whatever Erion had made.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    It wasn¡¯t his fault, he thought. He had just done what his heart had guided him towards.


    Finally, he positioned the bowl between a roasted snake and a pie made of something unrecognizable. Nothing more than waiting could be done after it.


    ¡­


    Ciaran had probably tasted every possible dish in the world.


    Yes, he was a traveler but, most importantly, he was a teacher. At Hightail Chef Academy.


    In the first few years, he was certainly impressed by the creativity some students showed, especially since lots of them insisted on repeating things engraved on tradition. But as time passed, even the most creative inventions exhibited the same patterns he had seen before and few things could reignite his passion for the new and bold.


    One of these was right in front of him, presented by a very late student.


    ¡°How¡¯s it called?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Excuse me, sir?¡±


    ¡°The name of the dish. What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, uhh¡­ Slime soup, I guess?¡±


    ¡°You guess? Didn¡¯t you invent it? Maybe I should ask the original chef, then.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I made it, but¡­ I haven¡¯t thought about a name yet. I didn¡¯t think it was important.¡±


    ¡°Well, for this exam it isn¡¯t, but can we say it¡¯s not important at all? The name is important in defining the food¡¯s personality as, well, we can¡¯t talk to them to discover what it really is.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ I think Slime soup is fine¡­ Maybe it represents its rustic nature as it¡¯s a simple name?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s fine for the chef, it¡¯s fine for me!¡±


    The professor grabbed the spoon, ready to eat what most of his colleagues refused to. The idea of making food from a monster did not please him as much as anyone else, but he had the obligation to try it. It could be the next culinary marvel, or a failure that no one will remember after a few years and someone must always consider every single possibility.


    Not really closing his eyes and letting the unique smell enter his nostrils, Ciaran inserted it into his mouth. And chewed. Tasted it. Appreciated it.


    Something new was definitely discovered in that morning. It tasted differently, it was out of this world. Ciaran felt bad as he knew he was the only one who appreciated what Erion had done. The few other professors who agreed upon tasting the soup were not happy while doing it. The boy certainly was on the elimination list.


    Calmly, the professor raised his head.


    ¡°This is good.¡±


    Erion, who was barely paying any attention after the previous judgments, widened his eyes.


    ¡°Really?! Uh, how good?¡±


    ¡°Good enough for a new thing. I can¡¯t really define it as there¡¯s nothing in comparison.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool¡­ Thank you, Mr. Ciaran, these are nice words.¡±


    Erion¡¯s face showed acceptance, he knew better than anyone that it was his last exam.


    ¡°Look, I think you should drop out of the Academy.¡±


    ¡°What? Why? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll still be in it after today anyway...¡±


    ¡°You must stay at the top! Don¡¯t be the guy that¡¯s kicked out of school, be the guy that¡¯s too good for it!¡±


    The student¡¯s eyes shined.


    ¡°But what should I do then? Why would anyone hire me instead of someone who actually graduated? And don¡¯t say that I should open my own restaurant because there¡¯s no way it¡¯s happening.¡±


    ¡°Why?! Because of this!¡±


    Ciaran enthusiastically pointed at the bowl in front of him.


    ¡°This? I¡­ don¡¯t think I can make a career out of this. You may like it but you¡¯ve seen the other professors¡­ And they¡¯re used to unusual stuff, imagine the people who aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I know a guy.¡±


    ¡°What kind of guy?¡±


    ¡°A guy who owns an exotic food restaurant. Fitting for this, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say this is a little more than exotic, though...¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe you won¡¯t start doing this for a living, but I¡¯m positive you¡¯ll get there someday. I know when I taste something great and this is it. And I¡¯m certain my friend will like it too.¡±


    In silence, Erion looked him in the eyes.


    ¡°Where is this restaurant?¡±


    - END of PROLOGUE -

 The Culinary School Dropout (1)

    The routine at The Good Troll was not bad, Erion thought.


    It was his sixth month of work in the tavern/restaurant, a meeting spot for all kinds of adventurers, specially the shadiest ones, who happened to be at the once glamorous town of Hurd, one of the biggest in the Southlands.


    Like Ciaran said, Wagil, owner of The Good Troll, was a connoisseur of the strangest foods and dishes made by man. The tavern¡¯s menu mostly consisted of stuff that its patrons never heard of, not leaving much doubt for why booze was by far the most popular product on sale.


    However, even though cooking strange animals, plants and vegetables was encouraged by Wagil, monsters were still an untouchable area. For the untrained eye, it might not seem that monsters and strange animals are different things, but any adventurer can feel the aura of Evil emitting from the flesh of a beast. One might think that Wagil had already tried to cook one in his past experiments; a false assumption as he very well knew about the frontier he would have to cross.


    In the days of Erion, it is almost impossible to find it but there once was a book. Its name was Recordings of The Farthest Lands, a travel journal of a Swordsman who, with his guild, once went to the lands untouched by the civilized man. An interesting chapter describes a tribe living in a remote valley with their way of life adapted to their amount of monsters around them. They were a society of hunters, trained since childhood to deal with constant and indescribable horrors. But pure they were not, as with no food available they had to resort to eating their nightmares.


    They were corrupted, people with dark hearts. Slowly, they were becoming just another race of them, with disfigured shapes and an unrecognizable language.


    Wagil didn¡¯t need to read for much longer. After the night he finished the book, the thought of cooking a dish out of an Evil creature not even once passed through his mind.


    No surprise that convincing him to taste the Slime soup was a hard task.


    He gave up when he, as Ciaran did before him, felt something different in the usual aura of darkness involving the goo. Instead of evil, there was passion and taste.


    Obviously, the uniqueness and feeling weren¡¯t enough to serve it to other people, but Erion got a job as an assistant chef, although his job wasn¡¯t always to cook.


    One particular day, a peculiar party went through the entrance. Four people leaded by a huge women with a burned skin covered in pelts and a tribal hair separated in thick braids. Right behind was a tall man clad in dark iron armor, although he looked shorter near the Barbarian. Side-by-side were a girl with her mouth covered by cloths and several scars through her body and another man, with his face hidden by the shadow of his black wizard hat.


    The bartender shrugged and shouted to the kitchen.


    ¡°Wagil! The spider is here!¡±


    At the moment, he was with Erion showing him how to properly season the tentacle of a colossal squid. With the summoning, he ordered the boy to accompany him to help pick up the delivery.


    ¡°Wow, a spider? Is it tasty?¡±


    ¡°It tastes like shrimp. Or like chicken, if you want to be cliche.¡±


    When they exited the smoky room, the group was waiting for them at the counter while their leader carrying a huge leather bag. She smiled.


    ¡°I was almost thinking you weren¡¯t here. No point in delivering if we can¡¯t taste the dish.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I understand ¨C fortunately, I¡¯m here.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The woman handed Wagil the huge bag.


    ¡°Careful, it¡¯s heavy.¡±


    Wagil grabbed the bag carelessly, thinking he still had the strength of his youth. When his back almost cracked at the weight, he slowly whispered.


    ¡°Erion¡­ Lend me a hand here.¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure, Mr. Wagil.¡±


    In less than a minute, the two were dumping the giant spider in a crate.


    ¡°Hey, Mr. Wagil, who exactly are those people?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the people I call when I need something that¡¯s not on the market. I¡¯ve known them since they were green adventurers drinking booze in my tavern. I think they¡¯re somewhat high level now and even joined a big guild, but they still do some work for me. Why the interest?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ well¡­ I came here because I wanted to do my own thing, you know? And your exotic food is great and all, but it¡¯s yours. Sometimes I feel like I should be out there in the world, finding the truly unique tastes.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯ve finally decided it. I was waiting for this day. To me, it was always clear that you didn¡¯t belong in someone¡¯s else restaurant. I just gave you some time to discover it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ do you think that they need a cook? You know, for the long journeys?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ask them? Tell them that I¡¯m making the spider dish.¡±


    ¡°Ok, ok.¡±


    By himself, Erion left the kitchen. The four were sitting in a table at a corner, being served drinks by one of the waitresses. Timidly, the young chef approached them.


    ¡°Ahem, excuse me¡­ Mr. Wagil is making the dish right now¡­ It shouldn¡¯t take too long.¡±


    ¡°I hope so, boy.¡± The man with the wizard hat said. ¡°We ate nothing but rations in the way so we could appreciate our nice hunt. Tell him to be quick or we¡¯ll order appetizers!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Harry. You¡¯re annoying.¡± The armored man said right after.


    Interrupting the imminent discussion, their leader talked to Erion.


    ¡°Thank you. Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°Um, kind of¡­ yes¡­ I wanted to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡± She calmly responded.


    ¡°I learned that you guys go on long trips¡­ And from the sound of it, you mostly rely on eating rations, etc. I was wondering if you wanted a cook to make your travels¡­ better?¡±


    Everybody on table traded some looks. Suddenly, the wizard started laughing.


    ¡°Haha, come on. Your determination is alright, but are you sure you shouldn¡¯t be looking for a lower level group? I mean, we¡¯re clearly way more experienced than you.¡±


    This time, the quiet, shady woman shut him off with a slap on the arm.


    ¡°Ow, you didn¡¯t need to do that, I was just telling him the truth.¡±


    The huge woman then said.


    ¡°Look, I understand what you want. Unfortunately, Harry is kind of right, our missions would probably be too hard for you.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not that weak! Maybe I won¡¯t help a lot in combat, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m a fragile victim.¡±


    The barbarian seemed ready to give him another negative response then, suddenly, the man clad in armor intervened.


    ¡°Hey, you guys are judging too much without ever having seen him in action! We could use our next hunt to test him.¡±


    Their leader opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated, falling in deep thought. After some seconds of considerations, she sighed.


    ¡°Ok, if you want it so much, you can come with us to our next mission. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard as it¡¯s just one of Wagil¡¯s request, but it should be enough to judge if you¡¯re worthy. Anyways, it would be nice to have someone cooking for us while we¡¯re on the road.¡±


    Happy, Erion extended his hand.


    ¡°Thank you a lot! I won¡¯t disappoint you¡­ And my name¡¯s Erion, nice to meet you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Rasla, The Barbarian. The asshole is Harry, The Warlock. The guy covered in steel is Max, The Cavalier. Finally, the quiet girl is Anda, The Assassin.¡±


    The apprentice chef greeted everyone, thinking about how none of them was a healer.

 The Culinary School Dropout (2)

    Erion couldn¡¯t say that the party was not receptive. Just as they presented themselves, Rasla grabbed a chair from another table and put it by her side.


    ¡°Come, let us know you a little more and enjoy the incoming spider food. Do you drink ale?¡±


    Timidly, he sat between her and the taciturn Cavalier, seemingly more focused on his thoughts than what happened around him. While the Rasla and Harry seemed somewhat interested in their possible new cook, the other two mostly cared about their drinks and a strange book in Anda¡¯s case.


    ¡°Your name¡¯s Erion, right? And you¡¯re a cook¡­ Where did you learn it?¡± Harry asked with a grin.


    ¡°Mostly by myself. I lived in an orphanage where¡­ well, we kids didn¡¯t get much attention from the caretakers making us look for each other, then I worked in some restaurants and had an experience at Hightail Academy...¡± Erion answered.


    ¡°So you have quite a career.¡± The Warlock smirked ¡°As a dishwater, I presume.¡±


    Anda, without losing focus in her words, heavily stepped on Harry¡¯s foot.


    ¡°Ow! It¡¯s just a joke!¡±


    She quickly glanced at him.


    ¡°Uh, sorry, Erion.¡±


    The youngster smiled.


    ¡°Haha, no problem. I thought it was funny.¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± Harry looked at the Assassin before continuing the conversation. ¡°So¡­ What do you mean by an ¡®experience¡¯ at the Academy?¡±


    ¡°I dropped out of it¡­ I guess it just wasn¡¯t for me.¡±


    ¡°Dropped out?! And you want to be a cook for a party like us?!¡±


    Rasla, finishing a big mug of ale, reentered the conversation.


    ¡°Oh, come on, don¡¯t be petty. These kind of schools are for stuff like chefs working in fancy restaurants. It was probably the right thing to do if he does want to be a field chef.¡± She hesitated for a second. ¡°You want it, right?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t know at first, but as time passed I realized what I actually wanted¡­ what I needed to do.¡±


    Silently, they reflected.


    And as a thunder, breaking the silence, Wagil opened the kitchen¡¯s door while carrying an enormous cauldron filled with soup and one or two protuberant spider legs. The smell was foul, much like anything else cooked there, and the taste could be anything; someone had to be a pioneer.


    ¡°Here it is, my friends, one of my best! It has been some time since the last spider stew but I believe I still got the timing for the poison to wear off¡­ And I see that Erion here is getting along, did he ask you anything yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, old man. He¡¯s coming for us for a little test and we¡¯ll see if he¡¯s good enough, now pour this hideous juice in my plate.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The tavern owner growled, trading it for his usual smile right after. Like the other three in the party, he simply ignored Harry¡¯s antics for most of the time.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ve got our last one to be served! Now give me your plate, Rasta.¡±


    Even after he gave everyone a generous amount, the cauldron was still pretty much full for the patron orders. Erion was quite happy with his portion since it contained a particularly fat piece of leg. The five sighed in relief after the first bite proved to not be of terrible taste and texture.


    In fact, for the first time, Erion heard Anda saying something:


    ¡°Pretty good.¡±


    As Wagil himself expected, a shared meal was a nice way for basic bonding between his (possibly) former apprentice and the apprentice¡¯s (possibly) future party. And they were not afraid to ask for more while refueling their conversation about all the crazy stuff served in The Good Troll¡¯s history. Harry demonstrated actual sympathy when Erion admitted to be able to cook most of them.


    ¡°This is good news if you¡¯re in fact going to be our cook! Maybe you can start thinking about a recipe for our upcoming trip!¡±


    The young chef sipped his ale.


    ¡°About that¡­ Can I get some info about my test mission? I probably won¡¯t much involved in it but I¡¯d like to know some more.¡±


    Rasla then answered.


    ¡°I understand your preoccupation.¡± Swallowing some of the spider¡¯s hair that were stuck on her teeth, she continued. ¡°Well... It¡¯s nothing special ¨C in fact, it¡¯s one of Wagil¡¯s requests.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡± Wagil, until then apart from the conversation, asked while focused on picking up glasses from empty tables.


    ¡°Oh, the wolf one. From Aseena.¡±


    ¡°Ah, very nice¡­ A fiery wolf lost in the woods. I can almost smell the smoked fillet and deep fried tail¡­ Don¡¯t even think in cooking a single part of it, Erion!¡±


    ¡°Me?! Never! Haha...¡± Roasted wolf heart was off the trip¡¯s menu.


    ¡°Good, good¡­ And be sure to preserve the meat well! I don¡¯t have enough fingers to count how many spoiled food these four brought me!¡±


    ¡°Hey, old man, you can pay for any food-gathering party in the market, it¡¯s you who insist in contracting us!¡± Harry said, spilling soup on his pants.


    ¡°Bah, shut up and go pick up my wolf meat. I doubt the guilds will let him stay there for too much time ¨C I heard there was a big fire last week, you could see it from Mardewalls, Larick said.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re planning on leaving today, time won¡¯t be an issue.¡± Rasla finished her third bowl while Erion almost spitted his second.


    ¡°Today?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right after this meal, actually.¡±


    ¡°Shit! I should¡¯ve already started packing! There are so much utensils...¡±


    Without too much of a warning, Erion dashed to his room, frenetically putting his travel baggage inside a backpack and a few bags attachable to a belt.


    Meanwhile, the group kept eating and drinking for a while, talking to a rather unoccupied Wagil.


    ¡°He¡¯s a good kid, Wag. I¡¯d invite him to join on the go but we¡¯re yet to see how he behaves in a tense situation. Being a field cook is more than preparing some meals and hiding in the camp until the turmoil is over.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, he¡¯s more determined than it seems. Specially when it refers to his passion.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see, we¡¯ll see...¡±


    ¡°I just hope his food is alright.¡± Harry complemented.


    After a few minutes and extra spider soup bowls, Erion went down the stairs in full traveling gear. Smiling, he asked:


    ¡°Shall we go?¡±


    Even Anda smiled under her wraps.


    ¡°If you¡¯re ready, why not? But first, let¡¯s buy you a sword.¡±


    Rasla said, getting up from the chair and casting a great shadow over the severely smaller cook-in-training.

 The Culinary School Dropout (3)

    ¡°I think this one suits you.¡± Max declared while watching Erion¡¯s stance with the sword.


    The cook had lost count of how many blades they had tested. Although some did felt too heavy or too long, most were dismissed by the Cavalier for unknown reasons.


    ¡°Finally! Can I just pay for it now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand your impatience. Harmony must exist between the blade and the wielder, otherwise the weapon will be no better than a stick.¡±


    ¡°But how do you know there¡¯s harmony?! It¡¯s just steel!¡±


    ¡°A swordsman knows, Erion, a swordsman knows...¡±


    ¡°Ok, ok.¡± Erion turned to the blacksmith ¡°How much for this one?¡±


    ¡°Handle it to me, I¡¯ll check¡± The blacksmith carefully took the sword out of the youngster¡¯s hands, squinting to evaluate his own creation.


    ¡°I¡¯d say this one would go for 10 gold pieces, but since it¡¯s your first I¡¯ll throw in a 2 gp discount.¡±


    ¡°Wow, thank you!¡± He proceeded to reach one of the bags attached to his belt, only to have his arm interrupted by Max.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay. It¡¯s good luck to receive your first sword as a gift.¡±


    Erion blushed.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to¡­ I have enough money.¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t have someone with bad luck in my mission.¡±


    Before the chef refused once again, Max¡¯s money was already on the blacksmith¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Thank you for the business!¡± The old man said.


    ¡°Good. Now that we¡¯re finished here, let¡¯s go to the meeting point, I bet they¡¯re already waiting for us.¡±


    Again, without waiting for Erion¡¯s reaction, the Cavalier walked out of the store. He wasn¡¯t a bad guy, the young cook though, but his harsh and abrupt personality kind of bothered him as if he was purposely shrugging him off. Still, he followed him to the crowded streets, crossing lots of alleys and tight passages to reach the entrance to the Farmer¡¯s Market, a huge construction housing dozens, if not hundreds, of people vending all sorts of food and spices.


    Right as the two arrived, they noticed a woman taller than the flowing mass of people waving for their attention. Not a lot of investigation needed to be done to realize it was Rasla.


    ¡°Choosing a good sword took a while, huh? We were almost going to the blacksmith to see if you were still there.¡± She sounded slightly annoyed, but mostly at Max than Erion.


    ¡°This matters can not be rushed. I told Erion and I¡¯m telling you now, Rasla.¡±


    ¡°Oh, god. Why do you always talk like the hero of a chivalry novel? Let¡¯s just go inside and pick some nice ingredients for the chef here.¡± Harry, with a few new stitches on his hat, said.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Max assumed an offended expression and was ready to talk back. Luckily, the Barbarian started talking before he could articulate his first word.


    ¡°Harry¡¯s right. We told Wagil that we¡¯re leaving early so the sooner we¡¯re finished here, the better.¡± Ending their discussion, she turned to Erion:


    ¡°We¡¯ll follow you now. Just pick whatever you want and we¡¯ll pay for it.¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Okay. Any preferences?¡±


    ¡°I like potatoes. But not fried. And not too soft.¡± Harry told him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as long as it¡¯s not vegetarian food.¡± Max said afterwards.


    ¡°Personally, I wouldn¡¯t mind some spicy food.¡± Rasla said.


    When the three finished voicing their preferences, the chef started looking at Anda, waiting for her response.


    It did not come soon as it took a while for her to notice that she needed to say something.


    ¡°...Just food will do.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    The five entered the huge Farmer¡¯s Market, getting dazed by the sheer amount of smells and colors presented in the shops and small restaurants. Erion guided them through large corridors full of fish and other sea food and sectors consisting of mostly cafes and snack bars. After a good amount of walking through walls of people, they finally reached their destination: a hall with basically every ingredient possible for a meal. Hanging cows, bushes of herbs, baskets of spices and bags of vegetables. Harry separated from them as soon as they reached it, looking for any kind of free sample he could find. Erion pointed at a specific vendor and said:


    ¡°That guy sells traveling supplies. We won¡¯t buy food from him as I¡¯m inclined to get everything fresh, but he sells an enchanted chest capable of preserving food for a long time. We¡¯ll definitely need it.¡±


    After getting a quite expensive container, the group spent at least an hour buying all sorts of stuff even though the trip was supposed to be short. They bought large cuts of cow meat, potatoes as asked by Harry, vegetables ranging from carrots to stuff only Anda had heard about, a huge block of cheese and a crate of mixed spices with extra pepper.


    When the vendor sealed the crate, their last acquisition, Erion sighed.


    ¡°I¡­ definitely did not expect to buy so much food. If our mission is indeed short, this should last for at least one more.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, we got a little carried away by the fact that we¡¯re going to have a field chef.¡± Rasla said ¡°Hey, at least we won¡¯t have to worry about running out of it.¡±


    ¡°Unless we eat like we just did at the tavern¡­¡± Harry reflected, rubbing his filled belly.


    ¡°Uh, yes¡­ We should control ourselves.¡± Rasla agreed,


    ¡°Hey, Erion, if you see that we¡¯re out of control, eating everything we see in front of us, start making the food taste awful. That way we¡¯ll remember the rations and our stomach will instantly close!¡± Harry said, smiling and waiting for laughs.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Okay. Is there anything left or we¡¯re straight off to the road?¡±


    ¡°I believe so, yeah. While you two were buying swords we were setting up everything so it¡¯s only a matter of walking to the gate.¡±


    ¡°Can we carry all of this by ourselves?¡± Erion asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I bought a cart for the food. Since I doubt we¡¯ll go too far from the road, it shouldn¡¯t be a bad idea. We¡¯ll just have to carry everything to the carpenter¡¯s shop¡­¡±


    With each of them carrying a good amount of their purchases, the party slowly walked to the carpenter¡¯s, where he was waiting for them in the front with a brand new wooden cart, just enough to support everything.


    Everything was finally set up. Rasla, without hesitation or too much force, grabbed the cart¡¯s grips and guided it through the streets, her friends right in front, talking and laughing about the possible dishes they would eat. Erion felt comfortable and confident, although he wasn¡¯t sure if he should introduce them to the Slime soup right on their first mission together.

 The Culinary School Dropout (4)

    Not much had changed since Erion first arrived in the city. The road was an immutable entity, constantly populated with people from all over the world. One could tell the story of a traveler by simply looking at his clothes and the way he walks as the road only calls for a certain type of person.


    But Rasla and her party were not interested in people, only in the fastest way of reaching Aseena, the town terrorized by the fiery wolf, target of their hunt.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ We¡¯ll probably have to go through some trails deep into the forest if we want to get there fast. The main road does more curves than I thought.¡± She said while looking an old, ragged map.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t going through the forest dangerous? ¡­I ask for our new friend here, of course.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It has the usual slimes and goblins but nothing we can¡¯t handle easily. We¡¯ll just have to pay more attention when we start approaching Aseena since the wolf lurks around the area.¡±


    Max, who was paying more attention to the birds flying around than to the conversation, suddenly interjected:


    ¡°But how long will it take for us to get there?¡±


    ¡°I believe we¡¯ll take 2 days and 2 nights with short breaks along the way. Maybe a little more if we allow ourselves some lavish meals prepared by Erion.¡± Rasla responded.


    ¡°Ah, we shouldn¡¯t waste the stuff we bought. I¡¯m sure the wolf will still be there if we show up a few hours later than expected.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°This rarely happens but I agree with him.¡± Max completed.


    The Barbarian smiled.


    ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t want to skip over meals either. Guess you¡¯ll do a lot of work, Erion, haha.¡±


    So the five went forward, with Rasla happily carrying the cart while everyone talked. Erion got to know about some of their most interesting adventures and all the troublesome situations they somehow got away from. Even Anda told a tale or two, describing her slick and silent assassinations of mostly creatures with one or two humans inbetween.


    As the sun faded, the party deviated from the main road, going for one a little more precarious. Far in the horizon they could see a wall of tall trees; the forest they were supposed to get into.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a few more hours for us to get there. We¡¯ll set up camp right at the forest¡¯s border and take off with the morning¡¯s first light.¡± Rasla declared.


    The group seemed used to long walks, however, they were quite new for the inexperienced field chef, whose each step felt like walking over needles. The lesser quality road did not help him as numerous pebbles started making the steps even worse. He tried to hid his discomfort from the other four but it was quite noticeable as he struggled to not stay behind.


    ¡°Damn, I forgot you were not used to traveling by foot, sorry. These boots of yours certainly don¡¯t help, we should¡¯ve bought new ones at the city.¡± Rasla said after noticing his slow pace.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ I¡¯m just a little tired¡­ I¡¯ll make it to the camp.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. Get in the cart.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He asked in astonishment ¡°No way. There¡¯s already a lot of stuff on it¡­ And I¡¯m not baggage!¡±


    ¡°The quicker you get on it, the quicker we¡¯ll reach the forest. You¡¯re slowing everybody down with your sluggish walk. Just jump in.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, boy. You¡¯re being offered the easy life and you don¡¯t want it?! I wish I was lucky enough to have weak feet.¡± Harry complained.


    ¡°No, I just...¡±


    Without waiting for a complete answer, Rasla suddenly grabbed Erion by his clothes and threw him onto the food, making some vegetables fall from the cart.


    ¡°W-what the hell?!¡±


    ¡°Now be a good boy and don¡¯t move too much.¡± The Barbarian said ¡°No need to worry about me, I constantly carry stuff heavier than a scrawny kid.¡±


    He opened his mouth for a rebuttal, but decided it was wiser to keep quiet and just let her carry the heavy cart. If it was someone else, maybe he would¡¯ve jumped anyway. She, however, seemed truly unfazed by the extra weight, sometimes even going faster than the other three.


    Not much later, the sun started to set. There still was a good amount of terrain to cross until the border and everybody was starting to feel tired.


    ¡°You can carry me too, can¡¯t you, Rasla? I¡¯m just as thin as Erion.¡± Harry joked, possibly with a hint of honesty.


    ¡°Keep walking, idiot.¡± Was her response.


    And so they did, until the sky was black and the sun was replaced by its little silver sister. Slightly before the border, the terrain started an upwards inclination, making the path substantially harsher. Even Rasla was soundly panting ¨C so much that when Erion jumped off the cart, she remained silent.


    Everyone sighed in relief as the trees became more numerous and a huge green/brown wall emerged right in front of them. It was the chosen resting spot.


    ¡°I was almost thinking that the road was growing longer as we walked. Damn, I guess Erion¡¯s lack of experience affected us all!¡± The Warlock said as he sat on a convenient log.


    This time, all four ignored him, choosing to focus in setting up the camp or simply resting after such a long walk. Rasla quickly gathered enough firewood for a night, Max unpacked the sleeping bags and laid them on the ground, Anda wandered off, checking for anyone (or anything) nearby and Erion looked at the packed supplies, seeing if everything was still fresh. The enchanted chest apparently did a nice job; everything was smelling fine and looked bright. Without wasting much time, he readied the ingredients needed for the dish he was going to cook that night.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Soon enough, Anda was back and everything was set up, including the intense campfire right at the center. Erion and the Assassin got the compact cauldron and other utensils from the cart and positioned them around the fire. With some improvisation, they made a support for the large pot, hanging it above the flames.


    The other three rested, rarely helping the two.


    The ambient was also uncomfortably silent. The cook started to feel awkward as the girl helped him in absolute quietness. Slowly, he stuttered out some words:


    ¡°So, Anda¡­ How did you guys meet?¡±


    She raised her head, confused.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You four¡­ There certainly is an interesting story behind such a¡­ unusual group.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by unusual? Am I weird?¡±


    Erion blushed.


    ¡°No! That¡¯s not what I meant! I just¡­ Is there a story or not?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one¡­ But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very interesting. I¡¯m almost certain.¡±


    ¡°Tell me. You can¡¯t know if a story¡¯s uninteresting when you never told it to anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She hesitated momentarily ¡°It was back when Julius The Dragon was terrorizing the region.¡±


    The young chef almost burst out laughing, but barely kept his composure.


    ¡°There were a lot of new adventurers and the demand was really high. All four of us were brand new in the business and we all went to a certain inn in look for a job. The only one left required a party of four people so it seemed natural. Afterwards, we kept doing missions. I don¡¯t know their reasons for sticking together, personally, I just thought it was practical to stay in an already set party instead of looking for another one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Well, I thought that it would be more¡­ intense, you know? A tale of how a strong friendship was born¡­¡±


    ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t very interesting.¡±


    ¡°But you guys seem like great friends! Does it just come with the time?¡±


    She stopped for a while, thinking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like we¡¯re the biggest friends. We have a good relationship but most of the time it seems that we just tolerate each other. I¡¯d say that all of us are kind of the lone wolf type, but we don¡¯t mind having some reliable companions.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s hard for me to understand something so far of the concept of party in my head. All the stories you hear about legendary groups of friends and their unbreakable bond¡­ Now that I look at it, it¡¯s definitely too idealized.¡±


    He assumed an easily noticeable sad face.


    ¡°Now, you shouldn¡¯t let a party of four people change your perception of the world. Sure, not everything is perfect, but these groups of best friends you talk about¡­ They definitely exist.¡±


    Thinking her job was done, she turned back to the cauldron, adjusting it to not fall if something too heavy is put inside.


    Anda, as Erion observed, was not of easy contact. She rarely talked when not prompted and had a weird ¡°mechanical¡± aura when doing so. It was like she tried to mimic how someone is supposed to feel and act, but didn¡¯t have enough understanding of it to make it convincing. She didn¡¯t seem like a bad person, she just not felt completely genuine on her actions.


    Either way, a lot of the cook¡¯s thoughts vanished as they finished setting up everything and he started to cook their dinner.


    While the cauldron was warming up, he picked up a good amount of ground beef from the supplies, alongside with many herbs and vegetables. He poured a small amount of water inside the recipient, letting it boil as he mixed the herbs into the meat mince. Soon, bubbles started to appears in the liquid, signalizing it was time to throw in onions, milk and salt. With enough time and mixing, it became an onion cream, basis of the night¡¯s special.


    After tasting the cream and adding a little more salt, Erion threw the ground beef into, letting it cook slowly. It would take a while, he observed, using the time left to wash and prepare the lettuce he would use. In each of the four plates, the cook placed a single large leaf and, with the onion cream plus ground beef prepared, used them as a recipient for the main dish. He carefully closed the lettuce leaves around themselves, utilizing melted cheese to seal it without the leaf opening by itself. Finally, he boiled some potatoes and cut them into round pieces, pouring a little bit of onion cream over them.


    After finally finishing it, he called the other four, who almost had fallen asleep during the process. Everyone instantly had their eyes wide open by the word ¡°ready¡± and instantly jumped to get their plates.


    ¡°It smells pretty good...¡± Rasla commented.


    ¡°¡­I told you it would be fine as long as it wasn¡¯t vegetarian, boy.¡± Max said while looking at the closed lettuces.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s plenty of meat inside them.¡± Erion said.


    ¡°Yeah. Definitely.¡± Harry was already filling his mouth with the food. The very thick onion cream slowly came out of his open lettuce, showing everyone how great it looked.


    Like predators, they attacked the food. Erion was pretty satisfied with himself, watching everyone¡¯s wordless appreciation. He was also smart enough to do enough food for everyone to repeat at least once. And so they did, filling their stomachs as they were not fed for days. Anda herself, who did not seem very hungry, quietly ate as much as Rasla, unstoppable on her Barbarian fury.


    ¡°You certainly proved yourself as a cook, Erion!¡± Rasla congratulated him after her last plate. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t not mind to eat like this on the road!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you have talent. It has been some time since I ate something quite good like this.¡± Max admitted.


    ¡°It could¡¯ve had more potatoes¡­ But it was still alright, calm down.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°I wish I had bought a barrel of ale. A mug of it would certainly feel correct after this meal!¡± Rasla lamented, drinking a cup of water.


    ¡°Wait, let¡¯s not get too happy. We still have to wake up early and follow the trail. We should decide the patrolling turns before everyone falls asleep.¡±


    Sad that such moment had to pass, everyone one agreed and a schedule was quickly set up. Harry was first, Max was after him followed by Rasla and, finally, Anda. They decided to spare Erion in gratitude for the great dinner.


    The young chef fell asleep with a smile on his face. It had been a great day for him. After months stuck in the same place, setting out for the road felt liberating and filled him with newfound determination to be one of the greatest. As he closed his eyes, a smile quietly roamed a few meters in front of his face, remembering him of what was truly unique about his skills.


    Unfortunately, the sleep full of hopeful dreams wouldn¡¯t last. At least one hour before the supposed time to wake up, Anda pulled his leg.


    ¡°Get up! Quick!¡±


    His mind couldn¡¯t process the situation. His eyes opened but Erion could not understand anything other than weird, blurry shapes covered in light. Another voice started talking.


    ¡°It¡¯s taking too long! We have to go, they¡¯re coming!¡±


    As the cook finally understood that grass was the thing beneath his face, his body suddenly started to float away from the ground. It would take him a few more minutes to realize that he was on Rasla¡¯s back as they entered the deep forest in haste, leaving almost everything behind.

 The Culinary School Dropout (5)

    It were just a few minutes into Anda¡¯s turn. Rasla fell asleep almost instantly after going back to her sleeping bag, leaving the Assassin alone under the fading night.


    As the sun bloomed on the horizon, a black shape contrasted against the bright background. Anda noticed it was approaching, probably a caravan of merchants or soldiers, the usual kind of big groups you see on the road. However, as they came near, an omen of destruction filled the girl¡¯s heart. Something was wrong.


    Suddenly, a horn echoed.


    ¡°Orcs.¡±


    The sound was too far to be loud, but Max was too familiar with it to not be awoken. He witnessed Anda staring at the distance, figuring out what to do.


    ¡°Anda! Wake up everybody! We must leave the camp now!¡±


    She turned in surprise, not having noticed her companion.


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s pack what we can.¡±


    The Cavalier looked again at the approaching mass, now much bigger than before.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time, they¡¯ve noticed us. We must only take our bags.¡±


    Anda nodded, quickly calling Rasla, Harry and Erion.


    ¡­


    Erion¡¯s head was still dizzy, most likely due to the constant shaking of getting carried around like a sandbag.


    ¡°R-Rasla, d-drop m-me p-please.¡±


    ¡°If I drop you at this speed, you¡¯ll surely break some bones!¡± She responded, looking back to see the distant shadows of the orcs.


    ¡°Calm down, Erion. We can¡¯t slow down right now.¡± Max said.


    ¡°Maybe you should¡¯ve waken up during the first call!¡± Harry told the cook.


    ¡°Dammit¡­ All that food...¡±


    Rasla growled, remembering the abandoned cart.


    For countless minutes, they ran through the woods, jumping rocks, thick roots and dirty brooks. Slowly, whoever gave them chase started appearing farther and farther, with the unintelligible screams becoming background noise until the sound of nature was the only thing remaining. The apparent calmness wasn¡¯t enough for the party to slow down, though. They kept running for a good while, only stopping due to the unavoidable fatigue.


    Once again, Erion could set his foot on the ground.


    ¡°What the hell¡­ We left everything behind!¡± He complained.


    ¡°It had to be done, unfortunately. Since they traveled during the night, it was already too late when we saw them.¡± Max said.


    ¡°What the hell are orcs doing around here?! Are they planning to raid a city?¡± Harry asked, sitting on a rock and rubbing his bare feet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The road they were crossing¡­ It was probably made by them in the old days. Something must have happened up in the mountains for them to use it, though. If they¡¯re moving to the southern tribes, they¡¯d normally use their tunnels.¡± Max answered.


    Everybody went into silence, kind of mourning the loss of almost everything they had bought for the trip.


    ¡°Fuck! I wish I had the pleasure to crush their skull¡­ My axe claims for orc blood!¡± Rasla shouted.


    ¡°Shhh! Do you want them to hear us?¡± Harry asked her ¡°Plus, I doubt there¡¯s much we can do against an entire battalion of them.¡±


    ¡°We could try...¡± She said, getting a grip of her weapons.


    Suddenly, rustling noise came from an unspecified direction.


    ¡°Oh no, they¡¯re here! How?!¡± The Warlock lamented in fear.


    ¡°If it were them, you¡¯d have an axe on your face right now. Or an arrow if you¡¯re lucky.¡± Max said, getting up from the log he was sitting on to check the noise.


    ¡°This forest supposedly has a quite vivid wildlife. It¡¯s probably some slime sliding around.¡± He completed.


    The Cavalier, fearless, went forward to unveil what was behind the bushes.


    The surprise, however, did not come from where expected. The rustling noise repeated, but it was not heard as a much louder one came from behind the young chef, oblivious to his surroundings.


    ¡°Erion!¡± Rasla shouted while jumping towards him. She could not stop the green shadow, coming from behind a rock and wielding a stone blade. He deeply stabbed the cook¡¯s back, showing his rotten teeth while hanging on the weapon.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Before the Barbarian could slice the goblin¡¯s head off or the Warlock could break all of his bones, hell, even before Erion could scream, a sharp blade crossed the air directly onto the creature¡¯s head. An Assassin¡¯s blade.


    Only the dagger remained as the goblin instantly fell to the ground with a hole on his head.


    Now it had been enough time for Erion.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!¡±


    The other goblins did not wait for much longer. Soon enough, there were at least two of them for each of the party¡¯s members. Not a large ambush, but an ambush nonetheless.


    The creatures carried all sorts of improvised weapon and armor. Most were made from goods stolen from the people who crossed the forest, unaware of the countless little thieves hiding in the darkness. One of them wore an over-sized bronze helm, probably the leader of the ambush group.


    ¡°I guess my axe won¡¯t taste orcs today, but goblins are good enough!¡± Rasla shouted, raising her signature weapon with a hand and carrying a short sword on the other one.


    In silence, Max followed, readying his mighty two-handed sword. A single swing was enough to kill at least half of the goblins there, if they entered his reach.


    Harry¡¯s fingertips started to shine in purple. His Patron¡¯s aura emanated ¨C it did not intimidate the goblins as they could not understand the magnitude of a power from the Outer World.


    Anda did not need preparation. Her movements were naturally much faster than anyone¡¯s else around. A step for a goblin was an entire battle movement for her.


    They did, however, forget about their stabbed cook. While the four finished their preparations and stood in heroic poses against the evil little pricks, Erion fell to the floor, eating some dirt in the process.


    ¡°Oh no.¡±


    Anda jumped to him, feeling guilty about getting too carried away by the goblin menace.


    But they did not forgive the reckless movement. Instantly, all of the green beasts jumped onto the travelers, specially onto the two in the ground.


    ¡°Oh no, you won¡¯t!¡±


    Right as two of the goblins leaped into combat, Rasla ripped them in half with a powerful axe swing. More came right after, taking advantage of the Barbarian¡¯s blow long recovery. Not a very smart move as a tentacle made of pure energy wrapped them around and squeezed their insides out.


    Maybe the remaining ones were a little more intelligent, as they gave up their leaping strikes after seeing the others being decimated. Only if they knew that a ground assault would be even less effective¡­


    In short and controlled cleaves, Max cleansed the soil. Green blood and tiny heads flew around. The goblin that went the farthest ran merely a few steps away from the Cavalier, only to be torn in half by a heavy vertical cut.


    The remaining few had seen enough. While the swordsman focused on taking down those still rushing towards Erion, four or five of the green creatures started running away, however, goblins are not a quiet race and their escape was filled with screeches and them hitting each other. Harry¡¯s tentacle was still summoned, waiting for the opportunity to strike again ¨C the eldritch abomination stretched to the running ones, exploding their heads with a strong slap or pressing them until their eyes gouged out.


    Anda looked at the dagger pierced into Erion¡¯s back. Fortunately, it was not poisoned but the damage done was still pretty high. She touched the weapon and slightly moved it.


    ¡°Ouch! I¡¯m still awake, you know¡­ Just barely...¡± Erion said.


    ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m fixing you.¡± She said in her usual tone.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Are you going to kill me?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you an Assassin? I¡¯d imagine that fixing me is something like getting rid of my suffering.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ be quiet.¡±


    He trembled, afraid of what she was going to do. Slowly, Anda started removing the bandages in her arm, displaying several scars in the shape of short cuts. As the other three kept guard around them, the Assassin, with her sharpest blade, slashed a brand new gash near her left hand, letting it bleed for a few seconds. When the stream of blood started falling onto the ground, she collected some of it in her right hand and rubbed it on her forehead.


    ¡°Are you awaken? It¡¯s going to hurt.¡± She alerted the still unconscious cook.


    No response.


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    Anda got a new bandage from her backpack and held it with her bleeding arm, positioning it near the dagger. With her other hand, she fully grasped the weapon.


    ¡°One, two...¡±


    In a single pull, the blade was removed. The upcoming stream of blood was instantly held by the bandage in her left arm.


    ¡°Hey, you better hurry up, Anda. You¡¯re losing too much blood.¡± Harry warned her, relaxing after the goblins had been long gone.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing it.¡±


    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, touching the deep cut with both hands. The words she said couldn¡¯t be heard or understood by anyone other than her. It was an Old speech, from the origins of time. And it carried power on itself, changing the atmosphere and giving everyone around a chill on their spine.


    What was a hole into Erion¡¯s flesh started to close by itself. The blood on Anda¡¯s skin became agitated, like the sea during a storm. As the bruise fully regenerated, the blood also began to disappear, leaving her skin fair as it was before and even though the cut on her arm was still open, the stream had ceased.


    ¡°It¡¯s done¡­ It won¡¯t take long before he wakes up.¡± She said, out of breath.


    ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll stay here for a while, I doubt those goblins will come back¡­ And if they do, we¡¯ll just use little bit more of strength.¡± Rasla said. ¡°Rest with him.¡±


    Anda nodded and rested her back in a rock, closing her eyes without effort.


    ¡°Are you sure we should stop, Rasla? We don¡¯t know if the orcs really stopped chasing us. Hell, the goblins might even tell them where we are.¡± Harry said. ¡°And there¡¯s also the food issue¡­ We have none.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t stay for too long, it¡¯s just for Anda to recover a bit of her energy. She¡¯s very tired from the chase and healing, I doubt we¡¯d make a lot of progress with both of them in that state.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ Maybe I and Max should look around for some fruits or animals. We didn¡¯t even have breakfast after all.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Just be careful, you saw who lives in these trees.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we can beat them.¡± Harry laughed ¡°Shall we go, Max?¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t even agree with your inclusion of my name¡­ I must admit that I¡¯m quite hungry, though.¡± The Cavalier answered.


    ¡°Oh, come on, get up already.¡±


    The two men proceeded to exit the clearance, following a wild trail to check if there were any fruits or hunt around. As they entered the tree path, a green slime crossed their way, sliding while digesting a purple apple. They did not know, but it was an omen of the only thing which they would eat that day.

 The Culinary School Dropout (6)

    ¡°Oh, man...¡± Erion tried looking around with his eyes blinded by the sunlight. ¡°...Am I dead?¡±


    ¡°Nope. But you could be if the goblin was a little bit smarter.¡±


    Anda was right next to him, laying her back on a big rock. She looking at him with her usual neutral expression and offered a flask of water.


    ¡°Drink it. You¡¯re probably dehydrated.¡± She said.


    The young chef raised himself, trying to sit on the ground like her. As he straightened his back, a sharp pain went through his spine, making his face contract.


    ¡°Ouch. What the--¡±


    They came as flashes. Max investigating a bush. A sound behind him. Something entering his flesh, penetrating it. His face on the ground. Anda treating his bruises.


    ¡°You...¡±


    Erion put his hand over where he was stabbed. Nothing. If there was a scar, he couldn¡¯t tell by touch. Although there was some pain remaining, it was nothing like what he felt when he realized what had happened to him.


    ¡°Did you do this? The healing?¡± The cook asked.


    She nodded.


    ¡°Yes. It was a pretty big hole but I managed to close it. Not without effort, though.¡±


    ¡°...How? Aren¡¯t you an Assassin?¡± He asked


    ¡°Tricks of the trade. It¡¯s nice to have a unique skillset.¡±


    He wanted to ask more, however, her sharp words and straight face signalized her lack of will to answer anything.


    ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± She responded. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe the ways the other three find to get hurt, a stab is nothing.¡±


    When Anda mentioned the others, Erion looked around. Unfamiliar trees, goblin remains, blood, but no other person.


    ¡°Uh, where is everybody? Hunting goblins?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Max and Harry went berrypicking, or hunting, whatever comes first. Rasla is scouting for orcs and goblins.¡±


    ¡°And they left us here by ourselves?! What if they go through her?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I may be a little tired but I can still handle a goblin ambush, or one or two orcs.¡±


    He had never seen the Asssassin in combat, so he just assumed she talked the truth.


    Conveniently, Erion¡¯s belly started to growl.


    ¡°Still no food, huh?¡± He lamented.


    Anda only tilted her head.


    ¡°I hope they find something¡­ Or we¡¯ll have to eat slimes.¡± He said.


    The girl smirked.


    ¡°Oh, I wish I was kidding¡­ Slime¡¯s pretty good, though. At least in my recipe.¡±


    ¡°You serious?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why do you think Wagil hired me as his apprentice? It¡¯s my own¡­ ¡°unique skillset¡±, haha.¡±


    ¡°Oh, gods¡­ I¡¯d rather eat dirt, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Ok...¡± Erion laughed. ¡°More for me.¡±


    The upcoming silence was a bit uncomfortable. The cook tried to remember if he had ever been alone with a girl without an awkward moment ¨C nothing could be found in his memories. He felt like she wasn¡¯t very keen on talking, so he resorted to playing with a small pebble he felt close to his leg.


    A few minutes into the awkwardness, the leaves once again started to rustle. The two got worked up, expecting some kind of green creature to come out of the woods, but it was only Rasla, looking tired and bruised by the countless branches.


    ¡°Oh, golly, you¡¯re awake, huh? Nice job, Anda¡± She said. ¡°And, luckily, there¡¯s no trace of more goblins or orcs around here so we¡¯re kinda safe for now.¡±


    The Barbarian coughed a little, sitting in the ground right after to recover her breath.


    ¡°Dammit, being hungry just isn¡¯t good for me¡­ No sign of the guys?¡±


    ¡°Still nothing. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re smart enough for us to let them walk around this forest by themselves.¡± Anda responded. ¡°And I doubt they know anything about finding any food that isn¡¯t poisonous.¡±


    Erion cleared his throat, invading the conversation.


    ¡°I know a thing or two about food¡± He joked. ¡°Picking some edible herbs and fruits wouldn¡¯t be too much trouble.¡±


    ¡°No, no, you¡¯re resting. Your body may have fully healed but your soul still believes it¡¯s violated, you must stay quiet until everything normalizes.¡± Rasla told him.


    ¡°Urgh, fine. How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°It depends on the person. It could be hours, minutes, years¡­ A truly weak soul never recovers.¡± The Assassin said, unfazed.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Um¡­ That¡¯s troubling.¡± A single drop of sweat ran through his cheek. ¡°Only a couple of hours have passed, right? Haha. It shouldn¡¯t take long...¡±


    No one answered him.


    The trio didn¡¯t really want to spend the energy they didn¡¯t have. They sat with their backs on the same large rock, looking at the boringly shaped clouds and the trees playing Go Fish with the leaves of a dead one. A slime casually passed around, eating some of the pretty big ants that came out of holes in the ground. Erion pointed at him, calling Anda.


    ¡°Hey, look. It¡¯s dinner.¡±


    She let out a short giggle. Very unusual.


    ¡°You¡¯re almost convincing me¡­ The disgusting goo is really starting to look tasty.¡±


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that we¡¯ll have something to eat even if the two can¡¯t find anything in the woods.¡±


    ¡°What the damnation are you two talking about?¡± Rasla said, irritated by the interruption of her almost falling asleep state.


    ¡°Our wonderful chef is having delusions about cooking slimes. I should recheck him ¨C maybe the goblin stroke his head too.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest ¨C I¡¯d eat fucking anything right now. Two skipped meals is too much, goddamn.¡±


    Indeed, the sun was right above them, almost screaming at their faces that it was noon, also known as lunchtime. The two men were almost completing their second hour out.


    ¡°All this time is not a good sign¡­ I doubt they found anything.¡± Anda said.


    She would be proved correct just a little later. The leaf rustling restarted in a different spot, although a bit larger since it were now two people coming out of the green. Empty hands and faces of defeat were more than enough to tell the waiting three that the search was fruitless.


    ¡°See? I knew it.¡± She confirmed.


    ¡°Hey, hey, we did everything we could but this forest simply is¡­ I don¡¯t know, inhospitable?¡± Harry complained. ¡°How the fuck do all these goblins and monsters live here?¡±


    ¡°They eat each other, Harry.¡± Max said, not able to hide his dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Ha, so Erion thinks like a monster, huh?¡± Rasla joked.


    ¡°I guess I do.¡± He looked around. ¡°Where is that slime anyway?¡±


    ¡°Ohoho, you¡¯re really going to do it?¡± The Barbarian asked, a bit incredulous.


    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s great. Wagil loves it.¡±


    Harry and Max felt a little lost, sitting down besides everybody to keep up with what happened there.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Erion found some food?¡± Max asked, honestly curious.


    ¡°Hahaha, well, he says he did.¡± Anda answered. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d like, though.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s slimes¡­ He wants to cook slimes.¡±


    The Cavalier looked at him, shocked. Harry¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t too bright either.


    ¡°Wait, you know slimes aren¡¯t animals, right? They¡¯re monsters.¡± The Warlock said. ¡°You can¡¯t eat monsters, they¡¯re Evil! And I say this as a freaking Warlock!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the Evil thing, but it tastes pretty good. Try it when I¡¯m done.¡±


    After finishing his phrase, Erion got up, still feeling an annoying pain on his back. Everyone looked at him, admired by his sudden will to ¡°slime-hunt¡±. His determination planted some doubt in the heads of the more incredule.


    ¡°Can you even capture a slime in your current state?¡± Max asked.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. They¡¯re too stupid and slow to be an issue.¡± He drew his brand new sword, still unused. ¡°A single thrust of this will do the deal.¡±


    ¡°Be careful to not cut yourself. You don¡¯t appear to be the best swordsman alive.¡± Max warned him.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, I can beat a slime without risking my life. If you¡¯re that worried about my lack of skills, you could give me some lessons...¡±


    ¡°Only if you manage to prevent our starvation.¡± He joked.


    ¡°Easy job.¡±


    Erion then calmly started walking around, looking at the grass to see if he could identify any slime, specifically the one he had seen not much before. There were lots of ants, worms and little snakes, but no sign of actual monsters, meaning that he would probably need to step a bit farther from their safe spot.


    As he walked towards the trees, Rasla called him.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t go too far! It was all clear when I checked but they could still be hiding!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay! I¡¯ll be careful!¡± He shouted back, not turning his body.


    Fortunately, the slime he was looking for was not too many steps far into the woods. Walking a bit more would lead him straight to a second goblin ambush, made whoever survived the previous attack. In fact, a hungry goblin almost revealed their position after drooling too much and letting it drip onto the ground, making noise when hitting some dry leaves. Erion, now fortunately for the goblins, was too focusing on hitting the slime on the right spot to have noticed the noise.


    ¡°Got!¡±


    Without too much strength, the blade smoothly slipped through the green goo, diving a little bit into the dirt. The creature offered some resistance, but before it could split into two, the life had faded away from it.


    Finally, some food for the party.


    ¡°Wow, that was fast.¡± Harry exclaimed. ¡°Difficult foe?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, his sword skills were a little better than mine but I overcame it through brute force. I sweated a little, I¡¯ll admit.¡±


    ¡°Where is it?¡± Rasla asked.


    The young chef proceeded to present her a common cloth bag.


    ¡°It¡¯s here, absorbing some spices.¡± He said. ¡°The taste of a slime highly depends on what it ate and the duration of digestion.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the slime-cooking specialist here, do as you want.¡± Anda said.


    ¡°Whoa, no need to be passive-aggressive. I guarantee you¡¯ll like it.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ do your thing. I¡¯ll taste it depending on how disgusting it looks.¡±


    ¡°Alright...¡±


    Erion stretched his arms and legs. He was ready to cook.


    ¡°Uh, one question.¡± Max suddenly said. ¡°You know we left everything behind, right? How are you going to cook something without a cauldron?¡±


    ¡°Well, I may be a rookie field chef, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not a prepared one.¡± He grabbed something from his belt attachments. ¡°I packed a few emergency utensils.¡±


    The cooked then showed everyone a little ball of iron, seemingly rusty. He threw it on the floor with as much strength as he had (not much).


    Nothing happened at first. Then, slowly, smoke started to come out of the sphere, more and more each second. Like a pressure cooker, it started to whistle and the smoke cloud grew exponentially larger in a single blow. When the mess started to cease, a loud snap ripped the air. One, the iron ball exploded. Two, it expanded. Three and four, it expanded more and more until it was a small cauldron, enough for a humble meal.


    ¡°Haha, you truly are prepared.¡± Rasla said. ¡°Now I actually want to see this slime dish.¡±


    In a similar process, Erion spawned a wooden spoon and some wide cups.


    ¡°Okay, I have everything I need except for¡­ uh¡­ Can someone lit a fire for me? Not in my skillset, unfortunately.¡± He blinked at Anda.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Max got up. ¡°Sitting and watching is not my thing.¡±


    The Cavalier picked up some kindling laying on the ground while the chef checked the slime, smelling it and feeling its consistence. Max slowly started a fire, the rough wind coming from the trees didn¡¯t help his task at all. After some time, though, the flames settled and everything was set up for the soup.


    ¡°Nice job, Max, thanks.¡±


    ¡°If I feel a single trace of Evil in this food¡­ I¡¯ll throw everything away.¡±


    ¡°Uh, alright...¡±


    Erion put the cauldron over the fire, letting it warm up before throwing in the water. He knew the process from heart. Not even needing to look at it to know at what point the liquid started to boil, he threw in the slime straight from the bag and the goo instantly melted into one with the water.


    The fruity, sugary, but rough smell instantly hugged the flowing winds, catching the attention of the other four. It filled their noses with a new sensation, similar to when Erion first discovered the recipe. Rasla even walked forward, curious to see what was happening inside the pan.


    The chef used salt and pepper from his belt stash, even adding some dried herbs he had, maybe to make it more palatable in case one of them did not like the raw taste of slime. A familiar synesthesia came back to his body, but he prepared the recipe enough times to not become hypnotized by it. The same could not be about the Barbarian, who was almost diving into the soup.


    ¡°Whoa, be careful, Rasla.¡± He held her shoulder.


    ¡°Uh? What?¡± She asked, looking around. ¡°Oh, what am I doing? Haha¡­ Hm¡­ This thing smells fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done.¡± Erion said. ¡°You¡¯ll get the first bowl, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    And he continued, carefully measuring everything.


    Indeed, not a lot of minutes passed before he was done. Confirming it with a good spoonful of the soup, confirming the usual majestic taste the slime dish carried.


    ¡°It¡¯s done, guys.¡± The cook instantly poured a good amount of it in one of the wide cups he had summoned. ¡°Here¡¯s yours, Rasla.¡±


    The Barbarian got up, nervous about the nature of what smelled so good. She cupped her hands around the recipient, feeling once again the beautiful aroma of the boiled slime. Truly unique.


    ¡°No Evil, Rasla?¡± Max asked.


    ¡°Nothing I can feel, at least.¡± Without reservations, she raised the cup to her mouth, slightly sipping the warm goo¡­


    Meanwhile¡­


    Two green shadows observed from the darkness.


    Much taller than goblins, at least five times the size.


    They growled in disgust, observing the humans feast.


    ¡°Are they really eating a slime? Damn, and WE are the savages!¡±

 The Culinary School Dropout (7)

    Orcs are not very good at identifying things that enter their sight. Not because their eyes fail them, they simply lack a grasp of understanding what others do ¨C if it¡¯s not theirs, they have no idea what it is. Luckily, these orcs are on the road for quite some time and after a few dozens of encounters, the concept and practice of camps is finally engraved into their heads.


    As the sun rose, the expedition leader, leading the expedition, was the first to notice yet another camp in their path. Following the protocol, he shouted:


    ¡°Blow the horn!¡±


    The command echoed. Each orc, after three or four rows, reshouted the order to make sure the hornblower listened to it.


    ¡°Blow the horn!¡±


    ¡°Blow the h-- Wait. What for?¡± asked the blower.


    The sound wave that started at the leader started to come back to him, his ears alerted. One by one, the orcs shouting the response became clearer and clearer.


    ¡°Hg wor?¡±


    ¡°Har hor?¡±


    ¡°Walt mor?¡±


    ¡°What for?!¡± Shouted Makiel, second-in-command, positioned immediately behind the leader.


    ¡°Seriously?! This is the question?!¡± He growled. ¡°It¡¯s a camp, of course!¡±


    ¡°Wait, my mouth is dry.¡± Markiel sipped his canteen. ¡°It¡¯s a camp, of course!¡±


    The orchestra restarted, although it took a little longer since a lot of the shouters started sipping some water.


    Finally, after the horde had awakened every possible being near their path, living or not living, the final message reached the hornblower.


    ¡°Saying that in the first command would¡¯ve saved us a lot of time...¡± He filled his lungs with the pure air from the forests, releasing all of it to create one of the most menacing sounds ever produced, slightly behind the snore of a dragon and the chant of a nymph during that time.


    The entirety of the expedition was now aware of what was lying slightly ahead of them ¨C and basically everyone could see it anyway since the road was inclined downwards. Like mentioned before, practically all of them could notice a camp since they had seen so much of them, but only one in that group perceived the little humans running away into the woods. Fortunately, he was right beside the expedition leader, so no shouting this time.


    ¡°Lord Leader! The humans have noticed us and they¡¯re escaping!¡± He informed.


    ¡°Really? Where?¡±


    ¡°Now they¡¯ve all gone into the forest, but I saw the trail they took!¡±


    ¡°Good, good¡­ So what? We don¡¯t need to go out of our way to be Evil, we only do it when we can¡¯t avoid the encounter.¡± He sighed. ¡°Damned they be, these Laws of the Universe.¡±


    ¡°I get you. However¡­ You should send the scouts anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°The scouts? The two dorks?¡± The leader scratched his mistreated beard.


    ¡°Oh, yes¡­ It¡¯s the perfect opportunity to get rid of them. Let them follow the trail and when they get deep enough we just keep going.¡±


    ¡°It would be a good plan, but what about the Shaman? He definitely knows that they¡¯re idiots and that we¡¯d do anything to get rid of them, he¡¯d get our plan as soon as we told him about their disappearance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy, it¡¯s easy. We can babble a story about how they wanted to prove themselves after many failures and whatnot¡­ Very believable if you know them, huh?¡±


    The leader looked behind him, noticing two orcs riding their horses backwards.


    ¡°Ok, you convinced me.¡± He turned around again. ¡°Where are the scouts?! I summon them!¡±


    Immediately after, Markiel repeated the order.


    ¡­


    ¡°Oh, man.¡± She took another mouthful. ¡°This is delicious.¡±


    Max looked at her, raising an eyebrow. Would she at any point start becoming Evil? Maybe the good taste was a trick of the Dark Lords¡­


    ¡°Ooh, ooh, let me taste it.¡± Harry got up from his rock, excited by the Barbarian¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Get your own.¡± Rasla responded. ¡°This one¡¯s all for me.¡±


    Erion picked up another wide cup and filled it with the aromatic slime soup, giving it to the Warlock.


    ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t poisoning us?¡± He asked, looking at both him and the dish.


    ¡°One hundred per cent. I¡¯ve eaten quite a bit of it while perfecting the recipe and, well, I¡¯m still here.¡± The chef said.


    The Cavalier came closer.


    ¡°Are you though? How do we know that your brain wasn¡¯t substituted by a monster¡¯s after drinking so much of this goo?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ maybe you don¡¯t.¡± Erion laughed at his serious face. ¡°There¡¯s always the chance that I¡¯m converting all of you into slimes.¡±


    Rasla interrupted her second bowl.


    ¡°And I take the risk!¡±


    Harry followed her, trying just a little sip and not being able to stop it, only finishing when his cup was empty.


    ¡°This¡­ My gods¡­ Your meat with onion cream was pretty good, but this is just¡­ wow. Who would¡¯ve said that slime is this good?¡±


    The Warlock could not be the most agile or quick person, however, the speed in with he poured another full cup of soup was pretty impressive. He and the Barbarian kept eating without losing too much time with talking or breathing.


    Meanwhile, Anda kept silent on her sitting stance, pretending to not be paying attention to the events unfolding in front of her, and Erion definitely noticed it.


    ¡°What about you, Anda?¡± He asked from afar. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to try it?¡±


    ¡°Well, Rasla and Harry seem so fond of it¡­ Why diminish their portion?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up, you¡¯re hungry and you want to try it.¡± He countered.


    The Assassin giggled and got up from her seat, patiently waiting for the chef to finish pouring more soup into her cup.


    ¡°Here. Try it.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    She took a look at the gooey, shiny liquid. Although the appearance was not the best, something about the smell sort of seduced her into reaching the cup with her mouth. Almost involuntarily, she tilted the bowl and allowed the food to smoothly pass through her tongue, feeling every flavor possible.


    Erion paid attention as she did not give up the first sip, hypnotized by the recipe just like everyone before her. When she finally went back to being aware of herself, the cup was empty.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything.¡± The young chef said. ¡°Your expression was enough.¡±


    For a moment, he though that she would break her permanently stoic face, but as her lips trembled, she soon regained her composure.


    ¡°It was¡­ interesting, I admit. Very different from anything I¡¯ve eaten.¡±


    ¡°Well, sure¡­ I¡¯d be surprised if you ever had eaten a monster.¡±


    And while no one truly paid attention, Max had approached the cauldron more and more. He was now looking at it directly from above, focusing on the strange spiral movements that happened on the soup¡¯s surface. Erion went back to get more for Anda when he saw the Cavalier.


    ¡°Hey, get off. I¡¯ll pour some for you if you want it that badly.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Max, it¡¯s not Evil. You can tell, can¡¯t you? Stop being so reluctant.¡± The cook told him.


    ¡°Fine, fine. Give me some.¡±


    After pouring the second bowl for Anda, he gave a bit to Max, still a bit doubtful of the dish¡¯s nature. He handled it carefully, as it was an object of black magic. He moved the soup around, observing the nuances of its movement. Finally, after so much reluctance, he drank a little bit.


    ¡°So? Do you feel any Evil inside of you?¡±


    ¡°Nope¡­ At least, not right now¡­ It is pretty damn tasty, however.¡± Max smiled and raised his head. ¡°I guess you¡¯ve already proven yourself as fine chef, Erion. I definitely didn¡¯t expect this.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ If my party¡¯s happy, then¡­ I¡¯m happy!¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a lot of food left due to the series of repetitions, but it was enough for Erion to serve himself and a little bit more for Max. They cheerfully went back to the rock they were sitting on, congratulating the chef and asking him about how he ended up cooking slimes.


    It was around this time that the two orcs observed them, disgusted.


    ¡°We must stop this right now! And then pillage whatever they have left!¡± The one with barely standing teeth, Agramin, said.


    ¡°Y-Yes! Oh, these disgusting whiteskins¡­ Eating the poor slime alive!¡± Said the one with slightly better teeth, Ogramon.


    Agramin raised his fist in agreement, but then hesitated.


    ¡°Wait.¡± He said. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s alive?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious!¡± Ogramon exclaimed. ¡°Humans don¡¯t prepare their food, don¡¯t you know about that?¡±


    ¡°What? Where did you get that from?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I-It¡¯s common knowledge¡­ right? My father told me all the time that the humans were going to eat me alive...¡±


    ¡°Why did you say ¡®my father¡¯? We¡¯re brothers, remember?¡± Agramin hit his sibling in the forehead. ¡°And did you seriously carried his alerts as life knowledge? Gods...¡±


    ¡°Ok! Ok! Maybe the slime¡¯s not alive¡­ But we still should stop them! I mean, this is Evil!¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. Let¡¯s draw our swords. I take care of the women and you take care of the men.¡±


    ¡°Wait, yours are much easier! There¡¯s two women and three men!¡±


    ¡°Yeah but have you seen the size of that woman with the axe? She alone may be stronger than your three targets.¡±


    ¡°Why do I have the impression that you¡¯re fooling me?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re an idiot.¡± The orc smiled, showing his rotten mouth. ¡°I¡¯d never fool my brother.¡±


    He was, though ¨C three men were still three men.


    The two furiously advanced through the bushes, causing quite a stir even before getting to the humans¡¯ camp.


    The party was instantly alerted by the sounds clearly belonging to a big creature, which proved to be orcs as Agramin and Ogramon jumped in front of them, raising swords and growling.


    ¡°Put down the bowls and we¡¯ll have mercy!¡± Agramin shouted.


    Max was shocked by the audacity of the two popping right at the camp, imagining things way beyond reality.


    ¡°Dammit, we must be surrounded...¡± The Cavalier whispered to his group.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think so, Max.¡± Anda answered, looking around.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way we aren¡¯t! This kind of attack¡­ putting two in the front. Smells exactly like orc horde to me.¡± Max said ¡°Besides, these two would need to be stupid beyond measure to attack us on their own.¡±


    ¡°My guess is that they are indeed particularly dumb orcs¡­¡±


    The green grunts started to get irritated by the constant whispering and walked forward a step.


    ¡°S-Shut up! Give us everything you got and leave the poor slime alone.¡± Ogramon ordered, clearly trembling.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead, you idiot. They cooked him.¡± Whispered the brother into his ears.


    ¡°Aaaah, I can¡¯t forgive what you¡¯ve done to such pure living being!¡±


    The orc went berserk. Two-handling his rusty blade, he advanced towards the party, fearless. Rasla was ready to take him down with a single swing of her weapon. Agramin initially watched in shock and ended up following his brother, as there wasn¡¯t much he could do to stop him.


    ¡°I actually feel bad for them.¡± Anda said. ¡°They¡¯re clearly too stupid for battle. Harry, get their ankles.¡±


    The Warlock nodded and raised his hands, making his fingers shine. With a bunch of confusing gestures, he drew a symbol in the thin air and used his palm to activate it. Shortly after, everyone felt a little shaking on the ground and two cracks appeared in the dirt. Like snakes going for a prey, two tentacles popped out of each crack and then proceeded to constrict both orcs, raising them into the air upside-down.


    They swung their sword around, trying to resist at all costs. But the tentacles shook them until their grip got loose and the weapons fell to the ground, breaking at the first hint of impact.


    ¡°You two dishonor the name of the orcs.¡± Max declared, coming closer to them. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a lack of planning and skills, and I jumping in front of five people to fight them is much closer to dumb than courageous.¡±


    ¡°Release us, scum!¡± Agramin growled like a beast. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for your audacity!¡±


    ¡°Oh no¡­ They¡¯re going to eat us, Ag¡­ Like they did with the poor slime!¡± Ogramon lamented.


    ¡°So you were spying us, huh?¡± Rasla asked. ¡°And you have a problem with us eating a slime?¡±


    Agramin aimed a spit at her, easily dodged by the immense Barbarian.


    ¡°Monsters are the Evil! No wonder humans are Evil too¡­ You eat the creatures from the darkness.¡± The orc seemed serious.


    ¡°Pfft, what is the Evil of a slime compared to an orc¡¯s.¡± Harry laughed.


    ¡°We orcs are good! Friends of nature! Humans are the Evil, eating even their allies in chaos¡­ Probably you who transformed all the armadillos of our mountains into those hideous monsters¡­ You¡¯ll all pay, humans! Killing us won¡¯t matter!¡±


    Ogramon gasped and the humans laughed.


    ¡°We won¡¯t kill you.¡± Rasla said. ¡°You¡¯ll just spend some time here.¡±


    She turned to the Warlock.


    ¡°For how long does these tentacles last, Harry?¡±


    ¡°One hour and a half tops.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s enough. We can follow the trail and leave them here thinking about what they¡¯ve done, haha.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t they call the rest and follow us?¡± Erion asked, nervously thinking about a horde of raging orcs running after him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be too far away. And I don¡¯t think these two are very important to their horde or even belong to one. I mean, their attack was really stupid.¡±


    Agramin tried to start talking again, but a mini-tentacle came out of the main one and covered his mouth.


    ¡°Okay, we should go now. We rested for quite a while and now we¡¯re perfectly fed¡­¡± She blinked at the chef. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope we find more slimes on the way.¡±


    Erion turned everything back to their compact iron ball mode and took it back to one of his belt attachments. When he was finished, the four were almost out of his sight, so he desperately ran, thinking he was forgotten.


    ¡°Hey, Agramin?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What is this nice smell?¡±


    The orc sniffed around.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He admitted. ¡°But I once heard about this thing called perfume that the humans bathe in to hide their putrid smell ¨C could be it.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Ogramon said. ¡°It¡¯s making me kinda hungry¡­ We didn¡¯t eat breakfast, did we?¡±


    ¡°Now that you say it¡­ I guess the leader sent us here before we had time to...¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Do you think they forgot about us?¡±


    ¡°No way¡­ They¡¯ll be here much before this one hour and a half the wizard talked about, scouts like us are too precious.¡±


    And they laughed, carrying a profound fear deep within their eyes.

 To Hunt a Fiery Wolf (1)

    ¡°Hey, Dad, look!¡± The boy enthusiastically pointed to the sky. ¡°It¡¯s starting to rain¡­ There won¡¯t be any fires today!¡±


    The old man smiled and patted the boy¡¯s head.


    ¡°Oh, yes, it¡¯s going to be hard for the wolf to start any trouble¡­ But don¡¯t be mistaken, when Evil happens during sunlight, the worst is still to come in the rain...¡±


    ¡°How? I mean¡­ it¡¯s just water.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know ¨C nobody does¡­ It¡¯s just that nothing good can happen when even the skies can¡¯t hold back their tears.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Oh, shoot, it¡¯s raining.¡± Harry tried to cover his brand new hat.


    Rasla raised her head, looking at clouds and feeling the little drips run through her face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll last long, the clouds don¡¯t seem very loaded¡­ I do wonder if the fire will resist them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m almost done.¡± Erion told her.


    The cook was preparing their lunch, a giant worm they had found not much before while chasing a big pink slime through the woods. They discussed for a while about whether it was or wasn¡¯t a monster, the first point being proved right after when the worm spitted acid on Max¡¯s boots. Erion didn¡¯t have a prepared recipe for her, so he decided to improvise a roast with some non-poisonous herbs he had found on the way and a little bit of dried pepper he was carrying.


    Cooking a monster that he wasn¡¯t sure about its nature was risky, indeed, but everything seemed on the tracks, especially with the provocative smell dancing in the air. It was an aroma straight up reminiscent of beef with a subtle hint of pork.


    ¡°Hm¡­ I guess it¡¯s okay. You guys wanted rare, right?¡± The chef asked.


    Most of them nodded, only the Cavalier objected.


    ¡°It¡¯s well done for me. I don¡¯t know if I want to eat raw monster, even if it¡¯s just a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll keep roasting one for you, the rest can serve themselves.¡±


    And another great meal happened. Maybe the flavor could be a bit more refined by adding some extra spices and black pepper, not that it was bad by any means. Everyone ate at least two rings of the worm, really enjoying the juicy ¡°meat¡± and the crunchy, salty peel.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you but I wish we run out of food faster from now on.¡± Harry said. ¡°This is a more than suitable substitute for meat.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be crazy if we ended up addicted on monster food and started refusing normal stuff?¡± Rasla joked.


    Max gave on the piece he was about to eat, looking at his plate for a while.


    ¡°Well, if we had Erion by our side, it wouldn¡¯t be too bad, I¡¯ll be honest.¡± The Warlock laughed.


    The rest of the trip to Aseena had been much like this. A goblin encounter here, a slime hunt there. The group did surprisingly well for a party that had to abandon most of their supplies before crossing the deep forest ¨C lucky timing for hiring a cook able to make food out of dire creatures.


    Now, as rain started pouring heavily onto their heads, the path was finally coming to an end.


    ¡°Ok, we¡¯re rested and everything¡­ Now it¡¯s just a small walk to Aseena. Look.¡± The Barbarian signaled a tree. ¡°Burnt leaves. In the bushes too.¡±


    They were on the Fiery Wolf¡¯s area now.


    ¡°I doubt it¡¯ll appear during the rain, but pay attention to your surroundings anyway. We don¡¯t know where he¡¯s hiding.¡± Rasla complemented. ¡°This is mostly for you, Erion, since you¡¯re new to the job and all.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Okay, I get it.¡±


    He started returning the utensils to their original form, leaving the smoldering fire to be put down by the falling water.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, kid, we want to get there as soon as possible!¡±


    Once again, Erion was almost left behind as the other four ran ahead.


    ¡­


    The door opened again.


    It was Joolo Felgorn and his little son ¨C the last one to arrive.


    Garbo, the oldest man, cleared his throat.


    ¡°Time to start. Joolo¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡± meowed Furball, the village¡¯s leader.


    ¡°Sorry, guys, had to pick up little Janlo at school. Classes are ending sooner due to the fires, y¡¯know?¡± Joolo said while hanging his soaked coat.


    ¡°Really? Little Amy¡¯s staying at home with her mum, I don¡¯t want to put her in a wooden building for a bunch of hours.¡± Errol, the carpenter, said.


    ¡°A wooden building? Are these still around?¡± Garbo asked, scratching his (VERY) long white beard.


    ¡°Oh no, Janlo¡¯s school is made of bricks, Errol. You must be talking about a different one.¡± The man joined the meeting table with the kid on his lap. ¡°In fact, I think the wooden school burned down last week.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Is there a brick school? Damn, that girl tricked me¡±


    ¡°Purr.¡± purred Furball.


    ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s discuss the important matters now.¡± Garbo raised his voice.


    The only woman in the table raised her hand.


    ¡°Yes, Florence, I was going to call you. Updates on the requests?¡±


    ¡°They should be reaching the guilds today, time until the adventurers get here will vary between two days to one week, I believe.¡±


    ¡°Great news then.¡± The old man continued. ¡°Now about the help from nearby cities...¡±


    Florence¡¯s hand went back to the air.


    ¡°...Yes, Florence?¡±


    ¡°An early group is coming too. They should be here today or tomorrow.¡± she said.


    The men around the table started to whisper. Furball meowed in anger, shutting everybody up.


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Garbo said to the cat, turning back to Florence afterwards. ¡°An early group? How did they hear about the wolf before the guilds?¡±


    She raised her shoulders, answerless.


    ¡°I guess they¡¯re from the region. Rumors spread like the plague even for an isolated village.¡±


    Coincidentally, someone knocked on the door right as she finished her sentence.


    ¡­


    Nobody of the party of five had ever been to Aseena, but they could definitely tell that the village had seen better days.


    At least half of the buildings were no more than ashes and toasted wood, fitting with the tree border composed of mostly gray and black. People walked around carrying at least a bucket and at max a cart full of water bottles, always looking around to see if the wolf¡¯s flames appeared (everything under heavy rain, mind you).Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Hm, curious town.¡± Harry observed.


    ¡°And it¡¯s only one wolf¡­ Lucky them he wasn¡¯t in a pack.¡± Max said.


    ¡°Well, if it was a pack then certainly we wouldn¡¯t be the only ones here.¡± Rasla countered. ¡°Let¡¯s stop with the sightseeing and get to the inn, this rain is starting to get on my nerves.¡±


    ¡°Just pray that the inn is made of bricks.¡±


    Luckily, it was. At least the new one was ¨C a temporary replacement for the one that, well, burned down. It looked exactly like all of the houses nearby, except for the badly painted INN sign above the door and the drunkard sleeping under a window.


    ¡°Always follow the drunks!¡± Harry laughed. ¡°Wew, the ale smell really does its thing after a few sober days.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, right now we¡¯ll only book our rooms and then we¡¯ll go pay a visit to the village¡¯s leader. Ale only after we¡¯re finished with our obligations.¡± Rasla said.


    The five entered the place, obviously calling the commoners¡¯ attention with their adventuring aspect. No one like them really stopped by and they were the first attracted to the fiery wolf¡¯s menace. The room was completely silent as people judged their looks until Giard, probably in a state of five or six jars, raised his mug and saluted:


    ¡°Hey, our heroes arrived!¡±


    A huge mess started. People got up from their chairs and waved around with their half-filled cups. The most curious were quick in getting close to them and started asking completely pointless questions, which no one really remembered after the sentences were finished. Rasla was big enough to open a path through the people using brute force ¨C it still took more than it should to reach the innkeeper, a man (or was it a woman?) watching everything from his seat behind the counter.


    ¡°May I help you?¡± He (or she? Goddammit.) asked.


    ¡°Oh--¡± someone interrupted her with a heavy pat on the back. ¡°--we¡¯d like a room, please. Or two, better said.¡±


    The innkeeper smiled.


    ¡°Lucky you! There are exactly two rooms left!¡± He/she forgot to mention that the temporary house only had those anyway. ¡°And they¡¯ll cost you¡­ 10 silver coins a night.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rasla handed her 20. ¡°We want them for two nights at the moment ¨C we¡¯ll talk to you if we need an extension.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± The genderless innkeeper commemorated. ¡°And here¡¯s a free mug of ale for each of you, heroes-to-be!¡±


    She/he/it filled five cups instantly and the crowd went crazy with applauds and whistles. Some guy almost threw Erion into them.


    ¡°Oh gods, let¡¯s go meet the leader right now, please!¡± The chef pleaded while Anda slapped the crazy lifter¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Sorry, sir¡­ Miss¡­ uh, whatever¡­ er, but we¡¯d like to save our drinks for later, we¡¯ve got some business to deal with at the moment. Important stuff.¡± The Barbarian apologized while trying to identify the person¡¯s gender.


    ¡°Oh ho ho, no problem. Your free drinks we¡¯ll be waiting.¡± No info on his/her gender.


    The party turned, looking at the people obsessed with them. The young chef saw in their eyes that the five were the first ¡°heroes¡± they had seen outside of books and paintings. The warm reception lead to a strange, but cozy feeling, a feeling of belonging to a place where you had never been to.


    They did the reverse path to the door, still dealing with the numerous interruptions and human blockages. Outside, the rain showed no sign of stopping.


    ¡°We should¡¯ve brought umbrellas.¡± Harry commented.


    ¡°Or a Sorcerer.¡± Max said. ¡°I heard they can summon air barriers that follow you ¨C like shields, or umbrellas.¡±


    ¡°Hmpf, good luck finding one.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where the leader¡¯s house is, Rasla?¡± Erion asked, noticing her looking at both sides of the road.


    ¡°...We should¡¯ve asked, huh?¡± She answered, scratching her head.


    Immediately, Anda turned around and slightly opened the door, inserting her head on the gap. The noisy room once again became silent.


    ¡°Where is the leader¡¯s house?¡± The Assassin looked around.


    ¡°Two blocks to the north! Turn left and walk straight up until you see the tallest place around!¡± A voice shouted from near the bathroom entrance.


    ¡°What if he isn¡¯t there?¡± She continued.


    ¡°Then he¡¯s on the reunion building, which is right beside his house.¡± The same voice responded. ¡°Or he¡¯s playing in the sand lot, but I doubt he¡¯d do that during the rain.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Anda then closed the door. ¡°Did you guys hear that?¡±


    The rest of the group nodded.


    ¡°Did the voice say ¡®playing in the sand lot¡¯?¡± Max asked.


    ¡°I believe so.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    They followed the instructions, turning left and walking straight up until they saw the tallest building around.


    ¡°Definitely that.¡± Everybody said at the same time with the same words.


    Rasla knocked on the door. No response. She tried again. Still nothing.


    ¡°I guess he¡¯s on this building.¡± Anda pointed to her left, where a building with the sign ¡°REUNION CENTER¡± was located.


    The group wasted a few more steps to get there and the Barbarian knocked once again.


    A few seconds passed before they heard a voice.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± it asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to hunt the wolf!¡± Harry shouted. ¡°And we¡¯re adventurers, don¡¯t worry!¡±


    The voice whispered, probably to whoever was inside. Then it went back after a few seconds.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    A not crowded room was refreshing, although a good amount of people were sitting around the large reunion table at the center. The place had a classic atmosphere, badly lit with a fireplace burning behind the heads. A man sitting in the middle coughed, nothing related to the newcomers, however.


    ¡°Meow.¡± declared Furball. ¡°Meooow.¡±


    ¡°Welcome, my dear adventurers.¡± Garbo raised from his chair, opening his arms to the party. ¡°We, people of Aseena, are very happy to see you come for our aid.¡±


    ¡°Er, sure, no problem.¡± The huge woman said. ¡°Are you the leader?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, no.¡± He laughed. ¡°Never. I¡¯m just a mere counselor. The leader is Furball as you see there.¡±


    The old man pointed at the cat, who at the moment was taking a quite nice bath on his chair.


    ¡°Whoa...¡± Max was astonished. ¡°Can I pet him?¡±


    ¡°Of course! He loves it.¡±


    The man, clad in armor, sneakily walked towards the feline and scratched behind his ear.


    ¡°Purr.¡± purred Furball.


    The other four were frozen on their spots.


    ¡°Your leader is a cat?¡± Anda asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Garbo smiled. ¡°And a very cute one! I mean, isn¡¯t he just adorable?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Rasla admitted. ¡°Fluffy, I¡¯d say.¡±


    Surprisingly, it was Erion who had to take action.


    ¡°Uhh, we¡¯d like to know everything you have about the wolf¡­ Sightings, behavior, stuff like that.¡± The young chef said.


    ¡°Oh, obviously.¡± The man with an (EXTREMELY) long beard laughed. ¡°You definitely didn¡¯t pay us a visit to pet the cat, right? Although I wouldn¡¯t blame you if you did. I believe Danner here is taking care of these matters.¡±


    He pointed at a young man sitting on the darkest corner of the table, who raised his hand to be properly identified.


    ¡°He¡¯ll take you to his place in the forest, he has everything recorded there.¡±


    Danner got up, showing that he was almost as tall as Rasla, and walked towards the group.


    ¡°Nice to meet ya¡¯ll. I¡¯m the one you¡¯re looking for.¡± He greeted them and offered his hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time then.¡± The Barbarian accepted the offer with a firm handshake, which could probably break the fingers of a weaker person. ¡°We¡¯ll have this wolf on a platter by tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°I hope so too!¡± He laughed. ¡°Things have not been easy around. I mean, you saw the burnt houses, didn¡¯t you? Imagine what the thing does to humans.¡±


    ¡°Barbecue, probably.¡± Harry answered.


    ¡°No need for the tasteless jokes, Harry!¡± The woman looked at him like she was about to hit his face. ¡°Now¡­ shall we go before it gets dark?¡±


    Danner stuttered.


    ¡°Uh, sure, sure¡­ The meeting was almost over, anyway.¡± He went forward and picked up his coat.


    ¡°Is your catloving friend coming?¡±


    Their necks snapped to see Max on the floor, playing with an agitated Furball.


    ¡°Gods¡­ Max! Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll buy you one when we get home.¡±


    The Cavalier looked at them, his expression showing no regrets.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Fine.¡± He got up with his very heavy armor. ¡°But we¡¯ll pay a visit to Furball before we leave, right?¡±


    ¡°Right, right...¡±


    ¡­


    The silhouette stopped. He had found it.


    The cave was well hidden inside the forest, no wonder the wolf had chosen it as its lair. The shadows approached, slowly, he needed to be extremely careful to not trigger the creature¡¯s instincts.


    An orange hue painted the entrance¡¯s walls, it couldn¡¯t be the wrong place. The figure walked closer, he could almost see it. A flame, a huge one, in the back of what seemed like your average wolf. A miracle of nature turned into its own species. It tilted its head down.


    Offspring.


    More Evil thoughts crossed the shadow¡¯s mind. No, too insecure. Just the mother would do. The scar on the back of his right hand started to shine in purple flame, unintelligible words came out of his mouth.


    ¡°Become, wolf, creature of the Evil. Carry the flame from the Void.¡±


    The beast howled. Pain? A call for help?


    It twisted its own body, it was reluctant to accept the outside forces ¨C laughable efforts, nothing could do it. Slowly, it let the fire in.


    Purple light filled the cave.

 To Hunt a Fiery Wolf (2)

    ¡°So you live outside the village, huh?¡± Rasla asked to Danner as they went into the slightly burnt woods. ¡°A questionable thing to do with the wolf still around, I¡¯d say.¡±


    The man responded, not taking his eyes of the path.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been living here since¡­ always, I guess. I¡¯m sort of the village¡¯s official hunter one could say, in fact, that¡¯s why I¡¯m the one responsible for tracking the creature and all that stuff.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ And you even stay in the same forest¡­¡± Erion said. ¡°It never attacked you?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯d be lying if I said it didn¡¯t.¡± The hunter admitted. ¡°My old hut was probably the first thing the damn thing burned down. I was very lucky it happened during the day, when I was out hunting.¡±


    ¡°And why the hell didn¡¯t you move?¡± Harry asked, baffled.


    ¡°The house is now made of bricks, as you¡¯ll be able to see in a few seconds.¡±


    A large clearance was right in front of them, notably decorated by ashes and a humble brick house in the middle of it, near a pond newly-filled by the rain. As the clouds started to dry up, a sunbeam fell onto the orange roof and gave the place an atmosphere of comfort and fairy tale unusual in times of bleakness and dark skies. Maybe the local fairies got a little too much inspired by the once-in-a-lifetime presence of a nice place ¨C a couple of them were taking part in acts of questionable decency behind a considerably thin tree.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get in, the only thing impeding the wolf from strolling around won¡¯t last much longer.¡± Danner said.


    The six quickly got through the cheap metal door (no wooden furniture present in quite a big radius), letting the magical creatures have their privacy, although it didn¡¯t seem they specially craved for it. The hunter agilely lit all of the lamps in the biggest of two rooms inside the house, offering seats to the newcomers around a modest round table.


    ¡°Make yourselves at home, I¡¯m going to make some tea.¡± He said moving to the oven right next to them. ¡°Do you guys want cake? I have some leftovers.¡±


    No one really objected.


    ¡°You can look at the notes I left on the table. There¡¯s some interesting stuff written down there.¡±


    Indeed, lots of papers, maps and a journal were on the round table, everything seemingly related to the fiery wolf case. Maps of the area divided in sectors, drawings of the creature, time tables¡­ All neatly organized and easily readable, surprising for the work of a man who mostly acted by himself.


    ¡°This is good stuff.¡± Rasla glanced through the papers. ¡°Specially this.¡±


    She raised one of the maps, a very simple one marked by four red circles on different spots. An annotation on the top left stated: ¡°POSSIBLE LAIRS¡±.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Danner looked up while preparing the beverage. ¡°Hard job it is. I added the most recent one just last week; it¡¯s definitely living on one of these areas, but it¡¯s hard to confirm.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Max asked.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be very healthy to follow such beast to where it lives. I admit I tried it once and, well, look.¡± He raised his left arm, showing the tightly wrapped bandages from his wrist to his elbow.


    ¡°Oh.¡± The Cavalier went back to reading the annotations.


    Soon after, the hunter went back to them, carrying a teapot, some cake and bread.


    ¡°Here it is.¡± he noticed everybody¡¯s concentration. ¡°Feel free to take this stuff, I¡¯ve probably memorized everything.¡±


    ¡°Ok, great.¡± The Barbarian smiled. ¡°But I don¡¯t think we need much more than the Possible Lairs thing.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well...¡± Danner put a piece of cake in his mouth. ¡°So I guess it wouldn¡¯t take too long to deal with the wolf, then? You guys will just show up at its lair and kill it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s usually how you deal with beasts. No point in running around after them when they outspeed you like it¡¯s a joke.¡± Rasla told him. ¡°The good ol¡¯ brute force is enough in 99% of the cases.¡±


    She ate an entire bread in two bites. Everyone ate in silence as they put the notes to the side.


    ¡°...This tea is pretty good.¡± Erion said, breaking the ice. ¡°Ohlea herbs?¡±


    ¡°Uhum.¡± Danner took another sip. ¡°I got it from a traveling merchant that comes around once in a while. Best tea I¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good, indeed.¡± The cook agreed. ¡°It¡¯s better if you add some poiller seeds too, really augments the flavor.¡±


    Anda started coughing after choking a little bit on the tea. After she calmed down, with a few good slaps from Rasla, the party got up, thanking Danner for all the information he had handed over. They picked up the paper with the possible lairs and said their goodbyes, exiting the place and noticing how the sun was almost set.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for some ale, right?¡± Harry laughed. ¡°And then, finally, a good, warm bed. Maybe some food that isn¡¯t monster too ¨C no offense, Erion.¡±


    ¡°Not taken.¡± He laughed. ¡°I¡¯m craving for a fine steak.¡±


    The group went back through the same road, laughing about their¡­ ¡°unusual¡± trip to Aseena. And yes, the fairies were still on the action.


    ¡­


    Her breath was warm, common. It had a different feeling though, a strange sensation. Her thoughts were blurry, they too didn¡¯t feel like usual¡­ Like they didn¡¯t belong to her.


    The rain had stopped. Finally, the flames could breathe ¨C they could destroy. She would usually live her life like always, protecting herself from the one who offered threat. But the wolf was force into a new path, she was the threat.


    Quick images flashed through the primitive brain.


    Puppies? No. The purple shadow hid them.


    Humans. Set them on fire.


    The trees¡­ So claustrophobic.


    She ran startled. She didn¡¯t know why, but her fire was furious ¨C it was spread out, and purple. What happened? Who was she?


    Her mind wasn¡¯t hers anymore. Nothing but a puppet. The hands of Evil pulled the strings