《Salt Fat Acid Magic [Nom-Fiction | Food Fights | Culinary Academy]》


 Chapter 1 - The Festival of Ambrosia

    Book 1: The Academy of Ambrosia


    Part I: Festivities


    Archie peered into the shifting fog within the crystal ball, desperate for confirmation that his dream would become his reality.


    ¡°Do you believe in predestination?¡± the Blue Jacket Chef, doubling as a waiter, asked Archie.


    Archie¡¯s eyes flicked to his father and then back to the waiter. ¡°What¡¯s predestination?¡±


    Arty, Archie¡¯s father, stifled a laugh.


    For his twelfth birthday, Archie had begged his father to take him to Clairvoyance, a Red Jacket Restaurant in the heart of Ambrosia City. Despite living a full day¡¯s ride north of Ambrosia City, Archie stayed up to date with all the latest news from Restaurant Row by stealing his neighbor¡¯s monthly newsletter.


    But despite the childlike wonder on Archie¡¯s face, Arty showed nothing but skepticism. His fingers slid up his stubbled chin and pressed his lips closed so that he wouldn¡¯t interrupt the experience.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s like destiny,¡± the Blue Jacket explained, leaning in to avoid Arty¡¯s squinting eyes. ¡°It¡¯s the belief that Ambrosia has a plan for you. That the moment you¡¯re born, she determines the events of your life.¡±


    A fuzzy warmth grew in Archie¡¯s chest as he thought of the god of their land, the original Chef, plotting his course. Surely in her generosity, she would fulfill his dream. He wanted to say yes, yes, he believed. But when he glanced at his father, he felt like maybe he should say no, people control their own lives.


    Arty stared at his son with the complex expression of an inquisitive father. Serious, but not stern. Comforting, but not lacking in importance. Intense. Alert. Narrowed eyebrows that compelled Archie toward risk, but a slight smile that told him that his father would be there if he failed.


    Archie had seen the expression many times, yet it still gave him pause. It made him believe that the question had an importance that he couldn¡¯t yet understand.


    He couldn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s too heavy of a question for a child,¡± Arty remarked.


    The Blue Jacket chuckled. ¡°Maybe. Well¡­I believe. Our Executive Chef, Sage, believes. And he¡¯s found a way for us to see our destiny.¡±


    The Blue Jacket placed a small golden mallet, hardly bigger than a spoon, onto the table in front of Archie.


    ¡°Give it a small tap to crack it, then breathe in the smoke. You will see your destiny.¡±


    He bowed, took one wayward glance at Arty, and exited.


    Archie eyed the mallet. Even just looking at it excited him. Goosebumps. Hairs prickling up. Heartbeat. Boom-boom. Boom-boom. His adrenaline reduced the chatter of the other guests from coherent conversations to mumbled words to an indistinguishable collage to total silence. Everything faded except for the crystal ball. His destiny, soon to be made clear. Purpose. Knowledge. Direction. Everything a young boy needed. His hand moved forward and reached¡ª


    ¡ªand was stopped by Arty¡¯s sudden movement. Archie barely saw it happen, but his hand was now held in his father¡¯s.


    ¡°Archie. What do you think you¡¯ll see?¡± He still wore his signature expression, but something in it changed. An extra wrinkle around the eyebrows. Worry? Or anger?


    ¡°My future.¡± Archie did not want to elaborate. Putting his destiny into words could change it.


    Arty sighed. ¡°My guess is¡­you¡¯ll see what you want most. They can¡¯t tell you your future, but they can exploit your desires. If they show you what you want to see, you¡¯ll never say it¡¯s just a trick.¡±


    Archie started to withdraw his hand, satisfied that the conversation had run its course. But Arty¡¯s hand gripped harder. Too hard. ¡°Why isn¡¯t your name Arty?¡±


    Arty, short for Artichoke, keeping with the traditional belief that naming a child after a food or plant increased the odds of them becoming a Chef. The name had been applied to their entire branch¡ªthe last remaining branch on the Kent family tree. Arty Kent, his father. Arty Kent, his father¡¯s father. Arty Kent, great grandfather, so on and so on.


    And then Archie. Vaguely respectful of heritage, but also a daring rebellion against their memory.


    Archie shrugged and looked down. Even if he knew the answer, the intensity of the conversation would have left him mute.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re not me. You¡¯re not an Arty Kent. You¡¯re not any Kent that came before you. Their legacies do not define you. You¡¯re Archie. You will make your own legacy. And it is yours to make. Your choices.¡± Arty released Archie¡¯s hand. ¡°Your future is yet to be determined, and it is you who will determine it. It can¡¯t be found in a magic trick.¡±


    Archie¡¯s hand rested next to the mallet, but did not grab it. It didn¡¯t feel appropriate. Part of him wanted to leave and go home, but that¡¯d make their expensive trip a waste¡ªand even at twelve, Archie knew his family couldn¡¯t afford to waste anything.


    Finally, he looked back up at his father, who nodded to the mallet. Archie picked it up. A surge went from his hand into his belly, turning his stomach over twice before returning back to the mallet. The surge went back and forth from the mallet to his hand, quickly, all at once, a yo-yo going in both directions. It took a deliberate thought for Archie to raise his hand and hold it over the crystal ball.


    He took a deep breath in. A deep breath out. His heart demanded that he breathe faster, but he took another breath to slow the world back down. Then he let the weight of the mallet fall.


    Vapor spilled from a small crack in the crystal ball. It swirled around the air until it found Archie¡¯s nose, rushing into it. Archie breathed in. The vapor seemed alive, worming its way to his brain. As he breathed, the vapor poured forward, opening the crack until the entire orb split in two and released a cloud that washed over Archie.


    He looked up, but Arty had disappeared.


    In his father¡¯s place, a dirt path led to a building covered in haze. Archie focused, both in eye and brain, and the details became clear. The dirt road transformed to stone. A plaza grew out of the path. A building formed from nothing.


    He saw a sign that said Petrichor, the name of his family¡¯s restaurant. But while the Petrichor that Archie knew had failed under his father, this Petrichor teemed with life. Chairs that Archie had only ever seen empty were now filled with energized guests that raved over the food and asked question after question to any Chef or waiter that wandered near. The whole town outside the restaurant buzzed with excitement. A revival had taken place.


    Archie focused on the restaurant, his mind¡¯s eye moving him closer through the dream. Through a window, Archie saw two familiar figures.


    A man he had seen everyday, now a little older. Brown hair that folded over itself, beaten back just a bit further by that receding hairline. A masculine, boxy face with a wide chin. Blue eyes that had become a little silver with age. A little more narrow. More wrinkles. Deeper wrinkles, especially the one that ran from the corner of his eye down toward his ear. All the Kent men had that line. Even Archie had it at twelve.


    A woman, just as familiar. Blonde hair coming down to her shoulders in poofy waves. Big, puffy cheeks, made even more prominent by the deep wrinkles in her smile lines. She had a longer face¡ªone that she had given to Archie.


    Archie¡¯s vision fogged again. He focused, but nothing changed. Then he realized that this haze was different. It wasn¡¯t the haze of the magic crystal ball. It was his joy and sadness. He wiped tears from his eyes.


    His mother and father sat, not as Chefs, but as diners, eating, happy, happier than Archie had ever seen. A White Jacket Chef, the pinnacle rank of culinary society, approached with their food. The Chef looked familiar too. Mostly like his father, but with a touch of softness from his mother. Brown hair that went blonde at the temples and curled up into awkward waves. That same Kent line from the eyes.


    Archie had to shake the eerie feeling of impossibility before accepting that he was watching himself serve his parents. He looked older, and where he walked, people turned to look.


    The haze returned. Archie rubbed his eyes, but the haze only got worse. Fuzzier and fuzzier. Then clearer. Clearer. Petrichor faded and faded, replaced by the broken crystal ball in front of him. The chatter of Clairvoyance returned. Arty returned.


    His father had never looked away. Arty blinked and blinked and blinked, keeping the tears in. Archie¡¯s tears, on the other hand, had flown freely. At least that part had been real.


    ¡°Dad, I¡ª¡±


    Arty raised a hand to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me. That dream is yours. It¡¯s for you. Now come on, let¡¯s get you back to your mother.¡± Arty rose and Archie followed.


    ¡°But dad!¡± Archie protested. ¡°You didn¡¯t do one!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Arty assured Archie as he scooped him into a hug. ¡°I got everything I ever wanted right here.¡±


    Archie smiled and thought of his vision. Petrichor restored. The Kent name restored. The Blue Jacket said the crystal ball contained destiny. His father said it just contained a dream.


    While Archie believed his father to be correct about everything in the world, he desperately hoped that his father was wrong just this one time.


    [Note from the author: If you are reading this on any platform other than Royal Road, you are reading a pirated version. Please read for free at Royal Road.]


    The night before the Festival of Ambrosia, two nights before his eighteenth birthday, Archie wished the vision of Petrichor would come to him again. But he couldn¡¯t sleep, so he couldn¡¯t dream. He managed a drowsy wink here or there, but his nerves never let him rest long.


    The world celebrated Ambrosia in many ways¡ªthey named the continent after her, they named their capital after her, and when the five kingdoms entered into an alliance, there were no protests about being called United Ambrosia. But of all the ways they celebrated their god, nothing compared to the Festival of Ambrosia.


    As the first Chef, Ambrosia used her magic to cook, to grow crops, to speak to animals. She sated hunger and performed miracles. She established a home for mankind, beating away the wild evils that had ruled the earth for millenia. Her food healed better than any doctor. It comforted better than any priest. It warmed better than any fire. Fields of rock sprouted into rows of crops. Dragons gave her riches in exchange for her cooking. Thunder clouds drooped down to her doorstep to be gathered in a vial, eager to be included in her magic as one of her ingredients. And in her final, most miraculous act, she created one final meal. One final gift. She fed her body to the earth.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    In turn, the earth changed. Her essence spread across the continent, serving as the foundation for miracles. Ambrosia¡¯s children shared her abilities, and soon, that essence turned a lucky few into new Chefs. With each passing year, Ambrosia¡¯s gift found its way across the land. Over the course of a few generations, Chefs went from creatures of mythology to a natural part of society.


    When Ambrosia fed herself to the earth, she used her magic to create two rules to inheriting her power.


    First, to preserve the innocence of childhood, she prevented anyone under eighteen from being able to utilize her power.


    Second, the first rule would be broken one day a year¡ªthe day that Ambrosia sacrificed herself. The Festival of Ambrosia.


    On this day, the youth would cook for festivals across the five kingdoms. Even if they had no skills in the kitchen, the children and teenagers would know how to produce intricate meals as if Ambrosia herself whispered instructions in their ear. And for about one in every thousand people, an amateur cook would manifest the abilities of Ambrosia, signaling their future as a Chef and earning them an invite to one of the five culinary academies. Those that reached eighteen without manifesting would never be capable of Ambrosia¡¯s magic.


    At first, Arty had prevented his son from participating in the festival. The first time, Archie was three and wanted to make a ham sandwich. Arty stopped him. At five, Archie gathered all the ingredients to make a stew, but Arty stopped him again. Finally, at seven, Archie¡¯s wits had sharpened and he managed to sneak his way into participating, making a grilled cheese at home and slipping it onto one of the serving tables in the town square. He watched and waited until someone scooped up the sandwich and took a bite. Nothing happened. No magic. Just a satisfied nod and a second bite. Archie cried and cried and cried until Arty figured out what had happened.


    Archie was not reprimanded. Instead, his father looked at him with that signature, intense expression for the first time. ¡°Do you want to do this?¡± he had asked. Archie said yes. The next year, Archie was given free reign of Petrichor¡¯s kitchen for the festival.


    Eight, nine, ten years old. A soup, a bread, a cake. Nothing happened. Eleven, twelve, thirteen. A cookie, a scone, an ice cream. Nothing. Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen. A chicken, a pasta, a pie. Nothing.


    Now, seventeen. One last chance. If that crystal ball had truly revealed his destiny, this would be the day that Archie¡¯s magic finally manifested. Otherwise, Archie would never become a Chef. He would never be able to help restore Petrichor and the Kent name.


    Sleep eluded Archie. The dream never came, but he could still feel it. He could always feel it. That obsession. The restoration of legacy. It isolated him from the other kids his age. He¡¯d be a Chef, and they wouldn¡¯t, and he¡¯d go to the Academy of Ambrosia. He¡¯d rather spend his time in Petrichor¡¯s kitchen than with those he¡¯d leave behind.


    The break of dawn gave Archie the excuse he needed to leave bed. But something made him wonder if he should stay in bed all day. Some strange thought, prompted by so many years of failure, pinned him down. He couldn¡¯t fail if he didn¡¯t try. He shook the thought off of him along with his covers and stumbled downstairs into the kitchen of Petrichor.


    ¡°You should still be asleep,¡± his mother, Adeline, said from a small table in the corner of the kitchen. Archie jumped. Once his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he saw the red eyes and wet cheeks of his mother. ¡°Sit,¡± she said.


    Archie sat. He looked down at his mother¡¯s outstretched hand, overcame a moment of teenage reluctance, and took it in his own.


    ¡°You could stay home today,¡± she said. Somehow she had sensed his thoughts. Cooking was just one magic in the world. Mothers had the rest.


    A heaviness in Archie¡¯s chest kept him from responding. They sat in silence for a while.


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder¡­¡± Adeline looked down at Archie¡¯s palm. ¡°Would your father have been happier if he had never manifested?¡±


    Archie scoffed. At seven, his father had made a raspberry tart that made people see their lost loved ones as clear as day. It had been one of the greatest pieces of magic ever performed¡ªand at such a young age.


    ¡°He was a genius,¡± Archie said.


    ¡°And he never knew happiness until he met me,¡± she responded.


    Archie had never thought of this before, but he did not struggle to accept it as fact. He knew the tragic story. Each year, young Arty performed another piece of magic. But each year, the magic was less impressive. Miracles became forgettable parlor tricks. By eighteen, pushed on by his prodigy reputation, he stumbled into the Academy of Ambrosia and was spit out two years later.


    In his brief time at the Academy, he met Adeline, a fellow student. She supported him as he failed to support Petrichor and the reputation of the Kent name dwindled into obscurity. Then, three years later, despite still running the failing Petrichor, Arty had happiness and a new purpose in life in the form of a little bundle that he named Archie.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Adeline said. ¡°Let¡¯s take a carriage out of here, just the three of us. Stay in another town for a night.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Archie said. ¡°I¡¯m doing this.¡± He stood up, nowhere to go, but too full of purpose to be still.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Archie returned to his bed, gripped a small glass bottle underneath his pillow, and managed to sleep at last.


    A raspberry tart.


    That was the secret.


    That¡¯s how Arty had manifested. Archie would replicate the dish and finally manifest.


    The festival lasted all day, but Archie wanted his meal to be served at dinner. No one had done an extensive study, but superstition said more magic happened at dinner than at lunch. Superstition also said that naming a child after a food increased their chance of becoming a chef. Being named Archibald did him no favors, so he hoped serving at dinner would cancel out the bad luck.


    Archie wanted his tart to be a surprise, so instead of cooking in Petrichor¡¯s kitchen, he went to the community kitchen, a little building with three brick ovens and stoves.


    Archie didn¡¯t particularly feel the community of the community kitchen. Within minutes, he made sure everyone knew that the kitchen belonged to him. He snapped at a twelve year-old to clear space. He snatched a bowl from a hoarding nine year-old. They¡¯d have another chance to manifest. For Archie, this was it.


    He got started.


    Butter and sugar. Mixed. For how long? Could it be over-stirred? If Ambrosia guided him, why could he not hear her?


    No matter. He just had to trust in Ambrosia. As he stirred, confidence came over him. After all, he had a secret ingredient.


    He pulled the glass bottle from his pocket. This would be the difference maker.


    Eight months ago, Archie had used all of his savings to purchase two vanilla beans and a small vial of nearly pure alcohol. Put together in a vial, protected, loved, cared for, and shaken gently once per week, the combination had aged into the finest vanilla extract for miles around.


    It had all the makings of a magical catalyst. Expensive, rare ingredients. Months of tending. And of course, as any Chef would say, the most important ingredient: love and care.


    Archie poured it into his mixture and stirred until the bowl was full of dough. He dumped it onto a flour-dusted table and worked it into a nine-inch disk. He mashed raspberries, creating a base of fruit before putting whole raspberries on top. He tossed it into a baking tin, turned, and¡ª


    Wham!


    A kid ran into his side. The world slowed down. The tin drooped, dough leaping out of the corner and threatening to fall onto the ground. A split second from ruin.


    But not today.


    Archie maneuvered the tin to recapture the dough. With his dream nearly splattered on the ground, Archie turned and said something that made the kid cry.


    Archie put his hand near the oven. Satisfied with the warmth, he put the tin in. It¡¯d take one hour, so Archie decided to step out and see the festival.


    The festival had seemed grander when Archie was a kid. Sadly, it wasn¡¯t just Archie¡¯s loss of childlike wonder. Sain was a village in decline. Twenty years ago, Archie¡¯s grandfather had committed the cardinal sin of salting the fields around Sain. On top of preventing growth, he also managed to prevent Ambrosial essence from taking root, leading to a yearly decline in the culinary scene, population, and spirit of Sain.


    The new Kent legacy.


    The people of Sain tried to fight the decline, and during the Festival of Ambrosia, they did their best to put on the shows of old.


    In the center of town, people crowded around the buffet stands that lined the streets. Dancers performed in a march. A large paper dragon, needing twelve people to hold, wiggled and floated its way down the street, representing the fable of Ambrosia taming a dragon.


    But where once there had been many Chefs performing magic, Sain only had a few left. One conjured 10-foot noodles that waved through the air. Another transformed into an eight-foot tall wheel of cheese, barrelling past the dancers that dove away at the last second. The crowd roared with laughter.


    Archie laughed with them, but missed the days when a dozen Chefs would perform their magic. He absent-mindedly grabbed a rice cake from the nearby table and sat on the dirt. The performances never ended. A blistering hot summer day did little to deter the theatrics. Theater actors wheeled by on a float as they reenacted Ambrosia¡¯s death by performing The Final Gift. A group of zealots waved their tomes in the air as they warned the masses of the rise of Gluttony.


    After a while, Archie returned to the kitchen. A rare, odd silence filled the room. No children ran around. They had all cleared out as if having fled the scene of a crime. He looked at the oven, but it was empty.


    The reflection of the setting sun came off the ground. A shiny piece of tin had been flattened onto the floor. A footprint on the metal. A sunburst pattern of mushy red surrounding it.


    His dream had been splattered and crushed.


    Archie fell to the ground and sobbed. The world turned into a haze of undropped tears. So many years. So many attempts. And this was it. His last chance, his best chance, squandered. A little bit of hooliganism to officially kick off the life of a disappointment.


    The sound of shuffled footsteps.


    Archie looked up and rubbed his eyes, clearing away tears. A young woman stood in the doorway. Or was she old? She had a mystifying quality that made her age impossible to guess. Honey blonde hair, made even more beautiful by the orange sky, curled down onto her chest. A white dress, billowing in the breeze. She looked at Archie, then at the destroyed tart. She offered a small smile. One of knowing and consolation, not happiness.


    ¡°What¡¯ll you do?¡± she asked in a voice that reminded Archie of honey and stained glass.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Archie said, his voice clearer than he expected. Just a moment ago he had felt his spirit bleeding out of him. The woman¡¯s presence had plugged the wound. ¡°I guess this is it for me.¡±


    He let out a heavy sigh. He thought back to that crystal ball. It was just a dream. Not destiny. His destiny was nothing so grand.


    ¡°My dad is always working so hard during these things,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll just bring him some water and try to enjoy the show.¡±


    The woman smiled. Happiness, this time. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Here.¡± Her hand disappeared for a moment in the folds of her dress and produced a lemon half. ¡°It¡¯ll make it more refreshing.¡± She smiled again, placed the lemon down on the counter, and left without saying goodbye.


    Archie collected himself from the ground, grabbed a cup and tossed the lemon into a glass pitcher of water.


    He found his father and burst into tears again as he ran to him. ¡°Someone destroyed it,¡± he managed to get out between sobs as he clung to his father. The pitcher dangled from his hand, pouring out a steady stream of water onto the road.


    Arty repeated, ¡°it¡¯s okay,¡± as he patted Archie¡¯s back. ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be good for you. There¡¯s a lot to be accomplished in this world. You don¡¯t need to be a Chef to do it.¡±


    ¡°I just¡­¡± Archie broke down into another sob. As his body shook, the water sloshed out of the pitcher and splashed their shins.


    ¡°I know.¡± Arty¡¯s heart broke for his son. He picked up his tone, trying to change the mood and subject. ¡°Now, I see you brought water. How about a glass? I¡¯m thirsty.¡±


    Archie took a few deep breaths before breaking the hug. He realized that the water had spilled out into a puddle and nearly sobbed again¡ªbut then he realized that the pitcher still had plenty of water left. Arty reassured him again and took the cup. Archie poured from the pitcher. Arty drank it all in two swallows.


    ¡°You know, Petrichor hasn¡¯t been very busy. I think it does better in the spring. Your mom and I were talking about maybe taking a little sabbatical. Maybe go to Uroko for the fall. Labrusca for the winter. What do you think?¡± Arty held up the glass for another pour, and Archie obliged.


    Archie couldn¡¯t think of the future. He couldn¡¯t think beyond this moment. He couldn¡¯t think of tomorrow. He couldn¡¯t think of what had been in that crystal ball. Still, he knew what to say. ¡°Yeah, dad. I think that could be nice.¡±


    Arty finished drinking and let out a refreshed sigh. ¡°Good. Now gimme one more glass and then I gotta get back to work. Gotta move some tables into the square for the finale.¡±


    Archie looked down. The pitcher should have been empty, but it seemed near full, the lemon bobbing around at the top. A tingle went up his spine.


    He held the pitcher up to assess its fullness, poured the cup, then lifted the pitcher again.


    The water level remained the same.


    Magic!


    Arty came to the realization at the same time. He used his spare hand to tilt Archie¡¯s, causing a steady stream of water to pour from the pitcher. Water splashed onto the dirt. Pooled. Started to stream down the road. They righted the pitcher. Still full.


    Archie looked up at Arty, whose intense, thoughtful expression was nowhere to be found.


    Instead, he had the biggest smile that Archie had ever seen.

 Chapter 2 - A Birthday of Magic

    I¡¯m going to be a Chef.


    It was the last thought to go through Archie¡¯s mind as he fell asleep and the first thought that struck him when he woke up.


    And then, a terrible thought. Had it been real? He reached under his pillow. No vanilla extract. Had it ever existed? But wait, it wasn¡¯t the tart that was magic. It was the water. The lemon! He snapped up and shielded his eyes from the noon sun that poured through the window. His excitement had kept him up late, but for the first time in weeks, he had managed to sleep in.


    He bounded down the stairs to the kitchen one step, two steps, three steps at a time. He jumped across the last few and landed in an unfamiliar scene. Anastas and Boyan, two of Arty¡¯s friends that weren¡¯t Chefs but made for decent cooks, chopped ingredients with a focus that kept them from looking up at Archie.


    Petrichor rarely pulled a crowd that required their help, so Archie had never spent much time with the two. It took a second for him to squeak out an, ¡°Um?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Anastas responded with a gruff voice, too rushed by his work to be bothered. But that didn¡¯t make sense to Archie¡ªfor Anastas to be busy, Petrichor had to be busy, and Petrichor was never busy.


    ¡°Have you seen a glass pitcher? It had a lemon in it.¡±


    The two looked up with a smile. ¡°Oh yes,¡± Boyan said. ¡°You¡¯ll find it out there.¡± He nodded toward the dining area.


    Archie skipped toward the swinging door just as it slammed open in his direction. Arty came barrelling through the door, stopping just in front of Archie. Archie looked up at his father with great excitement, expecting a congratulations or a happy birthday, but Arty looked past Archie and into the kitchen.


    ¡°Duck!¡± Arty yelled.


    Anastas flinched. Boyan hit the deck.


    ¡°No!¡± Arty yelled again. At another time, he might have laughed. ¡°Duck! There should be some in the freezer.¡±


    Boyan, already low to the ground, slid over to the freezer, a small metallic box that was cooled by some Khalyan magic. When Archie was a child, they had a much larger freezer, nearly ten feet tall. He would have nightmares of getting trapped inside. But as Petrichor took on debts, they got rid of the behemoth and replaced it with one that matched Petrichor¡¯s diminished stature.


    Boyan pulled the latch and peeked inside, careful to not let too much of the cold mist out. ¡°Yeah, you got enough for a few meals.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stretch it. What else is left?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh¡­that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. The potatoes?¡± Arty turned to Anastas, who responded with a nod and gave the pot a stir. ¡°Okay. Fry them in vegetable oil. Rosemary and garlic. I think I have a couple of figs in the pantry. I¡¯ll grab them. Archie¡ª¡±


    Archie¡¯s heart raced. He ached to talk about becoming a Chef.


    ¡°¡ªgo grab my jacket. You know where it is.¡±


    Archie gasped with excitement and stormed up the stairs and into his parents¡¯ room. He fished his father¡¯s Chef jacket from a cabinet as he had done so many times before. For years, Archie had slipped on his father¡¯s jacket, hoping the sand-colored kalypo fibers would transform into the vibrant blues or reds or whites that marked a true Chef. Archie imagined it changing colors as he ran downstairs, even though it wouldn¡¯t transform until he was an official student of the culinary academies.


    Arty never wore his jacket. He was ashamed that when he put it on, it transformed into a fiery orange, the lowest rank in culinary society.


    But on this day, Arty only had pride. He took the jacket from Archie, the fibers turning orange where his hand touched. He threw it around himself, the jacket turning orange as he pulled the slanted right breast down to his lower left ribs and attached it with a little bronze buckle.


    ¡°Okay, Archie. You go serve water. I¡¯ve never seen people so thirsty.¡± Arty waited for no response, running into the pantry and stepping up on the lowest shelf to reach the highest.


    Archie looked around for something to serve water with. Every cup, container, and pitcher had been repurposed for the frenzied cooking of Anastas and Boyan. ¡°I need a pitcher.¡±


    Arty leaned back into view, his hands gripping the shelves to keep himself from falling. ¡°Use yours. I left it out there!¡±


    A wave of nervous excitement hit Archie. He looked to Anastas and Boyan for a reaction, but they were already back to work, Boyan setting the duck out and Anastas pulling a vial of rosemary from the herb rack.


    Nothing left to do but do it.


    Archie pushed through the swinging door and stepped into something he had never seen before.


    A crowd in Petrichor.


    Eight tables lined three walls at Petrichor, two chairs apiece. All taken. Two large tables, each twelve feet long and four feet across, occupied the middle of the room. Benches ran along the tables, each meant to seat eight, each seating ten. Finally, the fourth wall, the kitchen wall, consisted of a great stone oven, the hearth of the room, ten feet long, four feet deep, stretching up to the ceiling, the fire heating a waist-high slab of stone that jutted out towards the center of the room. The last relic of Kent greatness, too large and heavy to be sold off to make ends meet.


    On a cool corner of stone away from the fire, Archie found his pitcher. The lemon remained, unshriveled, unemptied. It bobbed at the top of the water, still just as high as the night before. Archie grabbed its handle. A tingling sensation crept up his arm. Had he felt that the day before?


    His eyes followed the sensation as it moved into his chest. It stayed there a moment, a warm feeling swimming in circles around his heart. Finally, it returned down his arm and into the pitcher. He smiled. The magic was still there. Then, he looked up.


    Fifty people looked back at him, another twenty peering through the windows. Almost none of them had food. But all of them had cups.


    Archie froze.


    But then Arty came from the kitchen, more comfortable than ever in his orange jacket, holding a platter of duck in one hand and slapping Archie¡¯s back with the other. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said. ¡°The people are thirsty!¡±


    A cheer from the crowd stirred Archie into motion. He walked through the dining area, filling cup after cup. After each group, he¡¯d lift the pitcher up to see that it hadn¡¯t emptied at all. Eventually, this became a cue to the crowd that cheered every time.


    Meanwhile, Arty worked at the oven. Archie loved to watch him work, but rarely got the opportunity. Arty and Adeline were both Academy dropouts, but Arty wore his failure around his neck like an albatross. He only cooked when Adeline couldn¡¯t.


    But not this day. On this day, Arty performed magic at a quality that Archie had never seen. He slid a large clay tray, several times too large for the food he carried, into the oven. He placed sliced duck over a bed of figs and fried potatoes. The meal suited three, maybe four diners, occupying only a tenth of the clay tray. Arty tapped his fingertips on the stone slab a few times and the fire roared, grabbing the attention of the crowd. Then came the real magic.


    His hands hovered over the food. Then, slowly, they moved in either direction along the tray. For each inch his hands moved, the food multiplied to occupy another foot of tray. Eventually, the entire ten-foot tray was filled, each bite looking as delicious as the last.


    People clapped. Such advanced magic hadn¡¯t been seen in Petrichor in decades¡ªand certainly shouldn¡¯t have been achievable by an Orange Jacket.


    Archie had abandoned his cupbearer duties to stare in awe at his father¡¯s magic. A nearby patron shook his cup, goading Archie back into action.


    Arty pushed the tray further into the fire and placed his hands flat on the stone slab. The fire grew, no longer wisps of flame but a wave that curled down into the tray. It receded back deep into the oven, then grew again, crashing into the tray again and again like the tides.


    Sometime during the cooking, Adeline, wearing an identical orange jacket as her husband, had slipped into the dining area with a stack of plates borrowed from all over town¡ªthey had sold their extra plates over the years. She put the stack down and started scooping the food onto plates, balancing speed and presentation.


    The first plate went out, then the second, then the third. Archie hurried to match with water. By the time the fifth plate was served, the first person to have received a plate, some woman that Archie didn¡¯t recognize, reached out to rub his forearm affectionately. The second diner stopped eating to watch Archie with a warm expression. The third started telling stories about Archie as a boy. As they ate, the people looked at Archie with love.


    Twenty plates had gone out before Arty stopped Archie.


    ¡°Here, you haven¡¯t eaten yet,¡± Arty said as exchanged a plate of food for Archie¡¯s pitcher. ¡°Go ahead, sit down.¡±


    A man at the end of a bench pulled Archie down to sit next to him, scooting over and creating a domino effect that would result in someone falling off the other end of the crowded bench. They watched Archie lift the food to his mouth, waiting for him to understand.


    As Archie chewed, warmth spread throughout his body. He swallowed, and he felt something. Pride, as intense as the sun. Pride of himself, but not produced from vanity. From love. A great, parental thing, something a teenage boy would be incapable of feeling if not for magic.


    So that was it¡ªtoday¡¯s secret ingredient. Archie looked into the crowd for his father, who spared one moment to look back and smile before filling another cup.


    For hours, people dined at Petrichor. It became the talk of the town, the other Chefs of Sain closing down for the day and bringing cuts of meat and fruits over to cook with Arty and Adeline. When Arty offered payment to the other Chefs, they refused. One explained, ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you cook again, Arty. To really cook. The town is more full for that.¡±


    A piece of paper went around the room, accumulating signatures before returning to Arty¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Excuse me!¡± he announced, silencing the guests. ¡°Thank you all for coming and celebrating this wonderful day. We still have some Chefs working, so stick around, but please excuse my son and I¡­¡±


    He grinned at Archie.


    ¡°...while we go send his letter to the Academy!¡±


    The guests cheered and jumped up with their mugs of ale¡ªit was a fortunate miracle that Archie had produced infinite water to slow their descent into drunkenness.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the Academy like?¡± Archie asked his father as they walked through Sain. Archie had always steered his curiosity about the Academy to his mother, but with Arty wearing his orange jacket for the first time in years, Archie felt like he could finally have the conversation he always wanted with his father.


    ¡°It¡¯s, uh¡­¡± Arty squinted as he looked up into the sky. ¡°You¡¯ll have a great time. You¡¯ll make friends. You¡¯ll learn so much.¡±


    Archie frowned. He knew his father had a rough time in the Academy, but had hoped for more detail.


    ¡°What will I learn in my first year?¡± Archie asked, giving his father a clear direction for the conversation.


    ¡°Well¡­It¡¯s been a while, but if they do it the same way, you¡¯ll start with farming, then cooking. By the end of the first semester, you should have a grasp on your own essence¡ªbut it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t! You just turned eighteen, you haven¡¯t had as long to feel out your own essence.¡±


    ¡°What about fighting?¡± Archie asked as he punched the air. He had always dreamed of seeing two Chefs fight in one of Ambrosia City¡¯s tournaments.


    ¡°Second semester.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    Arty laughed. ¡°Well, technically you learn conjuration, not combat, in your second semester. But it¡¯s taught by Tarragon. Do you know who Tarragon is?¡±


    ¡°Like¡­war hero Tarragon?¡± It had been thirty years since the last war¡ªthe Unification War. Still, Archie knew many names and stories from the battles, and no names stuck in his mind quite like the two that were credited for ending the war. The first was easy enough to remember¡ªthey called him Grand King Flamb¨¦ these days. The other, Tarragon, hadn¡¯t risen to any political office, but was still the subject of admiration for all the boys of Ambrosia that dreamed themselves a fighter.


    ¡°Yep. So when a war hero teaches conjuration, it inevitably becomes combat training.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get some history lessons thrown in, so it won¡¯t be all exciting. And then you¡¯ll get tested.¡± Arty looked at the two black stripes that wrapped around the sleeve of his jacket. ¡°You¡¯ll get advancement stripes or¡­if you do really well, you¡¯ll get promoted to a yellow jacket.¡±


    Archie pursed his lips to keep his excitement from bubbling out. It didn¡¯t seem appropriate to wish for a higher rank than his parents.


    But then Archie received another reason for excitement as a tall stone tower came into view. Growing up, Archie¡¯s favorite place was always Petrichor¡¯s kitchen, but the rookery was a close second.


    Midnight kestrels perched in the windows, watching Archie and his father approach. While most children were frightened by the birds, Archie had always found them fascinating.


    They were from another time¡ªthe pre-Ambrosia time¡ªwhen terrifying creatures ruled the earth. While most of the creatures perished with the rise of Chefs, some were integrated into society¡ªperhaps none as important as the midnight kestrel.


    By consuming a single piece of grain, the midnight kestrel could carry a letter to the place that the grain had been grown. But no one had ever witnessed their cross-country flight. From beak to talon, the birds were as blue or as gray or as purple as that night¡¯s midnight, perfectly camouflaging them as they delivered letters by night.


    Archie had once heard it described that the midnight kestrels were strokes of paint that joined the great painting of the night sky, leaving existence until they jumped out from the painting again at their destination.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a letter for the Academy,¡± Arty announced to the birdkeeper. ¡°Witness statement from¡­¡± He looked at the letter. ¡°Our Lord Mayor and about fifty other people.¡±


    The birdkeeper, a gruff man that preferred the company of birds over humans, slapped Archie on the back and laughed. Archie couldn¡¯t be sure if the man was proud or just happy that the kid that always snuck into the rookery would finally be out of his thinning hair.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Arty said as he examined the letter closer. ¡°We¡¯re missing one signature.¡±


    ¡°Whose?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Yours.¡±


    Arty handed over the parchment and scooped a feather off the ground¡ªon top of their ability to deliver messages, midnight kestrels also provided feathers loaded with their midnight blue color. Archie used the stones of the tower to support the parchment as he signed.


    The birdkeeper took the letter, bound it to a bird¡¯s talons, fed it a grain from a bag labeled ¡°Academy,¡± and smiled. ¡°All set.¡±


    Archie¡¯s balled up fists shook with excitement. ¡°How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°One night to get there,¡± the birdkeeper answered. ¡°Then they¡¯ll send someone up to verify the claim. So probably¡­three days.¡±


    Archie grinned at his father.


    ¡°Three more days,¡± Arty said, ¡°and you¡¯ll be invited to the Ambrosial Summit.¡±

 Chapter 3 - A Late Arrival

    Three days passed without an invite.


    News came that the southbound road had been shut down after a horse had been chased down and dragged away by a licerte, a monstrous lizard from the ancient times.


    Three more days passed. No invite.


    Adeline tried to occupy her son¡¯s mind with cooking lessons, but he could never go long without wondering when he¡¯d receive his invite. Archie received a letter stating that they were trying to find a way to send a representative to verify his claim.


    Three more days. No invite. No representative. The Ambrosial Summit had started, all of the kingdoms sending representatives and royalty and prospective first-years to Ambrosia City. Archie considered stealing a horse but knew that he¡¯d be caught on the road.


    The villagers of Sain came to Petrichor day after day to drink Archie¡¯s water and distract him, staying even after the food ran out¡ªwhich it often did around sunset.


    But then one day, after the last straggler left late in the night, the Kents received an unusual visitor.


    A man of unusual proportion walked into Petrichor, having to open both doors in order to squeeze through. His green velvet shirt and golden furs gave away his nobility. Buttons of bone lined the center of his shirt, threatening to shoot out due to the tremendous task of containing his gut. A head of wispy hair rested like a small ball that rested underneath¡ªnot above¡ªan enormous shelf of raised shoulders.


    A Glutton.


    With Ambrosian culture being so centered around food, being overweight wasn¡¯t uncommon. But that wasn¡¯t Gluttony. Gluttony was a wickedness. An evil. It transformed their bodies, ironing out their roundness. Their torsos widened into big square blocks. Their shoulders extended a foot above their head, serving as a backdrop for their faces. Their legs tapered down from tree trunks to blocky ankles. Their arms grew longer to match their new size.


    They were all consuming. Only consuming. Addicted. Magically stunted, incapable of performing any of Ambrosia¡¯s miracles but entirely dependent on consuming them. Where Ambrosia gave, Gluttons took.


    They were the stuff of nightmares. Scary stories that adults told their kids to get them to eat their vegetables. The only solace for frightened children was that they knew that even the smallest Glutton was too big to hide under the bed.


    Arty had never resorted to such stories. He told no stories of Gluttons and entertained none. With every fiber of his being, Arty hated Gluttons.


    Archie had seen a Glutton before. About once a year, one would find their way to Sain and waddle up to Petrichor, their mind having been appetized by wondrous tales of the past. Arty would shoo them away, saying that the restaurant was closed. Since the place was usually empty, the lie worked. Sometimes, in months of scarcity, Adeline would rush after them, inviting them to spend their money in Petrichor and correcting her husband. A prerequisite to being a Glutton was being able to afford indulgence, so there were no poor Gluttons. Adeline would cook and cook and they¡¯d eat and eat and pay and pay, and Arty would go upstairs and wouldn¡¯t speak to his wife for days after.


    Gluttons were one of the most polarizing things in the land of Ambrosia. Some people treated them with ambivalence. Some were uncaring. Some viewed them with respect, believing that their heightened need for magical food was due to a closer connection to Ambrosia. Others despised them, accusing them of some sort of blasphemy for only consuming, never creating.


    Chefs typically fell into the latter category, horrified by the thought of the love and spirit of their food being consumed so voraciously and without intention.


    But some Chefs loved Gluttons¡ªsaw them as walking piggy banks. Some restaurants catered exclusively to Gluttons, taking only one reservation per night, whole kitchens of Chefs churning out food as fast as it could be eaten (which in the case of a Glutton was very, very fast).


    Archie had heard a rumor of a cabal of Gluttons, meeting in secret with plans of taking over the production of food in Ambrosia. Archie didn¡¯t believe the rumor, but it didn¡¯t seem totally unfounded. By nature of needing to sate their great need, Gluttons tended to be high-ranking and well-off members of society. Even the king¡¯s son was a Glutton.


    And now this Glutton stood in Petrichor and waved his hand¡ªif it could even be called a wave. His pudgy arm tucked into his side, his raised sausage fingers wiggling a greeting.


    The lingering heat of the oven reached Archie from one side of the room. From the other, he swore he felt cold emanating from his father.


    ¡°Hallo!¡± the Glutton cheered. Despite his enormity, he seemed to bounce as he stepped in, his oversized torso bobbing up and down. He looked around the empty dining hall. ¡°Oh my, tell me I haven¡¯t missed the feast!¡±


    Archie looked at his unmoving father. Adeline came to the rescue.


    ¡°Oh, just barely!¡± she said with a laugh. ¡°We were just cleaning up.¡± She grabbed Archie¡¯s everflowing pitcher and a couple of plates, shoving them into Archie¡¯s belly. ¡°In the kitchen,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Ah! Well, you wouldn¡¯t mind if I polished off any leftovers, would you?¡± The Glutton did not wait for a response that did not come. He moved to the bench¡ªnone of their chairs would hold him¡ªand moved it away from the table to accommodate his size. He plopped down, his weight lifting the other end of the bench a few inches off the ground. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to have any moondrop wine?¡±


    ¡°Fresh out,¡± Arty growled. Adeline gave Archie a push toward the kitchen.


    ¡°Ah, a shame. Good that I should bring my own.¡± The Glutton shifted to one side, threatening to tip the bench over, his monstrous hand digging into a pocket. Three crystal vials came out between his fingers. With no grace, he shook his hand to free two of them from the wedges of his fingers. He opened the remaining one and put it to his lips, a pale green liquid following the same path as so much food and drink before it. Archie took one last look before entering the kitchen. The bench stabilized, the far end returning back onto the ground. The Glutton sat up taller as if he had relieved himself from the burden of his own weight.


    ¡°Ah, much better,¡± he said. ¡°Now, tell me. I heard Petrichor has been the place to be this week. I heard people waited hours to get in. What marvelous meals did you create to attract such a crowd?¡± He noticed a crumb on the table in front of him. He planted his finger on it and brought the crumb back up to his mouth, sucking half his finger in the process. ¡°Mmm, garlic. Rosemary. Potatoes. Oh, the potatoes. Grown from Thistled Pastures, no?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Adeline said with a smile as she moved between the Glutton and Arty. ¡°Quite the taste buds to pick that out. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve had them. They only started growing potatoes last year.¡±


    In the kitchen, Archie put the pitcher down and peeked through the crack of the swinging door.


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Ah, ah, ah. It preceded nearly every statement. As if his lungs needed to rev up to get a voice through that quadruple chin. ¡°Since you¡¯ve had their potatoes, I assume you¡¯ve had the milk for which they are famous. Such a fascinating flavor, and shall I add, a delight to discuss.¡± At no point did he leave enough space in the discussion for it to be two-way. ¡°Milk from cows that eat milk thistles.¡± His fingers poked the air with each word. ¡°Hm! Such a nicely bookended beverage. I buy half a cow¡¯s worth of their stock each year.¡±


    He finally paused, lips pursed together in a proud smile.


    ¡°What¡¯s that, a gallon a day?¡± Adeline asked, passing off her disgust as awe in a marvelous feat of willpower.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯d be a poor cow indeed! No, nearly two gallons. Some days I lay off a bit, but others I have as many as five gallons. Ah, I love it! Plus, between you and me, I¡¯ve developed a bit of a taste for¡­deathcap.¡±


    Adeline¡¯s eyebrows raised in a surprise that she didn¡¯t have to fake. The Glutton tilted his head down, proud of his own daring adventures in consumption.


    ¡°Yes, yes, a dangerous desire, I know. At your size, half a cap would put you six feet under in a week. I have a cap nearly every night. But even at my size, I need thistled milk to counteract the poison. A gallon or two usually cuts most of the negative side effects. Three gallons eliminates them entirely, but then I lose the taste of the deathcap and have to eat another! Ah!¡±


    Adeline laughed. To Archie, it sounded genuine, but perhaps more as a product of disbelief than humor.


    ¡°Now,¡± the Glutton said as his fingertips danced on the table. ¡°Now, now, now.¡± The music left his voice. His cheeks fell from his eyes, drooping off his face. He stared at Arty. ¡°There was an undoubtedly delicious dish. But my question remains unanswered. What marvel brought everyone here? Surely there was¡­something else.¡±


    Even from the kitchen, Archie felt the atmosphere shift. Everything before had been garnish. Now they were in the meat. The Glutton leaned back to look at Arty, demanding an answer.


    ¡°Pork,¡± Arty said. He still hadn¡¯t taken a step since the Glutton arrived.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± the Glutton mused, waiting for elaboration.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Covered in a blackberry glaze. Whole blueberries sprinkled on. We¡¯d have served it with bread, but we didn¡¯t have any.¡±


    ¡°Hm, what a shame. I¡¯m sure that would have really brought it together. Where was the pork from?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What kind of cook doesn¡¯t know where his ingredients come from?¡± the Glutton asked with a laugh. He looked around the empty restaurant as if there were an audience that could laugh with him.


    Archie¡¯s hand blindly searched the counter and found a spatula, gripping it until his knuckles turned white.


    What am I doing? Am I going to run out and slap him with a spatula? Why would I even do that? No one is in danger here, right? Right?


    ¡°Frempe brought it over. He runs The Rolling Trumpeter on the other side of town.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, yes, I know Frempe well. I don¡¯t come north of the capital often¡ªmy adventures usually take me southwest to Labrusca or east to Uroko¡ªbut when I do, I usually stop by Frempe¡¯s for a quick meal or two. Just to take the edge off a day of travel.¡± He leaned back and spoke with smugness. ¡°From what I understand, everyone in Sain goes to The Rolling Trumpeter. Exclusively. Maybe because the only other restaurant in town doesn¡¯t know where a piece of pork came from, even after cooking it.¡±


    ¡°It came from Simeon¡¯s. He has a sty. This one was a dead harvest. Died of old age.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the best harvest, from old age. Shame there isn¡¯t a way to speed up that clock sometimes.¡± The Glutton squinted his eyes. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m remembering you now. You left the Academy of Ambrosia in your second year. After your father died.¡± The Glutton¡¯s words rang out with malice, each sentence heavily punctuated, each statement sharp and piercing.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°So tell me, Chef. What marvel occurred here to draw such a crowd?¡±


    ¡°Like I told you. We served pork.¡±


    ¡°Yes, like you told me. But not like I heard.¡± A pause. A final chance. ¡°What marvel occurred here?¡±


    Archie¡¯s heart climbed into his throat.


    ¡°My son manifested during the Festival of Ambrosia.¡±


    ¡°Ahahah! Is that so?¡± The Glutton slammed a palm down on the table, shaking the entire thing, laughing and grinning as if he had been told he was going to be a father. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! Just wonderful! You might look at me and think nothing brings me more joy than food, but the truth is, nothing brings me more joy than knowing there will be another Chef in the world. Because that means more food!¡± He roared with laughter. ¡°Boy! Boy! Get out here! It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it? The Chef-to-be!¡±


    Archie turned to stone.


    Can he see me through the crack? Should I come out? What do I do?


    Arty turned, finally breaking his stillness, and motioned for Archie to come out. Archie emerged, spatula in hand.


    ¡°Oh! Were you making something for me?¡± the Glutton asked. ¡°Nevermind, nevermind, there¡¯ll be time for that later! Much time for you! Much cooking! Come, sit!¡± That hammer of a palm slapped the spot on the bench next to him.


    Archie considered rejecting the invitation, or even skirting it by sitting across from the Glutton. But something about the man¡¯s command made Archie comply. He sat next to the Glutton, the two of them taking up nearly half the bench. The Glutton rested a paw on Archie¡¯s shoulder. Archie couldn¡¯t see his father but could still sense his discomfort.


    ¡°Young Kent, I take it,¡± the Glutton said. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Ah-Archie.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Archie!¡± Archie couldn¡¯t tell if the Glutton was mocking the stutter. He laughed and turned to Adeline. ¡°Dear, Mrs. Kent? Could you see if there was anything in that kitchen for me?¡± Adeline retreated to the kitchen. The Glutton returned his attention to Archie. ¡°Manifested the day before your eighteenth birthday, eh?¡±


    ¡°How did you know¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tell me, Archie. How did your magic manifest? Was it a cake? A pasta? Oh, please tell me it was seafood. Every other year I go to Uroko¡¯s biggest festival. All those young Chefs-to-be manifesting their magic in crab legs and sea urchins and sushi. There¡¯s something about someone¡¯s first magical meal. A taste that can¡¯t be replicated.¡± He leaned in, his breath heavy. ¡°I can¡¯t get enough,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°It was lemon water,¡± Archie said.


    ¡°Ha!¡± The Glutton released Archie, turning to look at Arty, expecting him to join him in laughter. ¡°Lemon water!¡±


    Archie managed to turn enough to see Arty¡¯s face, pale and bloodless.


    With a single oversized finger, the Glutton pushed Archie¡¯s shoulder, turning him back around. ¡°Water?¡± the Glutton asked in a way that begged for confirmation.


    ¡°With lemon.¡±


    ¡°Water¡­with lemon,¡± the Glutton nodded. The laughter had gone, replaced by impatience. An outburst seemed to bubble deep beneath that blubberous skin. He wrapped his arm around Archie, the weight of it crushing the boy¡¯s spine. Archie felt the Glutton¡¯s hunger. ¡°And what was so special about this water¡­with lemon?¡±


    ¡°It¡­it never emptied.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The Glutton¡¯s face went blank. His eyes unfocused, wondrous possibilities bouncing around behind them. Infinite essence waiting to be consumed.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said again. ¡°Well, that¡¯s something I¡¯d like to see.¡±


    ¡°It ran out,¡± Arty blurted before Archie could respond. ¡°Just earlier today.¡±


    ¡°Ah, such a shame.¡± The Glutton bumped his fist on the table in disappointment, a casual gesture, but with his weight, still enough to produce a sizable boom. ¡°I would have very much liked to see that.¡± He let out a tsk-tsk-tsk, pondering what to do next.


    Adeline emerged from the kitchen carrying the last plate of pork and placing it before the Glutton. ¡°Here you go, sir. It¡¯s the last one. I was saving it for my dinner later tonight, but I had so much potato, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll manage. Help yourself.¡±


    The Glutton¡¯s face lit up at the sight of the food. His tongue pushed through his lips, covering them in drool. ¡°Ah,¡± he said to Archie, leaning over and whispering, ¡°A mother¡¯s sacrifice. Nothing like it.¡± He straightened up in his seat, addressing Adeline. ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯ll be sure to enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Let me get you a fork¡ª¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    One arm still draped around Archie, the Glutton stretched his other arm out and took the entire piece of meat off the plate with one swipe of his hand. His neck craned back, hand hovering over his mouth, dropping all of it in one smooth motion down his throat. Gone in a moment. He chewed on air, savoring the taste of magic as it filled his belly. ¡°Delicious,¡± he moaned.


    His chin dropped back down and turned to face Arty. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you had to leave the Academy. You could have really flourished. I can taste the potential. I might have even taken you as one of my personal Chefs.¡±


    It took all of Arty¡¯s willpower to force a whisper of a smile.


    ¡°Ah, delicious, delicious. If only I had some water to wash it down with,¡± the Glutton said, his voice hardening. He tilted his head down to Archie and his arm squeezed around the boy. ¡°If only¡­say, this¡­never-emptying pitcher of water. It wouldn¡¯t happen to be the one that you took into that kitchen when I first got here, would it?¡±


    Archie¡¯s heartbeat went into his ears. Every second felt like a lifetime. Now he understood why his mother had made him take the pitcher away. Dividing and duplicating food, as Arty had done with the duck, came at the expense of diluting the magical essence in each bite. For the first time that Archie had heard of, this was not the case with his pitcher of water. Each gulp contained the full, pure essence of untampered magic. It was a miracle. An everlasting shrine to the realization of Archie¡¯s dream. And this man sought to devour it. After all, what more could a Glutton want than infinite essence?


    What would a Glutton do to have it?


    ¡°It was just regular water, that¡¯s all,¡± Archie said. ¡°I can pour you a glass if you¡¯d like.¡±


    The Glutton¡¯s face, carrying a bastardized, ruinous version of Arty¡¯s signature stare, peered into Archie¡¯s, searching for the truth. Archie forgot to breathe. His heart seemed to climb his chest. If he spoke, it would leap from his mouth and into the Glutton¡¯s, going down without a single chew. But just before that happened, the Glutton smiled, leaned back, and released Archie, who instinctively slid away.


    ¡°Well, normal water just doesn¡¯t do it for me anymore.¡± His hand went into his pocket again, past the moondrop wine, retrieving a vial filled with white liquid. ¡°A cup, please.¡±


    Adeline scrambled to grab the nearest cup, walking behind the Glutton and out of sight. She swung the cup at the ground to get rid of any residual drop of the sacred water that had filled it, not wanting the Glutton to taste its essence. She placed the cup in front of the Glutton, who nodded in thanks.


    He poured from the vial, filling the cup with milk. ¡°Thistled milk,¡± he said as he raised the cup. His chin went up again and the milk went down.


    The Glutton poured another cup from the same vial. Archie leaned in to look. The vial shouldn¡¯t have been able to fill the cup up once, let alone twice. Yet only a quarter of it had been emptied out. The Glutton caught his gaze.


    ¡°Not quite neverending, I¡¯m afraid. The vial was made special-order by a genius friend of mine from Khala. Condenses whatever you pour in, multiplies whatever you pour out. Only loses a small percentage of its essence each way. Not perfect, but still cutting edge.¡±


    He drank again. As he poured a third cup, his free hand reached into another pocket, producing a mushroom cap. He winked at Archie, whispering, ¡°you don¡¯t want this one.¡± He popped the cap into his mouth and chased it with the milk. ¡°Ah, delicious,¡± he moaned. He sat for a few seconds, fighting the urge to vomit the poison up, before saying to himself, ¡°one more cup.¡± He poured and drank again.


    ¡°The Induction Ceremony for the Academies is in a few days. Have you packed your things?¡± the Glutton asked Archie.


    ¡°Um¡­not yet. I haven¡¯t received an invitation, actually. The road¡¯s closed. They can¡¯t send anyone up to confirm my claim.¡±


    ¡°Ah. So I heard.¡± The Glutton dug into his pocket one last time, producing an envelope that he tapped on the table.


    Archie¡¯s eyes widened. He sat up and leaned forward, examining the ¡°A¡± on the envelope¡¯s wax seal. ¡°Is that?¡±


    ¡°Prince Waldorf heard about your miracle and the road closure that was keeping you from getting your invitation. So he broke the blockade to send me. He looks forward to meeting you when you arrive in Ambrosia City.¡±


    The thought of meeting the prince made Archie more nervous than excited. While everyone adored the grand king, nasty rumors swirled around his son. Archie reached for the envelope, but the Glutton pulled it away.


    ¡°I would have liked to confirm your claim firsthand,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯ve already spoken to your Lord Mayor and gotten his confirmation.¡±


    He put the envelope back within Archie¡¯s reach and let him take it.


    ¡°The Induction Ceremony begins in three days,¡± the Glutton said.


    ¡°I understand. But the road closures¡­¡±


    The Glutton laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve already arranged for transport. That friend of mine, the one up in Khala? He has a nephew your age. Every festival for five festivals now, that nephew has manifested. I¡¯ve sent for him to be brought down by carriage¡ªa gift to his uncle for all his hard work. Sain is hardly out of the way, I¡¯ll have him make a detour. He¡¯ll arrive in two days'' time at dawn. Meet him at the stables.¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you,¡± Archie said.


    ¡°And if you ever manage to do that trick with the water, you¡¯ll let me know, won¡¯t you? I simply must have it.¡± The Glutton turned to the door, took one step, and then wheeled around on the spot. ¡°Ah! I¡¯ve nearly left without paying for that delicious pork.¡±


    He put a gold coin on the table, five times what he owed. Then he put a second gold coin down. Then he put a third disk down, this one white and bulbous.


    ¡°A deathcap,¡± he said just before leaving, looking at Adeline. ¡°Should you acquire a taste.¡±

 Chapter 4 - The Last Day in Sain

    The Culinary Academies invite you to attend the Ambrosial Summit in Ambrosia City.


    By receiving this invitation, your potential as a Chef has been recognized and the Culinary Academies welcome you to apply.


    If you choose to attend the Academy of Ambrosia, you require sponsorship of 100 gold per annum from a Jacketed Restaurant, for whom you shall serve as an apprentice. If you would like to attend any of the other Culinary Academies, you will be given the chance to speak to a representative during the Ambrosial Summit.


    Upon acceptance to a Culinary Academy, you shall earn the title of Chef.


    Signed,


    Academy of Ambrosia


    Uroko Institute


    Lyceum Labrusca


    Khaldeer Monastery


    College of Pitmasters


    Archie read and reread and reread the letter late into the night until the flickering, dancing flame of his candle went out. He read it so many times that when he slept, he saw it perfectly in his dreams, recreating every little curl and smear of the midnight ink.


    He awoke with the invitation still in his hand. He read it again to make sure it was real. Then he read it again. And again.


    He would have stayed in bed all day reading that letter if he could, but today was his last day in Sain. And he had a hundred things he needed to do before he left.


    He decided to start with breakfast.


    Archie rubbed his eyes as he descended into Petrichor¡¯s kitchen. His mother smiled from her usual table. His father was nowhere to be found. Adeline picked up on Archie¡¯s unasked question.


    ¡°He went out,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯ll be back before dinner.¡±


    Dinner? That¡¯s halfway between now and leaving.


    ¡°What¡¯s for breakfast?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Eggs. Any way you¡¯d like them.¡±


    ¡°Poached?¡±


    ¡°Poached it is. But it¡¯s gonna cost you.¡± Adeline rose from her chair and approached Archie.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta give your mom a hug first,¡± she said as she embraced him.


    Archie usually hugged back lightly, just draping his arms around his mother in a non-committal teenage fashion. But on this day, his last day, he squeezed her close and thought about how much he would miss her.


    ¡°What¡¯s your plan for today?¡± she asked without letting go.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Archie wriggled his way out of the hug¡ªa teenage boy could only take so much parental affection at a time.


    ¡°Good. You can take our trash over to Simeon¡¯s pigs.¡±


    The woven bin banged against Archie¡¯s knees as he lugged it across town. The trash at the top of the bin wasn¡¯t too bad¡ªthe remains of a corn cob, fatty chunks of pork, a piece of burnt bread¡ªbut a black liquid seeped out from the bottom of the bin, threatening to drip onto Archie¡¯s shoes and leave them with a stink that couldn¡¯t be washed out.


    But Archie didn¡¯t mind too much. Simeon was one of the few Chefs remaining in Sain and the only one that Archie hadn¡¯t spoken to since manifesting. With his father out, Archie was desperate to tell the story to someone and talk about the invitation.


    Simeon wasn¡¯t much of a cook, but he was an expert at an essential piece of magic to the village¡ªextraction. Archie arrived just in time to witness it. The man seemed much older than the last time Archie saw him¡ªbut maybe that was just all the dirt on his face. Simeon put one hand against a pig¡¯s shoulder and his other hand against a large square stone.


    ¡°Hi Si¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sh!¡±


    Simeon clenched his eyes, brow furrowed, effort plain to the world. The pig stood still¡ªan intentional stillness¡ªand jawed mindlessly at some root it had pulled. The stone¡¯s rough edges started to smooth out and take shape. Some of the gray stone shifted to red. Other parts turned into white streaks. Soon, the stone no longer resembled a stone at all. The red glistened with blood and plasma. The white streaks clumped up into fatty marbling. Finally, Simeon sighed and dropped his arms to his side. The pig happily trotted off, unbothered.


    ¡°I extracted from this one last week,¡± Simeon explained, ¡°so the meat isn¡¯t quite up to my standard. But I just had a sow die on me last week, so I¡¯m having to stretch it. Times ain¡¯t so good around now.¡±


    ¡°I had some of it yesterday. Frempe brought it over and we had a feast.¡±


    ¡°At Petrichor, I heard, I heard. Shame I couldn¡¯t make it.¡±


    ¡°I got invited to the Culinary Academies,¡± Archie blurted out. He put the bin on the ground and pulled the letter from his pocket.


    ¡°Oh! Been a while since I¡¯ve seen one of those. No one in Sain has been invited in¡­what, five, six years? Bring it here, let¡¯s see.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Archie and Simeon spoke for hours. Archie talked about the pitcher of water and his dad cooking while Simeon dumped the trash into the pig sty. The story of the Glutton¡¯s visit made Simeon lean in and sweat. Eventually, they made their way to all the questions that had built up in Archie about academy life.


    For every ten questions Archie had, Simeon had half an answer, but the two still spent over an hour speculating and daydreaming. Finally, the rumble of Archie¡¯s stomach signaled the time to leave. He bought some broccoli, potatoes, and even had enough money leftover¡ªwith Simeon¡¯s generous discount¡ªfor a healthy slice of the newly extracted pork shoulder.


    When Archie returned to Petrichor, he set the heavy bag of food down and peeked out into the dining area. No one. He turned to the stairs.


    ¡°He¡¯s still not back,¡± Adeline said from the pantry. ¡°Now let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve brought.¡±


    They prepared the food together in a corner of the oven. Adeline showed off, resting a finger on a potato to make it split perfectly in two. Some hopeful diners wandered in, but Adeline turned them away. ¡°We¡¯re still cleaned out from yesterday. Arty is getting some stuff and we¡¯ll be open again tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you become a Chef, mom?¡± Archie had heard the story a dozen times before, but he was desperate to speak about anything related to his own upcoming journey.


    ¡°Well, I was a bit of a late bloomer like you. I was sixteen when I manifested. My magic wasn¡¯t as special as yours¡ªI made a batch of candied apples that tasted exactly like scrambled eggs.¡± Adeline pressed her finger into the potato half and it disassembled into neat squares. Her skill was beyond that of an orange jacket, but she had never returned to the Academy to take their test¡ªArchie assumed she did so out of solidarity with her husband.


    ¡°It got me noticed, but people obviously weren¡¯t happy about the flavor switch. Can you imagine?¡± She giggled, and Archie joined her until he became acutely aware of how little time they would have left together to giggle.


    ¡°I got my invitation and found myself trying to learn how to stop making steaks taste like fish and pies taste like coffee¡ªalthough people really didn¡¯t mind that last one.¡± She poked a finger into the fire and pulled it back to the potatoes, a thin tendril of flame following the motion.


    ¡°I met your father my first week in Ambrosia City. We ended up apprenticing at the same place, this little pastry shop¡ª¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t apprentice here?¡±


    ¡°No. Too far away. Plus, Petrichor was¡­going through some changes.¡± A shadow tainted her expression, but she shook it off with a smile. ¡°Anyway, one day after your father¡¯s shift ended, he stuck around and made a raspberry tart for me. It was the most magical meal I ever ate. I remember how he¡­¡±


    After they ate, Adeline and Archie packed up his things. ¡°Nighttime is no time for packing,¡± Adeline had said. They stuffed clothes and old recipe books down into a trunk. Adeline fetched a spare set of utensils, stabbing tongs and ladles and forks and knives down into his clothes.


    ¡°The Academies should provide you with pots and pans, but it¡¯s always good to have your own set when you can,¡± Adeline explained. ¡°So, with you getting there late, you¡¯re not gonna have much time to decide on where you want to go. Have you thought about which academy you¡¯ll attend?¡±


    Archie had been waiting for someone to ask. ¡°The Academy of Ambrosia. Like dad.¡±


    Adeline nodded. ¡°What about Lyceum Labrusca? You love pasta¡ªyou¡¯ll never learn how to make it better than there.¡±


    Archie shrugged.


    ¡°I thought about going to Uroko Institute,¡± Adeline said. ¡°I used to have a stash of Urokan seafood recipes growing up.¡±


    Archie shrugged again.


    ¡°Well what kind of Chef do you want to be?¡± Adeline asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s all kinds of Chefs. You could be a cook. Or a fighter¡ªone of the Acorn Guard. Or maybe you could study to be a Veratore and become a healer. Or¡ª¡±


    ¡°A cook,¡± Archie answered. ¡°So that I can come back here and¡­¡±


    Archie trailed off, thinking of his vision in the crystal ball.


    ¡°So¡­you wanted to make seafood. What about dad? What did he want to make?¡±


    Adeline looked down. ¡°Well, he wasn¡¯t sure. He had a natural knack for fire, but things¡­weren¡¯t easy for him. People didn¡¯t like him.¡±


    ¡°Because of his dad?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. So when the time came, he didn¡¯t know what we wanted to make. He just wanted to bring Petrichor back to life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want, too.¡±


    Archie expected his mother to look proud. Instead, she let a little wince show in her smile.


    ¡°Archie¡­listen to me. You¡¯re going to Ambrosia City. You¡¯re going to apprentice at some great restaurant. You¡¯ll attend the Academy of Ambrosia. The whole world is yours, Archie. So do me a favor and don¡¯t worry about Petrichor or me or your dad. There¡¯s a great life out there, and it¡­might not be at Petrichor.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Arty shouted from downstairs. Archie barely managed to stand before Arty came barreling in.


    ¡°Dad! Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°Haggling,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°Have you already packed?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Any room left?¡±


    Archie noticed that Arty¡¯s hands were hidden behind his back. ¡°A bit.¡±


    ¡°Good! I got a gift for you.¡± Arty whipped out his hand, revealing¡­a handle. A normal, metal and resin handle attached to¡­nothing. Nothing but a handle. ¡°Tada!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°This, Archie, is an omnihandle. There¡¯s only one like it in Sain, and I just bought it.¡±


    ¡°With what money?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that!¡± He rushed over and pushed the handle into Archie¡¯s palm. ¡°Come on, try it!¡±


    Archie looked down at the handle. ¡°Try¡­what?¡±


    ¡°Oh, here.¡± Arty took the handle back and flicked his wrist. Metal sprouted from the handle, flattening and then curling up at the lips into a frying pan. ¡°Like that!¡± He flicked his wrist again and the pan slipped back into the handle. Arty gave the handle to Archie, who lifted it up to inspect. Arty shifted around impatiently. ¡°Archie, it¡¯s magic! Just try it!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how! I haven¡¯t learned that yet!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re eighteen now, you should be able to perform some magic. Just¡­do it!¡±


    Archie flicked his wrist. Nothing.


    ¡°Again, try again!¡±


    Another flick. This time, splinters of wood grew from the handle, forming a sharp array of points.


    ¡°Oh, nearly there!¡± Arty exclaimed. ¡°That looks like the beginnings of a cutting board!¡±


    Truthfully, it looked more like a collection of toothpicks.


    Archie raised an eyebrow. Before he could ask, Arty answered. ¡°The handle can extend into all sorts of cooking tools. Pots, pans, ladles, spatulas¡ªall sorts! Now, it¡¯ll get outperformed by a mastercraft in any of those forms, but the flexibility cannot be undervalued. You learn how to shape essence and this¡¯ll help you tremendously.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± Archie rotated the handle around, watching as the splinters returned into the handle. He felt a lump grow in his throat. ¡°Dad, I¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you,¡± Arty said. ¡°But I¡¯m so excited for you. You¡¯ll have to write all the time. I can¡¯t wait to hear your story.¡±


    Archie buried his face in his father¡¯s shoulder, hiding the tears.

 Chapter 5 - Arriving in Ambrosia City

    The next morning, Arty woke Archie up with a plate of bacon and took him to the stables. They thought much and spoke little, watching the breaking sun melt away the morning fog as they waited for the carriage. Once it arrived, Arty helped the driver, a short, mustached man with a working man¡¯s disposition, put Archie¡¯s trunk in the back, and then ran back to give Archie one last hug.


    Archie barely kept his tears in.


    He opened the door and stepped into the dark carriage with its closed curtains. The carriage was small, meant for a group of four that didn¡¯t mind getting to know each other. From the last bit of light from the closing door, Archie saw his travel companion, another boy his age, tucked into the corner. The boy didn¡¯t react to Archie. Instead, he just adjusted his head against the wall, brushing his bronze hair down for cushioning.


    The door clicked shut, the light going with it as Archie¡¯s eyes tried to adjust.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me,¡± a voice said in the dark.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m Archie.¡±


    ¡°No. You don¡¯t know me.¡± Even less of a question than the first time.


    Sain was a day or two north of Ambrosia City, technically part of The Platter, the same kingdom as the capital, but it sat in a weird spot of nothing between the plains of Kuutsu Nuna and the mountains of Khala. It saw little traffic from anywhere. It wasn¡¯t a destination. Not since Petrichor fell out of favor. As such, Archie rarely interacted with people from outside of Sain. He wasn¡¯t going to start with this one.


    He rode in the dark, sneaking small peeks out of the curtain, all silent but for the bum-bum-bum-bum of the carriage wheels. At first, the carriage felt like a coffin, the motion making him nauseous. But once the initial excitement of travel wore off, the motion became familiar. Soothing. His eyes drooped¡­


    ¡­and opened to a flood of light. The driver stood in the open doorway.


    ¡°¡®Ey, thought it betta to wake ya up now. Gots a rough bit of path ahead of us. Been some trouble on the road recently. Some giant lizards or somethings. Gonna use the last bit of movemash to get chrew it. Mind yourselves.¡±


    A jolt of excitement shot through Archie.


    Movemash!


    Archie pulled the curtain open and stuck his head out the window. The driver hand-fed the horses some pale pemmican-looking mixture.


    Movemash!


    ¡°Ey!¡± the driver yelled back at Archie. ¡°All heads and limbs and such things in the carriage at all times. I ¡®on¡¯t get paid if you ¡®on¡¯t make it!¡± The driver fixed a carrot-and-a-stick to one of the horses and hustled to his seat. ¡°Hold on to something back there,¡± he hollered. ¡°The start can be a bit bumpeeeeeee¡ª¡±


    The carriage lurched into motion, reaching top speed in a second. And still it accelerated. The sudden change sent the other boy flying across the carriage and into Archie. They detangled themselves, an extra shove from the boy being put into Archie¡¯s ribs for good measure.


    Archie winced and looked out the window. A mosaic of greens and yellows went by in a blur. Forests turned to blobs, bushes smudged into nothingness. Archie¡¯s stomach turned and his chest heaved involuntarily.


    Better to look forward.


    Movemash was a staple of Ambrosia¡ªthe fuel of the trade economy. From one corner to another, it could take a horse weeks to travel across Ambrosia in good conditions. Depending on the grade of movemash, that trip could be cut down to a matter of days. Of course, such a tool didn¡¯t come cheap, and some of the largest guilds in Ambrosia made nothing but different grades of the fuel.


    Archie didn¡¯t know how it worked or how it was made, but he knew that it was expensive and that horses needed to be trained to use it. Supposedly, the movemash made them able to pass through other carriages without collision, but again, Archie didn¡¯t know how that worked.


    He just knew it made them go really, really fast.


    After an hour at high speeds, the carriage slowed down to its regular pace. Archie peeked out the window again, amazed that the horses didn¡¯t seem tired. A sixth sense hit the driver, who looked back and shouted, ¡°Getcher head in! Gots an hour left. Should make it in time for a late lunch.¡±


    Yellowed grass turned into fields of green speckled with homes. Stretches of trees became plots of dirt, wheat and corn sticking up into the sky. Homesteads multiplied into communities. Roads branched in every direction. Long, narrow strips of farms ran perpendicular to the road. A massive stone guardhouse stood upon a hill.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the Roots,¡± Archie observed with a giddy smile. The other boy in the carriage grunted to show how much he cared.


    Over a thousand years ago, Ambrosia settled on a mesa just a few miles from the sea. Decades later, when the first overhead map was created, it was noticed that the mesa had the vague shape of a tree. Over the years, the people made names for three distinct sections.


    At the top end of the slope, just before the steep cliffs, the land widened like branches from a tree. The people took to calling the widened section the Crown¡ªthe Royal Keep¡¯s presence helped to make the name seem even more appropriate. Some of Ambrosia¡¯s finest attractions were found in the Crown¡ªthe Royal Keep, the Academy, Caviar Court, Labruscella, Restaurant Row, and more.


    The thin, long section that rose from the grounds below up to the Crown was dubbed the Trunk. The Trunk served as Ambrosia City¡¯s heart, pumping people up to the higher restaurants during the day and pumping them back down at night.


    Finally, this left the flat area around the mesa where the rivers ran through¡ªthe Roots. Ambrosia City seemed to spill out from its mesa into a patchwork mixture of dense city and sparse farm fields.


    Of the half million that called Ambrosia City home, the Roots contained most. And above them all, the Royal Keep¡¯s bright blue stones could be seen towering tall.


    Archie tried to pick out the Academy of Ambrosia to no success.


    They made their way through the Roots and reached the large stone wall at the base of the mesa. Guards in padded Chef jackets and loosely fitted metal shoulders, the king¡¯s standing army known as the Acorn Guard, waved the carriage through with no fuss. Thirty years of peace had made them complacent.


    The white clay brick buildings made a maze of the Trunk. People packed into crowds in the winding streets while the birds had free reign of the red barrel tile roofing above. Vendors pushed carts of colorful fruit on ice through the crowds. Young boys jumped out into traffic, waving signs to push people to the wooden baking stands that lined the road. A flurry of people swarmed around in every direction.


    And the noise! Nothing like Sain! A dozen conversations on every corner, just waiting for Archie to tune in:


    ¡°My reservation got canceled last week. Prince Waldorf booked the whole restaurant!¡±


    ¡°I heard Blue Orchards is working on apricots.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m rooting for Tataki today!¡±


    ¡°Have you been to Regal Rose? They call you ¡®m¡¯lord¡¯ and at the end of it give you this rose that contains every flavor you ate that night.¡±


    ¡°They called it violin stew. Each time I took a bite, I could hear another violin. By the end, there was a full orchestra!¡±


    Archie felt the excitement of a million stories unfolding before him. The carriage rumbled and stumbled through the crowd, getting slower as it got further into the city.


    ¡°¡®Ey, you¡¯re getting out here,¡± the driver shouted back at the carriage. ¡°Can¡¯t get through this bleedin¡¯ crowd. Must be a tournament day.¡±


    Archie stepped out into the crowd. With feet on the ground, he joined the mass of countless others in walking the streets of Ambrosia¡¯s prized city. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The other boy stepped out behind Archie, cutting in front of him to retrieve his bags. ¡°You don¡¯t know me,¡± he said again before slipping away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone,¡± Archie said with wonder as he looked around at all the unfamiliar faces.


    The driver started to turn the carriage around.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Archie yelled. ¡°What was that about a tournament?¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t you ever heard of the IKC?¡±


    ¡°Wait, the IKC? Like, THE IKC? Like the Interkingdom Circuit IKC?¡±


    ¡°Like, has a match here nearly every week,¡± the driver said in a mocking voice. ¡°Welcome to the city, kid.¡±


    The driver waited for no goodbyes, shouting at people to clear out of the road as he whipped his reins.


    Archie pushed through the crowd, grateful for the omnihandle in his trunk that had kept him from packing heavy pots and pans. A trunk of clothes and odd knicknacks was much easier to carry than a heavy one full of metal. Still, the amount of people overwhelmed Archie. There wasn¡¯t even a restaurant in sight and still this corner held as many people as the busiest road in Sain during the busiest time of the year.


    ¡°Oi, you. You look hungry.¡±


    Archie turned to the voice. A bald, overweight man worked at a stand displaying crates of fruit. He moved with city speed, faster than people in Sain. While still looking at Archie, he never stopped transacting. He reached his hand out to his side to collect a few bronze coins from a woman that grabbed a large bulbous blue fruit. The man shuffled the coins in his hands like dice, counting them just by shaking them. ¡°Comon,¡± he called to Archie.


    ¡°Seen you get off the carriage,¡± he continued as Archie approached. ¡°Must be hungry. All that travel. Where you come from?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡ªSain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a day north, eh?¡±


    Archie nodded and looked at the fruit. All different shapes, resembling fruits he had seen before, but¡­different. ¡°They¡¯re all blue,¡± Archie observed.


    ¡°The real blue. Blue Orchards blue. Not like those cheap knock-offs.¡±


    Archie looked from the fruit to the vendor, not understanding.


    ¡°You mean to tell me you never had Blue Orchards?¡± The man shook his head. Such a crazy notion. ¡°Tell you what, first timer discount. An apple for five coppas.¡±


    Archie pulled out five copper coins from his pocket and hesitated in front of the fruit. He thought it¡¯d be easy to tell the difference, but staring at baskets of blue, Archie wondered which one was the apple. He started to grab one.


    ¡°Oi, that¡¯s an orange. That¡¯s eight coppa. Can¡¯t you tell by the stem?¡± The man already moved on to face the next customer. As he spoke to the new customer, he blindly grabbed an apple and exchanged it with Archie¡¯s coins.


    ¡°Oi, you there, haven¡¯t seen you since last week!¡± he called out to another passerby. ¡°Special offer for a returning customer¡ªan apple for five coppas!¡±


    Archie hustled out of the way as more people lined up at the stand. He looked back at the sign hanging over the stand. Barney¡¯s Basket - selling certified Blue Orchards!


    Archie bit into the apple. The skin was blue, but the inside looked like any other apple. Tasted like any other apple, too¡ªmaybe with just a little more tang.


    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s the IKC?¡± he asked the vendor.


    ¡°You buying more?¡± the vendor replied, shooing him away.


    ¡°You looking for the IKC?¡± another man asked. Archie nodded. ¡°It¡¯s at The Serving Bowl.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s that?¡±


    Having to answer a second question made the man¡¯s impatience match the vendor¡¯s. City speed. ¡°You some kind of hick?¡± He stabbed a finger up the Trunk. ¡°Go that way until you see a building that could seat your whole backwater town.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Archie muttered under his breath while cursing in his head. Sain was a perfectly respectable size. Of course, perfectly respectable also meant it would take a hundred Sains to fill Ambrosia City.


    Archie lugged his bags up the road. The roads weren¡¯t that hard to navigate, but the stairs were murder, two or three steps for every hundred feet. It was said that while you¡¯d almost never have to walk uphill to ascend the Trunk, you would have to walk up three hundred steps¡ªbut never more than five at a time.


    But there was another way up the Trunk.


    Archie spotted it and grinned with excitement.


    A raised road¡ªtall enough to have tunneled walkways running beneath it¡ªran along the main road of the Trunk. Every twenty feet, a metal frame extended another fifteen feet above the pathway, a bundle of little yellow ropes running on top of all of the frames.


    But they weren¡¯t ropes.


    They were noodles that contracted and lengthened to maneuver Ambrosia City¡¯s legendary tram system.


    Archie heard the clunkclunk-clunkclunk-clunkclunk of the tramcar as it came up the Trunk, splendid with its green wooden base and domed cloth canopy. He rushed to the stairs leading up to the raised platform just as the tramcar arrived. He slipped past some waiting people and made it up one step before he was yanked back by his collar.


    ¡°No free rides,¡± the Acorn Guard stated. ¡°One silver.¡±


    Another pedestrian put a silver in the guard¡¯s hand and went up to the tramcar.


    ¡°Does it go to The Serving Bowl?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Yes. Three stops from here.¡±


    Archie dug into his pockets. One gold, six silver, and a couple copper. Only enough for a couple of meals and a night¡¯s stay.


    But Archie would only ever have one first day in Ambrosia City. And his luggage kept banging his knees. And this way he wouldn¡¯t get lost. And he could rest his legs.


    Archie put the silver in the guard¡¯s hand and went up the stairs. Archie found his seat in the rows of benches amongst thirty others, the tramcar having enough space to accommodate thirty more.


    The guard walked up the stairs and tugged a noodle that ran from one of the corner pillars of the tramcar all the way up, up, up the tracks and out of sight.


    ¡°Have a pleasant ride,¡± the guard said as the tram jerked into motion.


    It started slow, but Archie didn¡¯t mind. From up high on the raised road, he had the best view. When he had walked on the lower road, the buildings seemed random and squished together. But from up high, he could see the design of the city. The winding alleys and the sky bridges between buildings and the way that the higher the tram went, the cleaner the city got, the whiter the walls, the fewer roof tiles missing.


    They made their first stop at a food market. Their second stop at a church. And then they turned a corner and he saw The Serving Bowl.


    A massive arena had been built on a rock outcropping that came back toward the bottom of the mesa, causing the lower access of the arena to be blocked by cliffs. The tramcar stopped and Archie ran down the stairs into a massive plaza full of people. Above the crowd, two rows of champions looked over the masses, their likeness having been carved into massive stone statues.


    Made of concrete, travertine stone, and flourishes of marble, The Serving Bowl stretched over a hundred feet into the air. Exterior archways lined three floors as the building curved into an oval. On the far end, toward the bottom of the Trunk, a sixty-foot marble statue of Ambrosia looked down on benches that seated twenty thousand, standing room that could host thirty thousand, and an assortment of private suites that lined the middle ring of the arena.


    Archie zigzagged through the crowd and up to the arena. He stepped through a large open iron gate and was yanked back by a gloved hand. Archie looked up at a tall, grisled guard. The gate guards protecting the capital from invaders? Easygoing. But the guards in charge of protecting commercial interests? Archie quickly learned that they were not to be crossed.


    ¡°Ticket!¡± the guard shouted down into Archie¡¯s face.


    ¡°I uh¡ªI don¡¯t have one?¡±


    The guard sent Archie tumbling back into the plaza. He wondered where to get tickets, but he didn¡¯t have to wonder for long.


    ¡°Tickets, get your tickets!¡± a woman shouted. Archie gathered himself and approached her.


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Two gold for the lower deck, one gold for the upper,¡± she chimed. Then, just to cover her bases, she kept going in a skeptical voice, ¡°and twenty for the suites. No refunds.¡±


    Archie shoved his hand into his pocket, feeling his dwindling supply of coins. He tried to think of a way to attend the fight without ending up on the street that night. He could¡ª


    ¡°Hurry up, it¡¯s starting soon!¡± the woman yelled. City speed.


    He could figure it out later.


    Archie exchanged a gold coin for a little paper ticket. He stepped through the gate and was yanked back again.


    ¡°You can¡¯t bring that!¡± the guard yelled, nodding at Archie¡¯s bags. ¡°Get a temporary locker round the corner.¡±


    ¡°How much do they cost?¡±


    ¡°Oversized? Two silver for the match.¡±


    That¡¯d mean skipping dinner. But he was in for a gold already, so why not?


    After depositing his luggage, Archie stepped through the iron gate and found a stairway marked by the number on his ticket.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please find your seats, we are about to begin!¡± a voice boomed from somewhere in the stadium. The words echoed across the plaza, louder than thunder.


    Archie bounded up the stairs two at a time, nearly knocking someone over. He emerged near the top of the arena, a full but distant view of the arena floor on display. He squeezed into a small gap in the crowd, taking in the sight. The voice started again. Archie placed it from a tall, muscled man standing on the arena floor.


    ¡°Your attention please,¡± the man started. He wrung out every drip of drama from some words, breezing past others. ¡°I am your host, Clover Albrecht, and it is my pleasure to welcome you all to The Serving Bowl for this IKC matchup! Now, who¡¯s ready?¡±


    The crowd roared.


    ¡°Put your hands together! It¡¯s time foooooooooor¡ª¡±

 Chapter 6 - Tataki vs. Pepper Ivy

    ¡°Now who¡¯s here for their first ever IKC competition?¡± Clover asked, his voice booming through The Serving Bowl at an unnatural volume.


    A roar went through the crowd. Archie was too in awe to whoop with the other spectators.


    ¡°Alright, well let me explain it to you! The Interkingdom Circuit¡ªwhich is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary¡ªhappens like this. Chefs from all over United Ambrosia compete in the IKC, fighting their way through the ranks. Each match is a spectacle, but¡­well folks, you¡¯re about to witness¡­the pinnacle of competition! A Division One match! That means you¡¯re seeing a top twenty match-up!¡±


    Another roar from the crowd. Clover took a swig from a vial and continued, even louder than before.


    ¡°Today, our Chefs will compete in a little something that we call¡­culinaryyyyyy combaaaaat!¡±


    A deafening cheer.


    ¡°Theeeeese two fierce fighters, theeeeese two culinary champions, theeeeese two phenomenons of few equals shall put their skills to the test in a fight to the near-death! And today¡¯s match is a special one, as we¡¯ve been graced by the royal family!¡±


    Clover gestured toward a raised platform on the edge of the arena floor. A man rose and waved to the crowd. Sharing his suite were a host of advisors and the largest man Archie had ever seen.


    ¡°And today¡¯s matchup is crucial! We¡¯re fully underway with the season, and our contestants find themselves on opposite ends of the table. Currently sitting in 19th place and facing the threat of relegation¡ªshe needs a win and she needs it bad¡ªit¡¯s the girl from The Platter who makes the boys chatter¡ªPepper Ivy!¡±


    Thunderous applause echoed as a woman rose from a trapdoor in the center of the arena. From up high, Archie could only make out her vibrant orange hair.


    ¡°And her opponent, currently in 2nd and looking to move into 1st¡­hailing from the far islands of Uroko¡ªfeared by all from this kingdom to the next¡ªthe monster¡ªthe terror¡ªthe legend¡ªTataki!¡±


    A tall, well-built Urokan man appeared next to Pepper Ivy. The crowd erupted into chants of ¡°ta-ta-kee, ta-ta-kee.¡± He raised a fist into the air to an amplified cheer.


    ¡°Now, our contestants shall drink of Competitive Spirit,¡± Clover continued, ¡°which will keep their magic confined to the fighting floor and prevent them from doing fatal damage to one another. But don¡¯t be fooled! Their bodies are still on the line!¡±


    Clover handed a vial to Pepper Ivy, who drank and passed it to Tataki.


    ¡°Scopes, getcha scopes!¡± a man cried out as he walked up the stands waving sticks of gum. ¡°Don¡¯t miss any of the action! Two silva!¡±


    Without thinking, Archie hailed the vendor and exchanged some of his rapidly disappearing coin for the gum. He had heard of scopes, but never tried one. He thought he would be able to handle the sensation when he popped it in his mouth and started chewing.


    He was wrong.


    His vision magnified tenfold, focusing in on some blob of green. He turned his head, a sea of shapes and colors passing by in an instant, twisting his stomach into knots. Dizziness struck him like a club over the head, making him reach out to either side to grab people for support. He closed his eyes to keep himself from spewing up the Blue Orchards apple he had eaten earlier.


    ¡°You gotta zoom out,¡± the man next to him explained.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m trying.¡±


    The man laughed and shook Archie¡¯s hand off. Archie exhaled a minty breath and slowed his chewing. Unseen by Archie, Clover cleared away from the arena floor.


    ¡°Alright, now whooooooooo¡¯s ready?! Count it down with me! 3¡­¡±


    Archie opened his eyes.


    ¡°2¡­¡±


    Chew. Slower.


    ¡°1¡­¡±


    His vision zoomed out, allowing him to see both contestants.


    ¡°Fight!¡± the entire crowd chanted at once.


    The combatants wasted no time. Archie¡¯s eyes moved fast, but Tataki moved faster. The Urokan lunged forward, his arm transforming into a monstrous lobster claw that could fit three of Pepper Ivy in its grasp.


    ¡°Here he goes! It¡¯s the claw!¡± Clover yelled in excitement.


    ¡°The claaaaaaaaaw!¡± the people sang in a deep chorus.


    Pepper Ivy put her hands together and pushed forward, sending a wall of pepper spray at her assailant. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°A defensive spray!¡±


    In a split second, the lobster claw transformed into a clam shell that served as a shield, allowing Tataki to charge through the pepper spray unphased.


    In that same split second, Pepper Ivy lived up to the second part of her namesake. She slammed her palm into the ground, spawning a path of ivy twenty feet in front of her. The ivy lifted off the ground just enough to catch Tataki¡¯s feet, sending him stumbling.


    ¡°He¡¯s tangled!¡±


    As he fell, he brought his shell-arm back into himself. A second shell manifested around him, creating a full clamshell that encased him and let him roll through the fall. After doing a full somersault, he came out of the clamshell, his second arm transforming into a twenty-foot long octopus tentacle that lashed out. Pepper Ivy tried to jump away. Too late. The suction cups latched onto her leg, pulling her in. The shell-arm warped back into a lobster claw, pincers coming down on the helpless Pepper Ivy.


    Archie screamed in a mixture of delight and terror. For eighteen years, the best piece of magic he had seen outside of the kitchen was Frempe¡¯s noodle drawings. In just a few seconds, he had already seen several things that he hadn¡¯t known were even possible. These weren¡¯t fighters. They were gods.


    And Archie would soon join their ranks.


    Will I learn to do that?


    ¡°Pep¡¯s in trouble!¡±


    She embraced the pull of the tentacle, using its momentum to flip upside down as she was drawn in. Her hands went forward again, this time producing thousands of tiny bubbles. The fizz grew, obscuring both of them as it formed a massive dome in the middle of the arena.


    ¡°Oh! A desperate move by Pep, but did it work? What¡¯s going on in there! Is it over?¡±


    Pepper Ivy crawled out from one side of the dome. She coughed as she dragged herself across the dirt, leaving behind a small trail of blood from where the suction cups had attached to her leg. A couple of seconds later, Tataki emerged on the opposite side, blindly swinging his animalistic appendages.


    ¡°They¡¯re out!¡±


    Tataki wasted no time, dashing along the outside of the dome in search of his prey. As he came into view of Pepper Ivy, she swung her arms from the ground, sending the dome of bubbles spilling over to envelop the half-man, half-crustacean monster. He emerged from the bubbles with a rageful shout, but Pepper Ivy had already rolled around to the other side of the dome of bubbles.


    Tataki continued his pursuit, Pepper Ivy countering by moving the dome of bubbles again. But with each movement, the dome diminished, the bubbles popping. Her defense wouldn¡¯t last.


    ¡°Pep is doing great to stay in it, but she won¡¯t win like this!¡±


    Tataki had enough. His arms transformed back to normal, but as he planted them onto the ground and swung his legs into the air, he performed an even greater piece of transformation. His legs fused together and grew into a whale¡¯s tail, swinging through the dome of bubbles and sending them scattering into the air. With nothing left between him and Pepper Ivy, his legs transformed back and¡ª


    He fell.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    One hand hit the ground to catch himself. The other raised up to his forehead. He whipped his arm to the side, transforming it into an odd-looking lobster claw. Archie chewed faster to zoom in on the claw. The color was washed out and pincers were wrong, top switched with bottom. Tataki held the claw up, moving the pincers to observe his own error.


    ¡°What¡¯s this! Tataki¡¯s transformation messed up!¡±


    He lurched forward but fell again.


    ¡°Is Tataki¡­drunk?!¡±


    Pepper Ivy used the opportunity to get up and dust herself off. She took a deep breath, collecting herself before sending a steady stream of bubbles that sprayed into Tataki¡¯s face. In a moment of shock, he took a deep breath in, inhaling the bubbles. His head wobbled around on his neck.


    ¡°Pep is doing it!¡±


    In a last ditch effort, Tataki transformed his arms into tentacles, slamming them into the ground to propel himself at Pepper Ivy. She pointed her palms down at the ground, adjusting her bubble stream and intensifying it. Instead of using the stream as a weapon, she used it to propel herself, launching herself off the ground and sideways out of harm¡¯s way.


    Tataki¡¯s tentacles missed and he slid face-first across the ground.


    Pepper Ivy snapped her fingers, sprouting a single vine near Tataki that stretched across him to hold him down. With his limp tentacles scattered around his body, Tataki muttered something.


    ¡°And that¡¯s it! Tataki concedes!¡±


    Archie could only hear his own thumping heart as a stunned silence took hold of the crowd.


    Then the chants started.


    ¡°Pep! Pep! Pep! Pep!¡±


    Archie joined in, pumping his fists in the air as he cheered. A chill ran down his spine as he considered that one day he might be capable of something so extraordinary.


    ¡°Oh my, what a match! The heavy favorite, Tataki, taken down by Pepper Ivy! A massive upset! Well, in Tataki¡¯s defense, she certainly is intoxicating.¡±


    Archie felt the scope losing its magic and chewed in one last desperate zoom-in on Pepper Ivy. Now that she wasn¡¯t jumping around, he managed to see her clearly¡ªand understood why she was so popular amongst the men. Looking at her in that moment made him a fan for life.


    ¡°Alright! Well let us tend to our contestants and then we¡¯ll resume with the amateur circuit! And don¡¯t forget, folks! Pepper Ivy isn¡¯t just a fighter! She¡¯s a Purple Jacket Chef here in Ambrosia City! Be sure to visit her at Peppered Roux!¡±


    Archie stopped chewing to allow his vision to return to normal, giving his eyes a rest. He looked around the arena. The match had been so engrossing that he had forgotten where he was. Ambrosia City. The place of dreams.


    I¡¯m watching the IKC live. I¡¯m going to eat at an Ambrosia City restaurant. I¡¯m going to WORK at an Ambrosia City restaurant. I¡¯m going to live at the Academy! I¡¯m going to be a Chef!


    ¡°Now a word from today¡¯s sponsor: Thyme¡¯s Bottles and Bites!¡±


    Archie left the arena and collected his things as the sun set. He wandered around for a while, taking in the majesty of the city, until his stomach forced him into an inn. He showed the innkeeper his last two silvers, asking for food and a room.


    ¡°That won¡¯t get you nothin¡¯ here,¡± the innkeeper told him. But Archie¡¯s downtrodden expression made the innkeeper sigh. ¡°Eh, give me that. You do the dishes for me tonight and I¡¯ll get you a room and a piece of bread. You can eat whatever scraps are left on the plates.¡±


    After hours of scrubbing, Archie¡¯s fingers were raw and his body ached for a bed¡ªeven the room¡¯s hard straw mattress felt like a cloud that provided great relief. The hard work ended up being a blessing¡ªit was only through his great fatigue that Archie could quiet his excitement and get to sleep. And as he drifted toward sleep, he reflected on the lesson of the day.


    Ambrosia City was the place of dreams. But dreams were expensive.

 Chapter 7 - New Friends

    The next day, Archie stayed in bed as long as he could. He held his omnihandle up in the air as he tried to figure it out. Different warped shapes came out of the handle as he struggled. A ball of metal. A Y-shaped wood. A flattened spoon. Or was it a fork with no gaps? The closest he got to something useful was a single point that could be used as a skewer.


    Finally, the innkeeper came to kick him out. ¡°¡ªunless you wanna be doing dishes all day!¡±


    Archie gathered his things with the innkeeper in the door, exchanged his last few coppers for another piece of bread, and went back out into the chaos of the city.


    Archie looked up at a large clock tower. One hour until the ceremony. Perhaps a long time, but Archie had no sense of scale for such a massive urban maze. He made his way up the Trunk, passing dozens of statues that only grew taller as he ascended the city. While the statues were made of a variety of stones and bronze and ivory, almost all of them depicted the same subject¡ªAmbrosia. It was said that if someone ever forgot what city they were in, they only needed to look at the nearest epigraph.


    Archie lugged his bags and groaned at every little set of stairs. He made a paradise of his agony by retreating into his mind, imagining what feats he would achieve that would prompt the citizens of Ambrosia City to make a statue of him. There would be one of him in Sain, of course, awarded to him after he brought prosperity back to his hometown.


    Finally, long after he had cursed himself for not saving enough money for the tram, he found his way to a thick set of walls that separated the highest point of Ambrosia City. Beyond the walls, big, blocky buildings and spires of cerulean stone rose up, up, up and blended in with the blue sky.


    As he walked through the gate, he wondered which parts of the keep belonged to the Academy.


    And then a gloved hand yanked him back and sent him tumbling across the ground. A guard, not a Chef, but with wild eyes that made him just as intimidating, pointed a spear down at Archie.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you,¡± he growled, more bear than man. Tight black curls spilled out from his helmet. Thick, dark stubble covered his face, stretching from his neck to his eyes. Somehow, Archie felt like it had grown that much since the guard¡¯s morning shave.


    ¡°I¡¯m Archie! Archie Kent.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s supposed to mean something to me?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­Yeah, no. Uh¡ªI¡¯m going to be a Chef. I was invited!¡±


    The guard lifted the spear point away. ¡°Oh, well congratulations.¡± He faked a smile before sticking the spear point back down at Archie. ¡°But this ain¡¯t the Academy!¡±


    Archie scooted on the ground away from the spear, his butt sore from all the times he had been thrown around by the guards that week. ¡°Alright, well just tell me that, then!¡±


    The guard responded to the insolence with a menacing step forward.


    ¡°Alright, alright! Sorry.¡± Archie tried to reset the conversation. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Guard. Sometimes it¡¯s You There. Sometimes it¡¯s Stop Him. Sometimes it¡¯s Stab Him.¡±


    Archie looked at the point of the spear, then the guard, then did his best to smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay optimistic and go with Stop Him. So Stop Him, which way is the Academy?¡±


    ¡°Not telling.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Not. Telling!¡± The whiny exclamation made the guard seem less like a soldier and more like a petulant child. Of course, this child had a spear and no reservations in pointing it at Archie.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Why should I tell a little brat like you,¡± he took a step forward, causing Archie to scoot back even more. ¡°Who don¡¯t know where he¡¯s going,¡± another step, ¡°who don¡¯t show no respect,¡± another step, this time with a shake of the spear, ¡°who ain¡¯t worth my time,¡± another step, ¡°where the Academy is?¡±


    ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll cook you something! I was accepted into the Academies, yeah?¡±


    ¡°You was invited. Acceptin¡¯ ain¡¯t happen yet.¡±


    Oddly astute. Archie reconsidered his impression of the man¡¯s intelligence.


    ¡°Well, I was invited for a reason. I¡¯ll make you something!¡±


    ¡°Something magical?¡±


    ¡°Something magical!¡±


    The guard¡¯s anger cooled, but his skepticism still burned bright. ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh¡­what¡¯s today, Wednesday? I¡¯ll bring you something on Sunday.¡±


    The guard¡¯s demeanor sharpened. ¡°Sunday¡¯s me day off!¡±


    ¡°Saturday, then!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t¡­¡± Stop Him tapped his fingers on his spear. ¡°Well, I know where you¡¯re gonna live. What¡¯ll you bring me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet!¡±


    ¡°Well, nothing too spicy. I love it, but me tummy don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Okay, something spicy.¡±


    ¡°Nothing spicy!¡±


    ¡°Nothing spicy!¡± Archie finally managed to collect himself enough to stand. The two stared at each other for a moment. ¡°So uh¡­where¡¯s the Academy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s there,¡± the guard said dismissively. He nodded back down the road at a single-story building that looked more like a barn than an academy.


    ¡°Behind that building?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s it. See that building there? The Academy of Ambrosia awaits, oh noble Chef-to-be.¡±


    Archie turned to look down the road. The entrance to the building was smeared with horse manure. ¡°No, that can¡¯t be it. Maybe you didn¡¯t understand. I¡¯m looking for THE Academy of Ambrosia. Like¡­it¡¯ll be big.¡±


    The guard stepped forward again. ¡°Yeah, because I don¡¯t know what the Academy is when I spend all day standing here in the sun just a spear¡¯s throw away from it.¡±


    Archie looked down the road. The building couldn¡¯t be the Academy. But if it was¡­Archie eyeballed the distance. One hundred, maybe two hundred feet away. ¡°You can throw a spear that far?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The guard took a bashful step back. ¡°Well, not my spear¡¯s throw. Never been much of a thrower, really. But someone else¡¯s throw, sure.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you become a keep guard if you can¡¯t throw a spear?¡±


    The guard took an aggressive step forward, spearpoint down again. ¡°Because I¡¯m really good at stabbing with ¡®em! Now get out of here!¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not the¡ª¡±


    Stop Him started laughing and rested his spear at his side. Archie stared at him in confusion.


    ¡°Almost gotcha!¡± the guard roared. He laughed harder than he had any right to. Harder than anyone ever had any right to.


    Archie sighed. ¡°So where is it?¡±


    ¡°Follow the wall that way around the bend. There¡¯ll be some little steps that go down into a plaza. Everything there is Academy.¡±


    Archie considered saying thanks, but decided the guard hadn¡¯t earned it.


    Archie walked along the wall. As the path got squeezed down to a narrow walkway, he wondered if the guard was having another laugh. But then the stairs appeared behind a curve in the wall, leading down to a well-kept plaza.


    The buildings that squared the plaza were small but remarkable. The central building had massive windows that lined the white walls, the gaps between them adorned with statues. A massive portico came out into the plaza, supported by granite columns.


    But still. Archie had heard that over fifty students lived in the Academy. This was just a big restaurant.


    Maybe it¡¯s bigger from the other side?


    Archie stepped through the large open doors to the main building. No gloved hand yanked him back. A good start. His eyes adjusted to the bronze lanterns that lit the interior of the great hall. In a way, it resembled Petrichor¡ªif Petrichor could seat one hundred people and had been made by master craftsmen. Smaller tables and chairs along the walls, massive tables and benches filling the middle of the room. At the end of the room, a set of stone steps led up to a raised stage that hosted the head table, forty feet long and seating a dozen adults that looked down on a sea of nearly one hundred eighteen-year-old hopefuls.


    Archie only recognized one person, and just barely. Sitting off-center at the main table, the absurdly large man from the arena studied the students with hungry eyes. Even the Glutton that had visited Petrichor would seem normal next to this behemoth.


    Archie walked past the crowded far end of the bench where the nervous kids sat. Up ahead, the most excited and distinguished prospective students filled up the section closest to the main table. Archie made eye contact with the boy from the carriage, who immediately looked away.


    That left the middle of the table. The loveable, blend into the crowd, middle. But even finding a space there proved difficult.


    ¡°Over here,¡± a dark-skinned girl said to Archie from one of the benches. ¡°Scoot over,¡± she grunted as she put her shoulder into the boy next to her. Her coiled hair fell around her face like a willow tree, bouncing as she shoved the boy again.


    Archie set his bags down and stepped over the bench.


    ¡°I¡¯m Cress,¡± the girl said with her hand out before Archie could even sit. He shook it.


    ¡°I¡¯m Archie Kent.¡±


    ¡°Hi Archie!¡± She pointed across Archie¡¯s body. ¡°That¡¯s Sutton. Took a minute to get a peep out of him, but¡ªlovely guy.¡±


    Archie turned to Sutton, nodding. The short, brown-haired boy shrunk away, pushing up his glasses as he winced out a smile.


    ¡°Aaand over here,¡± Cress continued, pointing across the table, ¡°we have Oliver¡­¡±


    A dirty blonde with a mischievous smile.


    ¡°Blanche¡­¡±


    Long, straight brown hair and bangs. Red lips protruding from a pale backdrop. A forgettable face that said, ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± and nothing more.


    ¡°Aaaaand¡­Uh¡­¡±


    A girl. Pure black hair. Eyes with monolids near the nose and hooded lids near the edges. A little line beneath her protruding bottom lip. Slightly tan. Pretty. ¡°Nori,¡± the girl said, finishing Cress¡¯s introduction without a smile.


    ¡°Nori!¡± Cress echoed.


    Archie nodded at Nori. Nori turned to look at the stage.


    ¡°Lots of names,¡± Cress continued with a wave of her hand. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, we don¡¯t need to know them all yet.¡±


    ¡°And uh,¡± Archie settled into his seat and pointed up at the Glutton on the stage. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    Oliver leaned over the table, his voice hushed and coated with trouble. ¡°Oh, you mean the normal-looking woman dressed in browns? Or the man next to her? He¡¯s wearing a hat indoors, you must mean him.¡±


    Cress giggled.


    ¡°No, I mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, the man taking up five seats? The man that you¡¯re dying to know how he managed to get up those steps?¡± Blanche joined Cress in laughter. Sutton shushed Oliver. Nori stayed facing away. ¡°The man that could take little Sutton here, roll him up in his palm, and pop him into his mouth like a mint?¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Sutton hissed. ¡°If you really knew who he was, you wouldn¡¯t be making jokes so loudly.¡±


    ¡°Of course I know who he is. I¡¯m from Labrusca and I still know who he is. Only one person he could be. The big. Great. Huge. Massive. Uh¡­other words for fat...¡± The girls tried to stifle their laughter. Sutton reached over to pinch Oliver¡¯s arm. ¡°Prince Waldorf!¡±


    Archie looked up at the stage. Prince Waldorf looked back, sending a chill down his spine. There was no way that the Glutton had heard them, but Archie still felt caught.


    ¡°That¡¯s Prince Waldorf?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Of course it is. No one bigger in Ambrosia. You know how he got that way?¡±


    Archie shook his head.


    Oliver leaned to his side, putting his elbow on the table and his back against Sutton. ¡°Archie, either of your parents Chefs?¡±


    ¡°Both,¡± Archie said. Then he realized his chance to start getting his family name back out there. ¡°I¡¯m a Kent, actually.¡±


    Oliver puffed air into his closed lips, ballooning them. He blew out the air with a pop. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    Archie started to explain the significance of the Kent name, but fortunately for the rest of the group, Oliver powered through with his explanation of Prince Waldorf.


    ¡°Anyways¡­They ever make you stuff your face with enhanced meals? Jam all sorts of magics down your throat?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Well, some Chefs make their kids do that. Not mine. But others. Make ¡®em eat all kinds of stuff. Eating all the time. They think if they put enough magic down your throat, something magic will come out the other end.¡±


    The joke broke through Archie¡¯s nerves, prompting him to snort in laughter with the rest of them.


    ¡°They think that the best Chefs are the ones that grew up eating magic. Well, when our lovely grand king married into the royal line, he was worried that his heir wouldn¡¯t be a Chef. So he thought he would cheat the pregnancy a bit. So before he porked the grand queen¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oliver!¡± Blanche hit him, but he was undeterred.


    ¡°¡ªhe stuffed her full of pork. Then, when she gave birth to a boy, he didn¡¯t stop. Magic breastmilk, he wanted. Actually, come to think of it, I wouldn¡¯t mind a bit of that myself.¡±


    Oliver leaned back to laugh, catching a slap on the chest from Blanche. Sutton shook his head in disapproval. Cress laughed. Nori continued to look away.


    ¡°Anyways,¡± Oliver continued, ¡°then he started feeding little baby Wally as much magic food as he could get his hands on. This was just after the unification, so he had the authority to call Chefs from all over Ambrosia to come to the capital and make meals for his little boy. Didn¡¯t care if he was hungry or not.¡±


    Archie pictured a child, already grown to the limits of his clothing and bursting at the buttons, waving his hands in protest of another plate being pushed in front of him. A dark shadow of a father hovered over him, only showing affection once all the crumbs were gone.


    ¡°And then year after year, the Festival of Ambrosia came and went without a peep of magic from the little prince piggy. The king spent a fortune on the best ingredients, the best cookware, the best tutors. And then, when the prince stepped up to the stove, he could hardly make a piece of toast worth eating. Now nearly 30 years on, Prince Waldorf hasn¡¯t shown a whiff of magic. But he hasn¡¯t stopped trying. Still eats as much in one meal as the rest of us in a week. Oh, Great Glutton.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call him that!¡± Sutton said. ¡°You can¡¯t call him that!¡±


    ¡°Oh, why not?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Sutton pushed up his glasses, ashamed to even speak the lie that had been pushed across the kingdom by supporters of the Glutton prince. ¡°He could still manifest. He could just be a late bloomer.¡±


    Oliver laughed incredulously. ¡°Yeah, just needs to eat everything in the ocean first. He¡¯s a disgrace.¡± For the first time, Oliver¡¯s voice hardened and his face turned into a scowl. ¡°Gluttons shouldn¡¯t be allowed to exist. They¡¯re monsters that ruin the magic that Ambrosia gave us.¡±


    ¡°Wow, Oliver,¡± Cress said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so serious about it all.¡±


    Oliver took a deep breath. ¡°Sorry. I just don¡¯t think there is a worse fate for a Chef than having all your creations devoured by a Glutton. They have no appreciation for any of it. They just consume mindlessly.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s he doing here?¡± Archie asked.


    Oliver nodded to Sutton, prompting him to answer.


    ¡°You know how we all have to apprentice somewhere?¡± Sutton said. ¡°Well¡­he¡¯s here to snatch up any of us that he can.¡±

 Chapter 8 - The Induction Ceremony

    ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s gonna snatch us up?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what is going to happen,¡± Sutton started, ¡°first, the arbiter is going to judge your magic potential. Essentially, they check to make sure you¡¯re not a fraud. Then, they¡¯ll figure out your affinity. Then, sponsors will be allowed to bid on you.¡±


    ¡°Like an auction?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. They can¡¯t raise their bid. It stays at a hundred gold for the year.¡±


    Oliver whistled. ¡°Lotta money.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re smart, like I happen to be, you already have someone lined up.¡± Sutton tilted his head toward one of the small tables near the wall. A middle-aged man had his face down in a book, totally oblivious to the ceremony surrounding him.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Oliver asked.


    ¡°My ticket,¡± Sutton answered. ¡°Mr. Hodgens. Of the Ambrosial Archive.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Blanche said. ¡°You¡¯ve arranged sponsorship from¡­a librarian? Is that even allowed?¡±


    ¡°Technically, Mr. Hodgens is a Chef. He runs a Blue Jacket Cafe in the library, making him eligible to be a sponsor.¡±


    While Archie still had much to learn about Chef society, the ranking of Chefs was something his ambition had driven him to learn at a young age. There were eight main ranks of Chefs, each denoted by a colored jacket. The lowest rank started at an orange jacket then moved along the color wheel, being promoted to yellow, then green, blue, purple, red, black, and finally, white.


    Mr. Hodgens being a Blue Jacket put his abilities right in the middle of the Chef population. The ranks of Chefs formed a bell curve with the highest ranks being extraordinarily rare. Of the estimated five thousand Chefs in the world, there were fewer than one hundred Black Jackets. White Jackets were even more rare, their ranks not even reaching ten members.


    And yet, as Archie looked around the room full of potential sponsors, he spotted three White Jackets. He imagined what kind of doors would unlock if one of them chose to sponsor Archie. He¡¯d be on the fast track to restoring the family name.


    ¡°I happen to have a passion for rare ingredients,¡± Sutton said. ¡°I¡¯ve already helped Mr. Hodgens with his work. Now I¡¯ll do it in a professional capacity.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you help him with?¡±


    Sutton¡¯s smarter-than-thou demeanor transformed into one of boyish excitement. ¡°I helped him decipher one of Ambrosia¡¯s own recipes.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He found an ancient recipe. I overheard him talking about it while in the library. ¡®It asks for gercolla.¡¯ He thought it was some extinct herb. But I figured out that it was an old word from Khala that refers to dragon feces.¡± He leaned back, proud of himself.


    ¡°But like, what does that accomplish?¡± Blanche asked. ¡°If no one¡¯s seen a dragon for hundreds of years¡­¡±


    ¡°The recipe didn¡¯t call for dragons, though,¡± Sutton said. ¡°Petrified dragon feces can still be found all over Ambrosia.¡±


    ¡°What kind of recipe uses dragon turds?¡± Oliver asked with disgust.


    ¡°It was medicinal.¡± Sutton turned to Archie. ¡°Anyway, Prince Waldorf bids on everyone and employs them as personal Chefs. See how few bidders have come? Rumor has it if someone in Ambrosia City steals away a potential apprentice, the prince has ways of making life difficult for you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯ll eat your restaurant, bricks and all,¡± Oliver chimed.


    Sutton ignored him. ¡°Sponsors from the other kingdoms will take away most of this year¡¯s students. But for the rest¡­the prince runs things around here. Even Mr. Hodgens was hesitant to enter the ceremony. But after some convincing, he figured his position outside of food and inside the government would shield him.¡±


    Archie looked at Prince Waldorf again. The Glutton had dressed all in black, but Archie didn¡¯t see the signature buttons of a Chef¡¯s jacket.


    ¡°Gluttons can¡¯t be Chefs, right? And you have to be a Chef to sponsor a student. So why is he allowed to bid?¡±


    ¡°He bids on behalf of the Chef that runs his restaurant,¡± Sutton explained.


    ¡°Prince Waldorf owns a restaurant?¡±


    ¡°From a strictly legal sense, yes.¡± Sutton had difficulty hiding his disapproval. ¡°It operates in his own private section of the keep and only exists to serve the prince and his friends.¡±


    A loud, rich voice cut through the crowd.


    ¡°If I could have your attention,¡± the voice boomed.


    ¡°Clover!¡± someone yelled with excitement.


    Archie turned to the doors. Clover Albrecht, the announcer from the day before, entered with a confident stride.


    ¡°As a proud alumnus of the Academy of Ambrosia, it is my honor to host this year¡¯s Induction Ceremony. If you¡¯ll all have a seat, we¡¯ll get started with the rules¡­¡±


    Clover cantered up to the stage and reminded everyone of the rules of sponsorship.


    ¡°...and with that, I believe we are ready to begin! First, perhaps a word from your Chancellor of Culinary Arts!¡± Clover swung his arms toward an old bespectacled man seated at the center of the table.


    The old man looked around, grumbling. The woman beside him leaned in and whispered something that seemed to wake the geezer up. The old man rose, halfway to standing, and croaked out a half-hearted, ¡°let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Clover pursed his lips. ¡°Oooookay then. You heard the man! Let¡¯s see, who do we have first?¡± He grabbed a list of names from the presentation table. ¡°Oh! Julienne Allard from The Platter, and if I¡¯m not mistaken, the heir apparent to Cafe Julienne.¡±


    A boy with cascading waves of dark hair stood at the front of the assembly. He waited for no further explanation, striding up to the table.


    The woman that had nudged the Chancellor reached to a small table behind her, coming back with a bowl. ¡°Put your finger inside, dear.¡±


    Julienne dipped his finger into the bowl and then pulled it out. The woman, who Archie had figured to be the aforementioned arbiter, spooned some opaque goo from the bowl into her mouth.


    ¡°Mmm, yes indeed! Tremendous potential,¡± she crowed. ¡°Now, if you would place your hands beneath the bowl and apply heat.¡±


    Julienne cupped the bowl. Archie couldn¡¯t see what happened inside the bowl, but the arbiter seemed pleased. ¡°Oh!¡± she exclaimed as she dipped her hand into the bowl, pulling out a sturdy block of cheese and a dried apricot. ¡°Multiple affinities already at this age. Such promise.¡±


    She put the food back into the bowl and slid it down to the next person who slid it down to the next person who slid it down to Prince Waldorf who slid it down his throat.


    ¡°Alright, you heard her,¡± Clover said. ¡°Who is willing to step forward to sponsor Julienne Allard?¡±


    A White Jacket stood up. He looked like an older version of Julienne¡ªraven-haired, sharp cheekbones. Beautiful. Behind him, a similarly beautiful woman in her sixties shifted around in her seat, adjusting her white jacket. ¡°Cafe Julienne will,¡± the man declared.


    Prince Waldorf raised his hand a few inches off the table in a pessimistic bid.


    ¡°I accept Cafe Julienne¡¯s sponsorship,¡± Julienne said before any other bidders could speak.


    ¡°Best restaurant in Ambrosia City,¡± Sutton explained. ¡°Maybe the world. Run by his uncle, another Julienne.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we have nearly a hundred students to get through, so let¡¯s get to it,¡± Clover said.


    Cafe Julienne took two more. Yarrow, the boy from the carriage, turned the goop into an acid so powerful that it ate through the bowl. Even Prince Waldorf didn¡¯t try to eat it. Another girl, Mindy, the definition of blonde beauty, produced a sour fizz. Prince Waldorf slammed a fist on the table when she was stolen away.


    Sutton went to the Ambrosial Archive.


    Blanche went to Blue Orchards along with a boy named Benedict that pushed his way to sit next to Blanche when they returned to their seats.


    Cress, having already arranged her sponsor, went with a boy named Akando to Kuutsu Kaana, one of the premier Kuutsu Nunan restaurants in Ambrosia City.


    Oliver went to Ivory Pasta. When he made his choice, someone with a Labruscan accent cursed in the crowd.


    Then¡­


    ¡°Archibald?¡± Clover asked rather than announced. Going through over fifty students had robbed him of his energy.


    Archie jumped up, nearly tripping on the bench as he got up. He couldn¡¯t believe Clover had called him so nonchalantly. Didn¡¯t the host know this was a big moment in the Chef world? The return of the Kents!


    Archie strode up to Clover, not the arbiter, and hissed under his breath. ¡°Kent.¡±


    Clover recoiled at the confrontation. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Archibald Kent.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Clover raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Alright then.¡± He resumed his announcing voice. ¡°Archibald Kent, everyone!¡±


    ¡°Kent?¡± the chancellor echoed, grumbling something to the woman next to him.


    Satisfied, Archie walked over to the head table.


    ¡°The Kent boy.¡±


    Archie turned to face the voice and his heart dropped. Prince Waldorf pursed his lips into a tight smile, the mounds of his cheeks protruding from his face. His voice had a strange, modulated intonation¡ªit warbled dramatically up and down like a circus ringleader speaking through a broken megaphone.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad that you got my invitation.¡±


    His invitation. Up close, Archie found the Glutton even more repulsive.


    ¡°I know all about your family history,¡± Prince Waldorf said. ¡°All of your family history. I hope we can bring your name back into the good graces of the people. Together.¡±


    They were the words Archie was desperate to hear. Validation of his family¡¯s legacy. A promise¡ªfrom a prince no less¡ªto restore the name. But as Archie heard the words, alarm bells sounded from within. He knew that Prince Waldorf would lead to his doom with the same certainty of prey watching the approaching predator.


    ¡°Finger in,¡± the arbiter commanded.


    Archie looked into the bowl. Opaque, brown goo. Surely not tasty. But that didn¡¯t matter. This was the moment when everyone would see the potential of a Kent. He dipped his finger in as a bead of sweat dripped from his forehead. Nothing seemed to change.


    The arbiter spooned some into her mouth.


    ¡°Hmmm. Some potential, yes. A decent amount. Now, apply heat.¡±


    Archie lowered his voice to a whisper. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Put your hands around the bowl and apply heat.¡±


    ¡°I uh¡­I don¡¯t know how to do that.¡±


    The arbiter took a deep breath. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Just do it.¡±


    Archie cupped the bowl and felt it suck an energy out of his hands. The goo started to fold in on itself and transform, cycling through a variety of foods¡ªan apple, a carrot, an onion, a cracker, and finally, a thin noodle with a large spherical lump stuck inside.


    The arbiter pinched the noodle with the edges of her fingertips and lifted it, letting it dangle like a snake that had eaten too large of a meal. The ball inside slumped toward the end and a fist-sized mint spilled out in a burst of fizz.


    Then it hit the table, and the minty exterior cracked away to reveal an orange that rolled down the table. It split apart of its own accord, revealing six slices of cheese with an orange rind. One of the Head Chefs grabbed a slice and popped it in his mouth.


    ¡°Sweet¡­and spicy,¡± he said.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°It means,¡± Prince Waldorf said as he boxed out the other guests and scooped up the remaining slices. ¡°You¡¯ll make for an interesting Chef.¡±


    Archie¡¯s heart dropped to the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take him,¡± the prince said.


    Archie¡¯s heart rolled into the street and got run over by a horse.


    ¡°Alright, anyone else care to bid?¡± Clover asked. Prince Waldorf growled at Clover, who stepped away and muttered under his breath, ¡°juuuuust doing my due diligence.¡±


    Please.


    ¡°Well, looks like no one.¡±


    Please.


    ¡°Alright, Archibald Kent, you are¡ª


    Please.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    A voice echoed from the opposite corner of the Great Hall, offering to put Archie¡¯s heart back together.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Clover asked, searching the crowd.


    ¡°Rowan Knapp,¡± the man replied. He stepped into a space in the crowd. Archie gasped. The man wore a black jacket¡ªArchie could be taught by one of the best. ¡°I¡¯ll bid on the boy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a surprise! Swooping in at the last second. Well, Archibald, what¡¯ll it be?¡±


    The prince¡¯s breathing grew heavy. Guttural. Ominous. Archie kept his back to him, afraid to acknowledge him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with uh¡­him.¡± Archie pointed at Rowan Knapp.


    The prince let out a weighty harrumph.


    ¡°Alright¡­off you go,¡± Clover said with the fatigue of a man that regretted volunteering to announce so many names.


    Archie walked through the crowd to his savior and the next name was called out. ¡°Hello¡ªhi. Thank you for¡­I¡¯m Archie Kent.¡±


    ¡°Rowan,¡± he said with a velvety voice that stuck to Archie¡¯s ears like maple syrup. The man looked to be about sixty, tight white curls sitting atop his long, rectangular head. Deep set wrinkles accentuated his large nose, but there was something youthful to him. His age gave him the look of wisdom without robbing him of his natural energy, his charisma shining through in just a single word and a smile. Archie felt like they were already halfway through a conversation.


    They shook hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s your restaurant called?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°The Gift.¡±


    Archie¡¯s face scrunched up in thought. With only a dozen or so Black Jacket Restaurants in Ambrosia City, he expected to have heard of them all. But The Gift rang no bells.


    Rowan laughed at Archie¡¯s obvious confusion. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you haven¡¯t heard of it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh¡ªI¡ªI mean,¡± Archie stuttered through the sentence, fearing he had offended one of the highest ranking members of Chef society. ¡°I grew up poor, so I never went to any Black Jacket Restaurants.¡±


    Something in Archie¡¯s response made Rowan twist his oversized mouth and chew the side of his gums. A briefly troubled mind. He moved his lips back into place with a click. ¡°Being poor doesn¡¯t matter to The Gift. I don¡¯t charge anything.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Archie recoiled at the thought. A Black Jacket Restaurant could charge a gold for a meal and call it a bargain. ¡°How can you afford anything?¡±


    ¡°I opened The Gift to make food for people that deserved it. Before that, I ran a restaurant that made food for people that could afford it. I¡­corrected my ways.¡± Rowan sucked his lips into his mouth as if he debated elaborating. ¡°But that¡¯s a story for another time.¡±


    ¡°So you had a lot of money before?¡±


    Rowan seemed put off by the prolonged focus on money. ¡°Yeah. By now, I¡¯ve given most of it away.¡± He laughed to himself. ¡°I¡¯m old enough now that I can start planning backwards from the end. I might have to move some things around, but I should be able to sponsor you through four years. If that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Archie said with no hesitation. He didn¡¯t need any more convincing beyond the man¡¯s rank and smile to sign away four years of his life. During the height of the Kents, half of them were White Jackets, the other half Black Jackets, but that had been over fifty years ago. Now Archie had a Black Jacket ready to teach him. Archie¡¯s dream started to feel a bit more like reality.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t hold you to that answer just yet,¡± Rowan said with a laugh. ¡°Now, I¡¯d like to leave the ceremony, but apparently it¡¯s bad decorum. Would you sit with me?¡±


    ¡°Um¡ª¡± Archie looked back at the rest of the great hall.


    ¡°Oh, of course, please, go sit with your friends.¡±


    Archie looked around. Cress had already cozied up to a new group. Oliver was being chewed out by an older man. Blanche was being talked at, not talked to, by Benedict. Sutton and Mr. Hodgens passed a stack of pamphlets back and forth. Nori was¡­where was Nori?


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll sit with you.¡±


    They sat at a small table off to the side. Rowan pulled a small piece of bread wrapped in cloth, pushing it across the table. ¡°You look hungry. I made this this morning.¡±


    Archie smiled. He took a bite with high expectations¡ªbut not high enough. Fluffy bread. Crunchy crust. Fragrant rosemary. The bread looked dry, but tasted as if it had just been dipped in olive oil. It was, without exaggeration, the greatest piece of bread he had ever eaten. He took another bite and another and another, stuffing his mouth.


    ¡°Nori Harper,¡± Clover called.


    ¡°Off to Uroko,¡± Rowan said to himself.


    ¡°Mmm?¡± Archie managed through the bread.


    ¡°This year¡¯s class had two headliners. Julienne. Once per generation, that family produces a Julienne, and this one seems to be as good as any. And then we have Miss Nori. Like Julienne, her destiny was written by others long ago. Outside of royalty, the Harper family is the most powerful family east of Ambrosia City. And unlike royalty, they didn¡¯t get that power through lineage, which tells you all you need to know about what they¡¯re capable of. How dangerous they can be.¡±


    Archie wanted to protest¡ªto claim that there were three headliners¡ªthe Julienne, the Harper, and the Kent, but he couldn¡¯t get a word out of his bread-stuffed mouth. He just watched as Nori performed the initiation rites with the arbiter.


    ¡°A natural at seafood!¡± Clover announced. ¡°Now, who will be her sponsor?¡±


    Prince Waldorf raised his hand.


    ¡°I will,¡± a White Jacket said as he stood. The similarities to Nori were too great to be coincidence. A father? An uncle?


    Nori looked at the man. Then at the prince. Then at the man. What should have been an easy choice had been replaced by five seconds of silence as she bit her bottom lip.


    ¡°Enough of this,¡± the White Jacket scolded. ¡°Come, Nori.¡±


    Nori looked back at the prince. Clover sighed impatiently.


    ¡°Nori,¡± the White Jacket growled through clenched teeth.


    A low, guttural chuckle came from deep in Prince Waldorf¡¯s throat.


    Nori scanned the room for another bidder. For a moment, she locked eyes with Archie. As he looked at her desperate expression, he knew what he had to do.


    But he had too much bread in his mouth to do it.


    ¡°Mmm!¡± Archie muttered to Rowan. Rowan looked at him with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Mmm!¡± Archie pointed at Nori.


    ¡°What about her?¡±


    ¡°Mmm!¡± More pointing. He chewed and chewed and chewed, but couldn¡¯t get the bread down.


    ¡°You want me to bid on her?¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm!¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? After I just explained how dangerous her family is? And I¡¯ve already incurred some level of wrath from Prince Waldorf by taking you.¡±


    ¡°Mmm!¡±


    ¡°How will I pay for her? My money has been accounted for, and I¡¯m not about to start charging for my cooking.¡±


    ¡°Mmm! Mmm!¡± Archie pointed at himself.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for her? With what money?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­mmm?¡± Searching for an answer. Searching. ¡°Mmm!¡± Archie mimicked cooking, his hand stirring an invisible spoon in an invisible pot.


    ¡°Alright, Nori, you have to choose,¡± Clover announced. This charity job was becoming a nightmare for him.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Nori croaked.


    The White Jacket clenched his fist, an aura of frustration radiating out from him. Even from afar, Archie could sense his anger.


    ¡°Mmm!¡± Archie let out one final plea.


    ¡°Fine! Fine. I¡¯ll sponsor her. But if they want to fight for her, you¡¯re going to have to do it.¡± Rowan stood and raised his hand. ¡°Rowan Knapp!¡± he declared, entering the auction.


    The White Jacket turned and glared at their table, triggering a fight-or-flight response in Archie. Prince Waldorf hit his fist on the table in disappointment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­¡± Nori looked at the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll go with Rowan Knapp.¡±


    From halfway across the room, Archie could still hear the sharp intake of air through the White Jacket¡¯s nose. Before Nori could take a step, the man was halfway to the exit, a small group of Urokan Chefs following him.


    Archie finally managed to swallow. ¡°Thank you,¡± he told Rowan.


    ¡°You realize you just said you¡¯d pay for her, right? That¡¯s a hundred gold. I can front the money, but if you don¡¯t pay me back, she¡¯s gone this time next year. That¡¯s your responsibility.¡±


    Archie¡¯s chin cramped with stress. ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    Rowan¡¯s features softened. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯ve already been inspired by my spirit of charity.¡±


    Nori walked to the opposite side of the great hall from Rowan and Archie, sitting at an empty table with her face in her hands.


    ¡°Should I go get her?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. She¡¯s going through something that neither of us can understand just yet.¡±

 Chapter 9 - Like a Sleepover

    ¡°Your restaurant is in the Roots?¡±


    Archie stared slack-jawed at Rowan.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Archie blinked and blinked and blinked again. Rowan¡¯s black jacket made him one of the top hundred Chefs in the world. A Black Jacket Restaurant would put Sain back on the map. And yet Rowan owned a restaurant¡­in the Roots. Not in the Crown. Not even in the Trunk. The Roots. Archie couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°It might be a little hard to find because it¡¯s in one of the residential districts¡­¡±


    He owned a restaurant in the residential districts of the Roots. Archie waited for Rowan to laugh. To say it was all a joke. But the man continued with his genuine candor.


    ¡°Tell you what, I¡¯ll come get you the first couple of times. It¡¯ll be good exercise having to walk up the Trunk. And they say I get you for Fridays and Saturdays. For now, I¡¯ll just take you on Fridays. On Saturdays, you can figure out how to come up with a hundred gold.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Two days from now. Don¡¯t forget.¡±


    And one day before I need to get Stop Him his food. Don¡¯t forget that, either.


    ¡°As for Nori,¡± Rowan continued, ¡°just make sure she doesn¡¯t run away.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Or get kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Rowan waved his hand to dismiss Archie¡¯s panic.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ll be fine. Just tell her I¡¯ll get her on Friday and then let her go at her own pace from there.¡± He took a step away, then hesitated. ¡°And Archie¡­let her go at her own pace.¡±


    Rowan left once the placements were finished. Of the students staying in the Academy of Ambrosia, only two were snatched up by Prince Waldorf, a fact that he was very upset with.


    As Prince Waldorf ranted to the Chancellor, Archie approached Nori. She stared at the ground with red eyes, oblivious to the world around her. A sob slipped through her pouting lips, stopping Archie in his tracks.


    At her own pace.


    He found somewhere else to sit.


    They brought out large platters of food and the celebrations began. Desperate for a full meal, Archie ate his fill while a girl named Hyssop threw a fit to him about how she had hoped to have an affinity for sweets, not seafood, and now she would have to cook for Prince Waldorf. Archie hardly responded, but that was fine by Hyssop. She just needed to rant.


    As dinner wrapped up, a tanned, middle-aged man with a salt-and-pepper beard stood up on the stage. His side-swept hair was silver in a way that made him seem distinguished, not old. Sunken eyes with little pools of brown within. A sort of carefree nature captured in his posture. Many of the female students had already taken notice of him. He adjusted his red jacket and smiled.


    ¡°Good evening, everyone,¡± he said. His voice was charming and velvety. ¡°For those of you that will be attending The Academy of Ambrosia, I am your headmaster, Aubergine. It is my pleasure to welcome you to this prestigious academy. We¡¯d like to go ahead and get you situated. Head Chefs Pomona and Colby will guide you to your rooms.¡±


    Aubergine gestured at two of the Head Chefs, who rose at their mention.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Pomona,¡± the woman repeated to each student as they approached. She offered each of them a unique warm smile. When she smiled at Archie, he blushed. She was a sharp-featured woman with enough beauty to distract from her oversized head, her honey blonde hair shining as it draped over her red jacket.


    The other Head Chef, a man in a black jacket, lacked Pomona¡¯s charm. He didn¡¯t introduce himself, relying on the simple deduction that if she was Pomona, he was Colby. He ran a hand through his short red-brown hair as he counted the students. Stress seemed as natural to him as breathing¡ªit had already marked its claim on his face with sharp wrinkles etched around his eyes.


    The Academy students followed the Head Chefs through an archway to the left of the stage.


    ¡°This is the main kitchen,¡± Pomona explained.


    Archie nearly fell to his knees.


    The room was bigger than the entirety of Petrichor. Eight ovens lined one wall, each as big as Petrichor¡¯s, but with even finer details¡ªevery bit of stone had been chiseled into a beautiful work of art. Nearly fifty individual cooking setups filled the room in neat rows, each with their own wood-powered stove and cabinetry.


    Refrigerators lined another wall. Archie didn¡¯t need to get close to see that the magic powering them was of a different league than the one in Petrichor. On the far wall, above the cabinets and spice racks, a row of arched windows let in the starry light of the night sky.


    ¡°Head Chef Colby and I usually teach in the lower kitchens, so this one is always open for student use. Over there is the door that wraps around to that other building you walked past on your way in. That¡¯s the main pantry. It also has a freezer, but do be careful not to lock yourself in. And this way is the way down. If you¡¯d follow me¡­¡±


    Pomona walked toward a door, but no one followed. Instead, the students fanned out through the kitchen, admiring the craftsmanship and scale. They marveled at the carvings and commented on the number of spices and lifted the heavy cast iron pans.


    Colby¡¯s harsh whistle pierced through their blissful veil of awe. ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s go,¡± he barked.


    The students followed him through the door to an outside path. Archie gasped at the view.


    No more city squares. No more crowds. The ground fell away a hundred feet down the mountainside to the flat land and massive lake below. A little shoulder-high stone wall lined the path as it wound around and descended to one final building on the edge of the mesa. As they walked down the stairs of the path, Archie alternated between looking at the scenery and trying to find Nori in the crowd of students.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°The Academy is split into two major buildings. Above, the great hall, main kitchen, pantry, and staff quarters,¡± Pomona explained.


    ¡°Staff quarters being off limits,¡± Colby added.


    ¡°Below, we have the lower kitchens and student quarters. Far, far below, the lake, fields, and orchards are all owned by the Academy. Common misconception, they are not owned by the crown, nor is the Academy itself. Not directly, anyway.¡±


    They rounded a corner to see the second building, a multi-story, castle-like stone structure that had been built nearly halfway down the steep mountain slope.


    ¡°Colby and I are two of your five Head Chefs. That¡¯s not counting Headmaster Aubergine. I am in charge of this year¡¯s girls,¡± she said with excitement.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll be in charge of the boys,¡± he said with disdain.


    ¡°Of course, come to any of us with any questions. After tonight, that is, because you probably have too many right now for us to deal with.¡± She laughed at her own joke with a little chipmunk giggle.


    They passed through the doors of the lower building, entering a lounge with fireplaces and couches and big pillows set up in circles on sitting rugs. The room stretched to the other end of the building, ending in a large balcony overlooking the lake below.


    ¡°The two floors above us are the lower kitchens, of which there are four. The two floors below us belong to students, of which we have four years. Boys and girls floors are separate and we like to keep it that way.¡±


    The students cooed with thoughts of romance.


    ¡°There will be no relationship drama,¡± Colby decreed. ¡°If any of you start crying in my class because your boyfriend is slipping off to someone else¡¯s room and not yours, I¡¯ll throw a pan at you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen him do it,¡± Pomona added. ¡°Tomorrow, you¡¯ll join Headmaster Aubergine down by the lake for an introductory class. While he outlines the year for you, us Head Chefs will be carrying out a little tradition that we are so excited about. Every year, the Head Chefs prepare a feast for our new students. So when dinner time comes around¡­Expect. Some. Magic.¡±


    Pomona laughed to herself again. By now, half the boys were smitten enough to laugh with her.


    ¡°Now, girls, if you¡¯ll come with me. Boys, with Head Chef Colby. Goodnight boys!¡±


    ¡°Goodnight Head Chef Pomona,¡± a few boys chimed back lovingly. A few of the girls shot them nasty looks. Archie craned his neck to get one last look at Nori. She walked with the group like a zombie, wavering from side to side, unaware of her surroundings.


    ¡°Alright, you bunch with me,¡± Colby said as he started downstairs and into a long hallway. Somehow his voice had even less affection now that the girls were gone. ¡°Now, I don¡¯t know any of your names.¡± He looked at Julienne and sighed. ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t know most of your names. Let¡¯s see¡­there¡¯s eight of you? Perfect. I¡¯ll make it easy for you. You, you, you, you.¡± He pointed.


    ¡°Julienne.¡±


    ¡°Yarrow.¡±


    ¡°Akando.¡±


    ¡°Suh¡ªSutton.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Colby said. You four are in the first room on the left. Now, you four. Sound off.¡±


    ¡°Oliver.¡±


    ¡°Benedict.¡±


    ¡°Barley.¡±


    ¡°Archie Kent.¡±


    ¡°Great. You¡¯ll be in the second room. Bathroom down the hall. Now this might come as a shock, but eighteen-year-olds away from home for the first time have an uncanny knack for finding trouble. You¡¯re Chefs of the Academy of Ambrosia. You need to act that way. And to be sure you act that way, there¡¯s a little policy for first-years¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say curfew,¡± Oliver pleaded.


    ¡°There¡¯s a curfew,¡± Colby said with glee. The boys all moaned. ¡°Ten o¡¯clock every night.¡±


    ¡°Even weekends?¡±


    ¡°Even weekends. Can¡¯t have you out partying, getting hungover, and then failing to keep your obligation to your sponsor. If you need to stay out late, get permission first. Now it¡¯s the first night, so go to your rooms and don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡±


    Colby trotted off toward the stairs.


    ¡°Byyyye,¡± Oliver called out sarcastically after Colby, who answered with a dismissive wave.


    The boys looked at each other for a moment, dead still. Then, like dogs moments before play, they burst down into squats and dashed into their rooms. Archie joined into the excitement a moment too late, trailing behind.


    ¡°Top bunk!¡± Oliver called out from inside the room.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Benedict said.


    ¡°I would have given it to you if you asked,¡± Barley stated flatly, not buying into all of the excitement.


    ¡°Well of course you would!¡± Oliver asked. ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping over me, you¡¯re massive!¡±


    It was true. But Barley was a different kind of big than the Gluttons. A healthier big. It was all in his structure. It¡¯d be hard to even say he was really overweight. He was just a large person.


    Benedict threw his trunk up on top of a bed, and Barley sat beneath him. Oliver abandoned his trunk altogether and jumped up onto his bed. That left only one.


    ¡°You¡¯re under me!¡± Oliver said to Archie. He had a grin that could only mean trouble. ¡°We can pass notes about ol¡¯ Benny here.¡±


    Archie plopped down in his bed. The straw-stuffed mattress was lumpy, the covers were coarse, and Oliver threatened to fidget overhead all night. But it was already home.


    The four of them talked long into the night¡ªif Barley¡¯s silent listening counted as talking.


    It took only minutes for the topic to turn to the girls.


    ¡°What do you guys think of Blanche?¡± Benedict asked.


    ¡°What do YOU think of Blanche?¡± Oliver echoed. ¡°Hey Archie, you gonna try to swoop in on Cress? She¡¯s cute. I think she has a bit of a thing for you. She really wanted you to sit with us. And then she was all over you.¡±


    Archie blushed and played the events back in his head to determine if Oliver exaggerated, but everytime he thought of that great hall, he thought of that desperate look that Nori had given him. Help me.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡± Archie said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen more people in the last day than I have in my entire life.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Oliver said. ¡°Trying to figure out how you can play the field.¡±


    Archie wanted to ask them about Nori but knew the context of the conversation would give them the wrong idea. So he waited. The conversation shifted to this topic and that topic, but still Archie thought of Nori. Finally, when they were all in bed, speaking in whispers and wondering if the others had fallen asleep, they started talking about their sponsors. Archie found his opportunity.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be working with that girl¡­Nori? What¡¯s her deal?¡±


    ¡°I was sitting next to her the whole ceremony¡ªshe barely said a word.¡± Oliver said.


    Then, for the first time in an hour, Barley spoke. His words were laced with heavy thoughts. ¡°She¡¯s like me,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s not from here, and she wasn¡¯t supposed to stay here.¡±


    For a moment spent in silence, the boys remembered that this was not a familiar place. Eventually, they could all call it home, but for now, in that moment in the dark in a new place, they all thought of what they had left behind. The events of the day tumbled around in their minds, waiting to be processed. Barley¡¯s statement hung in the air, bringing the lighthearted nature of their conversation to a close.


    Not that Oliver could be stopped.


    ¡°Are they all as big as you where you come from?¡± he asked.


    The four boys¡ªeven Barley¡ªlaughed.

 Chapter 10 - Ambrosial Essence

    ¡°Hey! Get up!¡±


    Archie snapped up from his bed, nearly hitting his head on the top bunk. A boy in a green Chef¡¯s jacket leaned in from the doorway.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Oliver croaked.


    ¡°Baker. I¡¯m a fourth-year. Head Chef Colby caught me late last night and made it my responsibility to make sure you lot don¡¯t oversleep. Now get up! There¡¯s breakfast. Mace had a nervous breakdown and has been making omelets for three hours now.¡±


    Baker left, and after much dragging of the feet, the boys got dressed and made their way to one of the kitchens upstairs, finding an older student in a yellow jacket muttering to himself amongst a graveyard of eggshells and a countertop full of omelets.


    ¡°It¡¯s not right, it¡¯s not right,¡± the boy muttered.


    ¡°Uh¡ªMace, is it? Do you mind if we grab some of these?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°But¡ªbut they¡¯re not right.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t¡­fluff!¡± Mace whipped the spatula above his head, sending a bit of partially cooked egg onto the ceiling.


    ¡°Have you tried¡ª¡±


    Mace brought the spatula down toward Archie. ¡°I¡¯ve been here since sunrise. I¡¯ve tried! I¡¯ve tried! Nothing you could suggest is something I haven¡¯t tried!¡±


    Barley tugged at the back of Archie¡¯s shirt, pulling him away. Oliver and Benedict grabbed their plates, rushing as to not spend an extra second in the presence of the crazed omelet-maker.


    They went down to the lounge, found a table, and ate in relative silence. They had stayed up too late talking and now paid the price, nursing headaches and rubbing tired eyes. As they started to wake up and finish their breakfast, Aubergine popped into the lounge and walked over to Archie¡¯s table.


    ¡°Hey boys!¡± Aubergine said with a manic excitement. ¡°You been down to the lake yet? Class starts down there in about fifteen. I¡¯m excited! Are you excited?¡±


    Aubergine pointed at Archie, putting an unbearably bright spotlight on him. All he could manage to do was nod. And then just like that, Aubergine was off.


    ¡°Wait, fifteen minutes?¡± Archie asked. ¡°We gotta go!¡± He stood up and started to walk¡­nowhere. ¡°Wait, how do we get down to the lake?¡±


    The other boys shrugged. ¡°Which way did Aubergine go?¡±


    Archie looked around and spotted the boy who had woken them up. ¡°Hey¡­Baker! How do we get down to the lake?¡±


    Baker looked down at his unfinished breakfast and sighed. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    The boys followed Baker down the hall like ducklings in a single file line.


    ¡°There¡¯s the stairs,¡± he said, pointing out a little alcove with a spiral staircase going down. ¡°But you don¡¯t want to take those.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Have you seen how high up we are? Spinning around those stairs, you¡¯ll puke halfway down. What you want is the elevator¡­here.¡±


    They turned the corner and arrived at a thin wire door that separated them from the empty elevator shaft. Baker pointed at a wheel that had been mounted near the gates. Archie sized up the hefty wood and long handles, wondering if he could even turn it.


    ¡°Turn that to pull the elevator up,¡± Baker said. ¡°And yes, it¡¯s as hard as it looks. But, once you guys learn a thing or two, you¡¯ll be able to do this.¡±


    He reached through the wire gate and strummed his finger across a large beige strand that stretched up and down the shaft. Archie stepped up for a closer look.


    ¡°Is that¡­a noodle?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Like the tram!¡±


    The noodle contracted, producing a grating noise further down the shaft. As it contracted, it pulled up a large wooden platform with its own turning wheel and metal guardrails. Baker opened the wire gate and stepped onto the platform.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said.


    The boys piled on. Even with Barley, they all fit comfortably. The older student touched the noodle again, causing it to expand and send the platform down.


    The boys stared up in wonder as the top of the elevator shaft disappeared.


    ¡°How¡¯d you do that?¡± Archie asked.


    Baker grinned. ¡°What is it, your first day or something?¡±


    The platform slowed as it approached the bottom floor where a large tunnel with wooden supports ended in the bright light of the outdoors.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°You¡¯re meeting Aubergine, right?¡± Baker asked. ¡°Oof. He¡¯s tough. Real tough. You do NOT want to be late.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯ll he do?¡±


    Baker squinted. ¡°If I were you, I would have already started running so I wouldn¡¯t find out.¡±


    The boys looked at each other. First, they replicated the previous night¡¯s stillness. Then they recreated the chaos.


    ¡°See ya!¡± Oliver said as he broke into a sprint down the tunnel. Benedict stomped after him, followed by Archie, followed by Barley.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Archie yelled back as he picked up speed. He passed Barley with ease, then Benedict. Archie was of average height and a little skinny, but his wiry strength was made for running.


    He looked behind him. Barley had already slowed to a brisk walk, taking heaving breaths between each step.


    ¡°We lost Barley!¡± Archie said.


    ¡°We¡¯re not gonna make it!¡± Benedict yelled.


    ¡°Every man for himself!¡± Oliver yelled.


    No complaints from Archie. He hit top speed, closing in on Oliver. They rubbed shoulders and bumped each other, Oliver refusing to let him pass, before Archie finally managed to break away. He ran past a few other first-years, who walked casually and exchanged confused looks as Archie zoomed by.


    Archie¡¯s lungs caught fire and burned as he spilled out of the tunnel and onto a dirt path that cut through grassy fields. As he ran, he looked around. Students were sprinkled around the fields, none seeming to be in any sort of rush. To the left, a massive orchard hosted a variety of farm animals between its rows of trees, goats and cows foraging for fallen fruits. To the right, older students worked fields of crops and attended a row of stone greenhouses.


    Ahead, a massive lake, over a mile wide, was fed by two rivers, one from the northwest and one from the north. Water exited the lake in a single, massive river that went south around the mesa, running through the Roots before continuing toward the ocean twenty miles away. Archie¡¯s feet thundered on the wooden bridge that spanned the river.


    Finally, Archie arrived at Aubergine. The Red Jacket headmaster sat on a stump at the edge of a forest that spread for miles in each direction, chatting away with a few students that had already arrived¡ªCress, Sutton, and some other kids that Archie hadn¡¯t met.


    Aubergine looked at Archie with a puzzled expression. ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡±


    Oliver and Benedict came running neck-in-neck. Half a mile back, Barley stepped out of the tunnel.


    ¡°You¡­told¡­us¡­fifteen¡­minutes,¡± Archie panted.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Aubergine laughed and looked around at the other students to get them in on the joke. ¡°Archie, right? I just wanted to put a little fire under your pots! We¡¯re not starting for another ten or so.¡±


    Archie laid down on his back and fought the nausea, taking controlled breaths to keep from vomiting. Oliver lost his fight, prompting a chorus of screams from the girls as he keeled over and puked.


    Aubergine laughed. ¡°You boys need to work on your fitness! Tell you what, I take a run out here every day right when the sun comes up. It¡¯s about five miles around the lake, perfect for a morning jog.¡±


    He¡¯s crazy.


    The rest of the class arrived in regular, not-elbowing-each-other-to-get-by fashion and sat in the grass around Aubergine. Yarrow followed Julienne around like a puppy. Cress made new friends. Barley¡¯s face remained pale for ten minutes, and even once the color returned, he still struggled to find his breath.


    And finally, last of all the students and arriving just before Aubergine began, Nori appeared. Archie locked eyes with her for a moment, hoping she¡¯d come sit with him. She did not.


    ¡°Alright, I think that¡¯s everyone,¡± Aubergine said. He turned his head to each student with a quick snap, looking into their eyes. ¡°Yep, we¡¯re ready. We look ready.¡±


    He clapped his hands together. ¡°Alright! So, just a reminder, I¡¯m your headmaster, Aubergine. Aubey to my wife, Aubergine to my peers, and to you¡­well¡­I¡¯m Headmaster Aubergine.¡± He chuckled to himself.


    His jokes were poorly executed. His movements were goofy and exaggerated. Even his most serious remarks had trouble rising out of the muck of his inherent silliness.


    Archie liked him.


    ¡°So, you are now officially students of the Academy of Ambrosia. And this is officially your first lesson. Next week, you¡¯ll begin regular classes. But before we get to that, it¡¯s important that you understand exactly what it is that you are learning here.¡±


    He reached into his pocket, pinched fingers pulling out a seed.


    ¡°Ambrosial essence,¡± he explained. ¡°Oh¡ªnot this. This is just a seed. But through manipulation of Ambrosial essence¡­¡±


    The seed cracked and a sprout grew three inches in a second. Then another three inches. A bud formed. Another three inches. The bud sprouted into a hibiscus flower. Ooo¡¯s and aaah¡¯s and little claps came from the students.


    ¡°When Ambrosia died, she gave her magic to the world in the form of something we call Ambrosial essence. It can be found in the ground, in the sea, in the air. In you. When it comes to Ambrosial essence, we are all porous things.


    ¡°Now, I just used my essence to open up the ¡®pores¡¯ of this seed. It has essence in it, and I¡¯ve added my own. That essence can be used in a great many ways. Just now, I used up that essence to grow the seed unnaturally fast.¡±


    He pulled another seed from his pocket. ¡°Whereas I am now loading essence into this seed with the intention to nourish, but not to grow. ¡± He was silent for a moment, eyes focused on the second seed. ¡°No discernible change. However, I have put just as much essence into this seed as I have this flower.


    ¡°The flower has consumed that essence in order to grow. When it dies, it will decompose, producing enough essence to bring equilibrium to the process. Just as you all will when you die. Just as Ambrosia did.


    ¡°The seed, on the other hand, has retained that essence, rationing it. The flower, having been asked to grow so quickly, used the essence all at once and rather inefficiently. The seed will use the essence as it grows¡ªnot to enhance its speed, but its quality.


    ¡°Even just this one extra moment of care that I have given the seed will show in the results. If I were to make a tea from the quickly grown flower, it would pale in comparison to tea produced by the seed when it eventually grows.


    ¡°That enhanced tea would be more nourishing. It would be easier to infuse with other magics. When we perform our magic, we convert the essence into effect. So if I turned the fast flower, with its lesser quality, into a tea that helped people catch their breath, I might be able to relieve Barley enough so that I might be heard over his panting.¡±


    Everyone laughed but Barley, who continued to suck in air in ragged breaths.


    ¡°Whereas if this seed bloomed into a higher quality flower and I made the same tea, Barley might not have run out of breath in the first place.


    ¡°As I hinted at, the process for these events started with me. A bit of the Ambrosial essence within myself was consumed to catalyze the essence around me. Now for me, this was a minor cost. But for an amateur student such as yourself, just one of these acts might be all you can manage.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a matter of me having more essence than you. It¡¯s about efficiency. Mastery. You can make a flame with a log. I can make a bonfire with a twig.


    ¡°That mastery is what you are here to learn. Your Head Chefs will ask you to perform acts that will drain you. And while your essence will replenish itself naturally over time, that recovery can be aided through consuming foods infused with essence.


    ¡°As such, I would advise you not to skip meals. Should you feel like you are on the verge of passing out, please let your Head Chefs know. And snacks are highly encouraged.¡±

 Chapter 11 - The First-Year Feast

    The rest of Aubergine¡¯s ¡°lesson¡± consisted of him getting to know the students. Fortunately for them, the headmaster had the grace to not force them into some contrived icebreaker. Instead, he managed to lead a conversation that didn¡¯t feel led. A few minutes in, they were all speaking freely as if they had been friends for years. Archie wondered if that was some other form of magic.


    Archie learned a lot about his classmates that day. Cress and Akando had come from Kuutsu Nuna, where they spent the last summer following the Kuutsu, a sacred herd of invisible buffalo that roamed in an uninterruptible path. Blanche had a sister who had risen six ranks in six years, a feat that hadn¡¯t been accomplished in nearly twenty years. Benedict was the first Chef in his family¡¯s history.


    No one knew if or when the lesson ended. At some point, Aubergine got up and started walking around the lake. Unprompted, everyone followed. Someone expressed hunger, to which Aubergine said not to worry.


    The group came upon a picnic area next to the lake, complete with a grill and fishing rods. They cast out a few lines while Aubergine, much to everyone¡¯s wonder, tossed some seeds onto the ground that sprouted into a variety of vegetables in a matter of minutes.


    ¡°I always carry around seeds. I love the potential of them. And they¡¯re great for occasions just like this one. And this works as a teaching moment¡ªI already loaded these seeds with essence, and I convert that essence to rapid growth. They use up a lot of their essence in the process, so performing further magic with them would be difficult, but they still have their use in quieting a rumbling tummy.¡±


    Aubergine put a freshly caught walleye on the grill along with some asparagus and carrots. Before long, Benedict caught a bass to add to the meal. Aubergine split the meal in two, setting one half aside. With the other half, he waved his hands to duplicate the food the same way Archie had seen his father do the other day¡ªbut with a much greater degree of expertise.


    As plates were served, Aubergine put one bite from the unduplicated meal onto each plate. ¡°Furthering the lesson,¡± he said. ¡°The duplicated dish has had its essence consumed in that process of duplication. In contrast, you¡¯ll find the other unaltered bite to be much more potent. See if you can tell the difference.¡±


    Archie could, but he wasn¡¯t sure if it was just because Aubergine had pointed it out beforehand.


    They continued around the lake. They spoke about their hometowns as they watched a heron stalk the swampy shore. They recalled their favorite meals as birds chirped a backing tune. Aubergine told stories about his days as a student and then a Head Chef as squirrels danced and played in a flowery meadow.


    Every so often, Archie looked up at the mesa that held Ambrosia City, admiring all the different angles of the cerulean keep that poked over the ridgeline. The summer sun warmed his skin, and the conversation warmed his spirit. His shoulders relaxed. City speed and rocky carriage rides became things of the past. He breathed easily, the crisp breeze hitting the drops of sweat in his hairline with an icy chill. After a couple of hours, they were back where they started, having completed an entire lap around the lake.


    Tricked into exercise.


    ¡°Five miles, see?¡± Aubergine said. ¡°Not so bad. The Head Chefs tasked me with making sure you¡¯re hungry for tonight¡¯s feast.¡±


    Aubergine laughed. Barley, drenched in sweat, didn¡¯t laugh back.


    ¡°Now, go ahead and wash up and put on your best clothes for tonight¡¯s feast. It will be one to remember!¡±


    On the way back, Archie managed to slip through the other students to Nori, who walked alone in front of the others.


    ¡°Hey, hi, Nori?¡± Archie jogged up beside her.


    Nori gave him an uninviting look.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Archie. We¡¯re uh¡ªwe¡¯re gonna be working together for Rowan.¡±


    Nori looked straight ahead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you really got the chance to meet him. He¡¯s uh¡­it¡¯ll be¡ª¡±


    Nori turned back to Archie. ¡°Look, can we talk about this later?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡ªsure.¡±


    She quickened her step, leaving Archie behind. He stopped walking, raising his hands in confusion.


    What the¡­


    An arm wrapped around Archie¡¯s shoulders, pushing him back into motion.


    ¡°Ooo, ooo. Struck out,¡± Oliver said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get another chance tonight¡­once we get you looking right¡­¡±


    Looking right didn¡¯t come easily for Archie.


    ¡°You¡¯re wearing this?!¡± Oliver asked, grabbing a giant white button-up shirt from Archie¡¯s trunk. Benedict struggled to contain his giggling. ¡°This is your best shirt? It¡¯s way too big! What is it, your dads?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± Archie said. Benedict¡¯s composure broke and he roared with laughter. Archie snatched the shirt away. ¡°He gave it to me before I left!¡±


    ¡°Should have given you some proper shoulders to go with it,¡± Oliver said. ¡°Go on, put it on.¡±


    Archie put on the shirt and held his arms out to show it off. The fabric billowed and draped from his skinny body.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Oliver said, holding in a laugh.


    ¡°Whatever!¡± Archie snapped. ¡°We¡¯ll get our jackets soon and I¡¯ll just be wearing that.¡±


    ¡°You look like a cloud,¡± Barley said with a deep chuckle. The other two cackled and grabbed each other for support, thrilled that Barley had joined in.


    ¡°Barley!¡± Archie said. ¡°I expect that from those two. But you?¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Archie Archie Archie,¡± Benedict tried to contain his laughter. ¡°I have a vest you can use. It barely fits me, but it might be good for you. Maybe it can help contain the cloud.¡±


    The black vest fit tightly around Archie, hiding the loose fabric around his torso. The arms, however, still puffed out into little clouds.


    ¡°Well?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Hm, it¡¯s a little awkward, but it¡¯s an improvement. Now it looks like a stylistic choice rather than just something that doesn¡¯t fit. You just have to wear it right,¡± Benedict said.


    ¡°What do you mean, wear it right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know,¡± Oliver interrupted. ¡°When you wear it, don¡¯t say whatever you said to Nori earlier that made her leave you in the dust. That¡¯s how you do it right.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    When the first-years entered the great hall, they screamed with delight. Platters of delicious food lined the long tables from end to end. Quarters of stag and civets of hares and mounds of sugar plums and berry pies and all sorts of wonderful treats filled the hall with an aroma that could not be matched.


    Archie rushed to claim a large section of a bench, shooing away others in order to save room for Nori to sit beside him. When she entered, their eyes met again, but she did not approach. Instead, she wedged her way between two other students.


    Archie¡¯s worry started to turn into annoyance.


    ¡°Hello, first-years!¡± Aubergine¡¯s voice boomed through the hall. ¡°I hope none of you have snuck a bite in yet. I¡¯d like to get some words in. Before we begin, a round of applause to all our Head Chefs who have been in the kitchen all afternoon. And a special thanks to Head Chef Quince for letting us use his own personal inventory of amazingly grown ingredients.¡±


    The students¡¯ claps echoed through the hall.


    ¡°After my speech, you¡¯ll be free to help yourself to as much food as you¡¯d like. As for the drinks¡­¡±


    Oliver offered a ¡°woo!¡± that no one else joined in on.


    ¡°Head Chef Colby will be coming around to serve one cup of wine to each of you.¡± Some students cheered. ¡°Just the one cup,¡± Aubergine said with a playfully stern wag of the finger. ¡°I¡¯m sure you are hungry, so I¡¯ll make this speech short. When I see you all, I see such a bright future. It reminds me of¡­¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The students salivated at the food as Aubergine spent several minutes giving a definitively not short speech that covered his time as a student, his experience as a headmaster, and an odd tangent about a clam he had found in the lake last week that never quite wrapped up to any meaningful point. Finally, the topic turned to something of Archie¡¯s interest.


    ¡°Now I would like to draw everyone¡¯s attention to the little bowls of orange pudding that you see scattered about the tables. Tomorrow, you will receive your jackets, but in order for the kalypo fibers to change, your essence must first be ¡®colored.¡¯ If you would, please go ahead and eat the pudding. That is what will prompt the color change.¡±


    Archie snatched a bowl before anyone else could. Colored kalypo cloth was the undeniable designation of a Chef. In just a few bites, Archie¡¯s potential would be recognizable for all the world to see. He spooned the pudding into his mouth, hardly swallowing the previous bite before adding another. There was a slight medicinal taste to the pudding, but Archie didn¡¯t mind. It could have been the worst taste in the world and Archie still would¡¯ve finished before anyone else got halfway through.


    Once he was satisfied that everyone had eaten the pudding, Aubergine opened the floodgates. ¡°Let us feast!¡±


    The students broke into a hungry frenzy. Archie snatched a giant crab leg before anyone else could get to it. With one hand hovering over the crab leg to prevent anyone else from stealing it, Archie used his other hand to scoop a big heap of creamy pasta onto his plate.


    By the time Colby came around with the wine, the crab leg was in splinters and a second helping of pasta was down Archie¡¯s throat. He gulped down the wine. Sweet and airy with a touch of sour.


    OIiver snuck from one end of the table to the other, holding up a freshly emptied cup for Head Chef Colby to fill.


    ¡°Now, I swear I¡¯ve already given you wine,¡± Colby said. ¡°When you were sitting right over there.¡±


    ¡°No, see, there¡¯s another guy around here that looks like me. He¡¯s uh¡­where¡¯d he go? Must be in the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°You know what?¡± Colby leaned down and whispered. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. Here. But it¡¯s good wine, so make sure you drink every last drop.¡± He filled the cup with a grin. Oliver considered its contents carefully before taking a sip.


    The students moved around the hall in a drunken haze, taking little bites and admiring all of the different food. Archie saw a spot next to Nori clear and ran to take it. When he sat, she looked at him with a soft expression and a sigh. Weariness, not annoyance.


    Archie, on the other hand, was annoyed.


    ¡°Hey, you keep avoiding me.¡± His voice came out harsher than he intended. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should, I don¡¯t know, thank me?¡±


    Her weariness flipped to disbelief. She assessed Archie with a gaze so steely that it could cut through his vest. ¡°Thank you? For what?¡±


    ¡°I saved you from whatever that was during the ceremony. You¡ªyou were stuck between Prince Waldorf and¡­your dad? Whoever it was, you wanted neither of them. You looked at me for help. I convinced Rowan to sponsor you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well thaaaank you.¡± She gave him a piercing stare, but couldn¡¯t hold it long. She looked down at her food. Her walls cracked. Her lip trembled. Her eyes watered. Her sudden vulnerability washed away Archie¡¯s impatience.


    Archie looked at her with softer eyes. She hadn¡¯t eaten much. She hadn¡¯t touched her wine. Her blue gown fit her worse than Archie¡¯s shirt fit him¡ªit clearly wasn¡¯t hers. No one around them seemed to pay her much mind. No one else was from Uroko. She sat in a room with nearly twenty kids her age, but she was alone.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Archie said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve just¡­I¡¯ve just been eager to talk to you. We¡¯re going to be working together. And Rowan told me to tell you some things.¡±


    Nori turned her face away as if it would prevent Archie from seeing her wipe her tears. A sniffle. Then she looked at Archie, all business except for her pursed lips and the quivering voice she couldn¡¯t overcome.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s been a¡­tough couple of days. What did Mr. Rowan wish to convey?¡±


    Archie felt bad enough for her not to make fun of the overly formal tone of her statement.


    ¡°He¡ªuh. Well, you know we¡¯re supposed to work for him on Fridays and Saturdays.¡± Archie paused, considering his next words very carefully. She didn¡¯t need to know about the gold he owed. Not yet. She had enough going on. ¡°He¡¯ll come get us tomorrow. And he said we can have our Saturdays to ourselves.¡±


    ¡°So what are we supposed to do on Saturdays?¡±


    As Archie stalled to think of an answer, he grabbed a noodle that dangled off a nearby serving platter. He kept pulling, realizing the entire heap of pasta was just the one noodle. ¡°I guess just¡­you know. Relax. Take it easy.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± They sat in an awkward silence that Nori broke with a bashful voice. ¡°So¡­what are you going to do to relax?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think¡ªuh. I think I¡¯ll get a job.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well¡ª¡±


    She stopped and looked at her wine. A drop crawled up onto the lip of the cup and then separated, floating up into the air. Archie watched with her as the rest of the wine floated up in a big pale green blob.


    Then the chaos started.


    Someone screamed.


    Archie jumped to his feet and looked for the source of the scream. Oliver floated upside down, drifting up and grabbing Cress¡¯s arm to stay tethered to the ground.


    ¡°Help me!¡± he screamed.


    Cress¡¯s heels started to leave the ground. ¡°You¡¯re on your own!¡± she said as she let go of Oliver.


    ¡°Cress!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a ceiling, you¡¯ll be fine!¡±


    ¡°Cress!¡± The hall erupted with laughter. Even Nori laughed. Oliver floated up and up, narrowly missing a chandelier before bouncing off the ceiling. ¡°Creeeeeess!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to do now, you¡¯re way too fa¡ª¡± Cress looked down at her own feet with alarm. They had left the ground. She screamed with a combination of fear and excitement as she rose. Unlike Oliver, she embraced her newfound floatiness, tucking her knees to do a flip.


    Then Blanche started to float. Benedict jumped after her, but he never came back down.


    Sutton latched onto Barley, but the pair soon rose to join the others.


    One by one, the students floated up to the ceiling.


    Archie felt his stomach rise up to his throat. The feeling of water surrounded him, suspending him. He looked down at Nori, who stood ten feet below.


    ¡°Oh¡ªoh no, no, no,¡± he stammered. He still held onto the noodle that now trailed like the string to a balloon. Archie hit the ceiling with a soft bounce. He looked around at his fellow students. Some of them adjusted to their reversed gravity, bouncing and dancing on the ceiling. Others curled into balls, paralyzed with fear. Below, only the laughing Head Chefs and Nori remained.


    ¡°Hm, barely an improvement,¡± Head Chef Anise noted. From above, Archie could see the hunch in her back as her head rested too far forward.


    Aubergine, still seated, laughed. ¡°Moondrop wine,¡± he explained. ¡°A very valuable substance, but it comes with quite a few difficulties. It lessens the effects of gravity. So much so that the wine itself will float off into the sky if it isn¡¯t contained. And even then, if the container isn¡¯t heavy enough, as it would appear none of you are, that container will also float.¡±


    Another chorus of laughter came from the staff.


    ¡°Head Chef Anise has been working on a solution that can be added to moondrop wine to temporarily negate its effects to make it easier for transport. This particular version lasted¡­¡±


    ¡°Two hours,¡± Anise interjected. ¡°And I do want to thank all of you for being valuable test subjects. I have very little data on its effects after consumption, so this will be most helpful.¡±


    ¡°When does it wear off?¡± Oliver shouted.


    Colby answered with a grin. ¡°I poured enough to last about an hour. So for you, I guess that¡¯ll be two hours.¡±


    Anise set down a pitcher of murky brown liquid. ¡°A sip of this should counteract it. Shame, it¡¯s all the way down here.¡±


    ¡°What! Comon! Hey, Nori? Nori! Do something,¡± Oliver pleaded.


    Nori beamed as she laughed up at her classmates. Her smile, beautiful and sparkling, had finally escaped its tormented cage.


    ¡°Nori,¡± Archie called out. ¡°Pull me down.¡± He wiggled the noodle in his hand, the other end dangling a few feet above Nori¡¯s head.


    She covered her mouth in a failed attempt to contain her giggling. She took a few deep breaths to compose herself and stepped up onto the bench, reaching up and giving the noodle the faintest of pulls.


    ¡°It¡¯ll break,¡± she said.


    Archie searched the room for another solution. A broom, five times too small. Maybe he could jump off the ceiling to grab it? He looked to the Head Chefs. They all laughed except for Aubergine, who wore a knowing, closed-lip smile and tapped a seed repeatedly against the table.


    That¡¯s it!


    ¡°Nori! We can make it stronger!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It has essence, right? We can convert it into strength. If a noodle can pull a tramcar, surely it could pull me.¡±


    Archie looked to Aubergine, whose smile had grown, his pearly white teeth shining in contrast to his tan skin.


    I¡¯m right!


    ¡°Archie, I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°But you have to try. Come on, we¡¯ll do it together.¡±


    Archie focused his mind into a singular thought. He envisioned the noodle turning into a rope. Sturdy. Unbreaking. Nothing.


    A surging sensation traveled from Nori¡¯s hands up the noodle. Even without pulling, Archie could tell something had changed.


    She¡¯s done it.


    The sensation felt to his hands like a foreign word feels to an ear. Another surge came from Nori. This time it felt familiar. He knew the pronunciation. He recreated the sensation in his mind and something invisible moved through him and into the noodle.


    It worked.


    Nori knew it, too. She pulled. The noodle held strong. Nori pulled him down and took his hand, yanking it down so that he could grab the table for weight.


    ¡°Stay there,¡± she said. She grabbed the pitcher and gave it to Archie.


    Archie started to raise the pitcher to his lips but stopped. ¡°Hold on,¡± he said. ¡°We have to get the others first. Let me up slow.¡±


    He put the noodle back in Nori¡¯s hand and grabbed the end. She used both hands to feed the noodle up, letting Archie rise like a kite. Once Archie reached the ceiling, Nori jumped onto the table and walked across it, dragging him from one classmate to the next. One by one, they took a sip from the pitcher and slowly sank back down to the ground.


    Finally, just Archie and Oliver remained. Archie looked into the pitcher.


    ¡°Uh oh. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s enough for both of us,¡± he said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Oliver asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I probably should drink first and then give you the rest.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Archie!¡±


    Archie drank from the pitcher. He felt a weight drop into his stomach and the spaces between his bones condense. Just as he started to sink, he handed the pitcher up to Oliver and then hovered down. His feet touched the ground and the returning gravity settled his stomach.


    Oliver drank desperately and shook the empty pitcher. A moment passed, but still he floated, pinned to the ceiling.


    ¡°Hey! There wasn¡¯t enough!¡±


    The students laughed and went back to eating. Archie shrugged up at Oliver.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have double dipped!¡±


    For the next hour, as everyone got back to eating and Oliver hurled insults from above, Archie ate and laughed with Nori, who seemed to have forgotten about her bad week.

 Chapter 12 - The Orange Jacket

    Part II - The Family Name


    The next morning, while the older students slept, the first-years gathered in the great hall for their jackets and an early breakfast. Archie¡¯s excitement caused him to toss and turn through the night until the softest light coming through the window gave him an excuse to get up. He wandered around the lower building for a while, marveling at the kitchenware. He peeked out the window and saw someone jogging around the lake.


    Finally, once more students woke up, they made their way up to the great hall. Archie looked for Nori but didn¡¯t find her. Instead, he hovered awkwardly around Oliver, hoping to draft off the boy¡¯s natural charisma in order to make new friends. After a few fruitless minutes, a much-needed jolt of energy dashed into the room.


    ¡°Who¡¯s ready to be a Chef?!¡± Aubergine called out as he jogged in from the kitchen. Each step sent a drizzle of sweat from his shirt onto the stone floor. ¡°Let me just wash up real quick and I¡¯ll grab your jackets.¡±


    Aubergine jogged through the great hall and out toward his quarters, giving little nods and hellos to the students as he passed.


    Archie wished the headmaster would run faster. Archie had waited for this moment for years. As a kid, his favorite shirt was a bright orange one that had fake buttons sewn onto it to make it look like his parents¡¯ jackets. He¡¯d wear it when his parents let him cook, although since they never had food to waste, that wasn¡¯t as often as he would have liked. During lean months, he¡¯d go out to a swampy ditch to make mudpies and demanded that the other kids call him ¡°Chef Kent.¡±


    Several nervous minutes passed before Aubergine finally returned in his red jacket, carrying a stack of sand-colored, unaltered kalypo jackets.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see here.¡± Aubergine stopped at one of the long tables, setting out stacks of jackets by size. ¡°We should have one in everyone¡¯s size. Small ones down there, big ones here.¡±


    Aubergine set the last stack of jackets down near Barley, who grabbed one and raised it to his chest. The sleeves barely reached his elbows and the lower hem rested near his bottom rib. It would never fit as a jacket, but it¡¯d make a decent bib.


    Aubergine made a popping sound with his lips. ¡°Alright, big ones down there, small ones here.¡±


    Barley set the jacket back down, revealing orange fibers where his hands had touched. This color faded as Archie¡¯s excitement intensified. He scrambled forward, pushing someone else aside. He grabbed from two stacks, comparing their sizes and making everyone else wait before putting one back. He stepped away to savor the moment, holding the jacket up high.


    Color spread from his hands to the rest of the jacket, turning it into an orange that was more autumn leaf than pumpkin. Archie slipped into it, pulling the overlapping flap across his chest and clicking the single line of buttons that went down the side of his ribs. Archie adjusted the jacket and smiled as it turned into a uniform orange. A perfect fit¡ªalthough a little hot for the summer. He rolled up the sleeves and secured them in place with a button.


    He didn¡¯t watch anyone else grab their jackets. He was too busy looking down at his own. He thought back to the orange shirt of his childhood and the way he¡¯d always put on his father¡¯s jacket and imagine it changing colors.


    This was it. His dream. Only a couple of advancement stripes separated his orange jacket from his parents¡¯. And even while proud of his orange, he thought of how he¡¯d wear yellow and green and red and white. All the colors that he would achieve. He¡¯d be the first Kent in three generations to wear the white jacket. He just knew it.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Aubergine said to them all. ¡°You¡¯re officially Chefs.¡±


    The students laughed and celebrated as they donned their jackets. Nori still had not shown up. Archie grabbed a small jacket, holding onto it for her. The other students went to the main kitchen to make their breakfasts, grinning and laughing and ¡°yes Chef-ing¡± each other as they celebrated their new identities. Archie waited alone for Nori as the spare jackets were taken away.


    Cress returned with a spare plate for Archie, and Akando joined them, turning the conversation onto their homeland of Kuutsu Nuna.


    ¡°So¡­the Kuutsu is like an invisible herd of buffalo?¡± Archie asked the pair.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if invisible is exactly right. They¡¯re like¡­¡± Cress hesitated.


    ¡°Unseen,¡± Akando finished.


    ¡°Yeah, unseen.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Archie said. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between invisible and unseen?¡±


    ¡°To see an invisible thing, it must be made visible,¡± Akando explained. ¡°That is a change. We do not change the Kuutsu.¡±


    Cress continued. ¡°If the Kuutsu are unseen, it is us that must change to see them. It¡¯s like¡­a big thing. The Kuutsu are godly. They cannot be changed.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, can¡¯t be changed?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t move them,¡± Akando said. ¡°You can¡¯t stop them. They have followed the same path since the dawn of time. Time is the only force that can best them.¡±


    ¡°So in Kuutsu Nuna,¡± Cress said, ¡°all of our towns are built around the migration of the Kuutsu but not in their way. They follow the same migration path every year. If you were to build a town in their path, they wouldn¡¯t change their pattern. They would simply trample your town back into dust. So we build around them.¡±


    ¡°They cannot be changed,¡± Akando reiterated.


    ¡°So how do you¡­see¡­them?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°There is an herb,¡± Akando answered. ¡°Sunagrass. Suna, meaning seeing. It grows where the hair of the Kuutsu falls. In a sacred ritual, we smoke this sunagrass and it allows us to see for a time.¡±


    ¡°It is a rite of adulthood to spend a summer following the Kuutsu,¡± Cress said. ¡°You aren¡¯t considered an adult until you¡¯ve done it. So technically, Akando and I are talking to a child.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Archie mimicked a frown. Cress laughed.


    ¡°There is a tribe that follows the Kuutsu year-round,¡± Akando said. ¡°They collect the dead Kuutsu. It is only when the Kuutsu die that they can be changed. We celebrate them by ensuring nothing of their bodies go to waste. We make hides, tools¡ª¡±


    ¡°And the best damn brisket in the world,¡± Cress added.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Akando, a hint of laughter slipping into his steely voice. ¡°The best damn brisket in the world. Cress and I were chosen to come to the Academy and apprentice at Kuutsu Kaana.¡±


    ¡°We receive shipments of Kuutsu meat and prepare it for the people of Ambrosia City. It¡¯s our way of spreading our culture.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Archie said. As a child, Archie¡¯s world extended about ten miles around Sain, and occasionally another ten or so for his occasional visits to Ambrosia City. The thought of a world beyond that excited him. For a brief, flickering moment, he daydreamed not of being Chef Kent of Sain, but of exploring the world. But then Petrichor made its way back in his mind, bringing along a little pang of guilt that he had dreamt of anything else, even if only for a moment.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a lot more to the story of the Kuutsu whenever you want it,¡± Cress said. ¡°And maybe in the summer you can go follow the Kuutsu. If you¡¯re ready to stop being a kid. I make the ceremonial smoke with a¡­little something extra.¡± She laughed and got up to leave.


    Akando shook his head in lighthearted disapproval, rising with Cress.


    Just as they left, Nori sat down with a plate of eggs.


    ¡°We got our jackets?¡± she asked as she looked around at the other students. Her loose-fitting white long-sleeved shirt and tight-fitting leather pants made her stand out in the crowd of orange jackets. She looked at Archie as she spooned eggs into her mouth. ¡°Yours looks good on you.¡±


    Archie stared at her, wondering how she could seem more preoccupied with her food than the unknown state of her jacket.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know where yours is?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Nori chewed through a piece of bread. ¡°I¡¯m sure it''s around here somewhere.¡±


    Archie had put her jacket on the bench next to him. He grabbed it and tossed it in a heap onto the table.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Nori seemed pleased but hardly thankful. ¡°You held onto it for me. Thanks.¡±


    She picked it up just to fold it with one hand, setting it back down on the table and taking another bite.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to put it on?¡±


    ¡°After breakfast, sure.¡±


    Archie couldn¡¯t believe it. For years, he had fantasized about this day. For Nori, it wasn¡¯t even as important as breakfast.


    Nori noticed Archie¡¯s confusion. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡ªit¡ªit¡¯s¡­¡± Archie struggled to put such a fundamental truth into words. ¡°It¡¯s a big deal. Getting a jacket.¡±


    Nori watched him as if expecting him to say something to strengthen his point. When he didn¡¯t, she raised her eyebrows and took another bite. ¡°I guess. It¡¯s just an orange jacket.¡±


    The words slapped Archie across the face, sending him into a momentary daze. Nori continued eating in blissful ignorance.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Archie sneered. ¡°It just means that you¡¯re a Chef. You know, just like one in every what¡­one, two thousand people? How unexceptional.¡±


    Nori leaned back, stiffening her neck in an exaggerated movement. ¡°Saaaaah-ree.¡± She returned to eating with a nonchalance that matched her tone. ¡°Being a Chef is cool, yeah. But like, being an Orange Jacket Chef is whatever. It¡¯s¡­the bare minimum.¡±


    Another slap.


    ¡°My parents are Orange Jackets.¡±


    Nori scrunched up her face in momentary confusion. ¡°I thought you said you were from some big family of Chefs.¡±


    Slap slap.


    ¡°They dropped out of the Academy when my grandfather died.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Sorry. But I mean, they could have still tested for a higher rank. Was your grandfather a Chef? What rank was he?¡±


    Archie sucked on his teeth. He knew little of his grandfather. Arty had never been in the mood to talk about him. Archie only knew two things about the man¡ªhe graduated from the Academy still an Orange Jacket and he started the long, slow process of turning Sain into a ghost town by ruining the area with magically infused salt.


    Archie had to force the word out of his mouth. ¡°Orange. But his father was a White Jacket.¡±


    Nori shrugged. ¡°Oh. Okay. I can see why it¡¯s a big deal to you, then.¡±


    Slap slap slap.


    ¡°So what, your family is just full of White Jackets, then?¡±


    Nori spoke through her full mouth. ¡°My dad¡¯s a White Jacket. My mom¡¯s a Black Jacket, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll ever let her be a White Jacket. Not that she¡¯s not good enough. And I have some other Black Jacket cousins. I guess that¡¯s why it¡¯s not a big deal to me. I¡¯ve known since I was three that I was going to get an orange jacket. It¡¯s the colors that come after that matter.¡±


    Archie exhaled through his nose. ¡°You manifested at three years old?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. When did you?¡±


    ¡°Last week,¡± Archie said flatly.


    Nori nearly spit out her food as she contained a laugh. Archie glared at her as she coughed.


    Slap slap slap slap.


    ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s just¡­¡± She cleared her throat and swallowed. ¡°That¡¯s dramatic. You must have been nervous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Archie spoke with the accumulated bitterness of so many failed festivals that had ended with him crying. ¡°A little nervous. You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to go your whole life not knowing if you¡¯d be a Chef or not.¡±


    Nori seemed unbothered.


    ¡°You mean your whole life so far. You get to go the rest of it knowing, so that¡¯s nice. And since your parents are just Orange Jackets, it¡¯ll be easy to make them proud. At least you have that going for you. I¡¯ve already disappointed them by staying here. They¡¯d have me killed if I stalled out anywhere before a Black Jacket.¡±


    Just Orange Jackets.


    Slap slap slap slap slap.


    Archie embraced his rising bitterness and used it to sharpen his voice into a point at Nori. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nice to have all the pressure of the family name riding on me. Otherwise I might have become an entitled brat and show up late just to have someone else hand me my jacket.¡±


    Nori seemed bothered.


    She set down her fork, took a deep breath, and looked Archie in the eyes. ¡°Yes, Archie, you¡¯re the only one with problems. Tell you what, at the end of the school year, when they give me my yellow jacket, I¡¯ll be sure to be on time. Try not to drop out by then.¡±


    Knockout punch.


    Archie jumped up and stormed off. He wanted nothing to do with Nori, spoiled brat that she was, but only managed to get two steps away before the cruel irony of destiny strode through the door.


    ¡°Archie!¡± Rowan said as he entered the great hall. ¡°And you must be Nori. I¡¯m Rowan. I hope you two are ready to spend the year together!¡±

 Chapter 13 - The Gift

    Of all the wonderful restaurants that Archie had seen, The Gift was certainly not one of them.


    Rowan led them on a long walk down the Trunk, commenting on the countless statues of Ambrosia that they passed as Archie begged to take the tram. They made their way all the way down to the Roots, navigating its winding alleyways until finally arriving at a row of houses.


    ¡°And here we are,¡± Rowan said, pointing at one of the homes. It was a small, rectangular building jammed between two other small, rectangular buildings that were jammed between two other small, rectangular buildings and so on and so on. But while the rest were sheer walls of white stone brick with plain windows, this one had character.


    From the street below, the tops of plants and small trees could be seen on the rooftop. Vines stretched from inside the windows and over the walls, making them more green than white. There were no drapes on the ground floor windows. Instead, they offered an open view to a serving room stuffed with tables. In the back of the room, a half-wall separated the dining area from a modest kitchen.


    Usually, restaurants advertised their rank¡ªparticularly high ranks¡ªwith large signs that protruded into the street. But Rowan, despite owning one of the hundred highest ranked restaurants in the world, opted for something smaller.


    A small plaque, just a few inches wide, had been bolted into the outside wall near the door. Its black background denoted its rank as a Black Jacket Restaurant, the gold etching on it reading, The Gift.


    The ¡®closed¡¯ sign that hung above it was bigger.


    ¡°Normally I¡¯ll ask you two to help me out during the afternoons,¡± Rowan said as he led them inside and spun around. He had the natural showmanship and charm of a tour guide. He gestured widely with his hands, clapping a closed fist to an open palm to emphasize his points. ¡°It¡¯s when I open the doors to everyone. I spend the afternoon cooking and serving and meeting new people. Sometimes, I find someone interesting and invite them to come back for a private dinner that night. I¡¯ll handle those myself.¡±


    Archie would have expected a Black Jacket Restaurant to have priceless artwork hanging on its walls. But The Gift had a map of Ambrosia that had been made almost unrecognizable by countless ink blotches and pins.


    Archie would have expected a Red Jacket Restaurant to have a masterclass kitchen. Even a Purple Jacket Restaurant would be stocked with some state-of-the-art stove. But beyond its little half-wall partition, The Gift had a simple setup with room for maybe three Chefs, the oven unengraved, the stove ordinary, the cookware splotched with stains and age.


    Archie would have expected a Blue Jacket Restaurant to have mastered a sense of atmosphere. At least a Green Jacket Restaurant would have some ambiance. But The Gift seemed like street food with a roof over it.


    Archie would have expected a Yellow Jacket Restaurant to have new furniture. But The Gift had chairs that seemed ready to collapse and tables with splinters sticking out of the legs.


    Archie would have expected an Orange Jacket Restaurant to have ample seating. At least The Gift had that in abundance¡ªperhaps too much abundance. The chairs filled every gap between tables, having no rhyme or reason for their placement.


    ¡°You¡¯re impressed, I know,¡± Rowan said as he nodded. He laughed at the shock on Archie¡¯s face. Nori¡¯s tempered politeness and noble upbringing did everything they could to hide her disappointment. Rowan decided to poke at her composure. ¡°So Nori. How does this compare to your dad¡¯s place?¡±


    Nori¡¯s mouth stayed flat and thin, but her breath betrayed her. Little snorts of laughter came out of her nose, crescendoing until she could hold it no longer. She broke into a laughing smile. ¡°If my dad saw me cooking in a place like this, he¡¯d have a heart attack.¡± She laughed again, harder, pleased at her daydream. ¡°It¡¯s dreadful.¡±


    ¡°Nori!¡± Archie scolded.


    Rowan laughed and held out his hand for Archie to stop. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. She¡¯s right. I¡¯ve known some Yellow Jackets that would be ashamed to call this place theirs. Chefs get it in their mind that presentation is everything. I get it, I was that way at my old restaurant.¡±


    ¡°What was your old restaurant?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Rowan dismissed her with a wave. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have heard of it. But I was like a lot of Chefs. Rank obsessed. It worked out for me for a while.¡± He made a point of tugging at the collar of his black jacket. ¡°Until it didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Archie asked.


    Rowan scrunched his face into the same expression he had the last time Archie asked about the old restaurant. ¡°A story for another time. Long story short, I realized that food was more about the human connection than prestige. I didn¡¯t want to cook for reviews. I wanted to cook for people that deserved cooking for. So I opened The Gift. And of course, you can¡¯t get demoted, so I got to keep this fancy black jacket.¡±


    Rowan spurred them into motion with a clap and led them to the stairs. ¡°Come on, let me show you the rest.¡±


    As Rowan led them to the rooftops, Archie snuck a glance at the second floor¡ªa single room of chaos with a small bed tucked into the only space not occupied by potted plants or sacks of seeds or tables of books. A swarm of bees buzzed around the flowers near the open windows.


    The rooftop was much more organized. Rectangular planters with a variety of crops made rows to walk through. A small fruit tree, just a few feet tall, grew from a large square planter in the middle of the rooftop. Each thin branch bore a different fruit¡ªlemons, apples, plums, pears, oranges, all from the same tree. Archie counted over ten kinds of fruits before moving on to catch up with the others.


    The area must have only been twenty feet by thirty feet, but the wheat and corn and bushes obscured their surroundings, making Archie feel like he had stepped into a distant farmland. The plants muted the sounds of the city, replacing them with the gentle whooshing of leaves in the wind.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°I grow all kinds of stuff up here. Just a little bit of everything so that I can always make what I want. I have a meat guy¡ªa butcher up the street. I tried raising chickens up here once. I lasted two weeks. The clucking drove me crazy.¡± He laughed. ¡°First I could hear it when I slept. Then I could hear it while I cooked. Soon, I could hear it even when I was halfway up the Trunk.¡±


    He put a hand flat onto the soil. He smiled, satisfied with whatever he felt. ¡°I¡¯ve been traveling the world for these last twenty years. I like to bring back seeds from wherever I go. The memories of these places, their food¡ªthey hit me when I least expect it. Sometimes I have to have Khalyan barley, or a Labruscan artichoke, or a Kuutsan squash.¡±


    Archie imagined himself going from kingdom to kingdom with Rowan as his tour guide. ¡°Have you ever followed the Kuutsu?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. Twice. First time out of curiosity, second time because I was getting fat. You wouldn¡¯t believe how much weight you can lose walking across those plains for a summer.¡± They all laughed. ¡°That was one of the best experiences of my life. You two should do it sometime.¡±


    As long as I don¡¯t have to go with her.


    Archie entertained the daydream for a moment before wiping it clean and making room for the original daydream¡ªrestoring Petrichor and the Kent name. Everything else could wait.


    ¡°That sounds fun,¡± Nori said as she examined a flower. ¡°We used to go on vacations¡ªwell, my aunt would take me. My dad always had to work. We went to Khala and The Platter and Labrusca, but never Kuutsu Nuna.¡±


    ¡°Did you live with your dad on the main island?¡± Rowan asked.


    ¡°Yeah. How¡¯d you know he was on the main island?¡±


    ¡°Nori!¡± Rowan feigned disappointment. ¡°I said I¡¯ve been all around the world and you don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been to Shilkai?¡±


    Nori laughed. ¡°I guess that¡¯d be ridiculous. You probably saw me. My dad always made me wait tables.¡±


    Rowan grinned. ¡°Well, I went just a few years ago. I remember a teenage waitress that mocked me for ordering red wine with my fish.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it was mackerel or herring, you deserved it. Everything ends up tasting like metal when you have those with red wine.¡±


    They laughed.


    Jealousy flared up in Archie as he worried that the two had just developed some kind of inside joke that he would never be a part of. ¡°Shilkai?¡±


    Rowan¡¯s presence didn¡¯t stop Nori from displaying some of her snobbish mockery from earlier. ¡°I thought you were obsessed with this Chef stuff. You don¡¯t know the best restaurant in Uroko?¡±


    Archie felt uncultured, and feeling uncultured made him feel angry. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not as big of a deal as you think,¡± he chirped.


    Rowan scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty big deal. I¡¯d give Cafe Julienne the edge in terms of world fame, but it¡¯s up there. Think Petrichor at its peak.¡±


    The mention of Petrichor delighted Archie, putting wind back in his sails. ¡°Have you ever been to Petrichor?¡± he asked, hijacking the conversation.


    Rowan pulled in his lips and squinted. Archie tried to figure out if the man was annoyed or just trying to remember. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°But that was a long time ago. I should go back sometime.¡±


    Nori shot Archie an annoyed look.


    Rowan clapped them into motion again. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you two cooking. Either of you good with bread?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nori said.


    Archie frowned. He was just alright with bread, but he wasn¡¯t about to admit to being worse than Nori. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Great. You two can work together on it. Make a few loaves. There¡¯s some rye flour in the cabinet. Add some caraway seeds, too. Everything you need will be exactly where you¡¯d expect to find it. I can¡¯t tell you how, but when you open a cabinet expecting to see it, there it¡¯ll be.¡±


    Rowan laughed. Archie wondered if the man was having a laugh or if he had some kind of magic cabinet.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll serve it with a little pottage. I¡¯ll pick some beans and onions while you two get started.¡±


    Pottage. At a Black Jacket Restaurant. Archie shook his head. As he descended to the kitchen with Nori, he caught another glimpse of Rowan¡¯s bedroom. A pair of squirrels were ransacking the room, digging around in blankets and bags.


    ¡°You can just take it easy. I can handle it,¡± Nori said as they stepped into the kitchen.


    Archie¡¯s temper flared. He took a deep breath to dissipate his anger, trying to find a diplomatic way to take Nori down a peg. ¡°I can handle it, too.¡±


    Nori rolled her eyes. She found the rye flour and measured out a cup into a bowl. ¡°Can you get the yeast?¡± she asked as she measured salt.


    Can YOU get the yeast?


    Archie sulked as he opened a cabinet, angry at himself for letting Nori take the lead. He found a stack of sealed jars of yeast and handed one to Nori.


    Nori measured some out and added it with a handful of caraway seeds. ¡°I need honey,¡± she said as she whisked.


    ¡°You need sugar,¡± Archie countered. ¡°And you can get it yourself.¡±


    Nori took a deep breath. ¡°Honey will add a little caramel flavor. And it¡¯ll help the color. It¡¯s a rye bread, it¡¯s better with honey.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a rye bread, it doesn¡¯t need the extra flavor.¡± Archie plopped a bag of sugar on the counter.


    They stared each other down. ¡°Make a couple of each,¡± Rowan said as he came down the stairs. ¡°We¡¯ll taste test.¡±


    Archie snatched one of the spare bowls away from Nori and started on his own loaf. They channeled their frustrations into their whisking, hardly listening to Rowan as he recounted his first time in Kuutsu Nuna. Their frustration continued into their kneading¡ªthey both would have overworked their dough if Rowan hadn¡¯t stopped them.


    Archie and Nori spent the rest of the morning cleaning dishes and wiping down tables while competing for Rowan¡¯s attention. Rowan let them bicker, letting nature run its course while he just minded the stew and put the dough in the oven.


    When the guests started arriving, Rowan traded duties, putting Archie and Nori on the stew while he sat down and talked to his guests. Rowan knew almost everyone that came through his doors, and when he didn¡¯t know someone, he didn¡¯t let them leave until he remembered their name.


    Nori went to retrieve the bread from the oven. ¡°Wait. Archie?¡±


    ¡°What?


    ¡°Which one is which?¡±


    They examined the loaves. Archie couldn¡¯t tell which one belonged to him, but he could tell which one had risen better. He pointed at it. ¡°This one¡¯s mine.¡±


    Nori realized his game. ¡°Uhhhh I don¡¯t think so. I think this one¡¯s yours.¡±


    They wasted no time in going to their mediator.


    ¡°Rowan!¡± Archie called out, interrupting Rowan¡¯s and a guest¡¯s conversation. ¡°Which loaf is which?¡±


    Rowan offered a half smile as he looked to the kitchen. ¡°Oh, I must have just thrown them in there without worrying about who made them.¡± He shrugged¡ªnot to say he didn¡¯t know. It was the shrug of a man that didn¡¯t care. ¡°I guess the competition is off.¡±


    He turned back to his conversation with a smug grin. Archie and Nori felt a little childish, but that didn¡¯t stop them from glaring at each other one last time as they each took a loaf and started cutting.

 Chapter 14 - Time for a J-O-B

    Archie had been in Ambrosia City for a matter of days and already, a debt of a hundred gold loomed over his head. His parents had kept him away from Petrichor¡¯s finances¡ªlikely to spare him the stress of watching the numbers dwindle¡ªso he had no real anchor point for one hundred gold. He just knew that it was a lot and that he needed to get it, otherwise Nori would get the boot.


    ¡­which wouldn¡¯t have been the worst thing, would it?


    For a brief moment, Archie considered not doing it. But as much as Nori got on his nerves, he had given his word to Rowan. And no one deserved Prince Waldorf.


    He had spent the night considering his options in the job market. As a Chef of the magical variety, Archie¡¯s resume included preventing a noodle from breaking. But as a regular cook, Archie spent years living in a restaurant and working on his culinary skills. He figured a job as a cook would suit him well. He donned his orange jacket, figuring it would make getting a job easy, and set out in the morning.


    He strolled down the street, thinking back to all of the restaurants and diners he had passed on his way in. Perhaps he¡¯d go see if¡ª


    A gloved hand yanked him back. Archie fell over onto the ground, an unpleasantly familiar face glaring down at him, spear lowered.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Archie yelped. ¡°Good morning to you too, Stop Him.¡±


    Stop Him accentuated his words by jutting the butt of his spear into Archie¡¯s side. ¡°Now I know you ain¡¯t coming down to MY¡±¡ªjut¡ª¡°post and just walking past ME¡±¡ªjut¡ª¡°without giving ME¡±¡ªjut¡ª¡°the food YOU promised.¡±


    ¡°I was busy!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you were busy?! Probably standing on your feet all day in the sun like me? Having to look out for threats? Having to look out for¡ª¡± he shoved the butt of the spear into Archie again. ¡°¡ªbrats!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I forgot, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll bring you something some other time.¡±


    ¡°Next week. Twice as much.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Next week. Twice as much.¡±


    ¡°You best not forget. Now get out of here before I lose my cool.¡± Stop Him straightened up, breathing in deep. He looked dutifully down the road.


    Archie scratched his head and looked up at Stop Him. ¡°Hey, I have a question for you.¡±


    Stop Him grunted, keeping his eyes fixed and focused.


    ¡°You know where I could get a job as a cook?¡±


    Stop Him lost his composure, jumping at Archie. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯d know? And why would I tell you?! You gonna cook something for someone else but forget about ME?!¡±


    He shoved the butt of his spear forward. Archie grabbed it and pulled it down, nearly bringing Stop Him with it.


    Stop Him was about to continue the scuffle when a woman¡¯s cough caused him to snap to attention. ¡°M¡¯lady!¡± he nearly shouted at a middle-aged woman that stood before them.


    Archie spun around on the ground to face her. She looked down at him. Maybe it was just her red Chef¡¯s jacket, but somehow, Archie thought she would find a way to look down on him even if he were five feet taller.


    ¡°Guard. You there,¡± she said to Archie with the unmistakable air of superiority. ¡°Did I hear you correctly? You¡¯re looking for work?¡±


    ¡°Yea¡ªyes. M¡¯lady. Yes I am. I¡¯m a first-year student at the Academy,¡± Archie stood up, brushing off his prized jacket. The kalypo fibers had the wonderful ability to clean themselves over time¡ªsaving Chefs innumerable time after a day of cooking and spills¡ªbut Archie couldn¡¯t stand the thought of his jacket being dirty for even a second. ¡°I suppose you could tell from the jacket.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Come with me.¡± She walked through the gate without looking back. Archie followed. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would be legal not to. The woman looked up at a large clock built into the side of the keep.


    ¡°Nearly eleven o¡¯clock,¡± she noted. ¡°How late can you work?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªuh. I don¡¯t have any plans.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. You¡¯ll work until eight. Any longer than that and your skin will come off.¡±


    ¡°My¡ªuh, sorry. My skin?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be provided with two meals and given a break for each. Since you¡¯re a new student of the Academy, you won¡¯t be making a bad name for yourself. You won¡¯t be slacking off.¡±


    Archie hardly heard her as he marveled at the keep. The pale cerulean bricks seemed to glow in the morning light. The perfect brickwork, towering walls, and elaborate buttresses were like nothing Archie had ever experienced. Countless windows and balconies stuck out of the castle from the ground floor all the way up to the pointed tops of the towers. If he had to guess how many rooms were in the castle, Archie wouldn¡¯t know how many zeroes to add.


    ¡°Your work will match a certain standard. As such, you will be paid five silvers for the day.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Half a gold!


    Archie started doing the math in his head, blindly following the woman as they entered a side section of the castle and went through a large foyer.


    Five silver a day¡­that¡¯s a hundred days for fifty gold. Two hundred days for the hundred. If I work Saturdays and Sundays, that means I¡¯ll be able to pay back Nori¡¯s first year by¡­her third year.


    His shoulders sank. The woman continued, leaving no chance for negotiations. It wouldn¡¯t be enough, but for now, it¡¯d have to do.


    ¡°We have quite the backlog of work right now, so try not to be overwhelmed.¡±


    She opened a door to a narrow room with three massive basins of water and zero windows. Twenty stacks of plates, a mountain of bowls and serving trays, and a bucket of cutlery were stacked up on the counter.


    ¡°Our usual dishwasher fell ill last night, so dinner and breakfast remain¡­unwashed.¡± She spoke like just saying the word would dirty her. ¡°An initial rinse in this basin, then wash with soap in this one. Finally, dip it into this one to get the soap off and then set it on this counter. When the water is no longer warm or you can¡¯t see your hand in the first basin, empty all three and refill them.¡±


    For the first time, she let Archie speak. ¡°Any questions?¡±


    ¡°Um¡ªI thought I¡¯d be cooking.¡±


    The woman looked at Archie with an expressionless face. She held her hands together in silence. ¡°Our kitchen is at capacity. Besides, cooking? As a new student at the Academy? You¡¯d make half as much coin. No, this will do well for you.¡±


    She walked back through the doorway.


    ¡°There are always dishes, so there is always work. A servant will be by later with your lunch.¡±


    Before Archie could protest¡ªor even accept the job¡ªthe woman swung the door closed, leaving just him and the dishes.


    And so Archie began a war of attrition.


    He followed the woman¡¯s instructions dutifully. He figured she would know if he didn¡¯t. A dip into the first basin, wiping with a wiry sponge. A dip into the second, this time with the soap. A dip into the third, then set to dry.


    One down. One or two or three hundred to go.


    Fortunately, the plates came from a hungry bunch. With the exception of some of the serving trays, hardly a scrap remained. Some grease or oil or the occasional sauce, sure. But nothing solid to identify what royal food had graced these plates.


    By the end of the first hour, Archie understood the woman¡¯s comment about losing his skin. The hot water pruned his fingers, and the sponge seemed to become sharper and sharper with each wipe. He slowed down¡ªbut just a bit. The fear of the woman coming through the door spurred him on. Even when he stopped to take a breather every few minutes, he still held a plate over the sink just in case he needed to look busy.


    After over an hour, Archie took a moment to admire his work. Nearly a third of the dishes had been washed.


    And then the door opened.


    Archie panicked and grabbed a plate, not wanting to be caught not working. But instead of the harsh woman, the one standing in the doorway wore the well-pressed clothes of a servant and didn¡¯t seem likely to bite his head off.


    ¡°Was told to get you for lunch,¡± she squeaked. She took Archie down the hallway and into the servant¡¯s break room. Through another door, he could hear what sounded like a dozen Chefs running around the kitchen. He thought he spotted Hyssop and Juniper, two Chefs from his class, but he was still working to pair faces to names.


    The servant went into the kitchen and came back with two plates of food. A roast chicken, complete with adorning vegetables. Good eating for a servant. They ate in relative silence¡ªthe air in the room seemed too thick to penetrate with idle chatter.


    After lunch, Archie walked back down the hall. He figured that some grand dining room sat between the kitchen, servant room, and dishwashing room. He started to imagine its luxurious cushioned chairs and the artwork on the walls, but the daydream was cut short by the nightmare of the dishwashing room.


    Two servants had just finished setting down a new stack of dirty plates and left through the other door in a rush. Archie frowned and got back to work. A minute later, the servants came again with another stack each.


    ¡°What¡ª¡± Archie began.


    ¡°Lunch time,¡± a servant explained before rushing out again.


    Archie got to work. Fifteen minutes later, the servants returned with even more plates. Archie¡¯s mouth dropped.


    ¡°Second course,¡± they explained.


    ¡°Second? Of how many?¡±


    Archie received no answer. Instead, he received two more heaps of plates over the next thirty minutes. When a third stack came with the finality of ¡°that¡¯s dessert¡± from one of the servants, Archie stopped scrubbing and looked at the counter of dirty dishes. He felt like crying. The stack had grown since he had started.


    He thought about how he ended up scrubbing dishes. He thought of the Induction Ceremony. Nori, still a stranger, looking at him with desperation in her eyes. However thorny and unagreeable that girl had turned out to be, she didn¡¯t deserve whatever fate her father had cornered her with.


    As Archie worked for the next few hours, he tried to figure out what had been on each plate, but the lack of crumbs left him stumped. Instead, he imagined the scene in the dining hall. The royal family, a half dozen advisors, maybe a dozen more lords and ladies that were passing through the capitol, all laughing and chatting and eating their fill.


    As he ate his dinner, he tried to peek through the kitchen and into the dining room. No luck. Instead of seeing some grand setup, he only saw a large group of overworked Chefs of all ranks clawing at each other¡¯s throats as they struggled to get their meals out on time. Archie was glad the kitchen was too full for him. He hated the rushing, angry culture that had infested so many kitchens. Maybe it was just Petrichor¡¯s pitiful turnout, but he liked being able to chop vegetables a little slowly and letting sauces simmer a little longer.


    Archie scrubbed and scrubbed and his mind went blank as he scrubbed some more. Each hour of manual labor dulled his mind and sharpened the pains in his joints.


    Finally, the harsh woman returned. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s eight o¡¯clock,¡± she announced as she entered the room.


    Archie was elbow-deep in the sink. She smiled at that. Then she looked at the pile of dirty plates. Dinner had come and gone, and the plates came in as quickly as Archie could put them out.


    She nodded in approval.


    ¡°There seems to have been no increase in our backlog. Good job.¡± She dropped five silver coins into Archie¡¯s pruny hand.


    ¡°Thank you. Um, ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Is this amount of plates normal? I mean, do they really eat this much?¡±


    ¡°Prince Waldorf? Well, he had a couple of friends over,¡± she said in a matter-of-fact voice.


    ¡°Prince¡­Waldorf?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is his section of the keep.¡±


    ¡°And there were just three of them?¡±


    She turned to leave. ¡°You may go now. Thank you for your work.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Archie looked back at the mound of plates in disbelief.


    ¡°There¡¯s always dishes, so there¡¯s always work,¡± she added.

 Chapter 15 - Dirt & Olive Branches

    Archie spent his final day before classes started by lounging around the lake as the soreness of a day of dishwashing set in. The next day, the first-years were instructed to take flower pots down to the fields for their first official class.


    Archie tried to use the elevator-noodle, imagining it expanding the same way he had imagined the noodle strengthening during the feast. But after a few fruitless plucks at the noodle, Archie and his roommates resigned to taking turns cranking the wheel to lower the elevator, an exercise that left them all out of breath by the time they reached Head Chef Quince out in the fields.


    ¡°Y¡¯all really should work on y¡¯all¡¯s fitness,¡± Quince said with his heavy southern Kuutsan accent. He wore a straw hat that blocked the sun but still squinted out of habit. Archie noted the double contraction of y¡¯all¡¯s. ¡°I should talk to Headmaster Aubergine about adding some runnin¡¯ to y¡¯all¡¯s coursework. Y¡¯all know he jogs every morning around the lake?¡±


    Archie wanted to complain about having heard enough about Aubergine¡¯s jogs, but he didn¡¯t he couldn¡¯t catch his breath enough to start.


    Quince took the entire class out into an old unused farmfield. Grass and weeds and thorny briars grew over the dirt, making it look less like a plot for farming and more like a patchy green blanket with brown holes.


    ¡°How would you describe this field?¡± he asked no one in particular.


    Silence. The pressure of answering the first question posed to them as official students kept their lips vacuum-sealed.


    ¡°You,¡± Quince said with a smile, relishing his ability to torture the nervous students.


    His finger picked out Barley, whose eyes widened. Archie could see Barley¡¯s neck muscles tense to keep his jaw shut. Quince raised his eyebrows in anticipation. They waited like that for a while.


    Finally, Barley answered. ¡°Flat. Big. Wild?¡± Each answer came out at a higher pitch like a deflating balloon.


    Quince shook his head. ¡°You.¡± This time he pointed at Oliver.


    ¡°I mean it¡¯s kind of a dump,¡± Oliver answered with no hesitation.


    Quince shook his head a little harder. ¡°You.¡± Nori.


    She thought for a moment. ¡°Uncared for?¡±


    Quince smiled. ¡°Uncared for,¡± he repeated thoughtfully. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Nori.¡± She fixed her posture and spoke with force, her proper upbringing showing in the way she carried herself.


    ¡°Nori. That was a very good answer, Nori.¡±


    Nori smiled from ear to ear.


    Archie frowned. Somehow, her victory was his loss.


    ¡°Uncared for. Unloved. Forgotten,¡± Quince said. ¡°How would that make y¡¯all feel?¡±


    The students exchanged looks.


    ¡°Are we supposed to answer that?¡± Oliver whispered.


    ¡°The soil wants to grow things. It¡¯s in its nature. If you could ask the soil what it wanted to do, it would answer, ¡®nourish.¡¯¡±


    Quince let them think in silence for a moment. ¡°A farmer knows how to use things like compost and mulch and manure and crop rotations to get the most out of their soil. You¡¯ll be learning these things too starting today.


    ¡°But a Chef. A Chef knows how to use essence. With the right skills, a Chef can grow in a day what a farmer grows in weeks. A Chef can grow summer crops in the snow. A Chef can grow a lemon with enough juice to fill a bucket.


    ¡°But a Chef can only do these things by caring. So walk the field. Fill your flower pot with soil. But do so deliberately. And then, every morning this week, we will bring that flower pot outside into the sun, and we will care for it.¡±


    ¡°Are we supposed to plant anything in it?¡± Oliver asked.


    ¡°No. That will be next week. For now, the only thing I want you to plant is your essence.¡±


    ¡°So, how do we¡­do that?¡± Cress asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you already. You care for it. The first few times you use your essence are the hardest. You really just gotta feel it out. Right now, your bodies don¡¯t know what essence feels like. Don''t know what to look for. Once you find that feeling, you can start to use it.¡±


    Archie waited for further explanation. It never came.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a week for most of you. We¡¯ll spend mornings out here,¡± Quince said. ¡°And then in the afternoons we¡¯ll get out of this heat and I¡¯ll teach you the more standard farming principles. We¡¯ll have to grab textbooks out of one of the closets.¡±


    The class groaned and dragged their feet as they walked off into the field to fill their pots.


    Archie looked for an advantage over Nori. He hurried over to Benedict. Blue Orchards had sponsored Benedict, so maybe he knew a little extra something about farming.


    ¡°Hey Benny. So, do you think there¡¯s like, a secret to this?¡±


    ¡°To¡­what?¡± Benedict asked.


    ¡°You know. Putting soil in the pot.¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯d say the secret is to make sure the pot is right-side up so the soil doesn¡¯t fall out.¡±


    ¡°Funny.¡±


    Benedict grinned, then sighed. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. I swear Blue Orchards just sponsored me because I¡¯m tall.¡±


    ¡°Why does that matter?¡±


    Benedict mimed reaching up and plucking a fruit.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    They sighed and looked around. Perhaps someone else had figured something else out.


    They spotted Julienne. Star student, amazing potential, Julienne. He scooped up soil with one hand and plopped it into the pot. Nothing special.


    Cress sat in the dirt and used both hands to scoop dirt into her pot. Nothing special.


    Oliver hacked at the dirt with the edge of his pot in order to fill it. Especially nothing special.


    Blanche bent over, placed her hand flat to the ground, and then moved on without grabbing any dirt.


    Special!


    They dashed over to Blanche, who seemed oblivious to anything but the dirt beneath her.


    ¡°Hey Blanche,¡± Archie said.


    ¡°Oh, hi Archie. Hi Benedict.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Hi¡ª¡± Archie started.


    ¡°Hi Blanche!¡± Benedict interrupted, looking at her like a lovesick puppy. She conceded an awkward smile and nodded at him.


    ¡°So uhh,¡± Archie started. ¡°So uhh¡ªwhat are¡ªI noticed that you¡ªyou know.¡±


    Blanche¡¯s eyebrows raised in anticipation of something coherent.


    Benedict tried to jump in, but did no better. ¡°Why¡ªuh¡ªwell, we were just over there, and¡ª¡±


    Blanche giggled. Archie cleared his throat and continued with a resolve to not seem as helpless as Benedict.


    ¡°Why did you not use that soil over there?¡±


    ¡°Oh. I¡­¡± Blanche¡¯s voice trailed off. She looked back thoughtfully at the previous spot. ¡°I don¡¯t know, actually. I just feel like¡­this spot¡­is better.¡± She laughed. ¡°It¡­¡± She seemed embarrassed to say it. ¡°It speaks to me?¡±


    Archie and Benedict looked at each other and nodded. Bingo. They bent simultaneously, scooping dirt into their pots.


    Once they cleared out, Nori, who had kept a watchful eye, took some of the same soil.


    After a nice morning lecture spent in the sun, the students returned their pots to their rooms, ate, and then rejoined Quince for an unpleasant afternoon lecture spent hovering over books.


    And that became their week. The students would kick around during the mornings, staring at their pots, putting their pots near the lake, raising their pots to the wind, looking for anything that might unlock the secret. On the third morning, Quince went from student to student, commenting on their plain pots of soil.


    ¡°Hm, not quite.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something there.¡±


    ¡°Keep at it.¡±


    And finally, to Blanche, ¡°yes! You¡¯ve got it exactly. Very impressive, Blanche, very impressive.¡±


    As Blanche walked away, Archie rushed over to her, arriving at the same time as Nori.


    ¡°Hi Blanche,¡± Archie said while giving Nori the side eye. ¡°So I was wondering¡­Um. Well. Yeah¡ªyeah, basically¡ª¡±


    Nori stared him down. ¡°I think he¡¯s trying to ask for help but is too embarrassed.¡±


    Blanche laughed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. What is it?¡±


    ¡°So, I got my soil from the same place as you¡ª¡± Archie said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Nori interrupted.


    Archie gave her a dirty look and continued. ¡°But¡­well, you got a ¡®very impressive¡¯ and I got a ¡®you¡¯re getting close¡¯ and Nori got even worse.¡±


    ¡°Did not,¡± she protested. ¡°He said ¡®keep trying.¡¯ As in, keep doing what I¡¯m doing and I¡¯ll achieve great results. Obviously.¡±


    ¡°Anyways,¡± Archie continued, ¡°I was wondering what you were doing differently.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, I don¡¯t know,¡± Blanche said. ¡°I mean, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Same thing as everyone else, right?¡± Archie looked at the rest of the class.


    Half of them sat cross-legged in the dirt, both hands holding their pot in their lap. Cress sang softly to her pot. Akando seemed to meditate with his. Oliver laid flat on his back, holding the pot to the sky with outstretched arms.


    ¡°Guessing,¡± Nori clarified.


    Blanche laughed. ¡°I guess I just¡­I thought about what Head Chef Quince said. About what the soil wants. Its nature.¡±


    ¡°And¡­then what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just¡­felt something.¡± Blanche shrugged. ¡°Then Head Chef Quince came by and said I was doing it right.¡±


    Archie and Nori looked at each other and sighed. They were no closer to figuring things out. ¡°Thanks, Blanche,¡± they said in unison as they got up to leave.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Blanche said. ¡°I knew I was right before he told me. I could¡­tell that I was doing something. Like, the soil told me before Head Chef Quince did.¡±


    Archie¡¯s brain worked overtime all afternoon. He repeated Quince¡¯s and Blanche¡¯s statements back to himself, hoping to find a spark in the darkness of his ignorance. He thought of nothing else until he found himself eating dinner alone in the great hall.


    An olive landed on his plate. He looked up. Nori had just tossed the olive and now put a single chopstick down on Archie¡¯s plate.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Olive.¡± She took a breath. ¡°Branch.¡±


    Archie held the chopstick up. ¡°Branch?¡±


    ¡°Would you rather me get a dirty stick? It¡¯s a peace offering, just take it.¡±


    Archie sighed. He had been beaten. In their petty race to the bottom, he hadn¡¯t realized that the only way to win their fight was to be the first to rise above it. ¡°No. I¡­I appreciate the gesture.¡±


    ¡°We have to work together,¡± Nori explained. ¡°We should at least try to not hate each other.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize we hated each other,¡± Archie said with feigned surprise. He knew his sarcasm spat in the face of her attempted reconciliation, but he couldn¡¯t help himself.


    Nori tilted her head with impatience.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Archie conceded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was¡­I¡¯m sensitive about some things, I guess. I said¡­I called you a brat. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I don¡¯t know you. You¡¯ve clearly had a tough week and I shouldn¡¯t rush to make any judgments about you.¡±


    While Archie meant what he said, there was still a part of him that claimed victory for being the first one to launch such a substantial apology.


    ¡°Yeah. I said some things, too.¡± She sat down with her food. ¡°I¡¯ve been¡­well, you dream of running away your whole life. Turns out that doesn¡¯t make it easy.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s tough for anyone to leave their parents. Maybe even harder without their blessing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Nori thought about it and nodded. ¡°Yeah. So, let¡¯s start fresh. We can work together on this soil thing. What¡¯ve you figured out?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Archie leaned back and sighed. ¡°I figured out that it¡¯s going to be a long time before I¡¯m good enough at magic to do anything cool.¡±


    Nori laughed. With the bias of his resentment gone, Archie noticed how charming her laugh was. There was a little lilting giggle to it. ¡°Well, it¡¯s like Head Chef Quince said. The first magic is the hardest. I¡¯ve had a lot of cousins go through the academies. They all started slow, but by the end of the year, they could do all kinds of stuff.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­the Harpers are fighters as much as we are cooks. So it depends on what you consider cool. I had one cousin that could descale a fish by swiping his hand across it. Another one¡ªthe best fighter¡ªhe can turn his hand into a lobster claw. Although maybe that was his second year.¡±


    Archie gravitated toward the second thing. ¡°Cool.¡± He clapped his fingers to his thumb repeatedly, imaging the claw. Nori laughed again. Archie smiled. ¡°So, yeah. The soil. Where are you at with it?¡±


    ¡°Ehhhh¡­about the same as you, I think. I¡¯ve felt a little something moving back and forth from me to the soil, but¡­I definitely don¡¯t have it yet.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡ªthat¡ªuh, tingle. I got that too. I guess that¡¯s essence?¡± Archie looked at his fingertips. ¡°Now we just have to figure out how to use it.¡±


    Oliver sat down next to them with a plate of noodles five inches high. Archie¡¯s and Nori¡¯s raised eyebrows begged a question.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a lot,¡± Oliver answered. ¡°Turns out my sponsor hired me with the expectation that I would be good at cooking pasta. Why? Because I¡¯m from Labrusca. So I must know how to make pasta, right?. I don¡¯t know how to make pasta! I had to get Julienne to teach me over the weekend!¡±


    Archie had never seen Oliver so worked up. Typically the class clown, now the stressed student, rubbing his eye sockets and forgetting to breathe. Archie struggled to not laugh.


    ¡°At this rate, I¡¯m going to have to find a new sponsor next year,¡± Oliver complained. ¡°That is, if they don¡¯t find some way to boot me before then.¡±


    Archie idly grabbed at a noodle, pulling it from the pile.


    ¡°Yeah, sure, help yourself,¡± Oliver said, raising his hands in confused frustration.


    Nori brought them back to their original conversation. ¡°Okay, so how do we use our essence?¡±


    Oliver laughed. ¡°Thinking about your little pot of dirt, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Nori shot him a nasty look. ¡°Blanche is the only one that¡¯s made real progress. But even she doesn¡¯t know how she did it.¡±


    Oliver shrugged and repeated the line that had brought all of the students solace that week. ¡°The first bit of magic is the hardest. Nori, can you swim?¡±


    She looked back at him with a stone cold expression. ¡°I¡¯m from Uroko. You know, the place with all the islands? Of course I can swim.¡±


    Oliver took a deep, frustrated breath. ¡°Well, I¡¯m from Labrusca and I can¡¯t make a bowl of¡ªyou know what, nevermind. How do you teach someone how to swim? You tell them to kick their arms and legs, sure, but they¡¯re not gonna learn until you lower them into the water.¡±


    ¡°My parents just threw me in the water,¡± Nori said.


    ¡°How enlightening,¡± Oliver said. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to think about what the equivalent of that would be for this school. My point is¡­you can¡¯t be taught how to swim the butterfly stroke until you¡¯ve figured out the doggy paddle on your own. Some things have to be learned on your own, not taught.¡±


    Nori narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°So¡­you¡¯re not a complete idiot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks. Think you can put that on a letter of recommendation while I go begging another restaurant to sponsor me?¡±


    Archie sat through the conversation with a daydreaming, thoughtful expression. When Nori looked at him, he snapped out of his trance with an idea.


    ¡°Pull this,¡± he said, dangling the noodle in front of Nori.


    She sighed again. ¡°Can you focus?¡±


    Archie wiggled the noodle. Nori blinked at him a few times before conceding and pulling the noodle. It broke in two.


    Archie nodded and pulled another noodle off Oliver¡¯s plate. He dangled it in front of Nori again.


    They stared at each other. Archie wiggled the noodle again. Oliver looked back and forth between the two as if they were crazy. Nori sighed and pulled the noodle¡ªharder this time. It broke.


    Archie took a third noodle and dangled it again. Nori¡¯s hands remained at her side.


    ¡°Last one,¡± Archie insisted.


    Nori pulled. The noodle remained intact. Nori yanked at it. Nothing. She yanked again. Nothing.


    Nori¡¯s mouth hung open. ¡°You figured something out,¡± she said.


    Archie grinned back. ¡°Where¡¯s Blanche?¡±

 Chapter 16 - Tell That to the Dirt

    ¡°Blanche!¡± Archie ran across the great hall to Blanche, Nori and Oliver trailing behind. ¡°Can I see your pot?¡±


    The nearby students exchanged confused looks. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can just ask a girl that, Archie,¡± Cress said.


    ¡°What? No, it¡¯s¡ªthe soil!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Blanche brushed her brown bangs off her black eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s in my room¡­let me¡­go¡­grab it, I guess.¡±


    Archie realized how overwhelming his excitement must have been and attempted to pivot into a cooler, relaxed persona. He failed to make the change subtle. ¡°Yeah, sure. Cool. Sounds good. I¡¯ll meet you down at the lounge in a bit.¡±


    Blanche offered an awkward smile and walked away.


    Cress offered Archie an overly enthusiastic thumbs-up. ¡°Good save, Arch.¡±


    Archie sighed. Oliver chuckled. Nori did her best not to join him, trying to preserve her newfound peace with Archie.


    Archie waited for a while so that he wouldn¡¯t be awkwardly following Blanche, then set out for the lounge with a group of curious students in tow. Blanche waited with her pot, which she held out to Archie. He placed his palm flat on the soil, took a deep breath, and nodded.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, withdrawing his hand. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Blanche withdrew her pot and looked to the other students for an explanation. ¡°You''re welcome?¡±


    ¡°Soooo,¡± Nori said. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you tomorrow in class. Or I won¡¯t¡­if it doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    That night, Archie spent an hour in his room with one hand flat against the soil in his pot as his roommate watched.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Benedict asked.


    ¡°Blanche told him some secret or something,¡± Oliver explained.


    Benedict perked up. ¡°Blanche? Told him a secret? Who was it about?¡±


    ¡°It was about dirt,¡± Oliver said dismissively. ¡°Cool your eggs, Benny.¡±


    ¡°So¡­what¡¯d she tell you?¡± Benedict asked Archie.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what she told me,¡± he answered. His roommates leaned forward, waiting for the second part of a statement that never came. Archie just stared down at his pot of soil.


    Oliver leaned over to Benedict. ¡°He¡¯s gone crazy.¡±


    The next morning, Archie presented his pot to Quince out in the field. Quince looked at the dirt, then back up at Archie with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s it right there.¡±


    The students swarmed Archie, pushing Quince aside.


    ¡°How¡¯d you do it?¡± Benedict asked.


    ¡°What changed?¡± Oliver demanded.


    Nori pinched the back of Archie¡¯s arm. ¡°What¡¯d you do?¡±


    Archie offered a little triumphant laugh and looked into the clear sky.


    When was the last time the sun felt this good?


    He looked back at Nori. ¡°It was the noodle.¡±


    Her eyebrows raised, their arches propped up by her confusion.


    ¡°The noodle!¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Told you he¡¯s gone crazy,¡± Oliver muttered to Benedict.


    ¡°The. Noodle!¡±


    ¡°Okay, Archie,¡± Nori said, holding her hands up for him to stop. ¡°Saying ¡®the noodle¡¯ over and over isn¡¯t going to help me understand.¡±


    ¡°That night¡ªin the great hall¡ªwhen we drank the moondrop wine and you pulled me down with the noodle. To do that we had to make it stronger.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°You showed me how to do it!


    ¡°What? I didn¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°But you did.¡± Archie¡¯s words spilled out of him. ¡°Because you did it first. And then when you did it, I felt the change. And then I did it.¡±


    Nori grabbed Archie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Can you¡­just, like, take a breath? And then start explaining things in a way that makes sense.¡±


    Archie obliged her. He made an exaggerated show of breathing in, his chest expanding. His words slowed down to a normal pace. His tone, however, retained his excitement.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°It¡¯s like¡­the Ambrosial essence has its own language. Or it is the language. And when you strengthened that noodle, I felt the essence change. That new way that it was put together¡­was like a word. And that word was ¡®strengthen the noodle.¡¯ So then I just repeated the word.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s smart, Archie.¡± Quince, having kept an ear open to the conversation, walked over to the group. ¡°Language,¡± he nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard it said that way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. So when I touched Blanche¡¯s pot¡ªsince we knew she was successful¡ªI just¡­listened for a word. And that word was slightly different than the word coming from my soil. So I added the missing part of the word to my soil.¡±


    ¡°There it is,¡± Quince said with pride. ¡°You¡¯re hearing the essence. The fact you can hear the difference is impressive. Some people¡­it¡¯s like having an ear for music. You can pick out the right notes just from hearing the song. But hearing the notes and being able to play them is very different.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not as good as Blanche¡¯s,¡± Archie conceded.


    Quince laughed. ¡°Blanche¡¯s soil is¡­well. She¡¯s exceptional. If she were a third-year, I¡¯d still be impressed. But she¡¯s not even a second-week. It¡¯s a touch of genius. A full-fledged symphony is in that there soil. You can pick out the notes, but you won¡¯t be able to play that symphony without practice. But, you have the tune already, and that¡¯s a great start.¡±


    Blanche smiled at her pot like a mother would smile at her baby. ¡°A symphony¡­¡± she said to herself.


    Oliver stomped straight through the happy moment, crudely sticking a finger into Archie¡¯s soil and then into his own. ¡°I can¡¯t tell the difference,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Archie complained as he pulled the pot away, shielding it from any other potential violators.


    ¡°Most of you won¡¯t be able to just yet,¡± Quince explained. ¡°But you can learn. We all have different natural affinities. To borrow Archie¡¯s language metaphor, essence sorta takes on a different accent depending on what it occupies. The more you expose yourself to that accent, the better you¡¯ll be able to understand it. That¡¯s where it starts. Understanding. Eventually, you can force the accent yourself. And then you can learn to sound like a natural.


    ¡°So Oliver, you can¡¯t understand the soil¡¯s accent. But you¡¯re probably a natural at some other accent. At the ceremony, when we looked for your affinity, we were looking for the things you could naturally understand already.


    ¡°You can still learn the soil''s accent. And you should. That way when you plant an apple seed, which has a different accent than your soil, you can teach them how to communicate with each other properly.¡±


    Quince started to walk away, muttering to himself, ¡°language, that¡¯s good. I¡¯mma use that.¡±


    Archie relished the spotlight. Everyone came over to touch his soil, to feel for a difference, to ask how he had figured it out. Meanwhile, Blanche¡ªwith her far superior soil¡ªwandered off toward the lake, preferring to keep to herself and her pot.


    The students touched Archie¡¯s soil, ran back to their own, then eagerly presented their pot to Quince.


    ¡°No change. Nope. Nothing.¡± Of the first ten students, only Nori seemed to have moved in the right direction. ¡°I told y¡¯all,¡± Quince said, ¡°not everyone has an ear for music. Some of you are going to have to learn your basic chords, first.¡±


    Once the more familiar students had taken turns with Archie¡¯s soil, Julienne approached, Yarrow following closely behind.


    ¡°Hi. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve formally met. I¡¯m Julienne.¡± The boy stuck out his hand. Archie shook it and took his first good look at Julienne¡¯s face.


    Dark, nearly black hair ribboned down in waves across his pale forehead. His cheeks were shallow with prominent cheekbones. His thin nose had a little bulge in the middle to give it shape. He had a sort of half-reptilian, half-fox beauty.


    ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Archie.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Yarrow,¡± the boy behind Julienne said. He didn¡¯t offer to shake hands and gave no indication that he had spent an entire day riding with Archie just a week earlier. Archie internalized a shrug and nodded back to Yarrow.


    ¡°Would you mind helping me out?¡± Julienne asked. He avoided eye contact and a slight air of frustration slipped out with his voice. ¡°Head Chef Quince said that I was good but¡­good¡¯s not good enough.¡±


    Something pained came out at the end, prompting Archie¡¯s pity.


    ¡°Sure.¡± He held his pot out.


    The awkwardness of the situation was not lost on Julienne. A nervous chuckle slipped out. He looked around uncomfortably before gently placing a hand on the soil. But then the look of awkwardness faded away, replaced by a look of curiosity.


    ¡°I liked what you said about language,¡± Julienne said. He kept his hand on the soil. Archie smelled his breath. Fruity. A hint of orange. ¡°Even just thinking about it that way¡ªof talking to the soil¡ªit helped. Did your dad teach you that?¡±


    ¡°No. He¡­My mom taught me how to cook, but that¡¯s it. The uh¡ªthe soil around where I come from isn¡¯t very good. We couldn¡¯t really grow much around the restaurant. We got our stuff from other places.¡±


    Julienne nodded. ¡°Sorry. Well, it looks like you¡¯re a natural at this. Maybe one day you can go home and¡­fix the soil?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be nice. Better Chefs have tried. Did your dad teach you any of this?¡± Archie asked, knowing the answer would certainly be yes. Someone named Julienne from the family that owns Cafe Julienne? That¡¯s not someone that got to play with bugs as a kid.


    ¡°No. That was my uncle, Julienne. Uncle Julienne.¡±


    ¡°Is your dad named Julienne, too?¡±


    Julienne laughed and shook his head. He looked down at the pot, his hand still planted on the soil. ¡°No. My family¡ªthey only name one person Julienne per generation. It¡¯s their way of choosing who inherits the restaurant.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­I mean, not to put any pressure on you, but that¡¯s a lot of¡­pressure. How do they decide which baby to name Julienne?¡±


    Julienne offered a sad laugh. ¡°Yeah, it is a lot. But they don¡¯t name the baby Julienne.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they name their babies like anyone else¡­and once per generation, they pick the kid that¡¯s shown the most during the festivals and give them the name.¡±


    ¡°So wait¡­They changed your name? That¡¯s¡­crazy. How old were you?¡±


    ¡°Eleven.¡±


    Archie thought about what it would be like to stop being Archie. Would he still feel connected to his childhood memories? Would he feel pressured to live a new life? To change his personality? ¡°What¡¯s your real name?¡±


    ¡°Julienne.¡± He took a breath and smiled, taking his hand off the soil. ¡°I think I understand a bit better now, thanks.¡±


    Julienne walked away, replaced by Yarrow, who stuck his hand on the soil for a moment and squinted in feigned thought. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± he said as he left and returned to Julienne.


    Archie watched Julienne for a while before setting back to his own pot. After an hour, Archie heard Quince congratulate Julienne¡¯s progress.


    But the sadness of their conversation didn¡¯t leave Archie. Julienne had spurred Archie to think profound, philosophical thoughts about the self and identity¡ªuntil Nori interrupted him. She ran up to him at the end of the day to compare soil.


    ¡°I think I caught up,¡± she cheered. Archie felt both pots. He hated to admit it, but she had.


    ¡°Yeah, almost. It¡¯s close,¡± he conceded, keeping the full truth of her success to himself.


    ¡°What do you mean? They¡¯re identical! Don¡¯t be sour just because¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI¡¯m not¡ª¡± Archie fired back. But then he thought of the olive branch and took a deep breath. ¡°Sorry. Good job.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I know it can be hard to witness such skill.¡± Nori tilted her face up to Archie¡¯s, her dark brown eyes staring into his blue ones, her little mischievous smile goading him to start a fight.


    Archie shook his head and laughed. He wouldn¡¯t play her game. He knew he¡¯d lose.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat to celebrate your resounding success.¡±

 Chapter 17 - Blueberries

    ¡°You¡¯re banned from The Gift.¡±


    Archie and Nori looked at each other, then back to Rowan. ¡°Banned?¡± they asked in unison.


    ¡°I told you that I opened The Gift to cook for people that deserved cooking for. You two need to ask yourselves¡­do you deserve to be cooked with?¡±


    Archie waited for Rowan to laugh. To reveal that it was all a joke. To clap like he always did and then explain why their sponsor had called them out to the fields by the lake.


    But Rowan didn¡¯t laugh. The starkness of his face made his wrinkles seem harsher. His smokey voice no longer felt like a hug. Deep in those hickory notes, Archie heard only disappointment.


    Nori looked just as confused as Archie. ¡°What¡¯d we do?¡± she asked.


    That got Rowan to laugh, but it wasn¡¯t a laugh that Archie liked. ¡°What did you learn working for me last week?¡±


    Nori¡¯s mouth hung open as she tried to find an answer. Archie also came up empty.


    ¡°Well, I mean¡­¡± Archie knew he was just getting himself in more trouble, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself. ¡°We¡¯ve just been making stew and bread. There¡¯s not much to learn¡­¡±


    Rowan nodded and looked at Nori. ¡°Is that how you feel?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­a little?¡±


    ¡°Tell me the name of one person that we¡¯ve served.¡± Rowan crossed his arms.


    Archie closed his eyes as he realized his failure. Nori looked at the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Rowan scolded. ¡°You two spent all day arguing with each other over nothing. You didn¡¯t connect with anyone. You didn¡¯t make a new friend. You haven¡¯t even made friends with each other.¡±


    Archie¡¯s dad could hardly make him feel so ashamed. ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve been getting along recently¡ª¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Rowan said in a tone that was anything but. He pointed out into the wild forest and hills that stretched across the horizon. ¡°Because you two are going to be spending all your time together out there.¡±


    Archie and Nori looked into the thicket of trees. ¡°Doing¡­what?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°Picking blueberries.¡±


    Again, Archie waited for a punchline that never came. When a Black Jacket first offered to sponsor him, he thought he would be curating gourmet experiences with a dozen courses. Not stew and bread. And he certainly didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be picking berries in the wilderness.


    ¡°There are four kinds of blueberry bushes,¡± Rowan continued, paying no mind to the shocked faces of the students. ¡°Rabbiteye. Lowbush. Highbush. Half-high.¡± He fished a blueberry out of his pocket and tossed it to Archie. ¡°What kind of bush did that come from?¡±


    Archie studied it as if he had known there were four bush types more than five seconds ago. He had nothing. He showed it to Nori, who shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I want you to be able to tell me the difference,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Not by physical characteristics. By essence.¡±


    Archie already felt like a disappointment. ¡°We just started learning¡­I mean, we¡¯re just learning how to put essence in soil.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­Distinguishing the differences in essence between blueberry bushes seems¡­like a big leap.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Archie looked to Nori for help. She shrugged.


    ¡°How do we do that?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Same way you learn anything. Through hard work. You need to develop an affinity for blueberries. That means you need to pick them. You need to cook with them. You need to eat them. Only then will you understand them. So to get you started¡­different bushes need different temperatures. You might be able to find them mixed together, but in general¡­¡±


    He pointed to the south. ¡°Rabbiteye does the best in the warmth. It gets a little warmer south as the elevation lowers. If you hit the ocean, you¡¯ve gone too far.¡±


    He pointed to the north. ¡°Highbushes are going to be the most trouble. They need the coldest winter, so you might only be able to find them in the highlands. Lowbushes will be all over the forest. Half-highs will be¡­halfway between.¡±


    Archie still couldn¡¯t wrap his head around the mundanity of his new assignment. ¡°The highlands? That¡¯s gotta be, what, four hours of walking? One way!¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°Do it toward the end, then. Once you¡¯ve already figured out some of the lowbush varieties and gotten a feel for the essence.¡±


    Nori cleared her throat. ¡°How long will we be picking blueberries?¡±


    Rowan clicked his tongue and leaned his head back in thought. ¡°Well¡­blueberries were at their best last month. Once we start getting close to winter, you¡¯re not going to find any fruit. So I guess you have a little over a month.¡±


    ¡°You want us picking blueberries for a month?!¡±


    ¡°And cooking with them. And eating them.¡±


    Archie felt like the conversation had just begun, but Rowan was already walking away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come check on you in a couple weeks,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Oh, and if you¡¯re curious if you got the right blueberry, you should try asking it. They¡¯re quite unlike people in that¡­they always know who they are.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°This is not what I was expecting,¡± Archie complained as he probed at a bush with his walking stick. Two hours of searching had yielded nothing.


    Nori sighed. ¡°Well, it sucks, but we shouldn¡¯t complain. He is paying for us.¡±


    No, he¡¯s paying for me. I¡¯M paying for you.


    They walked parallel to each other, taking high steps through the brush and skirting around the trees in their search for blueberries.


    ¡°Besides,¡± Nori continued. ¡°He wants us to learn to cook with blueberries, too. That¡¯s exciting. We don¡¯t really cook much with blueberries in Uroko.¡±


    Archie looked up at her. She continued to scan the foliage as she waded through it. Archie had never heard her mention home without her seeming frustrated. He saw the opportunity to press.


    ¡°So, Nori¡­We¡¯re gonna be out here every week for who knows how long¡­¡±


    ¡°And what? We should get to know each other?¡± She flashed a coy look at him.


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Archie averted her gaze, kicking at a bush to check for any flashes of blue.


    ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± Archie struggled to think of a meaningful question, so he stuck with the classics. ¡°Do you have any siblings?¡±


    ¡°Three. Two brothers, one sister. All older.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow. Are they Chefs?¡±


    ¡°Two of them. One of my brothers never manifested, so he made up for his ¡®great shame¡¯ by becoming one of the youngest generals in Urokan history.¡±


    ¡°Wait, like. A general general? Like¡­leader of armies general?¡±


    ¡°Yep. If you¡¯re a Harper and you¡¯re not a Chef, you better be the best at something else. What about you? Any siblings?¡±


    ¡°Only child.¡±


    Nori narrowed her eyes at him, a question brewing in her head. She cast the thought away, deciding to keep the conversation superficial for now. ¡°What about extended family?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­a couple of cousins. My dad was an only child. My mom has a sister that lives in Labrusca, so I never really got to see them. You?¡±


    Nori let out a little laugh. ¡°Well. I have like¡­fifteen cousins. Of course, I¡¯m the youngest of them, too. And that¡¯s just the main branch. There are offshoots¡ªoh! Oh!¡± Nori threw her walking stick down and submerged herself in a large bush, coming away with something in her hand. ¡°I found some!¡±


    Archie ran through the tall grass and bushes to reach Nori and examined the berries. ¡°Hm¡­kinda purple and red¡­.¡± He took one and tasted it. ¡°These are huckleberries.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Nori stared down at the berries as if she could change the truth with a look. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re too tart.¡±


    Nori tasted one, groaned, and threw the rest on the ground.


    Archie laughed and continued his search. ¡°What¡¯s that like? Being the youngest of everyone?¡±


    Nori took a deep breath. ¡°I wish I was a middle child. When you¡¯re the youngest and there¡¯s that big gap before someone else gets born, you get a lot of attention. You can¡¯t do anything good without someone noticing. It¡¯s nice at first, getting recognized, but then it becomes a burden. Every achievement becomes an expectation.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡­¡± Archie was afraid to say the words.


    ¡°Ran away from home?¡± Nori finished.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s part of it, yeah¡­It¡¯s like¡­I stopped being a real person. I was just this vessel for other people¡¯s expectations. My dad¡­I can¡¯t tell you how many times he told me, ¡®everything you do reflects on me.¡¯ I never got to be Nori. I always had to be Nori Harper.¡±


    The thought stirred something in Archie. They walked in silence for a moment, letting the birds fill the air with their songs.


    ¡°You¡¯re the opposite, aren¡¯t you?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°In some ways.¡± Archie kept his eyes to the ground as they walked. ¡°I want everything I do to be as a Kent.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Archie laughed at the simplicity of the question and the complexity of the answer. He had thought of it so often but spoken of it so rarely. ¡°Because¡­For so many generations, the Kents were revered. My dad never got to experience that.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re doing it for him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°But not for yourself?¡±


    Deep down, Archie knew there was a difference, but he couldn¡¯t make the distinction. ¡°I mean it¡¯s me. I want him to experience it, so I¡¯m doing it for me. It¡¯s what I want.¡±


    ¡°Is it what he wants?¡±


    Was it? Before Archie could find an answer, he found a blueberry. ¡°Oh, Nori! Look!¡±


    As the afternoon went on, their conversation steered away from the profound. They took turns telling stories about their upbringing. Archie told her about his mud pie restaurant. Nori told him about how she used to go to the bathroom during private tutor sessions and sneak out the window.


    After their first blueberry, they found many more, and while they had originally been excited to use them to make dinner, by the time they made it back to the kitchens, they were both too tired to cook. Luckily, leftover meals were easy to come by in a Culinary Academy.


    Reinvigorated by a budding friendship and a desire to make Rowan proud, they committed themselves to waking up early and spending all day in the kitchen. They dubbed it ¡°blueberry day.¡±


    ¡°So can you tell the difference?¡± Nori asked as Archie held a blueberry in each hand.


    In fleeting moments, he thought he could. But he no longer felt the competitive urge to exaggerate his own abilities to Nori. ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡± She zested lemon into a bowl of sugar. ¡°I was hoping it¡¯d be like you with the soil. Or the noodle. Do I do the vanilla now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Archie tossed the blueberries into a heating pot along with some syrup. ¡°I think I could tell the difference with those because that was like¡­the difference between it being there and it not being there. Here, it¡¯s all there. It¡¯s a more subtle difference. Have you never made pancakes?¡±


    ¡°I have.¡± Nori grabbed a couple of eggs. ¡°I just figured I¡¯d try to make them your way.¡±


    Archie smiled. With each hour they spent together, their times arguing seemed to move weeks into the past. ¡°We¡¯ll do the next meal your way.¡±


    They combined ricotta cheese, eggs, dairy, and flour, and a few minutes later, they had their first fluffy lemon ricotta pancake with blueberry syrup. Nori burst into giggles and glee as she shifted the plate back and forth, making the spongy pancake jiggle. Archie laughed with her and remembered the days of being a kid in Sain playing make-believe Chef.


    Their jubilation caught Oliver¡¯s attention.


    ¡°It smells good! Got one for me?¡±


    Nori looked at the blackened underside of the pancake, a typical casualty suffered by the first pancake of the batch. ¡°I¡¯ve got just the one.¡±


    Despite eating the worst pancake of the batch, Oliver still left with rave reviews. Word spread through the dormitories and out into the fields, and soon, Archie and Nori found themselves serving breakfast to nearly thirty students.


    Nori showed Archie how to make a blueberry zucchini bread with a little lime tang. They barely got a bite to themselves as their vulturous classmates picked the bread apart. They blew through lunch, satiated by the little taste tests they did throughout the morning.


    Despite standing all day, Archie¡¯s throat hurt long before his feet, the neverending conversation between him and Nori making his voice hoarse by the time they finished making a blueberry balsamic chicken salad for a late lunch.


    While they laughed and shared stories of their past, they planned for the future, baking blueberries and bananas into crispy oatmeal cups so that they wouldn¡¯t go hungry on their next foraging adventure. They put the leftover cups into the fridge in a bag labeled ¡°Archie + Nori¡± in an ambitious¡ªyet naive¡ªattempt to thwart would-be thieves. When Archie added the vanilla extract into the mix, he thought of home and wondered how his parents were doing.


    They took a breather out on the balcony of the lounge, looking down on a couple of older students that practiced combat in the field below. One student threw exploding tomatoes at the other, who struck them down with a spatula that shrank and grew on command.


    For dinner, Archie begged to make something without blueberries, but Nori insisted they use the last of their harvest. They raided the fridge to find something that would relegate blueberries to an accent flavor, finding a salmon filet.


    Throughout the day, Archie felt like he and Nori cooked as equals, but when they turned to seafood, Nori showed a new level of skill. She overwhelmed Archie with culinary tips as she displayed the expertise of the prodigy daughter of the world¡¯s greatest seafood restaurant. To stay on theme, they served the grilled salmon with blueberry sauce and blueberry lemonade¡ªvery heavy on the lemon to appease Archie¡¯s tiring taste buds.


    As Archie prepared for bed, he was afraid that he would never stop thinking about blueberries. But when his head hit his pillow, he couldn¡¯t think of anything other than Nori.

 Chapter 18 - The Thing That Was Sleeping

    Four weeks passed by in the blink of an eye as Archie settled into his new life in Ambrosia City.


    He brought a lemon-blueberry bar to Stop Him, who stopped assaulting Archie every time he went to wash dishes. So instead of bruises, Archie went home every Saturday night with raw fingers and aching knees. He tried to sneak peeks at Prince Waldorf, hoping to see how the Glutton could eat so much, but never found success.


    After having the class clean up the unkempt farmland, Quince tasked them to grow poppies from seed to bloom, a process which could take two or three months without the use of essence. Archie and Nori excelled, producing a bed of greens in just under four weeks. Nori even had the beginnings of one or two little green buds that poked out, teasing a potential bloom. Of course, by that time, Blanche already had petals for a week.


    Rowan went by the Academy for breakfast with Archie and Nori, and while he approved of Archie and Nori¡¯s newfound friendship, he still sent them out into the woods every week to pick blueberries. Week by week, they found more blueberries and made more delicious meals, and Archie started to recognize the difference in the essences of different varieties of blueberry.


    Everything felt right.


    At dinner, Nori plopped down next to Archie with a smile.


    ¡°Ready to pick some blueberries tomorrow?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s all you guys have to do for your sponsor,¡± Oliver complained as he twirled his fork around yet another poorly made plate of pasta.


    ¡°And we only have to do it on Fridays,¡± Nori teased.


    ¡°Not fair,¡± he muttered.


    Archie pulled a noodle out of the pile and tried to whip it around Oliver¡¯s cup.


    ¡°We¡¯re not that lucky,¡± Archie said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be brutally hot tomorrow. It¡¯s supposed to be fall! Why is it still so hot outside?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Ambrosia City for you,¡± Oliver said. ¡°We¡¯ll be lucky if it snows this winter.¡±


    ¡°I think we should go for the highbush tomorrow,¡± Nori said.


    ¡°You want to go out to the highlands?¡± Archie slapped the noodle against the cup again. He imagined lassoing it.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s the last blueberry we need. Then maybe Rowan will let us back in The Gift.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long walk. We¡¯ll have to leave early.¡±


    ¡°Before dawn.¡±


    Oliver looked at Archie. ¡°You better not wake me up when you get up.¡±


    Archie slung the noodle again. Despite only being long enough to wrap around half of the cup, the noodle continued to whip around, looping around the cup four times. Archie pulled in surprise, toppling the cup and spilling water into Oliver¡¯s lap. Archie looked at the noodle, which had grown twice as long. He held it up like a prize fish, laughing in astonishment at his achievement.


    ¡°Great,¡± Oliver said. ¡°I can¡¯t make pasta, but I have to or I lose my sponsor, and you can already do that and you just have to go pick blueberries all day. How does that happen?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Archie said, tossing the elongated noodle back onto Oliver¡¯s plate. ¡°I¡¯ve always liked pasta.¡±


    The next morning, equipped with a couple of waterskins and a bag full of snacks, Archie and Nori woke up before sunrise and set out. Even in the earliest hours of morning, the heat made Archie sweat by the time they got out into the fields. They walked along the lake, taking in the breeze for as long as they could before plunging into the forest.


    ¡°Have you talked to Julienne at all?¡± Archie asked as they plowed through waist-high ferns and weaved around trees. Over the last few weeks, they had exhausted most of their conversation options, forcing them to turn to their classmates for new ways of keeping their hikes interesting.


    ¡°Not really, why?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s kinda like¡­the Nori Harper of Labrusca.¡±


    Nori held a finger up to her lips, thinking. ¡°So like. Cool and smart and generally better than you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t seen you make a noodle lasso yet.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes! The great Archie Kent, noodle lassoer of the world.¡± She raised her arms in mock fanfare and then dropped them along with her demeanor. ¡°Please. You spilled a cup.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it shows great promise,¡± he said with a proud shrug. ¡°And what I really meant by calling Julienne the Nori of Labrusca was that he seems like a potential basket case that could collapse at any moment due to having extreme pressure from his family to be some kind of symbol for an entire kingdom. That¡¯s how you¡¯re alike.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Nori tried to act like the comment didn¡¯t faze her, but she couldn¡¯t take as good as she could give. ¡°Sorry I made fun of your noodle lasso.¡±


    ¡°You know, they changed his name when he was eleven?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, like. He wasn¡¯t Julienne. His family picks the most promising kid and makes them change their name to Julienne. Can you imagine? It¡¯s like¡­they¡¯re saying, ¡®you¡¯re not that person anymore. Now you¡¯re someone else. And you need to live up to the best restaurant in Ambrosia City.¡¯¡±


    ¡°He seems pretty well-adjusted, all things considered.¡±


    ¡°I guess. He¡¯s always at Cafe Julienne so I don¡¯t see him much. But he was way more polite about the soil stuff than anyone else. Politer than you, at least. He actually asked me for permission.¡±


    ¡°Hey, the way I see it, we¡¯re a team. Anything that you know, I get to know, and vice versa.¡±


    Archie smiled. A team. What a nice thing to be a part of.


    He looked back at Ambrosia City. Without realizing it, they had climbed twice as high as the distant city, having ascended beyond the lush grass fields. Their path alternated between craggy hills and dense forest, each offering their own tiring challenges.


    Ahead, massive hills¡ªnearly mountains¡ªlittered the horizon. They ate lunch¡ªgranola, dried fruit, and jerky¡ªin several snack-sized portions as they hiked through the early afternoon. After several false alarms, they finally found their target blueberries in bushes that grew ten feet up the slopes of the hills. Archie felt the difference in essence between them and their lowbush cousins, but doubted he¡¯d be able to blindly identify which was which.


    He looked up through the thick canopy of trees, finding the sun overhead. ¡°We should head back,¡± he said. He pointed up at the sun. ¡°It¡¯s well past noon. And my feet are killing me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re probably right. At least it¡¯s mostly downhill on the way back.¡±


    But just before they turned to leave, Archie spotted a promising blueberry bush in a thicket of trees. ¡°Wait. One last one. Then we can go.¡±


    He walked over and examined the bush. He touched a blueberry, trying to feel for its essence. With the other blueberries, there had been subtle differences in the essence. With this one, the difference was easy¡ªthere was no essence.


    ¡°Weird.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Nori said as she caught up.


    ¡°These feel different. Like. Empty?¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Nori picked a blueberry and frowned. ¡°Weird. There¡¯s nothing there.¡±


    Archie looked around for anything that might explain the lack of essence. He spotted a large hole in the distance, two feet in diameter and angled like a tunnel. Some primal alarm bell, developed in the time when men lived in caves, went off in Archie¡¯s head. The hair on the back of his neck raised. His palms sweat. His pupils dilated. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Nori stepped around the blueberry bush to take a look. ¡°A burrow? But it¡¯d have to be a pretty big animal¡­¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is,¡± he said, ¡°I don¡¯t like being near it.¡±


    Something felt wrong.


    A bush rustled nearby. Archie spotted movement in the corner of his eye. He whipped around to see a long, thin reptilian tail disappear into a group of bushes. His fight or flight kicked in, his mind reviewing all of the combat magic he had seen¡ªtransformations, fizz blasts, pepper spray¡ªand all that he could actually perform¡ªmaking a noodle a little stronger.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡±


    Archie watched the spot, turning his head for just a moment to look over at Nori, who bent down to the ground and examined the dirt. ¡°Archie,¡± she whispered. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Archie kept watching for movement as he sidestepped over to Nori. They didn¡¯t say anything, but they subconsciously knew to keep an eye out. As Archie looked down, Nori looked up.


    At first, Archie thought he saw human handprints in the dirt. But then he realized how long and pointed the fingers were.


    ¡°Okay, we need to leave. Quietly,¡± he said as his skin crawled. He tugged at Nori¡¯s sleeve. She took one step. A bush rattled in response.


    A third voice, low and slow, entered the conversation. Its words slurred with centuries of drowsiness.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± it said.


    Nori managed to contain a scream down to a nervous groan. Adrenaline poured through Archie.


    I could punch it. I know how to throw a punch, right?


    ¡°What are your names?¡± the voice asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t answer,¡± Nori whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of fairies that can steal your name.¡±


    A branch cracked nearby. Archie whipped his head around to face the sound, but saw nothing.


    I could break off a branch and use it like a spear.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fairy,¡± the voice said with a hint of laughter.


    Nori snuck her hand onto the bottom of Archie¡¯s shirt and tugged at it. He turned and followed her gaze.


    A reptilian face stared at them from behind a tree. Archie remembered the licerte that had been spotted a month prior, prompting a temporary shutdown of the road between Sain and Ambrosia City.


    The licerte seemed like a dog with a lizard¡¯s skin, its ears having been replaced by stubby horns and crooked alligator teeth sticking out from its wide mouth. Archie couldn¡¯t see its body, but he figured it to be at least four feet long.


    Nori¡¯s hand trembled. Archie lost his breath.


    Okay. Okay. It¡¯s just one. Licertes are loner creatures. I can do this. I could jump on it from behind. Pull its neck up. Clamp its mouth shut. Stomp on it. But what about the voice? Licertes can¡¯t speak, right? Is it someone¡¯s pet?


    ¡°Well,¡± Archie said, trying to keep his voice stable. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Another movement caught Archie¡¯s eye. He spotted a second licerte. And a third behind that.


    They¡¯re not¡­They don¡¯t travel in packs¡­


    He got a good look at their bodies. They had four legs that bowed out from their torso before turning at ninety degree angles to the ground, sinewy muscles giving a warning of their ability to leap. Two more legs were bundled beneath their necks, too short to reach the ground, but long enough to sink their claws into their prey. A fourth licerte emerged from behind a tree, stalking in a circle around Archie and Nori.


    Okay. Too many. I can¡­Okay. Not enough time to get a branch. A rock. Okay, find a rock.


    ¡°I am a lost child,¡± the voice swelled. Archie felt his bones vibrate with each syllable.


    Nori turned to walk away, jumping when she saw two more creatures watching them from the other direction thirty feet away.


    ¡°Are you a lost child?¡± the voice asked. The creatures took a step forward, forked tongues flickering in the air. Archie felt a hunger in the air.


    Oh. Oh. Um. Okay, it wants to talk. Let¡¯s talk. I¡¯ll talk my way right out of this.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not lost,¡± Archie said as calmly as he could. Nori looked at him with wide, desperate eyes. He tried to put on a brave face for her.


    ¡°Oh, well that¡¯s good,¡± the voice said, calm again. The creatures settled down, shaking the tension out of their stances. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Is this your home?¡± Archie asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if we¡¯re intruding. Do you live here?¡±


    ¡°Do I live¡­here?¡± the voice asked, pondering the question. ¡°I live¡­I¡¯m not sure. I only just woke up not too long ago.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry to wake you. We¡¯ll let you get back to¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯re welcome here.¡±


    With each word, the creatures seemed to perk up. In their stimulation, they crept in, numbering over a dozen. Archie looked around.


    Surrounded.


    ¡°Where are you from?¡± the voice asked. ¡°Where do¡­you live?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re stu¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re from Ambrosia City,¡± Nori interrupted.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± the voice said, mulling over the answer. ¡°You¡¯re far from the city.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re picking blueberries,¡± Nori said.


    ¡°Blueberries!¡± The voice perked up, the creatures raising their heads toward the sky. ¡°We have blueberries around here, but I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ve lost their flavor. May we try yours?¡±


    Nori nodded at Archie, who pulled a handful of blueberries from his bag. The berries had come from closer to Ambrosia City, but they felt different than when he picked them. Less than.


    Archie felt less than, too. Even just since the conversation began, he had grown fatigued. Drained, as if sapped from being in the sun too long. As he felt emptier, the voice felt fuller.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± the voice said, no longer dull and sleepy but alert and inquisitive. ¡°Toss it here.¡±


    Archie looked around. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    The voice swirled from in front of them. ¡°Here.¡± Now behind. ¡°There.¡± Now from everywhere. ¡°Closer than you think.¡±


    One of the creatures stepped forward, snout raised. It seemed to expect something. Archie tossed a blueberry in front of it. Its tongue lashed out, snapping up the blueberry.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± the disembodied voice moaned in approval. ¡°Delicious. Another.¡±


    Another creature joined the first. Archie tossed it a blueberry that it flicked up with its tongue. His arm felt heavy.


    ¡°Yes, much better than the blueberries here. So tasty. So juicy. So full of essence.¡±


    Archie¡¯s sun-drained fatigue turned into heat-in-face nausea. He blinked repeatedly to keep the world from spinning. Each time he opened his eyes, another creature had stepped forward into his blurred vision.


    ¡°Archie,¡± Nori whispered through gritted teeth. He looked at her, but couldn¡¯t make out the details of her face. ¡°We need to leave. Now.¡±


    The world spun again. Archie felt his desperate grip on the cord of reality and wondered if he should just let go.


    The creatures stepped closer.


    ¡°Archieee¡­¡± Nori whispered, her voice full of fear.


    The creatures stepped closer.


    ¡°Tell me, Archie¡­¡± The voice had come out of its cocoon, thick and ravenous. Its bass rattled Archie¡¯s bones. ¡°Are¡­you full of essence?¡±


    The creatures stepped closer.


    ¡°Archie!¡± Nori shrieked.


    The creatures charged.


    The scream cut through the fog in Archie¡¯s mind, leaving crystal-clear, razor-sharp instinct.


    As Nori kicked dirt to deter the creatures in front, Archie turned around. Without thinking, his hand went into his bag and pulled out a handful of blueberries. They seemed to prickle with energy as his hand got near and changed upon his touch.


    He threw them at the creatures in a sweeping barrage. While he had only grabbed ten, somehow he threw fifty¡ªeach one hardening and accelerating as they flew through the air. The creatures recoiled as if pelted by sharp stones.


    He yanked Nori, taking her with him as he ran straight at the creatures. He threw another handful of berries, this barrage even more effective than the last. They recoiled, allowing Archie and Nori to stomp past them.


    Archie felt a tingling numbness in his arm. Somehow, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to manage a third throw.


    As he panicked about what to do next, Archie failed to see one of the creatures lurking in a bush. It leapt out at his leg, those deadly little front claws extended, mouth agape, teeth¡ª


    ¡ªkicked in by Nori.


    The creature sprawled out onto its back, taking one last desperate swipe and slashing the inner calf on Archie¡¯s leg. The pain of the wound went away faster than it could be acknowledged as adrenaline made Archie run faster than he had ever run before.


    He started to turn around, but Nori yelled, ¡°don¡¯t look back! Watch where you¡¯re going!¡±


    And so they ran.


    And ran.


    Thundering footsteps followed them. Bushes split apart behind them. Bark flung off trees as the creature¡¯s claws dug into them for leverage. Between each of Archie¡¯s breaths, he could hear the licertes hiss.


    And so they ran.


    And ran.


    Eventually, they figured out that they were running from their own footsteps. Still they ran, slowing down until their eventual collapse.


    Archie looked at Nori. Cuts from low-hanging branches covered her face, blood mixing with tears. Then he looked at his leg. His sock overflowed with red. Seeing the wound made the pain of it come alive. Searing. Agonizing. He wondered how he had run on it at all.


    ¡°What¡­was¡­that?¡± Nori asked between heavy breaths.


    ¡°Nothing I¡¯ve ever seen before.¡± He poked at the flesh near his wound. The world went dark. He lifted his finger and the world returned. He felt the essence in his body pulse and surge down to the wound.


    ¡°Can you walk?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°I think so. I don¡¯t think anything¡¯s broken.¡±


    ¡°Okay. What do you say we get as far away from that place as possible?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Nori helped Archie up and found a walking stick for him. It took hours for them to return to the Academy. Each step hurt more than the last, and in the dark of night, Archie didn¡¯t notice the blackness spreading from the wound.

 Chapter 19 - Emergency Procedure

    ¡°Get Anise. And Aubergine,¡± Colby commanded Nori.


    ¡°How bad is it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Nori ran. Her tired legs had covered more than twenty miles that day, but still they ran as fast as ever. Colby examined Archie¡¯s leg. His expression didn¡¯t make Archie feel better about the situation. Blackness had spread from the wound, radiating out up to his knee. The smell of rot filled the air, and the pain was even worse.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do something about it?¡± Archie pleaded. The pain in his leg had evolved from the splitting of flesh to a fire that burned away the inside of his leg, leaving a smoldering, hollowed-out tree trunk. Agony and emptiness married and crept up his leg with each passing minute.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­not normal,¡± Colby said with exasperation. ¡°Just hold on. Aubergine or Anise will be able to handle it.¡± Nothing in his voice inspired confidence.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t YOU handle it?¡± Archie screamed.


    ¡°I was never much of a healer.¡± His voice gave away his panic. His helplessness.


    Archie tried to remember how he had gotten here. Everything started to get fuzzy just before they exited the forest. Nori tried to carry him¡­She got him onto the elevator¡­She was crying¡­Colby picked him up¡­They were in the infirmary¡­


    Aubergine rushed into the room, still in his striped pajamas. Nori trailed behind, her face wracked with worry and her black hair plastered to her face by sweat and tears.


    Worry flashed across Aubergine¡¯s face. He caught the change and did his best to return to his normal, composed self. He hovered his hand over Archie¡¯s wound.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Anise?¡± Colby demanded.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Aubergine said, his voice mostly calm but with the tension of a wound of string backing it. ¡°She is getting something for the wound.¡±


    The headmaster lowered his face down to Archie¡¯s wound. ¡°Fascinating,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°What?¡± Archie asked. His hands balled up into tight fists and his arms shook as unrelenting pain surged through his body.


    Aubergine put his hands together. When he slid them apart, he held a large square noodle the size of his palm. A brief moment of awe struck Archie, washed away by agony a heartbeat later.


    Aubergine placed the noodle across Archie¡¯s wound, causing Archie to kick in pain. The noodle felt scratchy¡ªalmost like gauze. Coolness seeped from the bandaging noodle into Archie¡¯s leg. But the heat of the wound lashed back, devouring the soothing effect.


    When Aubergine peeled the noodle away, it was just that¡ªa plain, normal noodle, not a drop of essence in it. The headmaster held the noodle up to examine it. ¡°Fascinating,¡± he repeated. ¡°Does it feel better?¡±


    Archie¡¯s mind had shut off as much as possible. He tried to assess his wound, a feeble mind trying to comprehend multidimensional pain. His vision blurred.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± he groaned.


    ¡°Okay. Anise will be here in a moment. What did this?¡±


    ¡°Licertes¡­¡± When Archie imagined the creatures, they charged at him. Clawed at him. Ate him. ¡°But a bunch of them. A pack.¡± The words hurt to get out.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    Closer than you think.


    ¡°Um¡­the highlands. Ten miles. Maybe more. There was a¡­tunnel. A cave, maybe.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°A voice.¡±


    ¡°The licertes? They spoke to you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Archie felt the world slipping away. His leg still hurt, but a deeper pain trickled into his chest. He lifted his head just enough to see the blackness halfway up his thigh. He heard footsteps.


    Then, haze.


    A jar popping open.


    A man and a woman arguing.


    A girl crying.


    Something placed on his leg.


    Soothing.


    Burning.


    A war with his leg as the battlefield.


    Darkness and dreams of a voice.


    Closer than you think.


    Archie awoke and looked down at his leg. A large lasagna noodle patched over the wound. Where it touched, pain bristled and bubbled like a fizzing drink.


    He felt intense essence radiating from the noodle. He turned his mind to it, trying to understand its magic, but if strengthening a noodle was a single word of another language, this magic was the world¡¯s toughest tongue twister.


    ¡°What¡­¡± his voice squeaked out a thin rasp.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Archie.¡±


    Anise bent down over him, her gray curls falling into Archie¡¯s face. In a certain light, her drooping cheeks, wrinkled forehead, and wild gray hair made her seem old and frail. In another light, her wickedly arched eyebrows, piercing blue eyes, and tightly pursed lips gave her a wild energy.


    ¡°What¡ª¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Anise held a finger to her lips. She pointed at another bed that contained a sleeping Nori.


    ¡°She was here all night. Just fell asleep a few hours ago,¡± Anise whispered. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Is she okay?¡± Archie lifted his neck to get a better look at her, but Anise pushed his shoulder down.


    ¡°Superficial cuts. Just tired. And you?¡±


    ¡°I feel weird.¡±


    Anise nodded. ¡°Weird how?¡±


    ¡°Well, my leg hurts, for one.¡± Archie closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he reopened them, he tried to orient himself.


    I¡¯m in the Academy¡­this is¡­the infirmary. I got cut. I¡­walked back. And¡­


    ¡°What else?¡± Anise inquired.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Archie struggled to find the word. Everything still felt blurry. ¡°Sore. But not¡­it¡¯s not just my muscles. My insides. They¡­ache. I feel¡­¡±


    ¡°Spent?¡± she suggested. Archie nodded.


    ¡°Am I going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°Was it poison?¡±


    ¡°Of a sort.¡± She scratched the back of her neck, considering whether or not she should continue. Archie¡¯s concerned face convinced her.


    ¡°It¡¯s like¡­tainted essence,¡± she explained. ¡°It attacked¡ªit¡¯s attacking¡ªthe normal essence in your body. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡±


    Archie looked at the noodle covering his leg. ¡°So¡­this is stopping it?¡±


    ¡°Partially. The two kinds of essences are fighting. And¡­yours was losing.¡±


    Archie thought of the emptiness that had started in his legs and worked its way up his torso. A kind of fatigue that he had never felt before. ¡°Reinforcements?¡± he suggested.


    ¡°Exactly. A special experiment of mine¡ªfortunate that we had it. I¡¯ve been attempting to put as much essence as possible into different containers. Not to alter any of the container¡¯s qualities, but rather to create a sort of reserve that can be called upon. For you, I modified it to have some healing properties. In a past life, I was a Veratore.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m going to be okay?¡± Archie asked again.


    Anise smiled and nodded. ¡°It took half of the staff, but yes. You¡¯ll be okay. I had prepared six noodles. That is your third. You¡¯ll likely need one more. I¡¯ll be back by tonight. Here, drink this.¡±


    She gave Archie a cup filled with a sweet-smelling purple liquid. He drank. Once the sweetness passed, an undercurrent of bitterness made him wince.


    ¡°I was out of essence when it cut me,¡± Archie remembered.


    ¡°From what?¡±


    ¡°I threw blueberries¡­¡± He suddenly felt groggy. ¡°I¡­used essence to make them harder and faster. Does that matter?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Probably. Nothing left inside to fight back with. We¡¯ll have to¡­¡±


    Archie didn¡¯t remember falling back asleep. He woke up as Anise put a new noodle on the wound. She fed him another bitter drink and he fell asleep again. He ended up not remembering any of that, either.


    The next thing Archie did remember was waking up alone the next morning. Soft morning light illuminated the curtains, and the Academy had a sort of stillness to it¡ªstale air, undisturbed for many hours. Settled dust on the linens.


    Archie looked down at the noodle covering his wound. He still felt essence radiating from it, but the pain came in little pangs with seconds of nothing in between. The war had ended. Only stragglers remained.


    He turned his focus inward, assessing himself for any other injuries or pains. He felt for broken bones and pulled muscles. He found only an empty stomach.


    He swung his legs over the bed, placing them down gingerly. Pinpricks of pain inched up his injured leg. He planted his foot and put weight on it. The pain went off like an alarm, but died off quickly. After a couple seconds of standing, Archie could tolerate the pain.


    Walking wasn¡¯t too bad. But halfway to the great hall, Archie was spotted by Blanche, who helped him the rest of the way.


    ¡°Nori told me all about it¡­it sounded so scary,¡± she said. ¡°How bad is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Archie¡¯s pain jumped from his leg up to his throat. He swallowed it down. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Much better than yesterday. I think it was yesterday¡­¡±


    ¡°Good. If there¡¯s anything I can do, let me know.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    She got him to the great hall and sat him at one of its long tables. A few older students were eating early breakfasts¡ªwaking up this early was a learned behavior that none of the first-years but Blanche had figured out yet.


    ¡°Okay, just stay here, I¡¯m going to go get Nori,¡± Blanche said.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please. If she knew that you were up and I didn¡¯t wake her up¡­¡± Blanche raised her eyebrows and shook her head before hustling off.


    Archie propped his elbows up on the table and rested his head in his hands. Whatever Anise had made him drink had left him with a lingering hangover of drowsiness. Minutes passed in seconds, tenuous consciousness made clear by a familiar voice.


    ¡°Archie!¡±


    Nori sprinted down the great hall. She got to him before he could even turn to stand, draping over his back and squeezing him tightly.


    ¡°I was so worried,¡± she said softly. ¡°I hate that I couldn¡¯t do anything. I couldn¡¯t fight. I couldn¡¯t heal you. I was useless. Never again.¡±


    ¡°Nori. Nori. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay.¡± Archie ducked his shoulders to push her off. ¡°Now I¡¯m a little fuzzy, but I¡¯m pretty sure the only reason I got off with just a scratch was because you kicked the thing.¡±


    Nori smiled and laughed, nearly letting a sob out with it. She tried¡ªand failed¡ªto recapture her usual teasing tone. ¡°Yeah, I guess I did save you, then. If a scratch did all of this, I can¡¯t imagine what a bite would have done.¡±


    A moment of silence passed as they considered the horrible possibilities.


    ¡°Hey Nori, can you do something for me¡­¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Nori spent the entire morning back and forth from the kitchen. She started with the rest of their blueberries, making blueberry pancakes, strudel with blueberry compote, and blueberry muffins. Archie devoured them all. He had never been so hungry in his life. Then she brought out an early lunch¡ªchicken and pasta.


    As Nori set the plate down, Archie grabbed a noodle and tried to strengthen it. His essence was pulled in two directions¡ªone down to his leg and one to the noodle. He tugged on the noodle. It didn¡¯t break. Archie breathed a sigh of relief.


    I¡¯m still magic.


    The other students filed in throughout the morning, piling around Archie as he told the story over and over again. By the third time he told it, it felt more like a fable than a nightmare. By the fourth time, Nori had enough and told the others to stop bothering Archie.


    Just as the students cleared out, Rowan appeared.


    ¡°Archie! Nori!¡± he called out as he jogged through the great hall. ¡°I heard what happened. Are you okay?¡± He ducked down to get a good look at Archie¡¯s leg.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Archie said. His leg didn¡¯t hurt, but it still had a strange tingle as the pasta¡¯s essence seeped into the wound.


    ¡°I feel at fault,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I knew they had some trouble in the northern roads this summer, but, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Whatever we ran into¡­no one could have known.¡±


    Rowan shook his head in disappointment at himself. He looked at Nori. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Good. Listen, I don¡¯t want you two going out there again.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean we¡¯re allowed back at The Gift?¡± Archie asked. Even in his battered state, Archie¡¯s ambition still had its step. The thought of going back to learning under a Black Jacket took some of the sting out of his leg.


    ¡°Yes. I¡­¡± Rowan looked down¡ªlooked inward. His voice danced on the line of tears. ¡°I should pay more attention to you two.¡±


    Archie and Nori exchanged a look of concern and confusion. For as traumatic as their experience had been, they found it odd that Rowan felt such responsibility.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Archie started. ¡°We¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotten really good at cooking with blueberries,¡± Nori finished.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Rowan lifted his head and offered a vulnerable smile.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Archie answered. ¡°Maybe we can make some blueberry stuff at The Gift.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah.¡± Rowan nodded, convincing himself that everything was going to be okay. He looked at Archie¡¯s leg. ¡°So what was it like?¡±


    Archie was tired of telling the story.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Archie pushed his food around his plate with a fork. ¡°But what I do know¡­if we run into them again, we need to know how to do more than kick and throw blueberries.¡±

 Chapter 20 - The Terror of Colbys Kitchen

    ¡°When do we get to learn combat?¡± Archie asked, interrupting class.


    Colby¡¯s mouth twisted into an impatient scowl. He would be their teacher for the next month, and they hadn¡¯t made it ten minutes into the first class without things going off the rails.


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡± Colby started.


    ¡°We need to be able to defend ourselves,¡± Nori said, adding strength to Archie¡¯s voice.


    ¡°It¡¯d be cool,¡± Oliver added with no gravity.


    ¡°Look, I understand where this is coming from,¡± Colby said. ¡°But you¡¯re not ready. You¡¯re still developing a connection to your essence. You¡¯ll start conjuration first thing next semester.¡±


    The students groaned.


    ¡°Hey, listen!¡± Colby barked. Whatever control he had lost, he regained double with his stern voice. ¡°This is not a military academy. Your first priority as a student of the Academy of Ambrosia is to learn how to cook. And judging from what I¡¯ve seen, you all have a lot to learn.¡±


    Of the four kitchens in the lower building of the Academy, the students feared the one known as Colby¡¯s Kitchen. The first-years stayed away from it at all costs, choosing to double up on equipment in a neighboring kitchen rather than risk Colby¡¯s judgment. Instead, only older students and masochists frequented this place of horror.


    Twenty stoves, divided into rows of four, filled the kitchen. Dried meats, spices, pots, pans, and anything a young Chef could want lined the walls, herbs hanging from the rafters all over the kitchen. A pantry supplied the kitchen with other ingredients both rare and common, but no one dared to step into it without Colby¡¯s blessing.


    The students scrambled to claim the setups furthest in the back of the room, desperate to put distance between themselves and their drill instructor. Archie made a limping dash for the back row, but received no sympathy from his fellow students who rushed past him. He ended up in the front row between Julienne, who was bound to ace whatever test Colby threw at them, and Sutton, who had taken a peculiar interest in Archie¡¯s wound.


    ¡°You¡¯re here to learn how to be Chefs, but I¡¯d hesitate to call some of you cooks. Now I¡¯m not much of a farmer and I can¡¯t hold my own in a fight, but if you put me in the kitchen against any of the other Head Chefs, I¡¯m coming out on top.¡±


    Archie believed him. Of all the Head Chefs, Colby and Tarragon were the only Black Jackets. Tarragon¡¯s achievements came from his military service, his role in the Unification War only overshadowed by Grand King Flamb¨¦ himself. But Colby? Colby had earned his jacket in the kitchen and the kitchen alone. He paced as he spoke, riled up by his declaration of skill. Then, he seemed to remember something.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Head Chef Pomona I said that,¡± he added as an aside before returning to his previous intensity.


    ¡°Now I¡¯ve seen some of you around the kitchens, and there is definitely some talent. But none of you have the discipline. If you worked at my restaurant, you wouldn¡¯t make it past washing dishes.¡±


    The thought of dishwashing made Archie shudder. At least his near-death experience had earned him a weekend away from endless dishes and pruney fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to coddle you. I¡¯m not going to play nice. I¡¯m going to tell you how to become a good cook and you better listen because I don¡¯t repeat myself.¡±


    Archie had heard of Chefs like this. They chew you up and spit you out, and if you came out with meat left on your bones, you might just make it. The thought of the challenge excited Archie.


    The reality of the challenge made him sweat.


    ¡°When you take your assessments at the end of the school year, you¡¯ll be graded on five categories. Cultivation¡ªHead Chef Quince is currently setting up the first-year greenhouse so that you can get to work on that. Then there¡¯s conjuration. That¡¯s next semester with Tarragon. Innovation. You¡¯ll be judged on your original thinking and creations. And finally, the last two are both cooking challenges.¡±


    Colby caught Oliver looking out of the window. The Head Chef slammed a pan down, making the whole class jump.


    ¡°That means that this is the most important class you¡¯ll take. Now, we¡¯re going to be making a consomm¨¦. If any of you manage to make one that doesn¡¯t disgust me, you¡¯ll get the afternoon off.¡±


    Julienne laughed. No one but him realized that they had been given a nearly impossible task.


    ¡°What¡¯s consomm¨¦?¡± Oliver asked.


    ¡°If you make it right, it¡¯s a clear soup made from meat, tomato, egg whites, and stock.¡±


    ¡°But none of those things are clear?¡±


    Colby smiled that same awful smile he had when he gave Oliver his second dose of moondrop wine. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    No one¡ªnot even Julienne¡ªgot the afternoon off.


    ¡°Head Chef Anise!¡± Archie called out in the hallway.


    Anise turned, her eyes widening as she entered crisis mode.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she blurted out. ¡°Do you need a new bandage?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± Archie looked down and shook his bandaged leg. ¡°Still good. I was actually wondering if you could teach me how to do healing like this.¡±


    Anise raised her eyebrows. ¡°This¡­is going to be a bit beyond you. If you tried to turn one of my noodles into a bandage, you¡¯re more likely to make an explosion.¡±


    ¡°Something weaker, then.¡±


    Anise nodded and stared into space. Sometimes Archie wondered if she was all there. ¡°Okay. Does Head Chef Quince have you in the greenhouse yet?¡±


    Archie shook his head. ¡°He said we¡¯ll be able to use it this weekend.¡±


    ¡°Good. If you¡¯re serious about learning this, you¡¯ll have to commit to it. Plant durum wheat. You¡¯ll have an easier time performing magic on something you¡¯ve grown yourself.¡±


    Day two started with a dash of hope. Colby announced that they would go back¡ªway back¡ªto the basics and make grilled cheeses. The students breathed a sigh of relief, certain that they couldn¡¯t disappoint their strict Head Chef with such a simple task.


    Such naivety.


    They filed into the rows of cooking setups, the back rows filling up before Archie could get there. He set up between Blanche, who was already fighting back tears, and Benedict, who seemed more concerned with Blanche than with his own burning bread.


    Colby judged their sandwiches.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    First up, Oliver. Colby lowered his face to examine the grilled cheese. He grabbed the plate and slid the grilled cheese into the trash, careful to never touch the food.


    ¡°So soggy that if I had touched it, my fingers would prune.¡±


    Next up, Blanche. She had been trembling the entire time she cooked and had started to cry when she flipped her sandwich to reveal black bread. A vein popped out of Colby¡¯s forehead and his face strained as he fought a pending meltdown. He shook his head and in a rare act of mercy, dismissed Blanche without a word, only a sour look.


    Archie¡¯s submission made it through two chews before being spat back out on the plate. ¡°Uninspired.¡±


    Colby actually swallowed a bite of Nori¡¯s. But he didn¡¯t go for a second. ¡°Terrible.¡±


    Julienne got the best reaction of the day¡ªthree bites and a quiet, simple, stoic, zero-fanfare ¡°good enough.¡± Julienne was equally unsatisfied.


    On day three, after an hour of torment levied over failed bearnaise sauces, a guardian angel visited the class.


    Head Chef Pomona¡¯s smile lit up Colby¡¯s Kitchen, its brightness burning away the cobwebs and bad spirits that had grown over the week. Archie imagined a halo above her beautiful face and oversized head.


    As the students cooked, Pomona flirted with Colby, preventing him from hovering over the students like a vulture. Colby pushed awkward compliments onto her. For all of his mastery of cooking, he had no idea what ingredients made up charm. But Pomona just laughed and played along.


    ¡°Oh, Colby, you¡¯re sweet,¡± she laughed as she slapped his shoulder. Then she saw her opportunity to save the students from the challenge of making a bearnaise sauce. ¡°Sweet! Let¡¯s make sweets!¡±


    Colby struggled to find a way to say no to her, and she gave him no chance. She clapped her hands to get the class¡¯s attention.


    ¡°We¡¯re making sweets! Forget all this fancy stuff, let¡¯s get some sugar, some water, and a little something for flavor. I want candy!¡±


    Instead of hovering over them as Colby usually did, Pomona floated around like a cloud, hopping up to sit on counters and chatting with the students as they pulled and folded their taffy on hooks. Archie noticed her paying special attention to Blanche, who seemed more relieved than anyone else.


    ¡°Ya know,¡± Pomona said while smacking on a sample candy. ¡°I¡¯ve seen some people who really specialize in candy. They can caramelize their skin. Makes it hard as a rock.¡±


    ¡°Will we learn how to do that?¡± Archie asked.


    She popped another candy in her mouth, making Blanche giggle. ¡°Eventually, yeah. I take it you¡¯re looking forward to learning how to fight.¡±


    Archie looked down at his bandaged leg. He had moved on from Anise¡¯s super noodles, but still needed a big patch of regular-grade healing lasagna to keep the wound from festering. ¡°Can you blame me?¡±


    Pomona almost let her permanent smile disappear. ¡°I guess not. You have me next month. More kitchen work. Still need to get you guys familiar with using essence in the small stuff before the big stuff.¡±


    Colby coughed in the background. ¡°Cooking is the big stuff,¡± he muttered under his breath.


    Pomona continued, ¡°and then you¡¯ll have Head Chef Tarragon next semester. He¡¯ll teach you all sorts of conjuration.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m excited for your class,¡± Oliver said. A chorus of students agreed, all avoiding eye contact with Colby.


    That day¡¯s taste testing, with Pomona hovering over Colby with a half-flirtatious, half-threatening smile, played out the opposite of the days before.


    Colby gave muted, single-word feedback, the worst of which was ¡°good.¡± Pomona also chimed in.


    ¡°Oh! Delicious. I love it, Blanche.¡±


    ¡°Nori! You¡¯ve really brought out the lemon!¡±


    ¡°Archie. Archie! This is special. You have a knack for candy!¡±


    ¡°Oliver, this¡­is there alcohol in this?¡±


    ¡°No ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Weird¡­¡±


    On day four, without Pomona there to protect the students, Colby came to class on a mission. The students rode high on praise for a day, and Colby vowed to bring them back down.


    ¡°I¡¯ve come to a conclusion about you lot,¡± he said as he paced back and forth like a predator stalking its prey. ¡°I think the problem is that you can¡¯t handle the complexities of solid foods. So today, we¡¯re making drinks.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Blanche?¡± Benedict whispered, careful to not let Colby hear.


    Archie didn¡¯t have the emotional capacity to worry about Blanche. He was already frustrated enough with the day¡¯s assignment. As the week progressed, his resolve doubled around a simple tenet¡ªanything he made now should ladder up to combat training later. He already had a plan¡ªcandied skin to block the next scratch, pasta bandage if needed.


    But he couldn¡¯t serve Colby pasta water or something with crushed up candy poured in it. In order to survive Colby¡¯s drink test, Archie would have to rely on his previous experience with blueberries¡ªdespite their limited combat applications. Nori set up beside him with a bowl of lemons.


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d do a blueberry drink, too,¡± Archie said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t melt licertes with blueberry acid,¡± she responded.


    Archie smiled, glad that Nori had the same priorities as him.


    Some students used juicers. Archie figured that he could manipulate the essence within the blueberries easier with his bare hands.


    The same way someone new to working out discovers new muscles, Archie discovered pathways and streams of essence that left his body as he worked. He could focus his mind and understand some measure of the essence¡¯s quantity¡ªmaking it clear that time and time again, he used far too much essence, wasting it. It was like Aubergine said. He needed to learn efficiency.


    But at least the effects were obvious. Each blueberry produced an impossible amount of juice. In two blueberries, he managed to fill half a glass. When he opened his hand after squeezing the third blueberry, nothing remained but an empty palm.


    His wound tingled as he squeezed his fifth blueberry. An emptiness carved its way up through his body. The feeling made him think of the creatures and the voice. Of the hunger that had filled the air that day. He started to feel that same hunger in the air of Colby¡¯s kitchen. It grew thick, choking him. Squeezing his chest.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Nori asked, her voice piercing through Archie¡¯s fogged panic.


    Looking at her calmed him. She brushed the loose hair from her face with lemon-soaked fingers. Archie thought of a summer when he was a kid and his mother had squeezed lemon juice in his hair so that it would turn blonde in the sun. He wondered if Nori¡¯s hair could turn blonde. He¡¯d never seen a Urokan with blonde hair. He thought she¡¯d look good with it. But he thought she looked good with black hair, too.


    He didn¡¯t think about the licertes or the voice.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Archie finished off the drink by mixing the blueberry juice with chilled water and honey. He took a sip and smiled at the taste, confident that he could avoid Colby¡¯s wrath.


    But as Colby assessed Cress¡¯s drink, Archie¡¯s confidence washed away.


    ¡°Camomille tea?¡± the teacher asked. ¡°You¡¯ve done nothing to bring out the flavor. The effect is still there, though. I¡¯m getting sleepy just from how boring this is.¡±


    Yarrow went next. Colby looked at the drink with fear.


    ¡°You¡­the lemon juice is so acidic that it¡¯s eaten through the cup. I¡¯m not even trying this. Next. Oliver, come up here.¡±


    Oliver held the cup away from his body as he walked up¡ªmaybe to keep the sweat pouring off of him from spilling into the drink.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Colby asked.


    ¡°Honey wheat tea.¡±


    ¡°Honey what?¡± Colby smelled the drink.


    ¡°I need to get good with pasta, so I¡¯m looking for ways to use wheat.¡±


    Archie raised his eyebrows and nodded. When he was thinking of pasta, he hadn¡¯t thought of that.


    ¡°Honey¡­wheat...tea. I¡¯ll give you points for creativity if nothing else.¡±


    Colby sipped from the cup and licked his lips. Something about the drink confused him. He looked at it thoughtfully before arriving at a conclusion. He winced with repulsion.


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet and then it burns,¡± he said. He took a longer drink. ¡°Awful,¡± he said as he lifted the cup up to drink again. ¡°It¡¯s bad in a way that I can¡¯t even explain.¡± He drank again and set the cup down with a hollow thonk!


    The next two students earned simple, negative remarks. But then something in Colby¡¯s demeanor started to change. With each passing student, his feedback softened.


    ¡°This one is alright,¡± Colby said flatly.


    ¡°Pretty good,¡± Colby said with a respectful nod.


    ¡°Mmm. Mmm!¡± Colby raved, a big grin on his face.


    ¡°Oh, this makes me want cheese. Does anyone have any cheese?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ªI don¡¯t get why you guys keep giggling. What¡¯s so¡ªburp¡ªfunny?¡±


    By the tenth student, one of Colby¡¯s eyes stayed three-quarters shut, his mouth stayed pressed into a little grin, and his head swung around with each movement.


    ¡°Oliver,¡± Cress whispered between giggles. ¡°You got him drunk!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! Honestly! I just used regular wheat and honey¡­¡± He looked into his remaining mixture.


    ¡°Wait, you have more?¡± Cress asked.


    Oliver nodded and handed the drink to Cress¡¯s outstretched hand. She took a long drink, pursing her lips and shaking her head as she set it down.


    ¡°That¡¯s abysmal,¡± she said. She straightened up, putting a hand onto the table to stabilize her, and blinked. ¡±But effective.¡±


    The students laughed. Colby believed the laughter to be a celebration of his performance, causing him to ham it up even more as he judged drinks and munched on whatever snacks he could find.


    ¡°Mmm, that¡¯s nice,¡± Colby moaned after taking a sip of Archie¡¯s drink. ¡°You did a good job¡­with the¡­good with the blue. Does anyone have anything fried?¡±

 Chapter 21 - The Wonder of Quinces Greenhouse

    Colby¡¯s happy drunkenness took a turn in the afternoon. First, he got hungry. Next, after forcing the class to abandon their drinks in favor of frying chicken, Colby ate until he started to feel sick.


    Then he felt sad.


    Then it got sad.


    ¡°I just like¡­I do all this stuff, ya know? And I¡­she¡­it¡¯s like I¡¯m manning the stove but¡­the stirring¡­¡± Colby closed his eyes and lifted his head up to the sky. ¡°And the sauce! The sauce. She doesn¡¯t even notice the sauce.¡±


    No one understood his rambling. Once the novelty of a drunk teacher wore off, the students elected Benedict to go to Pomona seeking an intervention. But when she entered, things went from sad to weird.


    ¡°Pomonaaaa!¡± Colby said with his arms stretched wide. ¡°Did you¡ªyou noticed¡ªyou noticed the sauce.¡±


    She gracefully ducked away from his embrace. ¡°Ohoh, okay. Easy there. Let¡¯s¡ªhey class? Head Chef Quince is all set up with your greenhouse. Why don¡¯t you spend the rest of the afternoon there?¡±


    Colby leaned on Pomona, his face leaning in close and his boozy breath washing over her. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°We¡­are going to get you some water.¡±


    ¡°Oh that sounds splendid, I love water.¡±


    The interior of the greenhouse took Archie¡¯s breath away.


    For over a month, he had only seen the greenhouses from afar¡ªfour large buildings near the pastures, each identical.


    Wooden walls supported glass roofs that let the afternoon sun shine through. Small farm plots and fencing surrounded each of them, giving students a place to grow winter crops outside while letting the more vulnerable plants flourish inside.


    Compared to the rest of the Academy, the outside walls of the greenhouses were rather unremarkable. No towering pillars or statues or fancy stonework.


    But inside?


    Crossing the threshold and walking through that soft wall of humidity?


    Seeing the sunlight come through the grid of square windows and making the dust in the air glow?


    Smelling the rich soil and realizing that this place was a blank canvas, ready for artwork?


    Archie felt like a kid discovering a new wonder of the world.


    Two rows of raised cobblestone walkways ran through three rows of dirt, each ten feet wide. Little wooden stakes with thin wire ropes divided the plots into ten by ten squares.


    Quince and Blanche stood at the front entrance surrounded by well-worked farming tools, welcoming the other students to their little slice of farming paradise.


    Archie rushed past them, finding a plot in the middle row with the most sunshine. His urgency caused a panic, other students emulating him and creating a mad dash to find a spot. Archie batted away anyone that tried to claim the plot next to his until Nori made her way through the crowd and found her rightful place by his side.


    Once the dust settled, Quince addressed the class.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see y¡¯all¡¯re so excited.¡±


    Archie stifled a laugh at the double contraction.


    ¡°This¡¯ll be yours for the duration of your stay at the Academy. You¡¯ll be responsible for it. I apologize that it hasn¡¯t been ready, someone in the last graduating class had managed to plant a pumpkin that had vines going twenty feet into the ground and back up all over the place.¡±


    Some students giggled. Archie bent down to the soil, placing his hand on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s packed with essence,¡± Archie observed.


    ¡°Y¡¯all have Blanche to thank for that,¡± Quince said. Blanche shied away, tucking her chin into her chest and avoiding eye contact. But she couldn¡¯t hide her smile. ¡°She¡¯s been spending her spare time here helping me out and wanted to give you guys a head start.¡±


    Choruses of ¡°thanks Blanche¡± echoed through the greenhouse as the students examined their own plots more closely.


    Through the window, Archie saw Aubergine approach from across the pastures, cradling a large woven basket in his arms.


    ¡°Y¡¯all¡¯ll have to tend to your own plots from here on out,¡± Quince said.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll still help anyone that needs it,¡± Blanche added. Already, the greenhouse was hers, and she was the greenhouse¡¯s. As she nourished it, it nourished her. Her shoulders didn¡¯t hunch forward anymore. She didn¡¯t pick at her fingernails. She didn¡¯t cry. The Blanche from Colby¡¯s kitchen was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°We do have some extra plots,¡± she said, assuming the role of the instructor. ¡°These over here will be community plots. I went ahead and started planting some stuff in them. I hope no one minds.¡±


    She smiled as big as anyone had ever seen from her.


    And no one in their group was evil enough to say anything to jeopardize that smile.


    ¡°Yoohoo!¡± Aubergine called as he entered with his basket. He plopped it down, showing it to be full of small canvas bags with little bulges in them. ¡°I brought seeds!¡±


    As the students came up to take their pick of seeds, Aubergine seemed to have a quip for each of them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use those all in one place!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad to see these go to a loving home.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t water these after midnight.¡±


    ¡°These are either eggplant seeds or zakdar seeds. That¡¯s a root vegetable that gives off a fatal odor when picked. Literally fatal. But I¡¯m pretty sure these are eggplant seeds. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Archie! I¡¯ll give these to you, but only if you join me on my morning jog. Kidding! But really, join me some time.¡±


    Archie took a handful of durum wheat seeds and some stalk cuttings of sugar cane.


    ¡°Spend a bit of time with them in the light before you put them in the dirt,¡± Aubergine recommended.


    Everything Aubergine said sounded like a joke, but Archie sensed the sincerity in that statement. Aubergine tossed another bag at Archie.


    ¡°Oh, and Archie, I know you¡¯re a man on a mission but¡­plant some blueberries, too. I¡¯ve heard you have a talent for them. It¡¯d be a shame to let that go to waste. Nori, too.¡±


    Archie wanted to get started on gaining an affinity to things that would help in combat. He hated the thought of wasting time on blueberries, but he obliged Aubergine¡¯s request anyway. He sat in his plot with his seeds and stalks, trying to pour whatever essence he had into them. He felt them respond to him¡ªthe blueberries louder than the rest.


    He looked over at Nori, who scooped dirt around a little foot-tall lemon tree that Blanche helped to plant.


    ¡°Hey Nori. I bet I can grow more blueberries than you.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No you can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Take the bet, then.¡±


    She looked at him and sighed, disappointed not at the challenge but at the lack of weight behind it. ¡°Beating you isn¡¯t even worth it.¡±


    Blanche watched in silence, smiling as her eyes darted back and forth at the verbal spar.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s make it worthwhile,¡± Archie said. ¡°Loser makes dinner for a week.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like punishment if I win,¡± Nori joked. ¡°But sure.¡±


    While others hurried to plant their seeds, Archie worked more deliberately. By the time he put his durum wheat seeds into the soil, half of the class had already rushed off to enjoy a bit of weekend before their sponsored work. His leg tingled with agonizing emptiness, forcing him to take a break. He felt a bottomless pit form in his stomach, but he continued. By the time he finished planting his blueberry seeds, only a few students remained.


    Archie got started on his sugar cane, working the dirt with a trowel and digging a trench along the edge of his plot. He put his hand in the freshly dug soil, feeling for the essence contained within, but instead he only felt his own emptiness. Blanche noticed his frown, tiptoeing across another plot to reach him.


    ¡°Hey Archie,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve been at it for a while. You should take a break.¡±


    He wiped sweat from his forehead. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I mean, I¡¯m tired. I just really put a lot into Head Chef Colby¡¯s class.¡±


    The mention of the name made Blanche wince.


    ¡°Speaking of,¡± Archie continued, ¡°we missed you in class today.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± For the first time since the other students stepped into the greenhouse, Blanche¡¯s spirit sunk. ¡°I just¡­have a thing about kitchens¡­¡±


    Archie knew better than to ask, but between the curiosity on his face and his silence, Blanche knew he wanted to know more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it,¡± she said ¡°...if. You do me a favor.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I skipped lunch, and I still have to tidy up some things here before I¡¯m done.¡±


    Archie laughed. ¡°You must be starving!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been snacking¡­but yes.¡± Blanche let out a big sigh, her breath catching her bangs and flipping them over her forehead. ¡°I think we both need a little bit of nourishment at this point.¡±


    ¡°So you want me to make you something?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind. If you want you can bring it down here. We¡¯ll eat and then I¡¯ll help you with the sugar cane.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Any cravings?¡±


    She thought for a moment. ¡°What do you want to make?¡±


    ¡°I have some dough that¡¯s been resting overnight. I could do a white wine pasta with mushrooms and leek.¡±


    ¡°Ooo, that sounds good.¡±


    ¡°No. Way. He was drunk?!¡±


    ¡°Completely hammered.¡±


    Blanche roared with laughter¡ªArchie had never heard her so loud. She whipped her spoon back over her shoulder as she laughed, sending a piece of bowtie pasta into the dirt plot behind her. The rest of the students had gone, leaving just Archie and Blanche eating pasta while sitting in the soil, their orange jackets dusted with brown.


    She shoveled another piece of pasta into her mouth, but she never stopped smiling. Archie could hardly believe it was the same Blanche. Between the meal, the conversation, and the magic of the greenhouse, Blanche had never seemed so alive.


    She wore a smile well. Archie had never noticed any distinguishing features on Blanche, but in her animated state, they came alive. A nose that was sunburnt and a little too big for her face with nostrils that flared with every laugh. Chapped red lips. One eye that could hardly stay open during a genuine smile. Jet black eyebrows sticking out like fuzzy caterpillars between her brown hair and hazel eyes. Ears that stuck straight out from her head, their little points sticking out of her hair. In the light of the lanterns and the moon, each imperfection reclassified itself as a unique beauty.


    Archie couldn¡¯t help but stare.


    ¡°Oh I wish I had seen that,¡± Blanche said. ¡°Do you think Oliver meant to get him drunk?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think¡ªI think his subconscious made the drink alcoholic.¡±


    Blanche laughed and then sat up straight with a revelation. ¡°His candy! Head Chef Pomona asked if he used alcohol. I think his essence just naturally skews that way.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh. Maybe that¡¯s his calling. We know it¡¯s not pasta.¡±


    She swatted at the air toward him. ¡°Oh, stop. Poor Oliver. He¡¯s going to lose his sponsor.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he just needs to go all in on alcohol and find a sponsor for that. Do taverns count as restaurants for sponsorship purposes?¡±


    Blanche shrugged. ¡°Maybe. I mean, my sponsor counts. I got lucky with them. I get to work in the field all day.¡±


    ¡°Who did you get again?¡±


    ¡°Blue Orchards,¡± she said with pride.


    ¡°Oh, I had something from them on my first day in Ambrosia City! An apple with blue skin.¡±


    ¡°Blue skin?¡± Blanche tilted her chin down and smiled like she knew something that Archie didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°And the inside?¡±


    ¡°It was¡­an apple. You know¡­appley.¡±


    ¡°Not blue?¡±


    ¡°The inside? No.¡±


    She bit her lip, her shoulders shaking in a silent chuckle. ¡°Oh Archie. You got ripped off.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She took another bite of pasta, speaking through her chewing. ¡°Lots of people make cheap knock-offs of Blue Orchards. They make the skins blue with some kind of powder that they rub in. But the inside? They can¡¯t figure out the inside.¡±


    Archie sulked down into a slouch. ¡°I think I paid half a silver for that thing.¡±


    Blanche laughed and took another bite.


    ¡°I love working with soil,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that about myself until I got here. Only thing I knew about myself was that I hated working in kitchens.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    She rocked her head from side to side as she chewed. ¡°My sister. Not that she ever did anything to me directly, but¡ªshe¡¯s a really good Chef. Like. Really good. Black Jacket good.¡± She flicked her spoon up for emphasis. ¡°Like too good to be number two at Cafe Julienne good. That¡¯s where she was before she left. She could¡¯ve taken over if her name wasn¡¯t Raclette.¡±


    ¡°So why does that make you hate kitchens?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Blanche looked to the side, her shame keeping her from making eye contact. ¡°Just¡­I¡¯ll never be her. She¡¯s one in a million. But people hear that Raclette has a younger sister and they think maybe I¡¯ll be one in a million.¡±


    She took a big breath. ¡°But I¡¯m not. Not in the kitchen, anyways. So I disappoint them. And it sucks, because maybe if I were an only child I would enjoy being in the kitchen. But now it¡¯s just¡­a place where I¡¯ll never be good enough.¡±


    She leaned back and held her arms straight out from her body, spilling from both bowl and spoon. ¡°But here? Here I feel like one in a million. I feel like I found my thing, you know?¡±


    A warm, fuzzy feeling pumped through Archie¡¯s heart. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, Blanche.¡±


    She held the spoon up near her cheek and made a cute pose. ¡°Thanks. Now.¡± Her demeanor changed. All business. ¡°I hate to break it to you, but you¡¯re going to need to redig your trench. When your sugar cane grows, with the way the greenhouse is oriented, it¡¯s going to block the sunlight for your other crops. So you need to plant it in a strip from one walkway to the other. Come on, I¡¯ll help you.¡±

 Chapter 22 - Late Nights & Martinis

    Two more weeks of Colby¡¯s strict yet helpful tutelage had a paradoxical effect on the students. They knew their skills were improving, but they also felt less confident than ever. Colby had infected them with a drive to achieve perfection and enough doubt to make them feel like they¡¯d never get there. Even after Colby¡¯s class ended, it was all the students could talk about. They complained about their smallest mistakes and Colby¡¯s unfair treatment and how they wanted to make things of their own choosing, not Colby¡¯s.


    It became a ritual. Morning classes with Colby. An early afternoon break spent in the humid greenhouse while complaining about the morning classes. Late afternoon classes with Colby. And then back to complaining. If they managed to air out all of their grievances by the end of dinner, it was a good day.


    If not, the ritual extended to late night drinks in the lounge between the kitchens and the dorms. Aubergine wasn¡¯t entirely on board with the late nights. He reminded them of their curfew¡ªand the benefits of early morning jogging¡ªbut since the students weren¡¯t leaving the Academy, no one seemed to really treat it like breaking the rules. The only ones that truly broke curfew were the Cafe Julienne crew, Julienne, Yarrow, and Mindy, as they worked late, but they did so with Aubergine¡¯s permission.


    ¡°I think Colby likes more subtle flavors,¡± Nori said to no one in particular as a group of students drank in the lounge. ¡°Next time I¡¯m going to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ugh, would you give it a rest?¡± Oliver complained. ¡°You¡¯re already his second favorite behind Julienne, give the rest of us a chance to catch up. Now, who wants to try my latest concoction?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Nori answered.


    Oliver looked around the room. ¡°Bennyyyyy?¡±


    Benedict shook his head and went back to looking out the balcony. Far below, Blanche¡¯s silhouette moved alone inside the torch-lit greenhouse.


    Barley motioned for the drink. Oliver jogged over with a grin and pushed the mug into Barley¡¯s big hand. Barley¡¯s silence had become a mainstay of their late night get togethers. He didn¡¯t complain about Colby¡¯s class and hardly spoke, but he stayed up as late as any of them.


    Oliver wedged his way onto the couch between Juniper and Cress. Nori threw her legs over the arms of her plush armchair. Archie sat in another chair, Sutton sitting on the floor by him and studying Archie¡¯s wound.


    ¡°How would you classify the tingling?¡± Sutton asked, taking notes in a little journal. ¡°Is it an itch? A burn?¡±


    Archie sighed. ¡°Sutton, not now. I¡¯m trying to get drunk.¡±


    ¡°I just feel like it would be more productive if he was nicer,¡± Hyssop complained as she picked at one of Aubergine¡¯s many potted sunflowers that decorated the lounge.


    ¡°Enough Colby talk,¡± Oliver said. He took a sip of something dark and brown. ¡°More drinking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m allowed to complain if I want to,¡± Hyssop spat back. ¡°Afterall, it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hyssie fit,¡± Oliver muttered as he looked into his cup.


    ¡°Hyssie fit,¡± Cress echoed.


    ¡°Hyssie fit,¡± Benedict said out of habit, not turning away from the balcony.


    ¡°Ugh, whatever!¡± Hyssop slammed her cup on the coffee table. ¡°I don¡¯t even complain that much!¡±


    Oliver and Cress exchanged a knowing look and stifled their laughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m outta here,¡± Hyssop declared. She marched away, leaving Oliver with the guilt of driving her out.


    ¡°Oh, come on¡­¡± he started.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go talk to her,¡± Juniper said as she got up and followed Hyssop out of the lounge. The two girls had bonded over being the only unfortunate souls to have to call Prince Waldorf their sponsor. The stress had turned Hyssop into a firecracker, balanced out by Juniper¡¯s dreariness.


    Oliver didn¡¯t move to occupy the space left by Juniper, instead leaning in toward Cress. ¡°So can I make you a drink?¡±


    Sutton poked the point of his quill an inch away from Archie¡¯s wound.


    ¡°Ow! Sutton!¡± Archie wanted to sit up and swat the quill away, but he was too tired to rise out of the deep cushions of his chair, so he settled for a half-hearted kick.


    ¡°So when it tingles¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like when your leg falls asleep,¡± Archie answered.


    Sutton scribbled some notes. ¡°So does it radiate from the wound or does the numbness happen all at once?¡±


    ¡°It radiates, I guess.¡± Archie took another drink, making his head swim. ¡°Why all the questions?¡±


    ¡°Uh, well¡­Licertes are very rare. There are only a couple sightings each year. Tracking your recovery process could provide valuable insights for future attacks.¡±


    ¡°Well, there were nearly twenty of them, so I guess I got a decade¡¯s worth of sightings.¡± Archie wagged his leg at Sutton like a cow¡¯s tail swatting away flies.


    Nori let her head hang upside down off her armchair so that she could look at Archie. Satisfied that he was doing okay, she lifted her head back up and looked out at the stars.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s very unusual,¡± Sutton said. ¡°If they are starting to exhibit pack behavior, that just makes this research all the more important. So since the injury, what triggers the tingling?¡±


    Archie wished Hyssop was still around. Her ranting would drown Sutton out. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Using essence.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel it the moment you start using essence? Or is it after you¡¯ve expended a fair amount?¡±


    ¡°No, it takes a while. I can cook a full meal while barely feeling it. But after that it starts to get pretty bad.¡±


    Sutton muttered to himself as he scribbled some notes. Archie tuned into Oliver¡¯s attempt to hit on Cress.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on this one drink. You¡¯re the inspiration,¡± Oliver said.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. It¡¯s a martini. Tequila. From Kuutsu Nuna, of course.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s smooth. But strong. Of course.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°A little bit of chili oil, because it¡¯s gotta have that kick. And the olive brine¡­lots of olive brine. I make it dirty.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m dirty?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping.¡±


    Nori groaned and drank half of her glass in one go. Cress laughed and started to respond, but Sutton distracted Archie from hearing the pick-up attempt¡¯s conclusion.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°What about emotions?¡± Sutton asked.


    ¡°What about them?¡± Archie looked back over at Oliver and Cress. He had missed Cress¡¯s response, but judging by the fact that Oliver had scooted away from her, the attempt hadn¡¯t landed.


    ¡°Does your leg bother you more when you have a heightened emotional state?¡±


    ¡°Like when I¡¯m really annoyed?¡± Archie added a little sting to his words.


    Sutton didn¡¯t get the hint.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Archie thought about his leg. ¡°Nope, nothing.¡±


    Sutton obliviously scribbled some more notes and continued. ¡°What about hunger?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, no. It doesn¡¯t get bad when I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°No, sorry,¡± Sutton said, pushing up his glasses. ¡°When it hurts, do you get hungry?¡±


    Archie¡¯s face scrunched up in thought. ¡°I dunno. Maybe? Yeah. Yeah, it does. It kinda makes me feel sick, though.¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Sutton scribbled some more notes and turned the page. ¡°So the voice that you heard. Did it sound familiar?¡±


    Archie¡¯s jaw clenched as he thought back to that day. He just wanted to listen to Oliver¡¯s shameless flirting, drink, and complain about Colby¡¯s class. He didn¡¯t want to think about the time he almost died.


    Nori sensed Archie¡¯s discomfort. She let her head droop back again to look at them. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Sutton,¡± she commanded. Even upside down, her glare shut Sutton up.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± he conceded. ¡°Just let me be there the next time Head Chef Anise changes your bandage, okay?¡±


    ¡°Sure. She¡¯s switching me to regular gauze next week.¡±


    A set of footsteps entered from outside. Archie twisted around to see Julienne, Yarrow, and Mindy walk in. Yarrow split off without a word, going to his room. Mindy walked to the balcony and followed Benedict¡¯s eyes to the greenhouse.


    ¡°Ugh, you guys, she¡¯ll stay out there all night if someone doesn¡¯t get her,¡± Mindy sighed before heading toward the elevator.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Benedict said, scrambling to follow her.


    ¡°Prince Julienne!¡± Oliver slurred.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± Julienne said as he took Benedict¡¯s chair. ¡°And get me a drink.¡±


    ¡°Get him a Cress,¡± Cress suggested.


    ¡°Mmm, good idea,¡± Oliver said. ¡°How dirty should I make it?¡±


    ¡°So dirty,¡± she said, dropping her voice and her chin in a sultry combination. Oliver ran off to the kitchen.


    ¡°What¡¯s with Yarrow?¡± Archie asked, the question having been on his mind for almost two months now.


    ¡°We got chewed out pretty hard tonight. Yarrow ruined a hundred-year old bottle of wine. Turned it into pure acid. And I burnt the cream sauce.¡± Julienne ran his hand through his hair, loose black hair falling around the sides of his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the Prince Julienne thing?¡± Cress asked.


    Julienne sighed and found someone¡¯s leftover cup, smelling it before taking a drink. ¡°Sutton, go ahead.¡±


    Sutton bristled with excitement and pushed his glasses up. No one loved explaining things more.


    ¡°The Allard family can be traced directly back to Ambrosia. Her son, Nectarus, was the first king of Labrusca. He named his second son Julienne and sent him back to Ambrosia City as a gift to the people. Then that Julienne started naming his most talented descendant Julienne. Thus the tradition of Cafe Julienne.¡±


    Archie looked down at Sutton, happy that the bookworm¡¯s academic interests had been diverted to another topic. ¡°So he¡¯s royalty?¡±


    ¡°Technically, yes.¡±


    ¡°Prince Julienne!¡± Cress exclaimed.


    ¡°Prince Julienne!¡± Archie and Nori echoed.


    Barley smiled in silence, but they all knew that in his head, he was shouting, ¡°Prince Julienne!¡± with the rest of them.


    Julienne shook his head and sighed. ¡°Technically, I¡¯m not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Prince Julienne!¡± Oliver yelled as he emerged from the kitchen with a large shaker and a handful of empty martini glasses, their stems bunched up between his fingers.


    Julienne took a glass and let Oliver pour. ¡°Like I was about to say, I¡¯m technically not a prince. When you take the Julienne name, you give up your place in the line of succession.¡±


    ¡°So where were you in the line of succession before?¡± Cress asked as Oliver filled her martini glass.


    ¡°Uhhh¡­Right now, I¡¯d be¡­fifth?¡±


    Sobering shock went through Archie. Nori snapped up in her chair. Cress nearly spilled her fresh martini in surprise.


    ¡°Julienne!¡± Nori exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯d be like¡­one bad carriage ride away from being king.¡±


    ¡°Get your old name back!¡± Cress said.


    ¡°King Julienne!¡± Oliver added.


    Julienne took a deep breath and a deep drink. ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, I like having the name Julienne. Believe it or not, it¡¯s actually a bigger honor than being king.¡±


    Archie and Nori looked at each other and shook their heads playfully.


    ¡°Seriously, it is,¡± Julienne said. ¡°It¡¯s like Sutton said. I¡¯m an ambassador of a thousand years of history. Labrusca was only fully independent for like¡­fifty years, so being king is sort of a regional thing. It¡¯s the Juliennes that really get the national stage.¡±


    Archie took one of Oliver¡¯s martinis and sipped it. The olive brine made him wince. Too dirty. ¡°So wait, Julienne, if you¡¯re a direct descendent of Ambrosia¡­does that make you like¡­a demigod?¡±


    Julienne shrugged. ¡°I guess.¡±


    Sutton refused a drink¡ªas he always did¡ªso Oliver moved on to Nori before filling up his own glass.


    ¡°Cheer up, divine one,¡± Oliver said as he sat back down near Cress.


    ¡°Seriously though,¡± Julienne said. ¡°Being Julienne is a bigger deal than being king. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so stressed out about losing the name.¡±


    ¡°Losing it?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°My next screw-up could be my last. I¡¯ll probably lose it on my birthday in a month.¡±


    ¡°Why on your birthday?¡±


    ¡°Going with the whole ¡®Julienne is Labrusca¡¯s gift back to Ambrosia¡¯ of it all, it¡¯s tradition that on a Juliennes¡¯ birthday, they cook a feast for the royal family. My uncle will be extra critical. If it¡¯s not perfect, I¡¯m done. He¡¯s got a son that¡¯s a couple years older than me. He¡¯d love to name him Julienne.¡±


    During Colby¡¯s classes, Julienne had a permanently flirty and fun facade. But here, stripped of confidence by his uncle and already feeling the buzz of Oliver¡¯s concoction, Julienne was just an insecure teenager with everything to lose.


    He took another drink. ¡°I¡¯m hoping Head Chef Pomona can help Yarrow with his acid problem. Mindy is doing fine, but fine isn¡¯t going to get us anywhere. I need to think of something big¡­¡±


    Nori leaned over and placed her hand on Julienne¡¯s knee. The touch made something inside Archie burn and twist.


    ¡°Let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do to help,¡± she said.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Julienne leaned back in his chair. ¡°Hey Oliver, this drink is almost not bad.¡±


    Oliver rolled his eyes. ¡°Thanks, Head Chef Colby.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the pasta-making coming?¡±


    ¡°Awful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit,¡± Cress said as she got up and went toward her room.


    Julienne looked between Archie and Nori. ¡°What about you two? Make any good stews recently?¡± he asked with a laugh.


    ¡°We actually pushed our culinary limits last week,¡± Nori answered, her voice thick with sarcasm. ¡°Made some cornbread to go with the stew. Some Kuutsan recipe Rowan picked up last year while traveling.¡±


    Julienne laughed. ¡°He¡¯s eccentric. One time he invited my uncle to dinner at The Gift. I think my uncle almost died when he realized it was in the Roots.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s¡­¡± Archie sighed. ¡°I had pretty high hopes when I got sponsored by a Black Jacket. The only thing he¡¯s taught us is that everyone deserves a good dinner. Which is true, but¡­still.¡±


    Sutton opened his journal and his quill found its place. ¡°Does your leg tend to hurt more when you¡¯re with Rowan?¡±


    ¡°What? What kind of question is that?¡±


    ¡°Be right back. Barley, hold down the fort for me,¡± Oliver said as he put his drink down and went to his room. Barley nodded in silence.


    Sutton continued his questions. ¡°Does it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t think so?¡±


    ¡°Hm. And have you been in the presence of any Gluttons since the incident?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­no.¡±


    ¡°Enough, Sutton,¡± Nori warned.


    Sutton frowned at her. ¡°We¡¯ll continue another time,¡± he whispered to Archie.


    ¡°So Julienne,¡± Nori said, filling the dead air. ¡°Have you met Grand King Flamb¨¦?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Archie looked at Nori with surprise. ¡°When did you meet him?¡±


    ¡°He spends like three months a year in Uroko. My father serves him almost every year.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s he like?¡±


    ¡°Intimidating at first,¡± Julienne said.


    Nori nodded. ¡°But friendly.¡±


    ¡°His son on the other hand¡­¡±


    The conversation turned to the uncomfortable topic of the Gluttonous Prince Waldorf. Archie only made a few more minutes before deciding to turn in for the night. As he left the lounge, one of Aubergine¡¯s sunflowers turned to watch him.


    He turned the corner and bumped into Cress.


    ¡°Goodnight, Archie,¡± she said as they passed. For whatever reason, she giggled.


    ¡°Goodnight, Cress.¡±

 Chapter 23 - Pairs & Pops

    Colby¡¯s month of terror may have ended on paper, but its effects remained.


    The students filed into the kitchen several minutes early¡ªColby had taught them that to be on time was to be late. They organized their setups and wiped down the already-clean surfaces¡ªColby had taught them that a Chef that didn¡¯t have complete control of their station was no Chef at all. They stood at attention, legs locked, backs rigid, ready for action, waiting for their orders¡ªColby had taught them that the first duty of a lesser Chef was to be ready for orders from their betters.


    The finest militaries could take inspiration from the students¡¯ orderliness. The young Chefs stood like the most diligent soldiers, waiting for orders and ready to give it all in culinary war. A tornado would fail to lift them from their posts. A fire would do nothing to deter them¡ªthey would die making sure their food didn¡¯t get overcooked in the blaze.


    ¡±He really did a number on you guys, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    Pomona hopped up to sit on a counter, her casualness sending discordant ripples through the stiff, formal air. She realized that the buttons of her red jacket weren¡¯t lined up and redid them.


    No one answered Pomona. The silence in the air had grown too thick. They knew better than to break it unless absolutely necessary. Sticking your head out in Colby¡¯s class just exposed your neck.


    Archie moved his head as little as possible as he looked around at the other students. He knew Pomona didn¡¯t possess Colby¡¯s codified wrath, but after a month in Colby¡¯s kitchen, Archie struggled to relax.


    Pomona finished her buttons and looked up with a smile. ¡°Hi Blanche. You excited?¡±


    The entire class could hear Blanche swallow.


    ¡±Ye¡ªyes,¡± she mustered. Her arms turned to petrified wood against her sides. A light breeze would topple her like a plank.


    ¡±Hm.¡± Pomona pursed her lips in disappointment. ¡°You don¡¯t sound excited. Are you excited?¡±


    ¡±Yes.¡± Blanche spoke solidly, but unconvincingly. ¡°Yes Chef.¡±


    Pomona added a coy look to her smile. Everyone could see it, but it was undoubtedly for Blanche. It was a smile between friends.


    ¡±Are you excited?¡± Pomona asked softly.


    Blanche relaxed and returned the smile. ¡°Very.¡±


    The word set Pomona off like a firework. She leapt off the counter, clapped her hands, and almost yelled in her excitement.


    ¡±Alright, everyone! Loosen up. We¡¯re going to have some fun, and what¡¯s more fun than working with a partner? Everyone grab one and then we¡¯ll start.¡±


    The students¡¯ uniformity broke into absolute chaos as they battled for partners. Yarrow moved first, knocking over the first domino as he dashed to claim Julienne before Mindy could do more than look at him. Mindy shrugged and turned to Blanche, but Benedict had already moved between them. Cress saw Mindy¡¯s struggle and walked over to her station, leaving Oliver just a couple of steps too slow. He turned to Barley, but Barley had already joined Akando to form the quietest duo in The Platter. Juniper and Hyssop paired up, leaving Oliver with Archie, Nori, and Sutton.


    Oliver and Sutton both sighed and met at an empty station.


    No one considered for even a moment that Archie and Nori weren¡¯t already paired up. Archie smiled at the thought as Nori walked over to his station.


    ¡°There¡¯s the energy I was looking for!¡± Pomona cheered. She motioned at the giant wicker baskets on the counter behind her. ¡°Now each group send someone up to get your ingredients for today.¡±


    Nori glanced down at Archie¡¯s leg. The wound had closed, leaving yellow blisters that were finally flattening into discolored skin¡ªSutton had tracked the entire process with detailed drawings and a dozen questions per day. The physical pain of the wound was almost entirely gone, but Nori still acted like Archie¡¯s caretaker. Without saying a word, she volunteered herself to grab a basket to save him from having to walk.


    ¡°We¡¯re keeping things simple,¡± Pomona said as the students scooped bowls of berries from the baskets. ¡°Just get one type. Today isn¡¯t about cooking. It¡¯s about essence and ingredients.¡±


    Nori returned with a grin. She tipped the bowl to show Archie the blueberries within. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had a blueberry day,¡± she said.


    Pomona waited for everyone to get settled before she started her lecture. Her teaching voice was hardly different from her normal voice¡ªstill full of warmth and excitement, just with a little added projection. It sounded more like an invitation than instruction.


    ¡°So hopefully everyone feels confident about their cooking skills after Colby¡¯s class.¡±


    The students produced a chorus of coughs and groans.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fair. He doesn¡¯t teach confidence. Hopefully everyone feels like they learned a lot, at least.¡±


    That got some nods.


    ¡°But you¡¯re not at the Academy of Ambrosia just because you can cook. You¡¯re here because you can manipulate essence. One day, you¡¯ll be able to produce amazing effects with your cooking. You¡¯ll cook food into unique experiences and amazing flavors. You might learn how to feed the masses from a single field, or you might learn to make a dish worthy of kings. The essence in ingredients is your clay with which to sculpt masterpieces. But no one creates a statue their first time sitting at the pottery wheel. They make a cup. Today is cup day.¡±


    Pomona grabbed a handful of raspberries and closed her fist. When she opened it, a single raspberry remained.


    ¡°The first task of the day is combination. Everyone grab a berry in each hand.¡±


    The class followed her instruction.


    ¡°Feel the essence in each of them. Feel the way they are the same. Feel the way they are different.¡±


    Archie took a blueberry in each hand and closed his eyes in meditation. He visualized the sensation of essence in each blueberry. The left one¡¯s essence swirled tumultuously, left to right and right to left and up and down. The right one¡¯s moved back and forth and rose and fell like a sloshing liquid. He had assumed they had come from the same bush, but holding them, he knew the left one was a rabbiteye and the right was a lowbush.


    ¡°Can you feel a difference?¡± Sutton whispered behind them.


    ¡°Not with you talking,¡± Oliver hissed back. ¡°Why¡¯d you grab strawberries?¡±


    Archie¡¯s long weekends spent picking blueberries had put him ahead of the curve.


    ¡°To combine the berries, you¡¯ll need to resolve their differences,¡± Pomona explained. ¡°Mold the essence with your own. Make them compatible. And then¡­¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Pomona took a raspberry in each hand and pushed them together into a single berry. ¡°Just a little bit of essence from you to glue them together.¡±


    Archie visualized his essence surrounding the left blueberry and closing in to shape the essence within. He matched its rhythm to the bouncing waves of the other blueberry and moved them into each other. The blueberries merged without resistance, seeming to slide together.


    He looked over at Nori just as she performed the merge with similar ease. In the row in front of them, Blanche managed to create a single, lumpy abomination of a raspberry from her two. Julienne, bored with the rudimentary lesson, combined a third blackberry.


    ¡°Now, if you can¡¯t do it yet, don¡¯t worry,¡± Pomona said. ¡°We¡¯ll get you there by the end of the day, I¡¯m sure. For those of you that were successful, you¡¯ll notice that although you¡¯ve combined two berries into one, that one berry does not have double its usual essence. Some of the essence gets used in the process of combining, and there is a matter of learned efficiency, but you should notice that the berry does have increased essence. For a beginner, even getting a twenty percent increase in essence is an accomplishment.¡±


    Archie took another blueberry and compared the essence between it and his combined product. He couldn¡¯t be sure of the number, but it certainly felt like he had improved it by more than twenty percent.


    ¡°With this method of consolidation, you¡¯ll have more essence to work with in your dish. You can keep merging more berries, but you¡¯ll find that there is a diminishing return that can only be overcome with experience and expertise. For now, combining base ingredients should be manageable, and as you get better, you¡¯ll be able to consolidate complex blends of cooked flavors.¡±


    Nori flicked her blueberry across the counter at Archie. He grabbed it and combined it with his. The essence inside of it seemed to push at the seams of the blueberry, threatening to explode with essence.


    ¡°So let¡¯s make this a game. Together with your partner, I want you to take turns consolidating into a single berry.¡±


    Archie didn¡¯t understand how that was a game, but he played anyway. He rolled the blueberry back across the counter to Nori. She scooped it up along with a blueberry from their bowl, put them together, and¡ª


    Pop!


    The blueberry burst, covering Nori¡¯s hands with juice and launching big blue chunks that dirtied her orange jacket.


    Pomona laughed and gestured at Nori, drawing the class¡¯s attention to her blunder. ¡°As you can see, the more essence in an ingredient, the harder it is to control. The essence needs to be structured together properly, and as Chefs, you¡¯ll need to learn how to manipulate large quantities of essence. Otherwise¡­You¡¯ll lose the game.¡±


    Nori glared at Archie. He smiled back, but knew he¡¯d pay for her public defeat.


    ¡°I only lost because you did a bad job combining them,¡± she whispered. ¡°And I didn¡¯t know the game.¡±


    ¡°Still lost,¡± Archie chirped.


    Pomona cleared her throat.


    ¡°But the real winner is the pair that manages to produce a berry with three times the usual essence. Whichever team manages to do that gets to pick our afternoon recipe.¡±


    While most of the teams looked at each other and grinned and made snide remarks, Julienne and Yarrow set to work. Archie watched as they passed a blackberry back and forth, merging it three times before Archie¡¯s competitive spirit kicked in.


    He rushed to combine a pair of blueberries and placed it in front of Nori.


    Nori took it and frowned. ¡°Go slower. Do it right.¡±


    She demonstrated with another blueberry, slow and deliberate.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± He nodded at Yarrow and Julienne. ¡°They¡¯re gonna finish before you¡¯ve gone twice.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll mess it up.¡±


    The universe couldn¡¯t stand for Nori to be wrong twice, so of course, at that exact moment, the blackberry exploded in Yarrow¡¯s hands. Archie didn¡¯t need to look at Nori to feel her smug stare. He just accepted defeat, grabbed another blueberry, closed his eyes, and synced up its essence with their combined blueberry. He put them together with his best efficiency yet, but his triumph was watered down by knowing it came from Nori¡¯s instruction.


    Nori combined it with another blueberry and passed it over. Archie grabbed it and another blueberry and compared. Their combined blueberry easily had twice as much essence. Elsewhere in the class, some students were still trying to achieve their first clean merge.


    Archie combined the blueberries. Whereas before he was getting a twenty or thirty percent bump in essence, he barely felt a difference with this merge. He only felt a rising tension inside the blueberry. He gingerly placed it down in front of Nori and offered an apology in the form of a sympathetic look.


    ¡°Oh, you¡­¡± Nori sighed. She squinted and pulled her face away as she tried to combine another blueberry.


    Pop!


    Nori¡¯s jacket was as blue as it was orange. ¡°Archie!¡±


    ¡°What?! That was a good one. At least double. We¡¯ll have triple in no time.¡±


    ¡°Start a new one,¡± she said as she wiped the blue off her hands.


    A fiendish idea struck Archie. He put a blueberry in each palm and cupped his hands together. The blueberries combined, their essences combining into a single circular motion within the singular blueberry. Instead of handing the blueberry over, Archie pulsed extra essence into the blueberry, its tight orbits of energy becoming erratic and bouncing around with increasing force. Rather than trying to control the essence, he just added more, encouraging the chaotic flow within. Finally, he placed it in front of Nori.


    ¡°As long as we beat¡ª¡±


    The blueberry exploded at Nori¡¯s touch, covering her freshly washed hands with a new coat of blue.


    ¡°What the¡ª¡±


    Archie burst into laughter. Even Nori¡¯s icy glare couldn¡¯t curb his joy, so she went for his pride, rubbing her blue hands all over his prized orange jacket. He tried to fight her off, but his laughter left him unable to put up a defense.


    ¡°Would you focus?¡± she hissed once her hands were clean and his jacket was covered in juice. ¡°It¡¯s blueberries. We have no excuses for losing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. As soon as you stop exploding our blueberries, we¡¯ll win.¡±


    She punched his shoulder, taking back some of the chunks of blueberry onto her knuckles. ¡°Be serious,¡± she said. Then she decided to pull the string that was always ready to be tugged. ¡°It¡¯s not everyday that a Kent gets a chance to prove they¡¯re better than a Julienne.¡±


    Archie recognized the blatant manipulation.


    But that didn¡¯t stop it from working.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. He took two blueberries, and with his deepest level of concentration yet, combined them into a single blueberry with an extra fifty percent of essence. He handed it over to Nori. ¡°For real this time.¡±


    She rotated the blueberry around in her hand for a bit while she dug through the bowl for the right counterpart. She found it, merged them, and handed it over to Archie. They passed it back and forth again, crossing the double-essence threshold.


    ¡°Archie,¡± Sutton whispered from behind them. ¡°Does your leg hurt when you hold the berry? Are you hungry?¡±


    Archie turned. At first, the question confused him, but then he realized he had bent over to scratch his yellow-purple skin as he held the potent blueberry in his other hand.


    ¡°I, uh¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not now, Sutton,¡± Nori commanded. She waited until Pomona had her back turned before throwing a blueberry across the kitchen. It smacked the back of Yarrow¡¯s head, breaking his concentration and making the blackberry explode in his hands. She took the blueberry from Archie and kept her head down as Yarrow looked for the culprit.


    Sutton knew not to push his luck with Nori.


    She handed the blueberry back to Archie.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s tripled,¡± she said.


    Archie compared it to a fresh blueberry and twisted his mouth in uncertainty. ¡°I dunno. Probably needs one more. You want to do it?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s your turn. Besides, I think you¡¯re better at blueberries than me.¡±


    Nori admitting inferiority only made it clear how seriously she was taking the contest. Archie wouldn¡¯t let her down. He felt the essence in their combined blueberry. It moved without pattern or purpose, threatening to move just the wrong way at the wrong moment and ruin the blueberry that contained it.


    Archie steered the motion within the blueberry, giving the essence a pattern to follow. He couldn¡¯t control it completely, but he could influence it. He matched the pattern with another blueberry, pushed them together, and¡ª


    ¡°Done!¡± he exclaimed for the whole class to hear. He set it on the counter so that he wouldn¡¯t ruin it.


    Julienne and Yarrow were the first to respond, their heads whipping around and their faces racked with the nervousness of potential failure. Pomona hopped over to them and grabbed the blueberry. She looked at Archie, then Nori, smiling with an instructor¡¯s pride. She relished the tense silence for a moment. And then¡­


    ¡°Winner!¡± Pomona declared.


    Julienne slapped his palms on the counter. Blanche offered a flurry of quick, small claps for Nori. Cress threw a blackberry across the room at the winners.


    Archie and Nori locked eyes and grinned. As long as they were working in pairs, no one else stood a chance.

 Chapter 24 - Flavor & Motion

    ¡°Lemon curd.¡±


    ¡°Pappardelle.¡±


    ¡°What even is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pasta! It¡¯s like a wide fettuccine.¡±


    ¡°Lemon curd.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Nori. I want to practice pasta. You know, for bandages and whatnot.¡±


    ¡°And I want to practice lemon. You know, for burning flesh and whatnot.¡±


    Archie sighed. He had never won an argument once Nori took that tone. He looked up at the waiting class, then leaned back in to continue whispering.


    ¡°How about a lemon pasta?¡± he suggested.


    ¡°Lemon curd.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Remember how you made the whole class laugh at me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­fine.¡±


    Nori looked up at Pomona and announced their decision. ¡°Lemon curd.¡±


    ¡°Alright everyone, we¡¯re making lemon curd!¡± Pomona announced. ¡°That¡¯s a good one. Hyssop, grab a few dozen eggs from the fridge for everyone. Blanche, can you help me pick some lemons?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Blanche replied.


    ¡°Why do I have to get them¡­¡± Hyssop muttered.


    ¡°Okay, Blanche and I will be back up in just a bit. When we get back, we¡¯ll get started on some lemon curds! Let¡¯s double up on the stoves and get friendly. Everyone grab a new partner and be ready with lots of sugar!¡±


    Pomona didn¡¯t stick around to watch the commotion she had caused by demanding a partner switch. Second choices got their time to shine¡ªOliver swooped up Cress, Benedict settled for Barley, and Mindy made her move toward Julienne.


    But Nori got there first.


    She had wasted no time and spared no last glance at Archie as she strode over to claim her place next to Julienne. A pit formed in Archie¡¯s stomach. Occasionally, a brief romantic thought crossed his mind, but he always quelled it for fear of the fallout. Better to have the status quo and a best friend than an awkward relationship with a coworker.


    But seeing Nori next to the threateningly beautiful Julienne made his heart race.


    It took Archie a moment to think of anything else¡ªand a moment was too long to waste in the scramble of partnering up. If he didn¡¯t act fast, he¡¯d be stuck with Hyssop and her Hyssie fits. He saw Benedict take Barley and saw his opening.


    ¡°Hey, Akando,¡± he said. ¡°Wanna cook together?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Akando always did things with a steady rhythm. He spoke evenly, he acted evenly, every expression controlled, and even just walking over to Archie, his long black hair bounced off his back in perfect synchronization with his steps. His hair was longer than any of the girls, and perhaps more well-maintained¡ªalthough Archie wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Cress could uncoil her hair to three times its length.


    ¡°Congratulations on winning,¡± Akando said in his standard monotone voice. ¡°The berry,¡± he added when Archie looked back with confusion.


    ¡°Oh. Thanks.¡±


    If any other classmate had said congratulations with that tone, Archie would have taken it for sarcasm. But he knew Akando only dealt in genuineness and sincerity.


    ¡°This¡¯ll be good,¡± Pomona said once the class got settled. ¡°One of the best ways to learn how to cook with essence is with a recipe that requires frequent stirring. Gives you several chances to manipulate the dish. As a matter-of-fact, these kinds of recipes are usually what we test you on as first-years.¡±


    Pomona all but winked, and Archie made a mental note of that. Exams were still six months away, but it was never too early to prepare.


    ¡°So the way I¡¯ve always made lemon curd is with a double boiler method,¡± Pomona continued. ¡°You don¡¯t want direct heat. Did Head Chef Colby show you all how to make a double boiler?¡±


    The class erupted into an affirmative chorus. Whereas no one had wanted Colby¡¯s attention, everyone spoke up in a bid for Pomona¡¯s.


    ¡°Okay, each of you get started with that. Help your partner if they need it.¡±


    Archie filled two pots with an inch of water as Akando added wood to the stove.


    ¡°Now while the water comes to a boil, let¡¯s put our ingredients together. Feel the essence of each ingredient as you add it,¡± Pomona said. ¡°But don¡¯t try to manipulate it yet. Just get comfortable with it.¡±


    They cracked eggs into glass bowls, adding sugar, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Archie made of note of each ingredient¡¯s essence, none more so than the lemon. He figured that as the key ingredient, the lemon¡¯s essence would be the most important.


    ¡°Alright, now the fun part,¡± Pomona said. ¡°Once your water is boiling, place your glass bowls over the pot, reduce that boil to a simmer, and then get whisking. We¡¯ll whisk for ten minutes.¡±


    The class lowered their glass bowls over the pot, trapping steam that heated the bowl.


    ¡°But, this is the test¡­I want you to extend your essence through the whisk and into the ingredients. Because while you are cooking their physical qualities together, you¡¯ll unlock a new level of flavor by also blending their essences appropriately.


    ¡°Just as you stir with your whisk, you must stir with your essence. Feel each ingredient. Open it up so that it may mix its essence with the others. It won¡¯t be easy. You¡¯ll have to keep track of all of these different essences and mesh them together until they become one. But it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    While they hadn¡¯t worked with essence much in Colby¡¯s class, Archie had already developed a good awareness of his essence. At first, it had felt like a foreign power flowing through his body. Now, it felt like a natural part of him.


    He extended his essence through the whisk. He could feel the ingredients touch the thick metal wire as if they touched his fingertips. The essence of egg and sugar and lemon and salt, all unique, sensitively brushed his essence. He remembered how they felt before he put them all together in the same bowl, taking a minute to recognize each ingredient in the mixture.


    He tried to probe into the ingredients one at a time. The lemon juice demanded his attention, its essence louder and more active than those of the more ingredients. He pushed his essence through the whisk and into the lemon juice like a tendril, merging it with the juice¡¯s essence.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The tendril splintered, latching onto any lemon zest it came across. Merging juice and zest was easy like bringing two separated soulmates back together. But when Archie tried to create a new branch from his essence to bind the other ingredients, it all fell apart. His essence lost its hold, the lemon¡¯s essence sliding off without friction.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Archie grunted. He hadn¡¯t started stirring yet, having wanted to grab hold of all the essence before complicating the process with movement.


    Archie tried again, but lost his focus even earlier. His leg itched.


    He looked around the room, judging others'' success based on their expressions.


    Julienne and Nori chatted and whisked without care. That didn¡¯t surprise Archie¡ªas much as he might hate to admit it, they were the two most talented cooks. But it did upset him.


    Sutton whisked, but the frown on his face signaled his lack of success blending essences.


    A bowl shattered at the front of the class. A couple of girls screamed. Archie¡¯s head whipped around to the sound. Yarrow held his hands up and away from the shattered glass. He had turned the mixture into something so acidic that the glass had broken.


    Once things settled down, Archie noticed the constant whisk-whisk-whisk coming from right next to him. Akando wore a slight smile of confidence, unbothered by the commotion as he whisked away.


    Archie didn¡¯t need to ask to know that Akando was doing it right.


    And Archie didn¡¯t have to ask how for Akando to answer.


    ¡°Takuskanskan,¡± Akando said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It means the mysterious power of motion. In Kuutsu Nuna, we believe that with proper spirit of motion, you can create a spirit from motion. It is Takuskanskan that creates a path for my essence to flow through.¡±


    Akando stirred as he spoke, his syllables falling in rhythm with the scratching of his whisk.


    ¡°Bind your magic to the motion, then as long as you maintain that motion, the way will be clear. Then you can extend your focus. I hope you can understand that.¡±


    Archie put his essence into the whisk and focused on the motion. Once around. Twice around. Three times. He equalized the tempo of each revolution and extended his essence into the whisk. The essence in the ingredients bristled, going to him rather than the other way around.


    They spoke to Archie, telling him to go faster. Archie sped up just a hair and felt the way open up. While maintaining perfect rhythm, Archie¡¯s essence connected to each ingredient. With the rhythm of the motion ingrained in him, he invited the ingredients to mingle. They exchanged their essences, blending their flavors into something greater than the sum of their parts.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing it,¡± Archie said with a proud laugh.


    Akando looked at Archie thoughtfully. ¡°You should visit Kuutsu Nuna. You¡¯re a natural learner. And we have much to teach. You could follow the Kuutsu over the summer. Then we¡¯d consider you a man.¡±


    Akando pursed his lips to keep a laugh inside.


    ¡°It sounds interesting. Maybe,¡± Archie said. ¡°Thanks for the help.¡±


    The possibility sounded more than interesting. Walking across the country. Seeing the world. Eating and playing music by the campfire. Sleeping in tents. Following the Kuutsu. Watching giant birds fly across the desert. Learning how to grill and barbecue from the best in the world. Akando and Cress could be his guides. Maybe even Nori would come along. And he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Julienne coming. Hard for a demigod prince to drop everything to go backpacking for the summer.


    But Archie had plans for next summer dating back to when he was a kid. Archie, finally a Chef, bringing his considerable talent and flair back to Petrichor. The people in Ambrosia City whispering of a comeback. The stableboys in Ambrosia City wondering why so many people were leaving to visit Sain. The resurgence of the name Kent.


    He thought back to the crystal ball he had opened on his twelfth birthday. Whether his vision had been a dream or destiny, he wanted to turn it into a reality. Traveling the world would have to wait until the next life.


    Once the mixture was sufficiently stirred, they added butter and set it aside to cool and thicken. Archie dipped his pinky into his still-molten lemon curd and tasted it. He had never made lemon curd before, but he knew it didn¡¯t normally taste this good. The manipulated essence had enhanced the flavor. It was great¡ªbut he wanted it to be better. Fortunately, he¡¯d have that chance.


    ¡°Okay, class,¡± Pomona said. ¡°While these cool, go ahead and take lunch. Eat something good and get your energy back up, because then we¡¯re meeting back up to make lemon curd again. Let¡¯s see if we can really nail this technique.¡±


    In the kitchen next door, Colby had fourth-years making ramen from scratch, and while their first batch was far below Colby¡¯s standards, the first-years were happy to take it off their hands.


    They filled their bowls and spread out across the lower building of the Academy to eat. Some of the girls ate with Pomona in her kitchen. Blanche spilled half of her broth on her way down to the greenhouse, having spent the latter half of the morning worried that the unusually hot fall day would dry out her cucumbers. Julienne never made it out of Colby¡¯s kitchen, eating his ramen as he watched and learned alongside Yarrow and Mindy. Sutton ate while reading, cursing when he slurped up a noodle that flung broth onto his papers.


    Archie walked past his usual spot at one of the tables, walking out onto the balcony. He sat with his bowl in his lap, looking out onto the horizon. The balcony faced northeast toward Sain and Khala, but he imagined it facing northwest toward Kuutsu Nuna.


    His mind took him beyond the mountains, crossing the narrow sliver of sea that separated Kuutsu Nuna and Labrusca. He rode on horseback through the swamps¡ªcarriages would sink in the mud. It was hot and humid and sunny and miserable but everyone was so happy, bellies full of crawfish and fried okra.


    He went north to escape the swamp, picking up the trail of the Kuutsu. He ate eastern barbecue consisting of burnt ends of Kuutsu meat and smoked whole hogs slathered in mustard. He followed the Kuutsu west. It would just be a month until he got to try western barbecue with its Kuutsu brisket and sausage cooked on the highest heats.


    He had heard that Kuutsu Nuna stayed as neutral as it could in any interkingdom matters, but that a cultural war raged year-round in Kuutsu Nuna. Saying you liked one type of barbecue over another in the wrong place was as dangerous as wandering alone in the desert with a thunderbird looming overhead.


    He looped up even farther north, going to the icy lands where they hunted whales and¡ª


    ¡°Guess what?¡± Nori asked.


    Archie snapped out of his daydream. Nori stood, empty-handed, blocking his view as she hunched over him. She shook with anticipation.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your ramen?¡± Archie asked.


    Nori let out a frustrated groan before speaking a mile a minute, the words spilling out of her mouth.


    ¡°That ramen? No. No, no. Look, we have some great Chefs here, but I¡¯m not about to start eating their ramen. You kidding? It¡¯d be the worst I¡¯ve ever had. Now, guess what?¡±


    Archie hadn¡¯t even gotten halfway to matching her excitement. Some part of him was still in some distant Kuutsu Nunan kitchen learning how to turn whale fat into lantern oil. He looked around Nori as if he might spot his other part wandering around and recover from the hangover of his daydream. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to cook at Cafe Julienne.¡±


    The words were cold water splashed onto Archie¡¯s face. He snapped up in his seat, nearly spilling his ramen. ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Just for his birthday thing. He said he needed help, so¡­yeah!¡± Nori raised his fists up to her shoulders and tensed her body in excitement.


    Shock kept Archie silent.


    ¡°Okay, I have to go find something to eat,¡± Nori said. ¡°I just wanted to tell someone! Okay, bye!¡±


    Nori dashed off before Archie could react.


    Cafe Julienne.


    Perhaps the best restaurant in the world.


    Archie thought of all the opportunities that would come from cooking at Cafe Julienne even once. What it would mean for a Kent to cook at such a reputable establishment. What he could learn. The doors it would open. It would be the turning point in achieving his greatest desire.


    But he wasn¡¯t going to cook at Cafe Julienne.


    Nori was.


    Archie felt a pit in his stomach. Jealousy had reared its head when he had seen Nori and Julienne flirting. But this was something else. Something far worse. Something untenable. This was pure, vehement envy. This wasn¡¯t about romance. This was about something far more important. His dream. His destiny.


    He imagined a horrible trajectory of Nori¡¯s future. She would become famous. Esteemed. Revered. She would climb the ranks, never wearing the same color jacket for long. Ten, twenty years from now, people would look back and talk about how crazy it was that the world famous Chefs Julienne and Nori had come up in the same class together.


    And Archie would be a footnote. Another forgettable Kent.


    It wasn¡¯t his opportunity.


    It was Nori¡¯s.


    And he¡¯d be left behind.


    Archie sat in silence, not eating, just processing, until someone yelled to him that Pomona¡¯s class was starting again. He wandered through the lounge like a zombie, setting down his ramen and continuing into Pomona¡¯s kitchen.


    Something terrible brewed inside of him.

 Chapter 25 - Rot & Nightmares

    ¡°Okay, everyone hold on to your finished lemon curds,¡± Pomona said. ¡°Let¡¯s switch up partners again and make another batch. Someone new! I¡¯ll come around and taste while you cook.¡±


    The words didn¡¯t register with Archie. He stood at the stove, unmoving, unhearing. Without a word, Akando volunteered himself to find a new partner at a new stove. The class bustled around as they switched partners.


    ¡°Hey Archie,¡± Sutton said as he took his spot at Archie¡¯s stove and filled their pots with water. ¡°Did you figure it out? I was having some trouble with¡­¡±


    Sutton kept speaking, but Archie stopped listening.


    He stared at Nori as she partnered up with Blanche. They were too far for Archie to hear, but he didn¡¯t need to hear to know what they were saying. Nori said something. Blanche¡¯s jaw dropped into a gaping smile and she grabbed Nori¡¯s shoulders and jumped in a little celebration.


    White hot envy burned a hole in Archie¡¯s stomach, causing its acid to leak into his heart.


    ¡°Archie?¡±


    Archie turned sharply, causing Sutton to flinch.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Sutton asked. ¡°You look a little¡­unwell.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Archie said.


    ¡°Is it your leg?¡± Sutton asked with a sort of perverse hopefulness. He wasn¡¯t concerned. He was curious.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Archie hissed.


    As Archie returned to watching Nori, Sutton snuck a few glances down at Archie¡¯s mostly-recovered wound.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get started,¡± Pomona announced. ¡°Really try to feel the essence as you stir.¡±


    While the water simmered, Archie stewed.


    Pomona started at the front of the class, dipping a little spoon into Nori¡¯s lemon curd and tasting it. Pomona¡¯s face lit up as she overflowed with praise.


    The water and Archie both reached a boil.


    Archie paid no attention to the finer measurements of his mixture, just throwing the ingredients together into a bowl over the heat. He stirred without any regard to Akando¡¯s lesson, just dumping his essence carelessly through the whisk.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Sutton jumped and closed the damper, cutting off some of the air to the fire. ¡°The water¡¯s not supposed to still be boiling!¡±


    But Archie didn¡¯t care. He just whisked and watched Nori and felt rotten.


    Why should she get to cook at Cafe Julienne? Aside from cooking seafood, she wasn¡¯t any better than him. And she had enough advantages already. Her family was one of the most revered in the world. Her father owned a restaurant that rivaled Cafe Julienne. He was a White Jacket. And then there was her Black Jacket mother. And how many other Black Jackets were there in her family? She wasn¡¯t even grateful for her family¡¯s fortune. She had to audacity to feel burdened by it.


    And who was Archie? What did he have? A forgotten name. Orange Jacket parents, the lowest of the low, operating a failing restaurant. Clinging on to some vestige of relevance. Of pride. He had never once felt ashamed of them.


    Until now.


    They had failed to gain a single rank. Maybe Archie would fail too. Maybe his dreams of being a White Jacket were too ambitious. Maybe he should just hope for a single color change. To not be a lowly Orange Jacket for his entire life. After all, he wasn¡¯t a Harper like Nori. He was a lowly, lowly, nobody named Kent.


    A rotten stench filled the kitchen.


    Something changed in Archie¡¯s whisk. The essence reversed its flow.


    He should have been the one to cook at Cafe Julienne. He was the one that needed a break. Not Nori. Privileged, bratty Nori. She didn¡¯t even care about becoming a Chef. She didn¡¯t even care about legacy. Why her?


    Sutton gagged so loudly that the entire class turned.


    ¡°Archie, what is that?¡± Pomona winced and held her nose shut as she approached.


    Archie snapped out his spiteful, spiraling thoughts and looked down at his lemon curd.


    At least, it should have been lemon curd.


    The egg yolks had turned into black gelatin. The lemon juice had turned brown. The zest had turned green. The sugar had crystallized into brown goo. None of the ingredients had mixed, and none of them had any essence left in them.


    Then the smell hit Archie. Death and decay strangling the air. Rotten tendrils worming their way into Archie¡¯s nose, splashing down onto his tongue so that he could taste its acrid foulness. Saliva mixing with bile in his mouth.


    He barely managed to turn away in time before half-digested ramen spewed from his mouth and onto the ground.


    He couldn¡¯t be there anymore. He ran out of the door and into the hallway, Sutton chasing close behind.


    ¡°Are you okay, Archie?¡± Sutton asked, firing off one question after another. ¡°Is it your leg? How does your leg feel? Are you hungry?¡±


    Archie couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He had lost control of his life, his destiny, his stomach. He needed to feel in control. He needed to dominate.


    And he was bigger than Sutton.


    ¡°Go! Away!¡± he yelled as he slammed his palms into Sutton¡¯s shoulders.


    Sutton¡¯s glasses flew off of his face, hitting the ground a second after he did.


    ¡°I¡¯m sick of your stupid questions!¡± Archie yelled.


    Nori stood speechless in the doorway. Behind her, the entire class looked at Archie, then at Sutton, and put the pieces together.


    Archie didn¡¯t feel better. He felt much, much worse.


    ¡°Just¡­¡± Archie looked around the hallway. How had he gotten here? ¡°I just need to lay down. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Archie wiped the vomit from his chin as he stumbled down the hallway and into his room. Everything hurt. His body. His pride. Stress slammed into his brain like a club, knocking him out the moment he hit his bed.


    A deer bumped its nose into Archie, waking him.


    But he hadn¡¯t been sleeping. He had been sitting. Sitting in the tranquil, flat grass of a forest glade, a ring of trees surrounding him. Sun shining down uninterrupted, warming his bones. Everything felt good.


    The deer nudged him again, ever so softly.


    He ripped a bundle of yellow flowers out of the ground and held it up so that the deer could eat them from his hand. Even as he lifted his hands, flowers regrew from where he had taken them. The deer took a bite and scampered back into the forest.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    A fox emerged from the bushes. Archie felt the grass around him, picking out fallen acorns which the fox ate. Then the fox left. A rabbit came and ate grass from his hand. Then a squirrel. They came one by one and then by groups, soft, gentle noses nuzzling and tickling his palm as they took his offerings.


    And then the bush rustled again, and Archie knew that whatever was in that bush, it was hungry. He looked around, but the flowers had stopped regrowing. The grass had grown short and yellow. They had gotten too much sun, but that was alright, because the sun had almost set. Still seated, Archie found one last flower and held it out, his arm outstretched. He wondered what animal would come to take it. A badger? A raccoon?


    The bush rustled again. Archie spotted a scaled tail slink between two bushes. A face emerged, a square reptilian face with a protruding underbite and teeth sticking out sideways.


    Archie¡¯s hand remained outstretched. He wanted to withdraw. He felt every muscle in his arm tense and contract, straining to pull his hand in. But his hand remained, compelled by some unheard voice.


    As the creature moved across the glade, it left a trail of death. Brittle flowers that cracked in the breeze. Petrified wood. Black grass. These things would not rot. Their deaths would not become a source of nourishment. Their deaths were only death. The purest death.


    The creature¡¯s tongue tickled Archie¡¯s palm as it danced around the petals, never taking them. It seemed to consider them, finding them unworthy. It looked Archie up and down, its gaze lingering on his leg. His wound had opened up, worse than ever before, gushing blood and pus.


    The creature¡¯s tongue flickered up a drop of blood, and slowly, ever so slowly, the creature lowered its mouth and closed its jaws around him.


    Archie woke up, shaking the creature off of his leg before he even opened his eyes. But the creature didn¡¯t relent, five teeth dug in deep. He sat up, kicking harder. He started to scream.


    ¡°Archie, relax! It¡¯s me! It¡¯s Nori!¡±


    Archie tried to dispel the fog in his mind. He wasn¡¯t in the forest. He was in his room. It wasn¡¯t a licerte grabbing his ankle. It was Nori. The last time he had seen Nori, he had hated her. But why? She hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.


    ¡°You slept through dinner,¡± Nori said. ¡°And breakfast. Come on, let¡¯s grab a quick bite and then get going. We¡¯ve gotta get down to The Gift.¡±


    Archie shed his blankets, but the blanket of drowsiness remained heavy on his body. ¡°Yeah, let me just get dressed¡­¡±


    Nori raised her eyebrows. Archie looked down. He had fallen asleep in his orange jacket, something he hadn¡¯t done since his first month at the Academy when he had refused to take it off.


    ¡°Oh. Okay, uh.¡± Archie groaned as he got up. ¡°Forget breakfast, let¡¯s just go straight to Rowan.¡±


    ¡°No, come on. Let¡¯s¡­let¡¯s go to the lounge.¡± Nori nudged her head toward the door. ¡°I¡¯m sure¡­I¡¯m sure someone has something we can steal real quick.¡±


    Archie didn¡¯t have the energy to argue. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Archie stumbled and swayed side to side as he followed Nori down the hallway, up the stairs, and into the lounge. It was emptier than usual, most of the students having already gone to work for their sponsors, but some first-years remained. Archie couldn¡¯t look them in the eyes.


    But one of them was waiting for him.


    ¡°Archie!¡± Julienne called out. He sat at a small circular table with Yarrow, who mildly scowled at Archie, and Mindy, who smiled. ¡°Come over here.¡±


    Archie looked around in confusion, wiped the sleep from his eyes, and walked over to the table. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Julienne raised his eyebrows and tapped on the table with his middle finger. ¡°So, I tried that lemon curd you made.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Archie looked down at his feet.


    Julienne stopped tapping and sat up, using his pinky to brush aside a curtain of black hair, revealing the porcelain skin of his forehead. ¡°Oh, no! The uh, not that one. The good one. And it was. Good.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Archie said again, this time with more spirit.


    ¡°I think I had mentioned it before, but my birthday is coming up at the end of the month, and I¡¯m expected to prepare a feast for the royal family.¡±


    Archie looked at Nori with a resigned smile.


    Good for her.


    ¡°I was hoping you could give me a hand,¡± Julienne said.


    ¡°What?¡± Archie froze, no more able to move than he had been in his nightmare.


    ¡°Yeah, well I¡¯m still finalizing the menu, but I¡¯m thinking I need someone to make torrone. Have you ever made torrone?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Archie said, everything but his tongue still petrified.


    ¡°Well, it requires constant stirring, so I need someone dedicated to that task.¡± Julienne spoke so nonchalantly. As if he weren¡¯t making Archie¡¯s dreams come true. ¡°Honestly, the only lemon curds that were better than yours were Nori¡¯s and Akando¡¯s. But I need Nori to handle some lemon-heavy dishes. And Akando¡­well, you helped me with the soil, and you work well with Nori, so I figured I¡¯d ask you first. If you don¡¯t want to, that¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Archie unfroze, his hands gripping the table as he leaned over it. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Julienne leaned back from Archie¡¯s enthusiasm. Mindy giggled. Yarrow looked Archie up and down. ¡°You¡¯ll have to clear things with your sponsor. It¡¯ll be in a few weeks. We¡¯ll do a practice run before the actual day.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, absolutely. I¡¯m sure Rowan will let us.¡± Archie turned to Nori. Her smile was even bigger than it had been when she found out she¡¯d be cooking at Cafe Julienne. She nodded.


    And of course, Rowan did.


    ¡°Cafe Julienne, huh?¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯m proud of you two.¡±


    Archie and Nori exchanged a warm smile. Both were in need of some fatherly approval, and Rowan did just fine. The feeling reminded Archie of his father and how Archie needed to respond to his latest letter. Archie¡¯s parents were pushing him to come home for Winter¡¯s Blossom. Apparently his mother had struggled the most with Archie leaving.


    ¡°Just promise me you won¡¯t join them permanently,¡± Rowan said.


    Once again, Archie¡¯s thoughts of his parents were cut short by the hustle and bustle of Ambrosia City and its restaurants. There was never time to think about other things. Not without being left behind. City speed.


    Archie and Nori smiled at each other again, this time their curled lips teeming with knowing. They had grown to enjoy their time at The Gift, but if given the opportunity, both would jump ship to the prestigious Cafe Julienne in a heartbeat.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nori said as she stirred a twenty-gallon cast-iron cauldron.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Archie repeated, all but winking at Nori as he slid past her to dump in three pounds of chopped venison.


    With their spirits revitalized by their impending opportunity, Archie and Nori stayed late, late into the night to keep serving the hungry people of the Roots. Rowan kept the restaurant open to accommodate their generosity. By the time Archie and Nori left, the nearby streets had emptied.


    They had been chatterboxes at The Gift, talking about Cafe Julienne and Pomona¡¯s class and the sugar cane they had grown in the greenhouse, but in the serenity of the moonlit night, they walked in comfortable silence. Archie savored the moment. A Kent cooking at Cafe Julienne. His dream¡ªno, his destiny¡ªjumpstarted.


    And he had someone to share it with. He stole a glance at Nori. She looked back at him, causing him to turn away. His voluntary silence became involuntary as he hoped the dim street lamps wouldn¡¯t reveal the red in his cheeks. He started to wonder¡ª


    A scream tore through the tranquil night.


    Nori jumped and grabbed Archie¡¯s arm. Adrenaline pumped through his body.


    Another scream.


    His heart pounded in his chest. Visions of the reptilian creatures plagued his mind. Had they gotten into Ambrosia City? He imagined them pouring through the streets, ripping people apart.


    He pulled Nori toward the next intersection.


    An unnaturally bright light splashed into the street. Far brighter than any lantern. Unflickering. Unnatural.


    Another scream¡­


    ¡­and laughter.


    They turned the corner to find a group of friends laughing as they spilled out of a tavern. A massive sign hung from the side of the building, the words Lifted Spirits spelled out by a looping glass tube full of a liquid that burned brighter than any fire.


    A massive net stuck out of the building about three stories high.


    A rooftop bar? Is the net for people that fall off?


    Beyond Lifted Spirits, several other taverns had their signs lit boringly by lanterns. The street seemed as busy as any plaza during the day. Archie had heard about places like this¡ªstrips of nightlife. But having grown up in Sain, he never could have imagined the chaotic energy. The street itself was a party, a hundred drunken guests stumbling from one establishment to the next, all the while kissing and vomiting and hugging and laughing and crying. Archie had never seen so much life happen all at once.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go around that way,¡± Archie said, eager to avoid pushing through the crowd.


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Nori looked back and forth between Lifted Spirits and Archie. ¡°We¡¯re getting a drink!¡±

 Chaper 26 - Lifted Spirits

    Lifted Spirits was twice as loud as it had any right to be. Archie saw about twenty people, but they made the noise of a hundred. The patrons sat around tables and couches and cushioned chairs, giving the impression of a lounge, but somehow the sound of a raging party filled the room.


    The bartender stirred a massive cauldron of something brown and attended a dozen guests, while the waiters and waitresses handled the rest.


    Nori pulled Archie over to two cushioned linen chairs that faced a shared coffee table surrounded by couches and chairs.


    One of the sofas hosted a couple that were too into each other to be into anything else. On the other sofa, a young woman feigned interest as her male companion argued with the two other men in the chairs.


    ¡°No, no, no. Tataki is going to win it all. He¡¯s just one match behind,¡± the man said. He swayed as he talked and put his drink upside down on the table. Archie expected to see liquid pour out onto the table, but nothing happened. Odd.


    ¡°Samphire is a lock. He¡¯s going to repeat,¡± one of the others said.


    ¡°Dude, Tataki beat Samphire last month!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but Samphire doesn¡¯t lose to bad Chefs. Tataki dropped points to who? Laurel and Pepper Ivy?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he struggles against women?¡± the friend added.


    Despite having only been to one match, Archie had plenty of opinions about the sport. He opened his mouth to share them but stopped when he noticed Nori. She shifted around in her chair, clearly uncomfortable, eyes looking anywhere but at the men in front of them.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Archie asked her.


    ¡°Looking for a drink.¡± She spotted a waitress and flagged her down.


    Archie slumped down in his chair and looked up. A mirror stretched across the entire ceiling, showing a tavern scene that seemed even more lively in the reflection. But something about it was¡­off.


    ¡°Hi there, welcome to Lifted Spirits,¡± the waitress said, bringing Archie¡¯s attention back down. ¡°First time here?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nori said too formally. Whatever childlike eagerness she had entered with had been ironed out of her.


    ¡°Okay! Well, I¡¯d recommend starting off with a couple of Lifts. It really is a different experience up there.¡± She pointed at the ceiling.


    Archie looked up again, wondering what she meant. He looked at where his reflection should have been¡ªbut that man was blonde, not brunette. The reflection drank and spilled. The liquid fell, fell, fell, splat!


    Liquid hit the ground, splashing up on Archie¡¯s shins. The man on the couch laughed and grabbed his upside down cup from the table, tilting it to pour up. Pastel blue liquid defied gravity as it rose and hit the reflection on the shoulder. The reflection looked back at them and laughed.


    Archie felt his brain melting.


    It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    Lift.


    ¡°Okay, two Lifts then,¡± Nori said. ¡°How long does it last?¡±


    Archie blinked. It wasn¡¯t a reflection. It was the real Lifted Spirits. The party. The source of all of the noise. He was still waiting in the lobby.


    ¡°A standard pour will put you up there for about an hour.  Him for just a little less. But we have a drink called The Comedown that can bring you down whenever you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± the man on the couch yelled. ¡°No shot he loses next week!¡±


    The woman accompanying him rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going up,¡± she said as she took the upside down cup off the table and tilted it into her upper lip, holding the cup upside down the whole way.


    ¡°Oh, babe,¡± the man complained. ¡°Wait.¡±


    The woman levitated over the sofa. She spun slowly to put her feet above her head. ¡°Have fun with your sports,¡± she said as she floated up.


    Nori giggled, childlike wonder having brought her spirits back. ¡°Yes, two of those, please.¡±


    The waitress nodded and left while the man on the couch jumped up to try to grab his girlfriend.  A trio in the corner picked up their instruments. One of them started tapping on his tabor drum, giving the room a fast, springy tempo to follow.


    Nori settled back into an uncomfortable position. She looked around like she was deciphering a puzzle. The other members of the band started playing, one member blowing into a shawm while the other started fiddling on the lute.


    ¡°You good?¡± Archie asked, nearly yelling to be heard over the music and crowd.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve never been in a place like this.¡±


    Archie offered her a sarcastic grin. ¡°You mean one with another floor on the ceiling?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said with feigned annoyance. Then she became unusually genuine. ¡°I mean a place where you can have fun.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I was kept on a tight schedule. Under lock and key. The only time I went somewhere without my dad knowing about it was¡­I have this aunt, she would always claim she was taking me to help carry groceries, but then we¡¯d go get mochi and candies. But even she would never take me to a place like this.¡±


    Archie shifted to settle in his chair. The uncomfortable question that he had always wanted to ask bubbled its way to the surface. ¡°So like¡­why?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Like, I don¡¯t get it. What¡¯s your family¡¯s deal?¡±


    Nori laughed at Archie¡¯s ineloquence.


    ¡°Seriously,¡± Archie insisted. ¡°So your family is Cafe Julienne famous. Why are they such hard-asses?¡±


    ¡°You think we¡¯re Cafe Julienne famous?¡± Nori¡¯s face held a frozen laugh, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. She knew something he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Cafe Julienne,¡± Nori said as she put one hand at shoulder-level. ¡°Harper clan.¡± She put her other hand above her head. For as much as she had sworn off her family, she performed the gesture with pride and always spoke of them as ¡®we.¡¯


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Well, not to say that our restaurants are any more revered than Cafe Julienne¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, restaurant-s?¡± Archie put extra emphasis on the ¡®s.¡¯


    ¡°Yeah. There are seven.¡±


    ¡°Seven?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Two on the mainland. Five on five different islands. Although two or three of those are small. Not The Gift small.¡± She laughed. ¡°My dad runs Shilkai on the main island. That¡¯s the main restaurant.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re like¡­mainline Harper blood?¡±


    Nori sighed and rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes. So I¡¯m supposed to be perfect. Anyways, I was saying¡ªfood is just a small part of the Harper clan.¡± She looked around, realizing she had been speaking too loudly. She leaned in. ¡°The military is the rest of it.¡±


    Archie laughed. ¡°Is that supposed to be a secret? Are you a spy?¡±


    Nori was not amused. ¡°The war wasn¡¯t that long ago. Chances are, someone here had a dad killed by a Harper. I¡¯d rather not draw attention and end up in a relative-for-relative situation.¡±


    Archie shifted back in his seat, unsure how to respond. ¡°So uh¡­a lot of good fighters, then?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Nori shrugged playfully. ¡°Apparently once Tataki learns how to fight against girls, we¡¯ll have an IKC champion.¡±


    Archie sat up, adrenaline pumping through him. ¡°Tataki is a Harper?¡±


    Nori nodded. ¡°My cousin.¡±


    Archie stood up. ¡°What?!¡±


    Nori yanked his arm down, forcing him back into his seat.


    Archie did his best to contain his excitement, but still came up short. ¡°Oh my. Can you¡ªcan we¡ªcan you set up a meeting? Can I meet him? That¡¯d be so¡ª¡±


    Nori¡¯s face turned to stone, causing Archie¡¯s manic ramblings to peter out.


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly on speaking terms with my family,¡± she reminded him.


    ¡°Oh. Right.¡± Archie deflated like a balloon. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s why you left¡ªone of the things you don¡¯t like about them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You know, um, that they¡¯ve¡­killed a lot of people.¡±


    Nori chuckled and shook her head. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t love it. But¡­Look, there¡¯s the royal family, right? And then there¡¯s the family that exerts the royal family¡¯s will.¡±


    Nori stretched her shoulders back, revving up for a speech that she had undoubtedly told herself many times before running away.


    ¡°The Harper clan¡­we call ourselves enforcers, but really, we¡¯re bullies. Shilkai is the greatest restaurant in Uroko. And it¡¯ll stay that way because we keep it that way. Uroko Institute? It¡¯s not like the Academy of Ambrosia. It¡¯s controlled from the outside. By us. You want to rank up in Uroko? You better do something for the Harpers.


    ¡°And that¡¯s just domestically. Did you know that thousands of people die in Khala every year from starvation? Starvation, Archie. Their lands don¡¯t have enough essence, so they have to rely on the sea. But Uroko controls the sea. The Harpers control the sea. And we let them fish just enough to keep them alive. Just enough to keep them underfoot. You think United Ambrosia is made of five kingdoms? Khala belongs to Uroko, and the Harpers keep it that way.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I ran away. That¡¯s why¡­we¡¯re just¡­they¡¯re just¡­not a force for good.¡± Nori gave a great, heaving sigh. ¡°I still feel¡­like I¡¯m not doing enough. To counteract it. I don¡¯t know. I need to¡­I¡¯m glad Rowan is my sponsor. I think The Gift is exactly what I need to be doing. I should spend more time there.¡±


    Archie blinked.


    Nori sighed.


    The party continued overhead.


    ¡°Nori¡­you don¡¯t¡­¡± Archie scratched his cheek. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t feel guilty about what your family¡¯s done.¡±


    Nori stared at the ground. ¡°Is that what you tell yourself?¡±


    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s those drinks!¡± The waitress¡¯s bubbly voice broke through the doom and gloom of their conversation. She held a tray with two upside down cups on it.


    Nori¡¯s face lit up, shedding its grief in a heartbeat. She was practiced at feeling bad and knew how to come out of it.


    It took Archie a little longer.


    Nori snatched up her cup, spilling a little bit of liquid that dribbled up to the ceiling. ¡°Ah!¡±


    Archie took his slowly. ¡°Thanks,¡± Archie said to the waitress as he paid her.


    Nori raised her eyebrows at Archie. ¡°Meet you up there?¡±


    She tried to move the cup to her mouth, spilling in the process. Her laughter snapped Archie out of his pensive state. Now wasn¡¯t the time for thoughts. Now was the time for drinks!


    ¡°You¡¯re not gonna have any left to drink!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She took a second to figure out how to operate the drink. She put the lip of the cup to her upper lip and tilted her head down, angling the cup away from her to take a sip.


    ¡°Oh!¡± She laughed as her body tilted forward. More drink spilled from her cup. She took another sip. ¡°Do you remember the first time we ever really spoke to each other?¡±


    Archie thought back to the cold, distant girl he had met when he first arrived. ¡°Uh¡ª¡±


    ¡°At the feast? It went something like this.¡± She took a massive swig, her body drifting up off the couch as she swallowed.


    ¡°Nori, Nori!¡± she said in a whiny mockery of Archie¡¯s voice. ¡°Help me! Help¡ªah!¡± Her body rotated unexpectedly, her feet rising above her head. She grabbed Archie¡¯s hand to tether herself to the ground.


    But she didn¡¯t stop. She took another drink and dropped her cup. Her cup spun as it toppled to the ground, pastel blue drops going up as the cup went down. She laughed as she continued her impersonation. ¡°Pull me down, Nori! Pull me down!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Archie bent his head down and drank. The sweet burn of brandy pooled on the roof of his mouth, requiring him to swallow forcibly to get it down. He kept drinking, feeling lighter with each swallow. Eventually, his weight could no longer anchor Nori, and the two started to drift upward.


    Nori couldn¡¯t stop laughing. ¡°Nori, no!¡± she yelled. ¡°We¡¯re going to float awaaaay!¡±


    Archie jumped off the chair as he finished drinking, launching them at the ceiling. Nori screamed in delight as Archie yanked her arm, spinning himself around and putting himself closer to the ceiling in the process.


    Above them¡ªor below?¡ªa man looked up¡ªor down?¡ª and jumped out of the way. Archie landed hard, guiding Nori down gently with both arms.


    ¡°Thaaaank you,¡± she said with a giggle.


    It only took Archie a moment to get accustomed to his new surroundings. This part of the tavern had no couches or lounge chairs. Instead, wooden chairs were nailed down and mostly unoccupied¡ªno one wanted to sit once they were lifted.


    Standard cups had been swapped out for martini and whiskey glasses. People waved streamers that waved above¡ªor below?¡ªtheir heads. Bartenders poured upside down¡ªor rightside up?¡ªdrinks with expert deftness.


    Still holding Archie¡¯s hand, Nori pushed through a crowd to get to the bar.


    The counter had two shelves with display drinks. From Archie¡¯s perspective, the bottom shelf contained little paper triangles that labeled the drinks that hung upside down from the shelf above, the liquid seeming to defy gravity. On the upper shelf, a pastel blue drink sat upright with a little label next to it that said, ¡°Stay Lifted.¡±


    Nori bent down to look at the variety of drinks. The bartender, a young blonde woman with the determination to get a tip, walked over.


    ¡°Did you just come up?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah. So what are these?¡± Nori said.


    ¡°Alright, we have seven drinks. First, we have one that you should already be familiar with. The Lift.¡± She motioned to the upright pastel blue drink. ¡°In case you want to stay lifted longer. Then we have The Comedown.¡±


    She motioned to a stout glass with brown liquid. Archie looked closer, noticing pastel blue liquid trapped in a second layer of the glass.


    ¡°The Comedown is for if you want to leave before The Lift wears off. Not sure why you would though. Next is The Groove. This one puts a tune in your head that will have you dancing out of your shoes.¡±


    Archie looked at The Groove, a tall, slender glass of colorful liquid garnished with a lemon. Another layer of pastel blue liquid was sealed into the glass.


    ¡°This green one is Hysterics. It¡¯s laughter made liquid.¡±


    A curvy cocktail glass of frothy green liquid. The short stem had a little orb of pastel blue liquid in it.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Archie interrupted. ¡°What¡¯s the blue in all of these?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a little bit of The Lift that we put in all the glasses. So that when people get drunk and drop their glass, their liquid pours out but the glass stays up here. One second.¡±


    The waitress poured a couple of drinks for another patron. Archie remembered the liquid that had almost hit him earlier. Better that than a cocktail glass. The waitress returned.


    ¡°Three more. Confession¡­¡±


    Pink liquid with a mist rising from its elegant martini glass.


    ¡°If one of you lovebirds has pent up feelings, this¡¯ll have you spilling your guts.¡±


    Archie slipped his hand out of Nori¡¯s. Nori¡¯s neck went rigid, preventing her from turning to Archie.


    Nope. Not drinking that. No way.


    ¡°This little glass of sunshine is Early Morning. For those that have work tomorrow. One drink will put you under¡ªor over¡ªthe table, but after a couple of hours, it¡¯s totally out of your system.¡±


    A nice orange and yellow blend in a square glass with an orange garnish.


    ¡°And finally, Prismatic. It makes you see different colors. It¡¯s¡­wild. I can¡¯t explain it well¡ªyou really have to experience it. Oh, hold on. You two decide, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    The bartender went to pour a couple of drinks for someone else. City speed.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Nori said to Archie without turning to him.


    ¡°Uhhh. Early Morning sounds pretty practical.¡±


    Nori looked back at Archie, standing on her tiptoes to put her face near his. ¡°Boooooooo! Booooo!¡±


    Archie recoiled and laughed. ¡°What? I want to work on cooking pasta tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Booooo!¡±


    ¡°You pick, then.¡±


    ¡°I wanna dance! I¡¯m getting groovy. And then you get the Prismatic. Because you need to color shift your attitude.¡±


    Archie smiled, his cheeks going a little numb. Even without the drink, Nori danced a little. Whatever inhibitions she normally carried had been left behind on the ground floor.


    The bartender returned. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± she said. ¡°We lost an employee last week, so we¡¯re slammed. Normally I have someone working up here with me, but he¡¯s back helping make the drinks. Anyways, what¡¯ll it be?¡±


    ¡°The Groove for me,¡± Nori said. ¡°Prismatic for him.¡±


    ¡°Good choice.¡±


    The band kicked it into a new gear, filling the entire tavern with a wall of noise.


    ¡°So like, are you hiring?¡± Nori yelled as the bartender poured.


    ¡°For a drinkmaker, yeah. You interested?¡±


    ¡°Not me. I¡¯ve got a friend. He¡¯s a Student Chef.¡±


    ¡°Send him around.¡±


    The bartender handed the upside down drinks over. Archie looked at his¡ªa tall, slender glass full of liquid that shifted from yellow to blue to red to purple. Nori clinked their glasses together.


    ¡°Cheers!¡± She threw her drink back, taking half of it in one pull.


    Archie had to rush to match her enthusiasm, bringing the drink to his upper lip and spilling as he drank. It tasted sweet, then sour, then spicy, then strong, then sweet again.


    ¡°Chug it!¡± Nori yelled.


    Archie only managed an extra swallow before the alcohol overpowered him. One of his eyes twitched and went foggy. He rubbed it until it stopped twitching, but his vision doubled. He saw two overlapping Nori¡¯s¡ªthe tan, black-haired Nori he knew and another Nori, this one with sky blue skin and silver-white hair.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Nori grabbed his arm and pulled. He resisted just long enough to take another drink. As Nori pulled him to the dance floor, his vision undoubled, leaving only the new Nori as she started dance-walking across the lime green wood.


    Nori let go and started dancing on her own, leaving Archie stranded in the midst of multi-colored aliens. The lanterns cast a pale purple that clashed with the pinks and oranges and greens that filled the room.


    Archie felt like he had fallen into a painting, pulling and stretching all the colors of the canvas with him as he fell into some technicolored dreamscape.


    ¡°Dance with me!¡± Nori yelled. She churned one of her arms to the side and back, her hips swaying opposite to the motion as her feet slid back and forth in little circles.


    Archie tried to listen to the music, trying to figure out what Nori was hearing that he wasn¡¯t that made her dance that way. The colors overwhelmed him, drowning out his other senses. Nori shuffled over to him.


    ¡°Here!¡± she said as she put her drink to his lips. He swallowed once and pulled away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t drink much.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± She pushed her drink back to his lips and took his drink, her blue fingers sliding across his red hand.


    She drank the rest of the Prismatic, her eyes going wide as the world shifted.


    Archie heard a tune in his head. Thumping, pulsing, but distant. With each swallow of The Groove, the music got louder, filling his head. He looked down at his turquoise shoes, which seemed to be moving on their own.


    Archie and Nori looked at each other and laughed. Their swaying synced up to the same beat. As Nori got close and danced, Archie noticed her cheeks start to turn dark green.

 Chapter 27 - Back Down

    What goes up must come down.


    And Archie came down.


    Hard.


    A discordant, pulsing beat filled his ears, giving him a crashing headache as he threw up his second helping of The Groove. Kaleidoscopic liquid filled the toilet¡¯s basin, lazily rolling from one color to the next.


    The sight of it made Archie throw up again.


    His eyes stayed glued to the floor as he stumbled out of the bathroom, catching a glimpse of a black jacket before bumping into its wearer. Archie bounced off the collision.


    But Colby stood firm.


    ¡°Headmaster Aubergine tells me you missed curfew last night,¡± he said with a sick, stern perversion. No one loved to be mad like Colby.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Archie thought back to the previous night. There were a lot of blank patches in his memory, but things started to come into focus somewhere along their hour-long hike up the Trunk. They had spent all their money on drinks and couldn¡¯t afford the tram.


    No one had been in the great hall¡­and Archie and Nori had managed to stop giggling as they walked through the common areas, so they didn¡¯t wake anyone up. The lounge was empty too, just Aubergine¡¯s big sunflowers swiveling slowly in their pots.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that,¡± Archie said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about¡­what? When you got home?¡±


    ¡°About¡­¡± Archie winced. Under different circumstances, he might have been able to think of an excuse. But now, every thought came out dull and painful. ¡°¡­anything.¡±


    ¡°And what about¡­¡± Colby nodded toward the toilet.


    Even in his dull state, Archie had an excuse for that one.


    ¡°An Oliver drink.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°Gotta be careful with him.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I mean, you know.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Archie did his best to stop swaying and look Colby in the eye. But he couldn¡¯t focus. The heat of anger radiated from the Head Chef, dizzying Archie. Even Colby¡¯s hair looked mean. Short and red. The top brushed sideways into a single curl. Even that little twist of hair seemed mean. Colby shifted his tongue around the inside of his lower lip, contemplating Archie¡¯s fate.


    ¡°Elevator duty,¡± he said.


    ¡°Elevator?¡±


    ¡°You operate the wheel for those who can¡¯t operate the noodle. All morning. This morning, and the same time next week.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡° As much as Archie hated it, his weekend mornings were supposed to be for dishes.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be tough,¡± Colby said with a sinister smile. ¡°All that up and down¡­sweating. It gets pretty clammy in that shaft. It¡¯ll be hard not to vomit again.¡±


    Just the thought put the sour taste of blood and iron into Archie¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°But¡ª¡°


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going down to the fields in half an hour. Be sure you¡¯re on the elevator by then.¡±


    Colby left. Archie considered going to the kitchen, but he knew whatever he ate would just end up on the elevator platform. And he didn¡¯t want to walk in Colby¡¯s wake. Instead, Archie washed his face, dry heaved a few times, washed his face again, and made his way to the elevator.


    Archie yanked the iron cage doors open and stepped onto the massive wooden platform of the elevator. He slumped down to sit against the wheel post. At least it was dark, just a single lantern hanging on a little post.


    Archie¡¯s eyes drifted shut and he fought to keep the world from spinning.


    ¡°Going down,¡± Colby said.


    Archie snapped up, one of the wheel¡¯s spokes catching his lower back as he stood. He knew he¡¯d be feeling that for the next week.


    Nori followed Colby like a scolded puppy. Her eyes caught Archie¡¯s for a moment¡ªneither could tell who was in worse shape¡ªand then went back down to the ground.


    ¡°Going down,¡± Colby repeated, nodding to the wheel. He acted as if Archie was some unknown operator. Maybe that was to Archie¡¯s benefit.


    Archie groaned. ¡°Can¡¯t you use the noodle?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± Colby answered. He nodded to the wheel again.


    Archie took a deep breath and started to turn the wheel. Going down was easy enough, just requiring a bit of force to open the dampers and let gravity do its work. At least, it would have been easy if Archie wasn¡¯t battling the worst hangover of his life.


    ¡°Head Chef Pomona deferred Nori¡¯s punishment to me. She¡¯ll be spending the next two weekends helping me restock the pantries.¡± Colby looked down at Nori. ¡°All of the pantries.¡±


    Nori let out a quivering sigh. When full, the Academy¡¯s pantries could supply an army for weeks. And after nearly three months of classes, the pantries were getting low. Elevator duty didn¡¯t seem so bad.


    Archie stopped turning the wheel halfway down but still felt like he was falling. He doubled over, absolutely certain that if he had eaten breakfast, Colby and Nori would be witnessing its reemergence. Colby and Nori said nothing, leaving only Archie¡¯s heaving breaths to fill the elevator shaft.


    ¡°Head¡­Chef¡­Colby¡­can you¡­make something¡­to stop¡­the nausea?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± Colby answered. He nodded to the wheel again.


    Archie tried to rub away the pounding sensation in his forehead. No luck.


    In an act of desperation, he reached up to the noodle that ran down the elevator shaft. He put essence in his finger and gave the noodle a twang!


    No luck.


    He returned to the wheel, taking a fleeting glance at Nori to curse her for keeping him out late. Finally, the platform rumbled against the ground. A cool breeze came up the tunnel, restoring some life to Archie.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    But Colby squeezed that life right back out of him.


    ¡°Alright. No leaving the platform until lunch. I¡¯ll come by to release you.¡±


    Archie groaned. Through herculean effort, Nori managed to offer a sympathetic smile for a moment before her face drooped back down into its weary depression. Archie watched them walk down the tunnel and closed his eyes.


    After a few minutes¡ªmaybe two, maybe five, maybe thirty¡ªthe wheel started to move on its own and the platform lurched off the ground. Colby wasn¡¯t there to watch him, but neither had Aubergine and Archie still ended up caught. He decided not to shirk his duties and helped turn the wheel.


    It was harder going up, but whoever turned the wheel up top made things easier for Archie. It only took half a minute to reach the top and be looking through the iron cage doors.


    Sutton looked back at him.


    And they just stayed like that for a moment. Just looking. When Archie stepped to open the cage, Sutton stepped back, his arms tense against his body.


    ¡°Sutton, I¡­¡± Archie leaned against the cage. He wished his hangover would go away¡ªnot because of his misery, but because then he would be able to think of a proper apology. But he couldn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡­shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Sutton said. He motioned to the door, and Archie opened it.


    As Archie started on the wheel, Sutton looked Archie up and down.


    ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Archie lied. He turned the wheel between each sentence. ¡°Hungover. Went to Lifted Spirits. Stayed past curfew. This is my punishment.¡±


    ¡°Lifted Spirits¡­¡± Sutton mused. ¡°Yeah, I know the place.¡±


    Archie blinked. He thought of little, bespectacled Sutton losing all inhibition and dancing on the ceiling. Sutton sensed the thought and cut it off.


    ¡°For academic purposes,¡± he clarified. ¡°To study the sign. They wouldn¡¯t tell me what¡¯s in it, but I think I know. Bitter oyster.¡±


    Archie thought of the sign and how oysters might light it up. Sutton sensed that thought too.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mushroom. Bitter oyster. Bioluminescent.¡±


    Archie nodded and did his best not to look confused. ¡°Bioluminescent¡­¡± he muttered.


    ¡°It glows in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Archie kept turning the wheel, hoping desperately that the next turn would be the last. He felt Sutton¡¯s eyes on his leg.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­¡± Sutton started. ¡°Is everything¡­okay? You know, with¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have asked,¡± Sutton blurted out.


    ¡°No, Sutton, it¡¯s fine.¡± Archie stood up straight and took his hands off the wheel. ¡°It was¡­weird. I feel like I wasn¡¯t myself. And I¡ªI know that sounds like an excuse. But really, I was¡­I was thinking things I¡¯ve never thought before. Not even close.¡±


    Sutton nodded and looked away. He knew something.


    ¡°Sutton?¡± Archie moved into Sutton¡¯s eyeline. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Just thinking.¡± Sutton pursed his lips into a forced smile. ¡°Maybe it¡­maybe it¡¯s just a traumatic response. From the attack. Uh, you know, in a heightened emotional state, things¡­you know.¡±


    Archie chewed his lip and nodded. When Sutton explained things, he explained them hard. Something was different this time.


    ¡°Here, let me help you with that,¡± Sutton said as he stepped to the wheel. They descended and Sutton left in silence.


    After a few minutes of much needed quiet and rest, the elevator shot up again. A third-year waited at the top, not saying a word as they plucked the noodle again to go down. Once they reached the bottom, Archie felt the noodle, assessing its essence. A trace of the magic lingered.


    Archie plucked the noodle.


    And stayed on the bottom floor.


    He watched in sympathetic anguish as Nori pushed a cart of vegetables up the tunnel, Colby stalking behind. Archie wondered which punishment was worse¡ªNori didn¡¯t get breaks, but she also got to breathe the open autumn air instead of suffocating on the stale air of the elevator shaft.


    Archie offered Colby a pleading look as the Head Chef stepped on the platform.


    Colby smiled. ¡°Up please,¡± he said, motioning to the wheel.


    Up and down and up and down Archie went, sweat drenching him, stale air suffocating him, an empty stomach devouring him from the inside. He cursed the students from his class every time he saw them and thanked the divine whenever it was an older student that could operate the noodle.


    Barley and Blanche came up the tunnel, Barley carrying a massive wooden basket filled with carrots and Blanche humming a tune.


    ¡°I heard about this,¡± Blanche said as she wiped dirt from her eyebrow. She looked as if she had dove in headfirst to pick the carrots. ¡°Head Chef Colby is the worst.¡±


    Archie moved to the wheel, but Barley set down the carrots and stopped him. Without a word, the gentle giant pushed Archie aside and turned the wheel.


    ¡°Thanks, Bar.¡± Archie took a deep breath. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been trying to operate the noodle, but¡­¡±


    Blanche giggled. Even Barley grunted a laugh as he turned the wheel.


    ¡°Archie¡­¡± Blanche shook her head.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you¡¯re certainly one of the best of us, but¡­Going straight to contracting a noodle to lift a thousand pounds is a little much, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well like, Head Chef Quince had us start with a flower pot, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    The elevator lurched as it reached the top floor.


    ¡°Start smaller,¡± Blanche said. She patted his cheek as she left, leaving the faint dirt outline of a handprint.


    ¡°Going down!¡± Oliver shouted as he ran down the hallway. ¡°Wait for me!¡±


    Archie sighed as Oliver jumped onto the platform.


    ¡°Good morning to you too,¡± Oliver chimed. ¡°I gotta pick these shallots before work. If they still even want me there. I think they¡¯re just waiting until the end of the semester to get rid of me. Come on, I know Colby¡¯s got you operating the wheel.¡± He grinned. ¡°Get to spinning.¡±


    Barley turned the wheel, lowering the elevator.


    ¡°Barley,¡± Archie said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting off?¡±


    The Khalyan shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll stay for a while. You can rest.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Bar.¡± Archie relaxed his shoulders and stretched his neck.


    Oliver clapped Archie¡¯s back. ¡°So what, you and Nori got caught getting hot and heavy?¡±


    Archie snapped up.


    ¡°What?! No!¡± The dirt on his face hid the red in his cheeks. ¡°We went to a bar. Lifted Spirits.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Oliver wore a coy smile, his emerald eyes squinting in playful disbelief.


    ¡°Wait! We went to Lifted Spirits!¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°Oliver, they¡¯re hiring! They need a Chef that can make drinks. They seemed desperate.¡±


    Oliver scrunched his face in thought. Then, revelation! His face stretched, his eyes wide with possibility.


    ¡°Barley!¡± Oliver turned, grabbing Barley by the shoulder. ¡°Back up!¡±


    ¡°What about the shallots?¡± Barley asked.


    ¡°Forget it! They¡¯re going to fire me any day, so why not today? Now get me up there before someone else takes that job!¡±


    Barley turned the wheel with doubled fervor, rocketing them up to the top. Beneath a pudgy layer of fat, Barley had muscles Archie could only dream of. The platform slammed against the stoppers on the top level, momentum carrying Archie an inch off the ground.


    ¡°Later losers!¡± Oliver chided as he sprinted off.


    Barley shrugged.


    They went up and down a couple more times before Archie dismissed Barley, thanking him profusely for the help. With the elevator at the top of the shaft, Archie sat down, closed his eyes, started to drift¡­


    ¡°Oh Archieee! A lift, please!¡± Colby¡¯s voice bounced up from the bottom of the elevator shaft all the way up to the top, penetrating Archie¡¯s peaceful slumber.


    Archie groaned as he stood up. He put one hand on the wheel, but then a moment of inspiration overtook him. He loaded his finger with essence, curled it past the elevator noodle, and¡­


    Pluck!


    Archie imagined the platform going into freefall, Colby getting flattened into a pancake as it hit the ground. Nori might be collateral damage, but after a day in the fields, she¡¯d be okay with the sacrifice.


    But nothing happened. The echo of the plucking bounced down the elevator shaft. Archie thought he heard Colby laugh.


    Thirty excruciating turns of the wheel later, Archie reached the bottom. Colby couldn¡¯t hide his sinister little smirk. Nori was covered in dirt up to her elbows, a bundle of stringy roots wedged under the fold of her orange jacket. Archie helped her pull the cart of vegetables up onto the platform.


    ¡°Last ride. Gonna give the noodle another try?¡± Colby asked.


    Archie sighed and started turning the wheel. Nori let herself fall against the cart, slumping to the ground.


    ¡°Same time next week,¡± Colby said with a grin as they went up.

 Chapter 28 - And Up Again

    All eyes fell on Archie as he set up his stove in Pomona¡¯s kitchen. They had seen all sorts of magic in their first semester at the Academy, but Archie¡¯s rotten stink bomb was a first. He tried to ignore them, crouching down to adjust the damper and sliding it back and forth so that he wouldn¡¯t have to stand up and be seen again. If anyone stared too long, Nori shot them the evil eye.


    ¡°New partners, everyone!¡± Pomona called out as she entered the kitchen. ¡°No repeats!¡±


    Nori sucked in her bottom lip and looked at Archie with worry. ¡°You gonna be okay without me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Archie snorted at the ridiculous question. He wasn¡¯t a child. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. But I¡¯m not letting you use this stove after I did all the work. Shoo.¡±


    Nori shoved his shoulder and ran over to Cress before anyone could claim her.


    A pair of hands grabbed Archie¡¯s shoulders from behind. Archie tried to turn, but the hands steered him and kept him facing forward while the body behind ducked left and right. But the mischievous laugh gave him away.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to switch rooms with one of the other guys,¡± Archie said. ¡°Sleeping beneath you is torture.¡±


    ¡°Hey, show some respect.¡± Oliver twisted Archie around and approached the stove. ¡°You¡¯re talking to the youngest Chef on Northgate.¡±


    ¡°Northgate?¡±


    ¡°You know, the¡­all the bars. Just north of the gate to the Crown. Northgate.¡±


    ¡°You got the job?¡±


    Oliver grinned wide, his shiny teeth illuminating the room. He grabbed Archie¡¯s shoulders again and shook him. ¡°I got the job!¡±


    Archie laughed as he swiped Oliver¡¯s arms off. ¡°Well, the youngest Chef on Northgate farts in his sleep.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna kick you out,¡± Benedict added from the row behind them. Oliver turned and threw an air punch at Benedict.


    ¡°Congrats, though,¡± Archie said. ¡°For real.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. And thanks for the connect. Next time you go, I¡¯ll be sure you get free drinks.¡±


    Archie thought of the rainbow-colored vomit he had left in the toilet. ¡°I¡¯m never drinking again.¡±


    Oliver raised his eyebrows. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll see. They¡¯re gonna start teaching me how to make some easy drinks, first. Give me a year or two and I¡¯ll have us all bouncing off the ceiling.¡±


    Archie thought back to the first-year feast and laughed. ¡°Just don¡¯t get stuck up there again.¡±


    Oliver punched Archie¡¯s shoulder, somehow catching the exact same spot as Nori. Archie grabbed a spatula and was halfway to spanking Oliver with it when Pomona¡¯s sweet voice interrupted the violence.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to start easy today and then do something fun in the afternoon. So let¡¯s do mushroom stew. Try to feel the essence through your knife as you chop.¡±


    After an uneventful morning, Archie took his lunch in Pomona¡¯s kitchen, stealing his teacher away from the rest of the students.


    ¡°The elevator noodle, huh?¡± Pomona snickered, her smile pushing little round pouches into her upper cheeks.


    Removed from the context of a lecture, Archie was rediscovering how beautiful Pomona was. Her golden-brown, curvy hair. Striking blue eyes. Perfect smile. He shook off the hypnotization, focusing on the ridiculous size of her head instead.


    ¡°Yeah, you could probably learn it now. Now¡¯s usually the time you all start really making strides,¡± she said. ¡°I figured it out my first semester here. I was the only one that managed that. Drove Colby mad.¡±


    ¡°You and Head Chef Colby were students together?¡±


    Pomona nodded.


    Archie thought of the crow¡¯s feet around Colby¡¯s eyes. ¡°But he¡¯s old,¡± he said.


    Pomona lifted a finger to her lips, shushing him as she winked. ¡°We even had the same sponsor. We were like you and Nori but with like¡­five times more fighting. And then he left at the end of the first year to go cook for the king of Labrusca.¡±


    Archie blinked.


    ¡°Yeah, I may have figured out the elevator before him, but no one could touch Colby in the kitchen.¡±


    A mature realization went through Archie¡¯s brain, reminding him that everyone had a story, even if he couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°So the elevator noodle,¡± Pomona said. ¡°It¡¯s easier to expand than contract. The way I thought of it¡­you¡¯re putting your essence into the noodle, binding it, and pushing it out to expand. Contraction is tough because you have to spread your essence through the entire length of the noodle. That¡¯s what, fifty feet? Hard to stay connected to your essence fifty feet away. But once you get that, you just¡­pull your essence back together. And of course, expansion, you have gravity on your side. Contraction¡­that platform is heavy, but you¡¯d be surprised what you can do with essence.¡±


    Archie thought of Blanche¡¯s advice. ¡°I was thinking of starting with a smaller noodle.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea. Tie a rock around one end. Work on it every night before you go to bed¡­I bet you learn it in two or three weeks. You¡¯re really talented, you know.¡±


    Warmth flooded Archie, forcing an unconscious smile. He imagined the inevitable history books that would be written about him.


    Archibald Kent¡¯s exceptional talent was noticed immediately by his teacher, Pomona. Later, when asked what she thought about him becoming the youngest White Jacket ever, she said, ¡°I¡¯m hardly surprised.¡±


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t bother with the stoves,¡± Pomona told them after their lunch break. ¡°Time for a little game. New partners. No repeats.¡±


    Archie looked around the kitchen, making the mistake of locking eyes with Hyssop. She looked back at him with sad, lonely eyes. The same pathetic eyes that Nori had during the Induction Ceremony. Archie forced a smile and walked over to her.


    ¡°Partner up?¡± he asked.


    She nodded, pulling nervously at one of the coils of brown hair that framed her face. The rest of her hair was pulled tight¡ªtoo tight¡ªinto a bun that stretched the skin on her forehead. Archie wondered if she wouldn¡¯t be so wound up if she let her hair down.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. ¡°This partnering up stuff stresses me out. Junie and I feel like outsiders sometimes.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re cooking for Prince Waldorf all weekend. You and Nori get Saturdays off¡ªme and Junie don¡¯t even get Sundays off like everyone else.¡± She took a deep breath, realizing that she had started down a Hyssie fit. ¡°And what we go through¡­it¡¯s kinda hard to relate to anyone else that isn¡¯t also going through it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s awful. Waldorf. Awful.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Alright, class,¡± Pomona said. ¡°We¡¯re back on berries. Blueberries, this time. Not cooking, though. We¡¯re going to try to make them bouncy.¡±


    Pomona took a blueberry in each hand. She dropped the first one, which hit the ground and split open.


    ¡°Blueberries have a sort of leathery skin. The first step is to make that skin strong enough to withstand the fall. But in doing so, you might turn it into a rock.¡±


    She dropped the second blueberry. It clunked on the ground. She took two more blueberries.


    ¡°Bring the natural elasticity of the skin back, find that property with your essence, then enhance it.¡±


    She dropped another blueberry, this one bouncing back up to her hip, then her knee, then settling on the ground.


    ¡°And then load it up with enough essence that it can continue the process.¡±


    The final blueberry bounced up to her shoulder, then up again, only losing an inch or two with each bounce.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come around to help. See if you can get all the way up to bouncing it to each other.¡±


    Archie took a blueberry between his fingers. Without even meaning to, he identified it as a rabbiteye. There was even a faint hint of a signature¡ªsomehow, he knew Quince had grown these.


    He gently squeezed the blueberry, feeling the natural elasticity of the skin, and rolled his fingers around it, coating it with essence. When he dropped it on the table, it bounced up three inches.


    Hyssop tried to copy him, but her blueberry just hit the table and rolled. She sighed.


    Archie shrugged, trying to cheer her up. ¡°My sponsor had me and Nori picking blueberries for a month. If we were doing apples, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice to learn something cool. Only thing I¡¯ve learned is how to cook faster.¡±


    Archie reloaded essence into the blueberry and bounced it again, this time catching it in his hand. ¡°Is it that bad?¡±


    Hyssop stared at him through her eyebrows. ¡°Head Chef Pomona says it¡¯s hard to do magic angry, so¡­¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on this for a while.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    By the time Hyssop could bounce the blueberry off the table, Archie was bouncing it off the ground. He looked around at the class, pleased with himself. Only Nori could keep up. Even Julienne was still dribbling his blueberry on the table.


    He bounced the blueberry to Pomona as she approached.


    ¡°Wow, look at you,¡± she said as she caught the blueberry and assessed its essence. ¡°You know, some Chefs really take to cooking. Others are naturally good at the more practical stuff. I was in the latter. Maybe you are, too.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m both,¡± he suggested without a hint of humor.


    She chuckled as she bounced the blueberry back. She snatched Hyssop¡¯s off the counter and rolled it around her hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re basically there, Hys. Don¡¯t be afraid to put more essence in it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it to pop.¡±


    ¡°If it pops, it pops.¡±


    Pomona tossed the blueberry back to Hyssop and continued around the class.


    Hyssop shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s weird having someone be nice to you in the kitchen.¡±


    Archie saw a chance to satisfy his curiosity. ¡°That doesn¡¯t happen much in Prince Waldorf¡¯s kitchen, I take it?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡±


    Hyssop took a deep breath. ¡°If he¡¯s not around, it¡¯s busy. There¡¯s twenty of us in there most days. The kitchen is big, but there¡¯s only so much counter space. So we squeeze in. Stand with your feet close. Elbows tucked into your body. Don¡¯t turn too fast.¡±


    She tossed her blueberry on the ground. It bounced up to her ankle.


    ¡°And of course, we work fast. But that¡¯s easy compared to when Prince Waldorf comes into the kitchen. Sometimes he doesn¡¯t even wait for things to finish cooking. He just pushes you aside and eats raw ingredients. And the¡­the things he says. He¡¯s¡­¡±


    She looked around and decided it was better to stop there. She bounced the blueberry up to her knees.


    But Archie wasn¡¯t satisfied.


    ¡°What does he say?¡±


    Hyssop scratched her head. ¡°One time, I was complaining. I didn¡¯t realize he was in the kitchen. He¡­he walked behind me. Real close.¡± She closed her eyes and scrunched up her face. It was as if he was standing behind her at that moment.


    ¡°He said I didn¡¯t have to cook for him. That he had other work for me. That I could take off my Chef¡¯s jacket¡­as long as¡­as long as I didn¡¯t have anything on underneath it.¡±


    She dropped her blueberry. It splattered on the ground.


    That night, and every night that week, and every morning that week, and even during some lunch breaks, Archie immersed himself in study, possessed by a singular focus to never turn that elevator wheel again.


    He started with a six inch strip of fettuccine. Per Pomona¡¯s advice, he cooked it with an extra heap of essence so that it would feel more familiar to him. He let it dangle from his fingers, pushing essence into it. At first, the essence would accumulate in the noodle and reach a point of oversaturation, leaking essence into the air and back up into Archie. But as he learned to control it, the essence stayed in the noodle, packing itself denser and denser.


    On the first night, he managed to turn the six inches into seven and almost eight. The next morning, he spread his essence throughout the noodle and then brought it back together, shrinking the noodle by half an inch.


    In class, while they reduced the sauce of chicken marsala, he didn¡¯t waste time waiting, multitasking with another noodle. His progress excited him so much that he stayed up late practicing, feeling in the dark for the change in the noodle. Not even Oliver¡¯s farts could distract him.


    By the end of the second day, he could expand and contract the noodle to double¡ªor half¡ªits length, even with one end of the noodle tied around a fist-sized rock. He turned a foot-long noodle into five feet, slinging it around the top bunk to slap Oliver.


    During their lunch break on the third day, he challenged Nori to a game of tug-of-war. While she yanked on the ten-foot noodle as hard as she could, Archie barely pulled, letting his essence do the work. Other students took up the challenge, pulling as hard as they could, even doubling up and still being unable to move Archie. The craze lasted well into their afternoon classes, but Pomona didn¡¯t stop them.


    Archie thought Barley would be the biggest challenge, but by the time the strongest student stepped up, Archie had only gotten better at contracting the noodle. With Barley defeated, Archie thought that was it.


    Then Julienne stepped up.


    Despite being the skinniest boy in the class, Julienne gave Archie the most difficulty. Archie felt another essence in the noodle, diluting his ability to contract. After a brief struggle, the noodle slipped from Julienne¡¯s hands. Archie wondered if he would have won if Julienne had also spent the last few days practicing.


    ¡°Alright, everyone got a turn,¡± Pomona said as she walked up to the noodle. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to cooking.¡±


    She grabbed the end of the noodle. In the blink of an eye, it was whipped out of Archie¡¯s hand, contracting from ten feet to just a few inches. Pomona threw it at Archie with a wink. He stared at the noodle, amazed at the massive amount of essence that still remained in it.


    ¡°Oh, look at all of these bright smiling faces,¡± Colby called out to the students that ate their breakfast in the lounge. ¡°Oliver, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re up this early. Aren¡¯t you working nights now?¡±


    ¡°Up early? Don¡¯t you mean out late?¡± Oliver looked out the balcony in confusion. His head rolled around as it turned. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s the sun? Oh man. They had me try a new drink they¡¯re working on. Makes the night sky as bright as day. I didn¡¯t realize it switched.¡±


    Even Colby laughed as Oliver swayed down the hallway. Then his smile shifted.


    ¡°Archie and Nori, you¡¯re with me. Let¡¯s go.¡± Colby nodded to the elevator and started walking.


    Nori raised her eyebrows a couple times at Archie. He shushed her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a choice, Nori,¡± Colby said. ¡°Fishing or apple picking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the ladder out of the greenhouse.¡±


    ¡°Alright. And what about you, Archie? Excited to spend a few hours on the lift?¡±


    Archie stepped past Colby to open the cage door. ¡°Actually, yeah. I¡¯ve been working on something.¡±


    They all piled onto the platform.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Colby asked. Nori looked away so that she wouldn¡¯t get caught laughing.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Archie said. He walked up to the wheel, lifted his hands to it¡­and then took another step toward the edge, his hand hovering near the noodle that ran down the length of the elevator shaft.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Colby said in a rare, proud tone. ¡°You figured out the elevator?¡±


    ¡°Sorta.¡± Archie shrugged.


    ¡°What does that mean, sorta?¡±


    ¡°Well, I figured out how to release all the tension. But not how to stop it. It¡¯s pretty much a freefall.¡±


    Archie grinned, his fingers an inch away from the noodle.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Colby lunged at Archie.


    Too late.


    Twang!


    The platform hurtled down, the air whooshing past, Nori¡¯s black hair flying straight up. Colby screamed as he regained his footing and launched himself at the noodle, flicking it and arresting their movement. Archie and Nori absorbed the lost momentum in their knees, crouching down to the floor, but Colby, in his running stance, didn¡¯t have a strong enough base. His body slammed down against the platform.


    ¡°What the¡­Archie¡­¡± Colby panted as he rolled onto his back. He looked up at Archie, who reached out to the noodle again. ¡°No!¡±


    Colby scrambled to get up, the fear of death making him uncoordinated. Archie plucked the noodle. And the platform¡­


    ¡­slowly lowered itself.


    ¡°Just kidding,¡± Archie said. ¡°The first couple of times I did it were pretty rocky, but I figured out how to control it yesterday. I can go up, too, but it¡¯s still pretty slow. Good thing I¡¯ve got all morning to practice, right?¡±


    Colby glared at Archie but could say nothing. He shook his head as Nori laughed.

 Chapter 29 - Cafe Julienne

    To call Cafe Julienne a restaurant would be to call the world¡¯s greatest painting a doodle.


    Nicknamed ¡°The Grand Restaurant,¡± Cafe Julienne was nestled in the northwestern most corner of Ambrosia City in a little walled off alcove known as Labruscella. Meaning ¡°Little Labrusca,¡± Labruscella contained the Labruscan embassy, the city¡¯s largest botanical garden, a few manors and lawns of note, and most significantly of them all, the pride of Labrusca and envy of every restaurant, Cafe Julienne.


    A small battalion of heavily armored Labruscan soldiers patrolled the area¡ªit was said you¡¯d have an easier time getting into the grand king¡¯s private quarters than the lobby of Cafe Julienne without a reservation. They nodded to Julienne with respect as he escorted Archie, Nori, Mindy, and Yarrow inside the great walls.


    On top of its claim for having the best food in the world, Cafe Julienne also had a claim at being the most beautiful building. Grandiose marble steps led to the temple-like structure.


    An outdoor hallway framed the building, formed by a row of forty-foot tall pillars of white marble with streaks of wiry gold like lightning bolts. At the top of the walls, between the pillars and the triangular, marble-tiled roof, a painted cast of famous figures and fables of history told a thousand stories on the stone.


    Archie nearly forgot to breathe as he ascended the steps and entered the dining room, a long rectangular stretch going from one end of the building to the other and adorned with marble and beauty and red velvet and smelling of lilacs and honey and riches and a sort of stuffy happiness.


    ¡°Pinch me,¡± Archie said dreamily. He wished he had worn something nicer. Even his orange jacket seemed unbecoming in such an environment.


    Three pillars divided the dining area down the middle along its length. On either side of each pillar, twenty-foot long statues extended out and up at a forty five degree angle over the guests.


    On the first pillar, the ¡°Patron Saint of Pastries¡± held out a basket of croissants as an offering. On the other side of the pillar, the first man to call himself ¡°botanist¡± held a bundle of herbs near his belly.


    The middle pillar held the main characters of Labrusca¡¯s history. King Nectarus and the first Julienne rode unicorns, the national animal of Labrusca. Each tendon of the unicorns could be seen in the stone and the carved stone cloth looked like it could waver in the wind.


    The final pillar boasted the architect of Cafe Julienne holding a hammer, the opposite side showing the most iconic hero of Labrusca¡¯s many civil wars, a man known as ¡°The White Truffle Hunter,¡± with his dog.


    A religious mural covered the opposite wall, depicting King Nectarus watching from across the sea as his son, Julienne, kneeled before Ambrosia.


    Silk chairs with floral embroidery and golden wood surrounded stone slab tables. Archie wondered if selling one chair could put him through all four years at The Academy. While Mindy and Yarrow went into the kitchen with business-as-usual demeanors, Archie stood frozen and gawking in the doorway. Nori stood next to him, mirroring his expression. Even she was surprised by the grandness of the place. It had been weeks since Julienne¡¯s invitation. Weeks that they had spent practicing cooking with essence in Pomona¡¯s class.


    But they still felt unprepared.


    Julienne yanked them out of the way of incoming diners, pulling them into the kitchen.


    Three separate kitchen setups divided the cooking area into spacious pods that sat like three islands in the middle of the massive room. Each pod contained everything needed to run a kitchen, three lines of stoves and ovens and counters forming an incomplete square. The cooks worked on the outside of the square, supervised by someone on the inside.


    In the central and most prominent pod, that someone was Uncle Julienne. Even without an introduction, Archie knew it could be no one else. He had the same masculine prettiness as his nephew. Same cutting bone structure. Near-black hair slicked back and parted down the middle, draping to the bottom of his neck. Sharp cheekbones framing a brown and silver goatee heavy on the mustache. Age had robbed his face of its gauntness, but his crow¡¯s feet and smile lines dug down to the shallow face of his past.


    Nori stared in awe. So did Archie. He thought both Julienne¡¯s deserved their own marble statue.


    Uncle Julienne glanced up at Julienne and paid them no further attention. As five Chefs ran around the outside of the pod, he leaned down and hovered over a plated single scallop, analyzing it with profound intensity. His eyes held decades of experience. Decades of being the best.


    The comparatively child-like Julienne led Archie and Nori to one of the other pods.


    ¡°Anyone that cooks here must be supervised by a Julienne,¡± he explained. ¡°This pod is mine.¡± He nodded at the other two. ¡°My uncle¡¯s. He¡¯s the Executive Chef. And then there¡¯s my great-aunt¡¯s.¡±


    Sixty years had done little to dull Great Aunt Julienne¡¯s beauty. She had crow¡¯s feet three times larger than Uncle Julienne¡¯s, smile lines that came in sets of five, droopy pouches on top of her cheeks that accentuated her cheekbones, and three slanted front teeth, but all of these little imperfections seemed like unique additions that enhanced an otherwise perfect face. Her hair was shorter than either of the male Julienne¡¯s, black hair that had browned¡ªnot grayed¡ªat the roots, slicked back into a tight bun. Her small body was wrapped in a double-breasted white jacket¡ªthe nicest Chef¡¯s uniform Archie had ever seen. Her tight-lipped smile and hazel-green eyes were charming even from across the room.


    Archie watched as she took two handfuls of raspberries and put them together, combining them all into one single raspberry that she placed gently on a chocolate souffle. Her intensity burned just as brightly as Uncle Julienne¡¯s, but it burned with a smile and gentleness. Her Chefs seemed carefree compared to the ones that operated in short sprints around Uncle Julienne.


    ¡°Technically Uncle Julienne runs the restaurant, but she does whatever she wants to do. Usually it¡¯s dessert.¡± Julienne walked into the center of the third pod. ¡°This is me.¡±


    Archie started to walk around the counter to join him.


    ¡°Uh, no,¡± Julienne said. ¡°You¡¯re on that side. Juliennes on the inside.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Archie and Nori stood opposite Julienne. ¡°So what do you normally do?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s usually just us three,¡± Julienne said while Yarrow and Mindy started setting up pots and retrieving vials of spices. ¡°We make one dish. Sometimes two. We have a little freedom in picking what we make¡ªUncle still has to approve it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he approves it,¡± Yarrow said as he sharpened a knife. ¡°Just so that he can leave it off the menu.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Archie asked.


    Julienne sighed in disapproval of Yarrow¡¯s tone. ¡°We haven¡¯t been producing food worthy of Cafe Julienne. He¡¯s in control of the menu. He¡¯s within his right to leave us off of it.¡±


    ¡°Just like he¡¯s within his right to make me a waitress since we¡¯re not busy since no one orders our food since it¡¯s not on the menu,¡± Mindy added as she fished a pot out of a cabinet.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Julienne said with an authority that Archie hadn¡¯t heard from him before. ¡°I won¡¯t have Archie and Nori thinking this is what we do here. We don¡¯t complain. We get better.¡±


    Archie had always sensed an aristocratic pride in Julienne, but the charming boy¡¯s flirtatious and easygoing nature had always masked his seriousness. But inside Cafe Julienne, the mask lifted to reveal fiery determination. His name made him proud, vain, and humble all at the same time.


    ¡°Does¡­¡± Archie made sure Uncle Julienne wasn¡¯t listening, but doubted he could even be heard over the cacophony of the kitchen. ¡°Does your uncle want you to succeed?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Julienne said with a certainty that faded with his next words. ¡°I think. I mean. He has two sons. They¡¯re both studying at Lyceum Labrusca. I suppose he wanted one of them to be Julienne, but he¡¯s not¡­¡±


    Archie bit his lip and looked at Nori to avoid eye contact with Julienne.


    ¡°Look,¡± Julienne said. ¡°He¡¯s not sabotaging me or anything. When you¡¯re Julienne, the standard is higher. While he certainly has no hesitancy to point out my failures, he¡¯s ultimately trying to help me succeed.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Archie said, taking his foot off of Julienne¡¯s nerves. ¡°We¡¯re here to help. What should we do, Chef?¡±


    While Archie offered the title with a slight jest, Julienne received it with sincerity.


    ¡°Okay. Since this is practice for tomorrow, I managed to talk our way into three items. That¡¯s three chances to get on the menu if we do this right. Lemon drop martini. Pasta a limone. Torrone. Nori.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Nori snapped to attention.


    ¡°That¡¯s three things that need lemon,¡± Julienne continued. ¡°I need you at your best. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chef.¡±


    ¡°The lemon drop martini should be easy. We have lemon-infused vodka that Yarrow has been working on for a couple of weeks now. Yarrow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Yarrow said as he pulled out a large glass jar full of sliced lemons and vodka.


    ¡°Now, Yarrow¡¯s not allowed to use his essence,¡± Julienne said. ¡°So Nori, you have to coax all of the flavor out.¡±


    Yarrow sucked in his lips, biting them as he took a loud, sharp breath through his nose.


    ¡°Archie. You¡¯re on¡ª¡±


    Archie felt a newfound desire to please Julienne. ¡°The torrone. Yes, Chef.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.


    Nori set off to work with Yarrow, putting her hands on the jar to examine the way the essence inside had been manipulated. Julienne walked to the fridge and retrieved the dough. Mindy put a bag of pine nuts in front of Archie, who remained unmoving. A cold sweat started to form on his hairline.


    ¡°Uh¡ªChef?¡± Archie asked timidly. Julienne whipped his head around. ¡°What¡¯s torrone?¡±


    Julienne¡¯s mouth pressed into a wide line. At first, Archie thought it was an expression of anger. But as Julienne¡¯s eyes drifted around, he realized that Julienne was recalculating how to go about achieving perfection. Julienne¡¯s lips unpressed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nougat. Mindy. Heavy bottom pot,¡± he said without turning away from Archie. ¡°Archie. One cup honey. Three tablespoons sugar. Low heat. Constant stir. Make it silky and smooth. Thirty minutes. Use the essence in the sugar for flavor. I¡¯ll help you on the next step.¡±


    Mindy set the pot in front of Archie. He looked around the kitchen one more time, his heart nearly beating out of his chest. This was it. Even though it was just a practice run, this was still the biggest opportunity Archie ever had. His hands felt tight. He had to remind himself to breathe.


    His eyes found Nori¡¯s.


    She smiled at him.


    And everything was okay.


    He measured out the sugar and honey and got to work.


    ¡°Mindy. Roast the almonds and pistachios for the torrone. Yarrow. Two eggs whites, room temperature. Once you two are done with that, I want you practicing for tomorrow. Mint yogurt meatballs. Yarrow, if your essence makes those meatballs acidic, the profile is ruined. Mindy, the sauce needs to blend. I don¡¯t want layers of olive oil and yogurt again. And the mint is a surprise, not a statement. Fresh, not frosty.¡±


    Julienne¡¯s impressive command of the kitchen distracted Archie, who realized he had been stirring the sugar and honey without intent. Cooking without essence in Cafe Julienne seemed like blasphemy. He pushed his consciousness down the wooden spoon, trying to connect to the sugar and honey.


    The profound essence of the mixture shocked him with its intensity. He felt proud of the sugarcane and wheat he had grown back in the greenhouse, but they didn¡¯t hold a candle to the sun that was Cafe Julienne sugar. Even Blanche¡¯s most essence-packed crops weren¡¯t worthy of a comparison.


    The essence simultaneously resisted his manipulation while also feeling like it could explode at the slightest provocation. Archie struggled to find a foothold, his essence gliding around the honey and sugar without connecting.


    He remembered what Akando had said¡ªthe mysterious power of motion. He focused on the movement of the spin. Forward. Back. Forward. Back. Forward. Back. His arm entered a rhythm that would continue in perpetuity if not broken with conscious thought. Without intending to, Archie¡¯s essence matched the rhythm, becoming more potent with each change of direction.


    His essence pierced the shell of the mixture¡¯s essence. He did not celebrate¡ªif he did not keep his mind¡¯s connection to the process, the essence would burst like a pressure valve.


    With each move of the spoon, he converted some of the mixture¡¯s essence into flavor, drip feeding his own essence to catalyze the process.


    Archie¡¯s consciousness ceased to exist on the physical plane. His mind operated in a void¡ªjust him, the spoon, the pot, and the movement. As the essence converted into flavor, the remaining essence became more docile and easier to control. Archie started to convert it with more efficiency. Half an hour passed by in a flash. The essence told him when it was ready.


    He left the void, his mind returning to the kitchen.


    Yarrow and Mindy whispered at each other in a subdued argument. Nori used a paring knife on a lemon with remarkably slow control, pulling all of the essence of the lemon into the peel as she cut. Julienne rolled dough onto a set of suspended wires, cutting it into noodles.


    ¡°Done, Chef,¡± Archie said.


    Julienne concentrated and held his hands over the mixture, assessing its essence. Archie had half a mind to ask Julienne to teach him that trick, but he knew better.


    Julienne¡¯s eyebrows raised as he blinked. ¡°Wow. Good job. Off the heat. Whisk those egg whites with salt. Three minutes. Then put the honey mixture back on the heat. Mix in the whipped egg whites gradually in four batches.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chef.¡±


    ¡°Good. Once it¡¯s all in, you need to keep stirring over low heat for forty minutes. It¡¯ll turn white. Mix until you can drip a ribbon that doesn¡¯t incorporate quickly. Can you handle that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chef.¡±


    ¡°Archie. That¡¯s forty minutes.¡± Julienne¡¯s eyes dipped down to Archie¡¯s leg. The only remnant of the wound was a pink and purple scar. That and the memory of the rotten lemon curd. ¡°Can you handle that?¡±


    Archie nodded. This was his chance to prove himself. To achieve his dream. He wasn¡¯t going to fail. ¡°Yes, Chef.¡±


    Julienne turned around to his uncle. ¡°Uncle Julienne,¡± he shouted, his voice hitting a rare deepness as it cut through the clatter of the kitchen. ¡°Put us on the menu.¡±


    Uncle Julienne stopped mid-taste, a red sauce dripping off his spoon. He looked at his nephew for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Eclair, amend the menu.¡±


    One of his Chefs rushed out of the kitchen to add the new items to each daily menu with expert calligraphy. Julienne smiled.


    Archie whisked the egg whites into a foam, getting familiar with their essence in the process. He returned the honey mixture to the heat and added one whisk-full of egg foam. He stirred with his spoon, coaxing the essence of the egg foam to marry the mixture¡¯s. As they blended, he found new pockets of essence in the mixture to convert to flavor. Whatever nerves he had started with, they were long gone. If he hadn¡¯t been so concentrated, he might have thought of how proud his father would be.


    After a couple of minutes, he added another splash of egg foam. Mix. Another foam. Mix. Another. Mix. Finally, the mixture turned into a white syrup. He never stopped stirring. After twenty minutes, he started to feel empty. Sweat drenched his uniform. He searched the corners of his being for any spare essence. His eyes glazed over, unfocused. His leg itched. He was hungry.


    Julienne reached across and took the spoon, never letting the stirring stop.


    ¡°I gave you the most draining task. Take a breather.¡±


    Archie stepped back and wiped his brow. Yarrow and Mindy continued to fuss over their meatballs. Nori heated oil, garlic, parsley, and lemon zest in a pan for the pasta.


    Archie took a deep breath. The nagging in his stomach retreated down to his leg and disappeared. He became aware of all of the littles aches and fires in his joints.


    He turned to watch Uncle Julienne¡¯s pod. The Executive Chef cut into a wheel of parmesan with a wire while three Chefs had their bare hands on a piece of meat the size of Archie¡¯s torso.


    ¡°See this?¡± Julienne asked.


    Archie turned back to look. Julienne lifted the whisk, drizzling a line that sat on the top of the mixture for a few seconds before recombining.


    ¡°Water,¡± Julienne commanded with a point. ¡°And fill this with it.¡±


    Archie grabbed a pitcher of ice water. Julienne slid a ramekin over that Archie filled. Julienne dripped a bit of the mixture into cold water. It turned into a putty. Julienne grabbed it and squeezed, then tossed it to Archie.


    ¡°That¡¯s the final texture,¡± Julienne said. ¡°Should be like firm clay.¡±


    Archie squeezed. ¡°Feels good.¡±


    ¡°Good. Remember that for tomorrow. Nori?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chef?¡±


    ¡°Cover the top of this with a thin layer of lemon zest. Splash of vanilla extract. Archie. Once she¡¯s done, put the roasted nuts in and mix it. Put it on a tray between two sheets of rice paper. Press it even and firm, but not so firm that you break the paper.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chef.¡±


    They did their parts, Nori zesting the lemon as Archie poured the nuts in.


    As Archie stirred, the mixture unnaturally slid off the nuts, refusing to combine. He felt dangerously empty on essence, but mustered up a last bit of strength. He was a Kent. And nothing would stop a Kent.


    The nuts cooperated, incorporating into the mixture. Nori helped him set up the rice paper and they patted the mixture down into a smooth, even rectangle that could serve forty guests.


    ¡°What now?¡± Archie asked Julienne.


    ¡°It rests for an hour,¡± Julienne said as he stirred pasta in sauce.


    ¡°An hour? The first guests were sitting down when we got here. What if someone orders it now?¡±


    Julienne laughed. ¡°There are no first guests. Nor are there last guests. Just guests. They show up at the same time and stay until closing. And they don¡¯t order things. They¡¯re served the Chef¡¯s choice.¡±


    Archie wondered if Petrichor had subscribed to such luxury dining norms at its height.


    ¡°Excellent job today, Chef,¡± Julienne said. It didn¡¯t matter that they were the same rank¡ªArchie felt like the compliment came from a higher power. ¡°That was a marathon and you finished the race. Go outside and take thirty. Back door there. Then come back and help me with the pasta.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chef. Thank you, Chef.¡±


    Archie exited the kitchen to a marble balcony that hung over a pond and looked out at the wild plants of the botanical garden. He rested against the intricately carved guardrail and breathed out his tension. He marveled at the variety of plants in the garden, counting the ones he¡¯d never seen before. He watched a white and brown crane peck for fish at the shallows of the pond.


    He had done it.


    So far, at least. It was only the practice run. And he wasn¡¯t done.


    After breathing in the night air for a few minutes, he returned to the kitchen. Julienne plated the first three pastas while ordering Archie to start cutting the next batch of noodles. Nori started a new sauce, her fatigue quickly catching up to Archie¡¯s.


    The plates went out. Archie finished cutting the noodles and started cutting the torrone into squares with a serrated knife, revealing cross sections of almonds and pistachios suspended in white. Firm to the touch, but soft and flexible under pressure. Archie popped the excess from a cut square into his mouth. It was as delicious as it was beautiful. Archie had never been so proud of a dish.


    A waitress came in, bringing the first reviews of Julienne¡¯s pasta with her.


    ¡°Fresh. Vibrant. Bursting with flavor.¡±


    Julienne¡¯s breath wavered as if he might burst into tears.


    Uncle Julienne walked over and offered a subdued, ¡°good job.¡± He sampled a bite of torrone and nodded in approval. ¡°Good. Although if you plan on serving this tomorrow, Grand King Flamb¨¦ prefers a heavier balance of pistachios.¡±


    Archie and Nori waited until Uncle Julienne left before turning to each other.


    They smiled at each other with the knowledge that months of work were about to pay off.


    Tomorrow, they would cook for the grand king. The most powerful man in the world.


    He would remember the name Kent. Archie would make sure of it.

 Chapter 30 - Feeling Julienned

    Sleep didn¡¯t come easy for Julienne. And when it did, it was a fickle, fleeting thing. His first nightmare was a particularly cruel one. He dreamt that he had slept through the entire day, missing the fated dinner. In his dream, he scrambled across the Crown of Ambrosia City in the golden red of sunset. By the time he arrived at Cafe Julienne, the sun had gone and he was Julienne no more.


    The panic and despair of the nightmare clung to him when he woke up. He snapped up and threw off his covers. He couldn¡¯t be late.


    But he wasn¡¯t late. Soft moonlight poured through the window, illuminating Akando as he slept. Still night. Not even a hint of sunrise. A soft, yellow light danced on the ceiling, beating back the shadows. The soft turning of a page interrupted the silence of the night.


    ¡°Put out that candle,¡± Yarrow groaned, half-asleep.


    ¡°Just a few more pages,¡± Sutton whispered.


    Julienne laid back down, pulling the blanket tight around his shoulders. He closed his eyes and started his breathing exercises.


    Three short breaths in. One long breath out. In. In. In. Out.


    His mind started to wander to his menu. Had he made a mistake? In. In. In. Out. Maybe he should do lemon drop martinis again. Nori and Yarrow could handle those on their own. Julienne couldn¡¯t mess anything up if he didn¡¯t do anything. In. In. In. Out.


    He slept through the day. He missed it. It was all over. His foot slunk out of the blanket and found the ground. His eyes opened. Still darkness. Still night. Sutton¡¯s candle still illuminated the ceiling. Yarrow with a pillow over his head. Another dream. Julienne felt even more awake this time. He considered just waking up and walking around, but told himself he needed the sleep. In. In. In. Out.


    He thought about Grand King Flamb¨¦¡¯s annual trips to Uroko. Maybe he would appreciate Urokan food? In. In. In. Out. Nori could make it. She could get Archie to help her. After all, she had been the one that insisted she would only help if Archie could come along too. In. In. In. Out.


    He jerked in his sleep so hard that he woke up. Still dark. True dark. Sutton had finally given in to the night. Julienne rolled over and felt his stomach acid churn and sting what he assumed was an ulcer. In. In. In. Out.


    His thoughts resumed from before he had fallen asleep. He decided Urokan food was out of the question. The day wasn¡¯t about appeasing Grand King Flamb¨¦, even if he was the main guest. In. In. In. Out.


    The day was about the gift of Labruscan food. The generosity of an entire kingdom. A gift to thank the original gift. Ambrosia¡¯s gift. A celebration of over a thousand years of history between the two closest kingdoms in the continent. In. In. In. Out.


    Julienne rolled over, the routine movement enough to break the thin veil of sleep he had achieved. The faintest hint of a sunrise came through the window. Good enough.


    He popped his back and stood up, getting on his tiptoes to see if Yarrow was awake in the top bunk. Julienne shook Yarrow¡¯s foot, waking him just enough to get the message across.


    ¡°I¡¯m going. At 11, get the others and come to Cafe Julienne. We¡¯ll have lunch there before we start.¡±


    ¡°Unh.¡±


    Julienne changed into his orange jacket, waiting until he was out in the quiet of the hallway before putting on his shoes. Laughter echoed down the hall. Two third-years stumbled past Julienne, their stifled laughter carrying the stench of alcohol.


    Julienne walked through the alcoholic vapor and into the lounge. A few students sat around, half of them early risers and the other half night owls about to be scared off by the rising sun. Julienne wondered if any of them noticed how hard he was breathing. He remembered his exercises. In. In. In. Out.


    He walked out of the lounge, around the winding paths to the upper building, through the great hall, and out into Ambrosia City. His body recognized the route and responded with a habitual stress. It had learned a simple equation long ago. Walking to Cafe Julienne equals stressed out. Stressed in. Stressed in. Stressed in. Stressed out.


    ¡°Hello, welcome to Cafe Julienne,¡± he rehearsed under his breath. ¡°I¡¯m Julienne. No, you know who I am. Hello, welcome to Cafe Julienne. Hello. Welcome to Cafe Julienne. It is my honor to welcome you to Cafe Julienne on my birthday. On this momentous occasion. On this special tradition between our kingdoms. I¡ª¡±


    Julienne¡¯s stomach seized up, robbing him of his breath. He squeezed out a gargling, acidic burp and wondered if food would help or make things worse. He considered turning back and eating at the Academy, but decided that he could handle the thirty minute walk to Cafe Julienne on an empty stomach.


    ¡°Grand King Flamb¨¦. It is an honor to¡ªno, because then I have to say Prince Waldorf, it is an honor. No. Hello and welcome to Cafe Julienne. I am honored to have you¡­It is my honor to¡­I am honored to¡­¡±


    Golden rays of sunshine started to peak over the crest of the mesa, coloring over the dull blue shadows that filled the street. Julienne dodged out of the way of farmers as they pushed their carts through the streets before the crowd picked up. Their massive bundles of crops and the wide streets warned of the sleeping giant known as Ambrosia City. Soon, hundreds of thousands of people would walk these streets.


    ¡°For our first course, a mixed green salad served with Labruscan oranges, strawberries, and drizzled with the star of the dish, a nectarus vanilla vinaigrette¡­For our first course, I wanted to highlight nectarus vanilla by¡­¡±


    He walked through a strip of restaurants, passing by several locked doors before coming to a little spot on the corner with outdoor seating and a green plaque¡ªindicating it as a Green Jacket Restaurant¡ªlabeled Cafe Brew. Enticed by the smell of coffee and eager to distract himself from his upcoming day, Julienne decided he could go for breakfast.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He sat outside, watching the early risers of Ambrosia City. A Green Jacket, a middle-aged man with a thick, dark mustache, took and delivered Julienne¡¯s order¡ªa croissant and a black coffee¡ªand lingered while Julienne took a sip.


    The bitter drink did Julienne¡¯s stomach no favors. He ripped the croissant in half, hiding his disappointment for the sake of the Chef that hovered over him. Just from a look, Julienne could identify problems in the croissant¡¯s proofing and the lamination. The inside was too dense¡ªhe would hardly call it a croissant. Still, he needed something to quell the fire in his stomach. He took an underwhelming bite.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± the Chef said.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Julienne responded immediately, thinking the man had the decency to apologize for selling such a travesty in a bakery. But as it turns out, the Chef had apologized for staring.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I think I¡¯ve seen you before. Do you work at Cafe Julienne?¡±


    Julienne had been recognized before, but usually people recognized all the way or not at all. He nodded.


    ¡°I took cooking lessons there last fall,¡± the Green Jacket said.


    Get a refund.


    Julienne forced a smile.


    ¡°What a magnificent place,¡± the man said with a sigh of remembrance. ¡°You must be quite the Chef to work there. I hope my croissant is adequate.¡±


    For as much as Julienne rehearsed his decorum in preparation for the royal family, he failed to manufacture a respectful response to the Chef. ¡°Sure,¡± he said. His discomfort caused him to bite his nails¡ªbetter that than the croissant.


    ¡°I plan on attending this fall¡¯s course as well. So much to learn. What was your name?¡±


    Julienne took a sip of coffee and his stomach seized up again. He flexed his stomach and let his breath out in a slow, controlled push to prevent a burp. ¡°Julienne.¡±


    The man¡¯s smile faded in shock. He blinked several times before finally moving, raising his hands. ¡°I can¡¯t charge you for this,¡± he pleaded. ¡°Take it as a gift.¡±


    ¡°No it¡¯s¡­it¡¯s fine.¡± Julienne pulled out three silver coins, overpaying by triple. ¡°For your lessons.¡±


    Ambrosia knows you need them.


    The man discarded his reservations and snatched up the coins. ¡°Thank you so much, Chef Julienne. I will let you enjoy your meal in peace.¡±


    The man rushed off before Julienne could see his shaking arms. Just before the Green Jacket got to the door, Julienne stopped him for one last word.


    ¡°Do you use bread flour?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The man turned, flustered. ¡°It¡¯s bread, so yes.¡±


    ¡°Use cake flour. It¡¯s softer. More flexible. It¡¯ll help with the honeycombing.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Thank you. Thank you so much.¡±


    Julienne took another bite of the croissant before giving up on it. He drank the rest of the coffee despite knowing that it would give his stomach trouble for the rest of the morning. But he needed the energy and couldn¡¯t sit still any longer.


    He needed a new fix. A new stress release. He had heard of the tobacco from Kuutsu Nuna that had taken Labrusca by storm since he left so many years ago. He made a mental note to ask Akando to bring some back after the summer. He got up and started walking.


    ¡°It is on this day that we remember¡­I hope today¡¯s meal¡­I hope today¡¯s experience is worthy of the great history between our kingdoms. Of¡­The kingdoms of Labrusca and The Platter¡­The Platter and Labrusca?¡±


    Julienne walked through the wrought iron gates of Labruscella, the golden-armored guard bowing to his waist as Julienne passed. Julienne responded with a nod and rushed up the steps to Cafe Julienne. His stress solidified¡ªor rather, liquified¡ªin his stomach as the upcoming events of the day became real.


    As he walked into the empty kitchen, a terrible thought struck him¡ªwhat if someone had used his ingredients? He jumped up onto the counter of his usual kitchen pod, swiveling around on his butt and landing on the other side. He bent down to open the fridge that lined the lower cabinet, praying that he would find what he expected inside.


    Everything was where it needed to be. And there was something else¡ªan unexpected small ceramic jar with a note propped against it.


    What easier way to love than to gift? - Your Great Aunt Julienne


    The jar opened with a pop, revealing one of the greatest treasures in the five kingdoms¡ªa white truffle the size of an apple. Julienne gasped. His mind opened up to an infinite multitude of possibilities, his entire pre-planned menu being left by the wayside as he explored the new options available to him.


    As he prep cooked for the day, he also sliced bread into thin slices and coated each side with cheese, placing them in a skillet with some butter. On one side of the stove, he made the infinitely complex consomm¨¦, while on the other, he made the infinitely simple grilled cheese.


    He ate the first grilled cheese as he cooked, his stomach thanking him for giving it something to mitigate the acid that had run rampant all morning.


    He made a cr¨¦m¨¦ fra?che and another little square of grilled cheese, this time with a new cheese blend. He ate the grilled cheese and considered adjustments.


    He made black pudding and also another bite of grilled cheese, this time with a bit more butter.


    He made several cauliflower tarts and also another bite of grilled cheese, this time with sourdough bread.


    He chopped up the day¡¯s fruits and vegetables and also made another bite of grilled cheese, this time adding oregano.


    Yarrow, Mindy, Archie, and Nori showed up right on time. Julienne put four more grilled cheeses on as his team settled in.


    ¡°Hey guys. Lunch is almost ready. And¡­¡±


    Julienne popped open the jar and showed off the truffle. While everyone seemed impressed, only Yarrow seemed to truly understand the value of what Julienne held.


    ¡°Truffle? Cool. I¡¯ve never seen one. Kinda dirty,¡± Archie said.


    Nori examined it with a scholar¡¯s disposition. Mindy offered a mild, ¡°wow.¡±


    Yarrow¡¯s jaw hit the floor and his hands reached out for the truffle, but he hesitated, refusing to touch it.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Julienne said.


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to ruin it.¡±


    Julienne pushed the truffle into Yarrow¡¯s hands. Yarrow had struggled all year with his insecurities. First, it was being from Khala. Then it was about being poor. Then it was about the imprisonment of his thief of a father. But Julienne didn¡¯t care about those things. He didn¡¯t care about who they were outside of the kitchen.


    That¡¯s why he did care about Yarrow¡¯s acidity. Any time Yarrow cooked with essence, things turned acidic, so he stopped cooking with essence entirely.


    Yarrow was Julienne¡¯s best friend. But nothing mattered outside of the kitchen.


    If anyone was going to mess everything up, it was going to be Yarrow. He needed a dose of confidence.


    ¡°I need you to lead when I can¡¯t, Yarrow. I have to play Chef and entertainer today. If I leave something over the fire to go put my tongue in the king¡¯s ear, I expect things not to be burnt when I get back. When I can¡¯t watch over someone, I need you to keep them on the timetable. When I¡¯m out of the kitchen, you¡¯re me today. I need you to know what needs to be done without me telling you. I need to rely on you.¡±


    Yarrow looked Julienne in the eye, valuing the words more than the priceless truffle in his hands. ¡°Yes, Chef.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Julienne nodded and then raised his voice for everyone. ¡°Lunch before work! Grilled cheese. Made with manchego, cheddar, and my thanks.¡±


    On the other side of Ambrosia City, the royal guard loaded Prince Waldorf into the largest carriage in the world.

 Chapter 31 - Arrival of the Guests

    Julienne waited at the steps of Cafe Julienne, finding it difficult to focus on his posture and not on the possibility that his team was back in the kitchen burning things. He had been slaving away in the kitchen for hours and now found it difficult to transition from Chef to entertainer.


    Uncle Julienne stood one step higher than Julienne, whispering instructions and introductions. One way or another, Uncle Julienne was always breathing down his neck.


    The first carriage arrived. The guard stopped them at the gate. No horses were allowed in, no matter whose royal sigils they wore. A ruckus brewed in the carriage¡ªsomething about service and injustice. A servant jumped from the horse and opened the carriage door, revealing two Gluttons that barely fit into a carriage meant for four.


    ¡°Lord Rathbond and his wife,¡± Uncle Julienne said.


    Julienne maintained his smile, not turning back as he asked, ¡°what relation?¡±


    ¡°The grand queen¡¯s nephew. And confidant of the prince.¡±


    Lord Rathbond took thirty seconds to remove himself from the carriage, which rocked as he stepped off. He huffed and patted off his jacket, gathering himself for just a moment before losing his composure as he threw his arms in a fit.


    ¡°Stairs!¡± he whined. He fished out two vials of moondrop wine, drinking one and handing the other to his wife, who had nearly crushed the servant that helped her come down. ¡°No one told me there¡¯d be stairs.¡±


    The stairs leading up to Cafe Julienne covered ten feet of height in nearly thirty feet of steps. A toddler would have no trouble with them.


    Julienne inhaled, readying a welcome.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Uncle Julienne muttered.


    It took a full minute for the guests to reach the bottom of the stairs and just as long again to climb them. Julienne understood the awkwardness his uncle had saved him from.


    ¡°Lord Rathbond. Lady Rathbond. Welcome to Cafe Julienne,¡± Julienne said with a voice that he had rehearsed for years. He did not bow, nor would he for any of the guests. In Cafe Julienne, nothing outranked the title of his name. Not even grand king.


    ¡°No one told me there would be stairs,¡± Lord Rathbond complained between grunts as he climbed. ¡°Yes, hello. Honored to be here. We¡¯ve been so excited that we haven¡¯t eaten in nearly three hours. We¡¯re starving.¡±


    They paused for a moment of respect in front of the Juliennes before a host escorted them to their table. Julienne thought bowing might be an anatomical impossibility for a Glutton¡ªeven a dip of the head might be too difficult for them to muster since they had no necks to speak of.


    The next carriage arrived.


    ¡°Lord Ackers and his wife,¡± Uncle Julienne said.


    ¡°Relation?¡±


    ¡°No relation. No land. Lords by wealth alone. Friends of Prince Waldorf.¡±


    These two weren¡¯t Gluttons, but they had the same disdain for stairs. After they exchanged niceties and headed inside, Uncle Julienne pulled a waiter over.


    ¡°Have moondrop wine ready at the next carriage to arrive.¡±


    Another carriage. Another Glutton. Another carriage. Another Glutton. Of the first eight guests to arrive, six were Gluttons¡ªand only two had any relation to the royal family beyond being friends of Prince Waldorf¡¯s.


    Julienne¡¯s decorum wore down with each passing Glutton. ¡°Ridiculous,¡± he said under his breath.


    Uncle Julienne breathed heavily through his nose. He needed no elaboration to know what his nephew spoke of. ¡°What¡¯s ridiculous is what it costs to be the best. You¡¯ll be thankful for their wallets when you¡¯re in charge.¡±


    Finally, the royal procession arrived, a long line of carriages with two Acorn Guards for every driver. Julienne sighed with relief as the first carriage opened to reveal normally-proportioned men.


    ¡°Grand Justiciar. Grand Marshall. Grand Chancellor. Grand Treasurer,¡± Uncle Julienne explained.


    Despite their advanced age, the men got out of their carriages without assistance. Two wore Chef jackets¡ªone red, one black. The other two wore tight-fitting uniforms with military awards pinned to their chest. All four had served in the Unification War. All four were the grand king¡¯s men.


    They didn¡¯t complain like the others. Instead, they marveled. ¡°Magnificent,¡± one said. They stopped three steps short of Julienne and bowed.


    ¡°Welcome to Cafe Julienne,¡± Julienne said, resisting the urge to bow back.


    ¡°Thank you. We are honored to be at your beautiful restaurant for such an important occasion.¡±


    ¡°The honor is ours.¡± Julienne felt some wind return to his sails. ¡°Please come in, we¡¯ll be starting soon.¡±


    The next carriage, draped with white fabrics bearing the church¡¯s emblem of the ambrosial flower, contained only a man dressed in white robes. He was old and required two men and ample patience to get down the carriage steps. Julienne appreciated that his uncle didn¡¯t patronize him by naming this guest.


    ¡°Chancellor, I am so glad that you could join us,¡± Julienne said.


    ¡°Of course, cousin,¡± the Chancellor of Culinary Arts said with a slight nod of his head. The Chancellor claimed to be a direct descendant of Ambrosia despite not even being a Chef¡ªas ironic as it was for the man that coordinated between the academies¡ªand insisted on referring to the Juliennes as family.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Another carriage, this one the largest of all, rolled up to the gate. Prince Waldorf kicked his own door open, threatening to topple the carriage as he got out. Despite being the largest of all the Gluttons, he handled the stairs the best. Julienne had heard that Prince Waldorf hired one of the brightest Chefs of Labrusca to devise a new recipe for moondrop wine. He also heard that the Chef wasn¡¯t allowed to leave the royal keep.


    Prince Waldorf¡¯s greasy, thin hair flopped around on top of his head as he made his way up the stairs. The sun reflected off his gold and red clothing. A great fur stole draped down his shoulders, large enough to serve as curtains for any window in Labruscella. Julienne wondered what behemoth of an animal had been capable of producing such an article of clothing.


    ¡°Ah, the Chefs Julienne,¡± Prince Waldorf said, his strained voice sending a chill down Julienne¡¯s spine. Whereas other¡¯s voices came from a breath, Prince Waldorf¡¯s came from a groan.


    He stopped two steps below Julienne, standing eye-to-eye with him. The Glutton¡¯s presence was suffocating. His heavy perfumes moved with him like a cloud, but they didn¡¯t do enough to hide the stench. It wasn¡¯t body odor. It was something else. Something decayed deep within.


    Prince Waldorf held his hand in front of Julienne, perhaps expecting him to kiss his ring. Julienne could think of few things more repulsive. He squeezed Prince Waldorf¡¯s fingers instead, his hand dwarfed by the Glutton¡¯s. Prince Waldorf¡¯s hand could close around Julienne¡¯s entire torso. He figured if he stood front-to-back, ten Juliennes could fit in Prince Waldorf¡¯s torso.


    Prince Waldorf looked up at Uncle Julienne. ¡°I was so disappointed that you couldn¡¯t accommodate my reservation the other day. I so wanted the restaurant for myself. I hope today¡¯s food can make up for it.¡±


    ¡°Well, we couldn¡¯t afford to shut down the restaurant for one guest,¡± Uncle Julienne said in a challenging tone.


    Prince Waldorf ascended to the same step as the Executive Chef, standing over a foot taller than him. ¡°You can afford what I allow you to afford. Speak to me at the end of the dinner and we¡¯ll talk price.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Uncle Julienne shrank in Prince Waldorf¡¯s shadow. ¡°I was hoping your wife would be joining us.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Prince Waldorf said dismissively. ¡°She hardly gets out of bed anymore. Not that I¡¯d want her anywhere else. I¡¯ll have to get a new one soon.¡±


    Prince Waldorf walked inside. His voice rang out in a terrifying rage seconds later. ¡°Where¡¯s the bread?!¡±


    The final carriage arrived. A servant unclasped a long wooden board from the side of the carriage and hooked it onto the carriage to serve as a ramp with the help of another servant. Julienne suppressed a gasp as they opened the door.


    On one side of the carriage, the bench had been removed and replaced with a large wheelchair¡ªone of the first of its kind¡ªbearing the weight of the massive Grand Queen Crosnee. A third servant entered the carriage from the other side and pushed her toward the ramp. The other two servants reached up to slow her descent, nearly losing control before managing to get her to level ground. Upon seeing the stairs, they sighed, the first warranted complaint of the day. A servant poured a hefty flask of moondrop wine into the grand queen¡¯s slack-jawed mouth, wiping the dribble off her lip with a napkin.


    Julienne had never seen Grand Queen Crosnee before¡ªfew his age had. As the tale went, she became an invalid during Prince Waldorf¡¯s infancy. Her deformities went beyond those of a normal Glutton, her body having warped and melted due to having not stood in decades. She was more blob than human. As Julienne observed her pink, splotchy face, he wondered if this would be the only time she left the royal keep that year.


    She had taken up three-quarters of the carriage, and once she was out of the way, the main guest was allowed to emerge.


    He wore a dazzling, yet also simple crown, a band of gold with five metal knots around its length. But even more impressive was the man¡¯s clothing¡ªa white Chef¡¯s jacket with a pattern of golden fleurs-de-lis woven into the jacket, giving it a reflective sheen in the afternoon sun, and silver trees stitched into each shoulder.


    The man¡¯s hair had turned gray long ago, but the fluidity of his step and the shape of muscles evident beneath the jacket made him look ready to compete in The Serving Bowl. He walked away from his guards with the confident ease of someone that knew no one could harm him. Of all of Ambrosia City¡¯s statues, he was the greatest. A living, walking statue with a grandeur that artists spent lifetimes to carve.


    There were only a few White Jacket Chefs in the world and only one wore a crown.


    ¡°Grand King Flamb¨¦,¡± Julienne said with a familiar happiness. He had meant to speak in a more formal tone, but the man before him was as much his uncle as the man behind him. Julienne had spoken too soon, not waiting for the grand king to climb the stairs, but Grand King Flamb¨¦ moved so quickly up the steps that there was no time for awkwardness.


    ¡°Julienne. What¡¯s it been, a year already? You¡¯ve grown. I am excited to see how else you¡¯ve developed.¡± He paused for a moment, beholding the splendor of the area, and sighed. ¡°Ah, Cafe Julienne¡­¡±


    ¡°It is our honor to have you, grand king.¡±


    He patted Julienne on the shoulder the same way a friend would. ¡°This place brings back memories. You know, I grew up in many homes before I landed here. I was¡­sixteen? Seventeen? The senior Julienne¡ªdon¡¯t tell her I called her senior¡ªshe was just a student. She heard about¡­Well, my father had just died. She decided to treat me to a free evening at Cafe Julienne.¡± He held his hands up to the restaurant to emphasize its glory.


    ¡°I still remember what they served that evening. Meringues¡­cuttlefish. Pork belly, clams, and ravioli. Or was it scallops?¡± He got lost in his memory. ¡°Cod and green curry. Roasted peaches and cranberry sauce over rosemary ice cream. Delightful. I couldn¡¯t believe the wealth of flavor. The emotional power.¡±


    He came out of his daydream and laughed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it was free. Turns out, it wasn¡¯t supposed to be. Not according to her father, at least. But your great aunt, she ended up coming by my table and said, ¡®just go with it.¡¯ She faked rolling an ankle and begged me, making sure everyone heard her distress, to take her away. I carried her out and people thought I was a hero, not a dasher.¡± He shook his head and laughed. ¡°Quite a woman.¡±


    Julienne had heard stories of his great aunt raising all sorts of trouble, but to hear the most powerful man in the world tell one of the stories made it all the funnier. The grand king shook Uncle Julienne¡¯s hand and was escorted into the restaurant.


    Uncle Julienne stepped down below Julienne and turned to face him. ¡°Make the name proud.¡±


    ¡°Wait. You¡¯re leaving?¡± Julienne¡¯s stomach seized up.


    ¡°Cafe Julienne is yours today,¡± Uncle Julienne explained with a shrug. ¡°If I¡¯m in the kitchen, they¡¯ll attribute your successes to me. This is your chance to show them that when it¡¯s your turn to take over, Cafe Julienne will still be the best restaurant in Ambrosia City.¡±


    He took a deep breath and looked away. ¡°It¡¯s sink or swim time, Julienne. Earn the name.¡± Uncle Julienne walked away, leaving his nephew alone on the steps. Alone to run the greatest restaurant. Alone to cater to the most powerful people. All alone.


    Julienne felt a splash of stomach acid reach up his throat. He hadn¡¯t planned on relying on his uncle to cook, but he did plan on having him as a safety net. Julienne became painfully aware of his own age as he realized that the most prestigious restaurant in Ambrosia City was now commanded solely by a newly-nineteen-year-old boy.


    Julienne took a moment. He unclenched his fist and wiped away the start of a tear. He turned to the entrance, cleared his throat, and spoke with a grand, dramatic voice as he entered into the most important moment of his Chef career thus far.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to welcome you all to Cafe Julienne. Let¡¯s get started.¡±

 Chapter 32 - First Courses

    Julienne was two steps into Cafe Julienne and his plan had already gone wrong.


    Mindy had taken it upon herself to serve the previous night¡¯s leftover bread to the Gluttons, whose numbers made up half of the sixteen guests. Julienne had hoped there would have been only two, but he underestimated Price Waldorf¡¯s ability to get his friends on the invite list.


    Grand King Flamb¨¦ took up only ten percent of a fully occupied table, the other guests being his wife and son. The royal council members sat together in a table surrounded on all sides by Prince Waldorf¡¯s entourage of Gluttons. The Chancellor of Culinary Arts sat with Prince Waldorf¡¯s non-Glutton friends, but he seemed awfully chummy with Prince Waldorf and his lot.


    The Gluttons ripped pieces of bread off with their teeth, all full of raucous laughter and speaking with their mouths full. They shamelessly turned to gawk at Mindy as she walked between the tables to Julienne.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered. ¡°They were getting¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Julienne said as he stared past her. ¡°You made the right call. How much bread do we have?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about half of what we had on hand.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Ration out the rest and serve it to¡­them¡­with each course. We need to give them something to keep them busy. Something to slow them down.¡±


    ¡°We could serve them crab legs?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Good. See if Nori knows how to convert essence into hardness. I want them needing a hammer that we aren¡¯t going to give them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chef.¡±


    ¡°How are the amuses?¡±


    ¡°Almost ready to plate.¡±


    ¡°Good. Go help them.¡±


    Mindy dashed off to the kitchen.


    Julienne took a deep breath and walked toward his guests. He swallowed hard¡ªhe couldn¡¯t have his tumultuous stomach acid causing him to burp mid-speech. He tried to calm himself. In. In. In. Out.


    It was time.


    ¡°Hello, everyone. Today is a celebration. Not because it is my birthday, but because of what I represent. Centuries ago, Ambrosia started a settlement right here on this mesa that we now call Ambrosia City. It was the first time the people of this land knew of safety. Of prosperity.¡±


    He had the full attention of the grand king and his council. Most of the Gluttons had the decency to stop speaking¡ªnot that they stopped chewing. But Prince Waldorf carried on telling a story of one of his many meals from the day. Grand King Flamb¨¦ shushed him. As much as Prince Waldorf may have scowled, he still caved into silence.


    ¡°But Ambrosia¡¯s generosity did not end there. She believed her gifts belonged to everyone, so she sent her four children out to help others, where they founded four kingdoms. One of those children, Nectarus, founded Labrusca. He helped my people, who had fled to the island of Lampuki, return to the mainland to claim a new, fertile homeland that would become home to many generations to come.


    ¡°The First King Nectarus had several children, but one stood out. Not as a diplomat or a soldier or a scholar, but as a Chef. Julienne. Ambrosia¡¯s gift was stronger in him than in any other. Nectarus knew what he had to do. He had to give it back. And so he sent his riches with Julienne back to Ambrosia City to build Labruscella and Cafe Julienne in the style of Labrusca.


    ¡°Since then, every generation, my family has named the most promising child of each generation Julienne. And as a Julienne, it is my responsibility to continue that tradition of giving back. Today is a celebration of the relationship between our two kingdoms. The gifts we share with each other. Our storied history. And our promising future.¡±


    Grand King Flamb¨¦ clapped, his council echoing him a moment later. The Gluttons looked around with disinterest.


    ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, your first course is almost ready.¡±


    That got the Gluttons to applaud.


    Once inside the kitchen, Julienne the entertainer disappeared, replaced by Julienne the Chef. ¡°Status,¡± he barked.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s ready for the amuses,¡± Yarrow replied. ¡°Just waiting on you to plate it. We had to cut back the portions.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°You said there would be ten. There are sixteen.¡±


    Julienne sighed. ¡°Prince Waldorf¡¯s posse of monsters. Yarrow. Handle the scallops. Half and half split, consomm¨¦ poured not quite to the top. Mindy. You¡¯re on the blinis. Do your thing. I¡¯ll handle the roe. Nori? What¡¯s the verdict on the crab?¡±


    She handed over a crab leg. Julienne squeezed it, unable to break it. He smacked it against the counter, but it still did not break.


    ¡°Good,¡± Julienne said. ¡°Ten portions like that. And six more normal ones.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chef.¡±


    ¡°Archie?¡±


    Archie stirred the beginnings of the torrone. ¡°Everything good so far. It¡¯ll be ready within two hours.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Julienne placed a fried coral mushroom that had curled up in the shape of a flower on each plate and used a set of tweezers to meticulously place orange-yellow salmon roe into the various folds of the golden-brown mushroom, making the eggs look like little sparkling gold nuggets waiting to be mined.


    Yarrow split scallops into two semi-circles, placing them in the nook of deep, near-v-shaped bowls. He topped each semi-circle with a half-disk of black pudding, a patty-like blend of onion, pork fat, and oatmeal. Finally, he poured mushroom consomm¨¦¡ªthe best that Julienne had ever made¡ªto pool around the scallops.


    Mindy, the most natural plater of the bunch, had been given the most difficult task. She took a blini, a bite-sized buckwheat pancake, and topped it with a mound of cr¨¦me fra?che. On this mountain of cream, she placed black fish roe down one side like a landslide and balanced out the other side with shavings of smoked salmon. She topped the pile with a little sprig of dill, giving the dish a beautiful blend of brown, pink, black, white, and green.


    ¡°Ready.¡±


    The waiter by the door signaled for the others in the dining area to grab the plates. Julienne went out with them to present the meal. He had a captive audience¡ªthe grand king and his council were excited to experience the rise of the next Julienne, and the Gluttons were excited to eat.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°First up, we have three amuses, each of which celebrates the fusion of earth and sea that makes Labruscan cuisine so unique. Scallops and black pudding topped with a delightful and earthy mushroom consomm¨¦. A blini that balances the heaviness of a pancake with the lightness of cr¨¦me fra?che, fish roe, smoked salmon, and dill. Finally, fried coral mushroom with salmon roe for a beautiful gold-on-gold visual. Enjoy.¡±


    A chorus of plates clattering on tables filled the restaurant as the waiters set down the food, the natural music accented by little ooo¡¯s and ahh¡¯s from the grand king and his men. But someone didn¡¯t want to be part of their musical number.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Prince Waldorf asked as he looked down at his food. ¡°It¡¯s ninety percent plate.¡±


    Grand King Flamb¨¦ leaned over the table and grumbled at his son. ¡°It¡¯s an amuse, not a deluge. Show some respect.¡±


    ¡°The only amuse-ing thing about this is that he thinks this qualifies as a meal,¡± Prince Waldorf complained loudly enough for everything to hear. His sycophants laughed with him.


    There were over two hundred knives in Cafe Julienne. Julienne knew where they all were and where he would put each one in Prince Waldorf.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Grand King Flamb¨¦ hissed. He took a fork to the blini, his eyes closing as he savored the taste. ¡°Julienne. This is delightful.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy,¡± Julienne said. He turned his attention to Prince Waldorf. ¡°There will be more coming. We¡¯ll have crab out shortly.¡±


    Back in the kitchen, Julienne checked on everyone¡¯s progress. Yarrow and Nori frantically chopped oranges and strawberries. Mindy obsessed over getting the exact combination of mixed greens right on each plate. Only Archie seemed calm as he stirred away, oblivious to the others.


    As Julienne mixed olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and vanilla extract to create a vanilla vinaigrette, he checked to make sure Archie¡¯s confidence wasn¡¯t a facade.


    ¡°You good?¡±


    Archie smiled, his head bobbing back and forth with the rhythm of the stirring. ¡°This one¡¯s gonna be even better than the last.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Julienne tasted the vinaigrette and added more salt. Archie had been a question mark going into the day. It was good that Julienne could rely on him.


    ¡°Hey. I know it¡¯s your day, but¡­¡± Archie didn¡¯t look away from his work.


    ¡°What?¡± Julienne asked while looking in the cabinets for tarragon leaf. He couldn¡¯t spare a second and was already annoyed that Archie waffled on whatever he was about to ask.


    ¡°Well, if it¡­if it¡¯s not too much trouble¡­when you serve the torrone¡­¡±


    Julienne could tell that Archie had lost the rhythm of the stirring. ¡°Hey. Focus.¡± Julienne snapped his fingers at the pot.


    ¡°Sorry. If you have the chance and think it¡¯s okay, can you tell them that a Kent made it?¡±


    Archie stared deeply into the pot¡ªnot out of focus but out of shame. At least he had some. This was Julienne¡¯s day. A day with a thousand years of history behind it. Not the day of a family that hadn¡¯t been relevant for two generations. A ¡°no¡± bubbled to Julienne¡¯s lips, but he did not speak it. As upsetting as the request was, Julienne knew that his name had given him a platform that was large enough to share.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said. ¡°If it feels natural.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Yarrow,¡± Julienne barked, eager to get out of that conversation. ¡°There¡¯s a canvas bag in the fridge over there with crumble cheese. Grab it for me.¡±


    Yarrow ran¡ªbeing a natural sprinter was an essential skill of cooking in Cafe Julienne¡¯s large kitchen¡ªand fetched the bag. ¡°Did you make this? It¡¯s buzzing with essence.¡±


    Julienne smiled. ¡°I owe it to the bees. That¡¯s nectarus vanilla in there.¡±


    ¡°Crab ready,¡± Nori shouted.


    ¡°No presentation,¡± Julienne responded. ¡°Just get them on plates and get them out there. Nori, work with Yarrow to set up the eggs, but don¡¯t start cooking. We need to serve sixteen egg plates at the same time and the texture and heat have to be perfect. Mindy, help me with the salads.¡±


    A few hectic minutes later, Julienne and the waiters presented the salads.


    ¡°Mixed greens, Labruscan oranges and strawberries, topped with crumble and a necartus vanilla vinaigrette. The yellow flowers are nectarus vanilla orchids. The use of nectarus vanilla in this dish harkens back to First King Nectarus. There is only one species of bee known to pollinate this specific flower, and they can only be found in Lampuki, making this dish a truly unique experience.¡±


    Prince Waldorf used his great weight to crack a crab leg halfway through Julienne¡¯s presentation. At least something kept the manchild busy. But not busy enough.


    ¡°Julienne. I want to go back there,¡± Prince Waldorf said.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Julienne asked, genuinely confused.


    ¡°I want to go to the kitchen,¡± he said plainly. He pointed a massive finger at the swinging doors of the kitchen.


    ¡°Uh¡ªI¡­¡±


    ¡°Behave yourself,¡± Grand King Flamb¨¦ warned his son.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Julienne said, emboldened by the grand king but still terrified of the prince¡¯s potential outburst. ¡°We don¡¯t allow guests into the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯m not a guest. I¡¯m the prince. That makes you the guest.¡±


    Stress balled up in the center of Julienne¡¯s head, a painful pressure forming behind his eye. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Grand King Flamb¨¦ intervened. He nodded reassuringly at Julienne. As long as the grand king was there, the prince could be controlled.


    Prince Waldorf cursed under his breath and took his mother¡¯s plate in protest¡ªnot that she had eaten any. She couldn¡¯t eat anything in solid form, but Uncle Julienne had been adamant that Julienne serve her like everyone else anyway.


    Julienne retreated back into the kitchen. Four stovetops each contained four skillets. Julienne, Yarrow, Mindy, and Nori each took up one station and started on the eggs. Once the eggs finished, Julienne grabbed the truffle. While Archie stirred away, the rest stared in awe at the infinitely expensive ingredient, ignoring their responsibilities. Julienne didn¡¯t mind for the moment. He was as excited as they were.


    He grinned as he cut off a shockingly large chunk of truffle.


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Yarrow¡¯s hands went up and down with nervousness.


    ¡°Chunks,¡± Julienne said with a dramatic flair. ¡°Not shavings.¡± He chopped a finger-sized log of truffle into six parts.


    They filled special plates with a circular dip in the middle with the lightly cooked egg and topped it with the truffle and cured pork fat. Julienne took a plate out with the waiters, buzzing with anticipation as he crossed into the dining area. They were going to love this one.


    But the atmosphere seemed even more hostile than before. The Gluttons laughed at some joke that must have been offensive based on the way that the council members hunched over their table in defiant silence. Splinters of crab legs littered the tables and floor. A couple of the Gluttons had taken it upon themselves to move their chairs to another table, throwing off the balance of the room. Julienne powered through.


    ¡°I must admit, I am most excited for this dish. My Great Aunt Julienne has supplied me with a genuine white truffle, which are the chunks that you see. The white truffle can only be found in north-central Labrusca¡ªnowhere else in the world has the right conditions for it to grow.¡±


    He gestured to the statue of the truffle hunter that extended over a table of Gluttons. He imagined it falling and crushing the occupants below, but didn¡¯t let such a dream affect his tone.


    ¡°Truffle hunting is a valued tradition of Labrusca. It is one of the most dangerous, competitive occupations in the world and requires a truly amazing amount of expertise. Depending on the time of year, a white truffle can be more expensive than a similarly weighted dragon scale. You¡¯ll find that it adds an earthiness and contrasting texture to the creamy egg, which I hope you all enjoy.¡±


    Julienne looked to Grand King Flamb¨¦ for validation, but received none¡ªthe king seemed weaker than when they had arrived. He coughed painfully, his eyes unfocused and his head wobbling around. His energy had gone, but no one seemed alarmed by his deterioration. It was as if his grand flame had been lowered to a mere ember by the suffocating presence of the Gluttons.


    The council members ate and spoke softly to each other, careful not to get a rise out of any of the Gluttons that ran the show. One of the Gluttons reached over and grabbed another¡¯s truffle, his hand coming away dripping with egg. The victim of the heinous crime reached over to take it back, but his chair snapped, dropping him to the floor with a thud¡ªCafe Julienne only had six chairs built for Gluttons, so two normal chairs had been given an impossible task.


    In the commotion, Julienne retreated back into the kitchen, wishing the job was more cooking and less presenting. But such was the life of a Julienne. As he approached Mindy and Yarrow to see their progress on the meatballs, the noise from the dining area intensified, a mixture of laughter and protests bouncing into the kitchen.


    The double doors swung open. Julienne turned, expecting to see a waiter.


    Prince Waldorf¡¯s massive frame filled the entire doorway.


    The Glutton stepped into the kitchen and looked around with his arms held out wide. ¡°Now this is magnificent.¡±


    Julienne watched in horror, frozen to the spot. Something moved quickly at his side. He turned to watch Archie try to grab the counter for support and take the tray of roasted nuts down to the ground with him as he collapsed.

 Chapter 33 - Speak Sweetly

    ¡°Out!¡± Julienne yelled.


    Prince Waldorf recoiled. ¡°How dare you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Out!¡± Julienne¡¯s voice resonated through the kitchen, causing everyone to flinch. He slammed his palm on the counter. In this kitchen, no one outranked a Julienne. Not even a petulant prince. ¡°Out!¡±


    Yarrow and Mindy looked between the two in horror. Nori kneeled and fussed over the fallen Archie, who groaned as he rubbed his head.


    Prince Waldorf¡¯s shoulders went up, transforming his torso into a massive square with his head somewhere in the middle.


    ¡°You give me orders?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t have distractions in the kitchen,¡± Julienne said, trying to appease Prince Waldorf¡¯s ego without backing down. ¡°We¡¯ll have the food out faster¡ªand better¡ªwithout distractions.¡±


    Prince Waldorf chewed the air and stared Julienne down. Something in the air changed. Like the life got sucked out of it. Julienne clenched his teeth as the air squeezed down on him.


    ¡°Wally!¡± Grand King Flamb¨¦¡¯s voice rose in the other room. ¡°Sit! Down!¡±


    Prince Waldorf¡¯s gargantuan shoulders dropped.


    ¡°Put some meat in the next course,¡± Prince Waldorf demanded before returning to the dining area.


    Julienne waited until the swinging doors came to a rest before he relaxed. He looked over the counter at Archie, who had scrunched up against the cabinet.


    ¡°What happened? Did you burn yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Archie said while looking anything but. ¡°I just slipped.¡±


    Nori helped him up, and he got back to stirring the torrone out of an eagerness to stop the questions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare a new batch of nuts,¡± Nori said before Julienne could ask.


    Julienne knew something unusual had just happened but didn¡¯t have time to figure it out.


    ¡°Mindy, Yarrow. You¡¯re up. I¡¯m on the bombardino. Archie. What¡¯s your time?¡±


    No response.


    ¡°Archie!¡±


    Archie flinched. ¡°I¡ªuh¡ªjust ten more minutes. Maybe¡ªmaybe fifteen.¡±


    Julienne shook his head. He set out little handled shot glasses onto a tray and poured eggnog into each one, then brandy, then stirred. He topped it with whipped heavy cream and dusted it with cinnamon, then tuned out the rest of the kitchen as the true challenge of the drink began.


    One by one, he took the shot glasses between two fingers and manipulated the essence inside. He thought of a fire on a cold winter day, that beacon of heat melting away his chills. In times like those, the fire wasn¡¯t just a fire. It was a friend. A source of comfort. Something to be gathered around. Something to be shared. Julienne captured the feeling and put it into each drink. Each drink was harder than the last, his essence dwindling with each bit of magic.


    He finished the final drink just as he started to get lightheaded. He turned his intense focus toward Mindy and Yarrow.


    ¡°Status,¡± he barked.


    ¡°Plating in five minutes, Chef,¡± Yarrow responded.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Julienne nodded and looked around, trying to make sure he had everything covered. ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on things. Hopefully I don¡¯t get stuck out there. If I do, Mindy, start plating.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chef.¡±


    Julienne looked at the kitchen doors and took a deep breath. He thought of Prince Waldorf and all of the Gluttons causing a scene. He¡¯d have to face them again. And he¡¯d be going out without a dish to placate them. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. In. In. In. Out.


    He stepped through the doors.


    Grand King Flamb¨¦ had restored some level of his control. He had regained most of his strength¡ªJulienne might not have been able to expel Prince Waldorf from the kitchen otherwise.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Julienne started. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I apologize for my son¡¯s boorish behavior,¡± Grand King Flamb¨¦ said.


    For as much hatred as Prince Waldorf had looked at Julienne with, he looked at his father with several times more.


    Years of diplomatic training helped Julienne to come to the decision to just smile and nod. Acknowledging the wrongdoing could just irritate the petulant prince even more.


    ¡°I just came out to let everyone know that the main course will be ready in a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Um, Julienne,¡± Grand King Flamb¨¦ said. If Julienne didn¡¯t respect the man so much, he might have heard a hint of nervousness. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that some important matters have¡ª¡±


    A cough rumbled through his throat. Quietly at first. He tried to power through his sentence. ¡°Important matters have¡ª¡±


    The coughing doubled, cutting off his speech. Then it doubled again. The echoes of his coughing fit filled the room. They were wet. Painful.


    ¡°Maaah,¡± Grand Queen Crosnee grumbled through slacked, unmoving lips. No one could be sure what she said or why she had said anything at all.


    Grand King Flamb¨¦ put out his coughs with a drink of water.


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll have to be leaving soon.¡± He cleared his throat, his voice and demeanor regaining their strength. ¡°I can stick around for the main course¡ªthat last one was delightful. And maybe a quick dessert.¡±


    He offered Julienne a friendly yet challenging smile. ¡°Will dessert be ready in twenty, thirty minutes?¡±


    No.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The word slipped out of Julienne¡¯s mouth. Dessert wouldn¡¯t be ready for over an hour. It still had to cool. Julienne realized how wide open his eyes were and tried to reign in his shocked expression.


    ¡°Great,¡± Grand King Flamb¨¦ said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to rush you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no rush at all. We have two desserts planned.¡± They had one. ¡°You¡¯ll definitely be able to enjoy the first one. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll get back to it.¡±


    Julienne¡¯s mind raced as he turned to walk to the kitchen. He became acutely aware of the speed of his steps. He needed to get to the kitchen faster. But he couldn¡¯t look like he was in a rush. Not in a panic. Controlled. Like a Julienne.


    Through great mental effort, he managed to walk himself into the kitchen. He even managed to make it a few feet inside before losing his cool.


    ¡°We¡¯re screwed,¡± he said, his turmoil coming out as apathy.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Yarrow asked.


    ¡°Grand King Flamb¨¦ needs to leave soon.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Mindy looked down at the plates of mint sauce meatballs she had prepared. ¡°We just finished plating!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Julienne said. ¡°He has maybe half an hour. Tops.¡±


    Mindy sighed and relaxed.


    But on the other side of the kitchen pod, someone else tensed.


    ¡°No. N¡ªn¡ªno,¡± Archie stammered. He found his voice and nearly yelled. ¡°He has to stay!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Archie. The torrone is not going to be ready in time. We¡¯ll serve it to the rest.¡± Julienne turned to Mindy and Yarrow. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to have to make a quick dessert. Let¡¯s get these plates¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Archie slammed his fist on the counter. ¡°He has to stay!¡±


    Julienne turned, blinking in shock at Archie¡¯s outrage. ¡°Archie,¡± he said calmly as if trying to soothe a wild animal. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It has to cool for an hour. And it¡¯s not even done mixing.¡±


    ¡°No. No, no, no. I¡¯ll¡ªI¡¯ll¡ªI¡¯ll make it cool faster. With essence.¡± Archie looked around as if he could find the solution sitting on the counter. ¡°I¡¯ll finish mixing it now!¡±


    He stirred furiously and without care. Julienne didn¡¯t need to inspect the essence to know that it wasn¡¯t being manipulated properly.


    ¡°Archie. You won¡¯t be able to finish in time.¡±


    ¡°Yes I will!¡± Archie¡¯s entire body tensed. He wiped sweat from the gentle brown curls at his hairline and took deep heaving breaths. His face went pale.


    ¡°Archie? You don¡¯t look so good.¡± Julienne looked to Nori. Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be Archie¡¯s handler?


    ¡°Archie¡­¡± she started, trying to calm him down. She put her hand on his arm.


    He threw it off of him.


    ¡°No! He has to stay. He has to eat this.¡± Archie stirred as he spoke, his head nodding up and down like a madman¡¯s. ¡°He has to know it came from a Kent. He has to¡­he has to¡­¡±


    Nori recoiled.


    ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡± Yarrow asked.


    A wispy odor of rot and eggs trickled in Julienne¡¯s nose and then tripled in intensity with each second.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°What? Oh my¡ª¡± Julienne put his fist over his mouth and up into his nostrils to partially block them.


    The smell grew exponentially, hitting them like a wave and driving them to disgust. Except for Archie. Archie had a look of panic as he continued working on the torrone. Julienne identified the pot as the source of the smell and bravely moved forward to inspect it.


    Julienne expected to see a creamy white mixture, but instead saw a disgusting goop with rippling shades of brown and black.


    ¡°I¡ªI¡ªI¡ªuh burnt it,¡± Archie said on the verge of tears.


    ¡°Damn it Archie!¡± Julienne fought nausea and took a closer look. He knew what had happened, but what had happened was an impossibility. He got close enough to confirm before recoiling away. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t burn it. You¡­rotted it. You made sugar rot.¡±


    The smell intensified.


    ¡°Buh¡ªI¡ªI¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°The smell is going to get in our food!¡± Mindy yelled as she started to move the plates as far away as possible.


    ¡°Get it out!¡± Julienne screamed, gesturing at the back door. The smell thickened, coating Julienne¡¯s lungs. The others started coughing, threatening to vomit at any moment.


    Archie grabbed the pot with his bare hands, dropping it with a yelp. He grabbed two handfuls of rags and used them as gloves to carry the pot out toward the garden.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Mindy asked in disgust.


    ¡°That was the plan going to shit and smelling like it, too,¡± Yarrow said.


    Julienne took a deep breath and immediately regretted it. The smell had stopped growing, but it hadn¡¯t gone anywhere. He didn¡¯t have time to figure out what had happened. He only had time to fix it. ¡°Did you get the cooling effect down in the mint sauce?¡± Mindy nodded. ¡°Good. Okay, let¡¯s get it out there.¡±


    ¡°What are we doing for dessert now?¡± Yarrow asked.


    ¡°Nori,¡± Julienne commanded. Nori continued to look out toward the garden. Julienne had to yell to get her attention. ¡°Nori! With me.¡±


    Julienne led Nori to Great Aunt Julienne¡¯s pod on the far end of the kitchen.


    ¡°Start the fire. We¡¯ll cook here to avoid the smell,¡± Julienne said as he rummaged through the fridge. As Nori got the fire going, Julienne pulled out a little wooden tub of clarified butter and a brown, waxy cylindrical block big enough to require two hands.


    ¡°Is that jaggery?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°Yes. You know it, good,¡± Julienne said with relief. At least one of the Archie-Nori pair could pull their weight. ¡°Melt all of this with a bit of butter. Once it bubbles, test a drop of it in cold water every minute. Once it makes a soft ball, take it off the heat. It¡¯ll be a ladoo. Yarrow!¡±


    Nori jumped at Julienne¡¯s sudden increase in volume.


    ¡°While I¡¯m out, roast sesame seeds for Nori. Two cups.¡± He returned his attention to Nori. ¡°You take it off the heat and then no one touches it but me. I need it done in ten minutes but you can¡¯t burn it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making tilgul?¡± Yarrow asked in disbelief. ¡°Did you finally figure out the trick?¡±


    ¡°No. But I will.¡±


    Julienne fought the urge to run back to the other side of the kitchen, choosing instead to walk calmly while focusing on lowering his heartbeat and controlling his breathing. In. In. In. Out. He had always envied his uncle for getting the spotlight with the guests, but now he saw it for the curse that it was. He wished he could just stay in the kitchen. In. In. In. Out.


    He helped with the final plating and made his way out into the dining area with the waiters, his heart racing as he imagined what waited for him beyond the swinging doors. He expected a foul mood, but was instead greeted with applause led by Prince Waldorf.


    ¡°Oh good, we¡¯re starving!¡± he said.


    ¡°What do we have now?¡± another asked.


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry.¡±


    The non-Gluttons remained silent, waiting respectfully. Julienne looked to Grand King Flamb¨¦. Weariness plagued the grand king¡¯s face. Whatever surge of energy he had gotten from the truffle was gone. His head wobbled until he steadied it with a hand.


    Julienne didn¡¯t have time to be concerned. The show had to go on.


    ¡°For our main course, we have spiced meatballs in olive oil and a mint yogurt sauce, served with pitas to wrap them with.¡±


    The guests voiced their approval at the visual appeal of the dish¡ªfour beef meatballs put into a square on top of layers of yellow-gold oil and white yogurt with sprigs of green mint.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find that the mint yogurt has a distinct chilling effect¡ªthis is an expected effect from our talented Chefs. To counteract the chill, we are serving bombardino.¡± Julienne motioned for the waiters to distribute the drink. ¡°In the 400s, a pox spread across Labrusca, causing cities and villages across the kingdom to raise their gates and quarantine for years at a time. In the city of Toral, with its abundant nut trees and egg-laying chickens, torrone became the dessert to go with every meal.¡±


    Julienne thought of the ruined torrone and his frustration with Archie, taking a deep breath to dispel any aggression that might leak into his presentation. He looked at the grand king, who looked back with interest. Julienne decided to lock on to the grand king, presenting to him to avoid the distraction of the Gluttons that had already started eating.


    ¡°Since torrone uses egg whites and the city needed to ration where possible, the lord of Toral tasked Chefs to find a way to use the spare egg yolks. A terrible winter tore through the city, so the Chefs of Toral looked to solve two problems at once. They created the bombardino, a drink more warming than any sweater and made from egg yolks.


    ¡°Once the pox ended, Toral opened its walls and the drink spread like wildfire through the country. Chefs from all over came to Toral to learn, resulting in the construction of what we now know as Lyceum Labrusca, one of the five Culinary Academies of United Ambrosia.¡±


    Julienne smiled. He had landed the presentation. Now he just needed to land the dessert.


    ¡°As you sip it, it will provide a comforting warmth. Enjoy.¡±


    One of the Gluttons downed the bombardino in one go.


    ¡°Thank you, Julienne,¡± Grand King Flamb¨¦ said. ¡°It looks fantastic.¡±


    Julienne nodded and returned to the kitchen.


    Nori wasted no time before giving her report. ¡°We¡¯re ready here.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Pour in the sesame seeds and mix it.¡± Julienne rubbed clarified butter over his hands as Nori worked.


    Her voice softened. ¡°Archie hasn¡¯t come back in. He¡¯s still out on the balcony.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Julienne said without an ounce of compassion. ¡°I can¡¯t have him in here right now. I need to think positive thoughts. You can go. Everyone can go.¡±


    The melted sugar and sesame seeds combined to make a large grainy patty. Julienne took a pinch and rolled it into a ball. He mustered up the last of his essence and tried to infuse the sweet, sugary ball with the power of positive thought. His tongue poked out between his teeth as he concentrated¡ªa little tick he had since he was just a kid.


    Nori went out to Archie while Yarrow and Mindy started cleaning up. As Julienne worked, he tried to recall memories of being loved.


    He started at the beginning. A vague warmth of an infant memory. Julienne, before he was Julienne, before he was himself, just a toddler, sitting in his mother¡¯s lap on a barstool, stretching to see over the counter as his father cooked. He ooo¡¯d and aaa¡¯d at every sizzle.


    ¡°I think we have a Chef in the making,¡± his father said.


    Another memory. Four years old. The Festival of Ambrosia. They had installed a special step ladder with a platform for him to stand on as he cooked on the stove. Macaroni and cheese. His favorite. The noodles grew and curled into coils and bounced up and down an inch off the skillet.


    ¡°It happened!¡± his father yelled. ¡°Honey, it happened!¡±


    Six years old. He made a french onion soup that produced an aroma that spread for miles. People came from all over the city to find the source.


    ¡°Amazing.¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°He must be the next Julienne.¡±


    Nine. A group of fairies were seen in the city for the first time in decades, their little wings carrying them into the palace to steal a taste of Julienne¡¯s chicken marsala.


    ¡°He gets better every year.¡±


    Thirteen. His uncle from Ambrosia City came to visit.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to come live with me now. In Ambrosia City. You¡¯re going to be a Julienne now.¡±


    ¡°But I¡ª¡± He couldn¡¯t help his initial protest. He remembered the look on his mother¡¯s face. Not full of pride like he had expected, but full of sadness. He cut off the memory before she started crying. Before the goodbyes.


    Julienne continued to pat the sesame into the sugary ball, but he failed to put his desired effect into it. The memories hadn¡¯t worked. They hadn¡¯t been happy enough. They were the biggest moments of his life. Everything they were had made him into everything he was. But they weren¡¯t enough. They were missing something.


    Love.


    He went back again. Back before the Induction Ceremony. Before cooking in Cafe Julienne for the first time. Before Great Aunt Julienne¡¯s stories. Before moving to Ambrosia City. Before being Julienne. Back to the times he would sit in his mother¡¯s lap and watch his father cook.


    As the food sizzled and the dog panted and the birds chirped, one sound cut through all the noise.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± his mother said.


    That was it. Julienne took that feeling and instilled it in the sweets as he rolled them into little balls.


    As the non-Gluttons wrapped up the main course¡ªthe Gluttons had finished within a minute of being served¡ªJulienne brought out the dessert alone. He carried a tray full of plates that blessed the dining area with a dark, toasty fragrance.


    ¡°For our last course, we¡¯ll be partaking in a Lampuki tradition. This is tilgul ladoo. It is a sesame candy that is eaten on the holidays. When it is given, a phrase is given as well. ¡®Eat this sweet and speak sweetly.¡¯ The essence of sweetness extends beyond taste, taking a hold of your spirit, compelling you to say sweet things.¡±


    Julienne served this course himself, walking around and placing one sweet on each plate. Each time he repeated, ¡°eat this sweet and speak sweetly.¡± For once, perhaps due to the unconventional delivery of the food, the Gluttons waited before eating.


    Finally, once Julienne set the last plate down in front of Grand King Flamb¨¦, they ate.


    Julienne watched them eat. He waited. He watched. He waited. He tried to control his breathing to no avail. In. In. Out. In. Out. In. In. Out. In. Finally, after a moment of silent chewing, the grand marshall turned to the grand justiciar.


    ¡°I think this whole nation owes you for your service,¡± he said. ¡°Everyone should know what you have done for this land.¡±


    The Chancellor looked to the grand treasurer. ¡°Your generosity and diligence in finding money for the church has allowed us to extend soup kitchens to the needy. Thank you.¡±


    The effects of the tilgul ladoo took hold of the room, a chorus of compliments and sweet memories filled the air.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re as beautiful as ever.¡±


    ¡°You have been a dear friend.¡±


    Julienne turned his attention to the royal family. In a rare moment of hesitancy, Prince Waldorf had waited to see how the sweet affected others before taking a bite. Its effect took hold of him in moments. He turned to his mother.


    ¡°Your breast milk was some of the best I¡¯ve ever had. Some days I wish I could still have it.¡±


    Julienne felt nausea ball up into a lump in his throat.


    The grand king had eaten his already, but did not speak. The effect had worked on everyone. Everyone was overflowing with love and praise and appreciation and joy. He should have been saying something sweet to his son. But instead, he just stared with hatred.


    Prince Waldorf turned to his father. ¡°You were a great soldier.¡±


    The king said nothing. His jaw tensed.


    Prince Waldorf continued. ¡°Thank you for taking care of mother even though she¡¯s not really alive anymore.¡±


    No response. The king shifted in his chair, still staring at his son.


    ¡°I appreciate how hard your upbringing was.¡±


    Nothing. A chill went down Julienne¡¯s spine. For as much as Julienne hated Prince Waldorf, Grand King Flamb¨¦¡¯s silence contained more hatred than Julienne had ever known. The grand king had been compelled to say good things, but had nothing to say, and therefore remained silent.


    ¡°Thank you for being a good king,¡± Prince Waldorf said. ¡°You have cultivated a nation that I will enjoy ruling.¡±


    Grand King Flamb¨¦ rose from his chair as if he were about to lunge at his son. Prince Waldorf flinched, but before things could come to a head, the rattling cough took the grand king again.


    Prince Waldorf¡¯s plump lips twisted into a smug grin.


    Julienne went to help Grand King Flamb¨¦, but was waved away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Grand King Flamb¨¦ coughed again. ¡°I¡¯ll be going now. Acacia.¡±


    The grand marshall turned in response.


    ¡°Let us be going,¡± Grand King Flamb¨¦ said.


    This was news to the grand marshall. ¡°Yes, Your Grace,¡± he said after a brief pause. He moved to Grand King Flamb¨¦¡¯s side, unsure if he should help the man walk. He decided not to. The grand king shambled up to Julienne, his voice barely registering above a whisper and containing the rattle of a man with one foot in the grave.


    ¡°You did excellent today,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell your uncle how pleased I am that such an important pillar of Ambrosia City will be in good hands for years to come.¡±


    ¡°Hear, hear, young Julienne,¡± Prince Waldorf called out, half in mockery of his father. ¡°Let me know anytime you have a seat for me. I¡¯ll gladly take it.¡±


    Julienne didn¡¯t react. He couldn¡¯t. Too much had happened all too fast. It wasn¡¯t until Grand King Flamb¨¦ had fully exited the building until Julienne could mindlessly walk back into the kitchen.


    ¡°Well?¡± Yarrow asked.


    Mindy shook with anticipation.


    ¡°I did it,¡± Julienne monotoned. His face expressed no happiness. Only shock.

 Chapter 34 - Crashout

    ¡°Archie. Archie, you need to calm down. Breathe. Just breathe.¡±


    Archie turned from Nori¡¯s touch. He had balled up in the corner of the railing overlooking the pond. He had barely managed to stop sobbing, but he still shook like a frightened dog.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ªwhat¡¯s¡ªI don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening to¡ªto me.¡±


    Nori crouched over him, desperate to help.


    ¡°Archie. Archie. Look at me. Look at me.¡±


    Tears blurred Archie¡¯s vision, turning Nori¡¯s face into a mosaic. But he found comfort in her distorted face.


    ¡°I need you to think,¡± she said. ¡°Are you in physical pain?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± Archie looked inward. Everything seemed to hurt, but when he focused, he realized nothing hurt. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Do you feel sick?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± His stomach turned over, but that was to be expected after sobbing for ten minutes. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Nori nodded. ¡°So you¡¯re okay. You¡¯re okay. Just breathe.¡±


    Archie tried to take a deep breath, but his lungs only filled halfway before spasming, expelling all their air with a vestigial sob. He tried again. Slowly, he regained control of his thoughts.


    Then the door slammed open.


    ¡°Damn it, Archie!¡± Julienne yelled. He searched for Archie, finding him curled up on the ground. The scene did nothing to soften Julienne¡¯s anger. ¡°You almost screwed everything up!¡±


    Archie let out a pathetic groan as he struggled to keep his breakdown at bay. He covered his face with his hands.


    ¡°Back off,¡± Nori warned, shuffling around to put her between Archie and Julienne. ¡°Is it over?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Julienne stepped to the side to continue scowling at Archie. Yarrow and Mindy stepped outside, Yarrow joining Julienne in looking down at Archie while Mindy stayed by the door.


    ¡°And? How did it go?¡±


    ¡°It went well.¡± Julienne clenched his teeth and pointed a finger down at Archie. ¡°But it was almost a disaster because of you! I almost lost my namesake because of you! Everything I¡¯ve worked for!¡±


    ¡°Julienne¡ª¡± Nori started.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I pulled this off,¡± Julienne interrupted. He brought his volume down, but his tone still cut Archie. ¡°But you¡¯re out of here. You¡¯re never stepping foot in my restaurant again.¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± Yarrow said as he stepped forward and grabbed Archie¡¯s arm.


    Nori launched upright, her palms slamming into Yarrow¡¯s chest with a resounding thud!


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch him!¡±


    Yarrow slapped Nori¡¯s arm away. Julienne stepped in, pulling his lackey away.


    ¡°Yarrow, stop.¡± Julienne shook his head and looked down at Archie. ¡°Just¡­get out of here, will you? We have to get cleaning and I can¡¯t have you doing whatever it is you did to the rest of our ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Archie,¡± Nori said as she grabbed Archie¡¯s arms and pulled him up. She stood between him and the other boys as she walked. ¡°Happy birthday, asshole,¡± she said as she brushed past Julienne. ¡°And congratulations. Looks like this¡¯ll be your mausoleum.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you, Nori,¡± Julienne said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done this without you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t care. Come on Archie, let¡¯s get you home.¡±


    Archie sat in a peaceful glade, sun beaming, birds singing, flowers everywhere. Everything was joy and life, but Archie knew it wouldn¡¯t last. The undeniable seed of dread took root in his heart, its branches spreading through his body and sapping him of his warmth.


    The foxes and squirrels and deer came and went, and Archie knew they wouldn¡¯t last, either. Their fur fell, their skin hardened into leathery scales, their tongue grew and forked. Licertes encircled the glade, hundreds of eyes waiting and watching. Archie remembered the nightmare. He remembered what would happen next.


    But the creatures did not approach.


    Instead, the voice returned, deep and calm and powerful.


    ¡°Is it a mistake to desire?¡±


    Archie looked for the voice. He tried to speak, but couldn¡¯t. But it didn¡¯t matter. The voice didn¡¯t have a body, so Archie¡¯s body didn¡¯t need to have a voice. He only needed to think to be heard.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Should humanity remove itself from desire?¡±


    ¡°Why would we?¡±


    The licertes¡¯ tongues flickered with dissatisfaction. They would strike soon.


    ¡°Is it not desire that causes strife? Is it not desire that makes you desperate? That gives you these tremendous, aching thoughts? Is it not desire that is responsible for these horrible things that happen to you?¡±


    ¡°Desire has given me everything great, as well.¡±


    ¡°Should humanity remove itself from desire?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can.¡±


    The licertes settled, relaxing their scaly, sinewy legs.


    ¡°Embrace desire, then. Let it dictate your actions. You have a great need within you, but you also have a hesitance to act for it. You let rules and customs guide you. Don¡¯t. If you see a way to get what you want, take it.¡±


    ¡°You sound like a Glutton.¡±


    ¡°Is it wrong to be a Glutton? Is it a sin to love Ambrosia¡¯s gifts so deeply? To cherish them? No one appreciates her gifts more than a Glutton. Gluttons aren¡¯t demons. They¡¯re angels. Ambrosia¡¯s chosen, hand-picked to receive her blessing in great bounties.¡±


    A panic rose within Archie. He tried to stand, but his muscles refused to listen. The licertes sensed his fear, tasting it, cheating forward to get closer to it. The voice grew angry, a rapturous thunder coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once.


    ¡°The sin is believing Ambrosia¡¯s gift is yours to manipulate. To further your own interests through perverted uses of her essence. A Glutton does not seek to do anything but enjoy her gifts as they come. Their consumption is pure. Virtuous. Don¡¯t you want to be an angel, Archie? Come, it¡¯s not too late for you.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    A tear rolled down Archie¡¯s paralyzed face. The creatures stepped forward, ripping chunks of flesh off of him and taking him piece by piece back into their tunnels.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sutton?¡±


    If anyone knew what was going on with Archie, it¡¯d be Sutton. Archie thought of the way Sutton had skirted his questions on the elevator. He knew something, and it was time for Archie to know it too.


    ¡°Probably the library,¡± Akando said. ¡°He was up late again last night reading. I heard him muttering to himself about some pamphlet that he needed to get.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Archie looked around the lounge one last time to make sure Sutton wasn¡¯t folded up in some chair. In a rare moment, Julienne was relaxing, his limbs draping over the sides of the sofa chair as if his body had melted onto it. His eyes met Archie¡¯s and slowly rolled away, uncaring.


    Better than mad.


    Yarrow made up for it with a squinty-eyed stare.


    Nori, Blanche, Mindy, and Cress sat around a table playing a game, moving uncooked black beans on a piece of cloth adorned with a giant X and artful depictions of birds with vibrant feathers. It seemed as though they had just started, Cress still explaining the rules. Archie considered getting Nori to come with him.


    No, better not. He still had a headache from a rough, nightmare-filled night, but otherwise, he felt fine. He didn¡¯t want her fussing over him.


    And so Archie left, walking along the walls of the keep to get to the Ambrosial Archive at the northernmost part of the Crown. He was alone with his thoughts. Until he wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Forgot about me, didja?¡± a gruff, familiar voice asked.


    Archie turned to see Stop Him manning the gate into the keep. Archie sighed.


    ¡°Used to be you brought me snacks,¡± Stop Him growled. ¡°For a while, at least. You haven¡¯t been in the keep in a while. Always see you running off.¡±


    Once upon a time, Archie had trembled in fear of Stop Him, always looking up from the ground at that dangerous spear. But now, the spear didn¡¯t seem so threatening. He was just a man. Not even a Chef. And Archie didn¡¯t have time for him.


    ¡°Not now,¡± Archie barked, pointing a finger that froze Stop Him in his tracks.


    Archie almost made it out of earshot before Stop Him started mumbling to himself. Archie paid no mind to the guard¡¯s insignificant complaints.


    Whereas the Academy was unassuming on the outside and amazing on the inside, the Ambrosial Archive was extravagant all the way through.


    A dozen marble pillars and two massive iron doors welcomed Archie. The top of a massive tree poked out of the glass ceiling, shading the entire building. He stepped into the foyer of the library, a beautifully built entrance with wide marble stairs branching and curling from the center of the room to the upper hallways to form a marble balcony with ornate bronze railing that circled around the edge of the foyer.


    Between the entrances to other hallways, alcoves hosted beautiful statues of former royalty and of course, featured front and center above the main staircase, Ambrosia herself.


    Tucked away on either side of the staircase, heavy oak doors barred entryway to the staff offices. Archie¡¯s footsteps echoed across the tile floor as he walked over to one of the doors.


    He stepped into a stuffy reception room. A woman stood on her tiptoes to be seen behind the stacks of books and loose papers on her desk.


    ¡°Hello. Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡ªyeah,¡± Archie said. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Sutton. Sutton¡­¡± He searched for a last name and found none. ¡°He¡¯s a Chef. He works here.¡±


    ¡°I know him. He doesn¡¯t spend much time back here in the offices. You can probably find him in the nest. Go to the second floor, up the tree.¡±


    The tree? Archie considered asking the woman to guide him, but she looked busy enough with her stacks of papers.


    He went back into the foyer and up the stairs, entering the main library and leaving a world of marble for one of nature. The floor went from tile to wood, softening the echoes and lights that bounced off the ground. The smell of dusty old books filled the air. Sunlight poured in from the massive windows.


    Two rows of trees, rising fifty feet to tickle the ceiling, formed the structure of the room. Bookshelves seemed to grow out of one tree and into the other. Above, branches stretched from one row of trees to the other and had been flattened to form a network of walkways and ramps, some up to eight feet wide.


    Near the top, a set of branches met in the center, creating a large wooden platform that had been decorated with long, curled sticks to resemble a massive spherical bird¡¯s nest.


    Archie couldn¡¯t help but grin like a kid as he stepped up onto a sloped branch walkway that had fused to the wooden floor. Everything seemed connected, branches and trunks and floor and bookshelves. There was a sense of harmony¡ªthat walking through this hall meant that you were connected, too. He navigated the maze of branches up, up, up the library until he finally arrived at the nest.


    The nest was large enough to host two small circular tables, four chairs, and at this moment, Sutton and his pile of books. His face hovered over a hardback tome the size of his torso. He looked up at Archie, pushing up his glasses.


    ¡°Hi Archie.¡±


    ¡°This place is incredible,¡± Archie said as he sat.


    ¡°Yes it is. But the real magic is in the books.¡± Sutton held up a little pamphlet. ¡°The Legend of Khala¡¯s Grove. It¡¯s an old myth about a grove of trees guarded by yetis.¡±


    ¡°Yetis?¡± Archie asked. ¡°Those are real?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sutton said. He looked down at Archie¡¯s leg. ¡°You should know by now that not all ancient creatures are extinct.¡±


    Archie frowned.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Sutton continued, ¡°supposedly the wood from this grove has more essence in it than anything in the world.¡±


    He grabbed another pamphlet. ¡±Labruscan Shipbuilders Society Konst Gestelt. I don¡¯t know what Konst Gestelt means, but I know what this pamphlet is about. It was written seven hundred years ago and outlines a new practice of getting all of their wood by duplicating a single stick.¡±


    Sutton waited for a reaction, but got none. He sighed. ¡°They made a fleet from a stick. The same stick. For dozens of ships. As in a stick with an unimaginable quantity of essence.¡±


    Archie didn¡¯t come to learn about trees. But he decided to entertain Sutton. To loosen him up. ¡°So it¡¯s the same wood as the yeti trees?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my theory!¡± Sutton would have slammed the pamphlet down if he didn¡¯t have such reverence for it. ¡°And notice the language¡ªit¡¯s a stick. Not a tree. Someone took a branch from the yetis and brought it to Labrusca.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Archie searched for a question to fake his interest. ¡°What are you¡­going to do¡­with that information?¡±


    ¡°I plan to interrogate Barley about it,¡± Sutton said as he pushed up his glasses. ¡°Although it¡¯s doubtful I¡¯ll be able to procure any information from him. Khalyans are a weird people. They have all sorts of rules about what they can talk about and when and to whom.¡±


    Archie snorted. ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Well, he won¡¯t talk to me about Gluttons.¡±


    ¡°What do you think he knows about Gluttons?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But he must know something. There aren¡¯t any Gluttons in Khala.¡±


    Archie no longer had to fake his interest. ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    ¡°Well, there are records of Gluttons. But there are also records of people that used to be Gluttons.¡±


    The thought struck Archie like a cold frost. ¡°Like¡­they were cured?¡±


    Sutton pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to find out, but Barley won¡¯t say a word about it.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of research to be done about Gluttony, and it¡¯s never been more important than now.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    Sutton motioned around him, dumbfounded by Archie¡¯s question. ¡°We¡¯ve never had a Glutton ruler. Sure, there¡¯s Grand Queen Crosnee, but she¡¯s been invalid since long before she needed to make any decisions. But soon¡­it could be ten years, it could be twenty, Ambrosia willing, it¡¯ll be thirty, but soon¡­We¡¯ll have a Glutton ruler.¡±


    The thought of a Grand King Waldorf made Archie shiver.


    ¡°Prince Waldorf is¡­¡± Sutton looked around the nest as if a Glutton could ever hide from sight. Still, he whispered, ¡°anti-intellectual. Sometimes, his men come around here, trying to take things. Destroy things. Keep them in the dark.¡±


    Sutton leaned in, speaking faster and faster. As much as he spoke with fear, he also spoke with excitement. ¡°Once he takes power, who knows how much information will be left on Gluttony. That¡¯s why we¡¯re in such a critical time. We need to figure out everything we can about Gluttony today. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to get Barley to talk. That¡¯s why I¡¯m always asking about your leg. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to figure out Khala¡¯s secret. That¡¯s why¡ª¡±


    A buzzing filled Archie¡¯s ear. ¡°What? My leg?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Sutton pushed up his glasses and motioned at Archie¡¯s leg as if it were a third party to their conversation. ¡°There isn¡¯t much documentation on the symptoms of licertes attacks, but one common trend is essence disruption. I wanted to see if it affected you differently based on hereditary factors.¡±


    The buzzing grew louder. Archie¡¯s stomach squeezed and contracted as if his body had figured out something awful before his brain could.


    ¡°Hereditary factors?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You know¡­¡± Sutton looked away and shrugged. ¡°Because of your grandfather.¡±


    Grandfather?


    Archie moved in front of Sutton and studied his face, looking for an answer. ¡°What about him?¡±


    Sutton pushed his tongue into the side of his mouth. He twisted to look away.


    ¡°I figured you knew¡­¡±


    Dread gripped Archie. He leaned in. ¡°What about him, Sutton?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­he was a Glutton.¡±

 Chapter 35 - Family History

    ¡°What?¡±


    Archie¡¯s heart and stomach met somewhere in the middle. The twig walls of the nest became dizzying, seeming to swirl behind Sutton.


    ¡°I¡­you really didn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°No. He¡ªno. My dad would¡ªI would know.¡± Archie¡¯s eyes fluttered a thousand times per minute. His hands drifted through the air as if they could find something that would make it all make sense.


    Then they froze. They found something. Everything became very clear to Archie.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± he said.


    ¡°Archie¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡ªno. You¡ªyou¡ªyou have him confused. For someone else. He¡ªhe¡ªpeople hated him. He salted the fields and ruined Sain and people hated him. So they made it up. That he was a Glutton. No¡ªno. He¡ªhe wasn¡¯t a Glutton. It¡¯s just a rumor. Gossip.¡±


    ¡°Archie¡­he was¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. He couldn¡¯t have been. The¡ªhe went to the Academy.¡± Archie¡¯s hand chopped through the air with each sentence. ¡°He was a student of the Academy of Ambrosia. You can¡¯t be a student if you don¡¯t manifest. Gluttons never manifest. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t have been a Glutton.¡±


    ¡°He never manifested¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡ªwhat? No. The Academy would have never taken him.¡±


    ¡°Unless¡­¡± Sutton shrank away from Archie. ¡°...he was part of one of the most powerful families in Ambrosia.¡±


    An uncomfortable silence filled the nest.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Archie¡¯s tone shifted from defensive to aggressive. ¡°That they took him as a student just because of his last name?¡±


    ¡°I mean that¡­people with his last name made it happen.¡±


    Archie froze. Silent.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s all well-chronicled,¡± Sutton muttered. He couldn¡¯t look Archie in the eye.


    Archie tilted his head. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°A History of Influential Families of The Platter. By Sarandon. It¡¯s on the first floor in the dynastic history section.¡±


    Archie stomped out of the nest. He stomped down the stairs, stomped into the foyer, stomped down the stairs, stomped into one of the side halls. Sutton was wrong. There was no book, and if there was, Sutton misread it. A Glutton? His grandfather? No. No.


    His finger shook as it brushed the rough, scratchy spines of several books¡ªRoyal Lineage of Allards and Flamb¨¦ Puttick - A Childhood Spent as a Political Prisoner and History of White Jackets by Family.


    And there it was.


    A History of Influential Families of The Platter.


    The pages nearly fell from the spine at his touch, the glue crackling with each turn of the page. Archie¡¯s chest rose and fell violently with heaving, panicked breaths.


    The table of contents pointed him to a 22-page section on ¡°the Kent family.¡± Notable family members were broken out in their own sections, each with a truncated family tree to place them in the lineage.


    Archie flipped past the first few generations. Ten generations from the bottom of the family tree, he found the first mention of Sain.


    ¡­in protest of King Gerber¡¯s extreme restaurant taxes in Ambrosia City, Fennel Kent moved the entire Kent family, numbering twenty one, to Sain, a fledgling village that had grown due to serving as a crossroads between increasingly cooperative trade partners in Kuutsu Nuna and Khala. He founded Petrichor, the first Chef-led restaurant in Sain¡­


    Archie flipped through a few pages.


    ¡­Sain flourished, the undeniable centerpiece being Petrichor¡­


    A few more. The family tree started to thin.


    Cardoon Kent, along with his sons, Artichoke Kent and Chicory Kent¡­slain by Tosami Harper in the Battle of the Three Dunes during the War of Palm Coast, known colloquially at the time as ¡°the War of Urokan Aggression.¡± Parsley Kent stepped in as matriarch of the family¡­


    Then the family tree collapsed into a single line, leaving only Archie¡¯s great-grandfather and grandfather.


    ¡­all perished in Uroko during the Unification War with the exceptions of Artichoke Kent III, who avoided conscription due to his restaurant license, and his son, Artichoke Kent IV, who had been fifteen at the end of the final draft¡­This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡­accepted into The Academy of Ambrosia despite contradictory eye-witness statements of his alleged manifestation during The Festival of Ambrosia¡­


    ¡­later revealed to have been falsifications by Artichoke Kent III, who had used his status as a White Jacket Chef to unduly influence Academy administrators¡­


    ¡­and accounts from Head Chefs at the time described him as ¡°unbearable,¡± ¡°problematic,¡± and ¡°more interested in eating than cooking.¡± While he had not shown any signs of Gluttony prior to entering the Academy, by the time he graduated, his body and temperament had undergone significant changes¡­


    ¡­after the death of his father, Artichoke Kent IV graduated and took over ownership of Petrichor despite having shown no magical inclinations. He partnered with a former classmate, Rowan Knapp, who was placed in charge of Petrichor¡¯s kitchen¡­


    Archie¡¯s finger poked the name, making sure it was real.


    Rowan?


    ¡­loved by food critics and booked weeks in advance. Despite this, Petrichor faced financial ruin, reportedly due to its owner¡¯s insatiable appetite¡­


    ¡­salted fields in Sain and its outskirts. While he never explained the reason for his crime, it was widely speculated that it was due to jealousy of his partner, Rowan Knapp¡­


    ¡­died of starvation one year into his imprisonment. At the time of this publication, six months after Artichoke Kent IV¡¯s death, his son and last living Kent, Artichoke Kent V, age 20, has left the Academy to run Petrichor despite not advancing beyond the rank of Orange Jacket Chef.


    The Kent section ended. Archie shut the book, afraid that he might vomit on its pages. Even as a kid, he had always been aware that his grandfather had been a hated man. But a Glutton?


    Archie thought of all the Gluttons he had encountered. The way they took. The way they plagued. He tried to imagine the grandfather that he had never seen, putting his father¡¯s face on Prince Waldorf¡¯s body.


    The thought made him look at his own hands in disgust.


    He was a Glutton. What if it¡¯s in me? What if I¡¯m becoming a Glutton? And my dad never told me? Wait. Rowan. Rowan was his partner? My dad had to have known¡ªhas to know.


    ¡°Archie?¡± Sutton¡¯s voice cut through the cloud of a million questions.


    Archie couldn¡¯t look at him. He spoke to the ground. ¡°He didn¡¯t just ruin Petrichor and bring down a whole town with him¡­he was a Glutton, Sutton. My own grandfather¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Archie. I thought¡­¡± Sutton¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°Is it hereditary?¡±


    The question froze the air around them. Sutton slid his toe left and right across the ground, looking down, left and right, turning away.


    ¡°Is it hereditary?¡± Archie repeated.


    ¡°There¡¯s never been a case of a manifested Chef becoming a Glutton¡­¡±


    Archie sighed with relief. He was fine. He was a Chef. He would always be a Chef.


    ¡°...at least, I haven¡¯t found one.¡±


    The sense of relief left Archie, leaving a vacuous nervousness. ¡°Have you been looking?¡±


    Sutton¡¯s eyes flicked up at Archie and then back at the ground. ¡°Yes. With what happened to you in Pomona¡¯s class¡­with the¡ªthe, uh¡­It made me curious.¡±


    ¡°And¡­what happened to me? What was that?¡±


    Sutton rubbed his forehead and twisted around. He did anything to avoid looking at Archie.


    ¡°Well, there isn¡¯t enough qualifying information now to make a true classification, but¡­I was thinking it¡¯s¡­well, the name I¡¯ve been considering is¡­a Gluttonous episode.¡±


    Archie stopped breathing. ¡°Episode?¡±


    Finally, Sutton looked up at Archie, speaking in a frenzy, desperate to provide some comfort. ¡°But it just happened one time! It could have just been a freak accident!¡±


    Archie felt dizzy. An intense pressure filled his head, expanding like a balloon and leaving no room to think. ¡°But it¡­it happened again. Yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I need to¡ª¡± Archie looked around. In this little dusty corner of the library away from the marble foyer or the space of the main section or the serenity provided by the trees, Archie was trapped. The columns of the bookcases were the bars of his prison, the low ceiling squeezing him flat. ¡°I need to go.¡±


    Whatever Sutton said next, Archie didn¡¯t hear. If Stop Him tried to stop him, he didn¡¯t notice. If anyone called out to him as he marched through the great hall or the lower lounge, he didn¡¯t respond. He arrived at his room with a singular purpose, whipping open his dresser drawer and snatching the stack of letters.


    He skimmed through the beginnings and ends of the letters, tossing them onto the ground once he was done with them.


    There was the one he had received last week, his father¡¯s telltale chicken scratch handwriting giving away its author.


    We found a new supplier, a Kuutsan that runs a farm and pasture near the border. As expected from a Kuutsan, the meat is top-notch, but I have concerns about the produce¡­


    The letter swerved back and forth through the air as Archie moved on to the next letter.


    I don¡¯t think you¡¯re wasting your time on blueberries. Never underestimate the simple ingredients that bring people joy. It¡¯s like your water (which is still flowing, by the way). It¡¯s simple, but it still brings crowds even after all of these months. Your mother and I can barely keep up. We sell out every day. We¡¯ll need to find a new supplier. And let us know if you want us to come up to the city for Winter¡¯s Blossom or if you¡¯ll be coming back home. We could certainly use the help¡­


    Archie tossed it. The next one was written with curling, elegant loops.


    We heard about your leg. Are you¡­


    He tossed it. Then the next one. Then the next one. Finally, he found it. Sandwiched between his father¡¯s updates about Petrichor and his mother¡¯s constant worrying and missing of her son, he found it.


    Don¡¯t go so long without writing us! Headmaster Aubergine told us all about your apprenticeship.


    ¡­all about your apprenticeship¡­


    Archie¡¯s father knew. He knew.


    He knew Archie was sponsored by Rowan Knapp.


    He knew Rowan Knapp.


    He knew that Archie¡¯s grandfather had been a Glutton.


    He knew. And he said nothing.


    The letter seemed soaked in betrayal.


    Archie threw the letter to the ground and stomped on it. He scooped the papers up just to tear them in half and throw them down again.


    ¡°Archie?¡± Nori asked from the doorway. ¡°You stormed through the lounge. I was calling for you.¡±


    She took a step into the room, looking at the scattered fragments of paper. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Archie¡¯s blood boiled. He clenched his fists. Grinded his teeth. His father wasn¡¯t around to answer for his lies. But someone else was. ¡°We¡¯re going to The Gift.¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll fill you in on the way.¡±


    Archie stomped on his parents¡¯ letters on his way out the door.

 Chapter 36 - Answers

    The Gift no longer looked quaint and homey. It looked like a lair. A den of secrets.


    The vines covering the white stone walls were just things for lies to get tangled in. The messy array of chairs in the dining area was a distraction, the bees buzzing to cover up whispers. The open floor plan was a facade, the cluttered bedroom intentionally unsearchable.


    Archie had filled Nori in along the way, taking a break in his ranting as they rode the tram down. He wouldn¡¯t speak about his shameful heritage in such a public setting. He didn¡¯t want anyone to know he was a Kent. His story had kept his anger sharp and his rage bubbling.


    Rowan was cleaning up the empty tables. They had caught him between lunch service and his private dinner. Good. No guests to hide behind.


    ¡°Archie, Nori!¡± Rowan smiled, tossing a dirty rag down on the table. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you two were coming.¡±


    Nori looked nervously at Archie.


    ¡°Wh¡ª¡± Archie started.


    ¡°¡ªwait! I have something I want to show you two,¡± Rowan interrupted, all smiles and cheer. ¡°Come on!¡±


    He left no time for argument, bounding up the stairs. Archie begrudgingly followed. On the rooftop, Rowan stood in front of six blueberry bushes, five forming a circle around the sixth. Despite all of the rage filling Archie, he still had room for more. He wanted more. The toxicity in his mind had tricked it into wanting even more reasons to hate. He let Rowan speak if only to allow himself to grow more impatient.


    ¡°See these five here? The ones that form the circle? These are from bushes you picked. And this smaller one in the middle.¡± Rowan grinned and nodded, oblivious to the maelstrom building inside Archie. ¡°That¡¯s the special one. You see, blueberries need to cross-pollinate. You can¡¯t take two highbushes and create a third.¡±


    Archie¡¯s jaw tensed. His fingernails dug into his thumb. But Rowan continued.


    ¡°So this sixth bush here¡­it¡¯s a cross-pollination of these five. The five bushes are meant to represent the five kingdoms, the sixth being United Ambrosia. It is with this sixth bush that I will create¡ª¡±


    Archie stepped forward, his rage bubbling to the surface.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± he demanded.


    Rowan looked surprised. Then confused. Then inquisitive. Then defeated. ¡°Oh,¡± he said softly.


    A moment of silence. Muted city sounds. The rustling of the plants in the breeze.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Archie said harshly. ¡°You knew my grandfather. You know about Petri¡ªyou ran Petrichor. And you didn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    ¡°So you know¡­¡± Rowan looked at the ground. Nori felt pity. Archie didn¡¯t.


    ¡°You were classmates. He was a Glutton. You ran Petrichor for him.¡±


    Rowan didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you sponsor me?¡± Archie asked. He wanted to rip up Rowan¡¯s stupid blueberry bushes.


    ¡°Guilt.¡± Rowan met Archie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Fear.¡±


    Archie¡¯s lips turned white as they pressed into each other. His hands balled up into fists.


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Rowan looked into the sky as if he¡¯d find the words there. The tears in his eyes made Archie pause. ¡°I grew up poor. I grew up hungry. I had a brother¡ªhe died. Sickness. Malnutrition. It was¡­It was good for us. Meant we¡¯d be able to eat one more day per week.


    ¡°We lived on the generosity of others. My mother was always sick, couldn¡¯t work. My father¡­well, he drank his wages. Three kids¡ªbefore my brother passed. No one manifested. Until I did.


    ¡°I was seventeen. Resigned to my fate. Was doing back-breaking work. Construction. Plowing. I¡¯d end the summers by spending a month in the rice fields. I¡¯d come home covered in spider bites.


    ¡°We loved the Festival of Ambrosia. All that food being made. Being given out. We¡¯d take as much as we could. We¡¯d make it last weeks. It¡¯d be the only day of the year that I wasn¡¯t hungry.


    ¡°But I started to feel bad¡ªtaking advantage of all that kindness. So I decided I¡¯d make a little pot of stew for the festival. Not an equivalent exchange, but it was something.


    ¡°We always made stews. Had to stretch the ingredients. Rarely had meat. But this one had a little rabbit in it. A couple of bites at most. I figured I owed at least that much to the community that took care of us. So I was stirring the stew, pushing the ingredients down into the bottom. A bite of rabbit meat bobbed back to the surface. Then another. Then another. Then another.¡±


    He laughed at the memory. Archie felt some of his rage dissolve. But just some.


    ¡°You¡¯d have thought there were three rabbits in the stew. But no, just the leg. I fed myself. Fed my family. Even managed to pay back the kindness of a few neighbors.¡±


    Archie felt bad, but he had enough. It was time for answers. ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°My point¡­¡± Rowan clicked his tongue. ¡°My point¡­my life changed that day. I never thought my life could change. When you grow up in that kind of poverty, you don¡¯t think you¡¯ll ever escape it. Change is something that happens to other people.


    ¡°So when I came to Ambrosia City¡­when I saw the Academy¡­the towering buildings, the restaurants, the luxury¡­I decided then and there that I would never return to a life of modesty.


    ¡°And I was good. The best in the class. Looking back, I made better food than anyone else because I appreciated food more than anyone else. I knew what it was like to not have any.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°And then opposite in every regard¡­your grandfather. A terrible man.¡± Rowan¡¯s face sunk. Archie was blinded by his own anger, but Nori saw the contempt in the old man.


    ¡°But he possessed a wealth that I did not know was possible. And a name. God, that name. Kent.¡± He spat it out, making Archie recoil.


    ¡°That name had all the power of royalty. I saw two possible futures. In one, I became an Executive Chef of my own restaurant. My talent would get me far, but it¡¯d be slow going. I¡¯d end up well enough, but there would be lean years.


    ¡°But I was done with lean years. So I picked the second option. I cozied up to your grandfather during our time together as students. Fed him three meals a day, then five, then ten. Somewhere along the way, he crossed that transgressive line between human and Glutton. My own doing.


    ¡°I became a remora, attached to the great shark named Kent. He became addicted to my food. Dependent upon it. I had planted the idea in his head, but he said the words¡ª¡¯come run the kitchen at Petrichor.¡¯¡±


    Rowan snapped a twig off one of the blueberry bushes and threw it in the dirt.


    ¡°And there it was. I thought all of my problems in life had been solved. I moved to Sain. I sent money back home. For the first time ever, I walked into a bank without a cup.


    ¡°But your grandfather¡­He kept eating more and more. I¡¯d come back to Petrichor and the pantry would be empty. For every meal I made, I had to make two more for him. The cost¡ª¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°I thought he stood in the way of my fortune. Avarice had blinded me. I was a rich man, but I wanted more. If greed were as sinful as Gluttony in the eyes of Ambrosia, I¡¯d be deformed, too.


    ¡°I gave him an ultimatum. He would learn to control himself, or I would leave. He needed me to run Petrichor. He needed the money for his appetite. He needed my cooking.


    ¡°But Gluttons don¡¯t think like we do. He saw the dinner tray being taken away while it still had some crumbs on it. He lashed out. If he couldn¡¯t have my cooking, no one could. He salted the fields all around Sain. But¡­¡±


    Rowan winced and shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°There was something about that salt. I mean, do you know how much you¡¯d need for that much land? And it would wash out in the rain. But it¡¯s been decades and still the fields suffer. He did something. He did something to that salt. He had never shown a lick of magic before, but he did something there. Something unheard of.¡±


    The story quelled Archie¡¯s fiery anger, making room for curiosity. ¡°He performed magic?¡± he asked. ¡°As a Glutton?¡±


    ¡°I worry that may be the case¡­.It wasn¡¯t just creating an absence of essence¡­it was an aversion to essence. I couldn¡¯t do anything to infuse the plants that grew there. He shouldn¡¯t have been capable of doing what he did.¡±


    Rowan turned and lazily walked away, letting his hand run across a row of wheat.


    ¡°I¡¯m full of worries,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s why I sponsored you. After what happened at Petrichor I never sold another meal again. Twenty years, I¡¯ve been living off of that past life.¡±


    He walked in a circle around the rooftop, Archie and Nori following.


    ¡°In truth, that money has run dry. Now I mostly live off of what I can grow, making the rest for others. But I managed to get enough money for you, Archie. Just enough to get you through the Academy. Prince Waldorf has been snatching up half of the Student Chefs. I didn¡¯t want you to work in service of a Glutton like I did. I didn¡¯t want you to suffer that same fate. And I¡­I felt guilty. I enabled a monster that destroyed a whole town. A family. A legacy. A legacy that I profited from. Vultured on.¡±


    He looked at Archie. His face was more sallow than usual, the wrinkles deeper. His voice had lost its bounce. The truth had revealed his age.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Archie.¡±


    Archie no longer wanted to yell, but he wasn¡¯t ready to respond to any kind of apology.


    Meanwhile, Nori¡¯s confused look alternated between Rowan and Archie. Something had piqued her interest, but Archie hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Rowan returned to the blueberry bushes, motioning at them. ¡°I worry about our nation. I see the cracks. They¡¯ve been there for ages. We think they don¡¯t matter, but I see how just the right pressure could make the whole structure crumble.


    ¡°That¡¯s what this is for. The sixth bush, representing United Ambrosia. I¡¯ll accompany Grand King Flamb¨¦ on his annual trip to Uroko. There, I will present a dish created from this bush. To show the great things that can grow when we work together.¡±


    Nori looked at Archie as if asking for permission to speak. For so long, this trip had been about Archie. Now she was the one with questions. Archie shrugged with a single shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°For three months,¡± Rowan answered. ¡°Next semester.¡±


    ¡°What about The Gift?¡±


    Rowan took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll close it for a time. Perhaps it¡¯ll be good to give you two back your time¡ª¡±


    Rowan looked at Archie, then nodded to Nori.


    Archie¡¯s jaw dropped, panic flooding in. He knew where this conversation was going, but he couldn¡¯t stop it.


    ¡°¡ªso that you can raise the gold for Nori,¡± Rowan finished. He scratched his ear and looked down at the blueberry bush, so preoccupied with the previous confrontation that he was unaware that he had just opened the floodgates for another one.


    Nori sucked in her bottom lip, her eyebrows scrunching up in thought as she stared at Archie. Archie¡¯s heart dropped, dread pulling his face down.


    ¡°What does he mean?¡± she asked.


    Rowan looked up at Archie and sighed. ¡°I thought she knew¡­¡±


    ¡°What does he mean?¡±


    Archie couldn¡¯t bring himself to face Nori.


    ¡°Archie? What does he mean?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t answer.


    Rowan stepped in. ¡°Archie was the one that wanted me to sponsor you,¡± he said. ¡°I told him I couldn¡¯t afford to sponsor a second student. He said he¡¯d raise the gold. If he doesn¡¯t¡­I¡¯m going to have to let you go at the end of the year.¡±


    Nori scratched at the corner of her lips with her thumb while she thought things through. ¡°And¡­how much have you raised, Archie?¡±


    Archie¡¯s heart beat so hard that he swore it shook his body. He opened his mouth, but stress had blocked his throat. With great difficulty, he managed to swallow.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ten¡ªfifteen¡­gold,¡± he managed.


    ¡°Fifteen?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°Yeah¡ªmaybe. Maybe ten¡­I¡­¡± Archie wasn¡¯t sure because Archie hadn¡¯t thought of the total in weeks. He had stopped going to the keep to wash dishes. He had stopped thinking about it entirely. In some immature, naive way, it had been weeks since he truly considered the consequences. He thought everything would work itself out. That he and Nori would keep working together and everything would go great and everyone would be happy.


    But things didn¡¯t just happen like that.


    ¡°Archie!¡± Nori stepped forward, breathing heavily through her flared nostrils. Her words poked holes in Archie¡¯s already feeble emotional state. ¡°It¡¯s the last month of the semester. When were you planning on getting the rest of the gold?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI¡ªI don¡¯t¡ªI don¡¯t know. I¡ª¡±


    Nori sucked air in through her nose, pulling her bottom lip in and chomping on it.


    ¡°Forget it,¡± she hissed. ¡°From now on, your problems are yours, and my problems are mine.¡±


    ¡°Nori¡ª¡±


    But she was gone. She bounded down the stairs before Archie could stop her. He looked back to Rowan, who started trying to make his own excuses.


    ¡°Archie, I¡ª¡±


    But then Archie was gone too. He chased after Nori, but she had already gotten out on the street.


    ¡°Nori, wait!¡±


    She didn¡¯t turn, but he knew she could hear him. She started to jog. Archie jogged after her. He couldn¡¯t let the conversation end there.


    Every few steps, they both quickened their pace. Soon, Nori ran in full strides to the gate that separated the Roots from the Trunk. She crashed into an Acorn Guard.


    ¡°That man has been chasing me!¡± she yelled, her charade convincing the guard to hold a hand up to stop Archie. As Archie struggled to explain the situation to the Acorn Guard, Nori slipped away, making her escape by the tram.

 Chapter 37 - Winters Blossom

    For the next couple of weeks, Archie retreated within himself, his emotions too large for expression. He got quiet. Passive. He seemed to only have half-conversations with his friends¡ªhe was eager to be alone, and they were unsure how to handle the news of his heritage, particularly given the incident in Pomona¡¯s kitchen. He spent his days in Pomona¡¯s class and his nights in the great hall where the older students ate and left him alone.


    ¡°Nori, do you have a second?¡± he asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s busy,¡± Blanche answered for her, putting herself between Archie and Nori.


    A day passed. Archie dreamt of the glade and the voice again. But this time, the voice spoke to him from the perspective of his grandfather.


    ¡°Archie, I found a couple of studies I wanted to show you,¡± Sutton said. ¡°You know, I thought you might have some questions¡­¡±


    ¡°Not now, Sutton. I can¡¯t do it right now.¡±


    Another day. A cold wind came in from the sea, forcing the students to wear sweaters beneath their jackets.


    ¡°Is she ready to talk?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s still upset,¡± Blanche answered. ¡°I think she woke up crying.¡±


    Another day. Everyone went to their sponsors. Everyone but Archie and Nori. They spent the day avoiding each other.


    Another day. The cold stayed. Archie wrote a letter to his parents telling them not to come to the city for Winter¡¯s Blossom. Part of him hated them. It took all afternoon to edit that part out.


    Another day. The days seemed both infinitely long and infinitesimally short, taking forever in the moment but forming no distinct memories by the time of their end. Archie went to sleep early and woke up late. He had the nightmare again and again, and then had other nightmares. Nori leaving. Nori hating him.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Barley asked. ¡°You don¡¯t look too good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Another day. Archie was running out of new partners in Pomona¡¯s class. He shared the stove with Mindy.


    ¡°He¡¯s not, like, that mad anymore. Julienne. I mean, he¡¯s still pretty mad. But¡­¡±


    Another day. Archie was forced to partner up with Julienne to spend a day in awkward silence.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Another day. Archie¡¯s last possible partner. Yarrow. They spent the day in aggressive silence.


    ¡°...!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Another day. Now that everyone had partnered with everyone, they were free to start over with whoever they chose. Nori did not partner with Archie, nor did she say a word in response to him when he asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re the undesirables,¡± Oliver joked as he slapped Archie¡¯s back. ¡°Look at Cress over there with Julienne. Trying to make me jealous. But let me tell you, he can¡¯t make her laugh like me.¡±


    On the other side of the kitchen, Cress burst into laughter at something Julienne said.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    Another day. Maybe it was two. Maybe it was three. They all seemed to blur together. It hadn¡¯t snowed¡ªAubergine said that his flowers told him that it wouldn¡¯t¡ªbut the morning dew froze onto the grass. One morning, the breaking dawn woke Archie, and he walked down to the lake. He almost smiled at the crunching of the grass beneath his feet.


    ¡°Hey, Archie!¡± Aubergine shouted. He jogged in place to warm up even though he was about to jog for another five miles. ¡°Joining me for my run?¡±


    ¡°Not today.¡±


    ¡°Not today means someday!¡±


    Another day. Then another. And just like that, Pomona¡¯s class was over. Archie had just gone through the motions the last few weeks, having done nothing to distinguish himself and failing to apply himself to any studies. He received a letter from his parents and read just enough of it to make sure they weren¡¯t coming.


    And then it was Winter¡¯s Blossom. The day of Ambrosia¡¯s birth. A day of celebration that was second only to the Festival of Ambrosia. And while his roommates got dressed up, Archie just sat in bed with the covers pulled up to his shoulders.


    ¡°You coming, Arch?¡± Benedict asked.


    ¡°Yeah, get up!¡± Oliver added. They had learned to just power through his mopeyness.


    But it didn¡¯t work today.


    ¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Archie said. ¡°Not feeling great. I think it¡¯s the cold.¡±


    Oliver and Benedict exchanged a look and a sigh before leaving. Barley remained behind.


    ¡°Will you go with me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Bar¡­¡± Archie shifted around in his bed, wishing Barley would just leave.


    But instead, Barley sat on his bed. In a rare moment, the quiet giant started the conversation.


    ¡°Back in Khala¡­back home¡­when the ambrosials bloomed, my mom would make pa. It¡¯s this ball of tsampa and chocolate and dates and walnuts. It¡¯s all covered in cinnamon.¡±


    Barley rarely spoke so much, so the beginning of his story had already pierced Archie¡¯s apathetic veil. ¡°What¡¯s tsampa?¡± he asked as he sat up.


    ¡°Roasted barley. It¡¯s the most popular food where I¡¯m from.¡± Barley smiled, but there was a soft sadness to his expression. ¡°Pa is rare, because we don¡¯t get much chocolate. But anyway, you roll it in these little balls.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Barley looked out the window of their bedroom out to the north, and his words grew wistful and full of memory. It was like he could see home from a thousand miles away.


    ¡°So my mom would make the pa, and then the ambrosials would bloom, and she¡¯d wrap those big flower petals around the pa and then fry them. It never tasted so good. Everyone wanted them. And I mean, there were nine of us, so they went fast.¡±


    ¡°Wait, nine?¡± Archie laughed and thought about what that was like¡ªas much as an only child could. ¡°That means you have what, six brothers and sisters? Plus your parents?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I wasn¡¯t even counting my parents. With them it¡¯s eleven. And it was always my dad that stole the pa. He¡¯d hide it up on the roof until I got tall enough to get up there myself. Then he¡¯d find new places to hide it. We¡¯d think we had gotten away with a feast, having eaten two each. Turns out my dad would be hiding half a batch wrapped up in cloth and hidden in a haystack.¡±


    Barley shook his head and laughed. ¡°So my mom came up with a game to get my dad away from the kitchen. Put us all against him. Hit pa and get a pa, she¡¯d say. It snows most months up there, so we were all pretty deadly with a snowball. My dad stopped hiding the pa and started hiding himself. We¡¯d search for a mile each way looking for him. If we got him with a snowball, we got pa. If he got us first, we had to go back home and start again.¡±


    Barley rubbed his thumb along the cupped palm of his other hand, imagining either the snowball or the fried pa¡ªArchie couldn¡¯t be sure which. But whatever Barley was thinking of, it brought a smile to his face. A real smile. One that warmed even Archie¡¯s cold heart.


    And then his smile faded.


    ¡°I miss them. I came to the Academy because¡­¡± Barley clicked his tongue and sighed. ¡°Anyway, this is my first time away from home. My first Winter¡¯s Blossom without them. And on days like this, I¡­I feel pretty lonely.¡±


    Archie tried to offer comfort in the form of a smile.


    ¡°And I can tell that you¡¯re lonely, too,¡± Barley said.


    Archie looked down into his lap, saddened by the truth of the statement.


    Barley stood from his bed. ¡°Everyone¡¯s going down to the Children¡¯s Square. Let¡¯s go be lonely together there.¡±


    Archie chuckled. ¡°Okay, Barley. Let me get my shoes.¡±


    It seemed like everyone from the Crown had congregated in the Children¡¯s Square. Giant arches of woven willow branches and vines spanned across the plaza, rising to nearly half the height of the four statues of Ambrosia¡¯s four children. The statues were the namesake of the plaza, set up in a square with each looking to a different kingdom.


    And at the end of the plaza, as there was in nearly all plazas of Ambrosia City, a statue of Ambrosia herself looked down upon her people. The size and details of her statue paled in comparison to her children¡¯s¡ªit was their square, after all¡ªbut on this day, it got all of the attention.


    On a makeshift wooden platform at Ambrosia¡¯s feet, a mass of preachers took turns sermonizing, the Chancellor of Culinary Arts nodding along behind them.


    Barley carved a way through the crowd, Archie easily following in his massive wake. As they approached, Archie could hear the preachers.


    ¡°And so after those centuries of darkness¡ªof horrible creatures and plagues and famines and eclipses that spanned years¡ªwe were delivered. Some believe that the earth took all those centuries trying to gather whatever specks of good existed within it.


    ¡°And then¡­deliverance in the form of a human. A gift from the earth. Perhaps the earth itself. Ambrosia. And on this day, the day of her birth, we celebrate that gift. And the earth celebrates with us.¡±


    Archie spotted Nori in the crowd. Blanche and Cress¡ªher bodyguards for the past few weeks¡ªstood guard next to her. He just wanted to talk to her again. To laugh with her again. He had hardly spent a day without her since arriving in Ambrosia City so many months ago. To have spent weeks without hardly a word from her had made the city seem more gray than the winter clouds ever could.


    Perhaps through some old, archaic magic, his feelings of longing manifested themselves and reached out to Nori, because at that moment, she turned to face him and locked eyes with him.


    The priest looked up at the clocktower. Moments away from noon.


    ¡°On this Winter¡¯s Blossom, I want you all to be thankful. Let go of your accumulating anger and greed and bitterness. Be rid of your cynicism, your jadedness, your fear. Leave no residuals.¡±


    Buds formed on the vines above them.


    ¡°Let the pure white of the bloom serve as your inspiration to wipe your slate clean. Set out on this new year with ambition and hope and clarity of purpose. Understand the truth¡ªdespite our individual hardships, our lives are good. And it is Ambrosia that has let it be that way.¡±


    The clock struck noon. As the bell of the clocktower rang, the flowers bloomed on every plant in the courtyard¡ªthe vines on the archways, the weeds sprouting between the cobblestone, the trees lining the buildings.


    The white of the flower had no equal in purity. Fresh fallen snow seemed drab in comparison. This white seemed to predate color itself. It covered the city¡ªit covered the continent. From the deserts of Kuutsu Nuna to the lush valleys of Labrusca to the harsh plateau of Khala to the farthest reaching eastern islands of Uroko, if something could grow, it grew flowers on this day. And when the sun set, the flowers would return to nothing, not to be seen again for another year.


    They named the flower after the birthday girl¡ªambrosials.


    The crowd cheered and clapped as beauty erupted around them. Archie had never experienced such a bloom. In the essence-starved lands of Sain, the flowers were small things, curled and quaint. But these flowers threw off petals as quickly as they could grow them. White petals fell from the arches like snow, the people below scooping them up. Many people ate the petals. Others took them home to cook with. And some just wanted to experience the joy of holding them.


    While everyone celebrated, Archie¡¯s and Nori¡¯s eyes stayed locked together. The falling petals seem to slow and hover around her face, giving her a divine beauty. The sound of the crowd faded away, replaced by some internal humming. He felt something open up inside his body and extend, connecting the two. Was it essence?


    And then she walked toward him.


    The crowd seemed to part naturally before her, allowing her to walk unimpeded up to Archie. White petals slid off her sleek, black hair, covering the ground in a soft blanket that swished as she moved through it.


    She was crying.


    But she didn¡¯t say a word until her head was buried in Archie¡¯s chest and her arms wrapped around his body.


    He had forgotten how small she was. She didn¡¯t even come up to the top of his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her and her body shook.


    ¡°You idiot,¡± she sobbed. ¡°They would make me go home. You could lose me forever.¡±


    The thought split Archie¡¯s heart in two.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nori. We¡¯ll figure out how to raise the gold.¡±


    She pulled back and punched his shoulder.


    ¡°I already figured it out. I¡¯m just finalizing some details.¡±


    Archie rubbed the spot with one hand, the other hand still wrapped around Nori¡¯s back. He didn¡¯t want to let her go.


    ¡°Well I can help¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Nori pulled away completely, leaving Archie¡¯s hand to fall by his side. A defiant stoicism formed in her teary eyes. ¡°From now on, I make all of the decisions. And you just do what I tell you to do.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She sniffled. Then she looked away, her face puffing up in a pout.


    ¡°Happy Winter¡¯s Blossom, Archie,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Happy Winter¡¯s Blossom, Nori.¡±


    Nori retreated to her bodyguards, but that was okay. Everything was okay. Archie stuck around for a while, absorbing the happiness of the crowd.


    Everything was okay.


    Archie went back to the Academy early, walking alone through streets covered in white petals. He made his way down to the lounge, and on its great balcony, he could see for miles and miles. Flowers had bloomed for as far as the eye could see, painting the world in white.


    A fresh start.


    Everything was okay.


    Somewhere far to the north, barely visible to Archie at all, where the blueberries grew without essence, a brown patch of dead wood stuck out in all that white.

 Chapter 38 - The Second Semester

    Part III - The Forbidden Meal


    ¡°What are we waiting on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s locked.¡±


    The first-years had gathered in the great hall, waiting outside the door to a place that no one dared to wander into. Some called it Anise¡¯s kitchen. Others called it her lair. Over the course of his leg¡¯s recovery, Archie had grown somewhat used to the Head Chef¡¯s quirky behavior. Others did not share his familiarity nor his comfort.


    ¡°I thought we were doing Tarragon¡¯s class,¡± Nori complained.


    Benedict shook his head. ¡°Gotta get through two weeks with the crazy lady, first.¡±


    ¡°She gives me the heebie-jeebies,¡± Oliver added with a shudder.


    ¡°The heebie-jeebies?¡± Cress asked. ¡°What are you, six?¡±


    ¡°No. And good thing I¡¯m not. If there were any six-year-olds around, she¡¯d probably cook them or something. She¡¯s a witch.¡±


    The door cracked open, the wood screeching against the stone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the light in,¡± an eerie voice singsonged from the darkness.


    Not a single student took a step forward. Most took a step back.


    ¡°Come, come,¡± the voice crooned. ¡°Don¡¯t let the light in.¡±


    The students exchanged weary looks. Finally, Akando stepped forward, careful not to open the door any further as he squeezed his way through the gap. Archie had lacked the bravery to go first, but he wouldn¡¯t be taken for a coward. He followed closely behind. As he stepped through the doorway, he lightly pushed the door, but it didn¡¯t budge. Someone held it from the other side.


    Archie pushed through the darkness, guided by the slim light from the doorway and the faint glow of sunlight that splashed around the blackout curtains that hung from the windows. His hands found Akando in the dark, using him as a guide. One by one the students piled into the room, pushing each other deeper into the darkness.


    The door screeched again before thudding to a close. The students froze in place, but another set of footsteps scurried around the room.


    ¡°There are many things to be seen¡­in the darkness.¡±


    And then there was light. Subtle, green and blue, percolating in through the darkness. Little bulbs and flowers and clovers took shape, barely illuminating anything more than themselves.


    Bioluminescent.


    A face appeared just above a cluster of tall, glowing green stalks with tiny mushroom heads. In the faint light, the face was all shadows save for the long, crooked nose and a hint of wild gray hair.


    ¡°I can¡¯t grow these in the cellars anymore,¡± Anise said, her eyes crossed as they observed the mushrooms in front of her face. ¡°I lost control of my cellars. Taken over¡­by plants that hunger for more than darkness¡­¡±


    As she ran her finger down one stalk, the entire cluster faded to blackness, taking her face with it. Her footsteps shuffled around the room.


    ¡°The exams are coming soon. Who can tell me how many sections there are?¡±


    There was a brief silence. Perhaps they were too afraid. Perhaps they all expected Sutton to answer. But somewhere in that darkness, the teacher¡¯s pet was too frozen in fear to say anything.


    ¡°Five,¡± Archie answered at last.


    ¡°Very good.¡±


    Anise¡¯s silhouette briefly appeared behind a blue, flowery mushroom. But with another touch of the finger, Anise robbed the mushroom of its light, casting them into further darkness.


    ¡°Five sections worth twenty five points each, of which your four best scores will be counted.¡±


    Archie turned his head to follow the shuffling feet, catching a glimpse of Anise¡¯s hand just before it put out the light from a clover-like, green-glowing cluster.


    ¡°Different schools have different exams. Ours prioritizes cooking. We¡¯ll have one test based on a recipe that will be assigned on the day¡­¡±


    Another cluster of mushrooms lost their light. The students moved away from the shuffling feet like a group of scared chickens, grouping up near the wall.


    ¡°...and for another section, you will be able to submit whatever dish you¡¯d like.¡±


    Another cluster disappeared. The light was leaving the room faster than Archie¡¯s eyes could adjust to the darkness.


    ¡°You will be tested on your cultivation. And your conjuration.¡±


    Another cluster went out. Only one remained.


    ¡°And then the last section¡­and the subject of today¡­¡±


    The voice trailed off, waiting for someone else to finish the sentence. Sutton found his voice.


    ¡°Innovation,¡± he said.


    ¡°Very good. Innovation.¡± Anise¡¯s face appeared behind the last cluster of lit mushrooms, extreme shadows dancing on her face as she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s not enough to be able to cook or conjure or grow. You must set your ambition higher. You have a gift. Ambrosia¡¯s gift in its most true form. You should use it to do that which might otherwise be considered impossible. That¡­is innovation.¡±


    Anise¡¯s finger tapped the mushrooms, but instead of driving them into darkness, the mushroom lit up brighter than any torch, casting the entire room in a green glow. Archie could see everything¡ªall of Anise¡¯s horrors. Forked carrots that were larger than any person, unrecognizable produce bobbing around in jars of milky liquids, a blob of sourdough starter that wormed its way across the table, squelching as it sought to hide from the light. And at the center of it all, cast in a wicked shade of green, Anise grinned in a way that no truly sane person could.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Archie wondered if the Head Chef had forced herself to act normal when treating Archie¡¯s potentially mortal wound. He had been halfway to death¡ªmaybe she knew that she could have ended up scaring him the other halfway there.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you all to start thinking of how to put your gift to proper use,¡± she said. ¡°In just a few months, we¡¯ll see what you¡¯re made of.¡±


    ¡°I told you,¡± Oliver whispered. ¡°She¡¯s gonna cook us.¡±


    For the rest of the week, Anise took the students all over Ambrosia City to show them examples of great innovation. They started with the elevator, allowing Archie to show off his mastery by taking the whole class for a ride.


    Then they went out to the trams. Archie had always known they were a great magic, but his little bit of expertise in the art of pastamancy allowed him to truly appreciate their scale. He was the only one in his class that could operate the elevator noodle, and that wasn¡¯t even a hundred feet. The noodles that powered the trams were well over a mile long and carried several times more weight at several times faster speeds.


    They discussed refrigerators¡ªwhich Anise called the most important culinary invention in history¡ªand all of the alternative ways to preserve things. There were mosses and jellies and banana leaves that had all been modified to keep food from spoiling.


    They looked at red bearberries that when eaten by birds, produced and shed extra feathers. They pulled sweet alyssum flowers up to see absurdly long and tough roots that had been modified to seek and break up rocks in the soil.


    They discussed how innovations led to quality of life improvements like the poultices and healing noodles of the Veratores and the sinus-clearing peppers from Kuutsu Nuna and the healing effects that could be unlocked in truffles.


    They discussed how innovations bred commercial success like the blue produce of Blue Orchards, the variety of drinks¡ªthat Archie still didn¡¯t care to remember¡ªof Lifted Spirits, and of course, the lifeblood of United Ambrosia, the movemash upon which all trade was built.


    Inspired by so many great innovations, Archie thought of¡­nothing. How could he come up with anything when faced with the strokes of genius that had built the world around him?


    ¡°Maybe we should go to the Ambrosial Archive this weekend,¡± he suggested to Nori.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± She had allowed herself to start talking to Archie, and even managed to not make him feel guilty from time to time, but she still kept a certain distance. They were no longer inseparable. They didn¡¯t eat every meal together. They didn¡¯t end their nights together in the lounge recapping everything in their day as if they hadn¡¯t spent it all together. But they talked, and Archie could live with that.


    ¡°We have a job to do first,¡± she continued.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re gonna cater a family gathering down in the Roots. We¡¯ll do most of the cooking at The Gift. Rowan is letting us raid his rooftop.¡±


    And that was that. It wasn¡¯t a question. There was no discussion. Nori had determined everything beforehand, told Archie what he was doing, and he was going to have to do it. Those were the terms of continuing their friendship.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. It was all he could say.


    When Nori had him wake up at the break of dawn to start the prep work, it was all he could say.


    When Nori told him to make dishes her way, it was all he could say.


    When Nori had him carry the cart across the many bridges that spanned the creeks of the Roots, it was all he could say.


    He knew this would be his future until they raised the money they needed.


    And it looked like that would be a while.


    ¡°Thank you Rowan, this looks wonderful,¡± the woman that had hired them said as she put coins into Rowan¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Oh, no, it wasn¡¯t me,¡± he responded as he pushed the coins back. ¡°This is their venture. I stayed out of the kitchen for all of this. I just came along to make introductions.¡±


    Archie was glad Rowan had stayed out of their way. Taking orders from Nori was one thing. Having to get chummy with Rowan so soon after discovering his lie of omission was another. The old Black Jacket knew better than to push his limits, never trying to engage Archie in a real conversation. It was much too soon for that.


    ¡°Peony, this is Nori Harper and Archie Kent. I¡¯m sponsoring their time at the Academy of Ambrosia.¡± Rowan smiled. Archie sighed. Half-truths. ¡°Nori, Archie, this is Peony, an old friend. She comes around The Gift to eat every once in a while. You might recognize each other.¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Nori said before Peony could. Archie knew Nori well enough to recognize the lie. ¡°Good to see you again.¡±


    Archie offered a friendly nod as he uncovered a massive tray of shrimp scampi.


    ¡°And let¡¯s see, who else do we have¡­¡± Rowan continued.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about introducing everyone,¡± Peony interrupted. She turned to Nori, shoving the coins in her hand. ¡°Now, did he say Harper? Are you¡­¡±


    Nori showcased her best, most manufactured smile. ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow! What a bargain for us! Alright, I¡¯m going to go back out there and let everyone know the food will be ready in a few minutes, is that alright?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nori said. Once Peony turned, Nori looked down at her payment. Her smile turned to stone. A bargain, indeed.


    Meanwhile, Archie was still wrestling with whether or not to be upset that Peony had only cared about the Harper name. His pride and his shame still battled for ownership of the Kent name.


    ¡°Alright, you two. I¡¯ll leave you to it,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Just bring the cart and trays back when you¡¯re done. If you have any leftovers, you can leave them here or bring them back and I¡¯ll serve them at The Gift.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Nori said. She had assumed all speaking responsibilities when it came to Rowan. ¡°Thanks for setting this up.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. Try to have fun.¡±


    Nori waited until Rowan left before letting out a heaving sigh and stomping over to Archie.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    She held out her palm. Three pieces of gold and some silver.


    ¡°We spent over a gold on meat,¡± she complained. ¡°If Rowan hadn¡¯t provided us with all of this other stuff, we wouldn¡¯t even be clearing two gold.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been cooking like ten hours straight,¡± Archie groaned. A glare from Nori reminded him that he had lost his right to complain. ¡°I, uh¡ªI mean, two gold is two gold. That¡¯s just uh¡ªfifty jobs. Fifty jobs and we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Nori¡¯s shoulders sank. ¡°We¡¯re serving nearly twenty people. I¡¯ve got another job set up next week where we¡¯re only serving ten. We¡¯ll be lucky to make a single gold from that one! Besides, you think you can keep this pace up fifty times this semester? On top of classes?¡±


    Archie resisted the urge to sigh. Complaining wouldn¡¯t get him back in Nori¡¯s good graces.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes,¡± he said. ¡°You just tell me what to do. However many jobs it takes.¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­¡± Nori brushed her hair back and squeezed it as she thought. ¡°It¡¯s not about more jobs. We need better margins. Richer clients. We need to be cooking for people in the Crown, not the Roots.¡±


    ¡°But then we lose Rowan¡¯s connections. Who do you know that lives in the Crown?¡±


    Nori sucked in her bottom lip and let it out with a pop. ¡°Julienne will know someone.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Archie couldn¡¯t help but sulk.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Archie chewed on his lip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nori.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Pick up the tongs, they¡¯re coming in. And smile. Maybe we can still get a tip out of this.¡±

 Chapter 39 - A Lesson in Combat

    On a cold, sunny winter morning, the first-years stood side-by-side in a line out in the fields. They only moved to fidget nervously as a man walked across their ranks, assessing their souls with a piercing gaze.


    They had been buzzing with energy for the first two weeks of the semester in anticipation of conjuration class with the great Tarragon. Anise could hardly control them in her class. But now, in Tarragon¡¯s presence, the students were speechless.


    He reached the end of the line and turned to walk back the other way. Despite the eyepatch covering his left eye, he did not turn to look at them. But Archie felt his gaze all the same.


    Tarragon¡¯s reputation was legendary, and Archie knew his story well. In just his third year as a student, Tarragon qualified for the premier division of the Chef Circuit, the predecessor to the IKC that would grow to dominate headlines in Archie¡¯s day. Tarragon was the youngest in the premier division, but that didn¡¯t stop him from winning it all in his second season.


    But after an unprecedented run of four straight championships, Tarragon¡¯s career took a turn when the Unification War started. His fame was used and leveraged to sway support in favor of unification. He became a household name, his likeness adorning a hundred banners that lined the streets of Ambrosia City. He toured amongst the troops, improving morale through his cooking as well as his unbeatable skills in combat.


    But he wasn¡¯t just a show pony. As the legend went, Tarragon and the future Grand King Flamb¨¦ were the two greatest warriors in the western forces. Together, they led the charge into the Urokan throne room and forced a surrender, but not before one side of Tarragon¡¯s face was crushed in combat, leaving him with an eyepatch and red, splotchy skin on his left cheek.


    He returned home and still competed, but the disadvantage proved too great, and he retired after two lackluster seasons, leaving behind a horde of fans that wondered, ¡°what if?¡±


    Now in his sixties, Tarragon still was as intimidating as ever. He had stopped competing, but he had never stopped taking care of his body, which put the teenagers in his presence to shame. His tan skin still stayed tight against muscles, his black jacket doing little to hide their impressive form. His hair had gone white but remained full, spiked up at the front. He scratched at his well-trimmed white goatee as he walked.


    Finally, Tarragon reached the end, turned, and spoke.


    ¡°Two of you will die in battle,¡± he said, his voice full of grit and gravel. ¡°One in eight Chefs die that way. I count fourteen of you. And the odds rarely work in your favor.¡±


    His single icy blue eye darted around from student to student, his piercing gaze as overwhelming as a lighthouse. Archie shriveled once the light shone on him. It was as if Tarragon was determining which two it would be.


    Surprisingly, it was Sutton that broke the students¡¯ silence. The word ¡®statistically¡¯ must have emboldened him.


    ¡°That statistic is influenced by the prevalence of war in the past,¡± he said. He pushed up his glasses, keeping his hand in front of his face to hide behind. ¡°In the last one hundred years, it¡¯s really one in ten.¡±


    Archie expected Tarragon to declare insubordination, but the old war hero just chuckled.


    ¡°Thirty years without war,¡± he said. ¡°Long enough for those who know its horrors to be replaced by young men eager to create a new world in their vision. Thirty years of peace does not work in your favor, young man. It only makes war overdue.¡±


    A breeze blew through the silent crowd. Tarragon inhaled deeply, one side of his mouth curling down into a frown. Perhaps he had underestimated his ability to kill the mood of an entire class. He grunted as he forced himself to smile.


    ¡°Anyway. I¡¯m here to teach you conjuration.¡± He smoothed out the back of his hair. ¡°And that¡¯s not just war. It¡¯s not just combat, either. There are practical applications, but¡­Well, I think it¡¯s important that you all learn how to protect yourself.¡±


    Archie thought of the licertes. He had done almost nothing to figure out how to make healing noodles or harden his skin with sugar. But maybe this would be his chance.


    ¡°Your jackets have opened many doors for you. But they also make you a target. Thieves, robbers, ransomers. Slavers.¡±


    The students exchanged harrowing looks.


    ¡°You might be safe here, but out there¡­¡± Tarragon looked out at the forest. ¡°The world is not as ruly as people in the city might have you believe.


    ¡°And if you manage to become an Executive Chef? When a Restaurant makes a hundred gold in a night, what stops someone from coming in and taking all that for himself? When was the last time someone tried to rob Cafe Julienne?¡±


    He looked at Julienne, nodding to prompt a response.


    ¡°Four years ago,¡± Julienne said. ¡°Someone waited in the alley behind the kitchen and attacked my uncle.¡±


    ¡°Four years ago¡­¡± Tarragon clicked his tongue a few times. ¡°Such a long time. What happened?¡±


    Julienne took a deep breath and stuck his chin out, putting on his best stoic expression. ¡°The robber succumbed to their injuries a week later.¡±


    Tarragon nodded and laughed. ¡°See? Four years ago. Since then, a kingdom¡¯s wealth has moved through those doors, but no one¡¯s tried again. But people forget. Just like war. The horrors just become stories, and then someone starts it all up again. And if it¡¯s you out in the alley right now, what happens?¡±


    Julienne looked around nervously. ¡°I¡­uh¡­¡±


    Tarragon leaned in. ¡°You. Die.¡± He straightened back up. ¡°People forget. Someone will try again. You have to be ready. You have to learn how to defend yourself.¡±


    His voice relaxed. ¡°That being said¡­you¡¯re young. I get it. I didn¡¯t learn to fight because someone shook me and told me I¡¯d have to fight to survive.


    ¡°I did it because I wanted to compete. To be adored. I did it because it was fun. So while I want you to be serious about learning, we¡¯re going to have fun doing it.¡± He kicked across the top of the grass and let his foot hang in the air. He brought it down. Hard pivot. Stand at attention.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°FIRST LESSON!¡±


    The students flinched.


    ¡°Conjuration. Head Chef Pomona has informed me that most of you are already ahead of the curve in the techniques of duplication and extension. These are the first steps toward learning conjuration.¡±


    Tarragon pulled an orange out of his pocket. He put his hands around it and twisted, coming away with two whole oranges. ¡°Duplication.¡±


    He tossed one orange into the grass and tore a hole in the other orange. He squeezed out enough orange juice to make a puddle. ¡°Extension.¡±


    He tossed the juiced orange on the ground and held his hand out loosely. His fingers flexed and his palm pushed out. A bucket¡¯s worth of orange juice appeared from thin air. It splashed down on the other oranges, the acid eating their peels off in seconds.


    ¡°Conjuration.¡±


    He swept his arm at the students. A cold fog spilled out from his palm and washed over them, chilling their skin and filling their nostrils with the smell of mint.


    ¡°Conjuration.¡±


    He held a finger up. A small wisp of fire with no source hovered in the air.


    ¡°Conjuration.¡±


    Archie shifted with bubbly excitement. He looked at Nori, who looked back at him with shared enthusiasm.


    ¡°Conjuration is tricky. Take that orange. When I duplicated it, I used my essence to turn two halves into wholes. The more essence in the orange, the more times I¡¯d be able to duplicate it.


    ¡°When I extended it by increasing the juice, the process was very similar. I use my essence to instruct the essence in the orange to extend its capabilities and produce more juice. Again, the more essence in the orange, the more juice I¡¯d be able to produce.


    ¡°But conjuration¡­The only essence I can manipulate is my own and the essence in the air. So I¡¯m already working with less. On top of that, I don¡¯t have the head start of the original object. Getting more juice out of an orange is to tell it to do more. Easy enough. To get juice out of the air? You¡¯re not telling it to do more. You¡¯re changing its reality.¡±


    He closed his palm. As he opened it, an orange grew to fit the space between his fingers. He tossed it at Cress, who caught it.


    ¡°You could eat it,¡± Tarragon said. ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t be any fuller. Because it is a fabrication. A lie. Given time, it¡¯ll return to its reality.¡±


    He nodded to direct everyone¡¯s attention to the orange. The skin splintered and dust floated into the air as if the orange were evaporating.


    ¡°It¡¯ll return to nothing.¡± He gestured for the orange. Cress threw it to him. He tossed it up in the air, but it disappeared in the morning sun and never came back down.


    ¡°Duplication and extension have very practical applications in the kitchen. Conjuration less so. But the process of learning conjuration will still benefit your kitchen work.


    ¡°So how do you learn conjuration? Well, conjuration is two things. First, memory. I remember how the essence of that orange feels in my hand. Second, recreation. I alter my own essence and the essence in the air to match that feeling.¡±


    He conjured another orange for show.


    ¡°So the first part of learning is the exact same as the rest of your studies. I grew oranges. I ate oranges. I cooked with oranges. I performed magic with oranges. The essence of the orange became as familiar to me as a brother.


    ¡°The second part doesn¡¯t have quite as much overlap. You won¡¯t use these specific manipulations in your cooking, but learning this will help your overall ability to control essence. Which brings me to my next point. Before we work on our conjuration, we must first work on our defenses. I can¡¯t have my students accidentally killing each other, can I?¡±


    Tarragon smiled and then remembered something. ¡°Oh, speaking of that, which one of you is Yarrow?¡±


    Yarrow raised his hand.


    ¡°I was warned to monitor you. Supposedly you run a little too acidic.¡±


    Yarrow looked at the ground as some students laughed.


    ¡°So, defenses¡­¡± Tarragon took a big sigh. ¡°Defenses¡­look. We said we¡¯d have fun right? Let¡¯s get rid of this whole lecture format and have a demonstration, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± some kids repeated quietly.


    ¡°Yeah?!¡± Tarragon said louder, demanding a response.


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°Alright. We need volunteers. Who¡¯s good with pasta?¡±


    Archie felt his heart skip a beat. He knew he was the best, but he couldn¡¯t admit it. He couldn¡¯t claim to be skilled to such a legend.


    But that¡¯s what friends are for. Oliver stood on his tiptoes and pointed down at Archie.


    ¡°Okay, you,¡± Tarragon said. ¡°Archie right? And¡­¡±


    Julienne¡¯s hand shot up.


    ¡°Julienne. Come on up.¡±


    Archie and Julienne stood in front of the class. Tarragon moved toward the crowd and turned to the two boys.


    ¡°Arms together, like so.¡± He slapped his hands down on his thighs. The boys mimicked him. ¡°Aaaand, don¡¯t panic.¡±


    He whipped an arm toward Julienne. A noodle shot out of his hand and wrapped around Julienne from bicep to knee. Before Archie could react, Tarragon whipped his arm again at Archie.


    The noodle wound around Archie¡¯s body, squeezing the air out of his lungs as it tightened. Reflexively, he tried to spread his arms, but the noodle wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Tarragon said with a big grin. ¡°So before I tell you how to get out of that¡­¡± He turned to the rest of the class. ¡°Who wants to place bets?¡±


    ¡°What¡ª¡± Archie and Julienne protested.


    Tarragon pointed to two spots on the ground. ¡°If you think Archie will escape first, stand over there. If you¡¯re team Julienne, over there.¡±


    Yarrow was the first to move, joining team Julienne.


    Barley and Sutton went to Archie¡¯s side as Mindy went to Julienne¡¯s, evening the score.


    Oliver licked his lips and hummed in indecision as Blanche joined Archie¡¯s side, Benedict in tow. Archie felt a sting when Akando and Cress went to Julienne¡¯s side, but felt outright betrayed when Nori did too.


    ¡°What¡­¡± he looked at her with disbelief. She smirked and shrugged.


    Hyssop and Juniper split their votes.


    Oliver groaned as he joined Archie¡¯s side. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to regret this.¡±


    An even split.


    ¡°Interesting!¡± Tarragon exclaimed. He turned to the bound Archie and Julienne. ¡°So the challenge will be to see which one of you can escape first.¡±


    Julienne jerked and twisted.


    ¡°Please,¡± Tarragon laughed. ¡°It¡¯s gonna take more than muscle. I hate to break it to the two of you, but you¡¯re both scrawny. I made it weak, but you¡¯re weaker.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Archie said. ¡°So how do we get out of it?¡±


    ¡°Hold on, hold on. We have to set the stakes. Losing team makes lunch. Agreed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± the students yelled. The stillness of the lecture had vanished¡ªrowdiness reigned. They started cheering for their champion.


    ¡°Come on Archie!¡±


    ¡°You got this Julienne!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, as fun as it is to watch them squirm¡­¡± Tarragon motioned for the students to be quiet. ¡°So, to get out, you just have to undo the magic. Make it return to its natural form. If you can expel more essence into the noodle than it contains, it¡¯ll dissipate.


    ¡°So, more potent attacks are harder to dispel. In this case, I¡¯ve restrained you with a rather weak spell. If I¡¯d done max strength¡­it¡¯d never come undone and it¡¯d squeeze you until you had fewer eyeballs than me.¡±


    He laughed¡ªdoubly so when he saw the fear in Archie¡¯s and Julienne¡¯s faces.


    ¡°No, this is a puny spell. The challenging part is that you two have probably learned how to expel essence¡­through your hands. A lifetime of touch has made that easy. But¡­your elbow? Your hips? Your ribs? You haven¡¯t learned those sensitivities yet. But you need to in order to be able to defend yourself.¡±


    Tarragon looked at the other students. ¡°Well? Let¡¯s hear it? Who¡¯s ready to start?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Oliver yelled as he threw a fist into the air.

 Chapter 40 - Loosening Up

    ¡°Let¡¯s go Julienne!¡± Nori yelled while looking at Archie.


    Archie wriggled back and forth as he tried to dispel the noodle that restrained him. He knew getting out would be more than a physical feat, but he couldn¡¯t help but to squirm in his restraints.


    Okay. Dispel. Essence. Out¡­my¡­elbow. Elbow. Elbow. Where¡¯s my elbow?


    The cheering crowd became background noise as Archie refined his awareness down to a point. He started from the top. He blinked to feel his eyes. Moved his jaw to find his chin. Turned his neck back and forth. Flexed his chest. Flexed his biceps. Flexed his forearms.


    That¡¯s a start. Now do that¡­but¡­with essence.


    He started with his left arm. Essence gathered near his shoulder and slipped down to his elbow¡­and then to his hand and back up like blood. Failure.


    ¡°You got this Archie!¡±


    He tried again, concentrating on the epicenter of his essence as it worked his way down his arm. He tried to slow it down, but his hands were like a magnet, pulling the essence down as it got near. The essence went into his palm and dissipated again. Finesse wasn¡¯t working.


    Archie looked over to check Julienne¡¯s progress. Julienne looked back. His face twisted with exertion, but also¡­anger? Determination? Something about his expression wasn¡¯t just about getting free¡ªit was about beating Archie.


    Archie felt the spark. A competitive fire blazed within him, spurring him on.


    Power, then.


    Archie didn¡¯t try to control the flow, instead just forcing essence into his fingertips. As it surged through his arm, he tried to imagine a valve opening in his forearm to relieve the pressure. For a brief moment, he felt some of his essence glide across the essence of the noodle. Progress.


    At a cost.


    In his concentration on his elbow, he had allowed a large portion of essence to seep out of his hand. Archie weighed the balance of power and stamina in his mind. He needed to pace himself, but he also needed to overcompensate in order to feel essence where he wanted.


    He let the essence surge through his arm again. His essence butted up against that of the noodle. He tried to force them against each other to create a sort of friction. He continued to push essence down his arm. The point of contact grew, allowing Archie to realize that despite Tarragon¡¯s ¡°weak¡± casting of the spell, the essence in the noodle was still much more potent than what he could gather in such an awkward spot in his body.


    And then he had an epiphany.


    He could cheat.


    He didn¡¯t need to overpower the essence in the noodle. He just needed to manipulate it.


    He infiltrated the noodle with his essence and expanded it like the elevator noodle. It loosened and fell around his ankles.


    As Archie¡¯s side cheered for their apparent victory, the noodle binding Julienne started to thin, little holes forming in it as it evaporated. He looked at Archie and then Tarragon, desperate to know who had won.


    ¡°Archie didn¡¯t do it right!¡± Yarrow protested.


    ¡°Suck it, Yarrow!¡± Oliver yelled back. ¡°Never doubted!¡±


    ¡°Who won?¡± Archie and Julienne asked in unison.


    Tarragon laughed. ¡°I suppose you both did.¡±


    ¡°But I actually canceled out the conjuration!¡± Julienne complained.


    ¡°But I escaped first. That was the challenge.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now, now,¡± Tarragon said, holding up his hands to shush them. ¡°Julienne wins for actually dissipating the noodle.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    ¡°But Archie wins for escaping first.¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t do it right!¡±


    Tarragon shrugged. ¡°You think it matters how you do it in battle? It just matters that you do it. That being said, Archie, you can cheat in a real fight, but be sure to do the drill as prescribed during our training.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Archie said with a stern nod. Tarragon had inspired a sort of militaristic response in Archie.


    ¡°Now shake hands,¡± Tarragon said.


    Archie and Julienne exchanged an awkward look. Neither had really spoken since the incident in Cafe Julienne, and any exchange they did have had been as curt as could be. But Archie didn¡¯t want to stay mad at Julienne. And perhaps Julienne felt the same way, because they both extended their hands at the same time. They shook.


    ¡°So who¡¯s making lunch?¡± Oliver asked.


    ¡°Hm.¡± Tarragon looked around at the students. ¡°Well, I suppose these two shouldn¡¯t have all of the fun.¡±


    Tarragon flicked his hand, conjuring a noodle that ensnared Oliver. Then he did the same to Yarrow. With speed and precision, Tarragon managed to bind everyone in a matter of seconds, even rebinding Archie and Julienne again. The students screamed with glee and shock as they all wriggled around.


    ¡°Last team out loses. And if you cheat, I¡¯m tying you up again.¡±


    Julienne managed to escape in just a matter of seconds, robbing Archie of his triumph. Archie diverted his essence to where the noodle touched¡ªhis hip, his knee, his elbow¡ªbut failed every time to sufficiently control his flow. His essence moved on its own like an uncontrollable tempest shifting around his body.


    Julienne coached his team, helping Nori and Akando to dispel their restraints. On Archie¡¯s side, Barley was the first to succeed.


    ¡°Um, Head Chef Tarragon?¡± Julienne called out as he watched Yarrow struggle.


    ¡°Oh wow,¡± Tarragon remarked as he studied Yarrow. The noodle was thinning out, but not due to counteracting essence. Instead, beads of acid had started to grow on the noodle, tearing holes in it. ¡°Okay, okay. You get a pass. I don¡¯t want you to burn yourself.¡±


    Tarragon waved his hand in the air and the noodle disappeared.


    Archie turned his focus back inward. Forget the elbow. Forget the knee. Forget precision He was going to blast his way out of this.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He bent his hand around to put his palm against the noodle and released a blast of essence. He felt his essence collide¡ªnot glide¡ªagainst the essence in the noodle. The forces raged against each other, each claiming a portion of victory. He was reminded of the scar on his leg and how he felt essence fight and die that night.


    Stamina be damned.


    Archie released essence full blast through his palm. It ate away at the noodle like Yarrow¡¯s acid, leaving a small hole. He tried to slide his hand to another spot on the noodle but had no mobility in his arm or wrist.


    He went for his elbow next, overloading his entire arm with essence and letting it out in a wasteful blast. The noodle frayed as it started to vanish.


    Archie prepared to do it again¡­


    ¡­but then he got hungry.


    His breathing grew ragged. Desperate. His chest tightened, even though the noodle had loosened its grip. He thought of the licertes. He thought of the voice. He thought of his grandfather. The essence in the noodle bristled like a rough cloth on sensitive skin. An episode was coming, he just knew it. He needed to get it off.


    ¡°Get me out,¡± he whispered to himself. ¡°Get me out.¡±


    Nori skipped over to him with a grin. ¡°Archie, Archie, Archie,¡± Nori chided. She was all smiles and playful mockery. ¡°I expected more from you.¡±


    ¡°Get me out,¡± he whispered again, louder this time.


    ¡°Archie? You¡¯re pale.¡± In a flash, Nori went from playful to concerned. She furrowed her eyebrows, hardened her jaw, and hovered over Archie with an expression he had seen too many times already. ¡°Hey, hey, you¡¯re okay. You¡¯re okay. Look at me. You¡¯re okay.¡±


    Archie looked into her eyes. In the sunlight, they were more brown than black, little slivers of caramel that calmed Archie just enough for him to regain his focus.


    He opened the floodgates. His essence slammed to one side of his body like a wave. He let it flow freely from his skin. It burned against the noodle. The other side of his body went numb.


    But it worked.


    The noodle started to disintegrate. Archie thrashed against it, forcing it to unravel as it loosened. Nori pulled off a chunk as the rest fell.


    ¡°See? See? You¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­yeah.¡± Archie rubbed his eyebrows as he tried to get a handle on his breathing. As his color returned, so did his playfulness. ¡°You traitor,¡± he joked. ¡°Picking Julienne.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called sucking up,¡± she said through gritted teeth as she punched his shoulder¡ªsofter than usual since she couldn¡¯t be sure if he had truly recovered. ¡°We need his connections. I talked to him the other day. He might have something for us.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Archie hated relying on Julienne. It hadn¡¯t been so bad doing it once, since Archie and Nori were theoretically doing him a favor by helping him for his birthday trial. But after screwing up that opportunity, Archie didn¡¯t want anything from Julienne and definitely didn¡¯t enjoy holding his hand out begging. Archie hated himself for getting Nori into a mess that he couldn¡¯t solve alone.


    The feeling was tighter on his chest than the noodle had been.


    ¡°Team Julienne wins!¡± Tarragon announced. Archie turned to see Sutton as the last one still wrapped up, his glasses askew on his face.


    They gathered in the fields again the next morning, jittering with excitement about what the day¡¯s class would bring. They speculated wildly, suggesting maybe a repeat of the noodle challenge, or maybe their first foray into conjuring something themselves, or maybe learning more advanced defensive techniques like skin transformation. The possibilities of conjuration had driven them into feverous anticipation.


    ¡°Laps!¡± Tarragon yelled to start the class.


    The students looked at each other with confusion.


    ¡°Laps!¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Walk it, jog it, whatever. Everyone¡¯s going around that lake today,¡± Tarragon seemed pleased by the groans from the students. ¡°What? You think being fit doesn¡¯t matter? Wrong! Get in touch with your body, get in touch with your essence! Be glad it¡¯s just one lap today. Go. NOW!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with these teachers and running,¡± Oliver complained as the students all started shuffling their feet toward the lake.


    ¡°Archie, hold up a second,¡± Tarragon said. He waited until everyone else ran out of earshot. ¡°Are you okay? After yesterday?¡±


    Archie looked down at his feet. ¡°So you noticed.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Tarragon scratched at his slightly deformed cheekbone. ¡°I¡¯m friends with Rowan. He told me about¡­He told me to keep an eye on you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Archie kicked at the dirt. ¡°Did he tell you about all the secrets he kept?¡±


    Tarragon chuckled. ¡°He told me that, too. He¡¯s human. Just like the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°When I first came here, I didn¡¯t think Black Jackets were human,¡± Archie sighed. ¡°I thought, at that point, you must be something more.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Tarragon pinched his black collar. ¡°Am I more than just a man?¡±


    Archie shrugged. ¡°From what I know, yeah.¡±


    Tarragon grinned. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have plenty of chances to disappoint you. But so far, I¡¯m impressed with you. You have a fighter¡¯s spirit, you know.¡±


    Archie lifted his face to Tarragon¡¯s, but this time, the Head Chef¡¯s single blue eye wasn¡¯t piercing. It was a cool ocean of sympathy.


    ¡°I do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You panicked, yeah, but you didn¡¯t give up. You found a way through it. You even did it the right way instead of cheating.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be!¡± Tarragon clapped a hand on Archie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I meant what I said when I called you a winner. There are a lot of Chefs who really think¡­narrowly. You showed lateral thinking. And lateral thinkers always make the best fighters.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, think about it. When two experienced fighters go head to head, the one that wins is often the one that gets off the first surprise.¡±


    Archie thought back to Pepper Ivy getting Tataki drunk during their fight. Tataki was undoubtedly more skilled, but Pepper Ivy had tricked her way into a win.


    ¡°So tell me, fighter,¡± Tarragon continued. ¡°What¡¯s your plan?


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Look, even the bookish students spend their first few months cooking in the kitchen but fantasizing about fighting out here. So how far have you gotten on your own? I see you¡¯ve already gotten some pastamancy down. What else are you good at? What do you want to learn?¡±


    An uncontrollable grin formed on Archie¡¯s face. He¡¯d been waiting for someone to ask.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡± Archie¡¯s voice couldn¡¯t contain his excitement. He had been waiting for someone¡ªanyone¡ªto ask. The fact that he got to talk shop with one of history¡¯s greatest fighters was almost too much to handle. ¡°I figure I need three things¡ªdefense, close combat, and ranged combat.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Tarragon said, trying not to laugh at the boy¡¯s giddiness.


    ¡°Defense. Candied skin. I¡¯ve been growing sugar cane and making some candy, but I really should be making more. I figure that¡¯s going to be tough to learn¡ªgetting essence to form all over my body.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It requires full body control,¡± Tarragon said, nodding. ¡°It¡¯s good to have something that can encase your entire body.¡±


    Tarragon held his forearm out to Archie. Something about it seemed different. Archie poked at it. Tough. He ran his finger across Tarragon¡¯s forearm. It felt like leather.


    ¡°I went with the rind of an orange,¡± Tarragon explained.


    Archie smiled. ¡°Cool.¡± His voice whipped back into a frenzied pace. ¡°Close combat, I think I¡¯ve got that covered with pasta. I feel like I¡¯m already pretty good at it. If I could use it like a whip. Or a lasso. I could restrain things.¡±


    ¡°So far so good. And ranged combat?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± Archie said with a little pout. ¡°Best I¡¯ve got so far is blueberries. When¡­¡±


    The thought of the licertes made him pause.


    ¡°When¡­I¡¯ve thrown blueberries before. They¡­hardened and it felt like they sped up after they left my hand. But they¡¯re just blueberries. What can they do?¡±


    Tarragon laughed. He conjured an orange and threw it at a boulder forty feet away. Upon impact, the orange splintered the boulder into a thousand pieces, shrapnel flying over the field.


    ¡°They can do quite a bit,¡± Tarragon said. ¡°That being said, it¡¯s not all about the damage you do.¡±


    A memory struck Tarragon, making his posture relax and his eyes wander off into his past.


    ¡°Ya know, back in my fighting days, there was this guy¡­it was¡­Jimbu¡­maybe Jahkya? Some Khalyan name. Anyways, he was strong as an ox, but slow.


    ¡°Now, there¡¯s ways you can make yourself faster, and we¡¯ll talk about that, but even with that, this guy just couldn¡¯t close the gap. But he had a deadly punch, so keeping that gap was important. He was slow, but if he landed that punch, he won.


    ¡°I went four matches against him untouched. Then that fifth match he threw blueberries at me and they exploded into this thick purple mist. It really hung in the air. Like a smokescreen. Couldn¡¯t see through it.¡±


    He nodded and laughed at the memory.


    ¡°And then what happened?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°He came through the smokescreen when I wasn¡¯t ready and I woke up the next day unable to see straight.¡± He laughed. ¡°I think it was my only loss that year.¡±


    Archie laughed. Aubergine, Quince, Pomona, and even Colby had all been great. But this was the teacher he had been waiting for.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a deal with you,¡± Tarragon said, poking his finger into Archie¡¯s chest. ¡°Keep fighting, but let yourself be a kid. My life changed when I went out into the real world, and I¡¯ve made the best of it, but I was never able to just be a kid again. That¡¯s my big regret. Do that, and I¡¯ll teach you some stuff.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    They shook hands. Tarragon nodded at the lake.


    ¡°Now just because they got a head start doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll excuse you for finishing in last place.¡±

 Chapter 41 - Harper Kent Catering

    ¡°Archie¡­Archie¡­¡±


    Archie rolled over and pulled the blankets up to his ears.


    ¡°Hey¡­wake¡­hey¡­Archie.¡±


    Something shook Archie¡¯s foot.


    ¡°Archie, wake up,¡± Nori whispered.


    ¡°Go away,¡± he groaned. It was still dark. ¡°We agreed to meet at nine.¡±


    ¡°Things changed. Get up.¡±


    The bed above Archie creaked. ¡°Nori?¡± Oliver slurred, sleep still heavy on his lips. ¡°Did you spend the night?¡±


    Nori yanked on Oliver¡¯s toes, making him yelp.


    ¡°Come on, Archie.¡±


    ¡°Uuuugh. Let me get dressed. Pomona¡¯s kitchen?¡±


    ¡°No, the flower one.¡±


    Archie nodded and waved her away. He slunk out of bed and had to stand up right next to the window to have enough light to button his jacket. He dragged his feet up the stairs and into the kitchen known for the dried flowers hanging from its racks.


    Nori operated three separate stoves and had already occupied twenty feet of counter space.


    ¡°How long have you been up?¡± Archie asked.


    Nori¡¯s quick words matched the pace of her cooking. ¡°At least an hour. I waited until sunrise to get you.¡±


    ¡°I thought we were meeting at nine.¡± Archie peered into a pot of rice before being pushed aside by Nori.


    She didn¡¯t have time to look at him, too busy pouring this sauce into that container and stirring that pan¡ªall with one hand as her other hand flipped raw chicken over in a plate of flour and bread crumbs.


    ¡°The plan changed.¡±


    ¡°Are we not doing the birthday party anymore? For uh¡­¡± Archie snapped his fingers as he tried to remember. ¡°For uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Chip Sampson. You need to remember this, Archie.¡±


    ¡°Right, Chip Sampson. Turning eleven. Got it. So we¡¯re still doing his party?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But the guest list has gone from twelve to twenty six.¡±


    It was like a cold splash of water hit Archie¡¯s face.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Mindy let me know last night when she got back from Cafe Julienne.¡± Nori kneaded dough with one hand while washing the other in the sink. ¡°The Sampsons were there for an early celebration and wanted her to pass along the message. Apparently the people of Caviar Court really wanted to try our cooking.¡±


    Archie snorted in disbelief. The people of Caviar Court were the richest in all of United Ambrosia. They had Blue Jackets as personal Chefs. Archie and Nori would have never landed the opportunity if it weren¡¯t for Julienne¡¯s connections.


    ¡°Why are they so excited about us?¡±


    Nori dried off her hands and breathed deeply. Archie figured it was her first slow breath of the day. ¡°Harper Kent Catering.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s how I positioned our service. No one in the Crown¡ªlet alone Caviar Court¡ªis going to pay for a couple of Orange Jackets to cook for them. But getting catered by a couple of upcoming prodigies from legacy names? That¡¯s worth some social capital. And that¡¯s the only capital these people still need.¡±


    Nori started chopping a pile of bell pepper and tomatoes with a speed Archie could hardly comprehend. They often debated who was the better cook, but there was no doubt that Nori was twice as capable with a knife. She cut faster than he could despite still giving him a portion of her attention.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Archie blinked. ¡°You used my name? Without asking?¡±


    The knife stopped. ¡°Well, yeah. Isn¡¯t that what you want? To establish a reputation?¡±


    Establish.


    ¡°Restore,¡± he corrected. ¡°Restore a reputation.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°My last name is not yours to use.¡±


    Nori swallowed her words and returned to chopping.


    Archie looked around the kitchen. There were crabs and fish and shrimp and ramen noodles and oysters. ¡°My name didn¡¯t matter though, did it?¡± he asked.


    The cutting stopped again. For as much as Nori wanted to power through their prep work, she knew she was treading sensitive waters. She brushed the sweat from her brow with her forearm.


    ¡°They were more excited about being served by a Harper, yes. It¡¯s hard for them to find authentic Urokan food. If you could even call it authentic when it¡¯s made with all of this stuff here.¡±


    She motioned around at the food that filled the kitchen.


    ¡°And¡­where did all of this come from?¡± Archie asked.


    Nori sucked in her bottom lip.


    ¡°Nori? Is this all from the Academy?¡±


    She took a deep breath.


    ¡°Nori. This is stealing.¡±


    She slapped the knife down on the cutting board. ¡°Look. I stocked the pantries and freezers, right? I know what we have too much of. It¡¯ll be fine. And we¡¯re going to get paid double since they increased the guest list.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Archie¡¯s moral reservations waned with the promise of payment. ¡°How much¡­¡±


    ¡°Five gold.¡±


    Archie¡¯s morality stepped to the side. They had done three catering jobs in the Roots and barely came away with five gold. Now they could double it in a single day?


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna make five gold?!¡±


    ¡°Ten. Five was the original payment.¡±


    ¡°Ten?!¡± Archie¡¯s morality decided to take a long sabbatical. ¡°Ten?!¡±


    ¡°Yes. So get started! Finish that dough,¡± she commanded. ¡°Don¡¯t use any essence on that one. That¡¯s the bread. Then you can get started on another for pasta. Use your essence on that. But not too much. You need to save yours.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Nori took a handful of salt, pouring half into a sauce and the other into a pot of water. ¡°They wanted authentic Urokan food¡­and they wanted entertainment. So¡­¡± She licked her lips and grinned. ¡°I¡¯m the cook, you¡¯re the clown.¡±


    She giggled and flicked the rest of the salt at him. She was finally back to teasing Archie instead of avoiding him. Nature was healing.


    ¡°Entertainment? What am I supposed to do?¡±


    Nori snapped her fingers repeatedly and pointed her knife at the dough, prompting Archie to action. ¡°Make blueberries bounce or whatever. Extend a noodle. Duplicate some stuff. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Archie blinked, still feeling some sleep behind his eyes. Groggy and agitated, he put his frustration into the dough.


    ¡°Also, make sure you act like we¡¯ve been doing this for a while,¡± Nori said as she started skewering the vegetables. ¡°I may have exaggerated our experience.¡±


    ¡°Nori.¡± Archie lifted his hands from the dough. ¡°Nori. This is crazy. This is Caviar Court! They¡¯ll sniff us out.  We don¡¯t know enough magic to entertain them. We¡¯re not ready for this!¡±


    Nori stabbed the vegetables more aggressively. ¡°It pays ten gold.¡± She walked off to the pantry, knowing Archie couldn¡¯t argue.


    He put his knuckles back into the dough.


    They worked through lunch, Nori shooing away anyone that tried to share the kitchen with them. Once everything was as prepared as it could be, they loaded it up in a cart and made their way across the Crown. But that meant passing the keep.


    ¡°Well, well, well, what¡¯d¡¯we have here?¡± Stop Him walked away from the gate, stopping the cart with the butt of his spear.


    ¡°We have business in Caviar Court,¡± Nori answered.


    ¡°Mmm, is that right?¡± Stop Him leaned his face in toward Archie. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring anything for me?¡±


    Nori looked between the two. ¡°Archie, do you know him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Archie sighed. He needed to end the conversation before Nori¡¯s bullheadedness caused any problems. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t bring anything for you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    ¡°But! I¡¯ll bring you something next time, okay?¡± Archie smiled, even if the guard didn¡¯t deserve it. ¡°We¡¯re just in a bit of a rush.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Alright.¡± Stop Him pulled his spear away from the cart. ¡°Don¡¯t forget.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, here he comes,¡± Mrs. Sampson warned the party guests.


    Along the northern ridge of the Crown, a walled off neighborhood known as Caviar Court hosted most of the city¡¯s wealthy. It was one of the few places in the city that was spacious enough to allow a lawn, and no one¡¯s compared to the Sampsons.


    The magnificent home boasted three wide stories and a narrower set of three more. While the ornate stone rose like a tower for another three floors, the rest of the third floor was dedicated to a raised terrace lawn and garden that overlooked the rest of the scenic neighborhood.


    The guests gathered around the terrace, the adults outnumbering the children two to one. Archie and Nori had set up in the outdoor kitchen¡ªa little slice of stone flooring, granite countertops, and a stove and oven setup that belonged in the finest of restaurants, not a private home.


    Nori and Archie started to move away from the kitchen to join the rest of the group, but Mrs. Sampson shooed them back.


    ¡°No no! You should be cooking when he arrives. He¡¯ll love it. Can you like, make the flame shoot into the sky or something?¡±


    The busybody didn¡¯t wait for an answer, shuffling back into the crowd to prepare.


    Archie looked at Nori with a sly smile. ¡°Can you make the flame do that?¡±


    Nori shook her head and laughed.


    ¡°I think we have a little cinnamon powder. Toss that in the fire when he gets here,¡± he said. ¡°And if my dad asks, I don¡¯t do that anymore.¡±


    Nori rummaged through their jars of spices and found a cinnamon stick. She smashed it with her fist in a hurry.


    And then it was time.


    ¡°Surpriiiiiiiiiise!¡± the group yelled.


    Chip Sampson, freshly eleven and having enjoyed a breakfast out on the town with his father, screamed in delight at the surprise party. Like many of the guests, Chip¡¯s love of eating was immediately apparent from his size.


    But even amongst the overweight and obese, Chip and two other adults stood out, their bodies warped into big blocks with shoulders that extended far above their heads.


    Archie swallowed hard.


    Gluttons.


    He hadn¡¯t encountered any since the revelation of his heritage. Just being around them made him dizzy.


    He hadn¡¯t even known that a child could be a Glutton. Chip¡¯s shoulders and hips were larger than any of the normal adults, and his thighs spilled over his knees.


    The Gluttonous boy held his balled up porky hands beneath his double chin in a delightful shock.


    ¡°And look!¡± Mrs. Sampson held her arms out toward the outdoor kitchen. The crowd split, letting Chip see Archie and Nori. ¡°Chefs from the Academy of Ambrosia!¡±


    Nori heard her cue, throwing a handful of crushed cinnamon powder into the open flame.


    In his urgency, Archie had failed to tell her to throw only a pinch.


    A flash of flame leapt up ten feet into the sky, nearly taking Nori with it. But the stunt paid off. Chip fell to his knees, threw his hands into the air, and let out a guttural cheer. The crowd laughed and clapped.


    With great effort, Chip rose and charged through the crowd to the kitchen.


    ¡°What have you got?¡± he asked, already reaching blindly over the counter. His hands found the crab legs¡ªa lovely arrangement by Nori, legs sticking out of a wide vase like a bouquet.


    But Chip didn¡¯t care for loveliness. He snatched a leg and snapped it like a twig. He didn¡¯t bother to pick the meat out, just putting the leg to his lips and sucking in meat and shell fragments alike.


    ¡°Butter!¡± he demanded.


    Archie pushed it across the countertop, careful not to put his fingers out in case the little monster got toothy.


    Mrs. Sampson hovered over. ¡°Oh, my Chip, so impatient!¡± She looked at Archie as she rubbed her hand through Chip¡¯s hair. ¡°He wants to be a Chef, you know,¡± she said with the misplaced pride of someone who¡¯s child had accomplished their goal already. ¡°Are these ready to go out?¡±


    She took the vase of crab legs without an answer, taking it to a glass table in the yard and leaving Nori with a frown.


    She had poured her heart and soul into the food. Nori didn¡¯t care to make seafood, but it was still her greatest strength, and Mrs. Sampson and her guests were dying for authentic Urokan food. But while the women gushed over the food, the men started to pay more and more attention to Nori. Occasionally, the wind would catch the guests¡¯ conversations and whisk them over to Archie and Nori, carrying words like ¡°exotic¡± and ¡°rare beauty.¡± With each passing minute, Nori grew more and more uncomfortable.


    For the feast, Nori prepared the majority of the dishes as bouquets, each in their own vase. For appetizers, four vases of crab legs, one having already been tucked under Chip¡¯s arm. For the main courses, four vases each of shrimp skewers and salmon skewers. Nori placed the vases on platters, flat pieces of sushi circling the arrangements like fallen petals.


    And finally, the talk of the party, two vases of fried octopus¡ªthe Head Chefs of the Academy would spend the next few weeks wondering what happened to their valuable supply of octopus.


    And beneath each vase, sticking out of one side like a calling card, a single folded piece of nori.


    Along with these arrangements, Nori set out several loaves of brioche bread and filled an entire cauldron with lobster bisque. For drinks, she prepared lemonade for the children, and Mrs. Sampson provided white wine for the adults.


    A vial of moondrop wine made its way around the party. Even the birthday boy got a little sip to ease the pressure on his bones.


    Archie was blown away by Nori, conceding defeat to both her culinary skills as well as her industrialness.


    But even with Nori¡¯s colossal effort, half of the battle had yet to be fought.


    It was time for the entertainment.

 Chapter 42 - Clown Show

    ¡°Do some magic!¡± Chip Sampson demanded.


    Equipped only with a pocketful of blueberries and a handful of pasta, Archie stared down the horde of children as they ran up to him. They swarmed him, forcing him to step back onto the raised paved walkway that bordered the lawn. He looked over the thin wooden guardrails, figuring the ground to be a fatal forty feet away. He took a step away from the edge.


    ¡°Alright, alright, everyone take a seat.¡±


    Ever since being attacked, Archie had a one-track mind¡ªwill this help me fight? But that morning, spurred on by the desire to apologize to Nori, to make Nori happy, to make Nori smile, to keep Nori here, his mind emptied out all other thoughts, focusing entirely on one thing.


    Parlor tricks.


    Theatricality didn¡¯t come easy to Archie, so he decided to not be Archie. He¡¯d be Aubergine. With a dramatic unfolding of his arm, he pulled a single blueberry out of his pocket and held it up for everyone to see. Some of the adults had moved on to the liquid portion of the meal and watched Archie from afar¡ªNori recreated her lemon drop martinis and tried to stretch the two bottles of sake she had taken from Colby¡¯s pantry.


    Showtime.


    Chip scooted forward, just ten feet away from Archie. ¡°Wassat?¡± he asked impatiently.


    ¡°Here.¡± Archie tossed the blueberry to Chip¡ªwith massive frying pans for hands like Chip¡¯s, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch it. ¡°Now toss it ba¡ª¡±


    Chip popped the blueberry in his mouth. ¡°This isn¡¯t magic!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ªokay¡­¡± Archie sighed. The show must go on. He took another blueberry. ¡°Now toss this one back to me.¡±


    Archie tossed another blueberry to Chip, who promptly devoured it. The children burst into laughter, some of the adults giggling in their wake.


    All except for one child. A little girl, maybe seven or eight, born blonde but starting the process of becoming a brunette, with some baby fat left hanging on her cheekbones, and pale blue eyes that glared at Chip.


    ¡°Let him do his trick,¡± she complained to Chip. The boy being five times larger than her did nothing to deter her from commanding him. Archie snorted. A Nori in the making.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine. I have plenty.¡± Archie grabbed another blueberry, still taking the time to hold it up for everyone to see. He considered throwing it overhand, wondering if he could thread the needle of the boy¡¯s chubby cheeks and put the berry into his eye.


    He refrained.


    Another underhand toss, another blueberry in Chip¡¯s belly. More laughter. Archie looked to Nori, who forced an over-the-top smile back at him.


    That¡¯s right. Smile. Smile like you¡¯re about to make ten gold.


    ¡°Oh, Chip,¡± his mother said. Archie couldn¡¯t tell if she was protesting her child¡¯s behavior or proud of him for making the other kids laugh so hard.


    Archie forced a laugh and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I got about thirty of these, so we can do this all afternoon.¡±


    He grabbed another blueberry. Held it up. All while maintaining a smile, he imagined the blueberry exploding in Chip¡¯s stomach.


    He tossed it. Chip ate it. Kids laughed. As funny as ever.


    Chip stared through his eyebrows at Archie, relishing the ruined plans. Archie¡¯s smile disappeared everywhere but his curled lips, his eyes wide as they fixated on the little Glutton.


    And then Chip jerked as if someone shook him. He grimaced and put a hand to his stomach. He breathed out long and controlled¡ªthe way that someone does when they threw up in their mouth a bit. Or if they had something explode in their stomach.


    Archie answered Chip¡¯s confused look with a nod and let his smile warp into a natural, mischievous grin.


    Yes. I did that, you little twerp.


    ¡°Alright, Chip. Now toss this one back to me.¡±


    Archie tossed a blueberry to Chip, who stared at it in his hand as if it took all of his willpower not to eat it. Chip threw it back overhand, making Archie reach to keep it from flying off the edge of the building and suffering an unfortunate splat below.


    Archie displayed the blueberry between two fingers. ¡°Just one blueberry,¡± he said. With his other hand, he placed two more fingers on the berry.


    ¡°Ready?¡± he asked the kids. They remained quiet, but they shifted anxiously, wondering what would happen next. Archie wondered if something would happen next.


    He had duplicated blueberries several times before, but in front of an audience, his palms started to sweat. He felt the essence of the blueberry and split it down the middle, now holding two whole blueberries and breathing a sigh of relief. The kids sat up straighter to get a better look, cooing with ooo¡¯s and aaa¡¯s. Even a little bit of Orange Jacket magic was enough to get their attention.


    Archie tossed the blueberries to the kids, throwing them just out of reach of Chip. The kids scrambled to try to catch the blueberries, the little blonde girl managing to catch one as she giggled.


    ¡°Hey that¡¯s mine,¡± Chip protested as he yanked at the girl¡¯s arm.


    Something paternal snapped in Archie.


    ¡°Hey!¡± he barked, letting his frustration get in the way of his showmanship. Chip jumped. The adults jumped. Not good. Archie did his best to act like it was part of his act, not an outburst. ¡°Toss them back and I¡¯ll show you the next part of the trick.¡±


    The kids tossed the blueberries back to Archie.


    He held the two blueberries up again between thumb and pointer. ¡°Now two¡­¡±


    He dropped two and caught four in his palms. He tossed the blueberries one at a time out to the kids who fought each other to catch them.


    ¡°Now four!¡±


    Not trusting the children to be able to throw accurately, Archie walked around and collected the blueberries. The little blonde girl grinned as she handed him the blueberry. If he was performing for anyone, it was for her.


    He closed his hands around the four blueberries.


    Putting it back together is easier than taking it apart. It wants to be one. It wants to be one.


    He opened his hands to reveal a single blueberry.


    Some more mild ¡°ooo¡¯s.¡± Archie let the blueberry slide out of his palm and into Chip¡¯s hands. Chip popped it in his mouth with a grin. The kids laughed again.


    Archie took a deep, frustrated breath as he looked around. The kids were having a good time, but the adults were running out of food and stood with arms crossed, unimpressed. And kids weren¡¯t the ones paying them.


    Okay. Okay. I need more.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    He walked slowly back up to the raised walkway, giving him time to pour essence into a few blueberries. He turned with a spin, tossing a blueberry into the air. It rose as a single berry, but fell as ten, showering the kids. The adults started to crack a little, little smiles and pleasant grunts.


    Archie performed the trick again, but won no new fans. They needed more.


    Okay. Let¡¯s try something new. Delayed release. I made that blueberry explode in his stomach. Just like that.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try stepping it up a notch, shall we?¡±


    He dumped essence into a handful of berries and threw them all at once into the air. They went up as ten, they came down as ten. The kids caught them and picked them up off the ground.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work,¡± Chip complained, having managed to snatch up three blueberries.


    Archie knew what would happen next. The blueberries would multiply in the childrens¡¯ hands.


    But when Archie used his essence, he wasn¡¯t just thinking about multiplying berries.


    He was thinking about the delayed release of the one that exploded.


    Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!


    The blueberries popped like firecrackers, splashing the children with an unnatural amount of juice.


    The children first reacted with fear, then laughter. But for the adults, fear turned into worry. They had dressed their children in their best clothing, eager to show how much better off they were than their neighbors. Now, the finest children¡¯s clothes in all of Caviar Court¡ªin all of United Ambrosia¡ªwere all splattered with blueberry juice.


    ¡°Hey!¡± one of the adults yelled.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± another yelled.


    ¡°That better wash out!¡±


    The adults all moved toward Archie with fire in their eyes.


    Archie imagined Mrs. Sampson¡¯s coin purse closing.


    Nori to the rescue.


    From the corner of his eye, Archie saw Nori throw something. A second later, a cherry tomato hit Archie in the ribs, red juice bursting across his entire side.


    It got the biggest reaction of the party.


    The children roared. The parents¡¯ stunned silence turned into stunned laughter.


    Archie held his hands away from his clothes, juice dripping from his fingertips.


    Nori rode the wave, handing out cherry tomatoes to the kids and yelling, ¡°get him!¡±


    Archie barely had time to turn his back as a barrage of tomatoes came at him. The kids stood to get better leverage, going for the kill with each throw. Even some of the parents joined in, pelting Archie with no mercy. If he was lucky, the tomatoes splattered and covered him in juice. If he wasn¡¯t, they bounced off like stones.


    Everyone but Archie was having a great time.


    Once they ran out of tomatoes, the kids chased each other around the lawn as their parents polished off glass after glass of wine. Mrs. Sampson retrieved bath towels for the kids, sparing a handcloth for Archie.


    ¡°Alright, Archie is going to perform another trick and then we¡¯re having blueberry cheesecake for dessert.¡±


    ¡°Blueberry cheesecake!¡± Chip cheered.


    That¡¯s right. One more trick. The first trick I ever learned.


    Archie pulled out a foot-long linguine noodle, dangling it for the crowd to see. He whipped it around in a circle and let it dangle once more, this time hanging two feet.


    ¡°He¡¯s just stretching the dough!¡± Chip complained. ¡°That¡¯s not magic.¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± Archie walked up to the boy. ¡°Grab one end.¡± He lowered his voice to a whispering growl. ¡°Don¡¯t. Eat it.¡±


    Chip grabbed the end of the noodle. Archie felt the flow of essence in the noodle change, shifting toward the little Glutton.


    ¡°How far do you think it¡¯ll go?¡± Archie asked. He nodded his head, compelling Chip to walk away.


    The noodle got longer and longer, five feet, ten feet, but never thinned. Chip yanked on the noodle, creating a few feet of slack that fell at his feet.


    ¡°Cool!¡± he shouted.


    Chip ran around the lawn, his hand high in the air with the ribboning pasta trailing behind like a streamer.


    The noodle was reaching its limit, the essence in it draining at an unnatural rate. Archie had managed nearly forty feet during his test run that morning, but here, with Chip on the other end, he felt the noodle thin out at just twenty feet. He walked to follow Chip, retracting the noodle at every opportunity.


    Something stirred deep within Archie. He remembered the first-year feast so many months ago, Nori holding the other end of the noodle. Her essence had filled the noodle and coaxed Archie into adding his own. There was an act of giving to it.


    This was the opposite. The essence of the noodle drained out toward Chip, but there was something else. Something went back up the noodle to Archie. A hunger. He fought the urge to pull all of his essence out of the noodle. It took so much focus that he lost awareness of their surroundings.


    ¡°Chip! Be careful!¡± Mrs. Sampson yelled.


    Chip looked back at his mother, his legs tangling as his neck turned. He tripped on the raised walkway and launched into the guardrail. The wood cracked and splintered, cradling him on the edge. Parents screamed.


    ¡°Chip!¡±


    The fence gave out. Chip fell over the edge and out of view. But he still had the noodle in his grasp. Archie dug his feet into the ground. He held the noodle tight. Every last bit of essence that remained in him poured into the noodle, strengthening it.


    ¡°Help! Heeeeeelp!¡± Chip yelled, his voice growing distant.


    The weight of Chip catapulted Archie forward, sending him tumbling across the grass. He managed to catch the edge of the raised walkway, arresting Chip¡¯s momentum.


    But Chip was a heavy boy.


    Archie could tell the noodle barely held. And even worse, as Archie poured essence into the noodle, Chip seemed to siphon off more and more of it. With each passing heartbeat, the noodle weakened.


    From earning ten gold to being imprisoned for killing a noble family¡¯s kid.


    Nori to the rescue.


    She wrapped her body around Archie¡¯s back, her lower body keeping him from falling while her arms reached around to grab the noodle. As much as she had done that day, Nori still had a little bit of essence to give.


    With the parents screaming helplessly in the background, Archie and Nori made the noodle as strong as a metal cord.


    ¡°Extend it,¡± she said through gritted teeth.


    Archie did as she said, extending the noodle longer than he ever had before. Twenty feet. Thirty. Forty. And with a little extra push from Nori, fifty.


    The noodle went slack.


    We dropped him.


    Archie and Nori and the kids and all the parents rushed to look over the edge. Chip sat flat on his butt on the paved cobblestone, unharmed and laughing.


    He yelled up at them.


    ¡°If anybody eats my blueberry cheesecake, I¡¯ll kill them!¡±


    Archie dropped the noodle over the side.


    Chip ate all fifty feet of it.


    Archie thought the noodle would be too tough to be eaten, but Chip didn¡¯t seem to struggle with it at all.


    As the party wrapped up, one of the other parents approached Archie and Nori.


    ¡°Great job, great job,¡± he said, giving Nori a pat on the back. He moved to do the same to Archie but stopped when he saw the red-stained, juicy, sticky shirt that clung to Archie¡¯s body.


    ¡°My name is Sorghum Ackers. You may call me Mr. Ackers. My daughter, Teff, will be having her birthday in a couple of weeks.¡± He pointed at the little blonde girl that had won Archie over. ¡°She absolutely loved your magic tricks. If you promise that she won¡¯t fall off any buildings, I¡¯d love for you two to cater.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Archie said with no hesitation.


    Nori used her arm to corral Archie away. ¡°How much?


    Mr. Ackers twiddled his fingers. ¡°Oh, um. How much did Mrs. Sampson pay you?¡±


    ¡°Ten gold,¡± Nori answered.


    ¡°Okay. I can do that.¡±


    ¡°That was a special deal,¡± Nori said. She crossed her arms and managed to look like she didn¡¯t need the money. Mr. Ackers had a hundred pounds, a foot of height, and three lifetimes of money over Nori. But he had nothing compared to her determination. ¡°Our normal price is fifteen. Ten for the service, five for ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He scratched his chest and puffed out his cheeks. He blew the air out as he nodded. ¡°Of course. Just be sure to have some new tricks,¡± he said at Archie. ¡°Do you anticipate¡­more mess?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡ªI mean¡ªmaybe. Yeah. Yeah. Probably,¡± Archie said.


    Mr. Ackers nodded thoughtfully. ¡°We¡¯ll be sure to dress appropriately. And¡­Uh¡­¡±


    He checked to make sure no one watched him, leaned in, and whispered. ¡°Do you think you could make¡­uh¡­¡±


    He clicked his tongue. ¡°Actually, nevermind. More of the same would be good. We don¡¯t get seafood prepared this way often. Maybe there¡¯ll be¡­another opportunity. At some later date.¡±


    Archie wondered what the man was hiding. But Nori only had one thing on her mind.


    ¡°Fifteen gold,¡± she reiterated.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Fifteen gold.¡±


    ¡°We need the five up front. For ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course, of course.¡±


    Mr. Ackers handed over the money. Nori managed to hide her smirk until he left.

 Chapter 43 - Target Practice

    For the entirety of the first semester, the students had fantasized about conjuration class.


    After the first couple of weeks, the students would rather be in Colby¡¯s kitchen.


    In the mornings, they ran. ¡°Know your body to know your essence,¡± Tarragon told them. Archie had a runner¡¯s build, and by the second week, everyone struggled to keep up with him.


    Then they¡¯d get a little early afternoon break to practice some cooking and think about their innovation project, but most of them just spent the two hours catching their breath.


    In the afternoons, they would continue to work on their essence control by escaping from increasingly powerful noodle restraints. Archie struggled to keep up with Nori and Julienne. Everyone made strides, Sutton managing to escape some basic restraints, and Tarragon dedicated his time to helping Yarrow to control his acidity.


    One afternoon, the second-year students carried out trays of snacks and drinks. ¡°Head Chef Pomona saw everyone running, so she had us work on our refreshers,¡± one of the students explained.


    They set down a feast of finger foods. A crudite platter with crunchy vegetables, marinated feta, and tart cherry compound butter. A tin of little pie bites with sweet fig jam and blue cheese. A bowl of spiced pecans and another of candied walnuts. Two dozen puff pastries filled with cranberry and brie¡ªgone in seconds. Roasted pears wrapped in prosciutto¡ªthe students got over their initial trepidation and devoured the pears once they realized how good they were.


    After a few bites, Archie¡¯s muscles relaxed. He regained control of his lungs. His heart slowed to a normal pace. Magical rejuvenation. He looked up at the sun, realizing how lucky he was.


    As they ate, Anise came down from the Academy, a large roll of parchment paper in one hand while her other hand stabilized a heavy bag of flour on top of the natural hunchbacked nook of her neck. Tarragon drove four-feet tall wooden stakes into the ground in one long row, leaving a few feet between each stake.


    Anise trailed behind, pinning a sheet of paper to make the stakes look like an easel and canvas. Then she threw a smattering of flour on the paper and smoothed it out, covering the paper all the way to the edges.


    As the students speculated, Barley came huffing in from the lake. Last place. At least he had the decency to throw up before he joined the others.


    Oliver dipped a cucumber in a white bean dip and put it up to Barley¡¯s mouth. ¡°Eat up, big guy. You¡¯re okay.¡±


    Barley nodded and fought back tears as he accepted the food.


    ¡°Alright, is that everyone?¡± Tarragon called from the field. ¡°Everyone over here.¡°


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave the rest with you,¡± Anise told Tarragon before leaving. She turned to the students. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your projects! Come see me if you need to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Everyone say thank you to Head Chef Anise,¡± Tarragon ordered.


    ¡°Thank you Head Chef Anise,¡± the students said without any idea of what she had done.


    Tarragon walked twenty steps from one of the stakes. ¡°Alright, line up on this line. One person per target.¡±


    Despite the identical targets, the students couldn¡¯t help themselves but to scramble for spots. Archie took his rightful spot next to Nori. Unfortunately, in the shuffle, Julienne found himself on the other side of Archie. They looked away from each other with thinly veiled annoyance. Once everyone found a spot, Tarragon continued.


    ¡°Today we¡¯ll practice ¡®throwing¡¯ our essence. Being able to transfer and manipulate essence through touch can help you in the kitchen, but in the field, you¡¯ll need to know how to send your essence to a target in order to manipulate it from afar.


    ¡°Head Chef Anise, brilliant as ever, has figured out a nice training tool for you. On those targets is a flour that reacts to high concentrations of essence. So if you manage to reach it with your essence, it¡¯ll change colors. First it¡¯ll go yellow, then orange, then red.¡±


    ¡°Cool,¡± Archie said to himself.


    ¡°And of course, we¡¯ll be making it a competition. First one to show some red gets¡­a backstage ticket to the IKC match in a couple of weeks.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Oliver screamed with excitement. He waited for no further instruction, flicking his hand repeatedly at his target dummy to no effect and prompting a laugh from the rest of the class.


    Tarragon laughed with them. ¡°Well, I love the enthusiasm. And as silly as our Oliver might look, I do find that physical gestures help direct the flow. Aside from that, there¡¯s no real trick to it. Just gotta practice.¡±


    He started walking away from the class.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°Lunch. A long one. Maybe when I get back one of you will be on orange. Oh, and¡­pace yourselves. Can¡¯t have any of you passing out.¡±


    The students stood in stunned silence as Tarragon left.


    Then they matched Oliver¡¯s desperation.


    Archie thrust his palm toward his target and tried to push out his essence. He figured the flour wouldn¡¯t change, but he was still disappointed when he was proven right. He thrust again and held his palm out thinking he could keep channeling essence to ¡®push¡¯ toward the target like a stream rather than a wave.


    No change.


    He looked over at Nori, who fruitlessly thrust her hands at the target.


    She caught him looking. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Archie shook his head. ¡°Just seeing how you were doing it.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say I¡¯m not doing it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s like¡­¡±


    Archie put his wrists together and formed a bowl with his fingers. He pushed essence out with a thrust. No change.


    Nori laughed. ¡°You look ridiculous.¡±


    Archie held his hands out to the side and shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll look ridiculous backstage meeting Pepper Ivy. What do you think about that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you buying a ticket or what?¡±


    Archie smiled and faced his target. ¡°Maybe you have to give it a little¡­HAH!¡±


    He grunted as he pushed both his hands forward again. Nothing. Again. ¡°HAH!¡± Nothing. Again. ¡°HAAAAAH!¡±


    Nori burst with laughter. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m gonna have to switch spots with someone. Or find earplugs.¡±


    As Archie laughed, he caught a glimpse of Julienne flicking his fingers repeatedly toward the target. In his concentration, Julienne stuck his tongue out and down, flicking it back and forth from one corner of his mouth to the other. He caught Archie¡¯s glance and threw back a glare.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the tongue?¡± Nori asked.


    Julienne tilted his head down to try to look at his own mouth, mild confusion in his expression. ¡°Huh? Oh, I guess I¡­I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s a habit when I¡¯m concentrating, I guess.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Archie scoffed and redoubled his efforts, desperate to beat Julienne. He threw his hands forward one after the other, thrusting with his palms, flicking his fingers, throwing overhand. Nothing worked. He was about to voice his frustrations, but Julienne beat him to it.


    ¡°Ugh! Why can¡¯t I do this?!¡± Julienne growled to himself. He caught Archie looking again and just sighed.


    And then Archie realized that they were the same. Just a couple of teenage boys desperate to prove themselves. Impatient. Frustrated. Eager.


    He decided to swallow his pride.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Archie could turn his head to Julienne but struggled to make eye contact. ¡°Thanks for uh¡ªthanks for setting us up with that catering job.¡±


    Julienne put his tongue between his lips and squeezed it there, perhaps to keep himself from saying anything rash that would ruin the peace offering. He released his tongue with a click. ¡°Sure. Did it go well?¡±


    Archie thought of the barrage of tomatoes that he had endured. ¡°Actually, I embarrassed myself again. But this time¡­Well, it was for the benefit of entertaining the kids.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Julienne offered an awkward smile. He raised his hand toward the target, but then lowered it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°For uh¡­Look, I don¡¯t remember what words I said¡­to you¡­that night. But¡­I know that I wish I hadn¡¯t said them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ªheh¡ªit¡¯s okay.¡± Archie scratched the back of his neck. ¡°You were under a lot of pressure. I almost screwed everything up. I¡¯m just glad things worked out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a lot of pressure, that¡¯s for sure. My uncle, he, uh¡ª¡± Julienne ran a hand through his gorgeous black hair. ¡°Before that night went well, he would sometimes, uh, in private, call me by my birth name.¡±


    Julienne looked at his feet as he kicked at the dirt. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­I don¡¯t know if anyone can understand what that means. What it feels like.¡±


    While the rest of the class giggled and laughed and made outrageous gestures toward their targets, Archie and Julienne had forgotten about the assignment completely.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Archie said. ¡°Does he still¡­¡±


    Julienne forced a smile. ¡°No. He, uh, he calls me Julienne again. For now. I¡¯m still¡­making twenty dishes for every one that makes it on the menu, but¡­I¡¯m still a Julienne.¡±


    ¡°I hope it stays that way.¡±


    ¡°You two are so cute,¡± Nori chimed from the other side of Archie.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± the boys said in unison as they turned to Nori. She just giggled and went back to trying to project her essence.


    The fun of the situation had been deflated, but that calmed Archie down enough for him to think.


    Okay. Maybe it¡¯s not¡­blast while thrusting. Maybe it¡¯s¡­gather¡­and then push.


    He channeled essence into his hand, letting it pool. It tried to redistribute back to the rest of his body, but he kept pushing it down. Adding to it. Making it denser. And then¡­thrust!


    A small patch of flour turned a light shade of yellow.


    ¡°I did it!¡± He jumped with excitement.


    ¡°What?!¡± Oliver screamed from ten spots down. He stepped out of line to see.


    ¡°Haha!¡± Archie yelled in triumph.


    ¡°How¡¯d you do it?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°I gathered first. It felt like I was holding a ball. And then once it was dense enough, I threw it.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± Nori looked at her hand thoughtfully. ¡°Show me again.¡±


    Archie repeated the process. Channel. Pool. Condense. Thrust!


    No change.


    ¡°Okay, I lost it. But it worked a second ago!¡±


    Nori laughed. ¡°Maybe you just missed the target.¡±


    Archie tried again. He thought the yellow deepened, but he wasn¡¯t sure. He tried again and again, fantasizing about meeting his favorite fighters.


    ¡°Hey Nori, have you ever been to an IKC fight?¡±


    ¡°A few times, yeah. Back in Uroko. You?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, once. Actually, it was my first day here. Tataki versus Pepper Ivy. My first day on my own and I spent all my money in the first few hours. Had to wash dishes for a place to sleep.¡±


    Archie laughed at the memory, but something he said had turned Nori off. She turned her body away from him, ending the conversation.


    Archie thought of pressing the conversation, but decided against it. He needed to focus. He had the chance to meet Pepper Ivy. He tried to imagine the target turning into the red of her hair. He tried again. No change. He got the sense that his essence was just dissipating in the air.


    I need to get it denser first. How can I¡­wait!


    He put one hand around the other¡¯s wrist, pushing essence through both arms down to one hand. He felt the difference. The essence balled up, denser than ever. He thrust.


    A yellow circle covered half of his target, the original circle having darkened to a deep yellow.


    ¡°Look!¡± His excitement made him forget Nori¡¯s standoffish behavior.


    Nori had one single finger pointed at the target. She scrunched it up and extended it again. ¡°I¡¯m on orange,¡± she stated.


    ¡°What?¡± Archie looked at her target. ¡°I don¡¯t see it.¡±


    ¡°Top right.¡± Nori stayed focused as she spoke, moving her finger again.


    Archie saw the change. Just a little circle, barely covering a tenth of the target, but sunset orange. Nearly red.


    Not to be outdone, Archie used his two-hand technique again. The flour turned dark yellow in the center, fraying out to yellow-white on the edges. He looked back at Nori¡¯s. Outside of the small orange patch, the flour was pure white.


    ¡°How¡¯d you get that spot orange already?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wasting too much essence. We don¡¯t need to make it all red. Just a spot.¡±


    Nori poked her finger out again, turning a new spot from white to as yellow as Archie¡¯s best.


    ¡°I¡¯m focusing it to a point. It¡¯s like you said, make it dense. I¡¯m making it pointed. For as much essence as you¡¯re hitting the target with, you¡¯re losing more to the air.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re the expert?¡±


    Nori pointed again, returning to her original spot. It started to ride the border between orange and red. ¡°Results say so.¡±


    Archie redoubled his efforts. Hand on wrist. Channel. Condense. Thrust!


    In Archie¡¯s optimistic view, the yellow had started to turn the faintest shade of orange. But he felt the problem. He felt his reserves draining.


    I hate when she¡¯s right.


    They had been at it for nearly an hour, and Archie was starting to worry what a Gluttonous episode might look like in these circumstances.


    He tried the one-finger technique. The blast radius of his essence shrunk, but it still frayed out at the edges. Unfocused. He tried again. And again. Nori started to break away. If it weren¡¯t for her occasional inaccuracies, she would have already won. Archie settled back to his two-hand technique, but had nothing left in the tank. He could tell that Nori was struggling with the same problem.


    Since it was clear that neither would be winning anytime soon, Archie decided to take a breather and check on the other students¡¯ progress. Nori had the lead over everyone else by half. Julienne had created a lovely painting of a yellow sky with a little orange sun. Blanche had managed the slightest shade of yellow. Benedict had been too focused on talking to Blanche to make any real progress of his own.


    Archie checked on Oliver. His target was as white as fresh snow.


    ¡°Having a little trouble?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Oh ha, ha. Laugh it up,¡± Oliver said through gritted teeth and thrust with his palm again.


    ¡°Even Sutton has a little color!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Sutton said, proud of his little palm-sized patch of pale yellow. ¡°That¡¯s embarrassing for you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Oliver threw his hands in the air. ¡°One more try and then I give up. Ugh, I could use a drink.¡±


    Oliver held his arms straight out to his sides as if looking for an embrace. He swung his hands together into the shape of a bowl and¡ª


    Blubblublbublublub!


    A stream of bubbles, as thick around as Barley, shot from his hands, demanding everyone¡¯s attention. The bubbles kept going and going, fanning out as they got farther, encasing Oliver¡¯s target and the two closest to it.


    Panicked, Oliver turned his palms up to the sky, sending bubbles cascading down on a third of the students.


    ¡°How do I turn it off?!¡± He shook his hands frantically as the students ran for cover. Finally, it stopped.


    Archie walked over and scooped up a blob of bubbles. He sniffed it and recoiled at the burn.


    ¡°No one drink it!¡± Archie warned.


    The bubbles started to pop, revealing three targets that had turned blood red.


    ¡°I win!¡± Oliver yelled. He ran up and down the row of students. ¡°I win! I did it! I win!¡±


    Nori pointed at her target. ¡°Mine¡¯s red, too.¡±


    Oliver continued running, right up to her target, inspecting it closely. ¡°Yeah, a fingernail of red. I just turned THREE targets red!¡±


    He turned back to the rest of the class and pumped his fists up and down in the air. ¡°Victory for Oliver! Victory for Oliver!¡± he screamed, trying to get the students to chant with him. No one joined him, but he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°PEPPER IVY HERE I COME!¡±

 Chapter 44 - Four Children Honored

    ¡°I have no clue.¡±


    ¡°Same.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Me neither.¡±


    ¡°Wow, there¡¯s not a creative bone in you bunch. I know what I¡¯m going to do. But it¡¯s a secret until I master it.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Oliver.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, shut up, Oliver.¡±


    The students of the lounge echoed the sentiment as they ate their breakfasts.


    ¡°What about you, Mindy? What are you doing for your innovation project?¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Mindy leaned back as far as she could in her chair, running her fingers through her dangling blonde hair. ¡°Something with sauces. I really like sauces. They¡¯re my favorite thing to make. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do, though.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± Benedict said as he snapped his fingers. ¡°Sauces get sticky in the pan. It¡¯s tough to wash them out. So what if you made a sauce that cleaned the pan?¡±


    ¡°Benny, they already make that sauce,¡± Oliver chirped. ¡°It¡¯s called soap.¡±


    ¡°Oliver, be nice,¡± Blanche scolded. Benedict looked at her with lovesick eyes. He would let himself become the laughing stock of the world if only it meant Blanche would be at his side defending him.


    Blanche pointed at the door. ¡°Nori. Archie.¡±


    They turned to see Rowan waiting in the open doorway. He smiled and motioned for them to join him. Archie groaned as he got up.


    ¡°I was hoping we could go for a little walk,¡± Rowan explained.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Nori said. Archie shrugged.


    They made their way back up to the main building of the Academy, winding through the walkways that had been etched into the mountain.


    ¡°So, I heard you two had a catering job in Caviar Court.¡± Rowan looked back at them with a slight smile. But Archie could sense the hidden disapproval. ¡°It must have paid well.¡±


    ¡°Ten gold,¡± Nori bragged. She possessed none of Rowan¡¯s shame. ¡°And we have another job lined up. At this rate, we won¡¯t have to work over the summer.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Rowan kept his eyes forward as they passed through the great hall. ¡°It went well then?¡±


    ¡°Well, Archie almost let a kid die¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Archie sighed. ¡°I was the¡­entertainment. Doing tricks with blueberries and noodles. The birthday boy, this¡­little Glutton, he¡­was running and stretching the noodle and fell over the edge of the building, but we managed to hold on and lower him safely. It was a whole ordeal.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re¡­serving Gluttons, then?¡± Rowan¡¯s voice dripped with thinly veiled disapproval.


    ¡°There were a couple, yeah.¡± Nori exchanged a worried frown with Archie. ¡°But this next job¡­we weren¡¯t hired by Gluttons.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­be careful.¡± Rowan scoffed. ¡°Be careful,¡± he muttered to himself.


    Upon arriving at the Children¡¯s Square, Rowan stopped and turned.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving later this week,¡± he said. ¡°And I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be back by the end of the semester.¡±


    ¡°I thought the Uroko trip wasn¡¯t for another month?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. But I¡¯m going to¡­I¡¯m going to Sain, first.¡± Rowan offered a sorrowful smile at Archie. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to face my demons. Plus, I haven¡¯t seen little Arty in twenty years.¡±


    Archie imagined his father and Rowan talking over a meal at Petrichor. For as much resentment as he currently harbored for them two, he wanted to be there with them.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure, given your recent success at Caviar Court, you two will be just fine. You won¡¯t need me. But I do want to apologize for¡­¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°For not sticking around to help. My departure is¡­a selfish one. I hope you¡¯ll allow it of me.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nori said.


    But it wasn¡¯t Nori¡¯s approval that Rowan sought. He looked at Archie.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Archie nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Rowan took another breath, this one relieving him of some unseen weight. ¡°Well, since I¡¯m leaving, I still have a regret that I¡¯ve yet to address. I feel as though I have not done a proper job articulating what I had hoped to instill in you.¡±


    He looked up at the statue of Ambrosia. ¡°The spirit of giving¡­Doing something for others¡­It¡¯s what this world was built on, even if we¡¯ve forgotten our ways.¡±


    He watched all the people passing by, his face full of lament.


    ¡°Do you two know the story of the four children?¡±


    ¡°For the most part,¡± Nori answered.


    Rowan looked at Archie, forcing an answer.


    ¡°Vaguely. I know that they founded the four kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡± Nori pressed her lips together and exhaled through her nose. Archie had touched some well-trodden nerve. Rowan chuckled. ¡°Not Uroko.¡±


    ¡°Well, in my advanced age, I fear I have learned to love to talk too much,¡± Rowan said. ¡°So if you¡¯ll allow me, I¡¯ll tell the story and what it means to me.¡±


    When no one protested, he continued.


    ¡°So we know where we started. Before Ambrosia, some one thousand and something years ago. We know she died 1,135 years ago, but there¡¯s no telling how long she lived. Some say fifty years. Some say five hundred. The first written record we have of her, she was already pregnant with her first child. They said there wasn¡¯t a father.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°The world was cruel. Not made for humans. It was a world taking, not giving. Things like licertes were as common as squirrels. And the ground was hard. Things didn¡¯t grow. Humans were nomadic out of necessity, surviving by foraging and hunting while running from terrible creatures. There are cave paintings of trolls and banshees and giant snakes and many such monstrosities.


    ¡°Old stories described Ambrosia as a beacon of energy that could be felt from miles away. The creatures were repelled by this energy, allowing the first people to settle and create a city. In many ancient texts, it¡¯s described simply as ¡®The City.¡¯ During Ambrosia¡¯s life, it lacked a proper name. It was only after Ambrosia¡¯s death that they saw it fit to name it properly.¡±


    Rowan sighed and looked at the four statues that made up the square.


    ¡°And Ambrosia had four children. They were the first to inherit her gift. Before she passed, she assigned each of them a task. They were to go out into the world to find other groups of people and spread their gift. When Ambrosia died, they took her ashes, shed their names, and set out to create new identities in the civilizations they were to lead.¡±


    He motioned to a statue of a woman that faced the northeast. She was the homeliest of the bunch¡ªthe craftsmanship was so superb that any ugliness must have been intentional¡ªand dressed in a sort of parka with a hood pulled up over her head.


    ¡°The eldest child traveled to what we now know as Khala. There, she encountered two warring civilizations. One belonging to humans and one belonging to yetis. They lived in constant conflict with each other.


    ¡°The humans took her in, naming her Tamani. She used her magic to create the first stronghold. Eventually, after the yetis were beaten, they negotiated. Tamani allowed them to live, but they were to only occupy the highest peaks of the north where they would be undisturbed. But before sending them off, Tamani felt a great pity for robbing them of their homeland and gave them her last pouch of Ambrosia¡¯s ashes so that they might spread them as they traveled.


    ¡°As peace spread across the region, the people flocked to Tamani and named her queen. She died of old age and was buried in the mountains, as was their custom.¡±


    Rowan gestured toward a second statue, this one facing north west. She wore a leather tube top with feather-stuffed bracelets on her wrists and biceps. The sculptor had managed to capture a certain wildness that wasn¡¯t present in the others.


    ¡°The next child went to what is now Kuutsu Nuna. She found a resilient group of nomads that named her Wasna. The people had survived the hostile lands by following a great herd of buffalo. The buffalo were so many and so fierce that they could drive back the evil creatures, leaving a safe pocket in their wake. As long as the people stayed close, they¡¯d be safe, and they¡¯d be fed.


    ¡°Wasna offered the strength to settle, but her ideals were rejected. The tribe saw her ways as too foreign. So, heeding her mother¡¯s wish for them to assimilate rather than conquer, Wasna decided to live as one of them. She followed the herd for years, spreading Ambrosia¡¯s ashes as they traveled. She became revered as Chieftess.


    ¡°But as the creatures of the old world were driven away from places like Ambrosia City, they found new places to settle. They became too many for the buffalo herd, who started to die off. The tribe feared that soon they would be overrun.


    ¡°Wasna, inspired by her mother¡¯s sacrifice, found her own way of giving back. She walked not behind, but with the buffalo, who treated her as one of their own. As she walked, she fed herself, piece by piece, to each buffalo. Before she could no longer walk, she tied her body to the strongest of the buffalo, allowing her corpse to drag behind and be consumed by the herd.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s intense,¡± Archie commented.


    ¡°That¡¯s the way the world was back then,¡± Rowan chuckled. ¡°Of course, that herd is now the Kuutsu. They took on their magical form and haven¡¯t stopped moving in a thousand years. And while people still follow the Kuutsu, others did end up settling. Kuutsu meat takes days to cook, so naturally, people had to stay in one place long enough to accommodate that cooking time.¡±


    Rowan gestured toward a third statue, the only male of the group, this one facing southwest and dressed in royal robes and a crown.


    ¡°As for Labrusca¡­Before Ambrosia gave them her gift, she nearly gave them their doom. When she drove out the creatures near Ambrosia City, she drove them west, unintentionally wiping out any civilization in Labrusca.


    ¡°The only people that survived were the ones that made it out to the southern island of Lampuki. Ambrosia recognized her mistake and ordered the majority of her ashes be spread across Labrusca. It is believed that is why that land is the most fertile in the continent.


    ¡°And so the third child went to Lampuki where he was named Nectarus. There, he first established trade with Ambrosia City, bringing enough strength to his new people that they could reclaim their home on the mainland.


    ¡°Nectarus ruled as king for many decades and had many children, all profoundly talented Chefs. They prospered, but something still weighed heavily on Nectarus¡¯s mind. He felt that they had stolen away the best of Ambrosia¡¯s gift, and so he decided to send his most talented son, Julienne, back to Ambrosia City.


    ¡°Upon Nectarus¡¯s death, they returned his body to Lampuki and buried him in a temple. I¡¯ve been lucky enough to visit it. It¡¯s¡­when you are there, you can feel Ambrosia¡¯s presence.¡±


    Rowan gestured toward the fourth and final statue, a young teenage girl with the prettiest face of the bunch facing east, her hands clasped together near her chest in a posture of humility.


    ¡°And now we have the fourth child. And this one¡¯s story is quite different from the others. You see, the other three all became the leaders of their civilizations. It¡¯s only natural. Early stages of civilization always lead toward crowning one person as a leader. It¡¯s just a matter of when that leader has enough power and influence to gather an entire nation of people.


    ¡°But the fourth child set out to Uroko and didn¡¯t find a nomadic tribe or fleeing refugees or little camps of people. She found a nation fully formed. Before Ambrosia City, there was the nation of Uroko.


    ¡°The reason we know when Ambrosia died is due to the extensive written history of Uroko, which predated Ambrosia¡¯s death by nearly three hundred years. Their history documented the arrival of the fourth child well.


    ¡°At first, the Urokans rejected her. They did not need her strength. They had driven the creatures out of their islands, giving them the ability to gather enough strength to create strongholds on the mainland that could grow crops for the rest of the nation.


    ¡°The child lived in the forests of the mainland. She spread some of Ambrosia¡¯s ashes in solitude. Eventually, kinder creatures inhabited the forest. Amongst these new creatures, the child befriended a great white stag.


    ¡°After many years, the child rode the stag into one of Uroko¡¯s coastal cities. The people saw her on that great white stag and took her in with wonder. She used her gift to bring prosperity to the town. The people called her Shinsen and began to worship her. The ruler of Uroko traveled to the mainland and upon seeing her, fell in love. They married and their line still rules to this day.¡±


    ¡°But, as with Ambrosia and as with all of her other children, Shinsen had a moment when she felt that she needed to do more. Across the narrow sea, a great winter took Khala, lasting three years. Tamani had given some of Ambrosia¡¯s gift to the yetis, so the lands of Khala were not as fertile as the other lands. Many died of starvation.


    ¡°Shinsen saw the prosperity of her nation and could not sit idly by while another suffered. And so she took her great white stag, the mythical creature that it was, the symbol of nobility, across the sea and butchered it for the people of Khala. It was said that a single bite of the deer could keep someone nourished for a month.¡±


    Rowan looked around and sighed. ¡°You see, the true spirit of Ambrosia, the reason we call her magic a gift¡­it¡¯s all about giving back more. Doing more. If you have secured comfort in your life, it is your duty to give to those with less. We have an obligation as a society to raise up those who struggle the most. Failing to do that, we become no better than the monsters that ruled the earth before us.¡±


    He looked down and pulled at the hair of his eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s a lesson that, at times, I had forgotten.¡±


    Archie put a hand on Rowan¡¯s shoulder. He felt no resentment. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Nori added. ¡°But it¡¯s not always so black and white, is it?¡±


    The question perplexed Archie and Rowan.


    ¡°You had a detail wrong,¡± Nori explained. ¡°At least, partially wrong. When you said Shinsen¡¯s line still rules Uroko. When Shinsen returned to Uroko after feeding her stag to Khala, the king was outraged. He turned the nation against her.


    ¡°At the time, they had one son together, and she was pregnant with twins. He took the son from her, and yes, his line is the royal line. But the king disowned the twins before they were born and exiled his wife. So she gave them a last name of her own choosing. Harper.


    ¡°And then when she died, they didn¡¯t bury her in a temple. They just threw her body out to sea. Her children saw her generosity as her doom and vowed not to make the same mistake again. Something they instilled in their children and their children¡¯s children.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Rowan looked long and hard at Nori, searching her soul. ¡°I hope you¡¯re the one to break that cycle, then.¡±

 Chapter 45 - And Another Child Forgotten

    ¡°Forgot about me, did ya?¡±


    Stop Him put his hand on Archie¡¯s chest, stopping him.


    ¡°You better have something in there for me.¡±


    Nori slapped Stop Him¡¯s hand away. Being a foot smaller did nothing to deter her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡ª¡±


    Archie groaned and set down the handles of the cart.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Nori. Really.¡± Archie shuffled around and lifted the cloth from their cart. He dug in the icebox and procured an oyster. ¡°Here.¡±


    Stop Him looked at the shellfish with skepticism. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Archie, that¡¯s for our guests.¡± Nori and Stop Him glared at each other.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Both of you, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s an oyster. You scoop out the inside.¡±


    Stop Him wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°It¡¯s not cooked or nothing?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Archie extended his hand out to the guard. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­an oyster.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Stop Him tilted his head away and looked down at the offering. ¡°Is it spicy?¡±


    ¡°What? No. It¡¯s¡­an oyster. Do you want it or not?¡±


    Stop Him took a long moment to consider before resting his spear in the nook of his arm and taking the oyster. He scooped it into his mouth, and¡­


    ¡°Blegh! Blegh blegh!¡± He shook his head violently back and forth as he forced himself to swallow. ¡°It¡¯s like a booger it is!¡±


    Archie laughed. Nori¡¯s impatience didn¡¯t let her crack even the slightest smile.


    ¡°The rich people love it,¡± Archie said.


    ¡°Rich people, eh? Hm, no wonder I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re already running late. Come on.¡± Nori motioned for Archie to pick the cart back up. She was fine hurrying him, but she¡¯d never volunteer to drag the wagon herself.


    ¡°So how much of this did you steal from the pantries this time?¡± Archie asked as they cooked in the Ackers kitchen.


    ¡°I bought all the meat this time,¡± Nori explained, proud of herself for only stealing a little. ¡°I even replaced some stuff in the freezer. We¡¯ll be fine. I went over budget with the salmon, but¡­we need to be impressive today, Archie. Every job needs to lead to another job. We lose momentum, we¡¯re done.¡±


    Archie picked up a whole frozen salmon. ¡°I don¡¯t like the eyes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Archie,¡± Nori groused. ¡°I¡¯ll handle the cutting.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± Archie tossed the salmon back down on a pile of ice. ¡°Is there like, a cool Urokan way of doing it?¡±


    Nori sighed. ¡°Yes. But I don¡¯t know it. I didn¡¯t study in Uroko. I studied here. Remember?¡±


    Archie lifted both hands in apology. ¡°My bad.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­Just tell me you¡¯ve figured out some new ways to entertain them. It¡¯s one thing to get the parents to enjoy the food, but it¡¯s another thing entirely if the kids are asking for us because of the tricks.¡±


    ¡°As a matter of fact, I have a game for them. I got the idea from conjuration class.¡± He rushed over and rummaged through their things, pulling out a stack of parchment paper with targets drawn on them. ¡°It¡¯s like archery practice. I¡¯m gonna make it so these blueberries explode when they hit something and have the kids throw them at the targets.¡±


    Nori scrunched her face up and frowned at the targets. ¡°They¡¯re just gonna hit you, you know.¡±


    ¡°And I have a plan for that.¡± Archie gave Nori a blueberry and took a few steps back. ¡°I put just a little bit of essence in them, so that¡­Here, hit me with it.¡±


    Nori threw the blueberry. It exploded on Archie¡¯s thigh.


    ¡°Brilliant,¡± Nori deadpanned.


    ¡°Okay, okay, hold on. I wasn¡¯t expecting it that low.¡± He gave her another blueberry and flexed his arm against his chest. ¡°Hit me right here.¡±


    Nori didn¡¯t mind taking a break from cooking as long as the break involved hitting Archie with things. She threw the blueberry and it bounced off his arm.


    ¡°No explosion. I¡¯ve been working on my defenses, you know. I maintain a layer of essence that counteracts the essence I put in the blueberry.¡± Archie kept flexing his arm for Nori¡¯s benefit. ¡°Pretty cool, huh?¡±


    Nori looked at the split blueberry on the ground. ¡°And when they throw the blueberries at each other? What then? It¡¯s just gonna explode on them.¡±


    Archie chewed the inside of his cheek. ¡°Huh. I guess I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    The kitchen door swung open. Mr. Ackers whooped as he pranced in. ¡°How are we looking?¡±


    ¡°Looking good,¡± Nori answered. ¡°These trays over here are ready to go out. Just some finger foods for everyone. We¡¯ll have grilled salmon for the main course. I can have it ready within an hour.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, perfect.¡± Mr. Ackers smiled and patted Archie on the back. ¡°I¡¯ll have my servants come get these. It all looks wonderful. Just wonderful.¡±


    The door swung open again. Obscured by the counter, Archie could only see the top of a big bow walk in.


    ¡°Daddy?¡±


    ¡°Teff, honey!¡± Mr. Ackers scolded as he ran over to stop her from entering the kitchen any farther. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°But I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± Teff balanced on one foot, swinging her other through the air like a pendulum. But when Archie stepped out from around the counter, the girl planted both feet and started hopping, the big bow in her hair bouncing up and down. ¡°The blueberry man!¡±


    Archie laughed as he dug a blueberry out of his pockets. He bounced it across the kitchen to Teff, who caught it and started giggling uncontrollably, heehawing like a donkey.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have salmon soon,¡± Mr. Ackers explained.


    Teff wrinkled her nose. ¡°I don¡¯t like fish.¡±


    Mr. Ackers let out a few frustrated laughs. His voice contained equal parts contempt and impatience. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not for you.¡±


    Teff frowned. ¡°But it¡¯s my birthday.¡±


    Mr. Ackers sighed and looked to Nori for help. ¡°Can you make her¡­I don¡¯t know, a grilled cheese?¡±


    ¡°Grilled cheese!¡± Teff echoed.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Nori said. ¡°Archie?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Matter of fact,¡± Mr. Ackers said, ¡°better make a few. There are a couple more kids than we expected.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°Uh, five kids.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I thought there were going to be twenty five guests.¡±


    ¡°Twenty six, now. With the extra kid. Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Nori assessed their supplies. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine. I thought it¡¯d be more kids, is all.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Mr. Ackers took a breath and looked down at Teff. ¡°Can I leave her here with you? I don¡¯t¡­these kids.¡±


    Nori swallowed her discomfort. ¡°Sure. That¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Great. Teff, stay here. Don¡¯t eat any of the adults¡¯ food, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Mr. Ackers shook his head as he exited the kitchen.


    Archie slid past Nori to grab a stick of butter. Up close, he saw how clammed up she was. Her arms were tucked into her body. Her neck bent as far as it could as she looked down.


    ¡°You okay?¡±


    She winced. ¡°It¡¯s just uh¡­father-daughter things, you know?¡±


    He didn¡¯t. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes my daddy¡¯s not nice to me,¡± Teff observed, her voice devoid of emotion. ¡°I wanted to invite Susie. She¡¯s my best friend. But my dad doesn¡¯t like her dad, so he said no.¡±


    Nori having been the youngest child and Archie having been an only child, neither had any clue how to react to a child¡¯s harrowing musings.


    ¡°So um¡­Teff? What kind of cheese do you want?¡± Archie asked. ¡°We have a few different types¡­manchego, muenster, asiago¡­¡±


    ¡°Yellow!¡± she yelled. ¡°I like yellow cheese.¡±


    Archie laughed, happy to have a child¡¯s innocence to clear the bad air from the room. ¡°Cheddar it is. Nori?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t bring any.¡±


    ¡°My daddy keeps some in the fridge. Sometimes I break off a big chunk!¡± Teff bounced the blueberry up and down, losing it and chasing it and losing it and chasing it. ¡°You can use it because it¡¯s for me.¡±


    Archie found the cheese and got started making Teff¡¯s lunch.


    ¡°I think people should be nice,¡± Teff commented as she stood on her tiptoes to see into the skillet.


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t throw the tomato, you know.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°When everyone was throwing tomatoes at you. I had a tomato, but I didn¡¯t throw it. It didn¡¯t seem nice.¡±


    Archie raised his eyebrows at Nori, hoping she would learn a lesson from the kid. ¡°Well, thanks, Teff. That was nice of you.¡±


    Teff grinned, revealing all of her missing baby teeth. ¡°Did you bring me a birthday present?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Archie tried to think about what he could offer the girl. ¡°Did we¡­Nori?¡±


    Nori clenched her teeth. ¡°You know, I think we forgot.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Teff frowned as she opened and closed one of the cabinets.


    ¡°What would you have wanted?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Candy!¡± Teff hopped a couple of times.


    ¡°What kind?¡±


    ¡°I like lemon candy.¡±


    ¡°Oh! You know who loves lemon?¡± Archie pointed his spatula at Nori. ¡°Nori does!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡±


    Teff giggled. ¡°You should bring me some lemon candy. I won¡¯t get mad, even though you didn¡¯t bring it on my birthday.¡±


    ¡°If we get the chance, we will,¡± Archie said.


    Nori saw her opportunity. Even a child could be a mark. ¡°You know, Teff, if you want us to bring lemon candy, you should tell all of your friends that they should have us cater their birthday parties.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Archie shook his head at Nori. She just shrugged and went back to cooking.


    The party went off without a hitch¡ªat least when compared to dropping the birthday boy from the roof. The kids showered themselves in blueberry juice, even catching a few unwilling adults in their mischief. The adults loved the food, all singing Nori¡¯s praises.


    At first, it bothered Archie that Nori got all of the credit for the cooking. But somewhere along the way, between the way the children giggled and ran and played, he was satisfied to just put a smile on the children¡¯s faces.


    As Archie and Nori packed up their things, Mr. Ackers approached.


    ¡°That was wonderful, Nori,¡± he said. ¡°And uh, Archie, thanks for keeping the kids distracted for us.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nori said. ¡°If anyone else at the party would like to hire us for another event, we have availability.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I was hoping to hire you again myself. Maybe.¡± Mr. Ackers scratched at his neck. He looked around at the butlers that had filled the kitchen to wash all of the plates. He nodded toward the door and escorted them into the great hall of the manor.


    The room itself was a piece of art, a massive open wooden floor with a domed ceiling thirty feet high. Plush silk couches had been arranged over a dark red and gold rug. And above the stone-chiseled fireplace, a tall, perfectly accurate painting of the Ackers family loomed over the room. In it, both parents smiled, yet Teff¡¯s thin-pressed lips and concerned eyes made the whole thing a little macabre.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Archie said, unable to help himself. Mr. Ackers followed his eyes to the painting.


    ¡°Ah, yes, it¡¯s something. If I told you how much it cost, it¡¯d make your head spin. But the artist, he goes only by Chuxay, he¡¯s the best in the city. I thought of getting a lesser artist. We¡¯d lose some of the details in the faces, sure, but we¡¯d save a hundred gold. But then¡­Chuxay told me something. He told me that no matter what happens in the world, time is always constant. And one day, this will be my only remaining memory of this time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Nori said.


    ¡°It is,¡± Mr. Ackers agreed. He grinned. ¡°The most beautiful in Caviar Court. I made sure of that.¡±


    After a brief moment to laugh to himself, he checked to make sure no one watched him, and leaned in to whisper. ¡°So I¡¯ll hire you¡­If. If you could manage to make some¡­kulkida risotto¡­on the side.¡± He did everything but wink. ¡°Myself and some associates of mine would pay very well for it,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯d be our secret, of course.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°Oh, well, you¡¯ll find that we can eat quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°No. How much do you pay?¡± Nori clarified.


    Mr. Ackers looked around again. Archie could practically hear the man¡¯s heartbeat.


    ¡°Well, we should keep it small so that we don¡¯t get caught.¡± Mr. Ackers considered for a moment. ¡°I suppose just three servings. I¡¯ll pay six gold. On top of the rest of the catering.¡±


    Archie and Nori looked at each other, their eyes telling each other the same thing.


    Keep it together. Keep it together.


    ¡°I think we can do that,¡± Nori said.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Mr. Ackers said. ¡°And again, our secret. Some people in my circle would be very upset. Very upset, indeed.¡±


    He twiddled his fingers again and wandered back to the rest of the party. Archie and Nori grabbed each other by the arms in excitement.


    ¡°An extra six gold! For three servings!¡± Nori exclaimed.


    ¡°I know!¡± They hopped around and smiled. But then Archie stopped and rubbed his chin. ¡°But uh, one thing¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s kulkida risotto?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±

 Chapter 46 - The Third Wife

    If Archie and Nori were to learn about kulkida risotto without raising too much profile¡ªsomething that seemed very important to Mr. Ackers¡ªthey only had one person they could turn to.


    But when they asked, they didn¡¯t get the answer they were expecting.


    ¡°That¡­that is something¡­that I don¡¯t know,¡± Sutton said, more suggestion than fact.


    Nori rubbed Sutton¡¯s arm, batting her eyes at him. ¡°Are you sure, Sutton?¡± she asked in a baby voice that nearly made Archie burst into laughter.


    It worked on Sutton. But only a little.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t¡ªuh.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that. And¡­you shouldn¡¯t ask anyone about it.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Sutton,¡± Archie said. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Nori interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Sorry to bother you, Sutton.¡±


    She walked next to Archie and whispered, ¡°later.¡±


    ¡°Alright students.¡± Tarragon clapped his hands twice to get their attention. ¡°You know the drill. Just a couple more days of essence control and defensive training, and then we¡¯ll move on to some real conjuration. I¡¯m gonna give you a real challenge today, so don¡¯t get frustrated if you can¡¯t get it in the first fifteen minutes.¡±


    Tarragon made the rounds, binding each student with a conjured noodle.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been doing well, Archie,¡± Tarragon commented before binding him. ¡°Keep it up and this time next year I¡¯m going to have to actually try when I bind you.¡±


    Archie appreciated the words, but not the consequence. Tarragon challenged him with the toughest noodle of all of the students. After ten minutes, Archie had weakened the noodle but failed to break free.


    Nori rushed over once she got rid of her restraints. ¡°Come on. Get that thing off of you. I have an idea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying. Mine is way harder than yours, okay?¡±


    Nori tugged at the noodle. ¡°It¡¯s the same as mine.¡±


    ¡°Only because I already counteracted some of the essence.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. Cheat if you have to. Just¡­come on.¡±


    ¡°I want to do it right.¡±


    Nori groaned. She waited and stared until Archie freed himself, then grabbed him by the arm and dragged him over to the still-bound Sutton.


    ¡°Hey guys,¡± Sutton said while he squirmed in his restraints.


    ¡°Tighten it,¡± she commanded Archie.


    ¡°What?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Sutton repeated.


    ¡°Tighten it.¡±


    Archie looked around. The other students had waddled around in their restraints, creating a chaotic scene that prevented watchful eyes. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Archie. Do what I say.¡±


    Archie sighed and wondered when he¡¯d be free of his debt. He plucked a loose piece of noodle, adding his essence to tighten it rather than counteract it.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Sutton groaned as the air got squeezed out of him.


    Nori put her face close to Sutton¡¯s, but it wasn¡¯t an act of seduction like before. It was an act of intimidation.


    ¡°Tell us about kulkida risotto or I¡¯ll have Archie tighten it again.¡±


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t know anything about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± Nori commanded.


    ¡°Come on, Sutton,¡± Archie said. ¡°Just tell us.¡±


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Nori glared at Archie. He sighed and reached toward the noodle.


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Sutton said, stopping Archie. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, just quit saying it so loudly! No one can hear you asking about that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Archie asked.


    Sutton wriggled around to make sure no one could hear them.


    ¡°Because making it in Ambrosia City is illegal. And if someone heard you asking about it, they might assume that you plan on making it. And that could bring a lot of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Illegal?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°Yes. Well, in a manner of speaking.¡±


    ¡°Sutton,¡± Archie said. ¡°Is it legal or is it not?¡±


    ¡°Technically, there are no written laws about it. But I¡¯ve had to hide the recipe to keep it from getting burned.¡±


    ¡°Burned? Who wants to burn it?¡±


    ¡°Prince Waldorf¡¯s men.¡±


    Archie leaned in. ¡°Tell the story, Sutton.¡±


    Sutton took a deep breath¡ªor tried to, at least. ¡°Can you loosen this a bit for me?¡±


    Archie looked to Nori for approval. She nodded. He loosened the noodle so that Sutton could breathe. Sutton looked around again. Satisfied with their seclusion, he started.


    ¡°What do you know about Prince Waldorf¡¯s marriage history?¡±


    Archie shrugged. ¡°I know he¡¯s had a lot of wives over the years.¡±


    ¡°Four, if I remember correctly,¡± Nori added.


    Sutton scoffed. ¡°Four is what you¡¯re supposed to believe. But there were five. They destroyed most records of one of the marriages, but¡­well, you spend long enough in the library, you find things that others overlooked.¡±


    ¡°Why are they hiding it?¡±


    ¡°She humiliated him.¡± Sutton wobbled his head around, his glasses shifting left and right.. ¡°Can you fix my glasses? Or better yet, just get me out of this. I¡¯ll tell you what you want to know.¡±


    Nori stopped Archie¡¯s hand as it reached for the noodle. He shot her an impatient look, shook her off, and grabbed the noodle. It contained a humiliatingly low amount of essence¡ªArchie barely even had to try to dispel it.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Ugh, you never know how much you itch until you¡¯re tied up like that,¡± Sutton said as he scratched all over his neck and face. ¡°So anyway, Prince Waldorf is currently married to his fifth wife. The first, second, and fourth all suffered the same fate. People say they were perfectly capable when they married him, but within a couple of years, Prince Waldorf divorced them and they left the relationship¡­broken.¡±


    ¡°Broken how?¡±


    ¡°Their mental facilities¡­They were practically catatonic. It¡¯s hard to know for certain, but I believe they all ended up dying within a few years of the divorce. Rotted away in bed until there was nothing left in them.¡±


    Archie sunk his teeth into his upper lip. ¡°Gluttony, huh?¡±


    Sutton nodded. ¡°I believe that prolonged exposure to a Glutton can have adverse effects. In the case of marriage, in which I can¡­¡± Sutton cleared his throat. ¡°...assume they were intimate¡­I¡ªwell. You get it.¡±


    Archie looked to the surrounding nature and greenery for comfort so that he might avoid creating a mental image.


    ¡°But this third wife. She didn¡¯t suffer the same fate. She ran away.¡±


    ¡°Good for her,¡± Nori said.


    Sutton nodded in agreement but lifted a finger. ¡°Yes, but the how is what matters here. You see, the wedding was this week-long event. And as you can imagine, Prince Waldorf wanted all of the best Chefs to come to Ambrosia City for the festivities.


    ¡°And there was one in particular that he wanted. He had heard of a Chef climbing the ranks and making a name for himself in Labrusca. The Chef only made one dish, but he imbued it with an unprecedented amount of essence.¡±


    ¡°Kulkida risotto,¡± Archie suggested.


    Sutton lifted a finger to his lips and shushed him. ¡°Precisely. Now, this Chef knew he was in demand. He knew Prince Waldorf wanted him desperately. He knew that Prince Waldorf could afford any price. So the Chef named a price greater than any royal ransom. Supposedly, Prince Waldorf and his connections in the military embezzled funds to pay for it.


    ¡°And so, the Chef came to Ambrosia City already on the prince¡¯s nerves, and on the first night, he served kulkida risotto. Everyone loved it, but on the second night, the Chef was nowhere to be found.¡±


    Sutton leaned in, barely speaking above a whisper.


    ¡°Now, this is where we get into some speculation¡­There have been¡­rumblings¡­of a private kitchen in Prince Waldorf¡¯s quarters. A prison, really. Hidden. Now, I have no concrete proof, but I believe this kitchen exists. And that Prince Waldorf has imprisoned Chefs in it. Chefs that were never seen again. There are many instances in which a Chef¡¯s illustrious career path ends with a chance encounter with Prince Waldorf. Many Chefs that have gone missing.¡±


    A chill went up Archie¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Why¡¯d he kidnap the Chef?¡± Nori asked. ¡°Assuming he did.¡±


    ¡°To make more kulkida risotto, of course. And only for him. But¡­¡± Sutton readjusted his glasses. ¡°Supposedly, there was someone that loved the meal more than even Prince Waldorf did. His wife-to-be. The wedding ceremonies continued throughout the week, and the day after they said their vows, the wife was gone. She absconded with the Chef, having fallen in love with the man.¡±


    ¡°Is that speculation too?¡±


    Sutton breathed in through his teeth. ¡°Unfortunately, no. They were found dead together in Lampuki a month later. Murdered.¡±


    They had a brief moment of silence for the dead.


    ¡°So, unofficially, Prince Waldorf has banned the meal from Ambrosia City. It¡¯s not easy to make, so there were only a handful of people in the city that had figured it out. Prince Waldorf stopped all of them one way or another. At first they protested. Then one Chef¡¯s restaurant burned down. Now no one makes it, and Prince Waldorf makes sure to keep it that way.¡±


    ¡°What makes it so hard to make?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the kulkida rice. While being heated, it drains Ambrosial essence at an alarming rate. So the key to normal risotto with something like arborio rice is to pour just a little bit of liquid in, stir until it gets soaked up, then pour a little more.


    ¡°With kulkida risotto, you don¡¯t just pour liquid. You pour essence. Or rather, it takes essence. While you stir, it¡¯ll sap you. And instead of stirring it for thirty minutes, kulkida takes much, much longer.¡±


    ¡°You said you know the recipe?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Sutton backed away. ¡°You¡¯re actually thinking of making it?¡±


    Archie stepped in before Nori could resort to threats. ¡°Please, Sutton. It¡¯s very important to us.¡±


    Sutton pressed his lips together until they turned white, his beady eyes assessing Archie and Nori. ¡°Fine. I hid the recipe away in the library. I¡¯ll get it for you. As far as I remember, it was a pretty simple recipe. The main difficulty will be in finding kulkida rice.¡±


    Nori went from sour to sweet, wrapping Sutton up in a hug. ¡°Aw thanks, Sutton.¡±


    He coughed and fidgeted with his glasses. ¡°Sure. Sure.¡±


    Nori walked away and Archie turned to follow, but Sutton grabbed his arm and pulled him in.


    ¡°Archie. If you¡¯re actually going to make this¡­be careful.¡±


    ¡°I understand how dangerous it is, Sutton. You don¡¯t have to convince me to be afraid of Prince Waldorf.¡±


    Sutton shook his head. ¡°No. It¡¯ll be dangerous for you. From what I¡¯ve gathered, your episodes are driven by negative emotions. Anger, fear, hate. But they might also be triggered by extreme quantities of essence.¡±


    Archie swallowed hard.


    ¡°Please be careful, Archie. Please.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you again, Blanche. You. Need. To. Eat.¡±


    Nori shoved a bowl of lemon orzo into Blanche¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I do eat,¡± Blanche protested, waving around at everything growing in the greenhouse. ¡°I¡¯m picking stuff all the time.¡±


    ¡°You need to eat something other than raw vegetables.¡± Nori stuck her finger in Blanche¡¯s face.


    ¡°I eat fruit, too,¡± Blanche muttered as she scooped orzo into her mouth.


    Archie laughed. It felt good to be on the outside looking in on one of Nori¡¯s bossy moments. ¡°Blanche, are you the one that¡¯s been eating my blueberries?¡±


    Blanche¡¯s cherry-red lips curled into a sly smile. ¡°They¡¯re really good.¡±


    ¡°Better than Nori¡¯s?¡±


    Nori threw a clump of dirt at Archie.


    ¡°Well,¡± Blanche tilted her head from side to side. ¡°Nori¡¯s blueberry bush doesn¡¯t get the attention it used to.¡±


    Nori gestured at the little lemon tree growing in her plot. ¡°Um, hello?¡±


    ¡°Your lemons are really good too, Nori,¡± Blanche said.


    ¡°Not as good as Blanche¡¯s,¡± Archie added.


    ¡°Blanche doesn¡¯t count. If she were growing blueberries, you¡¯d get bumped to second place, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d still be number one in sugar cane.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one growing sugar cane.¡±


    Blanche giggled as she took another heaping bite of orzo, spilling some down her jacket.


    ¡°Have you two figured out what you¡¯re doing for your innovation project?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Archie shook one of his sugar cane stalks. ¡°I did have an idea for you, Nori. For us. A joint project.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Well, I was thinking about what Rowan said. About giving to those in need. And then I thought about Teff.¡±


    ¡°Teff?¡± Nori scoffed. ¡°She lives in Caviar Court. She¡¯s not in need.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the lesson was only about financial need. I mean, you saw the way her father treats her. Her birthday was just a pretense for a social gathering. And you know, she wanted lemon candy. And I was thinking, I don¡¯t want to give her some generic lemon candy, you know?¡±


    ¡°I suppose. Although I don¡¯t really know where you¡¯re going with this.¡±


    ¡°Well, and Blanche, you can let me know if this sounds totally impossible, but I was thinking that sugar cane takes a lot of water, right? But what if we watered it with¡­lemon juice?¡±


    Nori scrunched her eyebrows. ¡°That would kill it¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Blanche interjected. ¡°I mean, under normal circumstances, yeah. But with essence, who knows? You could make it work.¡±


    Archie raised his eyebrows at Nori.


    ¡°Sure,¡± she agreed. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of anything else I can do, so¡­better than nothing.¡±


    ¡°Aw, look at you two,¡± Blanche commented. ¡°Such a good team.¡±


    Nori threw another chunk of dirt at Archie.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Blanche said as she swallowed her last bite. ¡°This was delicious, Nori. It got things moving, though, so I gotta¡­you know.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, Blanche. Eat real food.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Blanche said as she hurried away to the outhouse.


    ¡°So,¡± Archie said. ¡°What are we going to do about the other thing?¡±


    ¡°Well, Sutton is going to get the recipe for us.¡±


    ¡°And the rice?¡±


    Nori sucked in her bottom lip and chewed on it, her eyes drifting around the greenhouse.


    ¡°You have a plan,¡± Archie said. ¡°And you don¡¯t like it.¡±


    She sighed and crossed her arms. ¡°Tataki. Tataki will be able to get it for us.¡±


    One side of Archie¡¯s mouth bent down in a frown. He knew how uncomfortable even the mention of family made Nori. To suggest relying on them? She must have been desperate. ¡°And¡­he¡¯d be willing to do that?¡±


    ¡°You have to ask him,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t.¡±


    Archie couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°So you want me¡­the person largely responsible for helping you escape from your family¡­You want me to go talk to your family¡­Specifically, the best fighter in the world. And you want me to ask him to acquire contraband for us¡­And if any of us get caught, we might be ordered to death by the grand prince of all United Ambrosia. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°...Okay then.¡±

 Chapter 47 - In the Belly of the Beast

    ¡°So what¡¯d you say to Oliver to get him to give up his ticket?¡± Tarragon asked. The tram wobbled on its rails as it took them down the Trunk.


    ¡°I reminded him that I got him his new job,¡± Archie answered.


    Tarragon laughed. ¡°The kid has been talking my ear off about getting to see Pepper Ivy. He must have really felt like he owed you.¡±


    Archie pressed his lips together in guilt. He reminded himself that he didn¡¯t do it for himself. He did it for Nori. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m excited to have you along. There¡¯s a lot to be learned by watching one of these matches.¡±


    They exited at The Serving Bowl, approaching the gates of the great arena.


    ¡°Tickets,¡± the guard demanded. A day of dealing with rowdy drunks had left a permanent scowl on his face.


    ¡°Tickets, tickets¡­¡± Tarragon looked around.


    ¡°Hold on.¡± The guard recoiled. ¡°You¡¯re the Terror, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Tarragon feigned a bow. ¡°The one and only.¡±


    The guard¡¯s demeanor broke into that of a fanboy, his frown turning into a big, open-mouthed grin.


    ¡°Oh, man! You were my dad¡¯s favorite. Do you still fight?¡±


    ¡°Your dad, huh?¡± Tarragon laughed and inspected his wrinkled hands. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s right. No, I don¡¯t fight anymore. Those days are behind me. I¡¯m a teacher now at the Academy.¡± Tarragon nodded at Archie. ¡°Taking him backstage to meet some of the guys.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great.¡± The guard smiled at Archie. ¡°That¡¯s exciting for you. I remember when¡ªoh, forget it. I don¡¯t want to keep you waiting. Show me those tickets and I¡¯ll get you in.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± Tarragon moved his jaw side to side as he looked at Archie. ¡°We uh¡ªthey¡¯re expecting us. Did they not send the tickets to you already?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    Tarragon clicked his tongue. ¡°Man. I don¡¯t know who they were supposed to send them to. I can be forgetful, maybe I have them¡­¡±


    Tarragon dug through his pockets. He pulled out a handkerchief. A couple coins. And then, as if by accident, a stack of little wooden discs that had Tarragon¡¯s likeness burned in along with an autograph.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯m supposed to be giving these out in there, but why don¡¯t you have one? Give it to your dad for me.¡± Tarragon handed a disc to the guard and put the rest back in his pocket. He continued to feign looking through his pockets.


    ¡°Wow!¡± The guard marveled at the keepsake. He looked around to make sure none of the other guards could hear him. ¡°Tell you what, go on ahead¡­but if anyone asks, you came in through the east gate.¡±


    ¡°East gate, got it. Thanks.¡± Tarragon patted the guard on the shoulder as he walked past.


    Archie laughed and waited until they were out of earshot. ¡°Did you not have tickets?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Here we are.¡±


    Tarragon diverted from the main path down a set of narrow stairs. A guard waited at the door.


    ¡°This is the backstage,¡± the guard groaned. ¡°You want to go that way and up to find your seats.¡±


    ¡°Actually, we¡¯re expected. Let¡¯s see, I think they should have sent you the tickets. It¡¯s for Tarragon. Tarragon the Terror.¡± He pointed up at one of the statues that occupied the many alcoves of the walls. ¡°That¡¯s¡­is that me? Well, there¡¯s four statues of me somewhere around here. That¡¯s how many times I won, you know.¡±


    Before going to the fighters¡¯ waiting room, Tarragon took Archie on a tour through the labyrinth of dark, earthy hallways that ran beneath the arena floor. They arrived at a small, dirt-floor room with the most peculiar-looking tree that Archie had ever seen.


    Where the trunk emerged from the ground, the tree was twenty feet across. A foot off the ground, the tree was only ten feet across. A foot higher, five feet across. At the point that the tree rose above Archie¡¯s head, the trunk¡ªif it could be called that¡ªwas only a few inches wide with little spindling branches and a smattering of leaves. It ended just a few feet below the ceiling.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t touch it,¡± Tarragon warned. ¡°That thing has so much essence that if you don¡¯t brace yourself, you¡¯ll get blasted through the next wall.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°That¡­is a tree that is over a hundred feet tall. Currently shrunk to about ten feet. When they want some new terrain for the arena, they expand this back out. The crown of it covers the whole bowl.¡± Tarragon laughed at a memory. ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of good fights up on the branches of this thing.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    They passed through rooms with all sorts of props and decorations¡ªTarragon explained that The Serving Bowl had as many plays and performances as it did fights¡ªand a door with a sign that made Archie shudder.


    WARNING: Gripper vines inside. Opening this door can result in death.


    ¡°If the battle starts to go on too long, they let them up through the floor,¡± Tarragon explained. ¡°More restraining than any noodle I could make. At that point, it¡¯s more man versus nature than anything else.¡±


    Archie gave the door a wide berth. Finally, they arrived at the waiting room, a massive lounge full of places to rest, mirrors to get ready for the show, and Chefs and Veratores tending to the needs of the fighters. For as massive as the room was, it still made Archie claustrophobic, the only natural light in the room coming from small windows that butted up against the ceiling.


    But what really made Archie claustrophobic were all the people in the room. And it wasn¡¯t just the number. It was how legendary those people were.


    Gristle, a fighter who could turn the air sour, was playing dice with Melo, the master of citrus, and Annatto, the human cheese wheel. Little Laurel ate a bowl of gruel unbefitting a Red Jacket fighter. Two Veratores tended to the wounds of Honovi, the fire-wielder, and a man clad in leather known simply as The Crocodile.


    And in the corner mirror, Tataki stared back at his own face. Even in the reflection, his appearance was striking and hard, his black hair nearly shaved on the sides and spiky on top, his big, puffy lips seeming like they¡¯d never held a smile. His deep-set eyes moved, catching Archie¡¯s. Archie looked away, but Tataki¡¯s eyes remained.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Is that Tarragon?¡± a shrill, feminine voice exclaimed.


    Archie turned to the source, finding her in front of another mirror. For as chilling as Tarragon¡¯s presence was, Archie found himself warmed up the moment he laid eyes on Pepper Ivy.


    His eyes followed her thick, wavy hair down to her cleavage where one of her three assistants fussed at her outfit to show just the right amount of skin. She caught Archie looking and smiled at him before waving off her assistants and rising to greet Tarragon with a hug.


    ¡°Oh, you look great, Terry. How¡¯s your wife?¡±


    Tarragon returned the hug with a tepid tap on the back. ¡°I¡¯m not married, Pep. You know that.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± She looked Tarragon up and down with a grin. ¡°I guess I did. And who¡¯s this cutie?¡±


    Archie felt the heat of a thousand suns in that dark, drafty basement. He tried to respond, but could only get as far as letting his mouth hang open as Pepper Ivy ran a finger across his shoulder.


    ¡°Careful, son,¡± Tarragon warned. ¡°She¡¯s like a fairy. Tell her your name and soon she¡¯ll take you for everything you have.¡±


    That sounded just fine with him.


    ¡°I¡¯m Archie. Uh, Archie¡­¡± He considered giving his last name, but he still hadn¡¯t come to a conclusion on whether he was proud or ashamed of it. ¡°Yeah, Archie.¡±


    ¡°Well, Archie, Archie, Archie, you a student?¡±


    Archie¡¯s neck hurt from maintaining eye contact. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s your sponsor?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡ªit¡¯s, uh, Rowan. Knapp. He, uh¡ªhe runs The Gift.¡±


    ¡°Never heard of it.¡± She put a finger to her plump lower lip, pulling it down and letting it flip back up with a little pop. ¡°I run a restaurant, you know. Peppered Roux. We¡¯re not sponsoring anyone right now, but in a couple years, if you¡¯ve got the potential, come talk to me. I wouldn¡¯t mind being over you.¡±


    Archie¡¯s face turned as red as her hair. Tarragon broke the hypnosis, taking Archie by the shoulders. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough,¡± he said. ¡°Watch out for girls like her, Archie.¡±


    ¡°There are no girls like me,¡± Pepper Ivy said as she settled back in her chair and the assistants got back to work. ¡°Good to see you, Terry. Come visit my restaurant. We close at midnight, but you can come later if you want.¡±


    Tarragon shook his head and laughed. ¡°Always a pleasure, Pep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it would be.¡±


    Archie noticed that Tataki had never stopped staring at him.


    ¡°Tarragon,¡± Melo called out. ¡°When are you going to come back to the scene? Be my coach.¡±


    Tarragon¡¯s roaring laugh filled the room. ¡°Oh, no, the coach¡¯s box is not for me. I couldn¡¯t stand to be that close to the arena and not be in the battle.¡±


    ¡°Come back as a fighter, then,¡± Annatto said in a thick Labruscan accent. ¡°You¡¯d probably still be top twenty.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me,¡± Tarragon joked. ¡°No, those days are over for me. This one, though.¡± He patted Archie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I think he¡¯ll be sharing this room with you in a few years. I just got that feeling.¡±


    Gristle stood up and took a step toward Archie. He was a tall, lanky man, like a piece of taffy stretched too thin. ¡°Is that right? Hit me with something.¡±


    The other occupants of the room all looked up at Archie, who looked back around at them. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ªuh¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Gristle said, even less friendly than the first time. The air shifted, filling with a sourness that made Archie¡¯s mouth water. ¡°You¡¯re gonna be a fighter? Hit me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Tarragon stated, his voice full of pepper. ¡°He¡¯s just a first-year. You remember how that was. How quickly it happens. You enter the second semester not being able to do anything out of the kitchen. You enter the second year being able to stand your ground.¡±


    Gristle scoffed. ¡°Come see me in your second year, then. I¡¯ll show you that you don¡¯t have what it takes.¡±


    Tarragon patted Archie on the back. ¡°Alright, well, we should be getting to our seats. Who¡¯s fighting?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be me, darling,¡± Pepper Ivy answered. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be teaching our lovely Gristle here some manners.¡±


    Gristle shook his head and walked to the exit door. ¡°I¡¯m gonna break those nice, lovely legs, sweetie. Don¡¯t spend too long trying to get pretty. You don¡¯t want to be late.¡±


    Once Gristle had left, Pepper Ivy sighed. ¡°I hate fighting him, to be honest. All that sour. I feel like I lose control of my body.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Tarragon scratched his goatee as he walked up to Pepper Ivy. He stared at her assistants until they stepped away. Archie barely made out what he whispered. ¡°So¡­spatula¡­after you swing¡­and then you¡­¡±


    For a moment, Archie saw what he figured was the real Pepper Ivy. No seductive smile, no batting of the eyes, no clever posturing to emphasize her chest, no baby voice. She nodded as she listened, her face wracked by concentration, responding with a lower voice and asking for clarity. She was a student, not even ten years older than Archie, and a fighter. Not some manufactured sex symbol.


    ¡°I have to start going up,¡± she told Tarragon. ¡°Can you walk with me and show me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. Hey Archie. I¡¯ll be back in just a minute, alright? Just stay here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Archie watched them leave before looking at Tataki.


    Tataki had never looked away.


    Archie considered canceling his mission. He could sit back in one of the chairs. Talk to a fighter. Have a good time. Wait for Tarragon to get back and just enjoy the fight. Sure, Mr. Ackers wouldn¡¯t hire them again, but they¡¯d find someone else. They didn¡¯t need the money until the start of the second year. They could work through the summer. They¡¯d probably be fine.


    But probably wasn¡¯t good enough. Archie took a deep breath and walked up to Tataki, maintaining eye contact the entire way. With each step, Archie legs trembled more and more. His stomach squeezed, and he had to remind himself to breathe. He stopped just a few steps away from Tataki.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    Tataki breathed through his nose, his eyes moving back to look at himself. He stuck his bottom jaw out, his teeth poking out.


    Archie¡¯s instincts told him to run. He was the prey, and Tataki was the predator. But he thought of Nori and took another step forward, clearing his throat.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ªuh, I¡¯m Archie. Archie¡ª¡±


    ¡°Archibald Kent,¡± Tataki interrupted, squinting at Archie through the mirror as if saying his name had left a bad taste. He spoke methodically, reading off of some mental list. ¡°Multiple affinities shown. Capable with blueberries and pasta. Only child. Two parents, both Chefs, both Orange Jackets in Sain. No notable affinities or achievements. One cousin of note. A Green Jacket Veratore operating in Rougamo. Pasta affinity. Never seen combat. Sponsored by Rowan Knapp, a Black Jacket of considerable cooking skill, but no fighting experience.¡±


    Archie¡¯s nervousness turned to fear, hardening his resolve. ¡°What are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°In case I need to know who might avenge you.¡±


    The room shrank. Stifling air filled Archie¡¯s seizing lungs. Sweat formed on the back of his neck. But then Archie found something deep within himself.


    Courage.


    ¡°You forgot someone, then.¡±


    Tataki turned, finally going face-to-face with Archie.


    ¡°Say it,¡± Archie demanded.


    ¡°Nori Harper. Orange Jacket. Affinity to seafood, but she rejects it due to a malformed pride. Proficient with citrus, particularly lemon.¡±


    ¡°Shame,¡± Archie corrected. ¡°Not pride.¡±


    Tataki turned back to the mirror, studying his own face. ¡°There is no shame without pride,¡± he monotoned.


    The courage kept building inside Archie. He realized that it was that fighting spirit that Tarragon had seen. This was his first ever fight, and it was with the best in the world.


    ¡°I need something from you,¡± Archie said.


    Tataki took a full second to blink. ¡°You¡¯re making demands?¡±


    Archie stepped forward, breathing down Tataki¡¯s neck. ¡°I need kulkida rice,¡± he whispered. ¡°By the end of the month.¡±


    Tataki shifted to the side and twisted to face Archie. ¡°I could have you arrested just for saying that. And that¡¯s if you¡¯re lucky. You and Nori both. I know she¡¯s in on whatever this is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it was your idea. I hear Prince Waldorf doesn¡¯t think kindly of Urokans.¡±


    Tataki turned back to the mirror. ¡°Why should I help you?¡±


    ¡°What do you want?


    ¡°I want whatever my family wants me to want.¡±


    ¡°Well, if we don¡¯t get this, then next year, Nori will be sponsored by Prince Waldorf. I don¡¯t think your family wants to see their baby girl working for a Glutton.¡±


    ¡°She would come home before she let that happen to herself.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about the same Nori, right?¡±


    Tataki ran his tongue across his top teeth. He offered a conceding sigh. ¡°And she¡¯ll write a letter¡ªof considerable length and quality¡ªto her mother. She hasn¡¯t written her once.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    Tataki shook his head ever so slightly. ¡°One month from today. At noon. She picks it up at the tram stop outside the arena.¡±


    ¡°She picks it up in the Children¡¯s Square.¡±


    Tataki snorted and smiled. ¡°Tarragon said he expects you to be a fighter like us one day. Do you think you will be?¡±


    Archie looked around. Somehow, the legendary fighters didn¡¯t seem so legendary anymore. Just Chefs with experience. Archie could get experience.


    ¡°I just might.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Tataki nodded. ¡°I¡¯d like to fight you one day.¡±


    ¡°I thought you only wanted what your family wants?¡±


    ¡°Oh I do, Archibald Kent. I do.¡±

 Chapter 48 - Rivals

    Julienne punched Archie with full force.


    As the knuckles sunk into Archie¡¯s arm, he heard a crack. Intense pain radiated from the point of impact, sending Archie stumbling away while clutching his bicep.


    Julienne tried to shake away the pain in his hand.


    Archie sucked air between his teeth as he tried to regroup. He walked back up to Julienne, squared up, and punched him in the arm. Archie¡¯s knuckles sunk into leathery skin and slid off.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Julienne yelled in pain as he spun around.


    ¡°You give up yet?¡± Archie asked, panting.


    Julienne answered by wheeling around with his fist, hitting the same spot on Archie¡¯s arm. Another crack. Crystalline flakes fell to the ground. The pain compounded with the previous punch, sending Archie down to one knee. He took a deep breath and squared up to Julienne again.


    Nori watched from the side.


    ¡°You¡¯re both idiots,¡± she said.


    Archie and Julienne both dropped their fighting stances, relaxing their bodies and shaking their heads at Nori.


    ¡°We¡¯re training!¡± Archie said.


    ¡°Yeah, training like idiots,¡± Nori said.


    ¡°Well how would you do it?¡± Julienne asked. He put his hands on his hips and struggled to catch his breath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it wouldn¡¯t involve getting punched.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Nori,¡± Archie said. ¡°Train your defenses without having to defend against anything.¡± He shook his head and squared back up to Julienne. ¡°Ready?¡±


    Julienne groaned. ¡°You¡¯re not done?¡±


    ¡°I got another one in me,¡± Archie said.


    It had happened just as quickly as Tarragon predicted. One week, they could hardly control their essence across their entire body. The next, they could control and command it, getting rid of Tarragon¡¯s flimsy restraints with ease. And a week after that, their essence took physical form.


    Archie and Julienne had been drawn together through training. Others matched their skills or matched their resolve, but never both. Archie saw a possible future beneath the fighting pit. Julienne was just happy to get out of the kitchen.


    Tarragon had coached them through it, helping Archie to conjure hardened sugar against his skin. Archie knew he would remember that first moment forever, his skin crystallizing and glistening in the sun. Julienne¡¯s rindskin was tougher than Archie¡¯s sugarskin, but Archie could punch harder and thus held the advantage.


    ¡°Through the hips,¡± Tarragon coached Archie. ¡°Punch through your hips. That¡¯s where you get the power.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t help him,¡± Julienne protested.


    ¡°And you. When you do your rindskin, start with a wide patch. Once you identify where the blow will land, consolidate it to the point of impact.¡±


    Julienne flexed his arm against his body, focusing his essence. He stuck his tongue out, a concentration tick he had failed to suppress. The hue of his skin shifted to uneven browns.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Julienne said. The brown skin hardened, taking on the texture of a hard cheese rind. ¡°Okay, if you punch me, you know I get to punch back. You can¡¯t tap out when it¡¯s not your turn.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Archie said as he rubbed his fist on his palm.


    ¡°Okay. Go.¡±


    Archie raised his fist, rocking back on one leg.


    ¡°Not so hard,¡± Julienne pleaded. ¡°Not so hard.¡±


    ¡°Stay grounded,¡± Tarragon reminded Archie. ¡°And Julienne, quit sticking your tongue out. You¡¯re gonna bite it off.¡±


    Archie pulled his punch a little. But only a little. As his knuckles sunk into Julienne¡¯s arm, the leathery rindskin effect of Julienne¡¯s flesh faded away, leaving nothing but soft pink flesh and bone to stop the punch.


    A jolt of pain shot up from Archie¡¯s fist¡ªbut he knew Julienne had it worse.


    Julienne clutched his arm and fell to the ground. ¡°I lost it! I give up! I give up!¡±


    Tarragon dismissed them with the wave of a hand and went to help the other students.


    ¡°Idiots,¡± Nori repeated. She stared at her own palm. A drop of lemon juice formed in her hand and rolled down her forearm.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Archie asked as he put a hand out for Julienne to grab.


    ¡°Yeah. Just leave me here.¡±


    Archie sat on the ground next to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting better,¡± Archie said.


    ¡°Yeah. And you¡¯re getting better at punching.¡±  Julienne pulled up his sleeve and examined the variety of yellow and purple bruises scattered across his arm. ¡°Look at this one.¡±


    Archie showed off his own bruises. ¡°This one¡¯s turned green.¡±


    After a month in Tarragon¡¯s class, their defenses were their most impressive feat of pure conjuration¡ªmade easier than other techniques due to the proximity to the skin. Their other attempts at conjuration had varying degrees of success, but always had one thing in common¡ªthey were done in competition.


    First, they sought advice from Oliver. He had managed to turn his fluke bubble stream into a reliable technique that he could do on command.


    ¡°I¡¯ve kinda figured it out,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to¡­say it. But there¡¯s this feeling that I can remember and I sorta live in that. Then I shoot essence and it works.¡±


    Despite his inability to explain his methods, his results were undeniable. At least once per class, the students had to clear out of the way as Oliver¡¯s alcoholic bubbles rolled across the field.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Archie and Julienne practiced their fizzy conjuration on cups of water. Archie held the cup and thought of the feeling he had at Lifted Spirits. He imagined the floating. The colors. Dancing with Nori. How had that night ended? He couldn¡¯t remember.


    Fizz filled the top fifth of the cup. Archie reveled in his triumph¡ªuntil he saw Julienne¡¯s cup overflow with bubbles. Point. Julienne.


    Next came acid. They went to the only other consistent conjurer, Yarrow. His acidic splash did more than turn the essence-detecting flour red¡ªit burned away the paper canvas.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Yarrow asked Archie impatiently. Then the scowl on his face vanished, replaced by a brown-noser¡¯s delight. ¡°Julienne! What do you want?¡± he asked eagerly.


    Yarrow revealed that his breakthrough had come while focusing on his ambitions. He thought of the things he wanted most and felt the essence change inside his body.


    Archie and Julienne thought of the same thing¡ªbringing a new level of prestige to their name. Archie shot out pure essence without a hint of citrus. Julienne stepped forward to try, his tongue wriggling around his lower lip as he thrust his hand forward.


    Visually, Julienne shared Archie¡¯s failure, having only conjured an invisible force, but upon closer inspection, Julienne¡¯s palm smelled like lemon. He claimed the point.


    Meanwhile, Nori worked on her craft.


    ¡°Look, I did it!¡± Nori held out her glistening palm and ran to Archie and Julienne.


    Archie ran his finger across her palm and tasted. ¡°Lemony. And salty.¡±


    Julienne grabbed Nori¡¯s wrist and pulled her in, licking her palm.


    ¡°Gross!¡± she screamed while laughing.


    While Archie laughed, he felt like Nori laughed a little too long.


    Down two points, Archie picked the next category. Blueberries.


    Julienne managed to learn Archie¡¯s throwing trick, duplicating and hardening berries as he threw them.


    Child¡¯s play.


    Archie flicked a blueberry that sped up enough to snap a tree branch. He showed off his firecracker trick. His bouncing trick. With some guidance from Tarragon, he even managed to create a serviceable smokescreen of blue mist.


    At the end of the month, he could even conjure a blueberry from nothing¡ªbut it had no leftover essence to be manipulated and disappeared within seconds.


    Despite being beaten ten ways, Julienne still only allowed Archie to claim one point.


    Next, they went to Cress and Akando to observe their heat-making abilities.


    Cress had the smoke¡ªwhen she snapped her fingers, a small wisp of gray air danced its way up before being lost in the wind.


    Akando had the sizzle¡ªhe could heat the air a few feet away from his body. It had been a mild winter, but it was still cold enough in the morning for Akando¡¯s heat to be a comfort¡ªuntil he directed it at Archie¡¯s face, making him nauseous.


    Nori jumped at Archie from behind and clapped her hands, splattering lemon juice on his face. ¡°Getting better!¡±


    She clapped again in Julienne¡¯s face, spraying him.


    As punishment, the boys forced her to be the judge. Archie warmed his hand with essence, resisting the temptation to rub his other hand for the heat of friction. He placed his hand on one of Nori¡¯s forearms. Julienne placed his hand on the other.


    ¡°Mmm¡­Archie¡¯s hotter.¡±


    Bet you don¡¯t get that too often, pretty boy.


    Point. Archie.


    They went to Benedict and Barley to try mint magic next.


    Barley could blow cool, minty air on command. Tarragon has taken special notice, insisting that Barley was off to a great start.


    Archie and Julienne took turns blowing in Barley¡¯s face¡ªanyone other than him would have made them stop. Per Barley¡¯s advice, Archie tried to create two concentrations of essence¡ªone in his lungs and one in his lips.


    Archie couldn¡¯t find his lungs, but he managed to cool off the air with the essence in his lips. Barley declared Archie the winner. Later, when they were alone, he also gave Archie an herb for his breath.


    Benedict couldn¡¯t manipulate the air like Barley, but he could manipulate flavor. He jiggled some pebbles in his hand and gave them to Archie and Julienne. They popped the pebbles in their mouth and tasted mint.


    ¡°Don¡¯t chew,¡± Benedict warned. ¡°It¡¯s just flavor.¡±


    Nori flicked lemon juice at them as they chased her with handfuls of pebbles. ¡°Find someone else to taste them!¡± she yelled as she ran away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Mindy volunteered.


    She had been working with Julienne all semester, but Archie was still surprised by their level of chemistry. Archie felt like he wasn¡¯t meant to see the face she made when she sucked on Julienne¡¯s rocks. Julienne managed to be both unnerved and encouraging with the way he laughed softly.


    ¡°You know, my parents were gonna name me Minty,¡± she explained as she took Archie¡¯s pebbles. ¡°But they didn¡¯t want to put the whole ¡®name-after-food¡¯ pressure on me. So they hedged their bets. ¡®Mindy.¡¯¡±


    She tasted the pebbles and spat them out crudely. ¡°Both are minty, but Julienne¡¯s definitely have more flavor.¡±


    Julienne celebrated by punching Archie.


    ¡°I thought I might be a natural at mint,¡± Mindy continued. ¡°Because of the name thing. Turns out I¡¯m more sour than cool.¡±


    ¡°Like citrus?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°No. Just¡­sour.¡±


    ¡°Show me,¡± Julienne said.


    Mindy grabbed Julienne¡¯s wrist and closed her eyes. The hair on his forearm stuck up in a wave.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Julienne chewed on the air. ¡°I can taste it.¡±


    ¡°Grab his other arm,¡± Mindy told Archie.


    Archie did as she commanded. As his hand closed on Julienne¡¯s arm, he felt static fill the space between. A tingling sensation shot from his hand into the rest of his body, making his mouth water.


    Archie and Julienne spent an hour holding each other¡¯s forearms, watching closely for the first raised hair. Julienne tried to claim a victory, but Archie denied him, citing the cold weather as the reason for his raised hair.


    While they argued whether or not goosebumps was enough evidence, Nori managed to grow a lemon from an oak tree. The inside was nearly all rind, but she still celebrated the progress.


    The boys bickered all the way up to Tarragon before asking him for advice.


    ¡°Sit down.¡± Tarragon said, putting a heavy hand on each boy¡¯s shoulder and directing them to the rest of the class. ¡°Be quiet. And watch.¡±


    Nori paraded around with her inedible lemon. Oliver practiced making the biggest bubble he could. Mindy traded sour pebbles for Benedict¡¯s minty pebbles. Barley blew rings of fog at Cress, who countered by clapping her hands and producing clouds of smoke. Akando melted a piece of candy in his hand. Yarrow squeezed acid from his own palm, killing the grass beneath him. Hyssop showed off a patch of prismatic fish scales to Juniper, who frowned at the ugly brown potato skin that she had managed to coat her forearm with. Blanche summoned a flower from the ground. The only student that hadn¡¯t made tremendous progress was Sutton, who sat beneath a tree reading how to perform techniques rather than trying to do them himself.


    Tarragon leaned down and spoke softly to Archie and Julienne. ¡°Over the last couple of weeks, you two have been bouncing from student to student, trying this. Trying that. And you¡¯ve both been successful at almost everything.


    ¡°But them? They¡¯re still working on the one thing. You two have a natural talent for many things. You¡¯re lucky in that regard. Right now, none of these students can stand up to your versatility.


    ¡°But when Nori throws an exploding lemon in your face, how are you going to stop your face from melting off? I understand your ambition, but you can¡¯t be a master of everything until you¡¯re a master of something. Your defensive skins. Those are good. Keep practicing that. But wasn¡¯t it pasta that brought you two together?¡±


    Archie and Julienne looked at each other and nodded.


    The next day, they prepared a bowl of noodles, careful to be sure each one had an equal amount of essence. They each grabbed a noodle and slung it out while elongating it, seeing who could make it extend the farthest.


    Archie started with the lead, edging out Julienne ten feet to five. But after a few more attempts, Archie¡¯s fifteen feet was nearly matched by Julienne¡¯s thirteen.


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°Seeing whose noodle is biggest,¡± Archie said absentmindedly. He cast another noodle, this one overtaking Julienne¡¯s and passing twenty feet.


    Nori shook her head. ¡°No comment.¡± She concentrated on the shriveled, squeezed lemon in her hand, willing it back into a plump state.


    The boys spent the rest of the week on their pastamancy. They practiced using it like a lasso on each other, improving their abilities to restrain and break out of restraint. They tied it in knots around tree trunks and tried to yank the other person¡¯s in order to break it.


    And then in the last week of their competition, Archie rubbed his palms back and forth, back and forth. His mind ran through all the different ways he had experienced essence in pasta. Rubbing his hands. Back and forth. Back and forth. The magic of motion.


    He felt something roll up between his palms. But he didn¡¯t look. Not yet. He kept rubbing. Kept concentrating.


    He opened his hands to see a conjured noodle.


    Point. Match. Archie.

 Chapter 49 - Kulkida Risotto

    ¡°Archie, we have a problem.¡±


    ¡°Did he not bring the rice? I told you I should have gone with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he did.¡±


    ¡°Where is it?¡±


    ¡°Second floor pantry.¡±


    ¡°You left it in the pantry?¡± Archie pushed past Nori, half-jogging to the pantry in the hopes that their contraband hadn¡¯t been discovered. He nodded at other students as he passed them in a horrible attempt to appear inconspicuous. ¡°Why would you leave it there?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the problem.¡±


    Archie rushed into the pantry expecting to have to look hard for what Nori had surely hidden. But it was easy to find. Too easy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this is it,¡± he whined.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I had to leave it here. I can¡¯t get it up the ladder by myself. Did you not tell him how much we needed?¡±


    Archie rubbed his temples and groaned as he looked at what must have been a twenty-pound bag of rice. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got to be kidding. We were supposed to make three servings. Three! This¡ªwe can¡¯t do this!¡±


    Archie kicked the bag, underestimating how much twenty pounds of rice could hurt. He doubled over and doubled his groaning.


    ¡°Shut up and get it up here,¡± Nori bickered. She grabbed a long metal rod with a hook on the end and found the clasp of the trapdoor going to the attic, a ladder unfolding from the door.


    ¡°And where are we cooking this? You said you had an idea.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I told you to trust me. I forgot to add ¡®shut up.¡¯ Come on.¡±


    With a groan of helplessness and a groan of exertion, Archie managed to get the giant bag of rice up the ladder and into the attic. He threw the bag on the ground, producing a cloud of dust that sent him into a coughing fit.


    The room was a maze of abandoned furniture covered in cloths and decades-old dust. It seemed as if anything broken or unused in the Academy¡¯s entire history had ended up in this room.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Nori commanded as she pulled the trapdoor up behind her. ¡°Pick that up and hurry it up.¡±


    Nori walked ahead, waving for Archie to hurry as she weaved between old armoires and forgotten couches. Archie pushed through the mess and saw why Nori had led him here.


    A quarter-circle stone platform had been built into the corner of the wall. The center of the platform dipped into a small pit filled with firewood, a little cauldron hanging over it. In the corner nearest the wall, a piece of metal went over the fire, serving as a stovetop. Compared to the intricate stoves of the Academy¡¯s kitchens, this was a crude, undeserving machination.


    ¡°See?¡± Nori pointed to the chute in the wall that went outside. ¡°It¡¯s a little chimney. We can cook the kulkida risotto here.¡±


    ¡°Why¡­are we doing it here?¡± Archie looked around. He didn¡¯t believe in ghosts, but in a room like this, belief didn¡¯t factor into fear.


    ¡°Do I need to remind you that what we¡¯re doing is highly illegal?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡ªtechnically it¡¯s not, right?¡±


    Nori flared her nostrils and clenched her fists. ¡°I think the term applies to anything that could result in a prince burning your restaurant down or having you killed.¡±


    Archie threw up his hands in defeat. ¡°Alright. So, you got the recipe from Sutton?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I mean, it¡¯s the same steps as normal risotto. Mostly. But the tricky thing is the essence.¡± Nori flipped the cauldron over and shook it, dumping out a bit of dust. ¡°So first, we toast the rice in oil, right? Well, the rice won¡¯t change at all unless it¡¯s being stirred with essence at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Like, it just won¡¯t cook.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Nori unrolled a piece of parchment and looked it over. ¡°The kulkida rice only grows in the path of the Kuutsu. It shares their stubbornness for change. Apparently, you could put this in the hottest fire and it wouldn¡¯t even warm up until you applied essence.¡±


    Archie sighed. ¡°Well, that makes things difficult.¡±


    Nori sucked in her bottom lip.


    ¡°Nori¡­what is it?¡±


    She swallowed. ¡°Well, there is an advantage to that. You see, it doesn¡¯t get warm without essence, but it doesn¡¯t really cool without essence, either. You can start and stop the process at any time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡ªwait.¡± Archie smiled and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. That makes this so much easier¡­Wait¡ªwhy¡ªwhy do you look so nervous?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­if it weren¡¯t for that¡­it wouldn¡¯t be possible to make, I think.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    Nori looked back at the recipe, then back at Archie, then back at the recipe, then back at Archie, then back at the recipe again. He snatched a corner of it, bending it so he could read.


    ¡°Estimated cook time¡­two weeks?!¡±


    Nori pulled the recipe back to her chest, her words going as fast as her heart. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be okay. This number¡ªit¡¯s not saying you have to cook it all day for that long. It¡¯s based on essence consumption. How much the average Chef can stir it per day.¡±


    ¡°And how long is that?¡±


    Nori looked at her foot and kicked at the ground. ¡°Five minutes.¡±


    ¡°Five minutes?! Per day?! Nori, we¡¯re not average Chefs! We¡¯re beginners!¡±


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s fine. We can take turns, and we¡¯ll just work really hard at it. We¡¯ll cut the time in half. Just a week. That¡¯s not so bad.¡±


    Archie bit his lip and looked away. ¡°Nori, I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t know if I can.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Archie chewed on his lip even harder.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Nori sighed. ¡°Archie, I¡­I won¡¯t push you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± he said. ¡°While it still doesn¡¯t have much essence. I¡¯ll go first. The first day. And then you do it from there.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Okay, we¡¯ll make that work.¡±


    Archie growled with exasperation. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to feed three. This¡¯ll feed over a hundred!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Archie. It¡¯s just more that we can sell.¡±


    Archie paced across the wooden floors of the attic, leaving footprints in the dust and running his hands through his hair. ¡°First we¡¯re a catering service, now we¡¯re an underground drug empire. Great.¡±


    Nori put her hand on his shoulder, stopping him.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Nori asserted. ¡°But this is the way it is. If we do it right, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll want more. That¡¯s the thing with these people, right? They always want more. There have been a couple of Gluttons at the parties, even. Maybe they¡¯re some of those three servings.¡±


    Archie thought of a young Rowan hitching his star to the Gluttonous grandpa Kent.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Archie said, more for himself than for Nori. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s just take this one step at a time. We toast it, right?¡±


    Archie started the fire while Nori got the ingredients together. They poured olive oil into the cauldron.


    ¡°What about garlic? Shallots? Mushrooms?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t need them. We toast it, give it some wine, and then give it broth as we mix. Apparently the rice has enough flavor to not need anything else.¡±


    ¡°Well if it takes weeks to make, I¡¯d hope so.¡±


    Nori scooped out a cup of rice and frowned at Archie.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°So¡­you¡¯re okay with this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Does it say how long to toast it for?¡±


    ¡°Until the edges are translucent.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mention a time?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Archie grabbed the cup of rice. It felt normal. ¡°Here we go.¡±


    He pulled his face away from the cauldron as he poured the rice in. He didn¡¯t know exactly what to expect, but he expected something. A fire. An explosion. A boom. A vacuum. Something.


    Instead, he just got the plinkplinkplinkplink of the rice hitting the metal bottom. No explosion. No spectacle. Not even a sizzle from the rice entering the hot oil. He looked at Nori.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t cook until you make it cook,¡± Nori said with a shrug.


    ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± Archie said. He just needed to stay calm. Like Sutton said. No negative emotions. No fear. He took a deep breath. Grabbed a large wooden spoon. Lowered it beyond the edge of the cauldron. Put it in the rice. Took another breath. Stirred once.


    His hand went numb as all of his essence up to his shoulder was sucked out.


    He let go out of the spoon, its handle clanging against the cauldron. He waved his hand through the air as if it had been burned.


    ¡°Archie! Are you okay?¡± Nori grabbed his wrist and inspected his hand.


    Archie flexed his hand open and closed.


    ¡°I felt it immediately.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Archie nodded and grabbed the spoon again. He lifted it out of the rice, feeling nothing. But the moment he used it to move the rice, he felt his essence pour out of his hand. It was the same thing he felt when he held the noodle with Chip Sampson¡ªbut significantly stronger.


    Once around, twice around, numb. The static trickled up from his wrist to his elbow. The sizzling of the rice kept him going.


    He felt something like a floodgate open halfway up his bicep. A new stream of essence flowed down from his shoulders, the rice stealing it from his body at an alarming rate. He tried to slow it down, imagining closing that floodgate enough to lower the stream.


    He felt it work¡ªbarely. But the momentum of the pull was already too strong. He felt another floodgate start to open at his shoulders and let go of the spoon. The flow stopped, leaving an emptiness so profound that Archie, despite still being a novice, could feel his body stabilize and redistribute essence from the rest of his body to fill the void.


    Archie and Nori both looked into the cauldron.


    ¡°No difference,¡± Archie said.


    ¡°It was definitely cooking¡­How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay now.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡±


    Archie motioned to the spoon and stepped back. Nori grabbed it, dropping it after just half of a stir. She took a deep breath and tried again. Once around, twice around, stop. She withdrew her hand again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± she said. It¡¯s like I¡¯m being sucked in.¡±


    ¡°Does the recipe have any advice?¡±


    She grabbed the papers. ¡°The kulkida rice will always take more essence than it needs. This extra essence will not enhance the finished risotto. Therefore, controlling the flow of essence to a drip feed will create the same quality product with a much lesser cost.¡±


    Archie grabbed the spoon again. He had diminished like a draining lake, but he still had something left. For Nori. The rice siphoned from what little stream of essence remained inside him. Still, he stirred. The rice started to sizzle in the oil. The river flowed.


    Slow it down.


    He forgot everything¡ªforgot the school, forgot the room, forgot Nori. Forgot his grandfather, forgot his father, forgot Rowan. Forgot his name, forgot his favorite food, forgot himself. His entire mind narrowed down to a single image¡ªa sluice gate dropping into the water to cut off its flow.


    The stream slowed, but not enough. Archie knew that the majority of his essence was going to waste. But he stirred and stirred. Tendrils of emptiness shifted up his arm and into his chest. They wrapped around his heart, his stomach, his lungs. Nausea, breathlessness, fatigue. Hunger.


    He let go.


    His head spun. Closed eyes. Deep breath. Open eyes.


    ¡°All good?¡± Nori asked. Archie nodded. ¡°You made some progress.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be tapped out before we¡¯re even done toasting it.¡±


    Nori bit her bottom lip and looked at her bag. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I thought we would have some trouble. I have an idea.¡±


    She rummaged through her bag, producing a waterskin and handing it to Archie. He unscrewed the lid and recoiled as the smell burned his nostrils.


    ¡°What is that?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s packed with essence. Just drink it!¡±


    Archie took a sip and nearly spat it out. ¡°That¡¯s¡­strong! Did Oliver make this?¡±


    ¡°Well if it tastes like medicine that¡¯s how you know it¡¯s gonna work. Now drink up.¡±


    Nori lifted the bottom of the waterskin toward Archie¡¯s mouth. He took another sip¡ªno more pleasant than the first. Nori started stirring.


    ¡°Drink it all. And be quick about it.¡±


    ¡°Nori, I don¡¯t know about this. It¡¯s not making me feel any¡ª¡±


    ¡°Drink it.¡±


    Archie drank. Warmth attacked his throat and swirled around inside his body. He drank more. His body overflowed with life. He drank more. The room spun. What a funny room it was, all these broken and abandoned things. All just sitting above them all this time, forgotten.


    ¡°Nori¡ªI¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just drink.¡±


    Archie felt unusually compelled by Nori. Each drink was easier than the one before it. He drank and drank and drank until there was nothing left to drink. He no longer feared having an episode or how they would cook all the rice or how to pay for Nori or how to do anything.


    ¡°All done,¡± he said, swaying from the ordeal. ¡°Nori. Nori. Nori.¡± He poked clumsily at her shoulder. ¡°I think it worked. I feel better now.¡±


    Nori raised her eyebrows and grinned. A laugh threatened to slip out. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I feel it. Here.¡± He grabbed his stomach. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±


    Nori laughed.


    Archie laughed at her laughing. ¡°I felt it go down. I feel it coming up, too.¡± He grinned.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Nori jumped out of the way as Archie threw up on the ground between them.


    ¡°Oh no¡ªthe essence,¡± Archie said as he bent down to try to scoop the puddle up.


    ¡°Archie!¡± Nori grabbed his arm and pulled him away. ¡°Stop. Stop! It¡¯s not full of essence. I lied.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± Archie wiped at his mouth and smiled. Nori was so silly.


    ¡°I had Oliver make a drink. I told him to make it strong.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Archie knew all about Oliver¡¯s drinks. They got you drunk. Too drunk. He felt his stomach turn and threw up again.


    Nori screamed as the vomit splashed on her shoes.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°I had a good reason, I swear. You¡¯ll be okay. We just have to get you to the infirmary now.¡±


    Archie woke up the next morning in the infirmary with vague memories of stumbling over broken furniture, throwing up in a bucket, and Anise feeding him crackers.


    A plate of bacon and pancakes sat on the counter next to a glass of orange juice. Archie got up, his consciousness lingering on the bed for a few more seconds before rejoining his body. He grabbed a note from under the plate.


    For the hangover. Sorry. Meet me at the place.


    Archie fought a wave of nausea and put the note in his pocket.


    Well that¡¯s cryptic enough.


    ¡°Nori?¡± Archie called out as he entered the attic.


    ¡°I¡¯m here! Come look!¡±


    Archie dragged his feet through the rubble of forgotten things. Nori stood over the cauldron, stirring. Stirring, stirring, stirring. She looked back at him. Her jaw smacked on something while she smiled.


    ¡°What¡¯re you eating?¡±


    She pointed at a glass jar near the wall. Two large lasagna noodles, one slightly torn, resided within. Archie had seen it before. He looked down at the jagged, white scar on his leg.


    ¡°Wh¡ªhow¡¯d you get those?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about last night. I needed it to seem real so that Head Chef Anise would leave her lair.¡±


    Archie scowled at her. ¡°You stole these! And you used me for it!¡±


    ¡°What? It was either get you drunk or break your leg.¡± Nori laughed. ¡°You got off easy.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why¡¯d you take them?¡±


    ¡°Essence.¡± She pointed at her mouth. Still chewing. Still stirring. ¡°I¡¯ve been stirring for like¡­half an hour! And I feel fine!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­eating the noodles for their essence?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Just a little pinch. I actually think I overdid it a bit. Anyways, come look.¡±


    Archie looked into the cauldron to see translucent rice that had already absorbed some of the liquid. Nori heated broth in a second pot on the stovetop, ladling it in and stirring one spoonful at a time.


    ¡°Honestly Archie, this stuff is amazing.¡± Nori overflowed with energy, her words blending together and her body twitching. ¡°It replenishes me as quickly as the rice drains me. I think we¡¯ll be able to finish this batch without even taking a quarter of one noodle. And we have two!¡±


    Archie couldn¡¯t believe her cavalier attitude. ¡°This is dangerous. They told me if I tried to manipulate the essence in those noodles it could be¡­catastrophic.¡±


    ¡°So don¡¯t manipulate it. We just have to let it flow through us and into the rice.  We don¡¯t have to change it, Archie. We just have to slow it down.¡±


    Archie shook his head and sighed. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be doing this.¡±


    Nori¡¯s impatience flared up in her voice. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it, Archie. You can¡¯t. I¡¯m doing it.¡±


    ¡°Well you shouldn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Archie, it¡¯s fine! Look, at this rate, I¡¯ll be done with this pot in a few hours.¡±


    Archie looked at the jar of noodles. He looked at the bag of rice. At this point, there was no stopping Nori. He just had to try to mitigate the damage. ¡°Yeah, okay. Okay. But let¡¯s slow it down.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to finish it today. We need to finish it by next week. So slow it down. Don¡¯t eat as much. We¡¯ll do it naturally as much as we can. Who knows what kind of side effects you¡¯re gonna face.¡±


    Nori rolled her eyes. Archie couldn¡¯t appeal to her caution, but he could appeal to her sense of economics.


    ¡°Besides,¡± he said. ¡°We need to ration these.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Archie took a deep breath to lower his guard, allowing himself to chuckle. If he couldn¡¯t stop her, he might as well join her. ¡°Well, you bought the whole bag.¡± He kicked the bag of rice. ¡°Might as well cook it all.¡±


    Nori¡¯s mouth hung open in a big grin. ¡°I knew you¡¯d come around.¡±

 Chapter 50 - The Handshake

    ¡°They¡¯re dead.¡± Archie rubbed his forehead as he grieved. ¡°Maybe¡­maybe we can bring them back?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late, Archie,¡± Nori said. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°No. This one. What about this one? Maybe¡­¡± Archie ran his hand from his forehead through his hair. He fell onto the dirt in a heap.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late, Archie. Look at the color. It¡¯s yellow.¡±


    ¡°But maybe¡­maybe that¡¯s just the lemon!¡±


    ¡°Archie. Feel it.¡±


    Archie put his hands around the fledgling sprout of sugarcane. His essence passed through it with no resistance. Nothing to bounce off of. Nothing to manipulate. Dead.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s dig ¡®em up. We¡¯ll try again.¡±


    ¡°That was the third batch,¡± Nori said in mild protest. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to work.¡±


    Archie stretched his neck to look around the greenhouse. ¡°Where is she¡­¡±


    ¡°Looking for Blanche?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°She got called up to Blue Orchards.¡±


    ¡°After dinner? On a weekday?¡±


    Nori shrugged. ¡°It was an emergency.¡±


    Archie scratched his neck with dirt-covered fingers. ¡°An emergency? What, like, a tree got sick?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Exactly that.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Your sugarcane is dead,¡± Julienne called out from the other side of the greenhouse. ¡°And so are you.¡± He locked eyes with Archie, a palpable line of tension forming between them. Archie got up slow, slow, slow, no sudden movements. His hand fell to his side. They froze. They waited.


    Like cowboys at high noon, Archie¡¯s and Julienne¡¯s hands whipped toward each other. Archie¡¯s conjured blueberry hit Julienne¡¯s forehead with a splat. Julienne only managed to conjure a lemon seed, which flew harmlessly over Archie¡¯s head.


    Archie pumped his fist in victory.


    Julienne wiped blueberry juice from his forehead. ¡°Not fair. Lemons are too big compared to blueberries. I can¡¯t do it as fast.¡±


    ¡°You should try kumquats,¡± Nori said. ¡°They¡¯re like little oranges. They grow in Uroko.¡±


    Julienne looked at Archie for confirmation. Archie shrugged.


    ¡°You¡¯re making that up,¡± Julienne said. Nori rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Did you just come over here to make fun of our dead sugarcane?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°I came to check on my garden. I haven¡¯t been down here in a few weeks. At this point, I¡¯m kind of resigned to failing the cultivation portion of the exam and just passing on the other four. Still, I¡¯d rather not embarrass myself.¡± Julienne touched one of the sugar cane sprouts and gave it a gentle shake. ¡°Speaking of¡­what happened to you? You were growing sugar cane fine. Now you can¡¯t even get a decent stalk going.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying something,¡± Nori explained.


    ¡°Show me.¡±


    Archie nodded at Nori. She sighed and set to digging up the dead sugarcane. Archie went to his healthy patch of un-lemoned sugarcane and grabbed the bottom of a stalk.


    ¡°So, you see the joints? This line here where it buckles?¡± Archie explained. ¡°That¡¯s where the roots grow. So you just need one joint to grow a new stalk.¡±


    He split the stalk into five sections as Nori ripped dead stalks from the dirt.


    ¡°Can you get the water?¡± he asked Nori.


    ¡°Seriously? I have to do the digging and I have to go to the well?¡±


    ¡°I need to prepare the stalks so you don¡¯t kill them.¡±


    ¡°I have to prepare the lemons!¡±


    ¡°Please?¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Nori grabbed a bucket and walked out of the greenhouse toward the water pump.


    ¡°Kill them?¡± Julienne asked.


    ¡°Yeah. So you know how sugarcane takes a ton of water to grow? We¡¯re trying to use lemon water.¡±


    ¡°Why? What is that going to do?¡±


    ¡°We¡­¡± Archie looked out the glass window. Nori wore a scowl as she cranked the water pump. ¡°Our theory¡ªwell, my theory, but Nori is entertaining me¡ªis that we can sort of¡­prime the sugarcane so that when we create sugar, it¡¯ll sorta¡­bond better with the flavor of lemon.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Julienne chuckled at the ridiculousness. ¡°You¡¯re trying to grow a lemon supercandy?¡±


    Archie gripped a stalk and focused his essence into it.


    ¡°Yeah. Basically. But of course the acid from the lemon kills the sugarcane. We¡¯ve tried a few things.¡± Archie put the sections of stalks into separate buckets. ¡°I tried to make the sugarcane resistant to acid, but that just made it not absorb the water. Nori tried killing the acidity, but that killed the flavor too, so it was just like growing with regular water. Now the best we can do is make the sugarcane as healthy as possible before giving it any lemon. We¡¯re essentially trying to nurse it while also poisoning it and hoping it makes it through.¡±


    Nori returned, the bucket of water bumping painfully into her shins as she walked. She groaned at Archie as she started pouring water into the other buckets, submerging the stalks. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, we need to find something else for our innovation project.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna work!¡± Archie insisted. He nodded to Julienne. ¡°What¡¯s your plan for the innovation exam?¡±


    Julienne offered a sly smile and raised his eyebrows twice. ¡°I have a plan. It¡¯s a secret. It¡¯s not going to get me the max score, but it¡¯ll get me close.¡±


    Nori sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not helpful.¡±


    ¡°I could be,¡± Julienne with a shrug. ¡°Have you tried an ambrosial handshake?¡±


    ¡°Ambrosial handshake?¡± Archie had never heard the term, but he was already on board. Whatever it was, it sounded like something for the best Chefs.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Labruscan thing.¡± Julienne stuck his hand out to Archie. ¡°You exchange a little bit of essence. It¡¯s¡­you''re gifting each other.¡±


    Archie shook hands with Julienne. Velvety essence flowed into Archie¡¯s hand. It ran both smooth and heavy in his body, at first separated from his own essence like oil and water, but then the two essences slowly slipped into one.


    ¡°If you do that handshake first, you can use each other¡¯s essence. It can be a little clumsy to try to do, but it might help the sugarcane and lemon water get along. You know, make their essences more compatible.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like voodoo mumbo jumbo,¡± Nori said.


    ¡°No, I felt that,¡± Archie countered.


    He reached over to Nori, who took his hand after a skeptical pause. As essence left his hand, it was replaced by Nori¡¯s. At first it felt sweet, then sour, lacking the uniformity of Julienne¡¯s essence. It fought Archie¡¯s essence, but then cozied up to it, but then fought it again. He kept it down in his hand until it seemed to settle in with his own essence. He grabbed a stalk as Nori did the same with a lemon.


    ¡°Cool,¡± she said as they infused their respective crops.


    ¡°Alright, lemon time.¡±


    Nori took a minute to squeeze lemon juice into each bucket. Before, she had been able to squeeze an entire cup of juice from just one lemon, but now, having exhausted herself making kulkida risotto, she barely got more than the normal amount. All of her essence was accounted for with the risotto, and the supercharged noodle left her with nasty hangovers.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°We replace the water in the buckets every two days,¡± Archie explained to Julienne. ¡°After a week, there should be a bud. Then we bury the stalk completely with the new bud sticking out of the dirt.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Julienne said. ¡°Well, if it works, I¡¯m taking all the credit.¡±


    Archie and Julienne laughed, but Nori did not join them. Instead, she lifted a hand to her eyebrows to hide her fatigued dizziness.


    ¡°Is it ready?¡± Nori asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one way to tell,¡± Archie answered.


    They looked at each other, then at the finished kulkida risotto.


    At the same time, Archie and Nori grabbed a pinch of rice. The rice had stayed warm through the entire week of cooking, even when it spent the night without a fire. Through his fingers, Archie felt the warmth and a thousand layers of essence compacted into a single grain. He questioned whether or not to eat it¡ªwas it curiosity or Gluttony that informed his desire?


    Nori swung her clump of rice toward Archie, mimicking a cheers.


    Archie popped the rice in his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Archie started, looking for the words. ¡°Full of essence. But the taste¡­It¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly like normal risotto?¡± Nori finished.


    ¡°Yeah. Did we do it right?¡±


    ¡°According to the recipe, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Well, hopefully he isn¡¯t disappointed.¡±


    Nori put a lid on the pot of finished kulkida risotto, looped a string through the handle and around the bottom, and tied it tight.


    While the Ackers had sent servants to transport the rest of the food, Archie and Nori had decided to not let the contraband meal out of their sight. They weren¡¯t about to trust someone else with what would either be their fortune or their doom.


    They slipped the pot into a canvas sack with a strap that wrapped around Archie¡¯s shoulder. The pot bounced awkwardly and painfully against his hip as he walked out of the Academy and to the main road. His heart quickened at every sideways glance, his stomach twisting with fear that they might be discovered. It would only take one person opening that pot for Archie and Nori to be imprisoned or worse.


    They just needed to get to Caviar Court.


    ¡°Well, what do we have here?¡±


    Stop Him marched from his post to cut Archie and Nori off.


    No.


    ¡°Archie¡­¡± Nori whispered. ¡°Keep walking.¡±


    But Stop Him did what he did best, stepping out with white knuckles gripping his spear. ¡°Got something for me?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be worried about the gate?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you defensive?¡± Stop Him asked with a sneer. But then his expression changed. For the first time ever, Archie saw a sense of duty on Stop Him¡¯s face. ¡°Why do you look so nervous?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re¡ªwe¡¯re just¡ªwe¡¯re just in a rush,¡± Archie tried to explain. ¡°We don¡¯t have anything for you, sorry. Next time.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t bring nothing?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Archie tried to walk, but Stop Him cut him off again.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have nothing¡­¡± Stop Him tapped the bag with the butt of his spear, the impact with the pot producing a metal clank clank. ¡°What¡¯s in the bag?¡±


    A chill went through Archie. He looked to the gate. Somewhere just beyond that, just a short walk away, Prince Waldorf roamed the keep. Just over the wall, stuffing his face with a dozen dishes an hour. What would he do if he found out about the kulkida risotto? Would he kill them? What would he do to Nori?


    Archie¡¯s mouth had too much saliva in it, he needed to swallow, but it was hard, so hard, his body had forgotten how, he had to force it down with a gulp. With the lump in his throat gone, he realized that the important thing was to keep his cool.


    But Stop Him had already noticed the nervousness. The fear.


    ¡°What¡¯s in the bag?¡± he repeated.


    Archie was silent.


    ¡°What¡¯s in the bag?¡± Stop Him stepped forward and reached for the bag.


    Nori stepped between the two, her finger pointed up in Stop Him¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hey!¡± she yelled. ¡°You wanna stop us from going into the keep, fine! But we¡¯re not going into the keep. We¡¯re going to Caviar Court.¡±


    Stop Him growled, but Nori was not so easily deterred.


    ¡°You know who lives in Caviar Court?¡± Nori continued, stepping into the guard. ¡°People that won¡¯t tolerate a lowly city guard that confiscated THEIR food! Who are you? Nobody! So back off!¡±


    Bystanders had started paying attention. Archie looked around frantically, only serving to draw more attention to himself.


    ¡°And who do you think you are?¡± Stop Him growled as he took a step back and lowered the point of his spear. ¡°I won¡¯t have you in a cell. I¡¯ll have you right here.¡±


    ¡°You want to know who I am?¡± Nori stepped forward again, letting the point of the spear hover just inches away from her. ¡°You ever heard of the Harpers? That¡¯s me. You know Tataki? Six feet tall, turns his body into an octopus and suckers people¡¯s faces off?¡±


    Stop Him stepped back, but Nori did not relent, following him and berating him until he ended up back at his post. ¡°If he hears that you even so much as threatened me, he¡¯ll pay you a visit. You¡¯re not even a Chef. How do you think that¡¯s gonna go? They¡¯ll never even find your body.¡±


    Stop Him squeezed his lips tight together, shooting dirty looks at anyone that looked at him too long. Anyone but Nori.


    Nori walked back to Archie, grabbed his forearm, and dragged him away. Archie looked back at Stop Him, who pouted and muttered to himself.


    ¡°Good job,¡± Archie said, feeling a bit of sympathy for the guard.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nori said with an impatient sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Archie and Nori hadn¡¯t even finished setting up in the kitchen when Mr. Ackers came snooping around. He obviously had something on his mind, but danced around it by talking about other things¡ªa fat ballerina trying to tiptoe a tightrope.


    ¡°Oh, you brought blueberries. Good, Teff loved the blueberry tricks¡­Wow, that crab is certainly ¡®king.¡¯ Did you get it from Sebastian¡¯s Crabbery? Be sure to put an extra lemon slice next to the tilapia. I do like a little extra zing¡­Now, will the salmon be baked or pan-seared? How do they do it in Uroko?¡±


    Nori had enough of the questions. With exaggerated movement, she grabbed the pot of kulkida risotto out of the bag and set it down with a loud clang that finally shut Mr. Ackers up. He stared at the pot as his finger slowly glided along the edge of the counter toward the risotto.


    ¡°Is that what I think it is¡­¡± Mr. Ackers said, dragging his words with his finger.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nori said.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he said, turning to depart. He made it three steps before he stopped and spun around. He held his hand near his chest and pinched his thumb and forefinger together repeatedly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind if I¡­¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Nori said.


    ¡°Just to make sure it¡¯s been made right,¡± he said with a shrug.


    Nori opened the lid, releasing the smell of the risotto. Mr. Ackers exhaled softly and looked at the rice with a combination of awe and desire.


    Archie had seen the face before. Mr. Ackers wasn¡¯t a Glutton, but he wore a Glutton¡¯s expression.


    Mr. Ackers dipped his hand into the pot, taking just a pinch of risotto. ¡°Mm, warm,¡± he commented. He lifted the rice to his nose before putting it in his mouth along with half of his fingers.


    Archie and Nori looked at each other. This was it. If Mr. Ackers liked it, they were in business.


    And he did more than like it. His eyes closed in bliss, his chest deflating as he exhaled through his nose. He reached for another pinch.


    He took a third bite. Then a fourth. A soft, uncontrollable groan slipped out between his chewing. Bits of rice stuck to his hands. He reached into the pot again.


    Nori and Archie looked at each other, communicating with their expressions.


    What do we do?


    He¡¯s going to eat all three servings.


    Do we stop him?


    I don¡¯t know!


    Mr. Ackers stopped taking pinches and started scooping up entire handfuls of risotto, smacking his palm against his lips. He rubbed his hand all over his mouth, desperate to eat every grain. He seemed possessed, having forgotten his surroundings¡ªa raging fire couldn¡¯t have broken his trance.


    Another handful. And another and another. Mr. Ackers became bestial, grabbing the pot with one hand and scooping risotto down his throat with the other. He made the noises of a feasting lion and ate faster and faster.


    Archie stepped back, bewildered and disgusted.


    Nails scratched against iron, ensuring no single grain of rice would be wasted.


    The empty pot rattled down on the counter. Three servings gone in seconds.


    Mr. Ackers¡¯s eyes seemed to refocus. He returned to the world.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said, his voice landing somewhere between delight and embarrassment. ¡°It appears I ate it all.¡±


    He checked the pot again to make sure it was empty and let out a heaving sigh.


    ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve had it. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll never be able to enjoy anything else.¡± He laughed, pure bliss. ¡°I feel like my life has been changed.¡±


    Archie and Nori stood frozen in terror.


    But Mr. Ackers was all smiles. He giggled as he counted out six gold pieces, putting them on the counter in front of Nori.


    ¡°Can you make more?¡± Mr. Ackers asked.


    ¡°Uhm¡ªI¡­¡± Archie struggled to find his composure. He wanted to say no. No, they couldn¡¯t do it. This wasn¡¯t right. It hadn¡¯t been right from the start. They stole their ingredients, they served contraband, The Gift gathered dust in the Roots, and whatever just happened wasn¡¯t natural. They wouldn¡¯t do it.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nori said.


    ¡°Fantastic. How long do you need?¡±


    ¡°Two weeks?¡±


    ¡°Great. I¡¯ll host another party here in two weeks. You¡¯ll cater a get-together for me. And we¡¯ll have a little extra on the side. Another three servings. Oh, and next time, don¡¯t let me eat any until everyone¡¯s been served. I¡¯m going to have to tell them that you didn¡¯t have any today!¡± He roared with laughter.


    ¡°Five servings,¡± Nori stated. ¡°Four gold per serving.¡± Not a negotiation. A declaration. Archie looked at her like she was crazy.


    ¡°My, my. Taking me from three servings at two gold each to that?¡± Mr. Ackers sucked air through his teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to find someone else to make it,¡± Nori¡¯s stoney expression cut through Mr. Ackers. He backed down like a mouse to a lion. ¡°Right now it¡¯s not worth the effort,¡± Nori continued. ¡°Or the risk.¡±


    Mr. Ackers pouted for a moment, then stood up straight and smiled. ¡°Deal. Five servings. Twenty gold.¡±


    Archie audibly swallowed. That would put them almost halfway to their goal. But it was wrong. He didn¡¯t want to do it. This meal was dangerous in more ways than one.


    Mr. Ackers stuck his hand out for Nori.


    No. Don¡¯t shake it.


    She took his hand in hers and gave it a firm shake. Mr. Ackers grinned as he went to Archie with his hand out.


    Archie stared at the hand. A few errant pieces of rice had hidden in the creases of Mr. Ackers¡¯s fingers¡ªthey would surely be discovered soon and eaten with haste. His palm was sticky with residue and sweat.


    Archie¡¯s chest constricted. He looked up at Nori with pleading eyes. He must have looked just like her on the night of the Induction Ceremony. He didn¡¯t want to do it. He wanted out. Wouldn¡¯t she save him?


    Nori gave Archie a stern look and nodded her head.


    He shook hands, the residue gluing their skin together and leaving his hand dirty.


    ¡°Good work,¡± Mr. Ackers said, his voice happy and without any indication of his bestial episode or Nori¡¯s shakedown. ¡°As much as you can make...I¡¯ll take it.¡±

 Chapter 51 - Making a Monster

    ¡°I want to stop,¡± Archie declared. ¡°I mean, what even was that?¡±


    ¡°That was good business is what that was,¡± Nori said proudly.


    ¡°No, not that¡­It¡¯s like he was possessed,¡± Archie said.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We cook for him three more times and we¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°It does matter!¡± Archie paced around the attic trying to understand how Nori wasn¡¯t panicking. ¡°That was¡­primal. Feral! He could have attacked you.¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t attack me.¡± Nori crossed her arms. The argument was coming to a close whether Archie liked it or not. ¡°I¡¯m his source of risotto.¡±


    Two weeks passed. Nori existed only on the extreme ends of energy, jittery and wound up at times and thin and weary at others. Her body lost its ability to regulate itself, relying on the extreme essence of Anise¡¯s supercharged noodles. Nori¡¯s studies felt the consequences. She could no longer summon more than a drop of lemon juice. She could hardly help Archie with their innovation project. She wandered the halls of the Academy like a ghost.


    But she never heard Archie¡¯s pleas to stop.


    Mr. Ackers had insisted that the final hour or two of cooking be done in his kitchen to get the freshest possible risotto. Nori had tried to explain that this rice didn¡¯t work that way, but she gave up his argument when he put an extra two gold coins on the table.


    And so Nori worked, Mr. Ackers watching over her shoulder as she chewed on the noodles and stirred. He leaned forward, mesmerized by the rice, his hand creeping closer and closer to the pot.


    ¡°Now, Mr. Ackers,¡± Nori warned in a warm, subservient voice. ¡°You told me to make you wait until everyone was served.¡±


    Mr. Ackers grumbled and growled. ¡°Right, right.¡±


    Meanwhile, Archie kept Teff busy on the other side of the kitchen.


    ¡°What if you made a blueberry so bouncy that you could bounce it into the clouds?¡± Teff asked as she bounced a blueberry off the ground.


    ¡°That would take a lot of magic.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she grinned.


    Archie didn¡¯t have much experience with kids, but he was more than happy to be on babysitting duty. He wouldn¡¯t abandon Nori, but he didn¡¯t want any part of her dealings. The only way they could continue to coexist was if Nori was left to her domain and Archie left to his.


    ¡°I learned a new trick,¡± he said. ¡°Wanna see?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡± Teff hopped up and down.


    Archie held out an empty, open palm. ¡°How many blueberries are in my hand?¡±


    ¡°Zero?¡±


    Archie closed his hand, turned it upside down, and dropped a blueberry into Teff¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± She held the blueberry up high and hopped around. ¡°How¡¯d you do that?¡±


    ¡°I conjured it.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± She put the blueberry right up to her eye, inspecting it to make sure it matched the real thing. ¡°Did you bring me lemon candy?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. We¡¯re still trying to make our own. But when we figure it out, you¡¯ll be the first one to get it.¡±


    Teff hopped around to the other side of the kitchen. ¡°Miss Nori, can you make it extra lemony?¡±


    Mr. Ackers slammed his palm against the counter, making everyone else jump. ¡°Child! Do not distract her! I swear, if you mess¡ª¡±


    ¡°Archie?¡± Nori interrupted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take Teff outside?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Archie took Teff¡¯s hand. ¡°Come on, Teff. Let¡¯s see how high we can make a blueberry bounce.¡±


    The kitchen doors swung open just before Archie could reach them, the doorway blocked by two Gluttons. They staggered in, Archie and Teff retreating into the corner to make room.


    ¡°Oh, Sorghum, is this it?¡±


    Mr. Ackers turned and grinned. ¡°So good to see you! Come, come, meet my Chef. This is Nori Harper. Nori, this is Lord and Lady Rathbond.¡±


    Archie hurried Teff out of the kitchen, taking one last look back at Nori. If her expression had asked for it, he would have gotten her out too. But she offered him a reassuring¡ªyet still nervous¡ªsmile.


    ¡°Oh, Sorghum,¡± Lady Rathbond squealed. ¡°This isn¡¯t much at all!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re right, my dear. Nori, next time, make ten servings for us, will you? And let¡¯s call it fifty gold for the batch.¡±


    Two weeks later, they found themselves in the same place.


    ¡°Do you have my lemon candy yet?¡± Teff asked.


    ¡°Not yet, Teff. We¡¯re working on it.¡± Archie looked over at Mr. Ackers and his Gluttonous companions. ¡°You know, Teff, I don¡¯t think you should be in the kitchen at the same time as us. Why don¡¯t you go out and play?¡±


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    ¡°I will, I will. I just have to make sure Nori¡¯s alright first.¡±


    ¡°We have to stop, Nori.¡±


    ¡°Archie, we just made fifty gold.¡± For what felt like the millionth time that semester, Archie¡¯s worries fell on deaf ears.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± The firmness in Archie¡¯s voice soon gave way to pleading. ¡°We¡¯re what¡­ten gold away? Let¡¯s do it right. Let¡¯s go back to the Roots. Three, four catering jobs and we¡¯re done. We¡¯ll be done by summer. Then maybe we can go somewhere. Follow the Kuutsu or something.¡±Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°And what about next year?¡± Nori shook her head as she stirred. ¡°And the year after that? And after that? Are we going to slum our way through charity jobs? Rowan doesn¡¯t have money for me, Archie. He made that clear. He doesn¡¯t owe me like he owes you.¡±


    ¡°Nori, that¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°I have a fish on the line. I¡¯m not releasing it.¡± She shoved another piece of supercharged noodle into her mouth, her neck spasming. ¡°There¡¯s enough rice here to pay through all four years.¡±


    ¡°Nori, that¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re giving us another fifty gold for this batch. Then I¡¯m gonna squeeze them. Minimum order of twenty servings. You know they¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Nori¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to push them to six gold each. But if they won¡¯t go for that, I¡¯ll go back to five. Just so they feel like they¡¯ve¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nori!¡±


    Archie¡¯s yell echoed and bounced around the abandoned, dusty furniture of the attic. Nori stopped stirring.


    In one deep breath, he went from anger to contrition. ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± he stated. ¡°And I apologize. If I had filled you in on day one about what it would take to keep you here, we could have planned things out. Done it right. We wouldn¡¯t be in this mess.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just.¡± Archie put his hand on Nori¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I got you into this mess. Now I¡¯m getting you out. Look at you. It¡¯s time to stop.¡±


    For the first time in what felt like months, the headstrong Harper stepped aside and allowed the little, vulnerable Nori to show. Her body shook¡ªand not because of the supercharged noodle¡ªand she put her hand around Archie¡¯s forearm. She had always been small, but the last month had made her thin. Less than.


    ¡°Okay. Okay, Archie. This will be the last one.¡±


    ¡°Nori¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done with this batch. We might as well. It¡¯ll get us a head start for next year. We¡¯ll figure out a new way to make money.¡±


    Archie sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be the last time, Archie. I promise.¡±


    Nori finished the final thirty minutes of cooking with Mr. Ackers hovering over her. But this Mr. Ackers wasn¡¯t like the Mr. Ackers of before. He had lost his nervousness. His inhibition. Base impulses seemed to rule him, the manners of Caviar Court having left him. He didn¡¯t have his bouncy step or his playful rapport.


    He had gained weight, his gut draping over his waist, and he was always eating something, even while waiting for Nori to finish even more food.


    He was a fire that always hungered for more wood.


    ¡°Is it not ready yet?¡± he whined. He went at an entire baguette with his teeth, one foot tapping as he waited.


    ¡°Almost done.¡± Nori scooped broth into the risotto and stirred. ¡°When will Lord and Lady Rathbond be joining us?¡±


    ¡°Hm? No. They couldn¡¯t make it.¡±


    ¡°Should I save them a portion?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯ll have theirs. You¡¯ll get your money, don¡¯t you worry.¡±


    Something tugged on Archie¡¯s jacket. ¡°Psst, blueberry man.¡±


    Archie turned and recoiled. One side of Teff¡¯s chin was purple with five finger-shaped splotches on her arm to match.


    ¡°Did you bring the lemon¡ª¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Mr. Ackers shouted across the kitchen. His voice shook the pots and pans that hung from the ceiling rack. ¡°Do I need to remind you? Do not distract them!¡±


    Teff shrunk away, grabbing Archie¡¯s leg. ¡°He doesn¡¯t do the cooking, though¡­¡± she whimpered.


    ¡°What?!¡± Mr. Ackers took a stomping step toward the girl. Then he looked up at Archie, never losing his grimace. ¡°Now that she mentions it, what am I even paying you for?¡±


    Archie¡¯s mouth hung open as he tried to gather the words. ¡°Well¡ªI¡ªwe still¡ªI¡¯m the entertainment, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough! Make me something while you¡¯re standing around. Come, let¡¯s look in the pantry for something for you to make.¡±


    ¡°Go outside, Teff,¡± Archie whispered as he rubbed her shoulder.


    The pantry had been full just a month ago. Now it was stripped nearly clean.


    ¡°Speaking of entertainment, I have a job for you,¡± Mr. Ackers grumbled. ¡°Caraway, the Rathbond boy, is having a birthday. Lord Rathbond wants you both. And of course, he wants the kulkida risotto. The main course, this time.¡±


    Archie looked back at Nori, demanding her denial.


    ¡°Actually, we¡¯re, uh¡­¡± Nori winced. ¡°Well, finals are coming up, and we need to be preparing¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. He wants twenty servings. Combined with catering the rest of the party, he said he¡¯ll pay for ingredients plus another two hundred gold.¡±


    Two hundred gold. The number should have filled Archie with excitement, but instead, he swelled with dread. He knew his answer. But Nori¡¯s?


    ¡°Well,¡± she started. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can do it. But we¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡ª¡± Mr. Ackers asked as he turned back to Nori. But something stopped him. A little, tiny arm moving up toward the pot of risotto, the girl standing on her tiptoes to reach, wanting a taste. His voice erupted. ¡°What are you¡ª¡±


    Mr. Ackers stormed across the kitchen, his shoulder brushing Nori aside as he swung his fist from below like a club, catching the bottom of Teff¡¯s chin and sending her flying into the cabinets.


    ¡°You brat!¡± Mr. Ackers spat. ¡°You won¡¯t take any from me!¡±


    He shoved Nori to the ground and grabbed the pot, paying no mind as it burned his hand. He raised it over his head, shoveling the risotto into his mouth.


    Archie couldn¡¯t move. Nori scooted between Mr. Ackers and Teff. The child was conscious, but just barely, blood running down her temple.


    Mr. Ackers ate with a new level of viciousness, a sickening squelching filling the room as he ate.


    But then Archie realized that the sound wasn¡¯t just coming from the risotto.


    Mr. Ackers¡¯s body started to transform.


    The sides of his torso ballooned out, pushing his arms up. The back of his shoulders crackled and popped as they grew two feet taller in seconds. His head disappeared behind the shoulders like a sunset.


    He finished and slammed the pot down on the counter. He turned.


    His head hung beneath his shoulders like a medallion.


    A Glutton.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do the event,¡± he said, his voice sounding like an echo of an echo. ¡°Or there will be consequences.¡±


    He threw the empty pot across the kitchen and waddled out. Teff recoiled as he walked past. Nori held the girl tight. Archie remained unmoving.


    The door clicked behind Mr. Ackers. Teff started crying.


    Archie was stunned.


    ¡°Archie, what do we do?¡± Nori asked as she rubbed Teff¡¯s back.


    ¡°I¡ªuh¡­I think¡ªum¡ª¡±


    ¡°I want to go,¡± Teff whispered between sobs.


    ¡°Wh¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna run away¡­¡±


    ¡°Teff,¡± Nori said, masking her understanding with a tone of disapproval. ¡°He didn¡¯t mean to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a monster.¡± Teff buried her face in Nori¡¯s chest. ¡°We all saw it. I have to run away. He¡¯s mean. He hits me. Take me with you.¡±


    Archie¡¯s mouth hung open. Blinking was all he could do. It felt like one of his nightmares. He waited for the voice to start. For the creatures to come out of the cabinets. They¡¯d tear him to bits and feed him to Mr. Ackers.


    ¡°Archie!¡± Nori yelled, snapping him out of his trance. ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

 Chapter 52 - Repentance

    Archie and Nori returned to the Academy in silence and went into the attic. More than anything, they needed to get away from the cruel, cruel world. The dusty attic was their only sanctuary. Nori sat against the wall as Archie paced back and forth. The attic may have been silent, but in their minds, they were screaming.


    Finally, Nori broke the silence, her voice flat and distant as if speaking from a trance. ¡°I¡¯m going to poison the risotto.¡±


    Archie stopped pacing. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Fugu. Pufferfish. Prepared incorrectly. They¡¯d all die by midnight.¡±


    ¡°Nori!¡±


    ¡°I could do it.¡± She nodded to her own words, oblivious to Archie¡¯s protesting. ¡°I could get Tataki to get the fish.¡±


    ¡°Nori!¡± Archie gave her shoulder a gentle shove to knock her out of her murderous trance. ¡°No! Besides, Tataki told me he only does what his family wants him to do, and I doubt they want to assassinate someone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Nori sighed. She groaned and put her face in her hands. ¡°But we have to do something!¡±


    ¡°What is there to do?¡±


    ¡°We could help her run away.¡±


    ¡°Nori, she¡¯s seven. Where¡¯s she gonna go?¡± Archie spoke with exasperation and anger, each word battering Nori down.. ¡°You think all of Caviar Court isn¡¯t going to go looking for her? And what about us? We draw attention to her, we draw attention to us, we draw attention to the kulkida risotto, we¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°I just¡­¡± An ugly sob escaped from her lips. She dug her face deeper into her hands. ¡°I feel so guilty. We¡¯re doing all of this because of me.¡±


    ¡°Nori¡­¡±


    She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face, strands of black hair stuck in her wet eyelashes. ¡°All because I couldn¡¯t take it! I couldn¡¯t take the way they treated me, so I had to run away! And now¡­now! That¡­that pig. I made him that way. And I just passed my fate on to the next little girl.¡±


    Archie didn¡¯t know what to do. He noticed the common trend. Little girl gets beaten. He doesn¡¯t know what to do. Best friend starts crying. He doesn¡¯t know what to do. Everytime someone else got hurt, he froze.


    But he had to say something. He had to do something.


    ¡°Nori¡­I think¡­I think he was always going to become a Glutton. It was, uh¡­predestination? There¡¯s something about that kind of¡­wealth. Or maybe it¡¯s that kind of person, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t talk about this,¡± Nori interrupted. ¡°I need to sleep. I¡¯ve been so tired lately. Just¡­we¡¯ll talk about it in the morning.¡±


    But the morning brought no new answers. They considered getting Aubergine involved but decided against it¡ªfor the time being at least. To get anyone involved would be to tell them about the kulkida risotto. But maybe life in prison would be worth saving that little girl.


    The only thing Archie was sure of was that he had failed. It was just as Rowan had said all along. Their powers were a gift. And Archie made the same mistake as Rowan had¡ªhe abandoned his morals and principals in favor of an easy payday.


    They could have done it right. It would have been work from dawn until dusk everyday for months, but they could have done jobs for the common people of the city. Jobs that really helped. Jobs that made them use their gift to gift others. It was too late to go back, but it wasn¡¯t too late to start.


    And so Archie found himself at the gate to the keep standing face-to-face with a man that he had brushed off all too many times.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to cook for you tonight,¡± he said.


    Stop Him scratched the black curls tucked inside his helmet and squinted at Archie. ¡°Why?¡±


    Archie laughed¡ªit was a miracle that he remembered how. ¡°I just want to do something good for someone.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Stop Him sucked on one of his teeth. He let it go with a pop! ¡°This a trick?¡±


    ¡°No. I promise.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll get someone to take my post.¡±


    ¡°Great. Um, I was thinking we could do it down in the Roots? If that¡¯s alright? There¡¯s this place called The Gift near the corner¡ª¡±


    ¡°Aye, I know it. Me wife and kids go there all the time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re married?¡±


    Stop Him growled. Archie threw his hands up in forfeit.


    ¡°Tonight, then?¡± Archie asked.


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    Archie left long before sunset to walk down to the Roots. Considering money had gotten them into this mess, he didn¡¯t want to spend any on the tram¡ªand he didn¡¯t mind walking to collect his thoughts. As he made his way down the mesa, so too did the sun, casting the cobbled streets and white-brick buildings in rays of gold. Little flocks of robins filled the sky looking for one last insect or crumb from a food stand before darkness settled over the city.


    By the time Archie managed to walk to The Gift, he figured out why it felt right to serve dinner there. Rowan had the right of it, after all. Archie was a Chef. One of the lucky few. For every thousand people, only one would know the joys of creating magic. As such, Archie had a duty to spread that joy to others. That¡¯s what The Gift was for.


    However, Archie had not figured out how to get into the place. He had hoped in vain that he might be able to find a key hidden under some rock somewhere, but found nothing. The door was locked, the windows closed tight.


    But not all the windows.


    Up on the second floor, amidst the bushes and bees that filled Rowan¡¯s balcony, the window was just slightly ajar. Archie tried to jump up to grab the balcony rail, coming up several feet short. He felt the rough stone of the building, recognizing that it¡¯d be impossible to get any kind of foothold. There were no ladders, no boxes to climb, no apparent way to get up. Archie stared up at the balcony, stumped.


    And then an idea struck him.


    He rubbed his empty palms together, back and forth, back and forth. Something formed between them and still he rubbed, back and forth, back and forth. The thing grew, the edges of a noodle spilling out on either side of his hands. And he kept rubbing his palms together, rolling the noodle in his hand, back and forth, back and forth, until it grew to nearly two feet long.


    The essence in the conjured noodle was less than that of a naturally created noodle, but there was just enough for Archie to give it a shot. He stroked one end of the noodle, transforming its essence into stickiness. And then, gripping the other end of the noodle, he flung it at the balcony, the noodle stretching and wrapping around the railing before sticking to itself.


    Even in his most advanced competitions with Julienne, Archie hadn¡¯t gone this far with his magic. He always imagined he¡¯d have a big breakthrough in some big fight¡ªwhipping licertes or restraining a Glutton or battling in the arena. Not breaking and entering. But Archie wasn¡¯t disappointed. This felt like a nobler cause.


    He put one foot on the wall, letting his shoe grip the stone. And then, ever so gingerly, ever so slow, he put his second foot against the wall, letting the noodle support all of his weight. He infused the noodle with more and more essence, afraid to let his hands off for even a moment. So rather than climbing through physical force, he let his essence do the work, contracting the noodle and bringing him along as he walked up the wall.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The bees paid Archie no mind, and Archie was soon up on the rooftop, walking among the crops and deciding what to make.


    Soon after, as Archie put chicken legs into the oven, he saw a familiar face at the door dressed in unfamiliar attire. Archie waved him in.


    Stop Him wore a blue tunic with intricate knots going down the chest. The loopy bits of rope matched his curly black hair, which¡ªunencumbered by a helmet¡ªgrew three inches in all directions from his head before draping down and splitting onto either side of his shoulders. In a guard¡¯s attire, he seemed a brute, but here, in what Archie assumed was his nicest clothing, he managed a certain civility that bordered on nobility.


    ¡°I thought you might have been lying,¡± Stop Him said. He occupied his hands by brushing down his tunic, but his face couldn¡¯t hide his awkwardness.


    ¡°No,¡± Archie said with a smile. ¡°I really wanted to do this. My sponsor¡ªthe guy that runs this place¡ªhe does this. Every night, he invites a guest to dinner. In times like these¡­¡±


    Archie¡¯s voice trailed off. He tried to swallow down his pensiveness. ¡°He says it¡¯s very fulfilling, these dinners. I thought I¡¯d try it with you. We¡¯ve certainly had our run-ins.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Stop Him nodded once and looked around the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about my friend,¡± Archie started.


    ¡°The Harper?¡±


    Archie nodded.


    Stop Him breathed in through his nose. ¡°Nothing to be done. People like them run the world.¡±


    Archie turned to hide his frown, acting as if he needed to check in the oven. ¡°So¡­tell me about yourself.¡±


    Stop Him had stopped awkwardly in the middle of the room, surrounded by a sea of empty tables and chairs, just the half-wall separating the two. ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    Archie chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s start with names, I suppose. I¡¯m Archie.¡±


    ¡°Chrysanth.¡±


    The delicateness of the name surprised Archie. ¡°As in chrysanthemum?¡±


    Chrysanth clenched his fist. ¡°Make a mockery of it. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°What? No. No.¡± Archie gestured to the tables in an attempt to placate his guest. ¡°Please, take a seat. You stand all day.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Chrysanth eyed a few chairs before settling down in one.


    ¡°I like the name,¡± Archie said. ¡°You know, chrysanthemums are daisies. Like artichokes. Everyone in my family is named after some type of daisy.¡±


    ¡°Artichokes aren¡¯t daisies.¡± Chrysanth crossed his arms. He may not have been at his post, but he was still very much on guard.


    ¡°Sure they are.¡± Archie stirred some cream into a pot of mashed potatoes. ¡°Artichokes bloom, too. Big purple things. But most of the time it gets picked before then. It gets toxic once it blooms.¡±


    A bit of curiosity made its way into Chrysanth¡¯s demeanor. ¡°What kind of daisy is an Archie?¡±


    Archie laughed. ¡°Oh, no. Archie¡¯s just a name. Archibald. I suppose not everyone in my family was named after daisies. My father is Artichoke. Goes by Arty. And then his dad¡­¡± Archie hiccuped at the thought of the Glutton. ¡°Also Artichoke. And his dad before him.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you an Artichoke?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Archie thought back to his father¡¯s words from a fateful birthday spent in Ambrosia City. ¡°My dad didn¡¯t want me to be defined by the generations before me. He didn¡¯t want me to have to be a Chef, so he didn¡¯t name me after anything.¡±


    Chrysanth sighed. Whatever progress Archie had made in livening him up had gone. ¡°My father wanted me to be a Chef,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Told me as a kid that being a Chef was the only way to get anywhere in this world. I suppose that¡¯s why I¡¯ve gotten nowhere.¡±


    Archie looked down at his orange jacket. He had gotten so used to wearing it that he didn¡¯t think anything of it most days. How quickly he had gone from wearing it to sleep to not even recognizing it for the status symbol that it was.


    ¡°The trick is to keep havin¡¯ kids,¡± Chrysanth said. ¡°If one of them becomes a Chef, you¡¯re all set. I had nine brothers and sisters. Got six kids, too.¡±


    ¡°Did any of them manifest?¡±


    Chrysanth grunted and shook his head. ¡°None of my siblings. So we were still poor, just with more mouths to feed. None of my kids, neither. But¡­¡± He smiled to himself. ¡°There¡¯s still time for all of ¡®em. Oldest is sixteen. But it¡¯s my oldest girl, Ginger, she¡¯s thirteen. She¡¯s the one if any. Gots a kind heart. I think that counts for something.¡±


    ¡°I think so too.¡± Archie smiled to himself as he continued working around the kitchen.


    ¡°She works as a waitress down at this tavern. They let her cook sometimes. She¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    ¡°A job at thirteen?¡±


    Chrysanth didn¡¯t understand Archie¡¯s confusion. Archie might have grown up poor, but he had grown up Chef poor. ¡°Of course. They all start working when they can. My oldest, he¡¯s a test eater. And then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Test eater?¡±


    Chrysanth nodded. ¡°Ya know, when Chefs want to try new effects but don¡¯t have the stones to try it themselves.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    ¡°And then a couple of ¡®em work at the stables selling movemash. One of em¡¯ works for Triple S. The other works for Kuutsan Drive.¡± He laughed to himself. ¡°Every night they come home bickering about who sold the most and which movemash is better.


    ¡°And then I gots the two little ones. Eight and six. They work in the orchards. Them Chefs can grow the things, but someone¡¯s gotta bend over to pick up the ones that fall to the ground. Oh, and of course, there¡¯s my wife. She was a waitress, but she, uh¡­she¡¯s got a bad leg, now. So she can¡¯t be movin¡¯ round much. She helps at a fruit stand at the bottom of the Trunk.¡±


    And then Archie understood something much deeper about the world he lived in. The history books were filled with Chefs, and their magic shaped the world, but it was the common man that was the support structure upon which everything could stand. For every Chef performing wondrous magic, there were hundreds of normal people performing unglamorous labor to keep the wheels of society turning. Archie came closer to understanding Rowan.


    ¡°And then there¡¯s you,¡± Archie said. ¡°A guard at the keep. That¡¯s a high station.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡± Chrysanth chewed on the side of his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s one of those, uh, whaddaya call ¡®ems? Political appointment?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The rest of the guards is all Acorn Guard. Chefs, the lot of ¡®em. I¡¯m the only guard at the keep that ain¡¯t. Grand King Flamb¨¦, he put me there.¡±


    Chrysanth spoke the name with reverence and continued with pride. ¡°Put me out in front, too. Told me I was the face of the keep. He knows I can¡¯t do much if some Chef decides they wanna force their way in. But he says I¡¯m not for that. I¡¯m the face. I let people know that this kingdom is for them, whether they Chefs or ain¡¯t.¡±


    Archie smiled. ¡°Well, you do a good job of it.¡±


    ¡°Do I?¡±


    And then Archie thought about it and laughed. ¡°Actually, no.¡±


    Chrysanth laughed with him.


    ¡°You¡¯re always scaring people,¡± Archie laughed. ¡°How many times have you gotten me for no reason?¡±


    ¡°Ahhh, I guess sometimes I do let my bitterness get the best of me. Hard doing, being around Chefs all day when you ain¡¯t.¡± Chrysanth exhaled, his humor turning into thoughtfulness. ¡°I should do better.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all any of us can do, isn¡¯t it? Try to do better?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    Archie pulled out a bunch of glass bowls. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not a Chef, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t cook. Come help me with this.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Chrysanth asked¡ªas if he weren¡¯t the only other person in the entire restaurant. ¡°I¡¯m not much of a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Come on. Help grind these spices up for the sauce. You can tell your family that you cooked at a Black Jacket Restaurant.¡±


    Chrysanth rose from his chair and looked around as if someone might mock him for believing Archie¡¯s words. But there was no one there. No mockery. The air was warm with genuineness. Chrysanth joined Archie in the kitchen. Archie could smell a variety of perfumes, realizing how rare this night must have been for the guard.


    ¡°Alright, grind these out in equal amounts,¡± Archie said. ¡°We got pepper, clove, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom.¡±


    ¡°Wait, this ain¡¯t gonna be spicy, is it?¡±


    ¡°You like spicy.¡±


    ¡°But my tummy don¡¯t.¡±


    Archie reached across the counter and tapped a little vial full of thick pink liquid. ¡°I got this for you. It¡¯ll settle your stomach for the night.¡±


    ¡°So I can have spicy and not be rolling around all night full of acid?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Impressed, Chrysanth raised his eyebrows. ¡°Alright, then. Gimme a pestle.¡±


    For the next hour, the two bonded over their cooking and a roast chicken that ended up tasting as if Ambrosia herself had blessed the meat. Archie told him about manifesting and blueberry picking and Lifted Spirits and watching Tataki fight and even gave him some bouncing blueberries to take home to the kids. Archie chose not to tell the stories of the licertes or his grandfather or Mr. Ackers.


    Chrysanth countered with stories about Grand King Flamb¨¦ standing out at the gate for a day just greeting people and the time that Prince Waldorf tripped and fell and got his face covered in mud. He spoke non-stop through dinner, telling a story for each one of his kids.


    And then another familiar face appeared at the door.


    ¡°Archie?¡± Rowan asked. ¡°This is a surprise.¡±


    Archie shot up from his chair, ready to be reprimanded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I figured it was empty, so I¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Rowan said with a wave of his hand. He shuffled his grip on his suitcase. He realized what was happening and smiled. ¡°Please, continue. I¡¯ll get out of your way. Got some unpacking to do.¡±


    Chrysanth stood. ¡°No, I really should be going, it¡¯s late.¡± He nodded and smiled at Archie. ¡°Thank you for this. It was the best meal I¡¯ve had in a long while.¡±


    Archie returned the smile in full. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Archie had needed it more than Chrysanth. The encounter had filled his heart back up, but as Chrysanth left, a great weight started to press down on Archie¡¯s mind. He felt better, but his problems hadn¡¯t gone away.


    Rowan took a heaving breath and smiled at Archie. ¡°I¡¯m back early. Turns out, helping Nori to stay in Ambrosia City has turned me into something of a political liability. Flamb¨¦ sent me back before going to the main island. So what¡¯ve you two been up to?¡±


    Archie¡¯s face melted into a somber frown filled with worry.


    ¡°I need your help.¡±

 Chapter 53 - Prep

    ¡°I know what to do.¡±


    Archie nearly broke into tears as he embraced Rowan. ¡°Oh, thank you. Thank you.¡±


    Rowan hugged back, knowing that Archie needed reassurance. But as Rowan peeled away, his face betrayed any sense of confidence.


    ¡°At least¡­I have an idea,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Something I had planned for your grandfather.¡±


    Rowan looked into some distant corner of the room, his mind taking him back twenty years. But Archie didn¡¯t need memories. He needed action and needed it now.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A flower. If manipulated a certain way, it can make you forget about people. Everything you¡¯ve experienced with them, every memory, just gone.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t it work before?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it just wasn¡¯t strong enough. I gave your grandfather a small dose of it in his meal, and it just made him confused. He remembered some things about me, but not others. Ultimately, I think it robbed him of whatever love he had for me, leaving only the resentment.¡±


    ¡°Okay, how do we make it stronger?¡±


    ¡°Well, it needs to be mixed into something with a high concentration of essence.¡±


    Archie and Rowan exchanged knowing nods. ¡°Like kulkida risotto.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I can prepare the flower, and then we will put it in the risotto. We¡¯ll make it forget you and Nori. And me, I suppose, since I won¡¯t let you do this alone.¡±


    ¡°And what about Teff?¡±


    ¡°The girl?¡± Rowan scratched his chin and hummed. ¡°Well, I could make them forget about her too. So many memories, though. It¡¯d have to be strong. But then where would she go?¡±


    Archie pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°No,¡± Rowan whispered.


    Archie looked around The Gift.


    ¡°No,¡± Rowan repeated.


    ¡°You¡¯ll take her,¡± Archie confirmed. ¡°At least for a while. Until we know they¡¯re not looking for her at the stables. Then she can go live with my parents. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll say yes. My mom always wanted a daughter.¡±


    Rowan sighed and shook his head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have left,¡± he muttered to himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Archie said. ¡°It¡¯ll work. Won¡¯t it?¡±


    Rowan ran his fingers through his tight white curls and offered a reluctant nod. ¡°When is the party?¡±


    Archie sunk his lower teeth into his upper lip. ¡°Three, four weeks. Just after finals.¡±


    Rowan¡¯s fingers dropped to scratch his hairline viciously as he clenched his teeth. He exhaled as he removed his hand from his face. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll start preparing tonight. What about the kulkida risotto?¡±


    ¡°Nori has been making it.¡±


    Rowan shook his head in disbelief. He almost laughed. ¡°An Orange Jacket making kulkida risotto. Of course she is. No, no. Bring it to me, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°What else can I do?¡±


    ¡°I guess just¡­¡± Rowan shrugged and did his best to smile. ¡°Get ready for your exams.¡±


    The craze of final assessments swept through the school like a fever. Aubergine¡¯s unorthodox teaching style resulted in a chaotic abandonment of scheduling. Rather than having set classes, Aubergine made the last month a free-for-all. The Head Chefs set up around the school, forcing four years of students to scramble from room to room for extra tutoring.


    Quince helped students prepare for the cultivation portion of the exam while also helping students grow ingredients for their freestyle cooking challenge.


    Anise helped students push the boundaries of magic for their innovation assessment¡ªalthough she frequently broke into a rant about students chasing grades rather than looking to advance their society.


    Pomona wandered around various kitchens as a free spirit, offering as much emotional support as she did cooking support. Students¡ªparticularly the boys¡ªtried to track her movements, setting up for the day in the way of her usual path.


    Colby set up in the most well-equipped kitchen, but even the appeal of the best kitchen wasn¡¯t enough to persuade students to fill his class. As forty students clamored for Pomona¡¯s help, Colby¡¯s kitchen rarely rose above fifteen students. But while cooking under Colby was always a trying ordeal, his undiluted focus and skill in cooking meant that the students improved tremendously under him¡ªthey¡¯d spend a day in Colby¡¯s kitchen and then three days detoxing in Pomona¡¯s presence.


    Tarragon oversaw conjuration practice, but having all years of students out in the same field meant that Tarragon spent more time preventing injuries than actually teaching. The exercises served as the ultimate stress relief for the ultimately stressed students.


    And then there was Aubergine, wandering around the Academy. The students steered clear of him, afraid of getting sucked into one of his rambling conversations, but those that did get locked up in an hour-long talk with him ended up coming away wiser and more prepared than anyone else.


    Nori struggled to return to normalcy. She might have rid herself of the shackles of the kulkida risotto, but the iron had left a mark that needed a full week to heal. Every afternoon, without fail, she¡¯d crash, requiring hours of napping. But eventually, she came back. Archie got his Nori back.


    ¡°First, we need to get our bearings,¡± she said. ¡°Figure out where we¡¯re at with all the different exams. Then we make a schedule.¡±


    First, he had to consider his cooking. For one section of the assessment, he would have his choice of what to make. He weighed his specialties¡ªpasta, candy, blueberries¡ªand landed on a pasta with blueberries mixed into the dough. He asked Colby to mock grade it, but the Head Chef refused on grounds of being one of the judges. Instead, Archie had to settle for asking other students.


    ¡°Mmm! Man, if I could make pasta like you! Thirty points!¡± Oliver said.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°The score only goes up to twenty five,¡± Archie corrected.


    ¡°Oh. Um. Twenty two?¡±


    ¡°I think this dish is a good idea,¡± Nori said as she chewed, ignoring the fact that it was her idea in the first place. ¡°It does need something else to help it pop, though. Nineteen? I don¡¯t know how hard they grade.¡±


    ¡°Honestly?¡± Julienne said, pausing to cushion the blow. ¡°It¡¯s good but not special. Thirteen.¡±


    Archie would have panicked if he hadn¡¯t already heard Julienne rate everyone¡¯s food below a fifteen.


    Archie split the difference and penciled in an eighteen.


    Next up, conjuration. The assessment would require showing the ability to conjure as well as the ability to change the color of the flour on a target dummy by projecting essence. Archie conjured a twenty-foot long noodle and swung it to swipe the flour off the target. Easy twenty five.


    For cultivation, Blanche gave Archie a potted plant with a mystery seed inside, which Archie barely managed to sprout. Between that and the crops in his greenhouse plot, Archie received an estimated score of eighteen.


    That put him at sixty one through three sections, needing eighty total. Since they were only graded on their top four scores, he¡¯d need nineteen points in either of the last two sections. While he couldn¡¯t get a good estimation for his score for the undisclosed cooking challenge, he figured it¡¯d be about the same as his freestyle cooking score¡ªan eighteen. Just one point shy. Not good enough.


    That left innovation. Just on the idea, Archie figured defying the laws of nature to grow sugar cane with acidic lemon water warranted close to maximum points. But the idea was one thing, and the execution was another. The last two months of Nori¡¯s essence had been locked up and scheduled to make risotto. Now that she was free from that burden, they finally managed to make progress on their project, but Archie was skeptical. When he asked Sutton for a verdict, the boy suggested eighteen points.


    One point short of a yellow jacket. A twenty five in conjuration was guaranteed, leaving the other four sections with an estimated score of eighteen each. He considered himself the best all-around Chef¡ªperhaps due to teenage arrogance¡ªbut the assessment only considered the four best scores. Being good at a fifth thing didn¡¯t matter.


    Nori commiserated with him as a fellow all-arounder. They complained about their single-faulted classmates. Julienne would probably bottom out at ten points in cultivation. But it didn¡¯t matter. Oliver would probably fail at the specific cooking challenge¡ªunless he lucked into a drink assignment. But it didn¡¯t matter.


    But at least Archie and Nori had it better than the specialists. Yarrow couldn¡¯t count on anything but conjuration. Sutton expected full points in innovation and would be lucky to get half points in anything else. Blanche¡¯s perfect cultivation skills threatened to make Quince grade everyone else more harshly, but she had little else to be proud of.


    Archie and Nori did their best to focus on their studies, but they couldn¡¯t help but to worry. Every few days, they made their way down to The Gift, and Rowan would show them the delicate purple flowers growing in his rooftop garden. On other nights, Archie and Nori would go up to the attic¡ªnot to cook. Not even to talk. They just sat in silence together, full of reflection and worry.


    ¡°It is my honor as Headmaster of The Academy of Ambrosia to administer this year¡¯s Chef assessments.¡±


    Aubergine spoke with a smile as he stood at the head table of the great hall. Students filled the room, only half of them having the stomach to eat the food that the Head Chefs had prepared for them.


    ¡°On the eve of such an important event, I want you to be proud of everything that you have accomplished. These stripes and these colors bear great meaning to us and the outside world, but only us Chefs know the world of effort that exists between each stripe. Regardless of the outcome, I don¡¯t know a single one of you that shouldn¡¯t be proud.¡±


    Archie moved his blueberry pasta around with a fork. He had made the same pasta the day before. And the day before. And the day before. He had second-guessed himself constantly, wondering if instead he should submit lemon candies or blueberry muffins and even taking a shot at the dark by making Nori teach him how to make sushi¡ªjust in case he had some hidden genius talent that he hadn¡¯t discovered yet.


    He didn¡¯t. So blueberry pasta it was.


    Even though he made the dish every day, he knew he lacked the focus to really improve. Each passing day was just one day closer to the Rathbond party, his errors getting worse and worse as his nerves frayed. Each time he made the pasta, he squashed one fault only to discover another. Each new mistake was more frustrating than the last. Archie forgot his ambition. He just wanted to get the finals over with. How could an exam matter when in a few days they would be attempting to kidnap from and wipe the memories from some of the most powerful figures in Ambrosia City?


    ¡°Hopefully you already know your schedules¡ªthey¡¯re posted in the main kitchen,¡± Aubergine said with a laugh. ¡°As a reminder, you¡¯ll require eighty points from your four best sections in order to advance a color. Seventy points will earn you two stripes, and sixty will earn you one. And of course, next week, we¡¯ll be having our final feast of the year!¡±


    The students that weren¡¯t going through existential crises cheered. For the first-years, that meant Julienne, who had no doubts, Sutton, who lived for his books and couldn¡¯t be hurt by a bad grade, and Oliver and Cress, who weighed the joy of a party heavier than the dread of an exam.


    Oliver had taken his duties as drinkmaster very seriously. He knew he was just a good cultivation score away from a guaranteed yellow jacket, but instead of spending late nights in the greenhouse, he helped his fellow students cope with a healthy¡ªand sometimes unhealthy¡ªdose of new drinks that he wanted to master for his job, not for the exam.


    Nori¡¯s nervousness came from eagerness and self-ambition. She wanted to prove herself for herself. Throughout the week, she even joked that in the worst case scenario, she¡¯d at least have the positive of making her family ashamed of her.


    Everyone else had their own version of anxiety. That night, Archie¡¯s roommates subjected him to theirs.


    ¡°Uuuuuugh I¡¯m gonna be sick,¡± Benedict complained from his bunk, his loudness breaking the decorum of the dark.


    ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t give you the purple drink, did I?¡± Oliver asked with alarm.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Oliver sighed with relief. ¡°Oh, good.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m a Yellow Jacket, Blanche will let me help her prepare for the midterm assessment next year.¡± Benedict sounded like a lovesick puppy¡ªsomething his roommates had gotten used to over the year.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Oliver said. ¡°She told you this?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­no. But I¡¯ll make it happen.¡±


    ¡°Benny boy, you know I love you. But you¡¯re probably not getting a yellow jacket.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up. I¡¯ve been working my ass off.¡±


    ¡°Work doesn¡¯t matter. Only results. And your conjuration score is gonna weigh you down like an anchor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a lock for twenty plus on cultivation though. And I¡¯ve been getting better at cooking! I bet I score higher than you!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m probably not getting that yellow jacket either,¡± Oliver said without a care in the world. ¡°Archie¡¯s the only one here that I¡¯d bet on.¡±


    ¡°Barley, is Oliver right?¡± Benedict asked. Barley had become the arbiter of their late-night conversations, called upon to settle the ultimate truths of matters.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Barley said simply, his roommates recognizing an undue amount of profoundness to his single-syllable answer.


    Oliver laughed as Benedict threw a pillow through the darkness.


    ¡°Ooooooh Archie,¡± Oliver crooned. ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Archie said.


    ¡°You¡¯re so quiet. You stressed about tomorrow?¡±


    Archie snorted. He wished that was all he had to be stressed about. ¡°Yeah, but¡­you know. Thinking about¡­the year. Everything I¡¯ve been through. The future.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Oliver said with the insensitivity of a true friend. ¡°Well stop. We¡¯re trying to stress out about test scores and girls and your matters of life and death are really making our stuff seem insignificant.¡±


    Archie appreciated the juggernaut that was Oliver¡¯s sense of humor. It always had a way of ruining a bad mood.


    ¡°Insignificant¡­¡± Archie said, letting the word linger for comedic effect before leaning in to the punchline. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what they¡¯re calling Benedict¡¯s conjuration?¡±


    Even Barley laughed.

 Chapter 54 - Finals - Day One

    ¡°Hooooooooooo-wee, y¡¯all.¡± Quince looked around the greenhouse at the students. He grinned and rubbed his hands together. ¡°Buncha good looking folk ¡®round here. I know y¡¯all¡¯re excited, so let¡¯s get to it. For your cultivation score, y¡¯all¡¯ll be scored on two things.¡±


    The gravity of the first exam still couldn¡¯t hold down the floating giggles of the students as they counted the triple contraction.


    ¡°There¡¯s y¡¯all¡¯s individual projects and there¡¯s our little mystery pot. I went ahead and put the pot at each of y¡¯all¡¯s plots. In an hour, I will judge it based on how much you make it grow and how much essence is in it. No digging around in the soil to figure out what kind of seed it is. While you work, Head Chef Anise and I will come around to evaluate your plots. Let us know if y¡¯all¡¯re submitting anything for innovation.¡±


    Quince flipped a large hourglass¡ªa dramatically appropriate prop¡ªand started on Archie¡¯s row.


    Before Archie could even grab his pot, Quince had already given out a perfect score.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± Quince said as he pulled off his straw hat, revealing his tanned bald spot as he marveled at Blanche¡¯s bountiful and overcrowded crops. He walked up to the three-foot tall bonsai tree in the center of the plot, touching it gingerly and assessing its essence. ¡°I¡¯m telling you. It just don¡¯t get no better than this. Perfect score. Don¡¯t you think, Head Chef Anise?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    Blanche was giddy, her smile shining brighter than the sun. ¡°And over here, I have my innovation project¡­¡±


    She led them to the lone stalk of corn in the corner of her plot. It looked unexceptional, but Quince knew what it was. He was grinning ear to ear as he walked up to it.


    ¡°If you would, go ahead and pick it,¡± Blanche said.


    ¡°That¡¯s all you, doll,¡± Quince told Anise, prompting a few giggles from the nearby students.


    Anise snapped off the ear of corn and peeled back its husk before handing it to Quince. ¡°It seems normal. What am I missing?¡±


    Blanche gestured back to the stalk. A new ear of corn had already grown to replace the old one. Anise¡¯s eyebrows jumped up in delight.


    ¡°As you can tell by how full my plot is, I¡¯ve been concerned about space,¡± Blanche said. ¡°Corn in particular requires a lot of land. So I thought¡­what if we brought the act of duplication all the way back to the picking of the crop? Imagine being able to sell a potted corn stalk that a non-Chef could pick ten times. There¡¯d be a lot of demand for something like that.¡±


    Quince couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Industrious, creative, technical. I know you¡¯re the big opinion on this one, doll, but this is one of the best Orange Jacket projects I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    Anise eyed the stalk. ¡°You can pick this ten times?¡±


    Blanche scrunched up one eye and rocked her head side to side. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve gotten it up to three, but the third one can go wrong sometimes. My hope is that as I get better, I¡¯ll get that number up.¡±


    Anise took the ear of corn and held it up just an inch from her eye. ¡°Well, this is leagues beyond Orange Jacket. Congratulations, Blanche, that¡¯s a great idea. I¡¯m giving you all twenty five points, but I want you to see you keep working on this. Get that number up to five and this¡¯ll carry you through a couple of colors.¡±


    Despite already giving out his score, Quince hung around and talked shop with Blanche while everyone else got to work.


    Archie sat down with his pot and put his palm to the soil. He expected a mystery¡ªa good cultivator could grow whatever the land threw at them. But he didn¡¯t expect the lack of essence in the soil. He¡¯d have to bring essence into the soil before even getting started on identifying or growing the seed.


    He got comfortable, sitting cross-legged with the pot in his lap, and put his hands around the pot. He used his essence to break down the natural barrier of the dirt, allowing essence to flow into it. As the soil soaked up essence, Archie felt an anomaly inside it¡ªthe seed. But just as he found it, Quince interrupted his process.


    ¡°Well, Archie, I understand you and Nori are submitting a joint project,¡± Quince said. He walked up to the lemon sugarcane. ¡°This it? Must be.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Archie said as he stood.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll be submitting it for your innovation score as well?¡± Anise asked.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s sugar cane that we grew with lemon water. And we have candy that we made from it.¡±


    Nori popped up, giving Archie evil eyes for his lackadaisical presentation. She stood up straight, using a hand to iron out the wrinkles of her jacket.


    ¡°For our project,¡± she began in a formal voice, ¡°we started with our end goal¡ªmaking a better lemon candy. Rather than fusing sweet with sour through cooking, we wanted to do it through cultivation.¡±


    Quince grabbed one of the stalks while Nori continued her rehearsed speech.


    ¡°We hypothesized that doing this would allow for a more intense flavor that could be made with a single ingredient. So we grew this sugarcane using enhanced lemon water. It took a lot of trial and error. Initially, the acid killed the sugarcane, but we found a way to make it work by making our essences familiar with each other before applying them to the sugarcane and lemon water, respectively.¡±


    Quince looked back. ¡°Make your essences famil-yur?¡± He looked at Anise. ¡°Is that slang?¡±


    Nori¡¯s eyes widened, her cheeks turning as red as a cherry. ¡°No! We uh¡ªwe did a Labruscan handshake.¡±


    Quince raised his eyebrows and looked away. ¡°Now that¡¯s definitely slang.¡±


    Archie pressed his lips together to stifle a laugh. He took a deep breath and licked his lips. ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­¡± A laugh bubbled up, cutting him off.


    Anise picked up where he left off. ¡°They exchange a bit of essence. It¡¯s like giving a dog the scent.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Quince said as he gave the stalk a shake. ¡°Good essence. Growth looks a bit stunted. Can I get a taste?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nori said, butting in between Archie and the teachers. ¡°We prepared some lemon candy using only this sugar and water.¡±


    Nori fished out candies wrapped in parchment paper. Anise took one. Quince shook his head.


    ¡°I mean straight from the sugarcane,¡± he said. ¡°I need to judge the raw flavor.¡±


    ¡°Archie?¡± Nori prompted Archie to handle harvesting. When it came to knives, Nori took charge, but when it came to machetes, she left the brute work to Archie.


    As Archie chopped down a stalk and started to peel the outer layer off, Anise ate the hard candy and gave her assessment.


    ¡°Hmm. Hmm! It¡¯s good. A bit hard for my liking, but I¡¯m not judging you for your cooking. It¡¯s an original idea and a bit of an original flavor. It does seem to have lost some of its flavor in the cooking process. But it tastes different than other candies. Fresher, I think.¡±


    Archie used the machete like a saw to remove a thin disk of the inner sugar cane. Quince broke it in half, tossed a piece to Anise, and chewed on the fibers.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said between smacks. ¡°I like it. It¡¯s subtle, but it¡¯s there.¡±


    Anise took a couple of bites before spitting it back out in the dirt. ¡°A lot of flavor. Again, this is an original idea.¡±


    Archie perked up.


    ¡°However, it¡¯s not a very big idea.¡±


    Archie perked down.


    ¡°The execution is missing a little something. I think there¡¯s room to grow into the idea a bit.¡± Anise leaned over to Quince and whispered something.


    ¡°A couple more than that, I¡¯d say. It¡¯s just Orange Jackets, doll.¡±


    Anise shrugged and nodded. She turned to address Archie and Nori. ¡°For your innovation score, I award each of you eighteen points.¡±


    Nori winced. She had expected twenty. Archie had expected eighteen, but getting what he expected didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t be upset. Some part of him had hoped he might have been pessimistic.


    ¡°Yeah, I agree on the execution,¡± Quince said as he poked around Archie¡¯s plot, running his fingers through the durum wheat and picking a blueberry. ¡°Between that and this, I¡¯ll give you ten points for cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Ten?¡± Archie¡¯s heart dropped. Ten points guaranteed that cultivation would be his lowest score.


    Quince laughed at the misunderstanding. ¡°I¡¯m starting ya at ten. That¡¯s half the score. I¡¯ll come back and take a gander at your pot for the other half.¡±


    Relief swelled in Archie so fast that he nearly fainted.


    Quince poked around Nori¡¯s plot, assessing the lemon tree and a few straggling blueberry bushes that Nori had never bothered to remove.


    ¡°Hm. Well, Nori¡­¡± Quince winced. ¡°I¡¯d say you got about seven points here. The lemon tree is nice, but it seems like it¡¯s just started being tended to properly again. I can tell that at some point in the last few months, it almost bit the dust.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Nori tilted her face down in shame.


    ¡°Lemme know if you wanna adjust either of those points, doll,¡± Quince told Anise. ¡°You¡¯re my second on these scores.¡±


    Anise took a quick look through their crops and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty, then. Good work, Chefs.¡± Quince pointed at Archie¡¯s pot. ¡°I¡¯ll be back once the time¡¯s up.¡±


    Nori waited until the teachers moved on before rubbing her temples and groaning.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Archie reassured her. ¡°We knew you¡¯d lose a few points on that one. And eighteen is a good score for innovation.¡±


    ¡°I swear, if the cooking challenge is a bearnaise sauce, I¡¯m gonna lose it.¡±


    While Quince and Anise worked their way around the greenhouse, Archie set to work on his pot. He located the seed with his essence and sent waves of energy through the soil to be absorbed.


    Once the seed was properly saturated with essence, Archie started to coax it to sprout. He maintained a proper balance¡ªif he converted all of the seed¡¯s essence at once, it could die. Through the feedback of essence, Archie could tell that the seed had cracked and the sprouting process had begun.


    He worked in stages, resupplying the soil with essence, then resupplying the seed, then converting to growth, then repeating. The more expert cultivators could compress the stages into more streamlined flow¡ªBlanche did it all in one smooth motion, the soil becoming a perfect conduit for her essence. But for Archie, the soil still had a resistance that needed to be broken down before he could nourish the seed.


    ¡°Halfway done,¡± Nori said to Archie, nodding at the hourglass. A single green sprig had risen from her soil.


    Archie¡¯s sprout was still stuck an inch beneath the surface. He sat up straight and stretched his shoulders. Nori nodded at him. ¡°You can do this,¡± she said.


    Archie¡¯s mind wandered toward the future. Toward the prospect of success or failure. Toward the splendor of the yellow jacket or the disappointment of the stripes. He caught his thoughts slipping away and pulled them back in to focus on the task at hand.


    He became a bit more reckless as the sands of time piled up, sacrificing quality for speed. Finally, a little stem, adorned with a single precious leaf, broke through the surface.


    ¡°Time!¡± Quince yelled.


    ¡°Hands up!¡± Anise yelled, her head whipping around to try to catch someone cheating.


    Archie lifted his hands up to his shoulders and looked around. A sinking feeling stole his breath as he recognized the mediocrity of his results.


    Quince started with Blanche, whose seed had grown into a beautiful bouquet of clovers. ¡°Full points.¡±


    The Head Chef¡¯s face didn¡¯t hide his disappointment as he moved on to Archie. ¡°Hm,¡± he said as he grabbed the pot. He lifted the single leaf with a finger.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s real quality in here. It¡¯s grown very well. Just not very quick-like. Seems like you understand how to convert essence to growth, you just gotta figure out how to do it a bit faster.¡±


    He looked down at his notebook, finding Archie¡¯s score. ¡°I¡¯d say this takes you up to a sixteen.¡±


    Archie sighed with disappointment. Together with his innovation score, that put him at a thirty four¡ªhe had hoped for a clean forty to put him securely in range of the yellow jacket.


    Quince took Nori¡¯s pot, which had bloomed to a point somewhere between Archie¡¯s and Blanche¡¯s. ¡°Good growth,¡± he said. ¡°I do think you might have brute forced it a bit at some point. The structure of the essence is a bit warped. You gotta be more delicate. Still, good growth. With your seven from earlier, this puts you at¡­seventeen.¡±


    The score filled Archie with bitterness. It took him a moment to swallow his pride. ¡°Good job,¡± he told Nori.


    ¡°Yeah. I knew I wasn¡¯t going to get full points. I really rushed it at the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Eh, at least you didn¡¯t take fifty minutes to get the sprout above the soil.¡±


    Nori offered a sympathetic laugh. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Ready to get out of here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Lemme just grab these.¡±


    As Archie gathered blueberries for the next exam, they overhead Quince grading Julienne.


    ¡°Weeeeeell¡­I take it they got their own growers down at the Cafe, don¡¯t they?¡±


    Archie went into the main kitchen early to get started on his pasta. He started a process he had done countless times before, placing eggs and mashed blueberries into a mound of flour and kneading it into a ball of blue dough.


    But as he kneaded, his mind wandered back to the cultivation exam. Sixteen points. Sixteen. He had expected at least eighteen. Sixteen put him in the range of failure. Two stripes. Half the class might be happy with two stripes. They¡¯d take it as a sign that they could work over the summer to make up the difference. But not Archie. He wouldn¡¯t be happy as long as he wore orange.


    His thoughts stumbled upon the well-worn path of his childhood dream. The homecoming. Returning to Sain as a real Chef. His neighbors fawning over the yellow jacket. People coming to Petrichor to see the newest up-and-coming Chef in the world.


    He feared their disappointment. If he returned in an orange jacket, they¡¯d say, ¡°oh, just like his father.¡±


    But then Archie realized that he might not return at all. The finals were inconsequential compared to the situation he and Nori and found themselves in with Mr. Ackers. He¡¯d be lucky to be able to keep living a normal life after the next week.


    He set the dough in the fridge and went to take a nap that left him groggy, not replenished.


    A few hours later, Archie joined the rest of the first-years in the main kitchen for their freestyle cooking assessment. Colby marched through the rows of students to make sure everyone played by the book. Pomona sauntered through the rows of students to offer last-minute tips and answer questions.


    Archie put his subpar cultivation score out of his mind. He knew he could make up the difference here.


    But then he grabbed his dough from the fridge and realized he might have been wrong.


    While cooling, the dough had become slick with an excessive amount of moisture. Archie tried to recall how many eggs he had used, but could only recall how distracted he had been. He checked the essence of the dough, realizing he hadn¡¯t been as deliberate as usual when kneading the dough. He added more flour to reduce the moisture, but he knew doing so meant reducing the overall aeration of the dough.


    While Archie raged against his own mistakes, Nori found herself in the zone. Everything came easy. She fileted a salmon and baked it with asparagus and small gold potatoes. As the fish cooked, she prepared a creamy yellow sauce with cream, chicken broth, thyme, garlic, butter, and¡ªof course¡ªlemon.


    Nori saw an advantage in finishing quickly, calling Colby and Pomona over as soon as she plated the food. Archie watched as he pulled the noodles from the boiling pot to a saut¨¦ pan, hoping to get rid of some excess moisture.


    Colby took the first bite, using his fingers to smear a potato with sauce as he ate the fish.  ¡°Mmm,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Sometimes I appreciate simple.¡±


    Pomona took a bite. ¡°Mmm! Nori! This sauce!¡± She used the fork to scoop up a bit more sauce and sucked on the prongs. ¡°Okay, you have to show me how you make it sometime.¡±


    Once again, Archie¡¯s disappointment with himself battled with his happiness for Nori. Judging by the Head Chefs¡¯ reaction, she probably had twenty points in the bag.


    And then Colby took another bite of fish¡ªnot out of a critical curiosity, but out of desire. ¡°Mmm,¡± he said again.


    More than twenty!


    Colby and Pomona stepped away, whispering to each other so that Nori couldn¡¯t hear. Once they landed on a score, Colby was the one to break the news, providing the rare opportunity for a student to be praised by him.


    ¡°Twenty four,¡± he said.


    Nori nearly jumped out of her skin.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Pomona said as she squeezed Nori¡¯s shoulders. They moved on to Julienne, who had created a dish of tagliatelle and bolognese sauce.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be submitting it for my innovation score, as well,¡± Julienne said. Pomona went to grab Anise.


    Meanwhile, Nori looked over at Archie while she cleaned up her station. ¡°Did you hear that? Twenty four! I just need twenty one points from conjuration and I¡¯m yellow!¡±


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Archie said with a smile that disappeared a little too quickly.


    Nori¡¯s celebratory tone went on pause as she worried about Archie. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­¡± Archie sighed. His body tightened, his breathing growing shallow. ¡°It¡¯s not going well.¡±


    ¡°Hey. You got this.¡±


    Archie wished he believed her.


    Back at Julienne¡¯s station, Anise gasped with glee as Julienne¡¯s tagliatelle noodles moved on their own to wrap around a magically enhanced fork. ¡°Smart, fun, practical. I can see how this could elevate the dining experience and be useful for others to learn. I¡¯d score it at twenty points.¡±


    ¡°This would be great for kids,¡± Pomona added. ¡°When my niece eats pasta, the floor eats as much as she does.¡±


    ¡°True! True! Twenty two points, then.¡±


    Anise was also thankful to get to try Julienne¡¯s pasta, which earned an immediate twenty five points from Colby and Pomona.


    Archie melted parmesan and romano cheese together, adding blueberries at the end and pouring it over his pasta. His previous mistakes had made him frustrated, and being frustrated had made him rush.


    Colby took the first bite. ¡°Mmm. It¡¯s a good idea. The execution, though¡­¡±


    Archie looked at Pomona. Pomona the kind. Pomona the complimenter. Pomona the Colby-softener. She took a bite and pursed her lips in disappointment. ¡°It¡¯s good. Seriously. But¡­I expected more from you.¡±


    They stepped away. Colby whispered a suggested score to Pomona, who nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Eighteen,¡± Colby said.


    Even with an assumed twenty five points in conjuration, that meant Archie needed a twenty one on the next day¡¯s cooking challenge to earn his promotion.


    ¡°Finished!¡± Oliver declared. He held out a small vial of blue liquid. ¡°And it¡¯ll be my innovation project.¡±


    Anise considered the liquid with great caution. ¡°This isn¡¯t gonna kill me, is it? Head Chef Colby, perhaps you¡¯d like to try it?¡±


    Colby¡¯s face went white and Pomona laughed, both undoubtedly recalling the incident from the first semester.


    ¡°You run the innovation portion,¡± Colby said. ¡°Your opinion is the one that matters.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve tested it on myself several times,¡± Oliver said. ¡°It¡¯s alcoholic, but you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    The whole class worried about it. Archie sweat. Nori gripped a spatula. Blanche said a prayer of protection.


    And then Anise drank.


    Nothing happened. She licked her lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good. Honey mead? I like that it¡ª¡±


    A stream of fizz erupted from her mouth, shooting ten feet before hitting the floor. The stream lasted for several seconds, putting a bath¡¯s worth of bubbles on the floor. When it finally ended, Anise blinked repeatedly and wiped her mouth. She looked at Oliver with a wild rage.


    ¡°What the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Oliver squeaked. ¡°It was only supposed to last a couple of seconds. At least I figured out how to make it come out of the right end finally!¡±


    While most of the students ate their creations for dinner, Archie could hardly manage a bite. And that night, he couldn¡¯t sleep. If it wasn¡¯t the finals, it was the thought of Mr. Ackers that kept him awake. The thought of Teff. Bloody and bruised, collapsed against the counter.


    Even Oliver couldn¡¯t get a joke out of him.

 Chapter 55 - Finals - Day Two

    ¡°Okay, day two!¡± Aubergine yelled as he jogged in place with excitement. Next to him, Tarragon tilted his head back and waited for the Headmaster to finish. ¡°Now while I¡¯ve been told that the kitchens and greenhouses are too crowded for me to join the fun, our wonderful Head Chef Tarragon couldn¡¯t tell me that there wasn¡¯t enough room out in the field. So I¡¯ll be helping to administer the conjuration exam. And I¡¯m excited!¡±


    Most of the students matched Aubergine¡¯s excitement. But not Archie. He rubbed at his tired eyes, hoping he¡¯d have an opportunity to nap between the day¡¯s two exams. He had hardly slept the previous night. He had dreamt of the forest glade again, but instead of feeding himself to the licertes, he fed little Teff to them piece by piece.


    ¡°Now, I think conjuration is a wonderful thing. It reminds me of¡­¡±


    Archie sighed as Aubergine started rambling. Even after Archie¡¯s overconfidence had been exposed with lower-than-expected scores, he still had no doubt he¡¯d get a perfect score for conjuration. The most difficult part about the exam would be getting the day over with while Aubergine seemed to want to live in it forever.


    ¡°...and the weather! A beautiful, sunny day. You know, they say it¡¯s going to rain later this week. They. Who¡¯s the they everyone refers to? The omniscient, omnipotent they. Masters of rumors and weather, they. You know¡ª¡±


    Tarragon clapped Aubergine on the back. ¡°I think the thing they should know is how the exam works.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, yes, yes,¡± Aubergine said, clearing his voice of its rambling tone and redoubling it with authority. ¡°Two portions of the exam today. First, can you conjure? You¡¯re still Orange Jackets, so the grading for that one is pretty much yes-no. Just a little bit of wiggle room, but not much.


    ¡°As for the second part, as you can see, we¡¯ve set up some targets. We got them at five yards, ten, twenty, and¡ªhonestly this one isn¡¯t even getting graded¡ªjust for fun, I set up one at fifty. We¡¯ll judge your ability to project essence based on your ability to change the color of the reactive flour on each target. Now, it¡¯s gotta be raw essence. No conjuring an apple and throwing it.¡±


    The fifty yard target managed to get Archie¡¯s mind back into the exam. He hadn¡¯t practiced on anything nearly that far away. Anything within twenty five yards was a guaranteed result, but the fifty yarder provided a nice challenge.


    ¡°Alright, Tarragon, would you like to get them started?¡±


    Tarragon shrugged. ¡°Go ahead, Headmaster.¡±


    Aubergine clapped his hands. He didn¡¯t need to be told twice. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s get started! We¡¯ll do a little show and tell. Who wants to go first?¡±


    Archie, Nori, Julienne, and Oliver¡ªthe four everyone thought could get a perfect score¡ªall raised their hands at the same time.


    ¡°Ohoho!¡± Aubergine roared, clapping as he laughed. ¡°That¡¯s the enthusiasm I like to see! Julienne! Come on down! Show us a little con-juuuuuur-ation!¡±


    Everyone cheered and clapped¡ªno one louder than Yarrow¡ªas Julienne walked into position.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Aubergine said. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    Julienne clapped his hands once, conjuring a square noodle in his palm.


    ¡°And there it is!¡± Aubergine said.


    But Julienne could never pass up a chance to show off. The noodle lengthened into a rectangle until it draped off his hand. He wrapped his hand around it and swung his arm around, pouring essence into the noodle to make it extend ten feet as it circled in the air.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Aubergine raised his arms in delight. ¡°Alright, alright, save some of that essence for the targets!¡±


    Julienne made the noodle dissipate into thin air and looked down the range at the targets. ¡°Does the order matter?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start at five and work our way up. Now this is a special blend of flour provided by our Head Chef Anise. The flour will naturally return to a white color, so if you don¡¯t get it to red on your first try, just try again before it fades.¡±


    Julienne stepped up to the mark, took a deep breath, and lifted his hand, palm forward. He high-fived the air, sending an invisible force to turn the flour red on the five-yard target.


    ¡°Hey hey!¡± Aubergine exclaimed, clapping high in the air to prompt the other students to clap along. ¡°Can he do ten?!¡±


    Julienne shifted his feet and settled into his spot. He pushed his palm toward the next target. Pure red.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see twenty!¡±


    Julienne repeated the motion. The flour on the target turned yellow.


    ¡°Keep going before it fades!¡± Aubergine said, pointing to the target as the flour on the edge started to revert back to white.


    Julienne grunted as he threw his entire arm forward in a thrust. The target turned orange but faded even faster, going back to yellow in a second. Using the same hand, Julienne thrust three times. Orange. Blood orange. Red.


    ¡°He got it!¡± Aubergine cheered and threw his hands in the air. ¡°That¡¯s a perfect score!¡±


    Julienne put his hands on his knees and groaned with fatigue.


    ¡°Give the fifty a shot. Come on, who wants to see him take on the fifty?!¡±


    The students cheered¡ªArchie matching Yarrow¡¯s intensity this time. He figured him and Julienne would both get perfect scores, but the final target would be a good measure of who was best. Julienne heard Archie¡¯s increased volume and locked eyes, a single nod marking the start of their competition.


    Julienne flexed his hand open and closed as he gathered his breath. He stepped into a thrust, sending his essence fifty yards through the air¡ªor at least trying to. A small blip of yellow appeared on the target. Julienne sent another wave before the color could fade, but only managed to widen the yellow to a third of the total target.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Aubergine said, grabbing Julienne¡¯s arm before another wave could be sent. ¡°Let¡¯s save some for the cooking challenge later, yeah?¡±


    Julienne took an exhausted breath and nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it for Julienne! Scoring some yellow on the fifty!¡±


    The students clapped as Julienne returned to their masses. Before Aubergine had the chance to pick the next volunteer, Archie stepped up. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Aubergine laughed through an open-mouthed grin. ¡°Alright! I love the passion! Let¡¯s see what Archie can conjure!¡±


    Not to be outdone, Archie conjured three noodles just as long as Julienne¡¯s, demonstrating better scale as well as better technique as he made the noodles wrap around his forearm for extra grip.


    ¡°Oh, another pastamancer!¡± Aubergine cheered.


    But Archie didn¡¯t want to be put into one group. With his spare hand, he tossed a conjured blueberry high into the air, exploding it in a mist of juice that dissipated before it reached the students.


    ¡°Ah! I love it! The showmanship!¡± Aubergine looked ready to burst with happiness. ¡°Okay, okay, okay, targets!¡±


    In the greenhouse and in the kitchen and in the classroom, Archie knew that he wasn¡¯t the best. But in the field? Archie was ready to put any debate to rest. In two quick thrusts of the palm, he turned the five-yard and ten-yard targets red.


    ¡°Waaaa-ow!¡± Aubergine held his head in disbelief.


    Archie took a moment to gather himself¡ªhe needed to nail the next target in one go to really put himself in a different class than Julienne. He put his left hand around the other¡¯s wrist, pouring essence into his right hand. He kept his channels of energy open as he pushed toward the target, sending a constant stream of essence that instantly turned the target orange and then gradually changed it to red over the next two seconds.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s twenty five points if I¡¯ve ever given out twenty five points! Wow!¡± Aubergine ran behind Archie and rubbed his shoulders like a proud father. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you got for the fifty target!¡±


    Archie took a moment to let his essence return to an equilibrium, assessing its quantity to see how hard he could go. He gathered essence in his hand and repeated the motion, sending a continuous wave of essence at the distant target. It faded from white to yellow to orange and back to yellow again before Archie finally gave up.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°I saw orange! Let¡¯s hear it for Archie!¡± Everyone cheered¡ªnone louder than Nori. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it going! I¡¯ll pick¡­Blanche!¡±


    Blanche stopped clapping and turned white as a sheet. ¡°No. I mean¡ªI can¡¯t. Not after that. I¡¯ll go later!¡±


    Benedict saw his opportunity to be the hero, volunteering himself to cool the crowd off from Archie and Julienne¡¯s prodigious performance. ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡±


    He failed to conjure anything, but managed to put a spot of yellow on the twenty-yard target, earning him a respectable sixteen points. The performances continued like that for a while, but even the sub-fifteen scores from Mindy and Blanche had Aubergine hollering with excitement. Even the lowest score of the day, Sutton¡¯s nine points, got a ¡°yeah!¡± from Aubergine when the first target turned red after great effort.


    The fifty-yard target remained unchanged until Nori went. She started her assessment by launching conjured lemon juice twenty feet through the air. She turned the five-yarder and ten-yarder red with single splashes of essence, but had to resort to her own special technique for the twenty-yarder.


    A master of precision, Nori stuck out her four fingers and moved them from the top of the target to the bottom, painting it red as her fingers moved.


    ¡°Not a speck of orange! Straight red!¡± Aubergine yelled, his voice cracking with hoarseness.


    For the fifty-yarder, Nori reduced her focus to a single finger, scrunching it up and then extending it toward the target. A spot appeared¡ªsmall enough to require squinting, but big enough to be clearly red.


    For a brief moment in that morning sun, Archie and Nori forgot about all of their troubles and argued over whether turning the entire target orange was better than turning a small part of it red.


    For the second afternoon in a row, the first-years gathered in the main kitchen to be judged by Colby and Pomona. But this time, instead of having the freedom to cook something of their choosing, all of the students had to make the same meal.


    All week, students tried to figure out what the dish would be. They tried feeding Colby¡¯s ego. They tried being buddy-buddy with Pomona. But nothing worked. So when the students arrived to see big bowls of uncooked rice and a small assortment of herbs and mushrooms, they speculated on what other ingredients would be introduced.


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s not a vegetarian dish.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they have beef in the fridge.¡±


    ¡°Wait, they¡¯re not going to make us make sushi, right?¡±


    ¡°I need at least fifteen points, it better be something I know.¡±


    Colby projected his voice from the front of the kitchen, silencing the students. ¡°Quieeeeet!¡±


    Once the class settled down, Pomona started with her usual chipper tone. ¡°Okay! I hope you¡¯re all excited. I know I am. Yesterday was a big day, and we tasted so much great food from you all. Today, you¡¯ll all be making the same dish.¡±


    Colby picked up where Pomona left off. ¡°First-year Chefs come from many backgrounds. Some of you have been cooking since you could speak. Others picked it up recently. However, you¡¯ve all been studying the art of cooking with essence for the same amount of time.¡±


    Pomona¡¯s sweet voice rang out in contrast to Colby¡¯s authoritative one. ¡°We wanted to select a challenge that required mastery of the kitchen, but placed more emphasis on cooking with essence. Dishes that require more frequent tending and stirring are great for assessing the use of essence. So, we decided on chicken with risotto.¡±


    Archie reflexively looked at Nori. She tried to contain her excitement, not wanting to give away the fact that she had an edge on the competition.


    ¡°We have chicken in the fridge and recipes up here. You do have a little bit of freedom with the measurements, but if you do not capture the correct flavor profile as prescribed by this recipe, you will be docked points. You may begin. You have one hour.¡±


    Archie felt a pit in his stomach as he walked up to grab a recipe. The thought of risotto made him think of the kulkida risotto, and that made him think of Teff and Mr. Ackers, and that made him think of Gluttons, and that made him think of his grandfather, and that made him think about his episodes in Cafe Julienne and Pomona¡¯s kitchen. His head swayed and his vision blurred as he tried to read off the ingredients. Arborio rice. White wine. Garlic. Chicken broth. Butter. Parmesan cheese. Sun-dried tomatoes. Seasoning.


    Twenty one points. That was the magic number. Twenty one points and he would become a Yellow Jacket. No longer a lowly Orange Jacket. No longer a failure like his¡ª


    He shook his head violently to dispel the thought.


    He had made risotto before and had enough intuition to know that the chicken was meant only to provide meat, not take over the flavor of the dish. He looked at the rice with dread and decided to start on the chicken first. It could always be reheated.


    He seasoned the chicken with smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder, searing it in a pan full of butter. He used some of his essence to bring out the flavor, but saved most of his reserves for the risotto.


    He sliced the chicken in half to make sure it had cooked properly, then set it aside to start the risotto. He started by sauteing shallots and garlic, then added the rice. He roasted it for a minute just as he had roasted the kulkida risotto before Nori did the hard work.


    He dipped a ladle into his warm chicken broth and stared at the rice. In their late nights in the attic, this had always been when Nori took over. When Nori had to give up her time. Her essence. Her health. All because Archie was scared. He hadn¡¯t even really tried to cook the kulkida risotto. He was a coward. Afraid of failing. Failing like he did in Cafe Julienne. On the biggest stage, he embarrassed himself. Embarrassed his family¡ªif they even had any pride left to be turned into shame.


    He scooped the broth into the rice with a splash of wine and started stirring.


    His mind went back to Cafe Julienne. Everything had been going so well. The practice run went fine. The real thing was going well enough. But then Prince Waldorf had shown up. Why had Archie fainted in the Glutton¡¯s presence? He imagined Prince Waldorf standing at the door of the kitchen, watching the students all make risotto. Archie¡¯s heart raced as he remembered something from that day. When Prince Waldorf had entered, so too had the disembodied voice that had tormented him all year. He couldn¡¯t remember what it had said, but he remembered what it had invoked. Anger. Envy. Hunger.


    Something stank.


    Had the voice been there when Mr. Ackers turned into a Glutton? Had it compelled him with those same foul emotions? Archie couldn¡¯t remember. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked away. He could see Teff, clear as day, her body collapsed, blood dripping down her face. Soon, it would be Archie there. They would get caught trying to rescue the girl. Everyone would know about the kulkida risotto. Archie would rot away in prison. Rot, rot, rot.


    Rot, rot, rot.


    Archie looked back at the risotto and dropped his wooden spoon.


    ¡°No, no¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°Not again. Please, no¡­¡±


    A black, putrid bubble rose to the surface of the risotto. It popped, releasing a rotten waft of air. He snatched up the spoon and started stirring again. He could reverse the process, he just had to focus. He just had to be positive. He could do it, he could. He wasn¡¯t going to fail, he could¡ª


    His hands seized up, the spoon falling from his hands. His hands shook, then his arms, then his whole body, his composure unraveling faster than his thoughts. No one had noticed yet. No one but Nori.


    Collaboration was strictly forbidden, but Nori¡¯s concern for Archie vastly outweighed the threat of disqualification. She ran over, put a lid on the pot, moved it off the fire, and grabbed Archie, pulling him away.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay.¡±


    Colby and Pomona recognized the rule breaking, but also recognized that something more important was going on. ¡°Go,¡± Colby said to Pomona, his face flashing a rare worry.


    Pomona and Nori led Archie outside.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Pomona asked.


    ¡°It¡ªit¡ªit happened. It happened again. I¡ªI¡ªI tried to stop it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re okay, Archie,¡± Nori said. ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡±


    But Archie couldn¡¯t hold it in. ¡°I¡¯m so scared,¡± he sobbed.


    Nori threw her arms around him and squeezed him tight. Her lips brushed against his ear and whispered. ¡°We¡¯ll be okay. As long as we have each other, we¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    She pulled away and exaggerated her breaths, her hand mirroring the rise and fall of her chest. ¡°Just breathe. Like this. Okay?¡±


    Archie looked into her eyes and followed the rhythm of her breathing. Slowly, slowly, slowly, he returned to normal.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± he said, trying to convince himself as much as them. ¡°I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Nori said.


    ¡°Go,¡± Archie told Nori. ¡°Your risotto will burn.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Go.¡±


    Nori pursed her lips and exhaled through her nose. Archie nodded, trying to appear as composed as possible so that Nori wouldn¡¯t sacrifice her score on account of him.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked forcefully.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine,¡± Archie said, hoping his heavy breathing wouldn¡¯t betray him.


    Pomona looked between the two, understanding that she didn¡¯t know the full story. Finally, Nori left, running back into the kitchen.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Pomona asked, repeating Nori.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡­¡± Archie took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m guessing I just failed.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Pomona laughed through her nose and smiled that beautiful smile of hers. ¡°We¡¯ll grade your chicken at least. That¡¯ll be worth a few points.¡±


    Archie took another deep breath and smiled. He wasn¡¯t disappointed. He was relieved. There were larger things at stake, and these exams only served as a distraction. Now that they were over, he could face his fate. Grades didn¡¯t matter. Jackets didn¡¯t matter. Somewhere in Caviar Court, a little girl lived in fear, waiting for someone to rescue her from a cabal of Gluttons.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I actually have somewhere to be.¡±


    Archie got up and started to jog off.


    ¡°Oh. Wait, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Archie yelled back as he ran away. He ran to his room and stuffed some coins into his pocket. He ran out of the Academy. He ran past the gate of the royal keep. He ran past Chrysanth as the guard asked what was wrong. He ran through the Children¡¯s Square with its towering statues. He ran up the stairs to the tram, shoved the coins in the guard¡¯s hands, and rode it all the way down to the Roots. And then he ran some more, going over the bridges and past the little, compact homes until finally arriving at The Gift.


    Rowan had closed the restaurant for the week as he prepared for the ultimate exam. Archie found him on the rooftop looking over a bed of purple flowers.


    ¡°Is it ready?¡±


    Rowan looked up from the flowers. He had aged years in just a matter of weeks, his skin sallow and drooping, his eyes heavy with fatigue.


    He nodded.

 Chapter 56 - The Day

    ¡°So how does it work?¡±


    Rowan offered Nori a bouquet of purple flowers. ¡°Breathe in,¡± he said. ¡°And back out onto the flowers.¡±


    Nori did as commanded. Rowan took the bouquet and put it in front of Archie¡¯s face.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get the girl to do the same. And then we grind it up and put it in everything. But especially the risotto. It¡¯ll carry our signatures with it, and when eaten, will make them forget us.¡±


    Rowan sniffed the flowers. ¡°Oh, so be sure not to eat anything we put this in,¡± he says. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want to forget the last year, would we?¡±


    Archie looked at Nori and imagined forgetting her face. She was the most important person to him since he had come to Ambrosia City. His best friend. His partner in crime. His family. The thought of forgetting her was worse than death.


    ¡°For the three of us, it¡¯ll be easy for them to forget. For the girl, not as much. They¡¯ll certainly forget her face. They¡¯ll likely forget whatever love they have for her¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not much,¡± Archie said.


    ¡°¡ªand it¡¯s possible that they¡¯ll forget they had a daughter altogether.¡±


    Nori studied the flowers. ¡°How is this possible? How did you do it?¡±


    Rowan chuckled, his lips curling into a soft smile. ¡°When you¡¯re an Orange Jacket, all of your magic has an explanation. But as you learn more and more, somewhere along the way¡­things just are.¡±


    The unconvincing explanation gave Nori pause. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯ll work.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re okay with keeping Teff for a while?¡±


    Rowan started at the floor. ¡°I have many regrets. One of my biggest is prioritizing my career over starting a family. From your determination I can see that the girl is worth saving. Besides, I do get lonely here¡­¡± He looked around at his usual company¡ªplants that only spoke when commenting on the wind.


    They all listened to that wind for a little bit. The chirping birds. The pitter patter of foot traffic. Rumblings of wagons and ramblings of merchants. It comforted Archie to know that even if they were frozen in this moment¡ªeven if this was the end¡ªthe city would still go on.


    They took a small push cart onto the tram and up the Trunk, riding in silence. Rowan had shed his black jacket¡ªas he put it, one less thing to be remembered by¡ªand held the wrapped up bouquet close to his chest the entire way, making sure that not even a single petal dropped.


    They passed the Ackers estate, arriving at the end of the cul-de-sac to see a manor that dwarfed every residence in Caviar Court. A large wrought iron fence contained the well-maintained yard, private guards stationed in a small stone booth with a sign above it that read, The Rathbonds.


    Beyond the gate, a Gluttonous woman fidgeted with a patch of flowers, making sure they all stood upright and occasionally picking off and eating a petal. Her blue dress stretched wide like a lake¡ªArchie had never considered the custom tailoring a Glutton must require. She saw the trio approach and took a step toward them.


    ¡°I was told there¡¯d be two,¡± she yelled. ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡±


    ¡°Coriander Daccomb, my lady,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Retired kitchenhand.¡±


    She turned her nose up at him. ¡°If you are retired, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I spend too much on my grandkids,¡± he explained. ¡°And forgive my ignorance. You are?¡±


    ¡°Lady Rathbond,¡± she brushed her hair with one hand and her dress with the other. ¡°Lord Rathbond is in the parlor. Not to be disturbed.¡± She waved to the guard. ¡°Let them in.¡±


    Inside the booth, the guard pulled an unseen lever. Metal grated as gears turned and the gate slid open across the stone. Archie got the cart moving with a hefty shove, sweating from physical exertion as well as nerves. Lady Rathbond got a head start toward the kitchen, waving them onward.


    She supervised their unloading in the kitchen, pulling out their requested ingredients from the pantry and refrigerator.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so glad to have you catering a full party again,¡± she said. ¡°Of course, I love your¡­specialty item. But I do love your seafood as well. Look here, I got you caviar.¡±


    She dipped two massive fingers into the bowl of caviar, taking a pinch and licking it from her fingers.


    ¡°I think we are all set,¡± Nori said. Archie was impressed with how well she hid her disgust.


    ¡°Hm.¡± Lady Rathbond took another pinch of caviar and left.


    After an hour of prep work, the first guests arrived. From the kitchen, the Chefs heard a string quartet playing in the backyard. Then the kitchen door opened and a rushing pitter-patter of footsteps came through.


    Archie turned just in time to catch the jumping Teff.


    ¡°Blueberry man!¡±


    He lifted her up, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She looked like a bruised piece of fruit, squeezing Archie so tightly that he couldn¡¯t count all the new bits of purple and green.


    Rowan stopped stirring the kulkida risotto. Unlike Nori, he hadn¡¯t required the supercharged noodles. He walked over to the two. ¡°I assume this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Archie said. He set Teff down and squatted down to her height. ¡°Hey Teff.¡± He looked around to make sure they were alone. He whispered, ¡°are you okay?¡±


    Teff¡¯s smile disappeared. Her lips shrunk to a dot. Her eyes grew and watered. She nodded forcefully.


    ¡°You said¡­you said you wanted to run away. Do you still want to?¡±


    Her mouth hung open. The hanging tears in her eyes glistened with dreams. ¡°Did you come to take me away?¡±


    ¡°If you want¡­this is Mr. Rowan. He¡¯ll take care of you.¡±


    The dream in her eye faded. She stepped toward Archie, loosely wrapping an arm around him as she assessed Rowan with a child¡¯s skepticism.


    ¡°Teff, right?¡± Rowan asked as he crouched down. ¡°I heard you like blueberry tricks.¡±


    She shrunk further into Archie and nodded.


    ¡°Alright. Let me show you one. Take your hands and clasp them together like this.¡± Teff squeezed her hands together. ¡°Yeah, just like that. Now leave just a little bit of room in there, okay?¡±


    Rowan showed an open palm and materialized a blueberry. ¡°You ready?¡±


    Teff nodded twice.


    ¡°Alright¡­Aaaaand¡­¡± Rowan tossed the blueberry high into the air. He and Teff looked up, waiting for it to fall, but it never did. Instead, it disappeared.


    ¡°Where¡¯d it go?¡± Teff asked.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Rowan exaggerated his expressions, rubbing his chin and twisting his mouth around. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Did you catch it?¡±


    Teff snorted. ¡°Nooooo¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Rowan leaned in toward Teff. ¡°Then what¡¯s that in your hands?¡±


    Teff opened her hands, revealing a blueberry. She almost threw it as she jumped up and down. ¡°Whoa!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, now look up.¡± Rowan pointed into the air, Teff following his finger. ¡°Now close your hands.¡±


    The moment that Teff closed her hands, a blueberry appeared near the ceiling, dropping into Rowan¡¯s hands. Teff grinned and opened her hands to find that her blueberry had disappeared.


    ¡°Do it again!¡±


    ¡°I can show you all kinds of tricks. And you can help me garden. I have a reeeeeally big garden up on my roof. Have you ever gardened?¡±


    Teff shook her head.


    ¡°Oh, I think you¡¯d be good at it.¡± Rowan smiled. Teff smiled back. And then Rowan got serious. ¡°Now, Teff, this is up to you. You need to understand what we¡¯re talking about here. You¡¯d never be able to come back here. You¡¯d never see any of your friends or family.¡±


    The tears returned. Teff nodded. ¡°Please take me with you.¡±


    Rowan¡¯s smile warmed the room better than any flame could. He pulled out the bouquet of purple flowers. ¡°I grow lots of flowers. Do you like flowers, Teff?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°Here, smell these.¡±


    Teff leaned forward, sniffed, and stepped back.


    ¡°No, no. Smell each individual flower. They smell good, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Teff dug her nose so deep into the bouquet that she had to brush pollen off of her nose. ¡°If my daddy finds out, he¡¯s going to hurt me. He¡¯s going to hurt all of us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. We have a plan. But you can¡¯t mention this to anyone. Ever. Do you understand?


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°Alright, now go play with the other kids. And don¡¯t say a word about this.¡±


    Teff looked at Archie like she wanted to say something. He grabbed a blueberry off the counter, charged it, and bounced it to her. She caught it with both hands and bounced it again on the ground before running outside.


    Once she left the room, all three of them sighed with nervous relief.


    As Nori returned to her seafood, Rowan took a flower and held it over the risotto. It turned translucent as it disintegrated into dust, covering the rice. He added some broth and stirred.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to put it in everything,¡± he explained. He took a canvas sack and let another flower dissolve into it. He handed it to Archie. ¡°I have a job for you. An important one.¡±


    Archie swallowed. He has surpassed his emotional limit long ago. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I need you to go to the Ackers estate. There are some candies in here. Give them out to the servants. And then take the rest of the dust and put it into¡­whatever. Salt shakers. Spice racks. Just to make sure that the Ackers don¡¯t even realize that someone is missing.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to get in? Break in?¡±


    ¡°Does Mr. Ackers possess any rare ingredients? Herbs? Spices?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    ¡°Caraway seeds,¡± Nori answered.


    ¡°Great. Archie, speak to Mr. Ackers. Tell him you forgot to bring caraway seeds and that Lord Rathbond doesn¡¯t have any. Ask to go to his kitchen.¡±


    As if on cue, Lord Rathbond walked in with Mr. Ackers in tow. Mr. Ackers had only grown more since the last time they saw him¡ªhe could hardly be called a fledging Glutton at this point.


    ¡°Ah, here they are,¡± Lord Rathbond said. He gave Rowan a puzzled look, but moved past it. He didn¡¯t care about some old man. He cared about one thing and one thing only. ¡°How much risotto have you prepared?¡±


    Nori jumped into action. Even though Rowan had done the cooking, she was still the face of the operation. ¡°It needs a little longer,¡± she said, fearing that the Gluttonous duo might eat everything right then and there. ¡°But¡­as a special surprise to you both¡­to thank you for your generosity. We¡¯ve prepared extra.¡±


    Lord Rathbond twiddled his sausage fingers. ¡°Extra?¡±


    ¡°We made twenty servings just as you asked.¡± Nori pursed her lips, letting the Gluttons sweat for a moment. ¡°And an extra thirty on top of that. Free of charge.¡±


    Mr. Ackers almost fainted. Lord Rathbond clutched the other Glutton¡¯s shoulder to stabilize them both.


    ¡°Oh, Ambrosia,¡± Lord Rathbond moaned.


    Nori smiled. One credit to her upbringing¡ªshe could always force a smile in service of someone else. ¡°We figured with it being such a big day¡ªCaraway¡¯s birthday and all¡ªthat we¡¯d make enough for everyone to enjoy. Without depriving you of your fair share, of course.¡±


    Mr. Ackers laughed and licked his lips. His hunger took a sinister turn. ¡°Oh, Nori. Keep this up and I¡¯ll make you my next wife.¡±


    Nori¡¯s smile barely hung on.


    Lord Rathbond patted Mr. Ackers¡¯s back. ¡°Come, my friend. Come, if I stay here in this smell, I¡¯m like to eat the whole kitchen.¡±


    Mr. Ackers laughed. ¡°Me and you both.¡±


    They turned to leave.


    ¡°Uhm¡ªMr. Ackers? A moment, please?¡± Archie said.


    Lord Rathburn looked thoughtfully between the two, nodded, and then left.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Mr. Ackers asked.


    Archie acted like he had a big secret, leaning in and whispering. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say it in front of Lord Rathburn.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Well, we forgot to bring caraway seeds. And he has none. I know that you do, so I was wondering if¡­I could head over there real quick to grab some? I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Mr. Ackers laughed, loudly at first, then put a hand over his mouth to muffle it. ¡°Sorry. No caraway seeds? Ha, he doesn¡¯t even have his child¡¯s namesake in that paltry pantry. Between us, his manor might be large, but I find this kitchen quite lacking. And that¡¯s what really counts, right my boy?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Archie said with a nervous laugh.


    Mr. Ackers managed to stop laughing and let out a big sigh. ¡°Caraway seeds, you say? Not to be a penny pincher, but it is quite expensive¡­¡±


    ¡°Nori?¡± Archie asked. ¡°Can I take a bowl of risotto over to Mr. Ackers¡¯s kitchen?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Something for when you get back,¡± Archie said.


    Mr. Ackers chuckled. ¡°You know exactly what I want. Go ahead. Tell the butler I sent you. He¡¯ll give you free reign of the kitchen.¡±


    Archie ran fast enough to get there quickly but slow enough to not draw too much suspicion. The butler let him inside and waited outside the door to the kitchen, but not before Archie managed to push a candy covered in floral dust onto him.


    Once the swinging door of the kitchen came to a rest, Archie snapped into motion. He entered the pantry and spotted a bag of flour. He looked over his shoulder, watching that swinging door, expecting to see it move and the butler to catch him in the act.


    The door stayed still.


    Archie sprinkled some of the translucent flower petals into the bag. He looked around again. A cylinder of salt. Archie fumbled at its lid, finally managing to open it with a loud pop!


    He looked over his shoulder again. Still good. He poured the dust in. Over the next minute¡ªwhich felt like an hour¡ªhe put the dust into several containers.


    He stuffed his bag with caraway seeds and walked out with the butler into the great hall of the Ackers estate.


    And then he froze.


    The painting.


    Hanging above the mantle of the fireplace.


    The great big painting that had captured Teff¡¯s likeness so well. The likeness that the Ackers were meant to forget. Archie clutched at his heart, hoping to slow it. The sound of blood filled his ears.


    I have to do it. I have to destroy the painting. I can sneak around the back. Punch a hole in it. Rip out her face. No. Too loud. I¡­I¡­


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± the butler asked.


    ¡°I, uh¡ªI¡ªSorry, I forgot something in the kitchen. Do you mind if we go back?¡±


    The butler led Archie back to the kitchen. Archie rushed into the pantry, stepping up on the lowest shelves to search.


    I saw it around here somewhere. It¡¯s gotta be¡­here!


    He found a little jar of turmeric, took a rag, and put them in his pocket. He took one last look to make sure that the butler wasn¡¯t watching before sneaking out through the outside door, pushing the door ever so slowly so that it wouldn¡¯t make a sound. Once in the backyard, he made sure the area was clear of servants and made his way to the great hall¡¯s back door. He peered through the windows. All clear.


    The door creaked as it opened. Archie couldn¡¯t decide if opening it slowly made it creak or if swinging it open would make things worse, so he stuck to slow. Once he could slip through, he ran over and grabbed the mantle of the fireplace, pulling himself up to stand on its great stony shelf.


    He looked over his shoulder toward the kitchen, then cursed his own stupidity.


    As if you could explain what you¡¯re doing. Just do it.


    He whispered to the jar of turmeric, almost a prayer. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you need my help to do this¡­but please. Work.¡±


    He sent a surge of essence into the jar and dipped the rag into it. The rag turned deep yellow.


    Perfect.


    Archie put the turmeric thick onto the rag and reached up, swiping across Teff¡¯s face. In one pass, her face became an unrecognizable splotch of yellow. Archie dipped the rag into the turmeric and swiped again, pressing the rag hard into the canvas. He swiped again and again, covering her entire body all the way out to one side of the frame. He jumped down, louder than he¡¯d like, and looked up at the painting.


    Mr. and Mrs. Ackers had posed next to a featureless yellow blob.


    Archie snuck back out into the yard and then the kitchen. He took a second to try to calm down, but thinking about his breathlessness just made it worse.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to head out the back if that¡¯s alright,¡± he called out, opening the door as loudly as possible before the butler could respond. Archie broke into a sprint before the door even finished swinging closed.


    This time, he didn¡¯t care if he looked suspicious sprinting through the streets of Caviar Court. He just needed to get away in case the butler saw the painting and tracked him down. Just another thing to stack on their house of cards.


    Archie entered the Rathbond¡¯s kitchen just as Rowan and Nori finished setting up the platters.


    ¡°Good timing,¡± Rowan said. ¡°We¡¯re just about to start. They¡¯ve set up tables in the yard.¡±


    He took a big breath. ¡°Nori, you stay here. I get the impression that some of the men might have found you the more memorable of the two of you. The less people that see you, the less people that will notice that you¡¯re missing. Archie and I will finish out the service while you leave with Teff.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Nori said. She looked at Archie. ¡°You ready?¡±


    Archie squeezed her arm to reassure her. ¡°We can do this.¡±


    He had put on the tough face for Nori, but inside, he couldn¡¯t be more scared. Archie shook as he carried out the appetizers. He envied Nori¡¯s position.


    Nori stood restlessly as the other two came in and out of the kitchen, having been forced to wait on the sidelines. She envied their position.


    Finally, the time came. Archie and Rowan each grabbed a giant bowl of kulkida risotto.


    ¡°Be ready,¡± Rowan told Nori. ¡°Don¡¯t wait for us.¡±


    Archie walked out into the yard. Twenty adults and twenty children were scattered around the tables, finishing their clam dips and shrimp cocktails. He looked down at the risotto and thought he might vomit into it.


    Rowan walked ahead of him. That made it easier for Archie.


    Just follow him. Don¡¯t think. Just walk his path.


    The Gluttons¡ªnearly all of the adults and half the children, little Caraway included¡ªwaited at the end of the catering table for the risotto. They tore into it before Rowan even finished setting the bowl down, going at it with one hand while shoving others aside with the other.


    Archie struggled to find a way through the mass of monstrous bodies, but then one of the Gluttons snatched the bowl from his hands, the group splitting in two as they fought over the new bowl.


    Archie turned to see Teff slip away in all of the chaos, sneaking into the kitchen. Archie swung his head back around to the rest of the party. No one seemed to have noticed.


    He breathed a sigh of relief.


    We did it. We did it. Nori will hide her. They¡¯ll get away. They¡¯ll get away. We¡¯ll all get away.


    ¡°Okay, there¡¯s just one more bowl of risotto,¡± Rowan said as they rushed back to the kitchen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it out,¡± Archie said. ¡°You make sure Nori and Teff make it out.¡±


    Rowan frowned at the suggestion.


    ¡°I got it,¡± Archie reassured him. ¡°You have to get her out.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Try to make sure everyone eats some. And then you leave as soon as you can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡±


    They entered the kitchen, Archie rushing to grab the last serving bowl of risotto.


    ¡°Okay, Teff,¡± Rowan said. ¡°It¡¯s like a game of hide and seek. We¡¯re gonna get you in this bag over here¡­¡±


    Archie rushed back outside. In their scuffle, the Gluttons had pushed their way to opposite sides of the yard, leaving a space at the table for the last bowl. Archie nodded at any straggling guests to come get their fill while they still could. He helped the children to get their share, ignoring manners and just encouraging them to scoop it up with their hands. He corralled everyone into getting a good bite and looked around, satisfied with himself.


    He heard the screeching of the gate come from the front yard, signaling Teff¡¯s escape.


    We did it.


    We actually did it.


    Archie fought the urge to cry. He had never experienced so much stress before, and it was only now that it had been lifted that he realized how terrible it had been. But it was all over now. Teff was free. Rowan and Nori were out. And Archie would be just behind them.


    ¡°Uncle Wally!¡± the birthday boy screamed in excitement as he ran toward the house.


    Archie turned slowly, slowly, slowly. The world spun with him.


    A massive man, the size of Mr. Ackers and Lord Rathbond combined, approached. A host of servants and Acorn Guards accompanied him.


    Archie forgot how to breathe. He even forgot how to be afraid. The only part of his brain that still worked was some teeny tiny rational bit that knew his fate was sealed. That death approached.


    He had seen the man before. He knew him well. Everyone did. It was the most famous and powerful Glutton in the world, after all.


    ¡°Oh, what do we have here?¡± Prince Waldorf asked as he approached Archie.

 Chapter 57 - The Complication

    Archie looked at the bowl of kulkida risotto at the end of the table.


    He looked back up at Prince Waldorf. Children swarmed around the prince, Gluttonous parents in tow. They kissed his hand and fawned over him.


    Archie could run. He needed to run. It was his only option. Once Prince Waldorf saw the kulkida risotto, it was all over. Archie needed to get as far away as possible before then.


    But he couldn¡¯t move. It was his nightmare all over again, standing there in that patch of grass, hunger approaching, Gluttony approaching, death approaching, but still he couldn¡¯t move. He was the final meal of the event. They would eat him in pieces.


    ¡°Oh, I remember you,¡± Prince Waldorf called out with his unnatural, warbling voice. ¡°The Kent boy.¡±


    The Glutton was so wide that he appeared closer than he truly was. As he waddled through the yard, his details became clear. His wispy black hair that poorly hid his baldness. His triple chin beneath his face. His double neck bubbling up above his face.


    ¡°My mother always spoke¡ªback when she could speak¡ªso fondly of your grandfather. She said he had the best Chefs. When I heard about you manifesting, I had hoped you would be one of my best chefs.¡±


    He continued to walk closer. Twenty feet, ten feet. Archie had to crane his neck back to look up at Waldorf¡¯s face, which was seven feet above the ground¡ªand two feet below the tops of his shoulders.


    ¡°But I see you¡¯ve landed on your feet. Catering in Caviar Court as a first-year student. Quite impressive. Although I must add, I am offended that you never offered me your services.¡±


    He reached out and grabbed Archie¡¯s shoulder¡ªa friendly gesture, but still painful. The hand stretched from the center of Archie¡¯s bicep to the curve of his neck. The weight caused his knees to buckle.


    ¡°Come. Show me what I¡¯ve been missing,¡± he said as he pulled Archie along toward the serving table.


    Archie looked at the end of the table. A couple of enterprising Gluttons were scooping the kulkida risotto out of the serving bowl and into their mouths¡ªlikely knowing that Prince Waldorf would be consuming whatever was left on the table.


    ¡°So, young Kent. Tell me about today¡¯s food.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡ªI, uh. It¡¯s¡­¡± Archie sputtered. He took a deep breath and tried to feign confidence. His voice betrayed him, his teeth nearly chattering between his words. ¡°It¡¯s a variety. But with an emphasis on seafood. Ur¡ª¡±


    Archie almost said Urokan, but stopped just short. He realized that detail would only raise the question¡ªwhere is the Urokan Chef?


    ¡°Ur¡ªyou¡¯re going to want to start with blueberry caprese skewers. Uhm. That¡ªthat¡ªthat¡¯s basil and uh¡ªbalsamic vinegar.¡±


    Prince Waldorf took two and lifted them up high. With his other hand, he slid the food off the skewer and into his mouth. If he chewed, Archie didn¡¯t notice.


    ¡°Mm,¡± he said with approval. ¡°My Chefs don¡¯t use skewers. Easier to eat off a plate.¡±


    Archie looked at the risotto at the end of the table. Another Glutton had started to scoop some up. It was nearly gone. Nearly.


    Please, please.


    Archie needed to stall. He stepped up his feigned confidence and doubled his word count.


    ¡°I hope you enjoyed those blueberry caprese skewers. I think you¡¯ll find that they prime your taste buds for our next course, baked salmon with a blueberry balsamic glaze. As you can tell, blueberries are a common trend here. I grew these myself in¡ª¡±


    Prince Waldorf pinched a salmon between two fingers, splitting it in half as he picked it up. He ate it in one bite.


    ¡°Mm! I¡¯ll be coming back to that. Impressive, young Kent. Remind me of your name?¡±


    ¡°Archie.¡±


    ¡°Very good, little Archie. What¡¯s next?¡±


    Another course closer to the risotto. Archie could still see at least a full serving in the bowl. Caraway, the birthday boy, had skipped past them to help himself. For once, Archie found himself rooting for the insatiable greed of a Glutton.


    ¡°Now, after those, we have a palate cleanser. Sorbet with a faint hint of blueberry.¡±


    ¡°Ha, palate cleansers,¡± Prince Waldorf dismissed the little crystal cups of sorbet. ¡°I¡¯ve never understood the concept. Next.¡±


    ¡°We have two options for the next course.¡± Archie¡¯s nerves frayed at the edges. He couldn¡¯t find his breath. His chest felt so tight that he thought his ribs might explode. ¡°Uh¡ªpancetta¡­pancetta-wrapped roasted cod with artichoke pesto. And¡ªuh¡ªa shrimp linguine.¡±


    Prince Waldorf took both, dipping his hand into the pasta and licking the sauce as it ran down his forearm.


    ¡°Say, I saw you at Cafe Julienne, did I not?¡± Prince Waldorf asked.


    ¡°Uh¡­Uh, yes. Yes sir.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace,¡± Prince Waldorf corrected.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°You know, I haven¡¯t been back since. I don¡¯t think any of the Juliennes particularly like me. They keep finding excuses to not offer me a reservation.¡± As Prince Waldorf sucked the sauce off his pinky, he used his other hand to slap Archie on the back, nearly knocking the boy over. ¡°It¡¯s alright though. I have plans for their little restaurant. Now. What¡¯s next?¡±


    Prince Waldorf motioned back to the food. Two courses until the risotto.


    Archie was a light breeze away from fainting. He rubbed his face, his hand coming away dripping with sweat.


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    ¡°And, finally, we, uh. We have some desserts. Candies for the kids. And uh¡ªI¡¯d¡­I¡¯d recommend the blueberry crostata with¡ªwith whipped cream.¡± Archie started to slink away, his breath growing rushed and ragged. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m needed in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Prince Waldorf¡¯s voice carried a nasty impatience. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. ¡°You should be honored to have me enjoy your food. Stay.¡±


    Prince Waldorf skipped the candy and went straight to the crostata. He stuck a finger into the middle of one, scooping out a blueberry. As he sucked his finger dry, he noticed the bowl at the end of the table.


    ¡°And what¡¯s this?¡± Prince Waldorf asked with the delight of curiosity. He laughed. ¡°Oh, it looks like whatever it was, it was quite popular. Nothing left.¡±


    Archie¡¯s throat locked up. He sucked air in short, raspy breaths.


    ¡°Oh, wait,¡± Prince Waldorf said as he peered into the bowl. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    He ran a finger from the center up the lip, rolling up a fingerful of residual risotto.


    ¡°What is this?¡± he repeated, his joyful face melting away. His lower jaw jutted out in suspended anger.


    The effort it took for Archie to speak made his head spin. ¡°It¡¯s¡ªuh¡ªit¡¯s risotto.¡±


    Slowly, ever so slowly, all too slowly, Prince Waldorf put his finger into his mouth.


    They got away. I¡¯m dead, but at least they got away.


    For a moment suspended in time, Archie daydreamed of Teff growing up in the rows of the rooftop garden. She¡¯d love the blueberry bushes. He could see her running around during the crowded lunch hours. She¡¯d love the chance to make so many friends.


    Prince Waldorf pulled his finger out of his mouth with a pop!


    His anger disappeared, replaced by a neutral expression. He stared at his finger for a while, then looked around the party.


    For a second, Archie thought he¡¯d be okay.


    Prince Waldorf looked at one of his Acorn Guards.


    ¡°Take him.¡±


    ¡°What? No¡ªno¡ªno!¡± Archie tried to run, but he was too late. The guard grabbed his arm, Archie¡¯s skin burning and tearing in the tight grip.


    ¡°Where is my cousin¡­Lingon?¡± Prince Waldorf looked up at Lord Rathbond. ¡°Are you aware of what you¡¯re serving to your guests?¡±


    Lord Rathbond stood in a crowd of dazed guests. ¡°I¡ªI do¡ªno¡ªI¡ª¡±


    ¡°LINGON!¡± Prince Waldorf shouted.


    Each syllable hit Archie like a wave. An emptiness grew in his stomach. Everyone was still except for the flies that feasted on whatever the Gluttons had missed.


    ¡°No, your Royal Highness. I¡ªSorghum! Sorghum recommended them.¡±


    Prince Waldorf raised a clenched fist up near his face. His voice solidified and deepened, reminding Archie of the voice in the forest. ¡°And where. Is. Sorghum?¡±


    Prince Waldorf looked into the eyes of each guest with a predator¡¯s intensity.


    ¡°He¡ªhere, your Royal Highness.¡± Mr. Ackers stepped forward.


    ¡°Come. Here.¡± Prince Waldorf lowered his fist, using it to steady himself against the table.


    Mr. Ackers walked forward tentatively, stopping several feet away from the prince.


    ¡°Clo-ser.¡±


    Mr. Ackers stepped within arm¡¯s reach.


    ¡°Remind me, Sorghum¡± Prince Waldorf said. His head stretched forward and twisted to the side to look at Mr. Ackers. ¡°Do we possess familial relations?¡±


    ¡°N¡ªno, your Royal Highness.¡± He spoke so quietly that even Archie could barely hear from a few feet away.


    ¡°Do you¡­understand¡­what this is?¡± Prince Waldorf asked, having to stop to take deep breaths every few words. The tense silence erupted as he slammed his fist into the bowl, shattering it into a thousand pieces.


    ¡°I¡­it¡¯s¡­¡± Mr. Ackers looked to the other guests for help. They were too scared to make eye contact, turning away at his gaze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­lie¡­to me,¡± Prince Waldorf said.


    ¡°I¡­yes. I¡¯m sorry. Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m so¡ªI¡¯m so¡ª¡± He spat as he talked, a sob stealing away his last words.


    Prince Waldorf took several deep breaths. He pushed his fist harder into the table, threatening to break it, while his other hand patted around his waistline.


    ¡°Wine,¡± Prince Waldorf quietly commanded Mr. Ackers.


    Mr. Ackers fumbled around his clothing, frantically searching his pockets. It took only seconds to find the vial of pale green liquid, but in that time, the prince¡¯s condition had deteriorated noticeably. His breaths became raspy and desperate. His arm trembled, barely able to hold the weight.


    Prince Waldorf snatched the wine from Mr. Ackers and drank it in one gulp.


    ¡°Another,¡± he whispered sternly.


    Mr. Ackers produced another vial, which Prince Waldorf drank. The prince started to straighten his back. He took his fist off of the table. His voice settled, barely above a whisper. Still in the guard¡¯s grasp, Archie leaned in to listen.


    ¡°You understand¡­if you weren¡¯t one of us, you¡¯d never see sunlight again. You¡¯d live in the dungeon for the rest of your days. Shackles would grind your ankles down to the bone. You would eat darkness and table scraps. Oh yes, I¡¯d feed you¡ªbut only just enough to make you starve slowly. And then I¡¯d feed you¡ªto the pigs. I wonder how their meat would taste.¡±


    ¡°Y¡ªyes, your Royal Highness,¡± Mr. Ackers said with his head hung low. ¡°I made a mistake. A terrible mistake. It¡¯s¡ªmy hunger¡ªmy hunger got the better of me.¡±


    Prince Waldorf relaxed and smiled. ¡°That¡­I can understand.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you.¡±


    Prince Waldorf turned and walked up to Archie.


    ¡°Now¡­you. You understand what you¡¯ve done. No one makes that accidentally. I just wonder¡­¡± He leaned in and whispered. ¡°...if you understand how bad the consequence will be?¡±


    Prince Waldorf looked at the guard. ¡°Take him to my kitchen.¡±


    The guard yanked him away. Archie walked without resisting¡ªhe saw no point in dragging his feet. There was nothing left to be done. As he was taken away, Archie looked at the guests. Lord Rathbond. Mr. Ackers. None of them seemed to even be aware of his presence.


    The guards took him through the city and into the keep. The only person that seemed to notice his detainment was Chrysanth, who looked confused but said nothing as the other guards dragged Archie through the main gate, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.


    The guards led Archie into a familiar place. He entered Prince Waldorf¡¯s section of the keep. He was taken down a familiar hallway. Servant¡¯s room and the kitchen on the left, washing room straight ahead, he remembered.


    He started to step into the servant¡¯s room, assuming he¡¯d be going into the kitchen, but the guard yanked him toward the washing room. A servant was scrubbing one of a hundred dirty dishes. The guards pulled him through into a room full of silver serving platters, fine china, and ornate crystal bowls.


    He hardly had time to marvel at the riches. The guards pulled him through another door into a courtyard. A stone path with gray pillars formed a square around a little sanctuary of grass. A tree grew from the middle of the lawn, leaving only a sliver of sky visible between its wide-reaching branches and the stone archways that framed the area.


    They crossed the courtyard and entered a room that seemed half-dining room, half-study. A massive chair, larger than Archie had ever seen, sat behind a shiny slab of mahogany wood that was half-table and half-desk, covered in papers and plates. Nude statues looked down at him from alcoves in the walls. The room was covered in paintings depicting either pornographic scenes or food.


    A massive door¡ªall doors in Prince Waldorf¡¯s section of the keep were massive¡ªwas open in the back of the room, revealing a bed as large as Archie¡¯s entire room at the Academy. A woman laid limp in the bed, thoughtless eyes tracking Archie as he was dragged away.


    The guard took a keyring from one of the table¡¯s drawers and inserted a key into a hole that had been hidden behind a potted plant. A section of wall revealed itself as a hidden door, scraping along the ground as it swung open


    They entered a small yet pristine kitchen. Two rows of counters made a walkway that ended with a pantry. No windows, the lanterns casting the room in dancing yellows and oranges. At first, it seemed like a normal kitchen.


    And then Archie saw the chain bolted into the ground.


    One of the guards fit the shackle around Archie¡¯s ankle and locked it with the clunk! of a key.

 Chapter 58 - The Consequence

    The shackle rubbed the scar on Archie¡¯s leg.


    As the guards left, one looked back with a moment of sympathy.


    ¡°Come on,¡± the other guard said as he tossed the keyring back in the drawer of Prince Waldorf¡¯s table.


    The sympathetic guard sighed. He spoke softly to Archie. The way you might speak to someone on their deathbed. ¡°Do what he asks. And don¡¯t let him get hungry.¡±


    The door slammed shut.


    The sound awakened Archie¡¯s survival instincts. Without Prince Waldorf¡¯s suffocating presence, Archie could think. He could escape. He looked down at the shackle. The chain was bolted into an iron plate in the ground. He gave it a yank, but that one yank was all he needed to know that it would never budge.


    He tested the range. He had about ten feet of chain¡ªnot enough to reach the door and hardly enough to reach the end of the pantry on the other side. He ripped open the drawers of the kitchen, hoping to find some kind of hammer. The best he could find was a knife that would break before it ever managed to sink its serrated teeth into the iron.


    He put his back to a counter and sunk to the ground.


    He was well and truly stuck. But at least Nori and the others had gotten away.


    Right?


    He imagined Nori being stopped by the guards. They¡¯d flip over the cover on the cart and find Teff. In a fit of rage, Prince Waldorf would strike Rowan down. Teff would get beaten half to death by her father. Nori would end up next to Archie. There was another chain for her.


    No.


    He rubbed his temples.


    He heard the gate. They escaped. They had to have escaped.


    He covered his face and cried. The previous night¡¯s lack of sleep and the traumatic events of the day caught up to him. Everything started to go dark¡­


    Even in his dreams, he was trapped in the kitchen. The shackle dug into his skin. Hours passed¡ªmaybe an entire night. He couldn¡¯t tell without any windows. He heard something outside the door. He waited for the creatures. For the voice.


    Prince Waldorf entered. Archie thought he was still dreaming. He couldn¡¯t move. The Glutton stomped over, yanking the chain to bring Archie sliding across the ground. Prince Waldorf bent down and closed his gargantuan hand around one side of Archie¡¯s ribs, picking him up and holding him two feet off the ground. The pain felt so real. Too real to be a dream.


    ¡°Get up!¡± Prince Waldorf yelled, throwing Archie across the kitchen like a ragdoll.


    The chain reached its limit, whipping Archie down and causing him to slam his head against the ground. Prince Waldorf continued to yell, but Archie couldn¡¯t hear over the buzzing in his ears. When his head cleared, he realized this wasn¡¯t a dream.


    ¡°¡ªthis? Nothing! You make NOTHING?!¡±


    Prince Waldorf bent down for the chain again. Archie scrambled to sit up, making the prince pause.


    Strangle him.


    Archie grabbed the chain, then realized the futility. Prince Waldorf had no neck to speak of, and even wrapping it around the base of his head would require more chain that Archie had.


    Prince Waldorf saw the spark of defiance and smiled. He liked the challenge.


    He yanked the chain again, causing Archie to slide painfully across the ground. Prince Waldorf¡¯s open palm slammed down on Archie¡¯s chest, forcing the breath out of him.


    ¡°That was quite the party, young Kent. Quite the spread. I assume you had help.¡±


    Archie couldn¡¯t form words. Prince Waldorf pressed harder on Archie¡¯s chest, threatening to collapse his ribcage.


    ¡°Who helped you?!¡± Prince Waldorf yelled. His voice reverberated in Archie¡¯s ears.


    ¡°N¡ªn¡ªn¡ªno one. It was¡ªit was me. Just me.¡±


    Prince Waldorf picked Archie up by his shoulder and leaned in close to his face. ¡°Tell me now and I¡¯ll make their deaths painless. Don¡¯t, and I¡¯ll let you watch them die slowly.¡±


    ¡°It was just me! I swear!¡±


    Prince Waldorf scoffed and threw Archie on the ground.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see. You can sleep when I¡¯m full. First course. Pumpkin soup.¡±


    He pressed the tip of his thumb down on Archie¡¯s pinky finger, threatening to pop it like a tomato. Archie squirmed in pain.


    ¡°Cook well with ten fingers, or we¡¯ll see how you do with nine.¡±


    Prince Waldorf pulled away and left the kitchen.


    Archie held his chest and cried. The sobbing only made it harder to catch his breath. He wanted to go home. Any home. His room at the Academy. The attic with Nori. The kitchens of Petrichor. He wanted his parents. Would he ever see them again? Would they even get to see his body?


    While his thoughts spiraled, one single thread of sanity remained, speaking to him.


    Get up. Get up. You can do this¡­


    Archie stood and got his bearings. He started a fire beneath the stovetop and went into the pantry.


    Pumpkin soup, pumpkin soup. I¡¯ve never made pumpkin soup¡­


    He scanned the ingredients, trying to figure out a recipe. He grabbed the pumpkin¡ªhe knew he¡¯d need that at least.


    A giant refrigerator with two sliding glass doors took up an entire wall of the pantry. Archie didn¡¯t know it was possible to enchant such a large vessel to stay cool. He wondered if whoever did it had been chained up and left to die here. He wondered if he¡¯d die here.


    He peered through the glass, finding small pitchers of cream and stock. He grabbed an onion and a few cloves of garlic and went back into the kitchen.


    He put the vegetables on the cutting board and grabbed a knife.


    A knife.


    His grip tightened. He tried to imagine his way out.


    Prince Waldorf would walk in. Archie would be in the pantry, so the prince would walk into his reach. Archie would charge him, stabbing him in the chest. The knife would sink ten inches into Prince Waldorf¡¯s skin.


    Was ten inches enough?


    How much fat sat between the man¡¯s skin and his heart? Where was his heart in that great big sail of a torso, anyways?


    The knife would stick harmlessly into Prince Waldorf. He¡¯d swing down on Archie¡¯s head, breaking his neck.


    And that was if Archie could even manage to land a blow.


    Maybe if I throw it? No¡­I¡¯m not the first one to be trapped here. If a knife could get me out of this, a knife wouldn¡¯t be here.


    He started chopping with trembling fingers. His knuckles locked up, sending the blade at an angle and into his forefinger. He yelped and pulled away before he reached bone, splattering blood all over the counter. He gripped his finger tightly with his other hand as he searched for something to bandage his wound. He found a rag and ripped a strip, wrapping it around his finger.


    For a moment, he wished Nori were here to do the cutting. Then he realized he was glad that she wasn¡¯t.


    He looked at the bloody pieces of pumpkin. He searched in vain for another pumpkin, weighing his options as the white rag around his finger turned red.


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    There were no other options.


    He dabbed most of the blood from the pumpkin, then gripped the knife gingerly and continued to chop.


    How much am I supposed to make?


    Archie imagined what Prince Waldorf might do if he felt shorted of a full meal.


    Archie put the entire chopped pumpkin and everything else but the cream into the largest pot he could find. While he waited for it to boil, he ripped off another strip of rag and replaced his bandage.


    As he looked at his hand, he noticed his pinky was still red from being crushed by Prince Waldorf. The pain served as a reminder to make the dish right¡ªhe was already nearly down one finger, he didn¡¯t want to completely lose another.


    Archie thought of what might be missing. Ingredients, spices, flavor profiles. Pumpkin. Nutty. He needed something nutty.


    He looked to the pantry but then remembered the caraway seeds in his bag. He searched his pocket with his good hand, digging into the bag and coming out with a handful of seeds. He quickly deposited them into the soup and stirred.


    He salted and peppered the soup as it cooked. Finally, he put the cream in.


    Presentation.


    Does he want it in a bowl?


    Archie thought back to the stacks of plates he had washed. He grabbed a stack of bowls and ladled the soup into a dozen of them, topping them with chopped parsley. He set the bowls on a tray near the door and pulled a rope that hung from the wall. A bell sounded in the other room.


    Monstrous footsteps came from the bedroom. Archie shrunk away toward the pantry, hiding his bloody hand and knife behind his back.


    Prince Waldorf entered the kitchen. He took a bowl between two fingers and downed it. He considered the taste.


    Archie¡¯s pinky finger throbbed.


    ¡°Good.¡± Prince Waldorf grabbed the tray. ¡°Steak. Rare. Asparagus. Sweet potato. One hour.¡±


    He hung around for an extra second, smiling at Archie, daring him to attack.


    Archie couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Oh, and make plenty. I¡¯ll be having a friend by. He¡¯ll tell me who was with you.¡±


    Archie gripped the knife harder. Maybe if he attacked now and died in the attempt, Prince Waldorf¡¯s rage would die with him.


    But he couldn¡¯t.


    Prince Waldorf left.


    Archie fell to the floor and cried again. He looked at the useless knife in his useless hand. As he sobbed, his mind instinctively searched for coping mechanisms.


    It found one.


    It¡¯s just a cooking challenge. Limited ingredients. Limited time. Temperamental judge.


    Archie took a few deep breaths and got up. He planned out his next hour and started with the thing that would take the longest, the sweet potatoes.


    As he rubbed olive oil on the sweet potatoes, he noticed a dusty film on his fingertips. He wiped it away and put the potatoes in the oven.


    Next, the asparagus. Baked, Archie decided. He took a bundle of asparagus and a handful of lemons. As he zested the lemon into a bowl, he imagined Colby gearing up with a new slew of insults. A scary thought, but much more manageable than reality.


    Imaginary Colby yelled at him. ¡°Uninspired!¡±


    Archie thought about ways to enhance the asparagus¡ªhe had very little essence remaining and would need to rely on natural cooking. He thought back to his mother in Petrichor.


    A deep sadness struck Archie deep in his heart. Would he ever see her again?


    But no, this was a cooking competition. No time for emotion. Otherwise Colby might throw a pan at your head.


    Archie¡¯s mother always made asparagus with cashews. He looked to the pantry. He didn¡¯t remember seeing any, and he didn¡¯t have time to look. He dipped his hand back into the bag of caraway seeds, sprinkling them on the asparagus.


    Next, steak. Rare. It would only take a few minutes of butter basting. He started to gather the garlic and rosemary when he heard a double set of heavy footsteps in the other room. Archie rushed to the stove to appear as busy as possible. Prince Waldorf wouldn¡¯t hit him if it meant stopping Archie¡¯s cooking.


    The door swung open, Prince Waldorf taking up the entire doorway as he stepped through. Archie couldn¡¯t see past, but he knew by the thundering footsteps that a second Glutton was behind the prince.


    Prince Waldorf cleared his throat and beat his chest with a fist, settling into a perverse grin. ¡°You remember Lord Rathbond, don¡¯t you, Archie?¡±


    Prince Waldorf stepped back and aside¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t both fit in the kitchen¡ªto reveal his Gluttonous cousin.


    Lord Rathbond¡¯s face scrunched up, the already excessive rolls of fat in his jowls doubling up. He stared at Archie with uncertainty.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡± he started.


    ¡°Lingun. This young Chef served you kulkida risotto. Who else was with him?¡±


    Archie couldn¡¯t let Nori suffer the same fate as him. He channeled essence into his fist.


    I can¡¯t create a strong enough acid. I could try blueberries. I could blind him. No, I¡¯m best with pasta. I¡¯ll loop it around his legs, pull him close, and stab him to death.


    Archie¡¯s eyes flickered around the counter to find the knife.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anyone else,¡± Lord Rathbond said, his voice lost and confused.


    The tension left Archie¡¯s face, leaving his mouth hanging open.


    It had worked. It had really worked.


    ¡°There was no one else?¡± Prince Waldorf asked.


    Lord Rathbond¡¯s eyes searched for an answer in Archie.


    ¡°It was just me,¡± Archie said before Lord Rathbond could reveal the lapse in his memory. ¡°I catered the event alone.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Lord Rathbond confirmed with a slow doubt in his voice. ¡°There was no one else.¡±


    They¡¯re safe.


    Prince Waldorf growled and pushed Lord Rathbond aside.


    ¡°Leave us, Lingon.¡±


    ¡°At once.¡±


    The moment that Lord Rathbond was out of the kitchen, Prince Waldorf was in it, closing the door behind him.


    ¡°If it is your sole responsibility, then it shall be your sole punishment.¡±


    He stomped over to the chain post in the floor. Archie was ready, cushioning his head with his arms as he was whipped around by the prince.


    Prince Waldorf steadied himself on the counter and lifted one leg. He swung it down with the weight of a tree trunk, striking Archie in the thigh. Archie spun and crashed into the other counter.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Prince Waldorf screamed. ¡°And add some seafood!¡±


    He kicked the chain, dragging Archie another couple of feet, then left.


    Several pains demanded Archie¡¯s attention. First, he grabbed his thigh. Everything below the knee had gone numb. On the other leg, he checked where the shackle had dug into his skin, producing a thin red line. He touched it and checked his fingers for bleeding. A light streak of red ran across a dusty purple film that covered his fingertips.


    I thought I wiped that off.


    He rubbed his fingertips into his other palm. The dust clumped up as it washed off his fingers. He smelled it. Floral.


    He had questions but no time for answers. The asparagus needed to go in. The steak needed seasoning. And now he needed to add seafood to the mix. He prepared scallops just as Nori had taught him.


    Despite the crippling pain in his side and the rapidly forming bruise on his thigh and the shackle that cut into his ankle and the concussion that sent him into a dizzy spell if he turned too quickly, Archie succeeded.


    He put nearly five pounds of steak, scallops to match, two handfuls of asparagus, and a half dozen sweet potatoes on the tray and rang the bell. He wedged the chain under the pantry door to prevent being yanked again.


    Prince Waldorf entered and took the tray. ¡°Chocolate brittle. With nuts,¡± he said as he left.


    No abuse. Archie breathed a sigh of relief. He might not have survived another round of blows. His condition worsened by the second. His head pounded. One leg could hardly support any weight at all. If only he could sleep¡­


    He closed his eyes for just a moment. That¡¯s all. Just a moment. His head swung down violently, forcing him to catch himself on the counter.


    Just a little more¡­Just keep going¡­


    Archie thought of Nori. What was she doing? Was she asleep? Was it even nighttime? How long had it been? Hours? Days?


    The door opened again and Prince Waldorf stuck his torso inside the kitchen, putting a great strain on the walls that held him in his tilted position.


    ¡°I just had a thought,¡± he said. He grinned. Archie hated when he grinned. ¡°The Harper girl. She was with you at Cafe Julienne.  You have the same sponsor, right? Yes, yes, I remember, he stole her from me. Perhaps they have some involvement?¡±


    No. No. No.


    ¡°Itslijf¡ª¡± Archie slurred. His head pounded as he spoke, his tongue wagging uncontrollably in his mouth. He gritted his teeth and concentrated so that he could speak. ¡°It¡¯s like Lord Rathbond¡­Lord Rathbond said. It was just me.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Prince Waldorf licked his lips. ¡°It bears investigating at least. I¡¯ll have my fun with you first.¡±


    He leaned back out of the kitchen and closed the door.


    That single thread of sanity that held Archie together grew thin and frayed. The thought of Nori in his position was too much to bear. He imagined producing a citric splash so acidic that it could eat through the chain. Yarrow could probably already do it. It¡¯d be the first time that Archie would be happy for the boy¡¯s presence.


    Archie leaned against the counter, letting his daydreams take him away.


    Focus. Focus. Cook his meals. Cook them right. You can¡¯t figure out a way out of this if he keeps beating you.


    He straightened back up. Chocolate brittle. With nuts.


    He kept the oven going and grabbed a baking tray, lining it with crackers. He melted brown sugar and butter in a pot, pouring it over the crackers. As it poured, Archie¡¯s vision doubled. His head wobbled as he poured a stream of melted sugar over the tray. Every few seconds, he had to reach out and reaffirm his grip on consciousness.


    While that baked, Archie broke a large sheet of chocolate into little morsels.


    Each moment became fleeting. Archie wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been since he put the crackers in the oven. The order of things jumbled. Crackers? What about the soup? Was it ready? They still needed nuts. Nuts¡­


    Archie took a step toward the pantry and nearly fell. His feet dragged as he walked. His thoughts jumbled. Blood and drool ran together down his chin. But through the fog, he remembered the caraway seeds. That would have to do for the nuts.


    He rummaged through his pockets, nearly falling over again. He pulled the bag out and put it on the counter. He took a breath to steady himself and reached in to grab the caraway seeds. Archie looked at his hands.


    A purple film covered his fingertips.


    A cold splash of consciousness struck Archie. With clarity of mind, he opened the bag as wide as he could and looked inside. Clumps of Rowan¡¯s forgetting dust had formed inside the bag.


    Lord Rathbond had forgotten.


    Prince Waldorf could forget too.


    The magnitude of the possibility overwhelmed Archie¡¯s fragile state, forcing his mind back into a stupor. It was all there. All the pieces of the puzzle. He just needed to put them together. He needed to hold on.


    His eyes drooped. He scrambled together any vestige of thought he still had as he tried to scheme his way out. He faded in and out of consciousness, not letting himself sit down for fear of never waking up.


    Archie shuffled over near the pantry and leaned against the wall. He was so close. The way out was right there. He had almost figured it out. It was just missing one¡­last¡­thing.


    He slid down the wall. His eyelids felt heavier and heavier. He let them fall.


    In his last moment of consciousness, the last pieces of the puzzle clicked together.


    He had a plan.

 Chapter 59 - The Plan

    ¡°Sit, Archie,¡± his mother said. ¡°I made you spaghetti.¡±


    Archie looked around in confusion. He wasn¡¯t in Prince Waldorf¡¯s kitchen. He was in some nebulous place without walls or even a floor. There was just him, Adelaide, and a plate of spaghetti sitting on a table. As he focused, the room built itself around him. A counter here. A spice rack there. A little refrigerator. Wooden floorboards that curled up at the ends.


    He was in Petrichor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Archie scratched his head. It hurt so much. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to understand,¡± his mother said, soothing him with a gentle touch to the shoulder. ¡°But you do have to eat. Your dad has a lot of work planned for you.¡±


    Archie¡¯s torment slipped away like a drop in a stream. His eyes widened. He sat up. He smiled. ¡°Where is he?¡± he asked with excitement.


    ¡°He¡¯s waiting for you. We¡¯re all waiting for you, Archie. We all know what you can be.¡±


    An undercurrent of anxiety worked its way through Achie. He couldn¡¯t make sense of anything. He could only feel. ¡°But I¡¯m stuck.¡±


    Adelaide shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out. Come on, eat.¡±


    Archie wanted to embrace the dream. He wanted to live in it forever. He knew a horrible world waited for him outside of it. But he knew he couldn¡¯t. If he didn¡¯t fix things, it wasn¡¯t just his fate at stake.


    ¡°I have a plan,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good. Don¡¯t forget it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dreaming.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Dreams are a funny thing.¡±


    ¡°But it feels so real.¡±


    ¡°Reality is a funny thing.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Adelaide laughed. ¡°Oh, Archie. All the times I¡¯ve taken care of you. All the times I¡¯ve cooked for you. I¡¯m always here. Look, Nori¡¯s here too.¡±


    Where once there had been no one, Nori appeared, stirring a pot over the stove. She smiled at Archie, but he couldn¡¯t smile back. He could only worry.


    ¡°Are you making kulkida risotto?¡± he asked. He felt guilty. It had drained the life out of her. Made her miserable. It was his fault.


    ¡°No, silly,¡± Nori laughed. Her smile illuminated the room. ¡°I¡¯m making pancakes. With a blueberry syrup. You¡¯re the one making the risotto.¡±


    Archie recoiled in confusion. He looked down at his plate of spaghetti, but it had transformed into a pot of rice.


    ¡°I can¡¯t make this,¡± he said. Fear gripped his heart. He couldn¡¯t make it. He couldn¡¯t risk an episode. ¡°You know what will happen. If I try to make kulkida risotto, something terrible will happen. I¡¯ll ruin it. I might¡­I might even ruin myself.¡±


    Nori shrugged. ¡°Maybe not.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll help,¡± Adelaide added.


    ¡°But you have to try,¡± Nori said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Archie asked.


    Nori let the blueberry syrup drip from her spatula back into the pot. ¡°Because that¡¯s your plan, right?¡±


    The clink of the chain woke Archie. The sound made him flinch, which made the chain louder, which made him flinch more. But he was alone. Just moving in his sleep.


    ¡°Where¡­¡±


    For a brief moment of blissful confusion, Archie forgot where he was. Then he remembered. He looked for any indication of time¡ªa window or a clock¡ªbut only found the ever-burning lanterns adorning the walls. What time was it? Had he slept through the night? Two nights? An hour?


    Footsteps. He whipped around to look at the door, waiting for it to open and Prince Waldorf to emerge. The footsteps got closer. Closer. And then Archie heard a chair protest as someone sat in it, the wood creaking.


    Archie looked around. The chocolate brittle was gone. What would Prince Waldorf do if he came in to an empty serving tray? Archie had to make something. And fast.


    He moved quietly at first, trying not to draw attention to himself. He picked up the chain as he walked to prevent it from scraping against the floor. He considered the items in the fridge, looking for something quick and easy to move. He settled on goat cheese and peaches.


    His hand howled with pain when he gripped the refrigerator door. The cut on his forefinger had bled through his bandage and soaked his skin with blood all the way past his wrist. He looked back at where he had fallen asleep. A small puddle of blood remained. He¡¯d have to clean that in case it might invoke more of the Glutton¡¯s wrath.


    He cut eight peaches into slices and wedged them into sections of goat cheese. He hoped that splitting it into so many pieces might occupy Prince Waldorf a little longer. He set the tray near the door and looked at the bell rope.


    Should I pull it? No. No, this won¡¯t be enough for him. This might keep him from beating me, but it won¡¯t satisfy him. I need to make more.


    The rope would remain unpulled. He needed more time. The longer Prince Waldorf went without entering the kitchen, the better.


    Maybe if I make enough he¡¯ll let me go? Will he ever let me go?¡±


    Archie remembered what Prince Waldorf had said to Mr. Ackers.


    If you weren¡¯t one of us, you¡¯d never see sunlight again. You¡¯d live in the dungeon for the rest of your days.


    No, Archie would not be released. He¡¯d have to escape. The plan! He had a plan!


    But first, more food. A solid blow to the head might make him forget too much. He needed to placate Prince Waldorf. Make him listen. Make him malleable.


    Archie found a big ball of dough in the fridge and started kneading it. The process calmed him. It reminded him of cooking with Nori.


    That experience came in handy. He couldn¡¯t afford to wait for the dough to rise, but that was a challenge he had already learned to overcome. He felt the dough, finding its essence, and added his own. In seconds, the dough doubled in size.


    He made the bread and served it with a charcuterie board of cheeses, grapes, and thinly sliced dried meats. He looked at the assortment and sighed. It wouldn¡¯t be enough. He knew that much. But the longer he waited, the more risk everyone else would be put in.


    Archie pulled the bell rope.


    The chair creaked and groaned. Footsteps approached. The door opened.


    ¡°Oh, good,¡± Prince Waldorf said. ¡°I thought you might have died.¡±


    He took a handful of grapes and ate them all at once, stems and all. ¡°I had a visitor,¡± he said. ¡°Your lovely Headmaster Aubergine.¡± He scooped the meats up, balled them into a fist, and tossed them in his mouth. ¡°He had the gall to accuse me of imprisoning you. As if I would ever do such a thing.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    He chuckled to himself as he smeared the entire loaf of bread across the cheese, tearing away half of the loaf in one bite. ¡°The fool thinks he can speak to me as a peer. But don¡¯t worry, little Archie. I have a plan for him. I have a plan for the Academy, too.¡±


    He swallowed the rest of the bread. Archie¡¯s voice caught in his throat.


    Prince Waldorf scratched any residuals off the wooden board. ¡°Once my father is out of the way, I¡¯ll rebuild this kingdom. The Academy included.¡± He licked the crumbs from under his fingernails, scraping his teeth to get every last taste. ¡°It¡¯ll be soon. Sooner than you think.¡±


    The horrible thought just piled onto Archie¡¯s terror, breaking him down. His plan wouldn¡¯t work. Nothing would work. This was it. Nothing could stop Prince Waldorf from doing what he wanted.


    ¡°My father will be getting back next week.¡± Prince Waldorf looked at Archie with disappointment and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to get rid of you before then. It¡¯s a shame, you really have such talent.¡±


    Archie couldn¡¯t breathe. There was something in the air. It radiated from the Glutton like a rancid perfume, choking him.


    Prince Waldorf tilted his head to the side and smiled with the revelation of a brilliant idea. ¡°No, no. You don¡¯t have to go to waste.¡± He looked into Archie¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have a friend in Labrusca who would very much like your company. He¡¯ll be having a wedding soon. You can be the gift. And then I could come visit you whenever I wanted. You and all the others. It¡¯d be my perfect life. Just like how my wretched father flees the city every year to go live out some idealized life in those damned islands.¡±


    His demeanor shifted as he spoke, his teeth grinding together and a growl permeating through his words. ¡°I have plans for them, too.¡±


    Plans, plans. I have a plan. I have a plan. What was it? My dream. My mother.


    ¡°And what about your parents, little Archie?¡± Prince Waldorf asked as he leaned forward. It was as if he could read Archie¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Petrichor. I¡¯ll have to pay them a visit when I¡¯m done with you.¡±


    The horrifying thought of Prince Waldorf in Petrichor provided the last push Archie needed. He swallowed his fear. He couldn¡¯t be a coward. Not if he wanted to save the people he cared about.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you kulkida risotto,¡± he said.


    Prince Waldorf straightened up, his expression neutralized as he stared at Archie. He took a deep breath, deciding whether to kill Archie then and there or agree to the offer.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get to have any,¡± Archie said. Now that his wildcard was in play, he found a strange confidence. At this point, he had already stuck his neck out. Retreating wouldn¡¯t do anything. ¡°Not really. Just a little taste. Don¡¯t you want the real thing? How long has it been?¡±


    Prince Waldorf¡¯s breathing accelerated. His chest rose and fell several feet at a time, his fist digging into the counter as he used it for support. He dug through his pockets for a vial of moondrop wine, and while it settled his bones, it did little to settle the rage building up inside the man.


    ¡°I killed the last man that made me kulkida risotto.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll do anything to have it again, won¡¯t you?¡±


    Prince Waldorf grinded his teeth. ¡°I won¡¯t free you.¡±


    ¡°Then let the punishment end with me.¡±


    Silence. Then, laughter. ¡°So there was someone else, wasn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°No. It was just me. Why would Lord Rathbond lie?¡± Archie adjusted his feet, stood up as tall as he could, and did his best impression of Nori.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Kent. A family of White Jackets. You think I was happy shoveling stew in the Roots? No. Kents are better than that. My cooking should only be eaten by those who deserve it. My family feeds those who shape the world. This might be the end for me, but my reputation will live on. I don¡¯t want my glory to be falsely shared. I made the kulkida risotto. Me. I didn¡¯t need help. I didn¡¯t want help. I did it alone, and I managed to do it as an Orange Jacket. Punishing anyone else will just dilute my achievement.¡±


    The gambit paid off.


    Prince Waldorf roared with laughter. ¡°I had heard you were legacy-obsessed, but I had no idea it was to this extent.¡± He shook his head in appreciation of Archie¡¯s fire. ¡°The Kents. A family of White Jackets, yes. And a family of Gluttons.¡±


    Archie¡¯s resolve cracked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think it was just your grandfather, do you? No, no, that¡¯s been the way of the Kents for a long time. Going back to Ambrosia. The Kents have always been great Chefs or great Gluttons with few inbetween. Who knows, somewhere along the way, we might have a common ancestor.¡±


    Archie couldn¡¯t hide his disdain. His lips peeled back in anger as he took ragged, bestial breaths.


    That just made Prince Waldorf laugh harder. Slowly, his laughter settled, first into an out-of-breath giggle, then into a more sinister chuckle.


    ¡°Alright, little Archie. Make me kulkida risotto. Do it well, and I won¡¯t sell you off as a slave. I¡¯ll kill you quick. Not painless, but quick.¡± He stepped in front of Archie, towering over him. ¡°But if it¡¯s not perfect, I¡¯ll kill everyone you love.¡±


    Archie pressed his lips together so that they wouldn¡¯t quiver. He nodded. ¡°I have a stash of kulkida rice hidden away. You¡¯ll have to send one of your guards to get it.¡±


    Prince Waldorf leaned back and sucked on a tooth. ¡°Tell me. I¡¯ll get it.¡±


    Archie swallowed hard. Some survival instinct told him to make a joke of things. Somehow, he managed. ¡°It¡¯s hidden in an attic,¡± he said with a sly grin. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t fit through the trapdoor.¡±


    Prince Waldorf laughed. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll fetch a guard and you¡¯ll tell him where to go.¡± He turned to leave.


    The first part of the plan was almost complete. Almost.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be a Chef,¡± Archie said, stopping Prince Waldorf in his tracks.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Kulkida rice absorbs essence from those around it,¡± Archie lied. It was an important lie. Everything about the plan depended on Prince Waldorf believing it. ¡°And kulkida rice can only accept essence from one person. If another Chef handles it, I won¡¯t be able to make the risotto.¡±


    Prince Waldorf scratched at one of his chins, the pouch of fat wiggling away from his fingers. ¡°All my guards are Chefs. I¡¯ll send a servant.¡±


    Archie scoffed. ¡°You know, I worked here last semester. Washing dishes. I got to see your servants. You know how much that rice is worth? No offense, but I wouldn¡¯t trust them with something like this.¡±


    Prince Waldorf took another step into the kitchen, peering into Archie¡¯s eyes. Archie molded his feigned confidence into a cold, hard stare. Prince Waldorf bought it.


    ¡°You know, little Archie, you have a keen eye for worthlessness. It¡¯s a shame this will be the end for you. We would have welcomed you.¡± Prince Waldorf scoffed back and looked to the ceiling as he considered. ¡°Well, if not one of my servants¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a normal guard at the keep?¡± Archie asked, doing his best to seem as if he were unsure. ¡°At the front, right? I¡¯ve seen one.¡±


    Prince Waldorf chuckled and rested a hand on Archie¡¯s shoulder. He squeezed, and even though it seemed almost out of friendliness, the pressure threatened to pop Archie¡¯s collarbone. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. My father¡¯s pet. He thinks those people still serve a purpose in this world. When I rule, it¡¯ll be a world just for people like me and you.¡±


    The Glutton flicked the collar of Archie¡¯s orange jacket as he let go.


    ¡°Although I suppose the unexceptional guard still has at least one use. I¡¯ll bring him here. Make me something heavy while you wait. Something meaty. ¡±


    The instant that the door closed behind Prince Waldorf, Archie collapsed to the ground. He let himself panic. He let his breath go. He gave in to all of the fear and torment he had been staving off.


    And then he got up. He hobbled to the pantry, one of his legs covered in a nasty yellow bruise, the other bleeding from the shackle. He couldn¡¯t wipe the grime from his face¡ªhis hands were already covered in blood. But he soldiered on. For the first time since his imprisonment, he truly thought he might escape. He just had to power through.


    He decided to roast chicken¡ªperhaps he had Chrysanth on the mind. Chrysanth, the guard that had given Archie so much grief. Chrysanth, the man that just needed a break and a little respect from a world that had given him no quarter.


    The guard arrived as Archie plated the chicken.


    Archie tried to hide his wounds. A strong reaction from Chrysanth would ruin the plan.


    Luckily, Chrysanth was in such shock that he couldn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°He¡¯ll tell you where to get it,¡± Prince Waldorf told the guard. ¡°If you don¡¯t bring all of it back, it¡¯ll be your family.¡±


    The Glutton snatched the tray of chicken and returned to his grand chair and table.


    Chrysanth stepped into the kitchen, speaking quietly so that Prince Waldorf wouldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Ar¡ª¡± he started, perhaps starting to say Archie¡¯s name before realizing the potential consequences of such a blunder. He leaned in even closer and whispered. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    If time weren¡¯t of the essence, the question would have made the bleeding, bruised, and battered Archie laugh.


    Archie let his voice ring out so that Prince Waldorf might hear. ¡°You¡¯ll need to go to the Academy. One of the pantries. There¡¯s a hook on a stick that you can use.¡±


    Satisfied that Prince Waldorf¡¯s suspicions had gone, Archie turned and gestured as if giving directions with his hands. He lowered his voice to a whisper. ¡°Will you help me get out?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Chrysanth said without hesitation.


    ¡°Nori. The little Harper girl. Find her. Tell her to give you a pound of the rice and whatever¡¯s left of the noodle. Tell her that Julienne needs to get Waldorf a reservation. For¡­is it morning right now?¡±


    ¡°Nearly sundown.¡±


    ¡°For tomorrow night, then. A reservation at Cafe Julienne for tomorrow night. While Waldorf¡¯s gone, you come get me. He keeps a key in his table.¡±


    Chrysanth nodded along but grew less and less confident with each word. ¡°He¡¯ll track you down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make him forget.¡± With great effort, Archie managed to offer a comforting smile. ¡°It¡¯s magic. But I need the rice. I need the noodle. I need that reservation to happen. Then, and only then, can you get me out of here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Chrysanth¡¯s resolve had returned. He nodded twice as hard, breathing in deeply to fill himself with determination. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    He marched out of the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll return as quickly as I can, Your Grace.¡±


    By some miracle, Prince Waldorf did not accost the guard any further, allowing him to leave.


    The plan was in motion. Archie would have every piece he needed to escape. There was only one thing left to do.


    He had to make the kulkida risotto without having an episode.


    ¡°Next course!¡± Prince Waldorf roared from the other room.

 Chapter 60 - The Final Test

    Archie measured time by how long he knew each meal to make. One meal, two meals, three meals, six. Or was it five? Everything had gotten muddled after he had burned some garlic and Prince Waldorf had thrown him around the room again as punishment. His head hummed and ached and he had trouble keeping things straight. The walls warped and molded around Archie, his body moving in strange ways, the concept of time itself fading from his mind.


    The door swung open. Chrysanth set down a bag of rice and the jar with the last supercharged noodle. He didn¡¯t dare to say anything, but his confident nod told Archie of his success.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Prince Waldorf shouted before Archie could grab the ingredients. The Glutton pulled Chrysanth out of the room so that he could fit, plunging a hand into the bag of rice. He sifted through it and upon finding nothing, turned his focus to the jar. ¡°So much¡­essence.¡±


    He licked his lips and started to work the lid open.


    ¡°I need all of it,¡± Archie blurted out. If Prince Waldorf ate the noodle, it was all over. ¡°I eat it while I cook. I multiply its essence. That¡¯s how I was able to do it. You¡¯ll get much more essence out of me cooking with it than by eating it.¡±


    Prince Waldorf laughed at Archie¡¯s desperation. ¡°Very well then. How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­what time is it?¡±


    Prince Waldorf stomped forward and slammed a palm into Archie¡¯s side, sending him into the counter. Chrysanth jumped at the sudden violence.


    ¡°What does it matter what time it is?! You cook!¡±


    Archie coughed up blood. ¡°I need¡­It takes a long time. I¡¯ll need to sleep.¡±


    Really, he needed to know when the Glutton would be gone so that he could pace the cooking accordingly.


    ¡°It¡¯s morning,¡± Chrysanth said from the other room.


    Prince Waldorf wheeled around, a giant club of a fist raised high. Even clad in leather armor, Chrysanth would be unlikely to survive an overhead strike. ¡°Who told you to speak?! Out!¡±


    Chrysanth bowed¡ªonly as low as he could without losing sight of a potential strike¡ªand departed. Prince Waldorf turned back to Archie with a renewed rage.


    ¡°If I catch you sleeping, I¡¯ll replace you with the Harper.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll take me the day. I¡¯ll be done by midnight.¡±


    Prince Waldorf growled. ¡°Remember what¡¯s at stake.¡±


    As if Archie could forget. Prince Waldorf slammed the door on his way out.


    Archie eyed the ingredients. This was it. The forbidden meal had gotten him into this mess. Now it could get him out. If he could make it.


    He considered when to start. Sometimes it had taken Nori four or five hours. Sometimes it had taken her days. With only a pound of rice to cook, Archie figured he could do it by nightfall, even though it was his first time. He could go slowly. He didn¡¯t want to finish before Prince Waldorf left for Cafe Julienne, but he had to be done before Prince Waldorf returned. He had to be gone by then. He hoped Chrysanth would come. Archie had to assume he would. It was the only path to survival.


    Archie decided to start cooking while he still had his wits about him. It had been a day¡ªmaybe more¡ªsince he slept, and he knew the rice would drain him. First, he¡¯d need to roast it.


    He poured the rice into the warm pot, but the grains didn¡¯t sizzle or pop. He heard Nori¡¯s voice.


    It won¡¯t cook until you cook it.


    He took a deep breath and lowered the wooden spatula into the pot. He let it hover just above the rice, afraid to plunge it down that last inch. He thought back to his failures. Pomona¡¯s class with the lemon curds. Cafe Julienne with the torrone. The final exams with the risotto. And that had been regular rice, not the kind that sucks out all of your essence. Each time he failed, it had started with a single errant thought. A thread of insanity pulled from the fabric of his mind, unraveling it. Once it started, the rot was inevitable.


    He took a deep breath, fortifying his resolve as well as his hand, loading it up with a rigid essence that might hold steady against the draining rice.


    And then he lowered his spatula into the rice and stirred.


    A tingling numbness went up his finger. It took over his hand. He lost all feeling below the elbow. He dropped the spatula, having failed to complete even two full revolutions around the pot. He had made more food in the last day than any day before it, leaving his reserves depleted.


    He eyed the supercharged noodle. The essence hummed, vibrating something within Archie. He popped open the lid, the reverberations intensifying. Like a flame near frostbitten fingers, the essence of the noodle inflicted Archie¡¯s hand with a burning rejuvenation.


    Even just holding the square noodle made his hand tingle with energy. A deep, desperate voice within him wanted to eat the entire noodle in one bite. Even though he knew he should take it in parts, as he lifted it to his mouth, he felt his inhibitions slipping away. After all, it was meant to be eaten. Why shouldn¡¯t he eat it all at once?


    He snapped out of it with a shake of the head and set the noodle down on the counter. Not trusting himself to nibble from it, he cut off a thin slice and ate that instead. The moment he chewed, essence filled him to the brim. He didn¡¯t just feel rejuvenated. He felt more powerful than ever. His head buzzed not with dizzying pain but with heightened function. He rode the wave of energy, grabbing the spatula and stirring the rice.


    Archie felt the rice steal his essence, but he had plenty to spare. He tried to slow it down. He remembered his previous experience roasting the rice¡ªat least he had gotten that far. He visualized a hundred dams along his arm, closing them all enough to allow just a sliver of stream through. The rice pulled and pulled, demanding more, but Archie put all of his knowledge and might into resisting.


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    He chewed and chewed and minutes passed and the rice started to turn translucent. Despite having reserves of essence, the act of draining started to wear him down. His arm ached until he switched the spatula into his other hand. He didn¡¯t have as much essence control through his left arm, but at least he managed to avoid the agonizing sensation for a few minutes¡ªand a few minutes was all it was before that arm started to ache too.


    He swallowed the piece of noodle, prompting a splash of essence that refilled him. He stirred and stirred and stirred and only let himself think about the stirring. But then his essence started to run out. His head started to hurt again. The blisters in his feet screamed at him. The bruise that covered his entire thigh pulsed. The cut in his finger started to leak again.


    And the fear returned.


    What if Chrysanth can¡¯t make it? What if we get caught on our way out? What if Prince Waldorf comes back early? What if he doesn¡¯t forget?


    Archie tried to focus on the task at hand. But there were fears to be had there as well.


    What if I have an episode? I¡¯m scared. That¡¯s bad. That¡¯s bad. It¡¯s gonna happen again. It¡¯s gonna happen.


    He let go of the spatula and stepped away from the stove. He couldn¡¯t risk it. He only had one chance. One screw up and a lot more people would hurt than just him. He needed to take a break. Regain his composure. Then he could continue.


    But what would happen if Prince Waldorf walked in right now?


    He needed to look busy. He pulled the spatula from the pot. A little clump of rice stuck to the spatula, sucking out Archie¡¯s essence through the wood. He rushed to grab a fork and scraped the spatula clean.


    His stomach growled. He hadn¡¯t dared to even perform taste tests while cooking for Prince Waldorf. The Glutton would know. He would think of it as stealing. It didn¡¯t matter if it defied reason. He would know. But now, Archie had to eat. He had never been so hungry in his life. It gnawed away at his insides.


    Archie picked up the chain so that it wouldn¡¯t drag across the floor as he made his way to the pantry. He couldn¡¯t have the noise attracting the Glutton¡¯s attention. Archie grabbed a handful of dried apricots that filled him with bliss as he chewed through them three at a time. A hangover started to rage like a tempest in his head, undoubtedly a side effect of the supercharged noodle. But the food brought Archie back to life.


    He grabbed a piece of bread, not caring about its staleness, and stuffed his face. He opened the refrigerator and found a carrot¡ªoh, how he hated carrots¡ªand chomped into it raw. He picked off grapes one at a time, then a handful at a time, then picked up the whole bunch and chewed through the stems.


    And then he realized.


    This wasn¡¯t natural.


    He dropped the grapes on the ground and staggered back out of the pantry. He sank to the ground. He wasn¡¯t afraid of Prince Waldorf walking in. He was more afraid of himself.


    He needed to rest. It had been so long since he slept¡­If only he could shut his eyes¡­for just a moment¡­


    He jerked and woke up. He didn¡¯t know how long it had been. It could have been seconds. Minutes. Hours. He was still alive, so he hadn¡¯t been caught. But then he realized the true mistake of sleeping.


    He no longer knew how long he had to cook.


    He jumped up, sliced off a piece of noodle, popped it in his mouth, and stirred the rice. In his haste, he was inefficient, twice as much essence draining from him as needed. He tried to focus. To staunch the flow. But he needed to hurry.


    He warmed up the broth and ladled it into the rice along with some wine. The rice pulled, pulled, pulled his life force away. It would take all of him if he let it. It¡¯d suck him up until there was nothing left. Kulkida risotto with bits of Archie Kent.


    His desperation kept him sharp. He sliced off another piece of noodle and chewed on it as he stirred. He swelled with life and death simultaneously, both filled to the brim and battling a deep emptiness. He chewed harder on the noodle, but that only served to sharpen the two extremes.


    He stirred and stirred and stirred. The rice grew thick with essence. Teeming with it. Eventually, it had more essence in it than Archie. He could taste the essence through his spatula. Perhaps he could eat the risotto. He could eat all of it. Then he would have all the essence he could ever need. He scooped some up.


    The spatula made it all the way to his chin before he realized what he was doing. He threw the spatula into the pot and held his head in his hands.


    He couldn¡¯t do it. He just couldn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t even a quarter done. If he could barely resist this, how could he resist the essence when it doubled? When it tripled? How did Nori do it?


    How did Nori do it?


    Her voice rang in his head.


    As long as we have each other, we¡¯ll be okay.


    Maybe that was it. It wasn¡¯t only about the consequence. Nori wasn¡¯t just fighting to stay away from her parents. She was fighting to stay with Archie. It wasn¡¯t the negatives that gave her strength. It was the positives.


    He imagined her next to him, clear as day. Her shiny black hair. Her pouty lips. The little freckles around her nose that you could only see if you really stopped to look for them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have time to stop,¡± she said. ¡°Come on, you can do it. You¡¯re okay.¡±


    He found the part of him that believed her and let it dominate his mind. He was okay. He was okay. He started stirring.


    ¡°There you go.¡±


    ¡°Remember the motion,¡± Akando said, appearing next to Archie and mimicking his stirring. ¡°Takuskanskan. The spirit of motion.¡±


    Archie focused on the movement of the spatula. Once around, twice around, thrice. Archie poured in more broth for the rice to absorb.


    ¡°The recipe says that the level of liquid should not exceed the rice,¡± Sutton chastised him. When Archie looked up, Barley was there too, smiling and nodding in his comforting silence.


    ¡°You may have me beat in conjuration,¡± Julienne said. ¡°But you¡¯ll never beat me at cooking. Want me to take over?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Archie said. ¡°I got it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah you do!¡± Blanche cheered. ¡°Ugh, I could never do something like this. Hours in the kitchen? No thanks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the orchard is so much better,¡± Benedict said. ¡°Right, Blanche?¡±


    Archie lifted the entire noodle to his mouth and took a small, controlled bite.


    ¡°So¡­are you going to share when you¡¯re done?¡± Cress asked.


    ¡°As if Prince Piggy would let him,¡± Oliver laughed. Hyssop and Juniper laughed with him.


    ¡°Look!¡± Mindy said. ¡°It¡¯s really cooking now. It looks good.¡±


    ¡°It looks alright,¡± Yarrow countered.


    ¡°Shove it, Yarrow,¡± Nori hissed. She smiled at Archie. ¡°It looks great.¡±


    Archie stirred and stirred and stirred. They watched him for a while, crowding the little kitchen. Then they faded away. The room faded away. His pain faded away. A final pair of voices urged him on.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. Oh, look at my Archie go.¡±


    ¡°I always knew you had it in you. When you come home, we¡¯ll cook together.¡±


    And then it was just Archie and the rice and the motion. Whatever loose concept of time that remained in that dungeon of a kitchen disappeared.


    Stir. Stir. Stir. Stir. Stir.


    He scooped up a handful of floral dust and sprinkled it into the pot.


    Stir. Stir. Stir. Stir. Stir.


    The door opened.


    Stir. Stir. Stir. Stir Stir.


    Someone called his name.


    Stir. Stir. Stir. Stir. Stir.


    Footsteps approached.


    Stir. Stir. Stir. Stir. Stir.


    A gloved hand grabbed his shoulder, yanking him back from the pot. The world came back in a flash.


    ¡°Archie!¡± Chrysanth half-whispered, half-yelled. He jingled the keyring. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

 Chapter 61 - The Reunion

    Chrysanth splashed water and used a rag to roughly scratch the blood from Archie¡¯s face.


    ¡°Too suspicious, too suspicious,¡± he muttered as Archie winced through the pain.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s done,¡± Archie said. ¡°I need to keep cooking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been two hours since he left. We have to go now.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Just¡­¡± Archie shook the rest of the bag over the pot, floral dust spilling into the rice. He stirred it in and threw the last bit of supercharged noodle in with it. Just one more burst of essence to make it harder for Prince Waldorf to resist.


    He grabbed the pot and followed Chrysanth out of the kitchen. As the guard closed the door and put the keys back in the drawer, Archie set the pot down on the table in front of the massive chair.


    ¡°So how¡¯s this supposed to work?¡± Chrysanth asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to get back and see the pot. He¡¯ll eat the whole thing before he even thinks to check in the kitchen. By that point, he¡¯ll have forgotten I exist.¡±


    Chrysanth shook his head in a combination of awe and fear. ¡°The things you Chefs can do¡­¡±


    ¡°So how are we doing this? Do you need to, like, handcuff me?¡±


    Chrysanth found the heart to chuckle. ¡°You know how many Chefs walk around these halls? We play it cool. We play it normal.¡±


    And so they did. They walked through the courtyard. Walked through the washroom. Walked past the kitchen. Not a single guard or servant turned for even a second look. But the closer Archie got to the gate, the harder his heart pounded. If Prince Waldorf returned early¡ªif they ran into him¡­Archie couldn¡¯t imagine how horrible that fate might be.


    But it didn¡¯t happen. Such were the wonders of Cafe Julienne that a Glutton such as Prince Waldorf couldn¡¯t find it within himself to leave until he was forcibly removed.


    They reached the gate.


    ¡°This is me,¡± Chrysanth said. ¡°Got the post until midnight.¡±


    Archie couldn¡¯t believe that the threat was over. ¡°If he suspects you, even for a second¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too proud to run. And I doubt he¡¯s quick enough to catch me.¡±


    Archie started to tremble. His voice wavered. ¡°Thank you¡­for¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep moving,¡± Chrysanth declared in his usual, impatient guard tone. He shook his spear in his hand. ¡°Or I¡¯ll make you move.¡±


    Archie took a deep breath as he turned and walked away. With each step, he moved faster and faster, the euphoria of freedom pushing the boundaries of his broken body until he was sprinting into the plaza of the Academy, the wind carrying his tears.


    Nori was waiting for him in the great hall. He hadn¡¯t even crossed the threshold and Nori was already up and running at him. She sobbed as she ran, nearly knocking Archie over when she clung to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Nori¡¯s tears mixed with the blood soaked into Archie¡¯s jacket. ¡°We saw him. As we left. I wanted to go get you. But Rowan said not to. And I¡ªI¡ª¡±


    Archie held her arm. ¡°No, Nori. You did the right thing.¡±


    Nori pulled away, urgency holding her tears back. ¡°We have to get you out of here! Before he comes back!¡±


    ¡°No, Nori. Rowan¡¯s flower. I still had some. That¡¯s why I needed to make the rice.¡±


    ¡°And you did it?¡±


    ¡°I did it.¡±


    Nori returned into Archie¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Archie asked. ¡°Did it¡­did she get out?¡±


    Nori sniffed and wiped at her tears while nodding. ¡°She¡¯s safe.¡±


    As relief flooded into Archie, a laugh slipped out.


    They did it.


    They entered a den of Gluttons, stole away one of their daughters, angered one of the most powerful men in the world, and got out. If only he could say unscathed. Everything in his body hurt, but he fought through the pain to hug Nori back.


    And then Oliver was there. ¡°I was ready to bust you out!¡±


    Archie looked at Oliver and then back to Nori. ¡°You told him?¡±


    ¡°He figured it out.¡± Nori scowled at Oliver, but he shrugged it off. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell anyone but Rowan. I figured that was for the best.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°He sent a letter to your parents.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I imagine they¡¯ll be here tomorrow. Probably worried sick.¡±


    Archie frowned. The thought of his parents worrying and crying on that bumpy carriage ride was an emotional weight that he was not ready to shoulder. He wasn¡¯t ready to shoulder any weight, really. His legs buckled and the stress of the day¡ªor two, or three, or however long it had been¡ªleft him weak.


    Nori could tell. She put herself beneath one of his shoulders to support him and started moving him toward the infirmary. ¡°Get Head Chef Anise,¡± she told Oliver. ¡°Get Aubergine. Get anyone.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Aubergine arrived first. After a great fuss, he convinced Nori to wait outside. He tended Archie¡¯s wounds, producing noodles out of thin air. He wrapped one around Archie¡¯s cut ankle. Another around the finger. A patch on his thigh.


    ¡°The head, you¡¯re going to have to sleep off,¡± Aubergine said. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to leave you here for just a moment, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Aubergine walked to the door.


    Alone in that room, Archie laid down and cried. He cried and cried and cried until he shut his eyes and wasn¡¯t sure that he would ever reopen them again.


    ¡°Hmm¡­This one¡¯s no good.¡±


    Archie opened his eyes to see Anise replacing one of Aubergine¡¯s noodles. She put her hands on Archie¡¯s skin and paused. Her head jerked around to look into his eyes, a scornful expression occupying her face.


    ¡°So it was you who stole my experiment.¡± She pursed her lips and took a deep breath. ¡°A matter for another time. I¡¯ll want to know how it affected you.¡±


    After a few minutes of tending, the door opened and Nori walked in.


    ¡°I told you to wait outside,¡± Anise said.


    Nori kept walking in and stared at Anise and that was that.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Anise grumbled. ¡°He¡¯s in your care, then. I¡¯ll be back in an hour to check on him.¡±


    Once Anise left, Nori sat next to Archie and took his hand in hers. They sat like that for a while, not talking, not even really looking at each other. Just being there in each other¡¯s presence. They both wanted to cry, but neither wanted to ruin the serenity of the quiet room.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Archie said, breaking the silence.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Archie cleared his throat. ¡°You got paid, right?¡±


    Nori burst into laughter and Archie joined her.


    ¡°Yes. We got our money. It just took some blood, sweat, and tears.¡±


    ¡°No, but really, Nori. Can I ask you a favor?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡±


    Nori helped Archie to the kitchen. She made him a lemon cake pudding that challenged him to find a word worthy of its quality. Delicious. Amazing. Magnificent. Transcendental.


    ¡°Nori, this is delicious. This is the best thing you¡¯ve made!¡±


    Nori smiled and swatted the air at him. ¡°You¡¯re just hungry.¡±


    ¡°No, really.¡± He scooped a fluffy piece of perfection into his mouth.


    Nori slid a small saucer over to him. ¡°You didn¡¯t even wait for the sauce.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s sauce?!¡± Archie poured the yellow sauce over the pudding.


    ¡°It¡¯s just more lemon and sugar.¡±


    Archie took another bite and felt his spirit enter a new plane of existence. The food nourished him in a way he had never been nourished. There was his hunger and there was the flavor, but there was something else. He felt the essence in his body stir.


    ¡°Nori, this is¡­¡± Archie trailed off. He wanted to cry for all of the right reasons.


    She looked down from his face and smiled shyly.


    ¡°They¡¯re amazing. The best thing I¡¯ve ever had. Seriously.¡±


    Nori turned away and covered her face in playful embarrassment.


    They laughed.


    ¡°Finish that and I¡¯ll make you something else. Something heavier. What do you want?¡±


    Archie considered the question. ¡°More of this.¡±


    She slapped his forearm and started zesting more lemons.


    Archie told her the story of what had happened to him, but he didn¡¯t relive the fear as he described the story. It felt like it had happened to someone else. Someone that wasn¡¯t sitting in the kitchen with their best friend eating the best food he¡¯d ever tasted.


    ¡°The blueberry man!¡± Teff ran to Archie, grabbing onto him before he could even get two steps into The Gift.


    ¡°Hi Teff!¡±


    The girl tilted her head back and wagged a finger at Archie. ¡°That¡¯s my old name. I got to pick a new one!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Come on, I want to show you my room!¡±


    She peeled off of Archie and sprinted toward the stairs. Rowan intercepted Archie, taking him in a warm hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay,¡± Rowan said, sniffling as he pulled Archie close. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to live with myself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m okay.¡± Archie slipped out of Rowan¡¯s grasp. ¡°A little sore, though.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. Sorry.¡±


    The girl stomped her feet. ¡°Uncle Rowan, knock it off! Get up here, blueberry man!¡±


    Archie laughed. ¡°Uncle?¡±


    Rowan raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips. ¡°As the story goes, my sister passed away, leaving behind a kid.¡±


    More stomping. ¡°Come. On!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m coming!¡± Archie hobbled over to the stairs¡ªdespite Anise¡¯s expert treatment, he still couldn¡¯t find it in him to move with any sense of urgency. Even walking from the tram down through the Roots had worn him out¡ªalmost as much as Nori¡¯s constant worrying. She put her hands up to catch him in case he fell down the stairs.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Nori.¡±


    The reassurance didn¡¯t stop her from shadowing him.


    ¡°Tadaaa!¡± Rowan¡¯s bedroom had been rearranged to accommodate two beds, and judging by the one that the girl was standing on, Rowan had found himself taking the smaller of the two. The girl jumped off the bed and ran to the balcony.


    ¡°And look at my blueberries!¡± She poked a branch of blueberries growing from a pot, making the whole plant jiggle. Bees buzzed around her, but she was unphased. ¡°They¡¯re chandler blueberries. That¡¯s me!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Uncle Rowan said I needed to pick a new name. Because¡­¡± She tilted her head to complete her sentence. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to pick! And then I saw these blueberries and they¡¯re the biggest I¡¯ve ever seen and Uncle Rowan said they are called chandler blueberries so I picked the name Chandler!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Archie grinned at Nori, wondering if she had managed to keep up with the child¡¯s rambling. ¡°Chandler it is.¡±


    ¡°Come on, let me show you the roof!¡± Chandler dashed back to the stairs, grabbing Archie¡¯s hand as she ran past him.


    They spent the early morning up on the rooftop, Chandler showing Archie a dozen plants that he had already seen a dozen times. Nori suggested taking a break¡ªmaybe he should rest in one of the beds for a bit¡ªbut Chandler¡¯s energy rejuvenated Archie more than a supercharged noodle ever could. She ran and danced and yelled and played with the freedom of a child unburdened by a terrible past.


    It was all a great big playground for the girl. She ran laps between the planters and hid behind a row of corn. Every unused patch of soil was fertilized by her imagination, growing never before seen fruits and vegetables in her daydreams.


    She showed him her patch of the garden. A big heap of dirt with nothing sprouting, but when Archie put his hand to the soil, he could tell that Rowan had gone through some lengths to make sure Chandler would see some green soon.


    The longer Chandler talked, the bigger her smile. And the bigger her smile, the bigger Archie smiled too.


    A pair of footsteps thundered into The Gift. Archie could hear them from the roof.


    ¡°He¡¯s okay, he¡¯s safe,¡± Rowan said. ¡°He¡¯s here. He¡¯s okay.¡±


    Then the footsteps thundered up the stairs and soon, Archie¡¯s parents were wrapped around him.


    They all cried tears of joy.

 Chapter 62 - The Return to Normalcy

    Archie dreamt that he was sitting in a forest glade. The deer and rabbits and foxes and squirrels all came to eat from his palm. Soon, the grass was depleted of its acorns and flowers and wild carrots.


    Something rustled in the bushes.


    But Archie was never scared.


    Nori walked out of the bushes holding Chandler¡¯s hand, the little girl holding a basket of blueberries. Together, they fed the animals and laughed in the sunlight.


    ¡°Should we wake him? It¡¯s nearly lunchtime.¡±


    ¡°No, no, he¡¯s only been asleep for a couple of hours. He must be exhausted. Let him rest.¡±


    Archie rolled over and rubbed his eyes as he groaned.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s awake. Hi baby.¡± Adelaide lowered herself down to Archie¡¯s face. ¡°Are you hungry? Your dad is cooking something.¡±


    ¡°Dad never cooks,¡± Archie groaned.


    Adelaide laughed. ¡°He¡¯s always cooking now, Archie. Come on, baby.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a baby.¡±


    Adelaide took one of Archie¡¯s arms and helped him up. ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re not a baby. You¡¯re my baby.¡±


    Archie wandered down the stairs with half-closed eyes. Everything felt so familiar, but none of it made any sense. Where was the stack of books in the living room? Why did the stairs go straight down instead of turning? And what was that bed he had woken up in? His bed had a red blanket.


    His confusion reached its climax as he reached the bottom of the stairs.


    Wait. This isn¡¯t Petrichor.


    But it was home.


    Rowan and Arty worked in the kitchen. Adelaide went to tidy up the chairs and set the table. Nori and Chandler ran around with lemon wedges in their mouths, grinning big, toothless yellow grins.


    ¡°He¡¯s up!¡± Arty cheered. ¡°How¡¯re you feeling? Had a nice nap?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, yeah.¡± Archie rubbed the sleep from his eyes. ¡°What¡¯re you making?¡±


    ¡°You mean what¡¯re we making? Get over here and cook with your old man.¡±


    Archie had waited to hear those words his entire life. He rushed into the kitchen as fast as his broken body would let him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some bread going in the oven,¡± Arty said. ¡°I was thinking we could cook some butternut squash ravioli. Word around town is you know your way around pasta.¡±


    Archie considered the dish for a moment. ¡°With a white wine sauce? Lemony and creamy?¡±


    Arty looked proudly at his son. ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡±


    Rowan clapped flour off of his hands and moved out of the kitchen. ¡°Lemony sauce, that¡¯s you Nori.¡±


    He went to trade spots with Nori, tickling Chandler¡¯s neck as Nori found her station in the kitchen.


    ¡°Now, you two better not mess things up,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Show off for me. Show them what my apprentices can do.¡±


    Adelaide sat at the counter, peering over the half-wall divider into the kitchen. ¡°You know, Archie, your dad and I apprenticed together. That¡¯s where we fell in love.¡±


    Nori dropped a handful of lemons on the ground. Archie opened the bag of flour with a big puff. Arty chuckled.


    ¡°Okay, mom,¡± Archie said as he wiped the flour from his face. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°So how¡¯s Petrichor doing?¡± Nori blurted out, eager to steer the conversation away from such uncomfortable topics.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s great,¡± Arty answered. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s as busy as can be. We have this new supplier on the Kuutsan border¡ªhe can¡¯t get the stuff over to us fast enough. We sell out nearly every day.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re still coming for my water?¡± Archie asked, his heart full and warm at the thought of his home¡¯s resurgence.


    ¡°Uh¡­Well, yeah.¡± Arty scratched his head. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°They ask for it, sweetie,¡± Adelaide said. ¡°But really it¡¯s your father¡¯s cooking that¡¯s been driving the crowds recently.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh,¡± Arty shooed her away as he shrugged. ¡°The supplier is great. Really good stuff. Lots of essence. Pass me that roller.¡±


    Archie watched his dad work. For years, Arty had really only cooked when Adelaide had been unable to. Now, he moved around the kitchen like a seasoned pro in total command of his craft. And he smiled the whole time. Archie started to realize how rare that had been growing up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on this new recipe,¡± Arty said. ¡°Mushroom wellington. People love it, but I know it can be better. It¡¯s just missing something. When you come back for the summer, you can help me figure it out. Oh, oh, oh! I¡¯m so excited to cook with you. There, I mean. Of course we¡¯re cooking together here now.¡±


    Archie just laughed and tried to keep up.


    ¡°You could come stay with us for the summer too, Nori,¡± Adelaide said.


    Nori laughed. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Archie and Nori stayed at The Gift for supper, then headed back to the Academy. While Nori went on ahead, Archie hung back in the great hall to read the test scores that had been pinned to the wall.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td> </td>


    <td>


    Total   (4 best)


    </td>


    <td>


    Cultivation


    </td>


    <td>


    Innovation


    </td>


    <td>


    Conjuration


    </td>


    <td>


    Cooking (Free)


    </td>


    <td>


    Cooking (Challenge)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="7">


    Yellow Jacket


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Julienne


    </td>


    <td>


    95


    </td>


    <td>


    8


    </td>


    <td>


    22


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td>


    24


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Nori


    </td>


    <td>


    92


    </td>


    <td>


    17


    </td>


    <td>


    18


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td>


    24


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Akando


    </td>


    <td>


    82


    </td>


    <td>


    16


    </td>


    <td>


    18


    </td>


    <td>


    21


    </td>


    <td>


    19


    </td>


    <td>


    24


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Oliver


    </td>


    <td>


    80


    </td>


    <td>


    14


    </td>


    <td>


    19


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td>


    22


    </td>


    <td>


    8


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="7">


    Two Stripes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Yarrow


    </td>


    <td>


    79


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td>


    16


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td>


    24


    </td>


    <td>


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Mindy


    </td>


    <td>


    78


    </td>


    <td>


    17


    </td>


    <td>


    17


    </td>


    <td>


    14


    </td>


    <td>


    24


    </td>


    <td>


    20


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Archie


    </td>


    <td>


    77


    </td>


    <td>


    16


    </td>


    <td>


    18


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td>


    18


    </td>


    <td>


    5


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Barley


    </td>


    <td>


    74


    </td>


    <td>


    14


    </td>


    <td>


    14


    </td>


    <td>


    22


    </td>


    <td>


    20


    </td>


    <td>


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Blanche


    </td>


    <td>


    74


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td>


    13


    </td>


    <td>


    11


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Cress


    </td>


    <td>


    71


    </td>


    <td>


    13


    </td>


    <td>


    20


    </td>


    <td>


    20


    </td>


    <td>


    17


    </td>


    <td>


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Hyssop


    </td>


    <td>


    70


    </td>


    <td>


    16


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td>


    14


    </td>


    <td>


    20


    </td>


    <td>


    20


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="7">


    One Stripe


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Benedict


    </td>


    <td>


    69


    </td>


    <td>


    22


    </td>


    <td>


    11


    </td>


    <td>


    16


    </td>


    <td>


    15


    </td>


    <td>


    16


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Juniper


    </td>


    <td>


    68


    </td>


    <td>


    18


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td>


    14


    </td>


    <td>


    17


    </td>


    <td>


    17


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sutton


    </td>


    <td>


    63


    </td>


    <td>


    14


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td>


    9


    </td>


    <td>


    14


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°You¡¯re better than your score, you know,¡± someone said from behind Archie.


    He turned around to face Colby.


    ¡°You¡¯re good. It¡¯s not talent holding you back,¡± Colby said. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to retake the exams during the Ambrosial Summit next year. Get your head straight and you¡¯ll ace it.¡±


    Archie didn¡¯t know how to react. Getting complimented by Colby was like looking directly into the sun.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he managed.


    Colby just raised his eyebrows and walked away, having met his quota of kindness for the month.


    Archie read over the scores for a while longer. He laughed at Blanche¡¯s abysmal kitchen scores and Sutton¡¯s class-low conjuration score. He stared at Oliver¡¯s name in the Yellow Jacket section for a long while, having to convince himself that his eyes weren¡¯t deceiving him. He smiled at seeing Nori¡¯s name so high on the list. He could imagine her arguing that she was better than Julienne¡ª¡±But I was higher across all five scores,¡± she would say.


    And then the thought of Julienne reminded Archie that he still had something to do.


    He entered Julienne¡¯s room and hugged him without a word of warning.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Archie said as he squeezed the other boy tight.


    ¡°My uncle almost had my head when I told him we had to host Waldorf,¡± Julienne said. ¡°I hope the trouble was worth it.¡±


    Archie grinned. ¡°Well¡­you saved my life.¡±


    ¡°So I guess we¡¯ll see, huh?¡±


    For once, Julienne pulled his punch as he socked Archie in the arm. Archie laughed and looked around the room. Yarrow lay in his bed, scowling like always, and Sutton sat on the floor loading up a suitcase.


    ¡°Going somewhere?¡± Archie asked.


    Sutton turned and pushed his glasses up. ¡°Khala. Barley¡¯s going back for the summer, so I got him to take me.¡±


    ¡°Why anyone would want to go there¡­¡± Yarrow mumbled.


    Sutton¡¯s exasperation reached a boiling point. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep working on my research. It¡¯s very important and stands to benefit a lot of people.¡± He shook his head and smiled at Archie. ¡°It¡¯s like I said, there are no Gluttons in Khala. And from what I''ve gathered from Barley, they have a deeper understanding of what Gluttony really is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you got the chance to go,¡± Archie said.


    Sutton sat on a stack of clothes to compress them. ¡°You could come too, you know.¡±


    Julienne laughed. ¡°Come on, Sutton. This is Archie. We¡¯re going to have to send someone at the end of the summer to pry him away from Petrichor.¡±


    Archie let out a soft chuckle.


    Sutton shrugged, continuing to address Archie. ¡°I think having you there could really help my research. Plus, you might learn something for yourself.¡±


    Julienne clapped Archie on the shoulder. ¡°Sutton just doesn¡¯t want the carriage ride to be so quiet,¡± he said with a laugh.


    ¡°Alright, alright, take a seat, take a seat,¡± Aubergine called from the front of the great hall. ¡°Our guests are arriving.¡±


    The students and their guests either didn¡¯t hear or just didn¡¯t listen, standing around in groups crowding the great hall. The Head Chefs scurried between them, loading up the tables with a lavish feast.


    Archie walked over near the entrance, joining a conversation between Oliver, Cress, Blanche, Sutton, and Nori.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, she was flirting with me!¡± Oliver said.


    Cress scoffed.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Archie asked.


    Nori smirked. ¡°Oliver over here thinks that Pepper Ivy is into him.¡±


    ¡°Archie. She came to Lifted Spirits one weekend, right? We talked some. And then she came back the next weekend. And guess who she ordered from?¡±


    Archie held a laugh as he looked back and forth between the others. ¡°I¡¯m guessing¡­the only bartender available?¡±


    The girls laughed.


    ¡°No, man, I¡¯m telling you! And she wasn¡¯t just ordering. She talked to me about other stuff for like, several minutes!¡±


    Cress blinked several times at Oliver. ¡°And¡­what¡­was she talking to you about?¡±


    Oliver groaned and tilted his head side to side. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure. It gets really loud in there.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°So Oliver,¡± Nori said. ¡°Did she¡­pay for the drinks?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The girls exchanged a knowing look.


    ¡°She used you for free drinks,¡± Sutton said.


    ¡°No. No! She¡¯s Pepper Ivy. What does she need free drinks for? She¡¯s rich!¡±


    Archie laughed with the others.


    But then Nori stopped laughing all at once.


    A large shadow loomed over them.


    ¡°Out of the way,¡± a guard said as he pushed through and divided the group. Archie turned to see who was being escorted.


    Prince Waldorf looked back down at him.


    Archie felt the shackle around his ankle. The weight of the chain. The stiff air. He wanted to scream. To run. To collapse.


    Prince Waldorf stared directly into his eyes.


    And then looked away without an ounce of recognition, continuing to his seat at the head table.


    Archie felt like he could breathe for the very first time.


    ¡°Seats, people, seats!¡± Aubergine yelled.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Cress said as she tugged on Archie¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Let¡¯s all go sit together.¡±


    As they took their seats, Aubergine got a headstart on his rambling.


    ¡°Alright, as we celebrate your first year at the Academy, I wanted to share a story from when I was your age about¡­¡±


    Archie¡¯s eyes caught Nori¡¯s. They smiled at each other.


    Everything was back to normal.