Chapter 48: The Day Before (1)

"So, what do you call this dish anyways? Seems similar to some sort of pasta."

"In ’Ard Araml, it’s known as Shiìn Delente. The direct translation is a bit scuffed but it basically means Scorching Delicacy."

"Ah. So that’s why my face feels like it’s gonna fall off."

"I told you it was hot before you ate it."

Jak let out a small breath as he spun the pasta-like noodles around his fork, face completely emotionless. Whether or not he thought it was spicy was anyone’s guess as the young redhead shoveled in bite after bite without a single word or comment. Whilst Kruger and Mako exchanged pleasantries, Jak merely watched and listened, crimson hues scanning the environment and the people around them.

Around an hour had passed since Jak, Ontoki and the others had departed from the Parthenon, setting their sights on the place known as the Supper Hall. Since the establishment was only a dozen or so kilometers from the ancient libraric structure, it took them no time at all to arrive and get properly situated.

Of course, that was after Jak and the others did a full double take when they arrived on the Supper Hall’s paved walkways.

Instead of a bar, tavern, restaurant, or any thing remotely close to what the young Rookie had been picturing in his head, the Supper Hall was just one enormous stall. Nothing fancy, just a stall for preparing the food. No tables, no chairs, no lengthy lines. A simple building and a few cooks.

Situated in a wide open area free from homes and other such structures, the Supper Hall was the equivalent of an outdoor cookout. In place of the chairs and tables, countless campfires were scattered around it’s front and sides, warm tendrils crackling away at pieces of wood. These makeshift hotspots were carefully spaced out, allowing heaps of people to join in, relax, enjoy the food, and converse amongst themselves. The campfires went on for a full kilometer, enough for thousands of individuals to join in if the need arose.

If Jak had to describe it all in one word, it would probably be "comfortable".

Once they had gotten over the oddity of the Supper Hall’s layout, the group put in an order for some food. Obviously, not knowing a single thing about that worlds dishes, Kruger recommended them something instead.

Hence why the group ended up with the spiciest thing on the menu, Shiìn Delente.

Still, despite this oversight, neither Meru nor Jak uttered a single complaint, eating their food in total silence, even though the Water Spirit herself was struggling. The medium sized bottle of grape juice, the only recognizable drink Mako and the others had managed to snag, did little to help with the burning either.

"You said it was a ’tad’ spicy. Never said it was gonna make my insides do the tango." Mako coughed a little as he dabbed at his food with his white fork, a fork made presumably out of some kind of animal bone. "This would’ve been helpful to know."

"Your friends seem to be doing just fine."

"Meru is LITERALLY dying." The Rookie gestured to his now red faced comrade.

"I’m sure she would’ve spoken up if there were an issue." Kruger waved the issue aside as he shoveled another scoop of Shiìn into his mouth. "Just enjoy the food."

"Can’t even consider this food. It’s like peppers with a side of pasta."

"What do you even consider food around Araml anyways?" Jak asked, speaking up for the first time since their arrival. "It doesn’t seem like a place to grow vegetables, fruit, and other necessities for a dish like this. How did this get made?"

"A lot of our food comes from the slaying of monsters and other wildlife that exist around NorthClaw. Due to Piertend Lake, one of the few oasis’ that perforate Araml, beings from all walks of life come to drink up and share its waters." Kruger glanced between Jak and Mako, an excitement in his eyes. It was as if he was pleased to share the knowledge he had, which made sense considering he was a scholar in training. "We take only what we need from the wildlife and allow the remaining to do as they please. Most of our dishes are meat related because of this, save for the few times we’re able to get our hands on fruits, grains, and vegetables. That dish in particular was made in similar regard to what Ornerians know as pasta."

"If it’s so scarce, should we be eating this right now?" Mako stared at his plate of food, having already contemplated finishing it. With the new information, there was no longer any option to just throw it away.

"It’s fine." The young Fennelis took another huge bite, as if to cancel out the Rookies worries. "We have more than enough for the time being."

Jak leaned back a little, resting his back against Knox, of whom had taken it upon himself to stretch out behind the redheaded adventurer. "So, the reason you guys are so hung up on the vegetation is because of how valuable the lake is. Without that lake, you have no water and, by extension, no food."

"Exactly."

"So. It seems you know your stuff. And that knowledge is immensely beneficial to the Village. Then why is your dad so against you being a scholar?"

The previously friendly atmosphere immediately fizzled out, burning up along with the crackling firewood. The mood shifted from lighthearted to intensely awkward and strained, to the point where even Knox awakened from his slumber. The landmine Jak had intentionally avoided before had just been triggered.

"Um Jak. Maybe-"

"No." The fiery haired Rookie immediately cut his brother off, gaze fixed onto the now quiet Fennelis. "Im curious. The way you two acted back in the Parthenon. What happened?"

At first, Kruger didn’t respond to Jaks words, staring at the fire for the longest time. Still, no one said anything, neither Mako nor Meru. They remained silent, waiting to see how the young scholar would choose to answer the youths question, if he would even answer it at all.

Then, right when it seemed like he wouldn’t respond, he opened his mouth, still staring at the shifting flames.

"My dad is the Chief of this Village. Not only that, he’s the current leader of the Blood Guard, the defenders of all Aramlians. Unrivaled warriors who stand at the top, brave and loyal, that’s what makes up those who call themselves BloodClaws." Kruger let out a breath, grabbing a nearby stick used to shift the fires kindling. "Obviously, as the Chiefs only son, I was expected to lead by example. Expectations were raised from the very moment I was born. I was to be a warrior and lead NorthClaw into an era of peace and unity."

Jak didn’t need to hear the rest of the story after that scrap of knowledge, knowing full well how it was going to turn out. However, he didn’t utter a single word, allowing the Fennelis to vent his thoughts.

"At first, I tried to follow the expectations I was handed. As I grew older, I worked hard to better myself as a warrior and as a leader. Unfortunately, I didn’t seem to have any natural proclivity towards battle like my father. He was a prodigy, second only to Rturand, the previous Chief of ReguClaw. A once in a century genius. In comparison, I was lackluster. A failure. The hefty expectations of others gradually shifted, even if no one said anything. I was deemed weak and unfit by those around me, to the point where even my own combat instructor refused to teach me any further."

Kruger prodded the fire with the stick, glancing up from it, a bitter smile on his foxy visage.

"With fighting a failure, I turned to knowledge, attempting to make myself of some use to the Chief. I wanted to look my dad in the eye and show him that he could rely on me. I learned everything I could, rummaging through the Parthenon after obtaining permission from the active Scholars. And, when this incident hit, I thought it’d finally be my chance to showcase what I’ve learned and studied. To finally make my Father proud."

Kruger looked over to Jak. "You asked why my father is against it. The thing is, he’s not. However, I don’t think he’s proud of it either. The proudest I’ve seen him was when I was training with him to become a BloodClaw. The look on his face was something to behold."

"I guess that explains your reaction when he introduced you," Mako muttered, resuming his spicy dinner.

"Yeah." Kruger frowned. "I WANT him to be proud of me. But it seems like the more I do, the more I disappoint him. I NEED to figure out the source of this. Maybe then-"

"You’re an idiot."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked towards the redhead, mixed expressions of surprise and confusion on all faces present. However, Jak didn’t elaborate further, shoveling the rest of his food into his mouth and rising up onto his feet. After dusting the sand off his clothing, he left the group to return the plate and fork to the Supper Hall’s food stall.

Kruger immediately looked towards Mako. In response, the Rookie merely shrugged his shoulders.

A few campfires down, just out of earshot of Mako and the others, Ontoki and Hunopil slowly sipped away at their pitchers of alcohol. Unlike the lengthy conversations betwixt the younger generation, the Oxuon and Equenik seemed to get along just fine without any extra words. From the time the two had sat down to the moment Jak vacated his campfire, the two barely said a word to each other, simmering in a comfortable silence.

"How long do you think it’s been since we last ate together?" Ontoki was the first person to break the long standing silence, golden hues fixed on the flames.

Hunopil scoffed a little, taking yet another swig of his wine. "It’s been many moons. I can barely remember."

"Yeah. To think, it was a pair of Adventurers that coaxed us into it." The Chief shook his head, as if he was still drowning in his own disbelief. "I guess I’ve gotten soft in my growing age. The younger me would’ve kicked them out from the beginning, or slaughtered them outright. Letting everything play out the way it did? Certainly not.

"I agree." Hunopil gave the Oxuon a side glance. "Those days were much more violent. And much more dangerous."

The two fell into another bout of silence, taking their time with their ever dwindling beverages.

"What do you think of them? The children." Ontoki leaned forward. "When you picture them, what comes to mind?"

"Rude. Brash. Childish. Inexperienced." Hunopil easily tacked on a list of insults without missing a beat. "However, stepping up to defend a comrade, even if they had only just met-"

"A man is only as good as his word. So, while I’m still alive, I WILL fulfill the promises I made. If you intend to have her then you’ll have to go through me."

"-Standing up for what they believe in, even to help those that hate them-"

"Look, we don’t like each other and that’s okay. However, we can help you. We’ve been to many worlds besides this one. This situation isn’t anything we aren’t used to. My friend is even more experienced than I am, much as I hate to say it."

"-And helping pave the way forward. These are all things I can respect." Hunopil took a sip of his drink, bottoming it out completely. "They themselves may still be questionable, but their intentions and actions speak for themselves. Even though they were free to leave, they stayed to help us."

"Perhaps.....it was the will of Desira that brought these brats to our doorstep. Even though I despise admitting this, these Adventurers seem different compared to the rest. Of course, they’re still naught but fledglings so it’s still too soon to say. However. Going forward. Let’s nuture these younglings as best we can. For the glory of NorthClaw and its prosperity."

"For the glory of NorthClaw," Hunopil agreed, raising his own flask.