We had converted the wagons into a makeshift prep kitchen with several large fires off to the side. While cleaning out the back of a wagon, I found an empty shipping crate, which gave me an idea.

I used a sharp dagger to dig a few holes in the side of the box and set it over a very small fire. Beneath it, I put a little pan into which I consistently fed small chunks of wood, creating a little smoke all day. The smell was so amazing that a few soldiers tried to peek in the side.

"No. You guys want this to be a surprise. Trust me on this.” I waved off all onlookers.

I had to get creative with the spice rub. I used a lot of salt and some wild garlic, which I crushed into a paste and worked into the cuts. I also added a little diced red pepper to give it some zing. I gathered the men and women around once the box sat for at least eight hours.

"You guys ready for this?"

I lifted the box theatrically and laid it on its side. The beef ribs inside were enormous—what a BBQ joint in Texas would have called dinosaur ribs. I had cooked ribs in this manner before, but it had almost felt like cheating since I'd had access to a wood smoker that relied on pellets. Smoking ribs here had required much more hands-on work and near-constant monitoring.

"That's it?" Caden looked skeptical.

"Dude!" I exclaimed. "Take one and try it."

"We need to cut them up. Ribs are tough meat," Doan said and pulled out a long dagger.

I couldn't help but chuckle at Caden's skepticism. "Trust me, my friend. This isn't your average tough meat. Here, let me show you."

I grabbed one of the massive ribs and demonstrated how to tear them apart. The flesh practically fell off the bone, releasing a cloud of fragrant steam. Caden's eyes widened in surprise.

"Go on, try it," I urged, handing him a piece.

Hesitantly, Caden took a bite. His expression transformed from doubt to pure delight in an instant. "By the gods, Varix! This is... this is incredible!"

His exclamation drew the attention of the other soldiers, who quickly gathered around us. Soon, everyone was tearing into the ribs, their faces a mix of joy and disbelief at the tender, flavorful meat.

"How did you do this?" one asked between mouthfuls.

I grinned, basking in their enthusiasm. "Just a little patience and the right combination of smoke and spices. The wild garlic did most of the heavy lifting."

Doan hefted a huge rib and sank his teeth in, then turned and said around a mouthful of food, "My arm's doing the heavy lifting. Look at this thing!" And didn't say another word until he'd finished one and went for seconds. "Now my stomach's doing some heavy lifting."

The others laughed along with Doan.

As night fell and the excitement of the meal wore off, I noticed a tension settling over the camp. Doan, the big soldier with the double-headed ax, approached me with a stern expression.

"Varix, we need to talk," he said, his voice gruff.

I nodded, sensing the seriousness in his tone. "What's on your mind, Doan?"

He glanced around at the other soldiers before speaking. "Look, the food's been great and all, but we've been sitting here too long. Some of us...well, we want our cut of the gold so we can head home. It's been weeks since the war ended, and we've been sitting here for almost a week."

He was right. There was restlessness in the eyes of the other soldiers gathering around us. I had suspected this would happen, but it was still a disappointment. The past five days had been the first time since my arrival that I felt I had a purpose in this fantasy world.

The men and women of this little company had been patient, but their desire to return to their families was understandable.

Caden added. "Some of the soldiers who've been trading with us from other camps told us bandits are growing bolder. They're starting to prey on travelers."

"Should we be worried?" I asked, thinking of all the money we'd accumulated.

"Not now. We're large enough to scare off the casual bands," Caden added. "But on the road, it might be a challenge if they come in a large enough force."

"I'd like to see them try," Doan said, puffing up his chest.

"You're right," I said. "We can't stay here indefinitely. This was never meant to be a permanent arrangement." I turned to Caden, who had been in charge of our earnings. "Caden, would you mind bringing out the gold and gems? It's time we divided it up."

Caden nodded and disappeared into his tent, returning moments later with a heavy sack. As he began to count out the gold, I addressed the group.

"You've all worked hard these past days and deserve the rewards. We'll divide the funds equally."

The others gathered around, and piles were made. Some argued over which coin was worth more. Most of it flew over my head since I still hadn't figured out the kingdom's monetary system.

After the funds were divided and everyone was happy, I collapsed on my cot. The satisfaction of a full day's work wasn't foreign, but the context certainly was.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

I asked Caden, “How much would opening a restaurant in Everspring cost? Something more permanent than this stew kitchen.”

Caden chuckled. “A tavern, you mean? I don't know about the price. It would be more than what you have now, for sure. A building isn't cheap."

"That's what I figured."

I didn't mention that I had a small stash of gems in the bottom of my pack. Maybe one of them would fetch a pretty penny.

"A tavern. That's what I need to buy," I said quietly, more for myself than Caden.

"You'd do well, friend. Very well, indeed. Just don't forget your friends when you're serving stew."

"I'll be more than happy to take your coins, Caden. I may even give you a discount."

Caden laughed.

As the morning sun crept over the horizon, I found myself helping Caden break down our makeshift camp. There were smiles all around, knowing we were setting out for the last leg of our trip to Everspring.

"You know, Varix," Caden grunted as we folded a tent, "I'm glad we're going together. It wouldn't feel right heading to Everspring without you."

I smiled, touched by his words. "Ah, shucks. Thanks, Caden. I'm looking forward to seeing your hometown."

As we continued to pack, a commotion at the edge of our camp caught my attention. I looked up to see a motley crew of goblins, all laden with an impressive game haul.

As they drew near, I stepped forward, ready to apologize. "I'm sorry," I began, "but we're breaking camp. I won't be able to make stew for you anymore."

Their faces fell, disappointment evident in their eyes. But before I could say more, a small goblin pushed his way to the front of the group.

"Tha's as we figured. I'm Bleek," he announced, puffing out his chest. "I can cook your stew. I'm a good cook."

I blinked in surprise and considered his offer. It wasn't like my stew was a secret recipe. But there was something else I could accomplish. Name brand recognition. "Nice-ta-meet-cha, Bleek. I'll happily show you how to cook, but only on one condition."

"Condition? What's that?"

"Condition. It's a thing you agree to."

"I know whats a condition is!"

Caden covered his mouth with his hand and turned away to cover the chortle.

"The stew, Bleek. It's called Varix Vel'Naris World Famous Stew. When you serve it, that's what you'll call it. Agree to this, and I'll show you how to make it."

"Whatever. Like big name make big deal. Food make big deal. Name is dumb."

"Be that as it may. That's the deal."

"Fine. Bleek say fine. Mean fine."

I led Bleek to our remaining cooking supplies. "Alright," I said, "let's make one last batch together. I'll show you everything I know. Oh, and one last thing. I'm going to start a franchise, so you should stay in place once you have a large customer base."

The goblin stared at me.

"Stay here. Make stew. I'll come back and help make this place bigger. We share profits."

"Profits. I know that word. You strange man."

"This is a strange land, eh?" I gently punched his shoulder.

He not so gently punched my shoulder back.

Ow.

As we worked, Bleek proved to be a quick study, sharp and attentive. He even produced a scrap of parchment and a stub of charcoal, scribbling down notes as we went along.

I showed him how to slice the meat so it was about a quarter of an inch and how to season them before cooking, and showed him how important it was to leave room in the pan, or in our case, an old shield. "Let the meat breathe. If you crowd it, the meat will boil." I went over the couple of peppers I'd found and how many to add. We covered other basics, like how potatoes could add natural starch to the stew to thicken it up.

At one point, Urzan must have caught wind that we were leaving. Across the field marched all seven feet of this orc leader who gave exactly zero fucks about anything but my stew. At the moment, at least. He stalked toward me, stopped a few feet away, and crossed his arms over his chest.

Orcs in this world look just as imposing as you would imagine. They have tusks, and when they speak human speech, it sounds angry—and loud!

"Why leave? Stay! We keep paying until money run out!"

"Urzan, my friend. Walk with me," I invited, motioning for him to follow as I casually walked off.

The orc quickly caught up. His stride was much slower than mine, as his legs were a good twelve inches longer.

"What are your future plans?"

"Plans?! No plans! Stupid Morthisal!”

"Sorry?"

"Stupid dark lord! Say many things! Many lies! Burn land! Kill humans! What is word? Raze. Raze all land!“

"Yeah. He sounds like a jerk."

"Don't know jerk! Orcs ask! If burn land?! Kill humans! Kill animals! What orcs eat?! Nothing! Raze land! Why raze land?! Nothing left! What orcs do for living?!”

I stopped in my tracks. "Urzan. That's very insightful. What were the dark lord's plans once he won the war? Was he expecting his armies to live on blasted plains and stare at razed cities?"

"Orc think same! Stupid plan!"

"Can you integrate with the humans?"

"Humans hate orc! Humans chase off orc!"

I stopped and looked up at the orc. Urzan stared out across a plain of waving flowers and tall grass. At least a dozen of what looked like finches darted inches from the plants, then rose into the air and flapped away.

"Have you thought about asking the humans for work? Maybe you could offer your protection to caravans.”

Urzan showed me his tusks. Was that good or bad? Probably bad.

"Hear me out. There was a war. Your master was defeated. What are you going to do now besides follow me and hope I make more stew? Think about this. orcs are established fighters—tough as hell. Look at you. If someone threw you in an MMA cage match, you'd rip the other guy's head off.

"Urzan rip off head before! Very satisfying!"

"Calm down, Francis. Now look. Humans are having trouble with bandits. I bet if a bunch of big, strong orcs offered protection on the road, the humans would be pretty happy."

"Rip off bandit heads! Orc like! Urzan like!"

“And you could get paid.”

“Orc think Varix smart! Orc talk to other orcs! Orcs think on offer!”

I held my hand out again, and Urzan again showed his teeth.

“Just take my hand and shake. It’s the way humans greet each other.”

“No, thank you!"

Urzan turned and stalked back toward his camp.

Caden had said we were about a ten-day journey from Everspring, but coming back would be faster if I had a horse, and maybe a crew. Thinking of my conversation with Urzan, I had an idea of who that crew might be.

I was getting ahead of myself. For all I knew, I'd end up in Everspring, and would be broke in a few days.

I glanced around at my companions as we packed up the last of the camp supplies and loaded them into the wagons. These people, who had once been Lord Morthisal's enemies, were now my friends. How would they react if I suddenly took off my amulet, jumped up, and yelled, "Oooga Booga!"

Probably not well. I imagined Doan would take my head off before I got another word out.