This is the part of a movie or TV series where the audience gets a montage set to pounding 80’s rock music. The main cast does extraordinary things, like cleaning an entire tavern and getting it ready to open its doors, and it all happens before the song's second chorus has finished.

That's not exactly what happened, but we made a dent in the mess. Doan, Caden, Mira, Ragna, and I dove into the task of cleaning up The Shadow's Respite with enthusiasm. We hit the kitchen first.

"Gotta get this spotless so Varix can whip us up some grub!" Caden joked as he scrubbed at a particularly stubborn stain on the countertop. I flashed him a grin, appreciating the vote of confidence in my cooking skills.

Caden was in his element, fixing everything that was broken. Cabinets and shelves were the subject of his keen eye and skilled hands. The way he worked and coped with his missing fingers was really impressive. He moved through the kitchen like a whirlwind, leaving repaired items in his wake.

"How long did you apprentice with your father before the war?" I asked Caden.

"Since I was, oh, about this high." He held his hand just above his knee.

"Dude. You're amazing."

"Thank you, Varix. There's a lot of joy to be had in fixing things," Caden said with a genuine smile.

Caden also had a knack for making the space feel welcoming. He examined a rickety chair, deemed it unsalvageable, then promptly broke it down for parts to reinforce the other chairs at the bar. Resourceful guy, that Caden.

Mira was a cleaning machine, dusting, sweeping, and mopping with a determined glint in her eye. She fearlessly took on the cobwebs in the corners, wielding a broom like a weapon. A few rats scurried out from their hiding spots, but Mira simply chased them out the door without missing a beat.

She and Doan moved the kitchen cooler to the corner of the room and went to work cleaning the inside. I won't go into detail, but let's just say it might have contained some science experiments gone very wrong. The smell was horrendous. We opened every door and window in the place, praying for a stiff breeze to carry the reek away.

And then there was Ragna, overseeing our progress with a critical eye. But even her gruff exterior couldn't hide the pride and encouragement in her voice as she barked out orders and praised our efforts.

As the morning grew longer, the space was starting to look like a proper kitchen.

The best part was that we had cleaned up enough for me to get to work, and these guys deserved a treat.

"Are you all okay with me running to the market? I'm going to pick up some things to cook," I asked as I mopped sweat off my forehead.

"By the gods, yes," Doan exclaimed.

Caden and Mira nodded.

Ragna had taken the stove door to her shop to beat it back into shape. I hoped she would return in time for me to get this meal going.

As I headed for the exit, I glanced back at the stairs. Standing near the top was Morthisal’s dead wife, Ophelia. She waved once and walked up to the second floor, disappearing from view. I scanned my friend's eyes, but none had caught on to her presence.

My first stop was The Jolly Cleaver to pick up some meat. Shellen was pleased to greet me and immediately asked if I wanted some sausage.

"You bet I do. Do you have any that are extra spicy?"

She nodded. "Are the rumors true?" she asked as she retrieved the sausage. “Did you buy The Shadow's Respite?"

"I did, but I had some help. A couple of friends pitched in some gold to help make my dream a reality. One of the investors is a man you might know. Caden. Caden Ashfall."

Shellen's eyes grew wide, and her face flushed. "Oh, yes, I know Caden. He has stopped by the shop a few times since he returned. It's wonderful to have him back in town. He's grown so…eh. So much."

"Caden is pretty buff." I nodded.

"Buff?"

"You know." I puffed up my chest, lifted my arms, and mock flexed.

Shellen blinked twice.

"Never mind. He's filled out. I think that's what you were getting at."

"Yes. So, what brings you into my shop today?"

"Meat. I have a hungry crew. Do you have ground beef?"

"I have a meat grinder in back, yes. Which cuts would you like?"

"Some of the cheap stuff and the same amount of the good stuff."

"So, round or chuck. I have a few sides of beef. Would you like me to cut from the prime?"

"Take about four pounds mixed, toss it in the grinder, and I'll take it all."

Shellen nodded and moved to her cooler.

"While you're at it, I'd like a few rib bones with minimal meat if you have them for broth. Oh. And I need some thinly sliced bacon."

"Coming right up."

Shellen rummaged through the cooler, selecting a few sizable pieces of meat before heading into the back room. She whistled as she worked—a cheerful tune accompanied by the sound of a hand crank. Grinding all that meat manually must be quite the workout.

A few minutes later, Shellen returned with the ground meat, bacon, and bones wrapped in packs of thick brown paper with a light sheen—this world's version of wax paper.

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I paid Shellen two full silvers and a couple of coppers for the meat, bones, and the spicy sausages. As I gathered my purchases, I turned to her with a smile. "Thanks, Shellen. I'll be sure to say hi to Caden for you."

At the mention of Caden's name, Shellen's face flushed a deep red. She stammered out a thank you. It seemed that Caden had nothing to worry about concerning Shell. She had a thing for him.

With my supplies in hand, I bid Shellen farewell and headed for my next destination.

The man who ran The Fragrant Leaf was a cheery fellow named Elias Wildshade. I inquired about his stock, and he showed me around. I had a pretty good idea of what I needed and was pleased to find everything in his shop.

"I dry most of my spices myself and grind them right here."

"You have cumin?" I said in shock as I found a gallon-sized bottle filled to the rim.

"Aye."

"Paprika?" I pointed at a thick red powder.

"Aye." He watched me carefully.

"Sorry. I've been gone a while."

"S'no problem, sir."

He pulled what I needed, placed all the spices in separate glass vials, and put corks on each one. He even had dried hot pepper, so I added a jar. I also grabbed a small bag of flour and put everything in my pack after I paid him. I wouldn’t need all of these spices right now, but I would in the future.

It was time to get a little more familiar with the open marketplace. I was thrilled to find sweet tomatoes, red and yellow onions, bunches of carrots, and a few green peppers resembling poblanos. I even found a huge bunch of garlic that would have given elephant garlic a run for its money back on Earth.

I grabbed a hunk of cheese and some rolls from a baker and wandered around looking for something to use for sauces. I came across a vendor selling bottles of what looked like salad dressing or the like.

I pawed through his bottles, but most were sweet or sour, or in one case, both.

I found one that looked like oil and asked about it.

"Oil pressed from the olive. Those are delivered from Stormcrest Bay. Excellent quality."

"My god,” I said. “Olive oil!” I purchased a bottle along with some sweet red jam.

My pack was overflowing. At this rate, I'd need to buy a small cart if I was going to shop every day. I had planned to make them a special version of stew, but it would take most of the day since I needed to create my base, so I changed my plans for cooking lunch.

I made a few more purchases along the way before veering out of the market and heading back to the tavern. I'd been gone for almost an hour on my errand. Doan grinned as I returned. "I see you're laden with goods."

"Sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you all for so long. Give me a little time, and I’ll get back to work,” I told them.

“My friend, procuring stores for the kitchen is of the utmost importance,” Doan said with a smile. “As is feeding us. What’s for lunch?”

“I have something special in mind for you all.”

“Good news. The stove is in working order,” Ragna said as she entered the room. Her face was covered in a layer of sweat and grime.

“Ragna, do you need a towel? I can fetch water from the well.”

“I’m just getting warmed up in here. Come see what I’ve accomplished.”

I took my supplies into the kitchen and stopped in my tracks. They’d restored the prep table, and someone had applied a coat of oil to the freshly sanded surface.

The stove top was clean, and the doors to the chamber for the fire were closed.

Ragna pointed at the stove. “Took a hammer to the hinge and bent it back into shape. A pair of new pins are holding it in place. It barely squeaks when opened."

"Ragna, this is fantastic work!" I thanked her profusely before she headed out, leaving me alone in the kitchen with my newly acquired ingredients.

Eager to start, I quickly unloaded the goods and got a fire going in the stove. The heat felt comforting against my skin as I surveyed the array of pans. Some had already been cleaned, and I selected a large flat one, placing it on the burner.

I rummaged through my supplies, found the pack of bacon, tore apart a number of pieces, and tossed them in the pan. As the fire grew, the bacon began to sizzle. I moved it off to the side.

While the pan continued to heat up, I laid out the onions and noticed a brand new blade on one of the counters. I picked it up and quickly realized it was the chef's knife I had seen in Ragna's forge.

"Thank you for the knife!" I yelled.

"My pleasure, friend. It's one of the first things I made when I got home," Doan shouted back. "Consider it a gift."

I began slicing the onions super thin, the sharp scent causing my eyes to water. The knife cut through the onions like butter, thanks to being sharp enough to shave the hair off my arm.

While the bacon was still cooking, I chopped a handful of the sliced onions and tossed them on top to caramelize.

I methodically cut the buns in half, setting them aside as I continued to slice onion after onion. The pile grew larger, and the aroma filled the kitchen.

Mira ducked her head in, her eyes widening at the mountain of sliced onions. "What are you making?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

"Something that is going to put a smile on your face," I replied with a grin, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. "These are some pungent onions."

"I could smell them from out there."

"Wait until you taste them."

"Can't wait to see what you're making!" Mira said, spun, and went back to the main room.

As I added a little olive oil to the pan, it shimmered and spread out. Next, I made fist-size balls of ground meat and generously sprinkled each with salt and pepper. I plopped these into the pan. The meat began to sizzle right away. I closed the stove's door slightly to reduce the amount of oxygen.

A few of the earthenware bowls had been cleaned out. I fished out the bacon, the now caramelized onions, and some of the bacon grease to add to a bowl and blew on it to cool.

Next, I piled onions and a healthy dash of salt and pepper on each patty and used a metal spatula to press them flat, creating a sizzling that filled the kitchen with an aroma that made my mouth water. I worked each one so the ground meat would spread out to get a crispy crust all the way around.

I'd found an almost white and very mild chunk of cheese. It wasn't American cheese, but this would work even better, so I cut off some thin pieces.

As I flipped the burgers and pressed the huge pile of onions into the pan, I added the sliced cheese to the top and covered it with the buns. Steam rose, melted the cheese, and warmed the buns while suffusing them with the savory smell of onions.

I was practically drooling as the food sizzled. Lifting the edges revealed the onions were cooking nicely. I closed the stove's door so the fire was a little less out of control.

Once satisfied, I pulled the bun bottoms out of the pan, laid them flat, and topped the burgers with the pile of onions.

I turned to yell for the crew, but they were all crowded around the door, watching me.

"What in the hells have you made, Varix? My stomach is about to rumble out of my body," Caden asked.

The side of bacon and onions had cooled in the bowl. I added a healthy dollop of the sweet jelly to the mixture and gave it a good stir.

"These, my friends, are called hamburgers. Onion burgers, to be exact," I showed them the bowl. "And this is bacon jam. Are you ready to have your mind blown?"

"They're made with ham?" Mira asked.

"No. See…Never mind. I meant to say they're called bacon jam onion burgers. Forget I said ham."

I showed them how to spread a layer of bacon jam on the bottom bun, then scooped the burger, cheese, and bun on top.

Doan picked his up, cursed as he burned his finger, and licked off the juice that ran down his hand.

"By the gods!"

For the next few minutes, no word was spoken in the kitchen. My friends ate and then begged me to make them again.

I was all too happy to oblige.