Even with his sleeves and pant cuffs rolled up, Erik was sweating profusely under the late afternoon sun. He glanced over at Talia in her crimson robes, shocked at how composed she seemed in the heat. In fact, she wasn't sweating at all.

"Hey, how the hell are you not sweating in this heat?" Erik asked, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand.

"I casted a cooling spell that cycles around me and Sir Illyanth," Talia replied, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "It's not as strong as a real magical cooling item, but it should keep us cool enough for our hunt."

"Us?! I'm dying over here! You didn't think to cast that on me either?" Erik complained, feeling the sweat trickle down his spine.

"I... did not. I wasn't sure if you wanted it, since you don't seem too bothered by the heat."

"The hell I'm not! Can you cast that spell on me, too? Please?" Erik added.

Talia gave Erik a questioning look before sighing and casting the cooling spell around him. "There," she said. "You should feel better now."

Erik nodded, feeling a slight breeze against his skin. "Thanks," he said, wiping his hands on his pants. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lose it. It's just... this heat is brutal."

"Unfortunately, the village doesn't have magical items that can keep our temperature down. Most of them aren't capable of magic, either."

"Damn, that sucks," Erik muttered, frowning. "I guess it's like that everywhere, huh?"

Talia shrugged. "It's not so bad. Most people here have adapted to the heat, and there are some who even prefer it. Besides, magic makes up for a lot of the inconveniences. How did you fare with the heat in your world?"

"Well, we have air conditioning," Erik replied. "It's not nearly as good as magic, but it helps. And there's always swimming pools or beaches when it gets really bad. Or you could just go to a different part of the world with better weather."

"How interesting," Talia mused, eyes glinting with curiosity. "It sounds like your world has many comforts that we lack here. I've always wondered what life was like in other worlds. How do they keep their clothes clean? Do they have magical washing devices, or do they have to wash their clothes by hand?"

"I mean, we do have those–"

A soft rustling sound behind them interrupted their conversation. Erik and Talia turned to see a small, furry creature scurrying away from them. It was the size of a large cat, with red-brown fur and a long, bushy tail.

"What was that?" Erik asked, squinting into the dense undergrowth.

"A rabbit," Talia replied, her voice tinged with amusement. "They're common in these woods. They're quick and agile, able to evade predators easily. In fact, they're one of the few animals in this world that can survive on their own without the help of others. They're quite fascinating, really."

"No, I've seen rabbits before, and that was definitely not any rabbit I know."

"Oh?" Talia raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"For starters, that so-called rabbit of yours had wings."

Talia turned to Erik, her face incredulous. "You're telling me rabbits in your world don't have wings?"

"Um, no?" Erik replied hesitantly. "I mean, I've never seen a rabbit with wings, either. But I'm pretty sure they don't have them."

"What a strange world you hail from..."

Erik bit back a retort, unsure how to respond to Talia's incredulity. He glanced around the forest, taking in the dense undergrowth and towering trees. Despite the heat, it was a beautiful place. "Well, we do have some weird animals, I guess," he conceded. "Like kangaroos or emus. But they're not exactly common."

"Oh, we have those, too! Kangaroos make for great guards using their natural abilities to produce synthetic metal through their fur."

Erik opened his mouth, then closed it, deciding it was better to just roll it.

"So, what exactly are we looking for in this forest?" Erik asked, trying to change the subject. "I can make do without vegetables or bread, but meat is something I'd miss."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Ah, yes," Talia replied, her face taking on a thoughtful expression. "Well, the best meat to consume in this forest would be from Vinesqueals. They're highly intelligent creatures, with a complex social structure and an intricate web of communication. Their meat is considered a delicacy among the elves, as it is said to taste like the most succulent of steaks. However, hunting them can be quite challenging, as they are protected by powerful magic and are able to disappear into the forest's foliage at will."

It took some time for Erik to process what Talia had just told him about the Vinesqueals. He glanced at her, trying to gauge whether or not she was joking, but her expression was perfectly serious. "So, you're telling me that these creatures are like giant intelligent vines that live in the forest, and their meat tastes like steak?"

"Vines? They're not vines. They're–"

A squeal through the air cut their conversation short. Erik jerked his head up, seeing a flash of movement among the trees. Come to think of it, they closely resembled a familiar creature that typically swung through trees like...

"Hey, Talia, I think I saw something," Erik said, pointing into the trees. "Over there."

Talia followed his gesture and saw the same creature they had been discussing moments ago, swinging from branch to branch with incredible agility. "Ah, it's a Vinesqueal! I was beginning to wonder if they even existed in these parts anymore. Quickly, let's give chase!"

They began to run through the forest, weaving in and out of the trees. Erik soon realized that he was starting to lose breath as he tried to keep up with Talia's long, graceful strides. "Um, Talia?" he gasped, slowing down a bit. "Shouldn't we, I don't know, use our brains instead of just running after it?"

"Oh, right," Talia replied, slowing her pace. "I can capture it from here." She began chanting something, and a whirlwind whipped up around her. The fierce breeze shot out towards the Vinesqueal, causing it to squeal in alarm. The creature stopped moving, its arms flailing wildly as it was suspended in the air.

"Dude..." Erik wheezed. "Did you forget you had magic...?"

"Oh, yes," Talia said with a laugh. "I almost did. It's been so long since I've had to use it for something other than mundane tasks. I must practice more."

"Practice more?" Erik murmured, glancing around the area. Talia's wind had shredded the nearby trees to sawdust, a testament to the strength of her magic.

"Now, how shall I end its life mercifully?" Talia asked herself aloud as she approached the struggling Vinesqueal. "I could use a quick, clean strike to sever its spine, or perhaps snap its neck..."

"Hey, let me shine this time," Erik composed himself, stepping confidently up to the suspended Vinesqueal. "I've given it some thought and figured if I can't use offensive magic, then I'll just use weapons I'm familiar with."

Talia watched in wonder as Erik pulled out his journal, tapping on the page. With a flash of silver light, she saw a strange device in Erik's hands. It was similar to the flamethrower, but was much smaller and completely metallic.

"What is that?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her as Erik stumbled a bit from conjuring.

"You guys have something like a bow and arrow, right?" Erik asked, to which Talia nodded. "Well, this is kinda like that, but instead of arrows, it uses bullets. And instead of being called a bow..."

Erik aimed the barrel at the Vinesqueal and pulled the trigger. A thunderous bang pierced the air, causing Talia to jump in surprise. A small silver projectile shot out from the device and struck the creature with a sickening thud. The Vinesqueal shrieked in agony, its limbs flailing wildly before falling limp.

"It's a gun," Erik turned back to Talia with a smile.

"A gun," Talia repeated, her eyes wide with wonder. "What a strange and deadly contraption. It seems stronger than any magic I've ever seen. It can instantly kill anything with one pull?"

"Er, not exactly," Erik said, looking a bit sheepish. "It's more like...it can kill anything if you point it at a lethal part, but it's still pretty harmful regardless."

"Fascinating," Talia murmured, studying the gun with renewed interest. "So it's a tool that requires skill to use, rather than an all-powerful weapon." She turned her attention back to the now lifeless Vinesqueal, its limbs twitching in the aftermath of Erik's shot. "Perhaps you could teach me how to use such a device sometime. It seems like it would be quite useful in my line of work."

"Wait, what kind of medical sorcerer wants to KILL things?"

Talia didn't answer as she released the wind holding up the Vinesqueal. Ill, who had caught up to them, trotted up and gently picked up the lifeless marsupial-like creature in his maw.

"That takes care of the meat," Talia smiled faintly. "Now, we can get back to our original goal."

----------------------------------------

The sun was beginning to set by the time Erik finally finished his burgers. This time, he had managed to make 5 simple burgers, nestled in between buns.

"Here, you can have one," Erik offered, handing Talia one of the burgers. "I'll eat one too, so that leaves three burgers we can use to promote my-"

Erik turned around and saw that the other three burgers had been consumed already. The Lambwolves had doubled in number, with eight of them lounging around Illyanth in front of the hut.

"-ok, so I guess I'll just promote the burger I was going to eat..." Erik trailed off. "It's dinnertime, so I'm assuming the villagers would be excited to try this new dish they're not familiar with."

"That's a good idea," Talia agreed. "We can start by finding the village elder and ask for permission to introduce this dish to the villagers. They might have some rules or customs we should follow."

"Wait, what?" Erik stared at Talia, who was already half-way done with her burger. "You've lived here for three and a half years and don't know the rules or customs?"

Talia shrugged. "They know me as the Beggar Princess, but that's as far as our relations go."

"So you do beg! What's up with that title?! How did you even pay for my clothes if that's what they call you?!"

"Come, Erik Park. Let us meet with the village elder in the center," Talia stood up, ignoring his protests. "He's an old man, very wise and kind. He'll understand our situation."