Over the years, I had grown very proficient at hunting and foraging. There had been quite a few lean days, especially in the beginning, but I picked up the knack for it quick enough. I even managed to make my food taste halfway decent most of the time.

Unfortunately, there were many things that I had never been able to find out in the wild. I only rarely found any spices and salt was almost impossible to find. Cravings for the flavors of my childhood were more often than not left unsatisfied.

Of all of the delicious things I would often find myself longing for, few could compare to the wonderful treats that could be made from the pods of a cocoa plant.

Kor, the pleasant beverage made from the white pulp of the pod, had been very popular in Sanctuary Valley. Even the watered down version I was permitted to have had always left me feeling warm and pleasant.

It had been years since the last time I had tasted it, yet I could still remember the flavor. The sweet and fruity taste was hard to forget.

Of course, kor was nothing in comparison to what could be made from the bitter seeds. I didn’t know exactly what else went into the warm drink that was made for holidays, but it was absolutely amazing.

There were few flavors I missed more.

Despite roaming through most parts of the jungle within half a day’s travel from Sanctuary Valley, I never once stumbled upon a wild cocoa plant. Considering how hard I looked for it, I doubted that any grew in the area.

After stumbling upon one of the wondrous plants, I was left with a difficult problem. I had no idea how to make anything using cocoa pods.

I wasn’t about to let that stop me. If I had learned how to weave complex spells, banish otherworldly horrors, and craft arrays capable of slaying titans, I could figure this out as well.

Looking around quickly, I found several more cocoa plants growing in the area. I wasn’t sure quite how ripe the pods would be, but I harvested as many as I could carry anyway.

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I made a note on my map for the location of this priceless resource. With a lighter heart, I continued my journey.

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As I settled in for the night, I cracked open one of my cocoa pods. Hesitantly, I tasted some of the pulpy interior. The wonderfully sweet and fruity flavor instantly put a smile on my face. I carefully extracted the bitter seeds as I enjoyed the delicious pulp.

Looking at my handful of cocoa beans, I was at a bit of a loss. I didn’t know how these bitter little things could be magically transformed into the wondrous treats I craved.

I was dimly aware that drying and grinding was involved, but I knew there were other steps as well. Dismissing that as a problem for later, I placed the beans on a small heating rune to dry out overnight. I still had the mortar and pestle from the ruined village, so I could start experimenting in the morning.

Settling in for the night, I listened to the sounds of the various nocturnal animals calling out to each other. Some of the sounds I could easily identify, but many of the calls were unfamiliar.

Letting the various animal sounds lull me to sleep, I drifted off into dreams of cocoa and magic.

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Waking up, I took a glance at my little pile of cocoa beans. To my surprise, I found that a colorful little lizard had pushed aside my pile so that it could sit on the little heating rune.

Slowly waking up, I watched the blue and green lizard for a while. Eventually, my needs pushed me to get up. My movement startled the cute little lizard sending it shooting off into the foliage, much to my disappointment.

As I was taking care of what I needed to, I noticed a slight depression in a patch of dirt. Looking closer, I saw that it was a large footprint.

Based on the size and shape of the claws, I was able to figure out a few things about the creature that left the mark.

One thing I could tell from the mark was that it was made by a reptile or bird of some sort. Based on the depth of the toes compared to the rest of the foot, it looked like the creature was bipedal and had some vicious claws.

Another, more worrying, detail was that this thing was big. I estimated that it would have to be several times the size of the snake I had battled on the cliff.

Based on the direction of the track, it was clear that this thing was headed in the same direction I was. Even worse, based on how little the rain had eroded the print, I could tell that it was less than a day old.

I really didn’t want to run into whatever made the print, but I knew better than to bet against it.