Though autumn had just ended, the northern Nicaean winter had become unrelenting. The night chill pierced through the gray castle, making the air around me bitingly cold. It made the thought of spending my night in this drab place unbearable, and I wanted to let out curses of frustration, though I wasn’t sure who I wanted to direct the curses at; there were many targets to choose from, and the young Demon King Malachi was too greedy to just pick one.
The cold weather certainly made itself the prime target of frustration. Only a few years had passed since our departure, but I already missed the eternal summer of the Demon Continent.
Then there was the distasteful dregs that the Norlaenders passed off for cuisine; it seemed as if there was a good reason they prided themselves as a hardy race of warriors and sailors: only the most able-bodied could stomach Norlaender “food.”
And then their soulless excuse for architecture. Where were the carved stone monuments? The large open squares? The colorful lively decorations? Had the three gods of the Norlaenders so low expectations for their subjects?
But the Norlaenders themselves were a headache on their own. A sickness rotted the head of every single one of them – the plague of their warrior culture, of honor in dying in battle. Their backwards, hypocritical culture disgusted me to no end. Not that it would survive long enough to be remembered.
“Milord, shall you be dining alone tonight as well?” Samira emerged from a large doorway into the empty hall, and her voice softly echoed through the room.
“Why do you ask?” I questioned, irritated at the interruption of the hall’s silence.
“Lord Tareh has requested that he join you tonight.” She bowed and her face was hidden behind her long black hair.
“I’m not taking any visitors tonight.”
“He claimed that it is somewhat of an urgent matter, milord.” Her voice slightly trembled, despite the strained attempts to keep it steady. I clicked my tongue, not bothering to hide my displeasure. How hard was it for her to understand what I just said?
“Somewhat, hmm? Then it can wait, surely. I’m not taking any visitors, and I will not repeat myself another time. Now bring me my dinner,” I commanded loudly and crossed my arms.
“Y-yes, milord.” She bowed frantically multiple times before walking away, her hurried steps resounding through the castle, soon replaced by the rickety rolling of wheels. She returned with a trolley carrying a variety of dishes, crude replications of demon cuisine. As she efficiently laid out my utensils and the food, I stared out the window. The ruined capital of the Norlaenders was barely visible through the frosted glass – and it made for a surreal sight.
There was the conquered city. We had secured our victory; I had had my revenge. The dried blood staining the walls and floors of this castle was a constant reminder of my accomplishment. But like this devoid, empty castle, the sense of victory I was left with was nothing but hollow.
I didn’t even hear what Samira said as she finished and left, and when I turned my eyes to my dinner, the feeling of emptiness persisted. Even after having eaten nothing for days, not a trace of hunger was in me. Lacking the sensation of taste made even the most mouth-watering dishes unappetizing. I couldn’t even remember exactly when I had lost the ability to taste.
Maybe it was the day I lost her.
Or maybe the day I snuffed out all of the lives of this city in an instant, warrior or not.
I couldn’t complain though. The less I had to lose, the more I could continue on unhindered. Lacking attachment to food had a benefit – I could focus my attention on more important matters, much more important than mundane matters of food. Or worse yet, wasting my time having that Tareh talk off my ear over the dinner table. The man was good at his job, but too intrusive.
I sighed as I pierced a mystery piece of meat with a fork, chewed on it mechanically, and swallowed it, all while resisting the urge to spit it out in disgust.
***
“Here you go!” The barmaid set down two mugs full of pale ale in front of us, a thick layer of foam topping the drink. Shara took a mug without hesitation and began taking enthusiastic swigs. “And tonight’s special, too, with extra bread rolls!”
She laid out a delicious banquet that made me salivate: a large wisunt roast, cut into thick slices, and swimming in a fragrant sauce, and still steaming; carrot and chickpea soup, served and separated into individual bowls for each of us; a basket of freshly made bread rolls. We were all excited to dig in by the looks of it, even the ever-so stoic Metis.
“Thanks a bunch, Dorothy, tell Ingra that she never fails to impress!” Orlando grinned as he slid two silver coins towards her. “And here’s a gift for each of the two beautiful flowers of this place.”
“I’m sure she’ll appreciate it. And I appreciate your patronage very much as well.” She winked flirtily at him as she strolled away, swaying her hips seductively, though Orlando was more interested in the food before him. I almost chuckled at the disappointment that popped on her face due to the man’s disinterest.
“Alright, let’s dig in, everyone! Luqa, Shara, you two have the honors of going first.”
“Thank you very much, dear Orlando!” Shara took the initiative to be the first to take her portions from the roast and bread basket. After she and I were done serving ourselves, the other three then followed, and we all began eating in silence, too hungry to talk.
When I took my first bite of the sliced roast, I realized I found paradise. Savory, fatty, juicy, a rich taste balanced out by the meat – it was everything I could have wanted. Then I dug into a bread roll. Slightly crisp on the outside, yet fluffy on the inside, and still warm. And the soup helped to balance out the roast with a hearty, comforting taste, the type of soup that could bring about nostalgia, even if one had never had it before.
I felt the weariness of today fading as I settled into my dinner. This was a sensation that couldn’t be replaced by anything else.
“You okay, Luqa?” Orlando asked amusedly in between bites. “Is the taste bad enough to make one cry?”
“Huh?” I brought my fingers to my eyes to find it slightly wet. Tears had somehow begun forming at the corners, and I quickly wiped them away in slight embarrassment. “No, no, sorry, the food’s good. Really good actually.”
“Ah, glad to hear they’re tears of joy then,” he said before dipping his bread into his soup. “No need to be embarrassed about it, I get like that too when I’ve been traveling for too long.”
“Yea,” I mumbled. “I haven’t had food this good since… a long while. It reminds me of my mother’s cooking to be honest.” I meant my statement completely sincerely. This comfy dinner recalled memories of joyous evenings eating Clara’s cooking while she watched me contently, beaming with happiness.
“I get ya, Luqa,” Orlando said, his own expression turning nostalgic. “Nothing can beat my mamma’s cooking. Mothers do it like no one else can, right?”
“I can’t disagree. No matter how much I try to learn how to cook and replicate what I’ve learned, I can’t recreate it properly myself. Maybe I’m remembering the taste wrong,” I sighed.
“We definitely remember it wrong,” he agreed while chewing on a bread roll, “when you’re looking back at good memories, it’s hard to not idealize it. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, though. It’s just enjoying what you have close to you, and we should enjoy memories. Memories are the only thing that’s always a part of you no matter what. Unless you get amnesia, hehe.”
“You’re quick to give out your old man wisdom to children you meet,” I joked.
“Hey, hey, I’m not that old.”
We continued eating our dinner, sharing small snippets of conversation, mostly between me and Orlando, until the plates became empty and our stomachs became full.
“Oof, that was good,” Orlando said after a guttural burp, one which caused Sumako to glare at him. “Now that we’re all nice and sated, let’s talk! But before I interrogate the both of you to hell, how about the three of us make some full introductions? How about it, Sumako, Metis?”
“No.” “But they are already acquainted with me, no?” Orlando sighed exasperatedly at the two’s less than enthusiastic response, with Sumako miffed at his suggestion and Metis appearing simply confused.
“C’mon guys, don’t be rude, we all wanted to get to know them and vice versa, right? Especially you, Sumako!” he pleaded.
“It’s okay,” I said in reassurance, “they don’t have to if they don’t want to.”
“You’re a nice boy,” he said. “But unfortunately for them, I’m not. I’ll make them! Sumako, Metis, as your leader, I order each of you to do a full introduction, adventurer-style.” The latter nodded at his command, but the former spat out her drink in disagreement.
Stolen story; please report.
“Wait!” Sumako protested, “we’re not on a mission right now, that’s not fair!”
“You’re free to quit the party any time if you disagree with my ways,” he said sing-song.
“Hmph. Dummy Lany.”
“Hey, now, no need to call me that. Think of it as getting to know people who might help us out in the future,” the man tried to encourage, but his smug, gloating grin probably did not help to make him seem sincere. “Sorry,” he said, returning his attention to us, “we’re probably making a pretty bad first impression. I swear, normally we aren’t like this… but that does sound like a shitty excuse now that I say it.”
“No need for apologies, Orlando,” Shara responded. “If anything, you’ve been leaving quite the lovely impression, on top of financing our lodging here.”
“Yeah,” I added, “To be honest, the three of you are the people who’ve left the best impression today.”
“Huh, no kidding? Sounds like you’ve got a fun story to tell us later on then.” Orlando raised his eyebrows interestedly, as if asking to hear more. “But enough of that. Time for Howling Fox to introduce themselves the way adventurers should!” He cleared his throat dramatically before continuing. “I am Orlando, on paper, the leader of Howling Fox, and a platinum-ranked adventurer. I was born on one of the islands south of mainland Nicaea but the call of adventure brought me to many places, including here. As its frontline warrior, I do a lot of the dirty hands-on work. If you wanna boost my ego, you can call me by my nickname ‘War Lion’.”
“War Lion? Why ‘War Lion’?” I asked.
“I don’t know, one day, other adventurers started calling me that. Might be my long, scruffy mane,” he said while bashfully scratching his hair. “Also might be my fierceness in combat? Or my ability in many styles of swordsmanship? Or maybe my rough, yet admirably handsome face? Or– ack! Don’t pull my hair!” His sudden scream of pain was surprising, not due to its suddenness, but due to its unexpectedly high pitch. Who knew that a man with a voice as deep as the earth could squawk like a bird?
“This is exactly why I didn’t want to play along with you, you smelly drunkard!” Sumako yelled after having given Orlando a not-so-gentle tug of his hair. “I’ll introduce myself now just to shut this dummy up. I’m Sumako. Gold-ranked adventurer. Mage and healer. No silly nickname. Okay, Metis, you’re up next.”
“Woah, woah, there Sumako,” Orlando interrupted in protest before Metis could say anything. “Guess you’re too inexperienced to give yourself a good introduction. Or maybe just too nervous. Let me try. This girl here,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pointing at her with the other hand, “is what makes this party special. She’s not just any mage. This right here is a bundle of talent, more accomplished than anyone else, and able to create magical inventions I’ve never seen anywhere else. She’s not only smart, so smart that I don’t even begin to comprehend how smart she is, but so hardworking too, it’s just so endearing! When she's immersed in her work or describing one of her personal inventions, it’s like she’s in a whole other world belonging only to her. Watch, in a few years, she will have become a new pioneer of our age and her name will be known across the continent as the supreme genius mag–”
“Aah! S-stop embarrassing me!” She pushed him away and punched his chest repeatedly, though her hits only caused the man to laugh. “Don’t listen to him, he’s talking nonsense,” she said to us bashfully before breaking the gaze, her cheeks flushed almost as red as her hair.
“Do not lie, Sumako,” Metis interjected with a ghost of a smile, “Orlando has described you perfectly accurately. You are an extraordinary young woman, one I can only be proud of.”
“N-no! Not you too, Metis!” The fox girl hid herself behind her hands.
“I’m sure they mean well,” Shara said, an amused tone to her voice. She then turned to me with predatory eyes. Oh, no. “If anything, Orlando, Metis, I understand your sentiment. I can rant endlessly about my own companion’s virtues as well, if given the opportunity. He’s like a… an endearing younger brother to me.”
“Well, thankfully, you are not given an opportunity to do that,” I hastily jumped in before she could continue. “But, nice to meet you Sumako. It’s great to get to know a fellow mage.”
While she remained bashful, she returned my gaze, peeking from behind her fingers, and nodded. “Y-yea. Likewise. It is nice to meet people closer to my age… So nice to meet you two.” Ah. Shara and I shared the secret glance of accomplices.
“I suppose it’s my turn, then?” Metis said softly. “As you know, I am Metis, a platinum-ranked adventurer. I act as the party’s scout and information gatherer, but also a rearguard during missions. I am told by these two that my skill with the bow is impressive and Orlando claims as well that I can hold my own in close combat. I’ve been with Lady Sumako for several years since we departed East Nicaea for the West, traveling until we formed this party with Orlando.”
“Nice to meet all of you,” I said. “You three make for an interesting bunch.”
“The same to you two,” Orlando said, pointing an accusatory finger to us. “It’s your turn now. Refusing isn’t an option after we’ve paid for your rooms.” He chuckled at his own joke.
“I wouldn’t dream to,” I delivered with a childish smirk, “My name is Luqa, and I’m a half-demon born in a remote village up north.” I waited to see what their reactions would be regarding my demon blood, but Orlando remained with his encouraging grin, Sumako with her interest under feigned disinterest, and Metis with her polite smile. “I suppose I fancy myself as both a mage and a swordsman. And Shara and I traveled to Lefke to become adventurers.”
“And I am Shara,” the girl beside me started, “I am… of the beastfolk, though I’m not certain to which tribe or people, and I come from a town further up north along the coast. I met Luqa this past year on his travels, and since then we've been inseparable. And as for skills… I pride myself as a spearwoman.”
“Good.” Orlando went silent and his gaze turned serious as he eyed the two of us carefully. “Now that pleasantries are outta the way, I’ll get to the point: you two need help in registering as adventurers, right?”
“Yes, we neither have the gold nor connections,” I said solemnly.
“Mhm. Mhm.” Orlando only nodded enigmatically. I had the slight feeling that he enjoyed acting mysteriously on purpose, though it might have been the alcohol. “Here’s the deal: Metis herself is free to make her recommendation to the Guild on your behalf. I’m sure she has high praise to give you after how you helped her, unknowing or not. With her, you’ll get your foot in the door, but the cost of registering will still probably be too high for you. But if a party of our rank makes a recommendation, that’ll be a whole nother matter.”
“…Is that an offer you’re making?” I asked cautiously.
“Maybe.” At the moment, Orlando very much looked like his nickname, like a proud, powerful lion savoring his own power. “We have to be careful when we throw around our party’s name, y’know? A recommendation is a serious matter.”
“Well, I, for one, think it would be an act of kindness we would repay in the future many times over,” Shara added. “We are skilled, more so than what appearances give away.”
“As the leader of Howling Wolf, I will be the judge of that, not you. I have my own policy regarding making recommendations.”
“And what is that?” I questioned.
“A test. If you don’t meet my standards, you’ll have to make do with what Metis can give you.” The lion was readying himself to pounce on his prey.
“A test of what?” I continued and challenged the lion's stare.
“Adventurers need only one skill. If you don’t have it, you’re nothing in my eyes, even if you have fancy magic or flashy sword skills,” he snorted.
“Just tell us what it is, please,” I said. My patience was beginning to grow thin. And based on Sumako’s eye rolls, so was her’s.
Orlando licked his lips at my squirming.
“If either of you are up to it…”
***
“Drink! Drink! Drink!”
“Beat her, War Lion! What are you doing?! How are you not winning?!”
“Do it girlie! You can beat that damned Orlando! He’s lost me more gold than I count!”
A rowdy crowd surrounded the small table. On one end was Orlando, and on the other end was Shara. Standing by them, acting as a mediator and helper, was Metis. She worked efficiently to pass them their drinks and take them when they were done. Stacks and stacks of empty cups surrounded the two, neither one relenting in their battle, neither one taking more than a quick pause between chugging down their alcohol.
“Not baaad, Shara! Didn’t know you’d be such a formidable enemyyy!” the War Lion slurred in-between drinks. “I might lose this one!”
“Then you should surrender while you still can, dear Orlando,” Shara said, with only the flush of her face signifying her drunkenness.
“Hahaha! Don’t get cocky this eeeearly!”
And I remained at the table with Sumako, not sure of what manner of self-torture I was watching before my eyes. Shara had been the one to accept Orlando’s challenge; I was too flabbergasted to accept his offer when he made it.
“I knew this would happen,” the fox girl groaned, sitting closer beside me, setting a plate of hot pastries on the table.
“Sounds like he does this often,” I remarked.
“Too many times,” she sighed, though there was a hint of familial fondness present behind her admonishment. “He was always going to help you guys, but he just wanted to mess around for a bit. You’ll be fine, you’ll get that recommendation. Also, want one?” I made eye contact with her, but she quickly broke it, and a faint blush dusted her cheeks. Her tail waved around expressively and nervously while she offered one of her pastries with an outstretched hand.
“Oh, sure. That smells good.”
I took a golden-brown doughnut-shaped item from her, with white sprinkles covering it. I bit into it eagerly, and within the crispy exterior was the sweet, tart taste of apples. It was gone after a few bites and I was left to lick my fingers.
“Fried apple fritter rings,” Sumako said warmly, appreciating my enjoyment of the pastry. “Delicious, right?”
“Yes. They’re really delicious,” I agreed wholeheartedly and sincerely.
“And pretty cheap here for the quality. They make for great food to pass around to others. Food becomes more delicious when you share it together with friends, right?” She finally wore a genuine, relaxed smile, her quiet nervousness from earlier disappearing.
A memory flashed before me: Clara, Ersham, and Helena on one side of the table, Tavarius, Lucia, and me on the other. A shared dinner the night after my first adventure outside the village. A night of warm, comfy memories that could dispel cold, dark, haunting thoughts.
“You’re right… Buuuut, that means you have to share with others though,” I joked while eyeing her plate of apple rings curiously.
“True… Hey, why are you looking at my apple rings like that?” She settled into silence when I threw a faux-sad look at her. “…Haaah. I’ll give you half of one, but the rest is mine. I bought this with my own money!”
“Just half? What happened to food being more delicious if you share it? And I thought these were pretty cheap.”
She relented under my childlike puppy eyes, perfected after years of intensive practice. “Fine, I’ll give you some more, sheesh.” She puffed up her cheeks in defeat. “But in exchange…” She looked away shyly and her face flushed more and more as she continued. “...could you show me your ice magic?” The last word escaping her lips quieted down almost into a mumble.
“Hmm, how about in addition to sharing the apple rings, you also explain how that magic compass Metis showed me works?”
“Deal!” Her eyes lit up in joy, and she passed me another apple ring eagerly. We both chuckled as I excitedly bit into it, savoring every burst of delicious sweetness it offered.