Food for Thoughts

Wandering over to the nearby magical fire, I took a seat as Rionriv filled me in on everything that had happened after the fight.

Shortly after I had been stabilized, the two remaining party members had collected the algae from the tunnels we slid down and mixed it with the Kings Clear mushrooms I had seen her forage the night before.

Luckily, I had noticed the fungus in the meal we had and remembered that it was a powerful detoxifier that nobles ate as an appetizer before banquets. As the natural equivalent of my divine spell, it was used to purify a wide range of poisons, making it sought after.

Rionriv explained that the tea concoction had worked almost instantly, bringing Sharzin back from the brink of death within the hour.

After nearly two hours of waiting for me to awaken, they then went on to take shifts watching over my comatose body. The next day, unsure if there was some other dungeon-related reason as to why I continued to sleep, they thought it best to clear the rest of the level while waiting.

Alternating watch positions, one of the triop would keep me safe alongside the wolves, while the other two slowly cleared the remaining rooms. Due to this strategy, Rionriv let me know that it took a while longer than initially planned, but in the end, they collected the loot and slayed the remaining monsters that lurked in the shadows.

Rionriv patted her bag and nodded to me with a big smile.

“It was a good haul. As you said, there were quite a few beautiful gemstones, more special weapons, and several magical items. We’ll divvy it up at the end.”

“Thanks, Ri, great work.” I looked at all of them with a flare of embarrassment. “You all did great, despite my being a handicap once again. As for the crocmaw battle—that was a wild scenario that would have killed a lesser party. Great shots, great spellcraft. I’m sorry I worried you.”

“Thank you for saving me with that algae thing,” Sharzin said from her sitting spot, where she gently played with Sharmin’s fuzzy ears. “Dying would have sucked.”

I nodded, releasing a sigh as I watched her pet the bear’s head.

What a dumb name. I thought to myself before releasing a soft chuckle.

Following this up with a smirk, I nodded to the fluffy creature.

“Where was the bear?”

“They said the crocmaws were moments away from eating it,” Rionriv answered. “Those two were out on patrol that rotation. Imagine my shock when this little surprise wandered back to camp with them.”

I looked over at Aesandoral and Sharzin as they loved on their ‘pets’ in front of the campfire. In this moment, they appeared happier than I had ever seen either of them.

It was hard for me to believe that someone could be so content in the middle of a dungeon dive. But, there they were, giggling and preening vicious, wild animals that they had befriended.

My heart swelled as I released a relieved sigh. I felt my eyes water, and an overwhelming sense of happiness washed over me suddenly. Watching them made me want to forget everything in that dream. Everything from my past life. That feeling of loneliness that haunted me for years.

I quickly wiped at my eyes, brushing away the tears so no one would see.

That was when I felt a Rionriv’s hand reach over and touch my leg. Gently gripping my knee, she spoke softly to me.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Huh-wha’?” I sniffled and huffed, keeping my face turned away from her. “Aherm—yeah, I—yeah, all good.”

Eventually glancing over to Rionriv, I could see her casting that disbelieving glare that she wore every time I held something back.

Flashing a forced smile, I sniffed in response. Stretching my arms and casually rubbing the back of my head, I continued the conversation.

“Yeah, just, you know—the whole near-death thing in a dungeon is wild! Speaking of which, we’re in…”

“Temporary Holding Ward F-One-Dash-One,” Rionriv replied casually, her look softening as she appeared to drop her concern. “Just like we planned. I used the wolves to drag you here after fashioning together a sled from the mundane supplies we gathered up top.”

“You’re a rockstar, Ri,” I said, looking at her with a smile. "You know that?"

“Again, with the weird things. What is a—Rock? Star?”

“It’s like a bard that puts on shows for entire cities. Like DJ Demilich—eh, actually more like Power Word Thrill.”

“But in this context, how does that work?”

I laughed and shook my head. “Never mind, never mind. You’re just—you’re amazing. Thank you for taking such good care of useless ol’ me.”

And with that, I sat in silence for a little while, enjoying the warmth of the fire as everyone chatted more about the things they saw exploring this level of the dungeon. Before long, I watched as Sharzin moved towards the cooking pot atop the fire. Scooping an odd concoction into a bowl, she arrived at my side, handing me something that smelled delicious but equally looked atrocious.

“What’s this slop?”

“Eat it.” Sharzin insisted, pushing it closer to me while watching expectantly.

Looking down, I inspected the meal. It was a bowl of something red that had been whipped up until it was smooth and fluffy. Then there was a slab of some kind of meat that had been overly cooked to the point of being horribly charred. Finally, a clear viscous liquid drenched the whole thing.

My stomach simultaneously churned and growled.

Make up your mind. I thought. God, what is this? I don’t want to be rude.

“Thanks, Zin.” I spoke, hesitantly taking the bowl and setting it in my lap.

Cutting into the goo-drenched meat first, I was surprised at how moist it was. That was when I realized it had not been charred. Instead, the meat was in fact black all the way through, and the crispy exterior was a thick layer of spices. Hesitantly, I took a nibble, chewing cautious bites before—

Delicious!

“Oh my gods, Zin! Is that Tennessee Fried Chicken?”

“Mwahahahahaha.” She cackled proudly.

I scooped the red substance next, shoving it into my mouth eagerly. It was the creamiest and smoothest potatoes I had ever consumed. Finally, tasting the clear substance by itself, it became apparent that it was a gravy of sorts, and equally delicious.

“And mashed potatoes with gravy. Sharzin, I’m in love.”

One of the wolves yelped in reply to my elation.

With a glance over, I could see it looking up at Aesandoral, who appeared to have accidentally grabbed at its fur a bit too hard.

“No, I do not consent to your proposal,” Sharzin replied quickly. “But is the food satisfactory?”

Choosing to ignore the first part of her odd reply, I shoved another scoop into my mouth.

“Yes, it's nearly identical. Tell me your secrets.”

And then she explained how she had collected red cavern tubers from the crocmaw camp and then used the remaining Kings Clear mushrooms that Rionriv had foraged to make the gravy. But, due to the natural purifiers in the fungus, it had reacted strangely and turned the entire side dish clear.

“And then, I found a secret thirteenth spice that made all the difference. Mwahahahaha!” She cackled once more before clearing her throat. “Oh, and lizard meat.”

“What?” I stopped midbite, glancing down at the thick steak before me.

“Yeah, the lizard meat cooks up nice. Aside from the colour, it’s a perfect substitute for that deep-fried flavour.”

This gave me pause as I looked down at the meal and felt my stomach churn once again. Giving the already half-consumed bowl a shrug, I began eating once more.

With that, we all talked and laughed for a nice while, enjoying the rest of the day before bedding down.