“Not to worry, it’s well past that. And anyway, what I gave out today wasn’t that bad, I’m sure of it.”
“If that’s the case, I guess we can relax,” muttered Alec.
“Well, I hope so... No matter. Shiori, do you think you could help me sometime? I’d like to ask you about the nutritional benefits of a few select ingredients.”
“Sure. Just say the word.”
Shiori and Alec didn’t want to stay too long, so they left the tent, where they breathed yet another of many relieved sighs.
“I’m just...so glad he’s okay,” Shiori said.
“Yeah. I’m done with losing the people important to me,” said Alec.
The day would of course come when they would finally have to part, but Shiori prayed that it would be a long, long time into the future.
For a time, Shiori and Alec simply walked in silence, hand in hand, as they listened to the sounds around them. The chatter of people, the blowing of the wind, the rustling of the leaves, and the chirping of birds. Gone was the tension they’d felt when they’d first arrived—the natural world was back to its rightful state.
“Oh, they’re back,” remarked Shiori.
“Ah, you’re right,” added Alec.
The birds that had been frightened off by the dragon’s awakening were now coming back; some from the north, others from the south. Above the main camp flew vidopnirs, and Shiori wondered if the one who’d taught them about the dragon was among the flock she watched.
“It’s so fascinating,” she remarked. “They traveled so far away, but even then, news of the dragon’s defeat still reached them.”
“Indeed,” said Alec. “I bet their communication network far exceeds our own.”
With peace having returned to the area, the animals that had escaped the stampede would gradually return to their usual habitats. But some would remain wherever they’d ended up, and yet others would bring new creatures with them from afar, creating different ecosystems than that which had existed before the stampedes began. The dragon had slept at the depths of the Dima Frozen Lake for almost two hundred years—it was only natural that its passing would have an impact on the immediate area.
“This is the fate that befalls the locations caught up in stampedes,” said Alec. “It is not something we can fight against or change; it is something we have to accept.”
“I suppose so... Hm?” uttered Shiori.
“I smell it too,” said Alec. “Something...raw...”
While the two had been musing about the dragon of the lake and the surrounding forest, a scent had crept up on them. Their brows furrowed as the smell grew stronger, growing closer with each moment.
“Ah! Shiori! Perfect timing!”
At the source of the smell was a man, who waved to them as he called out, bright and cheerful. In his other hand was a tub filled with game bird meat. Behind the man was Joel, his hands full of the same bird meat, though his expression was noticeably less cheerful. One might have even called it unsettled.
Shiori felt a sudden déjà vu, and knowing what was coming next, she burst into laughter.
“This is for karaage, isn’t it?” she said.
Linus grinned.
“Yep!” he replied. “But I won’t twist your arm or anything if you’re exhausted. We can always do them grilled yakitori style.”
“I’m fine,” Shiori replied. “Oh, but we’ll need flour and oil...”
“We traded bird feathers to the supply unit for that stuff. We’re all set!”
“Never one to skimp on prep, are you...?”
“There’s nothing I won’t do for a good meal!”
“Where did you get all this meat, anyway?”
“When I woke up, I noticed that the gullinkambi were coming back, so I beat them to their nests and hunted some!”
“You are amazing...” muttered Alec.
“What about me...? I got dragged out on a hunting trip half asleep...” whined Joel.
Gullinkambi were a golden game bird, not unlike a chicken, that existed only in the northern part of Storydia. Their delicate golden feathers had ornamental value and were a valuable trade commodity, and their meat was considered a luxury for the depth of its flavor and mouthfeel. However, the reason they were so valuable was because they weren’t exactly something you just woke up and hunted.
Still, it made Shiori happy to know there was yet more to look forward to for dinner. At the same time, the thought of the gullinkambi finally returning home only to realize there was an intruder waiting for them was nothing less than a cruel tragedy...
“I remembered that back when we were all in Brovito, you made a soup for all the injured people. It isn’t red meat this time, but I recall hearing that liver is good for people who have lost a lot of blood.”
“Oh, you remembered,” remarked Shiori.
“Yep. And besides, eating delicious meat and speeding up the recovery of the wounded—that’s a two-birds-one-stone situation if there ever was one.”
Among the now-dressed birds, Shiori noticed that all the livers had been kept separate. Linus had also picked a bundle of watercress leaves.
“In which case, I’d love to cook it all up,” said Shiori. “Liver isn’t so good for women in the early stages of pregnancy, so we’ll just have to make sure Marena doesn’t eat too much.”
“Huh? Pregnancy? Marena? What what?”
“You didn’t know? I heard that Ludger made a real racket about it, so I thought word had gotten around already...”
“WHAT?!”
Shiori had mentioned the fact offhand, thinking it old news, but Linus had literally fallen over.
“Wow, okay,” he gasped. “I mean, I’m just so glad she made it out of the battle safe...”
“Yeah, that’s why we’re all going to celebrate our safe return tonight,” said Alec.