At the end of the hallway was a room, excessively large and spacious, but not the one we were all previously at, where I had awoken to. No. This one was different.
It was a kitchen.
And standing in that kitchen was someone I could have never imagined to be.
Ike.
I freeze, my mouth slightly agape.
He is standing in front of a stove, an apron cinched at his waist, and stirring a pot with quiet focus. I can't wrap my head around what I am seeing, the notion of Ike in a kitchen, cooking, is something I never imagined. The act itself is so ordinary, it is such a stark contrast to the stalwart and taciturn Ike I have come to know.
He peeks over his shoulder, and his eyes meet mine. Without a word, he looks me over from head to toe. His gaze lingers, before a faint frown tugs at his brows.
"What is with the clothing?"
I blink. Shake my head. Then release a sigh.
"Dalisso took our cloths," his frown deepens in confusion. "I will explain another time—Anyway… you are cooking."
"I am."
I walk over to where he is standing. The counter stretches wide, and on it lies a large selection of ingredients; several cuts of different kinds of meat, vegetables, and aromatic spices neatly arranged in small jars and bowls. And cooking utensils as well.
The stove is just as big. Eight heating plates sit proudly on its surface, each cradling a steaming pot that exudes tantalizing aromas into the air. Below, a gigantic oven hums quietly—the whole system is powered by a sophisticated energy Array, designed specifically for such a setup—and the oven's door radiates warmth.
I wonder what is inside, because the smell coming out of it is absolutely divine. To the point that my mouth waters before I even realize it, and I have to swallow hard.
Ike pushes a small bowl on the counter in front of me, inside is a single slice of meat bathed in a glistening broth. I accept the unspoken invitation and dig in.
Just as I expected, it is as delicious as it looks. The meat is tender, and the broth is savoury, its fragrance is just strong enough that it does not overpower the taste of the meat, bringing a perfect balance.
This… This is so good. It is the type of food one could only ever taste in a fancy signature restaurant.
But… It is also familiar. I feel like I have tasted something similar before.
Then it strikes me. Back when I had first met Kayin, I eat the very same delicious meals on every morning that I woke up in their camp, until we reached Asso.
I turn to Ike; a bewildered expression plastered on my face.
No way!
"You were the one cooking back then?"
"You only now figured it out?" He smirks, having caught on to what I meant.
How could I have known? I had always taught that Kayin had simply hired a chef for his expeditions.
I look back at Ike's work. There are so many ingredients, so many dishes in the process of being made. He is preparing a real feast.
"I know that we are many, but… Is that not a bit too much?"
"I fear it won't be enough instead," he snorts, "us warriors need much more nutrients than the average person—And all this is not just to eat now, I am stocking up for when we are going to leave."
"Oh... May I help?"
"Sure. Can you handle a knife?" He says offering me said utensil. I snatch it from his hand.
"If you are asking if I know how to cook. I do."
He points to a pile of tubers he wants me to chop, and I immediately get to work.
"Not bad. This is far from being a first for you."
"Of course it isn't," I pause before saying, "I used to cook a lot, my... Teacher was not exactly the most skilled when it came to it, so I had to learn the craft very quickly, if only to be free from his either tasteless, or too-spicy meals. I cooked even more with my sister; it was one of our favourite things to do together."
I can still remember the moments I spent with Sabar in the kitchen, listening to her rants and gossips for hours on end. Sometimes we would even argue about the silliest things, things that frequently had nothing to do with the kitchen.
"Do you miss them?"
I jump, finding him leaning a little closer than before. "What?"
"Your family. Do you miss them?"
"I-I, I do."
"Where did you learn to cook?" I ask, attempting to change the subject.
His face goes blank for a moment. He looks ahead, lost in something distant.
"Believe it or not but I learned to cook a lot later in my life compared to you. I did not even know how to fry an egg back then. I was twenty-four… twenty-five years or so, wandering the lands with not enough money to even rent a room to sleep. Then I met a sadistic, half-crazy, old woman." Ike shudders—actually shudders—when he says that, and for a split second, there is fear etched on his face.
…Maybe I am making things up in my mind.
"Call it luck or misfortune, she became my mentor... I would get a good whipping was the food not to her liking."
I try to imagine Ike, crouched on the floor and cradling his head as an old, decrepit woman hits him… possibly with a cane.
The same Ike who ruthlessly massacred a horde of monsters with seemingly no effort hours prior.
"Pfft..."
No. It's just too ridiculous.
"Did you just laugh?"
"…N-No." I say while trying to hold a chuckle from escaping.
"You know that my senses are sharper than the average human, right? I clearly heard you laugh."
He lowers himself to my height to peer at my face, but I turn to the other side, trying my hardest to keep a calm expression.
"I am telling you that I didn't. You must have heard wrong."
"Vyswe'eyaga," he says after a bit, "look at me."
Suddenly, I feel his hand on my face, he lightly holds my chin between his fingers. Then, he turns my head gently and I find myself holding gazes with him.
My breathing stops short.
His facial features are sharp and austere, with a bronze skin sliding on the paler side of the spectrum, yet I feel warmth and tenderness—and a pinch of glee as well—when he watches me. And I am entranced, entranced by his gaze on mine, entranced by his beautiful hazel eyes. I do not grasp until it is too late that our faces are so close, now, that our noses almost touch.
This causes my heartbeat to pick up at alarmingly fast pace.
W-What is happening?
And didn't he just say that he had heightened senses? It means that he hears my increasing pulse, right?
I feel so embarrassed I wished the ground would swallow me right this instant.
"I was wondering," he says in a low voice, "why does that Dalisso acts so familiar with you, and goes around calling you his darling?"
I wish I could answer, say something, anything. But I am too distracted by his warm breath skating over my skin, and the distance between us that I feel is diminishing by the seconds.
His gaze strays from mine, gliding lower on my face. Maybe by accident, or intentionally, his thump presses on my bottom lip, parting it just slightly.
Then my brain shuts down right then and there.
Before anything happens, though, he abruptly stops short. He withdraws his fingers and straightens up.
Several seconds later heavy footsteps echo from outside, and Ewa emerges inside.
"Huh?"
She stares at me, then at Ike and the kitchen, then where she came from. "Nawetti… What…"
"I-Is something wrong?" I ask her.
Why do I feel short of breath?
"Ah. I was… I'm sure he was just ahead. Why—Never mind," she takes in the kitchen once more, "did that spider provide all this food? And… Oh my… You are cooking together? How adorable."
She is just teasing us. I know perfectly well that she is just teasing us, yet her comment flusters me, and my mind wonders to what happened moments ago.
No. Don't think about it! The vegetables… I need to slice them.
"What if he poisoned the food or something?"
"It's not. I checked." Ike says as he peels the skin of an onion.
"Then, can I have a taste? Smells nice."
Ike stops what he is doing, and stare down at Ewa for long seconds.
"No." Is all he says, then goes back to his work.
"Pretty please? Just a tiny bite."
"Then you will have to work for it. Go and clean the dishes."
"You know… I can wait," she says while skidding away from him, "where are the others?"
He points at the entrance at other end of the room—I had not seen it was there.
"I'm not sure if you will find them, they went off exploring the area."
"It's alright, I need to tell them about the Dalisso-dilemma anyway. Well then, good work the two of you."
"The what?" he asks looking at me.
As Ewa strolls out, I place a quick Hush ward around us and make a brief rundown of what had happened. He appeared a little disturbed but, like Ewa, was not too worried.
I wonder how they manage to be so calm,.
That bit of the conversation done, he quickly goes back to cooking without a word.
The atmosphere has turned quiet. The only sounds that can be heard now are the hissing sound of oil on hot pan as Ike fry the onions, the rhythmic thud of my knife as I continue to chop and the bubbling of the pots on the stove.
And I… I wished that I had found an excuse to leave with Ewa. I can't stop thinking about it. Why can't I stop thinking about it? This… This is all his fault.
From the corner of my eye, I cast a glance at Ike who is cooking unperturbed. And I am annoyed. The guy is acting like everything is normal, like he did not almost give me a heart attack moments ago.
I want to question him about what happened, and I want to hit him for it too.
But I won't. I will probably hurt myself in the process, and I am no brave enough to confront him about it. I can only stay quiet, working as quickly as possible to escape this situation.
~~~~~~~~~~~
After what felt like an eternity, the food was ready, just about as the same time Kayin and company came back.
With no dining area available, we simply settled ourselves on the floor. The meal unfolded in near silence, save for the occasional clatter of cutlery against plates—a sound that seemed amplified in the stillness of the moment.
It was a bit awkward to be honest—maybe even more than when Ike and I were cooking after that stunt he pulled. The discomfort weighed especially heavier on me because N'jobu would not stop gawking at me. He wouldn't let up for even a second, his eyes boring into me with an intensity that felt deliberately provocative, as if he was trying to goad a reaction out of me. I kept ignoring him though, determined to enjoy my food despite his attitude.
Really, why can't he be more like his friend? He is eating his piece without bothering anyone. He is the true outsider here, yet he behaves like he is owed something.
Half an hour later when we are done, Dalisso waltz in.
"Sleeping accommodations have been prepared for you. Go rest."
"About that," Kayin interjects, "I believe it is high time for us to leave, we would not want to overstay our welcome."
Dalisso watches him for a duration that stretches uncomfortably long, leaving the air tense and heavy.
"You can go if you want. Darling stays."
And just with that single statement, the tension has multiplied a hundred-fold.
Dalisso becomes everyone's focus, observing him with rigid, guarded expressions. It takes me a moment to realize that Ike, Ewa, Gamba and Azikiwe are now standing in circle, with Dalisso in the middle.
Silently, I prepare to deploy a ward. It may not be enough to shield us from whatever he might unfetter but at least it would be something.
"She is leaving with us." Ewa says.
Dalisso remains impossibly rigid, and his face darkens as he looks at her, then at all those surrounding him.
Very slowly, his pose on me. He tilts his head slightly as he says, "Darling, you promised to repair my Constructs. You wouldn't leave without upholding on your promise, would you?"
His words take me off-guard, and I stop casting on the spot. Now it is my turn to be the centre of every one's attention.
"I… Of course not. I will fix them as we agreed."
"Good. Let me bring you to the workshop."
He casually walks out of the encirclement to me. He holds me by the small of my back as he guides me out, under the watchful gaze of all the others.