Slice Of Life (2)

Nti Anem took out some of the sticks that he had gathered and placed them against each other. He waved his hand and they caught fire. He sat there under the veil of night shaving a stick. After he was done, he placed them beside him and took out four sticks. He made sure they were of near equal length and nailed them in a square around the fire.

The crickets had come out at this point. Their loud chirping called to the trueness of the night and the stillness of the plains. A soft breeze blew through as the fire continued to crackle. Nti Anem placed shaved slight dents on two sticks and placed them on two ends of the square. Only then did he pick the rabbit.

He took out a bowl and filled it with water by waving it out of the air. He then concentrated on the rabbit as he took out a knife. Slowly he peeled off the fur-covered skin, took out its insides, deboned it, and cut it into pieces, placing it in the bowl of water.

"Can't you do this by magic?" Ku Jian asked.

"Should it be done by magic?" he asked and she went silent a bit. He washed the blood from the meat and took out a spice mix and rubbed it into the meat.

"Yes," she answered.

"Oh. There are some things that the quiet will question like this," he answered.

"But you pulled water from the air without a spell/ is that not a harder magic than cleaning your own food?" she asked.

"But there is no water nearby. When the quiet asks if this should be done by magic, the answer is yes," he said and she went silent a bit. He punctured through the meat with the sharpened stick and placed it over the fire allowing the indents he made on the first sticks to hold it in place without rolling.

"When does the quiet ask this?" she asked.

"Oh, you will find out in a few hundred years," he answered and she nodded and looked away. The fire crackled into the night, warming them who sat nearby. The meat seared slowly, sending sweat smells into the air. The stars emerged at the point veiling the sky completely.

"Your highness," he took off a stick with well-cooked meat and passed it to Ed. Ed held the stick and stared at the meat in wonder. Then took a bite, before his eyes shined in realization; he knew what this was.

"Brother Ed does not need to eat," Ku Jain muttered in confusion.

"But he will eat," Nti Anem said and picked a stick and bit into the meat. The flavours he rubbed on melted well together in his mouth. At this, he nodded.

"They fat carried the flavour down well," he commented. Ku Jian watched them both eat and raised a brow. She had stopped eating since she started cultivating. Sometimes when she ate, it was a medicinal dish in some inns served to cultivators. She had heard of cultivator chefs, but they were only patronized by a low sect that did not have a lot of energy sources near their sect to cultivate their apprentices. Food made by cultivator chefs was made from rare ingredients and had a lot of energy. It aided cultivation. Still, it gets to a point when even those who are really on these will no more do as it will have very little impact on their cultivation. Was this a medicinal dish? She wondered.

"Let me try one," she said and Nti Anem passed her one stick.

"Hmm," she bit into it and savoured the flavours; they were quite wild flavours. She would have said that they were rare, but she had very little experience with food. She closed and tried to feel the energy, but there was none. This was just a roasted rabbit.

"It has no energy," she commented.

"It is just meant to be eaten," he said.

"Oh," she answered and they ate in silence till they completely finished everything he had placed on the fire. Ed closed his eyes and went into a deep sleep and Ku Jian followed after a yawn, as she rested her head on his shoulder. Nti Anem lay beside the fire and went to sleep too. The night was long and still, the valley a quiet hum. Into the night, Ku Jian woke with slight discomfort. She had never had this sensation before. She got up and strolled away from them, moving towards the long grass plains. Beside a tree, she hid under the cover of the tall grasses and relieved herself.

With placid steps, she returned to their tree after cleaning up to sleep. She went to sleep not long after that and the night returned to still. The cool breeze rolled by till sunshine peeked over the mountain. Ed was the first to wake. He looked at Ku Jian resting beside him and Nti Anem not too far and looked away. His eyes rested upon the sunrise ahead and his eyes swarmed with recognition. Nti Anem woke not too long after, sitting up with a slight yawn. He glanced at Ed under the tree and Ku Jian still sleeping and yawned again. The birds chirped above them, the morning mist loomed ahead.

"We should find a bamboo forest today,"

"Bamboo," Ed repeated.

"Yes. We will make a house. I like that spot over there," he pointed at a raised point surrounded by trees.

"It is a good place to put a house," he said and got up. He dusted the grass off his clothes and made to leave.

"Come, let us collect dew," he said and Ed stood and followed, the two walked away leaving a sleeping Ku Jian behind.