Hour 36
"I'm starving," Krad announced, his stomach punctuating the statement with a growl that echoed through the ruins.
Mist paused mid-demonstration of a defensive stance. "When are you not starving?"
"Fair point," Krad admitted. "But seriously, we've been training for like thirty hours straight. That dried meat from the vault is gone, and my stomach is staging a rebellion."
[ System Buddy: He's not wrong! Your caloric intake is way below what you're burning! ]
[ System Alpha: Nutritional deficit detected. Combat performance will degrade without proper sustenance. ]
Dani looked up from where she'd been checking on Kora, who was still sleeping peacefully in the alcove. "There are edible monsters in the outer ruins. Low-level stuff, nothing dangerous. Corrupted Rabbits, Wild Boars, some Forest Chickens if we're lucky."
"Forest Chickens?" Krad's eyes lit up. "Those are a thing?"
"They're basically oversized chickens with minor earth magic," Mist explained. "Taste amazing when roasted properly. And their mana cores make excellent soup stock."
Queen Hania stood gracefully. "Then let us hunt. A proper meal before battle is tradition in the Green Kingdom. We would feast the night before major campaigns, it strengthens bonds and reminds warriors what they fight for."
"Plus, you know, food," Krad added.
"Plus food," Hania agreed with a small smile.
---
They ventured to the outer edge of the Kingdom of Darkness, where corruption had faded enough for natural wildlife to return. The landscape here was less apocalyptic, broken ruins giving way to overgrown gardens and wild forests reclaiming ancient streets.
"There," Mist pointed to a clearing where several rabbit-like creatures grazed. They were larger than normal rabbits, about the size of small dogs, with crystalline horns that glowed faintly blue.
[ Enemy Detected: Corrupted Crystal Rabbit ]
[ Level: 15 ]
[ Threat Assessment: Minimal ]
"I'll take the two on the left," Dani said, her tracking magic already activating. "Krad, you get the three on the right. Try to make it clean, we want the meat intact."
"How do I---"
"Fundamental Strike to the back of the head," Mist instructed. "Quick and painless. These are food, not combat practice. Respect the kill."
Krad nodded, feeling the weight of that. These weren't monsters trying to kill him, they were just animals living their lives. But they also needed to eat.
He approached silently, using the footwork Dani had drilled into him to move without sound. The rabbits didn't notice him until he was right there. His fist came down fast and precise.
[ Critical Hit! ]
[ Corrupted Crystal Rabbit Defeated ]
The creature didn't suffer. One moment it was grazing, the next it was gone. Krad repeated the process with the other two, and each time he thanked them silently for the meal they would provide.
Dani's kills were equally clean, her daggers flashing twice before the rabbits even knew danger was present.
"Good work," Mist said approvingly. "You showed respect. That matters."
They collected their kills, and Hania performed a small elven blessing over each one. "May your essence nourish those who fight for justice. May your sacrifice be honored."
The next target was a Wild Boar, Level 25, rooting through the ruins of what might have been a marketplace. This one required more effort, Krad and Mist working together to corner it while Dani and Hania cut off escape routes.
The boar charged, its tusks gleaming. Krad sidestepped using his newly learned footwork, and Mist's blade found its heart in one clean strike.
"Excellent meat on this one," Mist observed. "Boar ribs are incredible when slow-roasted."
Their final prize came unexpectedly. A flock of Forest Chickens, six of them, pecking at seeds in an overgrown garden. These were exactly as described, large chickens with earth-brown feathers and tiny gems embedded in their beaks.
"Oh, we're definitely catching these," Dani said, her eyes gleaming with culinary anticipation. "Forest Chicken soup was Captain Valdris's favorite. He'd make it every time we completed a difficult mission."
Her expression went distant, lost in memory.
---
They returned to their camp in the plaza, arms full of fresh game. Mist produced cooking supplies from his storage ring, pots, pans, spices, even a portable cooking stand.
"You just carry a full kitchen with you?" Krad asked incredulously.
"A Slayer who can't cook is a Slayer who wastes money at taverns," Mist replied. "Plus, food you make yourself tastes better after a hard fight."
Queen Hania conjured a sustained fire, proper flames this time that would maintain cooking temperature. "I'll prepare the rabbits. Elven herb roasting with wild sage and moon petals."
"I'll handle the boar," Mist said, already sectioning the meat with practiced efficiency. "Slow-roasted ribs with a spice rub. Take about two hours, but worth every minute."
Dani looked at the Forest Chickens, her hands trembling slightly. "I'll... I'll make the soup. Captain Valdris's recipe."
She began plucking feathers in silence, her movements mechanical. Krad noticed tears sliding down her cheeks, though her expression remained carefully neutral.
"Tell me about him," Krad said softly, settling down beside her to help. "Captain Valdris. What was he like?"
Dani was quiet for a long moment, her hands never stopping their work. Then she began to speak.
"He found me when I was fifteen. Street kid in the merchant district, using my tracking magic to steal from vendors. I was good at it too, never got caught." She smiled sadly. "Except by him. He tracked me for three days, watching, observing. Then one morning he was just there, sitting on my usual rooftop like he owned the place."
Her voice took on a deeper timber, imitating.
"'You've got talent, kid. You can waste it being a petty thief, or you can join the Crimson Blade and actually make something of yourself.' I told him to go to hell."
Krad smiled despite himself. "What changed your mind?"
"He came back every day for a month. Same rooftop, same offer. Never angry, never disappointed, just... persistent. Finally I asked him why he cared. You know what he said?"
"What?"
"He said, 'Because I see what you could become, and it's magnificent. But you'll never see it yourself unless someone shows you it's possible.'" Dani's voice cracked. "He was the first person who ever believed in me. Who saw past the street rat to the Slayer I could be."
She finished plucking the first chicken and started on the second. "He trained me personally for two years. Taught me everything, tracking techniques, combat basics, how to read people, how to lead. He was strict, gods he was strict, but fair. Always fair."
Mist added wood to the fire, his expression thoughtful. "I met Captain a few times. Good man. Strong warrior, but better teacher. The Crimson Blade was lucky to have him."
"We all were," Dani agreed. "He built our squad from nothing. Me, Kora, Mark, and Tessa. Five of us against the world." She started chopping vegetables for the soup, her knife work precise despite her tears. "Mark was our tank, built like a mountain, with a shield that could stop siege weapons. He'd always complain that Captain made us run too many drills, but he'd be the first one up every morning, ready to go."
"And Tessa?" Krad asked.
"Tessa was our mage. Fire specialist, she could turn entire battlefields into infernos." Dani smiled at the memory. "But outside of combat, she was the gentlest person you'd ever meet. She raised flowers. Can you imagine? A fire mage who kept a greenhouse full of rare orchids. Said it reminded her that not everything she touched had to burn."
Queen Hania looked up from her rabbit preparation. "They sound like they were family."
"They were." Dani dumped the vegetables into the pot with more force than necessary. "That's what Captain always said. 'We're not just a squad, we're family. And family doesn't leave anyone behind.'"
Her hands stilled over the pot. "But we couldn't bring them back. Xerxes killed Mark and Tessa so fast. They didn't even have time to scream. One moment they were there, and the next..." She took a shuddering breath. "And Captain... he fought him. Lasted maybe thirty seconds, which is thirty seconds more than he should have against a monster like that. His last words were 'run.' That's all he said. Just 'run.'"
The soup was coming together now, the broth beginning to simmer with chunks of Forest Chicken, vegetables, and herbs. The smell was incredible, rich and savory.
"This was his recipe?" Krad asked.
"Every ingredient, every measurement, exactly how he taught us." Dani stirred the pot slowly. "After really hard missions, when we were all exhausted and hurting, he would make this. We'd sit around the fire, just like this, and he'd tell us stories. About his old squad, about legendary Slayers, about the world before the corruption. Made us remember why we fight."
"Why do we fight?" Krad asked softly.
Dani looked at him, really looked at him. "Because someone has to. Because there are monsters like Xerxes out there who will torture innocent creatures for experiments. Because there are little girls like Hanan who need heroes to believe in. Because..." Her voice broke. "Because Captain Valdris, and Mark, and Tessa believed that we could make a difference. And I won't let their deaths mean nothing."
She wiped her eyes roughly. "So you better win tomorrow, Krad. You better take everything we've taught you and beat the shit out of Liyab. Because I need to believe that all this suffering, all this loss, is building toward something better."
"I will," Krad promised. "For them... for all of you."
The soup simmered. The boar ribs roasted slowly, filling the air with incredible smells. The rabbits turned golden brown under Hania's careful attention.