Chapter 138 A Meal to Remember (1/2)

Soup, skewers, stir fried vegetables, rice, bread, noodles...the list went on. Ebony had really prepared all out for a feast. Having thirty odd mouths to feed was quite the challenge, but Ebony had delivered. Upon seeing the food she'd immediately told Rassa it wasn't enough, and Aegin had been sent to collect more ingredients. However, she hadn't considered that these people were malnourished and likely wouldn't eat as much as thirty people normally would anyway.

Still, the sheer amount of food seemed to bolster the mood amongst the residents, and they eagerly dived in without ceremony. Perhaps the greatest compliment to the chef.

”Wow, it's so good!”

”The vegetables are so yummy!”

”This is the best meal ever!”

The kids chorused their appreciation, and Ebony grinned at their praise, clearly happy.

”It's true, everything is lovely, where did you learn to cook so well?” asked Sharli.

Ebony's smile faded slightly as she glanced at Rassa. Rassa, who hadn't touched any of the food and was merely watching everyone else, shrugged. It was her story to tell, Rassa didn't care what she decided to say.

So, Ebony decided on the truth.

”I was a slave up until a couple of months ago, I had to learn in order to please my masters,” Ebony said.

The mood on the table sobered somewhat.

”I...sorry,” Sharli said, her expression dropping, ”I shouldn't have asked”.

”No, it's fine,” Ebony replied, ”I'm not there anymore, besides, it at least allowed me to gain a few skills”.

Sharli didn't look much better despite Ebony's reassurance, then she glanced at Aegin and finally Rassa, ”Then you were-”

”Not slaves, but prisoners in our own ways,” Rassa replied, ”Common ground brings together people who would have otherwise never met”.

Sharli's head dropped as she put her spoon down, ”It appears I have misjudged you severely. I thought you were just another noble, abusing your power”.

Rassa smirked, ”And you're just another poor girl, selling whatever she can to provide for her strange family”.

Sharli frowned at the insult.

”First impressions are deceitful things,” Rassa said, ”Better to reserve judgement most of the time, though sometimes that can lead to stabbing yourself in the back. But, regardless, I know you're at your core a good person. You would not have attempted to look after so many if you weren't. What you do to look after them is something you need to justify, not anyone else”.

This seemed to make Sharli feel somewhat better, and she picked up her spoon once more, ”To a better future then”.

Rassa nodded, but Sharli paused when she realised that Rassa was not eating.

”Is the food not to your liking?”

Rassa smiled, ”Something like that”.

Sharli began to stand, ”I'm sure we can get something for-”

”He'll hunt later,” Aegin chimed in, ”Don't offer what you don't understand”.

Rassa turned to Aegin, ”You make me sound so horrible”.

Aegin shrugged as he tore into a peice of bread, ”Just doing my part”.

Sharli sunk back down into her chair, ”What does he mean?”

”I have a rather...unique diet,” Rassa stated, ”What you perceive as food doesn't do anything for me”.

Sharli frowned, ”Then what do you eat?”

Ebony and Aegin paused, glancing at Rassa and wondering if he'd go all the way. He'd yet to trust anyone besides the two of them outright. In the end Rassa tilted his head to the side, as if weighing her reaction as he spoke, ”Blood”.

Sharli's nost scrunched up in disgust, ”Blood?”