Morcster Chef Book 3- Chapter 32 (Patreon)

“You are a menace to society,” Ming declared.

“I’m not going to take that from you,” Belmont said, flicking Ming in the forehead. She yelped, then bared her teeth in a growl and leapt at the man.

“Not near the food!” Malissa and Arek snapped.

Belmont and Ming continued their brawl while shifting a little bit away from the campfire, not stopping for even a second in the process.

“That’s an impressive level of synchronization,” Arek said as he formed another disk and put it through the breading process.

“It really is,” Malissa agreed, doing the same. “They’re quite the sight to behold sometimes. You’d think they were related, honestly.”

“All of you seem like it at times,” Arek said. He added their disks to the fire. They made the rest of the little cakes, and Arek started to flip them over as the oil browned them. He left each in the oil for a few minutes on each side before removing them and setting them aside on a rock.

It didn’t take long before they had a small pile of food sitting on the rock and they’d used the last of the ingredients. Arek and Malissa spent a short while cleaning up and putting everything away.

As if by magic, Ming leapt away from Belmont as soon as the last cake was set down. She jogged back to the camp, plopping down across from the pile and staring at it like a long-lost love.

“I wish we had some sort of sauce with this.” Arek rubbed his chin and glanced at Malissa, who narrowed her eyes.

“My yogurt. No touching. Get your own.”

Arek snorted. “Fine, fine. We’ll make do with this. Dig in!”

Ming didn’t need to be told twice. She sprung like a coiled snake, grabbing one of the cakes. She took a huge bite out of it and closed her eyes in satisfaction. Everyone else grabbed one for themselves.

Arek wanted to stuff it into his mouth, but he took a moment to examine it instead. The bread crumbs had turned a beautiful golden brown on either side of the cake, while the ones along the side were a shade lighter.

It practically radiated warmth, and the tiny flecks of spice and fish he could make out within looked like a rainbow of flavor. He took a bite out of it, and the fish cake crunched under his teeth, giving way to a soft, fluffy inside.

The warmth of the spices melded with the soft, flavorful fish perfectly, and he was pretty sure that the chilly weather made it even better. A grin crept across Arek’s face as he chewed, savoring the food.

He’d been slightly worried that the fish’s flavor would be too strong with only the potato to offset it, but it was perfect. Arek sighed, then stuffed the rest of the cake into his mouth and reached for another.

The Happy Sunflowers mowed through the remaining food within minutes, polishing off every last crumb and laying down around the campfire with satisfied grins on their faces. Well, all but Belmont, who maintained a careful watch around the camp even despite his good mood.

“Those were great,” Ming said, patting her stomach.

“You say everything we make is great,” Malissa said with a laugh.

“That’s because it is. I want more.”

“Then bring more ingredients. I want more too.”

“Next time we stop anywhere near a town, I’m buying all the potatoes they’ve got,” Ming said, hugging her bundle of staves closer to her chest and yawning. “Okay, if we don’t have any more food, I’m going to bed.”

She rolled to her feet and waddled over to her tent, slipping inside. Arek yawned, feeling the tolls of the day start to creep in on him as well. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stared up at the smoke gathering in the bubble above the campfire.

“I’ll call it there as well,” Arek said. “I can take first watch if we want, though.”

“I’ve got it,” Belmont said, shaking his head. “You’ve done a lot today anyway, meeting Vell and all. You should just rest. Ming too, really. Malissa and I can take watches today.”

“Are you sure?” Arek asked with a frown. “I don’t want you exhausted tomorrow.”

“It’s quite all right.” Belmont raised a hand to stop Arek’s protests. “Seriously. You were worked on. You need to rest. Who knows how much energy that took out of you, even if you don’t feel like it. Just rest. If we really need it, we’ll get you.”

“Yeah.” Malissa gave Arek a thumbs up. “Don’t worry, we’ve got

“Alright,” Arek said, rising to his feet. “Thank you both. I’ll take you up on that then.”

He pulled his tent out of his bag and unpacked it, setting it up and brushing the wrinkles out of the cloth before climbing inside and laying down. As soon as the orc’s eyes closed and his head hit the ground, he was fast asleep.

Arek awoke early the next morning, before the sun had risen. He slipped out of his tent, squinting up at the sky. Fat, grey clouds hung low in the air, casting a heavy shadow over much of the landscape around them.

“Not the best view, is it?” Belmont asked, rising from his spot near the ashes of the campfire and snapping the book in his hands shut. “Makes me kind of depressed, to be honest.”

“I’ve never been a fan of overcast weather,” Arek agreed. “Why are you awake? Shouldn’t it be Malissa’s watch?”

“It is,” Belmont replied. “She got restless and went to train. I was already awake reading, so we’re splitting it. I’ve only been awake for a little while.”

“I see,” Arek said. “I’m going to join her, then. Don’t want to get out of practice.”

Belmont nodded, returning to his book while Arek set off to warm up. After some stretches, he set off in a jog around the camp that eventually built into a run. He then went through several forms with his guandao.

Malissa returned while he was finishing them up, and they had several sparring matches, taking care to avoid getting to serious as Belmont wasn’t present to supervise. They returned to the camp as the sun rose over it.

Ming had woken up and all of their tents had been packed up. She waved at Arek and Malissa as they approached, a slice of pie in her other hand.

“Where’s Belmont?” Malissa asked, glancing around the camp.

“He went to the bathroom right after I got my pie hat,” Ming replied, wiping some cherry glaze off her cheek. “I don’t think he likes it very much.”

“No,” Arek agreed wryly. “I don’t think he does. No trouble while we were gone?”

“Nothing,” Ming confirmed. “Is it time to go find something big to punch again?”

“Looks like it,” Arek said. “I just hope there’s some sort of town in the area. The weather really makes me feel like I’m wandering the plains again, nothing but the lone monster or occasional traveler for leagues in every direction.”

“We’ll deal with that if we get to it,” Malissa said. “No point indulging thoughts like those, it only makes things worse. And look, there’s Belmont.”

The armored man stepped over a low hill, coming into view, and walked down to join them. Ming stuffed the rest of the pie into her mouth before he could get there.

“Everyone ready?” Belmont asked. “I’m eager to get out of here.”

“I think we all are,” Arek said. “Thanks for packing my tent.”

“No problem,” Ming said. She paused. “There was no food in it.”

Arek’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sure there wasn’t.”

Malissa laughed and they all gathered their bags, setting off in the direction of Dortusk once more.

Several days of travel passed, both without trouble and sighting of any other signs of civilization. Aside from the snowy mountains that grew closer with every day, there were just sloping fields, grass, and stone.

The closer they got to Dortusk, the more their surroundings seemed to lose color. The grassy fields had given way to more and more farmland, even though there was nothing indicating anyone was actually taking care of it.

Much of it was dead or well on its way to it, and there were no buildings to be seen. The temperature dropped as well, and tiny flecks of snow started to fall on them during the nights, although all of it evaporated by the time rose again.

On the third day of travel, when the sun had already reached its peak and was well on its way back toward the horizon, Belmont frowned. He squinted down the hill, then raised his hand and pointed.

“Does anyone else see that?”

“Dead grass?” Arek asked, following the man’s finger but finding nothing.

“I can’t see anything,” Ming said.

The fields around them managed to reach up to his chest, which meant Ming was almost completely buried in it.

“No, at the end of the field,” Belmont replied, raising his hand to block the light from his eyes. “I think someone’s there.”

“I see it too,” Malissa said. “The little black lump?”

“I think it’s just the lighting and that we’re above whoever that is on the hill,” Belmont said, drawing his staff. “They don’t look like they’re moving much, though.”

Arek squinted even harder, but he couldn’t see any trace of whoever Belmont and Malissa were talking about. There was just dying, yellow grass as far as he could see.

“I really can’t find them,” Arek grumbled. “Am I losing it?”

“They’re right there,” Belmont said, pointing again. Arek shook his head.

“Nothing. I swear.”

“Some sort of monster cloaking spell, maybe?” Malissa guessed. “Wait, I didn’t mean–”

“I know,” Arek said with a chuckle. “And it’s not wrong. That would make sense. Let’s go investigate, I suppose. It’s better than leaving someone at our back if they’ve got some sort of magic.”

“Keep your guards up,” Belmont warned. He grabbed Ming, pulling her out of the grass and setting her on his shoulders like a child. She looked around, then frowned.

“Huh. He does look kinda weird,” Ming said. “A bit blurry.”

“No blur,” Belmont said, glancing at Malissa. She shook her head as well.

“Only thing to do is check.” Malissa drew her daggers but kept them at her sides as the Happy Sunflowers carefully made their way down the field and toward what Arek was fairly certain was just a small patch of short grass.

“Hello,” Belmont said, raising a hand and staring at nothing. “We mean you no harm. Just passing though. Are you okay?”

A shimmer rippled across the ground where Belmont was looking, and a man melted into being. His graying beard hung low on his chest and two thick, bushy eyebrows were perched on his forehead.

His skin was tanned from years of work under the sun, but the sword at his back and the pack at his side adorned with runes marked him as an adventurer. A bandage was wrapped around the man’s head, blocking his eyes. A pang shot through Arek’s stomach and he frowned.

“Ah, I didn’t expect to see much of anyone here,” the man said, stretching his arms out behind his head and smacking his lips loudly. “Terrible place to be walking around, you know.”

“We didn’t find ourselves with much choice,” Malissa said. “But why are you here? It’s not safe. Are you an adventurer?”

“I was,” the man replied with a dry laugh. “Not anymore. Not for the last few weeks, at least. I’m just sitting out here until the end.”

“The end?” Arek asked, a sneaking suspicion starting to crawl up on him.

“Aye. I’m cursed,” the man said, tapping his eyes. “You saw through my cloak, so none of you are unlucky enough to share the same fate. This area is dangerous. You should leave before you end up joining me.”

“You’re a Blessed One?” Ming asked.

“You’ve heard of it?”

“Two–”

Belmont clapped a hand over Ming’s mouth, cutting her off.

“We have,” Belmont said. “You know the source?”

“No damn clue,” the man replied. “But I got cursed in this area, and I’ve killed more men that I ever would have cared to, including several that were real close to me. It’s a horrible thing. If you know about the curse, why would you dare come to the area?”

Arek exchanged a glance with Belmont. He didn’t consider himself the most suspicious person, but he wasn’t sure if announcing their plans was the best move they could make.

“Just taking care of some business,” Belmont said. “Please don’t take your mask off, though. One of our own number is cursed as well.”

The man’s forehead wrinkled as he turned toward the sound of their voices, cocking his head to the side. “Truly? Ah. They’re blindfolded, then.”

“Nope,” Arek said.

“Impossible. You would have killed me as soon as I dropped my cloak,” the man said, confusion tinging his voice. “Are you playing a joke on me?”

“That would be needlessly cruel,” Arek said, but he still kept a little distance between himself and the man. His stomach felt like it was twisting itself into knots, but the Blessed One curse wasn’t activating properly – Vell’s modification had worked. He was just hungry.

Arek pulled a strip of jerky out of his pack and ate the entire thing in one bite, chewing slowly to try and make it last longer.

“How can you look at me, then?” the man asked. “Are you with the Howlers and have some sort of cure?”

The man’s hand twitched and a flicker of anger crossed his features before he got control of them once more.

“We are not,” Malissa said. Belmont sent her a sharp glance, but she just shrugged. “It’s pretty obvious, Belmont. The moment anyone from the Howlers sees us, they’re going to know who we are. We aren’t exactly the most conspicuous group.”

“How do you have a cure, then? Are you powerful mages with the Adventurer’s Guild?”

“Not exactly,” Arek said. “But I believe we can cure you, if you’re willing. If you’ve been out here a few weeks, you probably don’t have much time left until you get pulled into Dortusk.”

“Is that what happens to people who get cursed?” the man asked, cocking his head to the side. “Normally, I’d refuse. I don’t fancy people fiddling around in my head. I’ve already seen several people about trying to get the curse lifted to absolutely no success, though. Can you actually do something?”

“Yes,” Arek replied, offering no further explanation. “Up to you.”

“Do it.”

Malissa handed a dagger to Arek, who pulled it across his forearm, drawing a thin trail of blood. He approached the man carefully, watching his hands to make sure he didn’t make any sudden moves, and knelt.

“Don’t move. I’m going to make a small cut in your arm.”

The man grunted his assent and Arek made a quick incision, causing his blood to mingle with the old man’s. He stepped back and they all watched the wound for several seconds.

“Well?” Ming asked. “Nothing is happening.”

“Nothing happened when Vell messed with me either,” Arek pointed out. “I don’t think it’s very obvious when it changes. It just… does.”

“I don’t feel any different,” the man volunteered. “Are you sure it worked?”

“Only one way to tell,” Malissa said. “Take your mask off and look at us. Just be ready to pull it back over before the curse takes over if you feel like you’re losing yourself to it.”

“You’re certain?” the man asked cautiously. “I’m fairly fast, but if the curse grabs me hard, I might injure one of you before I can stop myself.”

“Do it,” Arek said, gesturing for the other members of his group to back up several paces. Belmont summoned a bubble around Arek, not taking any chances with his reaction timing. “I’ll be protected, so it should be fine.”

The man swallowed. He raised his hands to the bandana and carefully hooked one finger under it, lifting it off one eye for just an instant. He stared up at Arek, then yanked it back down. A heartbeat passed. Then he lifted it again.

Slowly, as if a sudden motion would bring the curse crashing back down on him, he raised the bandana from his head and let it drop from his fingers.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said, blinking furiously as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. “You actually did it. Oh, and you’re an orc. How fascinating. I’m also finding myself quite famished all of a sudden. Do you happen to have any food on you?”

“That might be the most lackluster reaction I’ve ever gotten,” Arek said, his lips splitting in a grin. “And you’re hungry because of the curse. It’s been modified, presumably until it wears off in a few months.”

The man ran his hands over his face, then laughed. “Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Ah – It’s come to me that I’ve been rather rude. Apologies, I’ve been away from society for some time now. I wasn’t particularly active in it before I got cursed. My name is Timberly.”

“Nice to meet you!” Ming chimed, waiving to him from Belmont’s shoulders. Timberly’s gaze washed over the Happy Sunflowers, not pausing on any of them for more than a moment. A small grin flickered across his face.

“The pleasure is all mine. What an interesting group you are. What guild are you with?”

“We’re independent,” Belmont said, crossing his arms. “What about you?”

“Likewise,” Timberly said with a lazy laugh. He licked his lips, then rooted around in his pockets and came up empty. Arek pulled a strip of jerky from his bag and handed it to the man, who took it with a sheepish smile.

“Tell me, how did a group like you come to be wandering around the Howler’s territory?” Timberly asked.

“We’d rather not share too much of our plan,” Belmont said bluntly. “I don’t know what sort of magic the Howlers have, and we’re going to be forced to enter the city shortly. They might have some sort of mind mages that could get past your mental defenses.”

Timberly cocked an eyebrow. He extended a hand, reaching out into empty air. It vanished, coming back with a violin clutched in it. He procured the bow in a similar manner, then fiddled with the tuning. “That’s understandable. I guess the curse isn’t completely nullified then. You’re certain we’ll be drawn to the city?”

“Quite,” Arek said. “You’re welcome to take your chances, of course. We aren’t going to hold you in any debt.”

Timberly drew the bow across his violin, eliciting a slightly discordant note. His lips turned down and he changed the tuning again. “If everyone were like you four, perhaps I would have stuck around a little longer.”

“Stuck around?” Ming asked. “Where?”

“The city where I used to ply my trade,” Timberly replied, waving the bow dismissively. “I thank you all for freeing me of the curse – or part of it, at least. At least this way, I will die on my own terms.”

“Or when another Blessed One sees you,” Ming said cheerfully. “They’ll still attack you, even if you don’t need to attack them.”

“You’ve forgotten about my cloak already?” Timberly asked with a wry grin.

Belmont blinked, and he slapped himself in the forehead. “Wait, I did! How did you completely conceal yourself from Arek and Ming?”

“The orc and the small mage on your shoulders?” Timberly guessed. “Illusion magic. It’s a fairly simple piece of work, but you need experience in the field to work it. It’s like a normal invisibility spell, but I keyed it to interact with the curse.”

“That doesn’t sound simple,” Malissa muttered. Judging from the expressions on Belmont and Ming’s faces, both of them agreed with her.