Wellyn had gathered water for the group, scraping at the ice in the box Lance had filled, until he had enough to fill the pot Lance gathered earlier. Lance sighed as he entered the kitchen, he reached into the slime crown and pulled out all the leaves, branches and meat gathered. Lance carefully placed the small sticks into the furnace and then pulled out the Hymnin sticks and sap. Noticeably the bark had turned into a swatch pattern of black and red, becoming more fragrant. A spicy mint like scent filled Lances nostrils, quickly clearing his nose with a cool air, before setting his lungs on fire like he had inhaled a shot of alcohol. He coughed, Wellyn laughed then grabbed a stick for himself putting it close to his nose. He took a slow and long inhale before exhaling.

  “ Good stuff kid, lovely smell when fresh like this. Alright, cut away the black from the red, we’ll only use this bit.” He said pointing to the red. “ Should be enough but work quickly, dunk them in the water to slow the loss.” Lance did so, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Taking his starting knife to the curled bark, after a quick dunk, they surprisingly cut with a crisp under the dull blade.

  “ There’s a bunch going to waste? The black part isn't good? I'd have gotten more had I known it would change like this.”

  “ Mm I think you did fine. And the black part ya can use for other things, its the red that's usually thrown out. But not for our purpose, Ill start the fire, give me the sap” Lance passed over the sap, and the pot after dunking the remaining sticks. He carefully began to remove red swatches, separating them aside. Curiously he took a sniff of each piece, the subtle difference was cleverly masked behind the minty air. The black pieces of bark were brought less mint with its spice, the mint dulled behind the spice that grew a prickle under the nose like sniffing a chuff of pepper, but rather than bringing a sneeze it gave off a sensation of numbing vibration as it passed through the nose until it hit the esophagus where the sensation exploded outward causing him to cough with an aromatic exhale of spirits. The red was like inhaling raw licorice and cinnamon that warmed the nostrils as it came down to your lungs, the numbing sensation the black provided now present in the lungs, Lance almost had to gasp for air as he felt his chest begin to compress with lack of air. Wellyn looked back and their eyes met, he simply shook his head.

  Wellyn leaned under the stove and spoke to his outstretched palm a murmur like prayer Lance couldn't quite hear or understand and a moment later a flame danced across the top of the logs slowly coming to life. Lance finished up with around half of his collection of bark, it wasn't perfect but a clear demarcation of color was seen on the table. Violet sat on the far end of the table watching.

  “ Alright, we’ll wait for it to boil. Then add the bits in and let it boil off for a while. We’ll be an hour or so. I suggest you get some of your gob spirits to add to it too, It may mask it a bit, but the bitterness can only be cut by so much.” Wellyn said, leaning over the table looking at the spread. “ Oh you’ve got some Tannindaire, and Swailee. Looks good, This the stuff the other boy made tea with? Must have a nose for alchemy.”

  Lance looked to the leaves, Wellyn pointed to the small bundles that now looking closely, seemed more like weeds and a few stalks of small brush. The Tannindaire was nearly identical to a dandelion except the stalk was strong like a stick and the puff were replaced by a ball of thorn, and its leaves were deep purple. The Swailee a fuzzy pine sprig that crumbled under slight pressure turning into a sticky gum that you could ball on your fingers. It smelled strongly of citrus but nothing definitive, as if it were more than one citrus fruit by smell alone. Lance scratched his head.

  “ I wont lie Wellyn, I dont know what I could cook with this stuff, but Yeah, Bam was excited to gather some of this stuff. He can turn into a wolf like thing, and has long Bear claws sometimes. I’m sure its just his nose that lead him to this, the guys a bit… different. He said tea with this stuff was nice.”

  “ Eh, that’ll make sense he's along the wooden path then, beastkin. Let his nose work for ya when it can. Never mind me, Tell me what happened to Courage.”

  Lance took a few minutes describing the journey through the woods towards the Hymnin trees. Leaving out the portion of his moment against the tree. He pushed those thoughts away. Rather focusing on the combat and how it felt like they barely survived. Wellyn sat on a stool only hmm’ing and nodding his hand on chin. As Lance finished Wellyn pouted his lips to the side before popping air through his lips, he seemed like he contemplated hard on how to respond.

  “ Well.. You say it felt difficult, and the bear was level 6? On your third floor. All of you but Bam are.. On equals for it? But Bams, the only one passed the floor, and he’d done so alone ? The strength of the flock is shared by the leader ya know. Wolves, sheep, whatever you fancy, The burdens on who leads. You’re the reason it's harder, on them and you. Either man up and keep on carryin em out when ya can, or drop the weights when you can and do it alone son.”

  Lance sat back on his stool and contemplated what was said. “ Could it be that we've only increased the difficulty because we should have passed this point? It scales to my strength because I'm the leader? I don't get it. I got practically one shot. And Bam passed the floor alone.. Like I did on the first. Oh… wait” Lance’s mind raced, suddenly a few lines matched up and he saw a light at the end of the puzzling tunnel. “ The dungeon scaled to the active users in the floor, but the challenges it threw your way was based on the player composition levels. If that was the case then over leveling the dungeons level was like adding multipliers of difficulty, but why was that bad? Didn't that mean better rewards? More gems and loot would be great, but why did it seem like Wellyn was giving a subtle warning. Did level and gear count more harshly? And Bam was level 4 now, lower than the rest of them but had to deal with the same combat. It must’ve been much scarier for him, he hardly engaged the animals more or less acting a role of distraction.”

  “Wellyn, do you mean… Is being stronger than the dungeon floor not smart?”

  “Well, if you can handle it, but are they prepared?”

  Lance’s stomach turned at the word. Like a knife jabbed him. “ It is my fault. I have more burdens than the rest, it's me that's cursed. They lean on me, but I don't know shit. Bam should have led the floor and somehow even though he took point I made the calls. I made the choices and that last moment pushed me towards the fight.. I’m gonna get them killed..” Lance sighed thinking of Courage's lost arm, his shifted knee cap. Everyone's current sickness. He found a way to level beyond the experience at the end of the floor which now that he thought about it, hadn't amounted to a level like back on the first, just slowly pushing them, instead of the leap it was initially.

  “ Surely we can't just do the floor over and over only barely making progress until we finally choose to pass it. That frikken troll ended up showing up, wasn't even on hard, Is that my fault too?”

  “ Mmm. Well crows only show up when the laws of the land become warped. Sometimes to much knowledge, makes you overthink your position. Think of it a necessary evil, only what's evil and what's good is based on your stance. Surely you taught what you thought you knew to be right, But doing so deprives the discovery, the adventure. This is just the beginning, There is so much to learn ladd.. If you crawl too slowly your knees will scrape, but run too fast and you’ll trip. A steady pace ever changing is what's best. Friends are good, companions make the journey entertaining. But your kitchen will eventually close without more friendship, new ingredients, new understanding, more skill.” Violet wiggled across the table and bounced into Lance's lap. “ The pot's boiling son, I’ll watch it. Go to them, find your resolve, and prepare them. The next parts not gonna be kind.”

  Lance stood up and sat Violet on the table patting her gently. She tried to mouth something but failed, and Lance walked out.

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  “ Think he knows Vi?” Wellyn said, to which the slime merely rolled over into Wellyn's arms.

  Upstairs Courage sat on the floor looking down at his knee. It was smashed to the side of his kneecap and swollen through the tear in his pant leg. He released a small chuckle. “ At least i can feel the throb..” Courage took off his hat.

  Desperado’s shade

  Praise tier+

  When this hat is knocked off after being hit, “Retaliating Strike” before being knocked prone. Once every 10 seconds

  +1 Charisma

  The dark leather cowboy hat was the gift he received for losing an arm to a troll from Reilly. It had served him well so far, but he grew comfortable with the goblins taking a bash or two. The boar was the last time he’d decide to do it again. He looked at his notifications, happy and sad at the same time. His chance at a Bear. A bear with ruined legs, whom he’d wagered showing the same pain, the kindness he wished he’d gotten when broken like he was. Died. Not before it accepted him at least. He opened his mailbox and a small bracelet appeared on his wrist. Adorning it with a Bear claw.

  Companion Totem - Bear level 6

  Pet named “Bear”

  Activation- When taming another beast pass along an attribute, skill, or feature. - Single use.

  Courage smiled. “ A gift from a friend I guess” Courage used the stick as an anchor standing upright, hardly putting pressure on the broken knee. He winced but felt lucky. He had a debuff that held no duration but simply said broken limb, he’d obviously need to find some kind of dedicated healing but he wasn’t dead and that was all he cared about. He smiled, putting on an act of charm he’d learned so well to hold in leu of his injury. The clammy pale face of pain and nausea held at bay. He was a professional at holding a poker face by now, smiling when things looked down. He proceeded downstairs slowly. He moved to the counter and poured himself a drink of the goblin liquor sitting next to Reilly. Bam had his head on the counter dreary eyed nearly asleep.

  “ You doing okay? At least you're awake and walking” Reilly said slowly petting Screech who lay on her lap. She hid her exhaustion well but Courage had seen the look a million times on Valora, knowing that pushing the topic aside would only crumble her facade he answered with conviction.

  “ Yeah. I’m fine. Think i need some real kind of healing for the leg, no offense. But I can move on it.. Slowly. Thanks for watching Screech. And uh, holding me. I could see and hear but I had no control.” Courage remembered the passing of the bear, what it’d done. It sucked, like everything in him lost control. It made him understand what the cage actually did. A mental prison. Every action is a backlash, the kabbit must've died mentally, rather than how it appeared. “ Bam thanks, for watching their back.” He said over Reilly’s shoulder. His duty was to protect Reilly and Screech as he ran to grab the boar. He received a thumbs up in return but Bam didn't move a muscle otherwise.

  Lance came out of the kitchen a moment later. A serious but empty step until he reached the counter. “Hey guys.” To which everyone perked up. “The barks on the stove making the tincture. Might as well have a few drinks.” Courage had only sipped the small cup he poured but didn't dare drink further, worsening his nausea. Reilly merely smiled and shook her head no, Bam didn't move from the counter. “ Uh.. okay then how about i get some of the ice and-

  “ Lance its fine we’re just gonna have to wait, we all feel like shit man. I’m glad your okay though. Just do your thing chef. We could use some experience.” Reilly said then winked. To which Lance winced.

  “ Mhm yeah. I was thinking about that. I think we gotta slow down on the experience and figure more out about the food part. I think its kinda why we’re getting so fucked up. I think right now, we’re out leveled for the floor we are on, raising the difficulty by some weird modifier. Obviously the experience we have in the gems is great, but in a few levels when we are more at the right stage to level we should do it then, I mean imagine the sprinkle of e.x.p we get at that point.. I don't think it will push us too far over the edge.” Lance said, trying to explain away the topic.

  “ Wait, I thought you said you’d cook!” Bam said, finally sitting up from the counter, fighting his eyes open. “ Didnt he say we need points in physique? I'm only level 4 and you guys are higher and… and you promised” Bam said beginning to tear.

  Lance sighed and put his hands up. “ I.. Yes I did, you're right. I’ll go figure something out for you guys, but after this one we are gonna have to wait. Until we figure more stuff out”

  Courage nodded. Bam sighed and put his head back down.

  Reilly actually grabbed Lance's hand from the other side of the counter before he could turn away. “Actually I have some information I think can help you. Let me ask you some questions first. When you made the food in the cave. What did you think it would taste like?”

  Lance paused. “ Hmm I guess I didn't really think of what it’d taste like more like, I just kind of hoped it wasn't bad. I was a little excited because of the fruit though, from the beginning. Then it only became more exciting the more I ate stuff.”

  Reilly smiled. “ Okay when you *cough* ate the goblins, why the tongue and ears? Why the skin, like a tortilla?”

  “ Well my skill, I think it shows that parts are used for things in certain ways? But it's not just the meat, the trees and plants and stuff too. I just kind of were grabbing things that I thought were the edible parts, but now I think most things can be eaten, it's just in different ways for different reasons. Like the bark. And I kind of can't really cook all that well.. But for some reason the goblins ears and tongue were like pieces of steak to me, and the folds made me think of tacos I guess.. I just improvised with the skin tortillas.. As gross as that sounds, you know it was good though.” He said deflecting near the end.

  “ Lance. I think your cooking skill makes things the way you picture them to be, even if that mental image is pure wonder. I’m sure it's within reason. I tried some of those cave weeds alone because I like spice. It tasted terrible, and the spice was like a chemical burn and bitter. I’ve tried to replicate goblin meat on a stick.. I wont even say what it tasted like but I promise, YOU make the food better. Try more foods, I bet they can only get better the more you know. That's all. I believe in your cooking.” Reilly said passionately, only now releasing his hand.

  Lance smiled and nodded and walked back into the kitchen. Wellyn stirred the boiling pot next to the large Ork wok. Lance moved his hand into the slime crown pulling out the bits of meat that were gathered and a small pile of gems. Some flaps of wolf from the hind legs and a large flank of the bears shoulder. Violet turned in place looking back at Lance smiling eyes wide, prompting Wellyn to look over.

  “ Wellyn my man, These herbs you said are for alchemy? Do people cook with them?”

  Wellyn smiled but didn't say anything for a moment. “ Yeah sure. But the Swailees more of an herb ~ er spice, the Tannindaire gets cracked open for the center piece, the rest of those herbs and leaves, ehh no. At least not most of them, but the Hymnin leaves are good when added to stock. Don't worry about conventional uses though. I’ll leave you to it. Want me to grab the Kabbit?”

  Lance gasped almost forgetting, “ THE KABBIT, Yes please. And some more of the ice. Thanks. Violet I’ll leave you a portion if you do me a favor and let Bam rest his head on you.. I kinda yelled at him earlier and he's not feeling good. That is if that's okay with you Wellyn”

  “ Ha, sure ladd, but if you’d like I can just give them a room upstairs, They can rest til the foods done.”

  Lance nodded, realizing he should have tried opening the doors upstairs further, the hallway upstairs wasn't too long but had 6 other doors one of which at the back was the largest, They were just numbered 1 to 6 which didn't peak his curiosity too hard previously. “ Yes please, Lets have our guests enjoy the full services we can provide. Are there baths?”

  “ One large communal bath partitioned by a wall, dont worry its made of Shearstone, draws down expelled toxins and dirt. I can draw a bath for them as well, but it will add a dim gem to your tavern's upkeep cost. We should save that for after the meal an drink though.”

  Lance bit his lip, stifling his anger. “ Remind me to go over the Taverns upkeep with you later. And make sure to ask if they are okay with that before making the bath. Better to keep it professional.”

  Wellyn simply waved his hand as he walked out of the kitchen addressing his companions.

  Lance looked at the meat and herbs in contemplation.