Chromatic Concoction [Cooking]

Chromatic Concoction

  It had been quite a while since Dhao and Draharu made their deal regarding the sheath for Draharu’s new sword. It happened to be a rainy day in Warrenfall when the red shiny Puller was back at Dhaoragan’s doorstep in order to fulfill her promise and collect her sword. This time Dhao managed to hear her coming, so it didn’t startle him when she was at the entrance to the cave, shaking all the extra water off her clothing and gear.

“Nice to see you again, Draharu. What did you get for me?”

   Dhao inquired excitedly as she was supposed to bring him some new exotic recipes to try out. Last time she was here she saw how much Dhao enjoyed creating things, so she made the offer to get him three new scrolls to learn as payment for the sheath.

“Hello, Dhaoragan. I’ll show you.”

   Draharu’s voice was still monotone and lacking any kind of emotion, but by now it didn’t freak Dhao out as much as it did when they first met. She took off her gear with some help from Dhao and then reached into one of the large satchels to reveal an average-looking scroll case, which she handed to Dhao without another word. The green Puller took it, immediately turned to one of the smaller tables in the room and opened the case to shake out the contents. There were several rolled-up papers and even one made of papyrus, which now were exposed to Dhao’s eyes as he was eagerly examining them. Draharu scooted closer to the fire to warm up her soaked toes, this kind of weather wasn’t quite to her liking.

“Ohh, yes, they’re definitely interesting. I’ll start with the first one right away.”

   Dhao picked one scroll and rolled up the rest, stuffing them back in the case to keep them safe from potential accidents. He then adjusted himself to sit comfortably before his entire focus was on the slightly roughed-up piece of paper in his paws, while Draharu continued her strange tradition of simply staring at Dhaoragan as he was deciphering the recipe. It was written in another dialect so Dhao had a bit of trouble with the language. He went to one of his book-laden shelves to search for a dictionary he might have there. To his luck, he found just the right one and returned by the fire, as he also enjoyed the warmth it gave off.

“Got it!”

   Draharu didn’t even notice when she dozed off by the sound of the crackling fire and soft rain patter outside, but she was wide awake when Dhao announced his victory over translating the recipe. She noticed how Dhao wasn’t as energetic as before, so she assumed that deciphering the script must have drained him quite a bit.

“It sounds like a really tasty and healthy cocktail, but I don’t have mangoes growing anywhere around here.”

   So that’s what threw him off. It just so happened that when Draharu reached for another bag of hers and rummaged around in it, she pulled out two ripe fruits which Dhao was missing. The green guy couldn’t believe his eyes, so there was a good long moment of awkward silence between them.

“Do you also happen to have any little cocktail umbrellas with you?”

“No.”

   It was obvious that Dhao’s attempt to dig out from the awkwardness with a lighthearted joke flew right over Draharu’s head, so he just smiled to hide his shame when he reached for the mangoes.He had them once in his puphood, but given how seclusive life he preferred to live now he hadn’t come across a merchant who happened to have some with them, so Draharu carrying them with her was too good to be just a coincidence.

“Oh well, then we’ll enjoy the drinks without the umbrellas.”

   Dhao mostly said it to himself as he turned around and headed to the corner of what was supposed to be a kitchen, but in his case this area was a strange hybrid of a kitchen and someone’s potion brewing dungeon, minus the spooky cobwebs and bats. Despite that, this area was well-lit thanks to the jars with glittering substance in them scattered around the room, which seemed to glow almost eternally. Draharu pulled out her notebook and started filling it to pass time while Dhao started preparing the fruits for the craft. He made a bit of a mess when cutting up the first mango but learned from his mistakes when dealing with the second, managing to clean it up faster. He then swiftly removed seeds from the juicy cherries and then worked on the bundleberries. Following the recipe’s instructions, he put the bundleberries to steam while crushing the mangoes and cherries into an even mixture. Draharu’s attention shifted to Dhao when the sweet fruity smell reached her nostrils, reminding her that she could indeed use some sustenance after her long journey back here.

   The bundleberries were ready when their hue changed from the usual blueish purple to deep purple. Dhao lifted them away from the stove and dropped them in the mixture, allowing the premade paste to cool them down. Lastly, he processed the stainberries according to the instructions, added them with the rest and stirred the whole thing thoroughly, giving the colorful concoction a bit of foam before adding the rest of the minor ingredients. He poured it over in a large jar, closed it and shook it like mad. This got Draharu’s attention again and seeing how Dhao was nearly done, she packed away her notebook while Dhao was pouring the mixture in long glasses. He then brought both by the fire, handing one to his guest.

“To mangoes and swords.”

   Dhao offered a toast, softly clinking his glass with Draharu’s before he took a small sip out of his creation. Feeling the amazing taste, he emptied the glass halfway though while Draharu was enjoying her first taste of the thing. Dhao seemed to be very happy now.

“This is definitely one of my favourites now, if you come by next time, please bring more mangoes.”