Font of Questioning… (Arkash)

[Gloomcrest]

47th of Frost, 4622

Whether Arkash liked to answer questions or not; Jared’s curiosity about the world seem to show as his amber-hued eyes glimmered in a brilliant light, for truly, knowledge is power in every manner, no matter the shape, form or even source.

Knowing more about the potential world, his home, and even foreign lands beyond Daravin’s borders would prove to be useful in due time; From what Jared recalls from one of his previous interactions with an extremely shady fence that he would use to pawn off his stolen goods for a fee.

‘Seed of potential is everywhere, knowing how to tend to it is key to getting the most out of it.’

And, right now; there was someone in front of him; eating to his heart and stomach’s content that seemed to know more based on his comments alone. How much life experience does the Lorien huntsman has over the thief, what font of knowledge does Arkash possess that Jared did not, is there a potential exchange/transaction or would the thief be able to extract some information without needing to offer anything other than his cooking services and the chance to attempt in extracting Arkash’s Umbralplasm that was currently dwelling within his own soul.

“Fascinating… Seems like there is a lot more to the world than it seems… Gathering intel is probably the safest move I can do in my current position… Bolster what I know and delve deeper if I can.”

Jared mutters to himself as he places his right hand over his mouth, his index finger slightly bent in front while his thumb nestles underneath his chin, scratching it lightly as attempts to digest all that he knows, essentially making a mental collage with strings of information, connected by threads and pins as he further looks deeper from within.

“True, but it is better to have a physical object instead of wasting ether to break a simple lock, a few drops of ether missing could be the differences from living unscathed to burning your soul from within after all.”

The thief takes a moment to recompose himself as he attempts to lead the conversation to the best of his abilities. Taking initiative was the most important thing when it came to all sorts of plans, the person who is able to strike first while the iron is hot would be able to garner more than the next person would and Jared needed to obtain as much wealth and lores possible to further prepare himself for what is to come.

“I have heard of the Candor just by the world alone, I recall a certain figure explaining a little bit about it and hating it with his guts but then again, what Entente would like to interact with a petty thief in rags such as myself, they have for more skilled people at their disposal than a simple Nightfallen no?

Nevertheless, I see, that the Candor is essentially like a play of sorts that all of the Entente must participate… I recall”

Even so, something felt odd to the Alistian thief… As if a tidal wave of confusion was looming close but he couldn’t describe it well enough… It is as if a lingering piece of dread looms over him, growing closer by the day which felt rather unnerving but for now, the sensation wasn’t overwhelming for the time being.

“Alright, the honey must flow; give me a second and I can whip up another batch for you to eat. In the meantime, what do you know about this Candor since a commoner such as myself doesn’t know much about the details.”

[Arkash]

"You some kinda spy or somethin'?" he asked proceeding the talk of intel and gathering knowledge. "Thief and a spy... bad mix." He hummed in thought, voice creaky and broken. "You can break your way in anywhere and steal anythin' you want... Banks themselves must despair at your name." Of course, he knew the thief wasn't nearly so ambitious as to rob a bank, as he smirked at his own joke.

His eyes fell on the crockpot of food then, and he seized it with both hands before he used an afforded bowl of wood to scoop out a heft helping, which he greedily swallowed without relent.

Ravenous.

Without pause, Arkash devoured all that Jared had prepared for him. There was no time even to chew, as Arkash swallowed chunks of meat as though they weren't even there at all. Not once did he choke or hesitate as he downed the entire pot one bowl at a time.

"Fack..." He finished as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, then suckled all the food he could from the leather in quick succession. "Please tell me there's more..." He started with a wild look of need, eyes lingering over the pot. He reached over the island to take it by the handle, pulled it toward him to leave it on its edge, and found naught but the scraps that clung to the edges of the pot.

"Thank fuck.." He began as he used his hands to scoop all the delectable stew he could from deep inside the crockpot, and immediately shoved the mess of his hands into his mouth when he'd gathered enough. With every pass of his hand, Arkash's eyes lidded in untold pleasure, his jaw tensed with the urge to bite down on his fingers with every pass until the third time, he hissed and yanked his hand from his maw of sharp teeth.

"Then... let it be an instrument of your success. May you make great kings and queens peasants with that trinket," he spoke when the thief declared his preference for matter over ether. He stared in an inspection of his index and middle fingers as they oozed particularly dark red ichor near a gash he'd made in the knuckles, which he hesitantly licked up before he took hold of the pot with both hands and pulled it over his head.

Desperately, he tried to lick at the remaining scraps of stew but found the length of his tongue too short. The rim of the pot stopped at his shoulders, and he could go no deeper. So, with his head obscured by the pot, Arkash's skin began to darken to an unnatural basalt grey. The shape of his hands morphed as dull claws grew from the tips of his fingers, and a hefty fwoomp sounded as the weight of his tail emerged from his lower spine and hit the floor behind him.

Within the confines of the pot, his mouth and tongue elongated enough for him to lick up all the hard-to-reach places within the crockpot. Sure enough, he finished with the stew but continued to lick and lap at the metal for the vaguest trace memory of its flavor. When he could no longer pretend that the stew remained, he let out a deep raspy breath through his nose that echoed in the tight space and rustled the clothing around his neck, then removed the crockpot from his long face and set it aside.

A long forked tongue flicked from his reptilian maw and dragged across the scales of his muzzle and head to claim any of the stew that had clung to his scales. Again, his yellowed eyes lidded and a deep sigh of enjoyment flared his nostrils. "That's so good," came a croak of his voice, gravelly and broken in comparison to his humanoid form.

Arkash hummed while the thief spoke of the candor, and licked his bloody fingers clean to reveal that the wounds he'd made with his teeth had already closed; fully healed.

"Believe it or not," he finished cleaning his clawed fingers. "I've had lots of dealings with the entente. Daravain Nobility is... Especially fucked up."

"The candor's like... The rules they live by, it's their code, and path to success. All the rules are hard to remember, but... Giving up information for free is a rule breaker... They call 'em Taboos." he nodded his head as he rapped his claws on the woodwork of the island. "Second rule is you gotta look good at all times because you know; nobles. Third, know your enemy. Fourth, pick good friends. Fifth, be valuable. Sixth... Don't do taboo shit."

Arkash cleared his throat with a balled fist over the front of his reptilian lips. "The Taboos I'm not sure about, but I know dissing Ulen and the Omen will land you in big trouble."

the cardinal hummed and dragged his blunt claws through the surface of the island. "...Now, more food before more questions, please."

Image source.

[Gloomcrest]

47th of Frost, 4622

“Pfft, I don’t think I have the brains for that stuff if I am honest….”

Jared couldn’t help but let out a loose chuckle as his shoulders began to slump down a bit, Feeling a bit more relaxed about the situation in general, though it would be evident for those that are more in tune with social gatherings or covert operations that Jared was simply enjoying the long night’s worth of conversation.

“Indeed, Banks, merchants and all sorts of trading ships fear the name of Mistwalker!”

Jared couldn’t help but let out a louder chuckle, letting lose a soft snort that he quickly attempted to cover up with a cough. How long has it been since Jared could feel this relaxed with another person? Far too long, in his opinion, but then again, His gut was telling him that Arkash had a similar upbringing based on what he knew about the Lorien huntsman.

“If I were that ambitious, I would be amazed myself, but at last, it was not meant to be… So too might risk, especially with the kind of bullshit that Banks has a hold of; Merchants are easier targets, and even tight security over a home is easier break-in compared to a fucking bank.”

Briefly taking a moment to rummage through his cloak, the Alistian thief pulls out a simple bronze flask which sloshes about as he pulls it out of his cloak, briefly taking a swig out of it before putting it back into his cover once more. The fast burn from some stolen Armagnac that he acquired a few weeks back, followed by the alluring taste of dried raisins, hints of caramel and thick/heavy mouthfeel, brought a brief smile to the thief’s eye.

It was rare for the thief to drink in front of a stranger, but despite feeling shit, it was probably better to numb the pain, even though it was temporary. Despite all of this, his attention was brought back to his new friend, who merely seized the opportunity to reach for his meal, consuming in a frenzy; the amber-eyed scoundrel couldn’t help but feel some sense of awe and disgust at the same time, which could be seen easily on Jared’s face.

But that wasn’t the only thing that shocked the thief; the transformation currently being undertaken right before the thief was rather disturbing but exciting.

“Geez, it is still amazing to see where all that food goes… You could legitimately deprive a whole town of their foodstuffs like it was nothing… Rather concerning, but that is my opinion; nevertheless, there is still more cooking if you plan to devour everything in sight at this point.”

Jared simply shrugged at the current situation, and he was merely a pair of hands that was initially preparing rations for the upcoming trip into Bel, which felt rather nerve-wreaking, to the point his bones ached as they recalled many moments of his life, tittering on edge of life and death itself.

“Really? I have only been invited to cook... More like forced into it, if I am honest... I am surprised they found me, a simple commoner and my cooking isn’t special.”

The thief takes a moment to listen in to Arkash’s notes about the Daravinic Nobility, mentioning how terrible it is or, in his words, how fucked up all of it is. A brief explanation of it all brief causes Jared to furrow his brows as these so-called ‘Taboos’

“Well… I can say that is wack… I recall a chef being killed on the spot for making a brief mess in front of the guest… That was terrifying cause I mainly cook as a hobby, and cooking is very messy.”

The amber-eyed Nightfallen couldn’t help but recall how tense the situation was; Based on his memories, the majority of chefs presents were of above skill when it came to culinary practices, but his personal experience felt more traumatising as he recalls attracting more attention than he would like as many people started to gather around his workstation was he was live cooking in front of so many people and important ones in that.

“Fuck, man… It was a total nightmare… Almost put me off in cooking in general; even now, I am trying to figure out how some Entente managed to get my name, of all things… Of course, I worked in some simple eateries for a time, but it shouldn’t have grabbed their attention, right? Like what kind of noble wants peasant food???”

Jared takes a moment to look directly at Arkash’s gaze as if he is looking for some affirmation about his past situation of being essentially forced to cook or die. Still, his plea for an answer is cut short as Arkash demands more food before continuing this endeavour.

“Fine… Give me a second, and I will whip up another batch, don’t blame me if it is terrible….”

The thief had an idea of what to make but wasn’t sure if Arkash would enjoy it all. Nevertheless, the attempt was going to be made, and whether he liked it or not was his decision alone. Taking a moment to cover his mouth with a tattered black cloth, the thief begins to work his magic in the fine art of cooking.

Preparing all of his root vegetables, herbs, and spices took only a couple of minutes due to his experience working quickly in an eatery. Jared also noted that it was better to keep the skin of certain vegetables, such as potatoes & carrots, since it would retain additional nutrition & fibre for longer-lasting satiety.

Jared would add large chunks of salted lamb meat onto a pan, searing the surface of the flesh, which he was planning to use for another time, but it better to feed the man now before his hunger worsened. Dicing some brown onions, thinly sliced leeks & minced garlic to add an alliaceous & mildly green note that lingers through the initial taste and air.

Adding small quantities of herbs such as dried thyme & parsley gives the dish a slightly earthy, herbaceous & citrus note. Lastly, a bit of salt & cracked pepper enhances the overall experience of the flavour of the chowder itself.

But before he could add his raw materials into the broth, the thief would need to further the development of flavours & suppressing certain off-notes with a fair amount of cooking. So, taking the alliaceous components into a small pan, the amber-eyed thief adds a generous amount of olive oil before sauteing them to reduce the sulphurous notes & replacing them with fatty, rich notes.

The sauteing would be complete when the scallions, onions & garlic bits turn translucent, indicating that all the flavours have leaked out into the pan & infused themselves into the melted butter.

After sauteing the vegetables, Jared would add a few tablespoons of milled maslin flour to assist in thickening the chowder & add some toasted cereal notes into the lamb chowder. It was possible to concentrate the chowder with since of his hardtack, but making it again would take too much effort since it took a couple of days even to make some of his preserved rations.

“All that is left now is to wait for a couple of minutes or more… Need to make sure the chowder is cooked properly….”

The thief was sweating at this point as he was so focused on cooking that his muscles simply acted on their own, essentially a flurry of efficient movements running throughout the kitchen from his blade works with cutting his vegetables to multi-tasking on multiple items on his own. The thief in question demonstrated an affinity for cooking rather than thievery itself.