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Chapter 12 - Chef Elly, Pasta Specialist

Giu fell into the chair, letting out a sigh after cleaning the place from top to bottom. As expected, he got little more than a pat from Tea and a nod from Elly for his efforts. They both went to work in the kitchen, Fledge appearing on the table to growl at Giu.

"Are you just gonna keep that up the whole time I'm here or what?" Giu asked.

The green creature stopped. Its eyes shifted as if considering the matter. It was growling again seconds later.

"Make sure those bones are sliced to perfection," Elly ordered.

"On it," Tea said, running their blade across the femur the rabbit had produced from one of her cabinets. Elly herself was rapidly chopping vegetables, her speed something even Giu couldn't help but admire. Like watching a master swordsman. She tossed everything into a pot, moving for sauces while smells of various spices flooded the room.

There was something so familiar about it all. Giu closed his eyes, images of glistening meats and extravagant desserts flooding his mind. A woman. He jerked upwards, a bowl slamming on the table in front of him.

Elly stepped back, arms folded.

"Eat," she ordered.

Giu looked down at the food, a steamy red broth covered in green onions. It smelled divine, but he hesitated in picking up his spoon. He gave it a poke. Dared to take a sip.

Fire exploded over his tongue. His eyes filled with water, Giu instantly dropped the utensil as he waved at his tongue.

"RAGH! WATAAH! WATAAH!"

Elly and Fledge both just looked at him. Tea flew over with a glass, Giu immediately snatching it and chugging down the liquid. It didn't help. The fires of armageddon burned across his tastebuds. He ran for the sink, drowning himself in the faucet.

Gradually, the heat went away. Giu stepped back gasping.

"Son of a-. What the heck was that?"

"Essense a la Farine," Elly said. "The first course. And one that may need a little less savina pepper."

"First course!" He fell back on the sink. "There's more?"

"It's a four-course meal, Gi," Tea said. "And no, you can't back out now."

His hand came down, Giu glancing to the water glass on the table. Most of his tastebuds felt like they'd been burned off. Fledge poked at Giu's bowl. It extended its head, the soft material absorbing the glass like an amoeba. An empty bowl fell out of the mouthless creature's backside.

"Next is Creme de la sang," Elly said. "Canine! Back in your chair!"

He groaned. "It's Giu."

The rabbit ignored him. "Tea, is the catfish ready?"

The pixie flew over to the oven. "It's nice and tender, sir!" She gave a salute, shooting Giu a sideways look.

He grumbled, hoveling back to the feeding chair. Elly whipped a wheel of cheese from the fridge, knives at the ready as she went to work, dicing and slicing the thing with ease. Giu felt a twinge in his head. A voice. Dinnertime. He rubbed his forehead, the sensation fading when Elly dropped the second dish in front of him.

Creme de la Sang, as it turned out, was a cheesy concoction of pasta and fish, the food topped with a garnish of several mushrooms. Giu gave it an inquisitive poke before twirling the noodles into his fork. His eyes shut, hands shaky as he forced the food into his mouth.

Heaven exploded over his tastebuds.

Giu's eyes grew wide. Succulent flavors of smoked catfish and tangy lemon melted in his mouth, the noodles like a receptacle of flavor. He stared down at the bowl, waiting for it to spontaneously turn bad. But nothing happened. He gave it another taste, unable to hide his smile the second time.

It was like night and day compared to the soup. Restraint went out the window. He grabbed the bowl, scarfing it down in a mad frenzy. Noodles and fish disappeared. He only stopped when his fork scraped the empty bottom.

Elly had a smirk plastered over her face. As did Tea. Giu shrunk, trying to hide his face.

"I'd say the second course is already perfect," the pixie said.

"Agreed," said the rabbit.

They got to work getting the others ready.

***

After a last meal of carrot pie, Giu had no choice but to reconcile his views of rabbitkind. The Essense a la Farine aside, he'd never tasted so many beautiful dishes in his life. At least none he could remember. None from rabbits, that was for sure.

"Is it magic?" Giu asked as he was washing dishes.

As before, he'd been thrown the clean-up duties, though Tea was gracious enough to offer a hand this time around. The pixie had shrunken back to their normal form, floating above the stovetop to get at all the spilled sauce.

"Not that I know of, no," the pixie said.

"Then how the heck does she do it? Feels like I just got done eating a unicorn or something."

"Well, Elly did used to be Chief Huppin's personal chef."

"Huppins?"

"One of the former chieftains. A good man, though not one that lasted very long."

Tea shrugged. Though the pixie seemed well-versed in the underworld, the world of politics was seldom a topic they showed much interest. In fact, most of what Giu knew of the Syndicate came through passing remarks he'd heard on the street.

And from Anome.

To hear Tea call the former chieftain a good man out of the blue came as a bit of a surprise. One Giu was about to question before he heard Elly's booming voice calling for him from the living room. Or at least he assumed it had to be him.

"Canine!" she called. "You're needed!"

He looked to Tea, who seemed apologetic for once. Putting aside his sponge, Giu wandered over to find Elly with a paper in one hand and a burlap sack in the other. She shoved them both into Giu's chest.

"Here," she said. "I need you to make a run to the market and pick up everything on this list. Be back before sundown."

Giu looked at the paper. Some twenty or so items were running down the page.

"How much is this gonna cost me?"

"Bring back the bill, and I'll repay it," Elly said. "Now go."

Giu grumbled.

Was this going to be a regular thing? Helping Tea out was one thing, but he'd never agreed to be a whipping boy to Elly. And it didn't help that going outside meant subjecting himself to even more hostile glares from the other rabbits in the Syndicate. How he wanted to simply shove the paper back in Elly's face and walk away. But for the second time since he'd arrived, Giu forced himself to swallow his pride. For Tea's sake. He lifted the sack over his shoulder, dragging himself towards the exit.

"And don't get lost."

Giu felt a twinge. He grabbed his head, the strange sensation returning. The woman's voice. It went away as the door slammed behind him.

Ugh.

The world around him was unchanged. Giu rubbed his forehead, trying to push the thought away as he made his way down the steps.

Just nerves, Giu. It's just nerves.

He pulled out the list, trying to focus on the task at hand.