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Chapter 19 - The Final Deru

Dish pieces clattered together as they fell into the trash can, Giu and Tea frantically sweeping over the apartment. Elly had traded out her apron for yellow gloves as she went to work making repairs. Fledge popped in and out of existence, appearing with tape, hammers, nails, or whatever else the rabbit needed. She was still working when the two hired hands finished, chugging stamina potions before moving to assist the waiting chef.

"Alright," she said, hammering down the final nail. "This will do for now."

She tossed aside her gloves, taking back her apron.

Through their efforts, they'd managed to make the place semi-decent. Cabinets had been pounded into shape, windows were boarded up, the table was taped back together. It was far from perfect, the front door being replaced with several slabs of plywood, but if Elly said it was alright, Giu wasn't going to complain.

"Back to cooking," the rabbit said. "Thanks to those crocodiles, we're behind schedule, but I believe we can salvage this. Canin- Giu, those ingredients you bought won't be necessary."

"Oh. That's fine."

He flashed Tea a smile, the pixie rolling their eyes.

"So then what's next then? Another soup?"

"No. Pasta. But it won't be a normal pasta. What we've made before is only child's play compared to what comes now. Make no mistake, what I intend to craft is said to be the most delicious dish known to man."

That got Giu's attention, even Tea leaning forward in their chair. Elly nodded to Fledge, who teleported beside her. It made a small yipping sound, and an object popped out of its back. A scrap of paper.

"It is the Final Deru."

The paper landed on the kitchen table, directly in-between Giu and Tea.

Across the page sat a bowl of steaming noodles that radiated with the intensity of the sun. Flecks of green and white covered the base of the dish, a strip of some shimmering meat Giu couldn't quite identify lying atop it all. It was just a painting, but Giu felt his mouth watering as he stared at it.

"They call it the God Dish," Elly explained. "The grand piece every chef must make once in their lifetime. No one knows who developed it, but the dish itself is said to have a mind of its own. If prepared improperly, it will poison whoever consumes it, cursing them to an agonizing demise. But if prepared wisely. By a true master. It's like nothing in the world. Not Syndicate wide. Not Villa wide. A dish fit for a god."

Giu swallowed. Was that even possible? Something that amazing? Elly showed no signs of backing down from the challenge. Tea seemed to realize the gravity, their gaze wordlessly giving him the okay to back out. He shook his head.

The best thing in the world if made right. A slow painful death if made wrong. He didn't like the odds, but he also wasn't about to give up the mission when they'd come so far.

"What will we need?" Giu asked.

Fledge popped out another scrap of paper. It landed beside the first. A list.

"Every ingredient you see here must be gathered fresh," Elly said. "Market-bought won't do. You should be able to find everything in the Woodlands."

"Buntail or Hoppypop?" Tea asked.

"Either will do."

The pixie leaned into Gi's ear. "Hey, you said you were running through a forest in your memories, right? What kind of trees did you see?"

Giu thought a moment. The towers of bark he could recall were all naked, their bases covered in dark wood and the many arrows that had been shooting at him. They were nothing like the thick oaks he'd seen in the Villa. Or even the towers growing around Haywar. The oaks in his memories bore green fruits.

"I dunno," he said. "They were big and leafless."

"Did they have any fruit?"

"Yeah."

"Then it sounds like a match for Buntail." Tea smiled. "Going there might help jog a few more memories, Gi. Of course, if things get too intense, I promise to pull you back to sanity."

"Oh, so now you're my shining knight or something."

"Well, if you wanna start calling me Sir Tea, I wouldn't say no."

Giu rolled his eyes, Tea smiling and picking up Elly's list. Both she and Fledge were already getting the kitchen set up, pulling out pans and sharpening knives.

"Try not to take too long," Elly said. "I expect you both back by sunset."

Fledge made a yipping sound in agreement, the creature continuing to levitate knives and whetstones around its head. Tea gave Giu a nudge, hopping up and flying for the door.

Compared to him, they seemed much more eager to get out searching.

"C'mon, Gi," Tea said. "We can boat to Buntail and be back in hours."

Giu shrugged, following the pixie out the door.