Chapter 24: Village Below the Mist XII
---
He gestured toward a rock slab he’d been using as a cutting board. Sliced roots, questionable herbs, and something that might have once been cheese were all laid out like ingredients for a dark ritual. A single sausage lay skewered on a dagger, it was half melted and smoking ominously.
John picked up a wooden ladle, dipped it in the bubbling mess of Fizz’s stew, and sniffed. His face instantly contorted. "This smells like regret and burnt desperation."
"That’s the flavor profile!" Fizz puffed his chest proudly. "I’m experimenting with emotional cooking. I imbue the food with mood."
"Yeah? What mood is this?"
Fizz looked serious. "Rage. Mild self-loathing. And... a hint of paprika."
John sighed and turned to the bystanders. "Has anyone actually tried it?"
A few miners shook their heads rapidly. One man whimpered. A kid behind the crowd yelled, "It made my goat throw up!"
Fizz looked offended. "That goat had no taste!"
Another pop sounded from the cauldron. A mushroom fragment launched itself skyward and slapped John in the cheek. It stuck there for a second before sliding off, leaving behind a trail of oily orange slime.
Fizz winced. "Okay. That one might’ve needed less boomroot."
"Boomroot?! Where did you even find that?"