Submission (#4230) Approved

After that delicious Feyhallow banquet meal, it was all Athena could think about. She was sure the chef had sourced some ingredients from other regions, but the fact that most of the ingredients were obtained locally, either from the vendors in Silveil City or directly from Silvei’s forest boggled her mind. She was adamant on getting the recipes from them, and with her mother’s influence, was able to have an audience with some of the chefs.

While some were reluctant in sharing their recipes, stating that they were family heirlooms, some were a little less stingy, and even gave her tips on where to find the ingredients.

Filled with determination, Athena set out, talking with the local vendors first to get their input on the freshest ingredients, as well as attempting to haggle a decent price for them with the money she received from Lumia.

After this, she packed a bag filled with essentials, and set out into Silveil Forest. Though Lumia had asked if Athena wanted her to come with, Athena shook her head and said she could do just fine by herself. She certainly didn’t want a repeat of last time, nor did she want her mother distracting her. No, she was perfectly capable doing this on her own, and certainly old enough to do so at this age. At least, that’s what she thought. There were a lot of kittoms who left home at an early age and they were able to take care of themselves just fine, so being in a forest by herself for a few hours should be nothing compared to that.

Still, the moment she set foot into the forest, she couldn't help but wish that the tree branches weren’t so thick that it blocked out so many of the stars in the sky. Not that she was scared of the dark, mind you, but it was hard being able to identify things with minimal light. She supposed the light given off some of the bioluminescent flora would suffice, but she couldn’t help but envy elnins with luminous traits. Why, if she had luminous suffusion, or anima, or perhaps a fairy orb or witchlight crown, this would help tremendously. Why need to pack flashlights if you were your own portable flashlight? A witchlight crown would be exceptionally handy for starting fires if needed, and she supposed you could perhaps even roast a marshmallow in it should one desire, though she supposed that would probably be just as weird as a nin eating their own flora crown, even if it was able to grow back.

Musings aside, she’d just have to make do with what she had. No use to dwell on what-ifs. While the forest was pretty dark, it at least wasn’t pitch black. Some of the stars were still visible through the hanging branches above, providing a little light on the way. She also made markers as she passed through the forest, taking note of identifiable landmarks. That strange knobbed tree with a hollow was where she would find the herbs used for one of the dishes, and that clearing with the rocks arranged in a ring was where she would find the mushrooms used for soup. While some of the bioluminescent flora were edible, she discovered that they left a weird aftertaste, so if she wanted to use them, she would have to find something to neutralize the flavour. 

Onwards she went through the forest, slowly stuffing her bag with more and more ingredients. At some point she wished she had brought a bigger bag, but that would only hamper her ability to move around. It wasn’t like she was planning on making enough food to feed an army. She just needed enough to create a test dish or two, and if things worked out, then she could come back and gather more. As the miasma season slowly starts to settle in, it’ll be harder to procure the ingredients, and she didn’t want to put a strain on the vendors if it started to affect their livelihood. 

And while all this experimenting was more of a personal project, Athena couldn’t help but wonder if by chance, she was able to make something on-par with those delicious dishes she had the other night, would it be possible for HER creations to be served in prestigious restaurants someday? She supposed with her mother’s influence, it was possible, but it wasn’t something she wanted to always rely on. She’d grow up one day and couldn’t always depend on her mother to do those things for her. While Athena had no desire to become a world-renowned chef or to be a prominent public figure (honestly she could do without all the attention), she supposed what she aspired for was to make a contribution. One that she could be proud to share. And perhaps share her knowledge with others.

After gathering as much as she could, she took a short break by Silveil lake. Whenever she felt overwhelmed, she would always come here, finding solace by the soft lapping waves and the bioluminescent fauna swimming about. She’d watch as jellyfish floated by as they grew more and more distant, nothing more than a mere speck in the sea, a glittering “star” that decorated the boughs of the elder tree that lay submerged under the lake.

Feeling rested and renewed, she returned home to try out her recipes, her mother more than eager to be the first to sample her hard work.