Markisah looked at Hana's complexion and judged that it was not so bad. It was a shade redder than her usual tan complexion. Markisah looked at her own bowl of soup; the thick yellowish white soup had an unmistakable slight green tinge. It was very faint, yet still noticeable to her discerning black beady eyes. The scent of the soup reminisced of the scent of coconut; mellow and rich. Yet, it was blended with a spicy scent. 

Markisah didn't want to lie to herself; she did feel worry with Hana's wanton use of random ingredients in this concoction. However, Hana's happy complexion made her feel somewhat compelled in trying. Even the two snake and fox were already eating with gusto. She finally dipped her beak into the soup to fetch for a piece of bamboo shoot. She still didn't dare to taste the soup.

Her eyes widened with disbelieve!

It's a spiritual herb! 

Immediately a small amount of spiritual energy entered Markisah's body, invigorating her. She felt like a bird who can conquer the world! Although just a small amount from a tiny piece, it was very potent!

She saw the astonishment of Ara beside her as their gazes interconnected. Immediately, she felt extremely touched and grateful. No one in this forest was generous enough to share their own stash of spiritual herbs. Almost all of the time, they will guard them with their lives, privy from any thieves. At most, they will share a portion with their own descendants. Often, a big fight with high mortality will occur when a spiritual herb was found. 

She thought that she was generous enough in gifting the mind cleansing spiritual herb, but Hana was more than that! After all the spiritual herb she gave was just a few years old. It had only absorbed a tiny bit of spirituality from the land. Hana's spiritual herb was so rich it might be more than a hundred years old! Maybe two!

Hana smiled by the side while observing everyone in front of her. The small group was sitting in a circle while eating together. "Try out the soup, little ones. I'm sure it'll be something new to you all." Hana chuckled under her breath. She did realize everyone didn't have the courage to drink up the soup.

Markisah hesitated for a moment but finally dipped her beak and brought it upwards in a bid to swallow the soup. A gushing warm and spiciness sensation entered her throat! For once, Markisah's eyes teared up unwittingly (1). 

Nonetheless, the spiciness was not so intense as it were mellowed out with a creamy rich coconutty infusion. A slight sour taste had surprisingly balanced out all the flavors extremely well. If only one ingredient was present, it would've been too strong and unnerving. Now she understood why Hana added so many ingredients inside. She was trying to balance savory, salty, spicy and soury taste together!

A beak of soup became two, then three, four, five..

Markisah could feel her body getting hotter and hotter inside as warm vapor emitted out from the top of her crown. She could almost feel that her bones and muscles felt denser slowly with each piece of spiritual herb she gobbled up together with the soup. It was actually Markisah's first time eating spiritual herb which could strengthen her constitution.

Without realizing it, Markisah was already hooked on with the novelty of the taste and its effects. It was the first for her. She gobbled down the soup ungracefully while feeling the nourishment it provided. She soon realized the soup itself had a high amount of two different spiritual energies inside with differing attributes. 

The chili is a spiritual herb too! She didn't notice since all the energy was confined in the peculiar spiritual herb's body as nothing was leaked out within it and gushed out in liquid form into the soup, making the soup richer in spiritual energy. The fiery energy was a little virulent, but since the spiritual herb was still very young, the effect was not that apparent.

...

Hana was lost in her own world while she slowly ate her share of spicy turmeric coconut soup. The familiar tingling sensation had reminded her of her beloved soulmate, Arash. He loved masak lemak so much because his mom really can cook the dish very well, hence the raised bar. Hana's own masak lemak couldn't be compared to her mother-in-law's. She sighed dejectedly. Suddenly, the spicy soup didn't taste so divine. Before even eating a single piece of bamboo shoot, she had placed her newly made bamboo bowl down.

Seeing how happy the kids were when eating the big prawn, she took two more from the pot and plated them in front of Kuro and Shiro. She loved it when the persons she cared about appreciated her cooking. That included her 'sons' and her newfound friends. Hana peeked into the pot. Only one was left in the pot now. She shrugged. It's alright, there's five more suspended inside Ara's bubble. As long as I have leftover soup, I can just braise them in when the need arises. 

Hana started peeling her own prawn with her fingers and slowly bite into the succulent morsel. A mixture of savory and sweet flavors reminisced of premium freshly caught seafood gushed into her mouth, tantalizing her taste-buds. The prawns were cooked just right; not too short or too long, as the meat was still supple and bouncy, while absorbing the flavors of the spicy soup. The amount of meat from a single prawn had satisfied her immensely; it's like she had eaten a whole chicken's thigh with its drumstick together. She took the head of the prawn and started sucking out all the delicious creamy flavors of the prawn roe!

"Mmmm! So good!" The prawn's 'foie gras' was packed with flavor and tasted so much better than all the prawns she had ever eaten! This must be because it was extremely fresh! The aunty was very convinced with her deduction as this was the first time she ate something freshly caught like this. Her gaze over Ara had gotten softer. The hardworking (yet gullible) nouveau riche fish is a keeper! In the aunty's heart, she had ‘significantly discounted’ Ara’s future transactions.

Seeing Hana's method of eating, Kuro and Shiro had immediately felt stifled and regret. They had just gobbled the second prawn a moment too soon. 

Hana took her time with the prawn's head before placing the shell down with satisfaction. Once she resumed eating the bamboo shoots, the familiar fulfilling feeling resurfaced a moment too soon. She had only eaten half of her bamboo shoots. 

Weird. Why do I feel full again? 

Hana looked to the leftover prawn shell on her banana leaf and turned to look inside her bowl. She was positive that she wasn't full yet when she ate the prawn, only feeling satisfied from the meatiness of the prawn. However, once she eaten the bamboo shoots, she immediately felt full.

Boys, why do I feel full after eating the bamboo shoots? Did you guys feel the same too?  She asked the boys suspiciously. 

We don't. It's a bit too little, Mommy. Kuro replied telepathically. 

Am I sick then? Usually when she was about to get a fever, the initial sign was losing her appetite. However, she felt fit like a bull! The contradictory feeling made her worry for her wellbeing. She knew she had weak GIT. Eating wild foraged goods and freshly caught seafood might gave her an upset stomach later. Her little lactobabies (2) weren't too efficient with the lack of Yakult (3) around daily.

Nahhhh. Mommy, you're thinking too much again. You're just full because the herb is packed with energy. It has nourished your body well. If you can't eat anymore, just stop. You can eat some later after the feeling of fullness subsides. Kuro helpfully added to appease his Mommy's unnecessary worry. Granted, the spiritual herb was a tad bit too strong, but eating a minute amount at a time was not dangerous.

Hana cocked her head to the side, Is it like ginseng? I can't take ginseng, it's too heaty. I usually get sore throat after even a small amount.

Both brothers glanced at each other with complicated gazes. Shiro added with confidence, I guess you can say it like that. But, no worries, your throat won't get hurt. You just need to sleep it off.

Hana blinked her eyes a few times as she noticed something else going on behind her back. She narrowed her eyes and gave them a hard stare all moms will exhibit when they're scrutinizing their kids into submission. Really now?

Both brothers started sweating and answered nervously. Really.

A few minutes passed by as both parties wouldn't budge with their stand. Ara and Markisah kept mum at the side and ate obediently as they noticed the tension in the air. They could feel electrical charges clashed between the usually mild aunty and the whimpering brothers. Surprisingly, her demeanor was akin to a domineering asura, while the brothers' imposing natures were suppressed gradually. In their hearts, they knew they need to be on Hana's good side to exert dominance over the tyrannical brothers. Such was the strong intuition of females, regardless of their species!

A short moment later, Hana sighed. Alright then.

Surprisingly, the aunty relented this time. She knew they wouldn't harm her. This time, they had adamantly stood their ground. Hana gave them an approving thumbs up in her heart without leaking anything from her consciousness. She felt proud as a mother should when one saw her child remained firm on his own decision for the first time. If they didn't want to divulge their dirty little secret, she'll let it go this time; they must have a pretty solid reason. Hana had an inkling of what's going on but was not too sure of it. After all, natural treasures of thousands of years with absurd effects only existed in c-novels she loved so much.

The duo heaved a relieved sigh. It's not that they were lying to their mistress, it's just lacking a tad bit of additional information only. They were afraid Hana would stop eating the spiritual herb once she knew it being sentient. However, they're actually underestimating the aunty's tolerance. As long as the plant couldn't communicate with them, she would've been fine with it. She would've treated it like a slightly clever fish who could evade a trap.

She's a pretty cincai person.

...

Hana's eyelids were getting heavier as her sights getting more and more blurry. She placed the half-finished bamboo bowl down and scrunched her brow. Her head was aching terribly. Usually, what she felt right now was due to her being stubborn, not wanting to sleep when her body needed it.

She took out the smartphone from her pocket and swiped it open tiredly. Oh? It's just 8 pm? 

"Guys, I'm a bit tired. Please help yourselves. Our home is your home too..." Hana's voice was getting softer as she felt her head was swimming underwater. She needed to finish delegating everything before going to sleep first!

"Kuro, close the lid of the soup. If hungry, you guys can finish up the shoots and the last prawn, but not the soup. Later, we can just add more shoots and prawns inside if you like. No need to re-cook the soup again..." Without finishing was she was going to say, Hana fell unconscious to the side.

Shiro managed to support the aunty's head in time with his furry paw. He then gently adjusted himself and let the aunty laid down on his body as he crouched beside the fire. Kuro went forward without a word. He slithered on Hana's shoulder and ultimately coiled around her neck protectively.

"Better behave yourselves, wenches. Be glad Mommy likes you. Just stay anywhere in here but don't ever come close. If I see any of you come forward, I will eat you there and then." He hissed menacingly.

Ara and Markisah shivered when listening to Kuro's threats laced with hostility and cautiousness. All the sweet drippy banter he had with his fox brother were nil at the moment. Both brothers were with one mind in the matter of Hana's protection.

"And don't ever touch the spiritual herb again. It's for our Mommy." He added. Shiro wordlessly consented with Kuro's arrangement as he grimaced, purposely exhibiting his glimmering white sharp teeth.

The air filled with tension as both parties stared down each other from two sides. 

"Krohhhh..krohhhhh..yummy...rice.." Kuro and Shiro nearly fell down as the loud sounds echoed in the cave. A heavy blush crept on both brother's face as they face palmed themselves internally. They had forgotten Hana's terrible snoring habit.

The tension had broken down as a light atmosphere permeated the cave. Light drizzle started outside as Hana started to shiver like a little pup. She adjusted into a fetal posture subconsciously while murmuring, "So cold...brr..cold.."

The effect of the spiritual herb is quite slow. Kuro commented.

True. Maybe because she ate too little. We need to force her to eat a little more next time. Shiro added.

You’re right, Fox. But not too much. Her body is still too weak. Eat a little of the soup and readjust your body temperature to help Mommy stay warm.

Noted, Brother.

Kuro slithered down and helped to make the campfire bigger while Shiro adjusted himself to hug Hana properly. He then drank some soup from the pot given to him by Kuro to help increase his body temperature from the fire properties of the chili spiritual herb.

Hana smiled and sighed in her sleep.

It seemed that she's having a sweet sweet dream as her body was slowly strengthened by the spiritual herb she consumed.

...

Author’s Note:

(1) Markisah's eyes teared up = yep, bird did have tear ducts. It’s just that they don’t do emotional gigs. It’s a natural means to clean their eyes from dust. However, if an intelligent sentient one..hmm Mrs Mooncat will let your imagination run wild for a sec ait 

(2) lactobabies = the tiny little bacteria who take good care of your guts, usually came in the form of Lactobacilli or Lactococci

(3) yakult = one of the many popular cultured milk brands in Malaysia (originates from Japan, based in Seremban)