There were only three more moons until the Green Moon Festival.

The key to making the elder flower paste involved sautéing the elder flowers with a knob of butter and then simmering with Green Moon wine and reducing. But the kicker was one couldn't use a metal pan.

It had to be done with green clay.

Quincy told Nay that green clay was harvested from the earth deep in the Viridian Forest , or The First Forest as some loremasters called it. It was known as being the area where the Friends of Men had first gathered. Supposedly, they had a dwelling there. A city built amongst the boughs of the trees.

Luckily, Nay had found 'Ol Pat's stash of green clay cookware in one of the storage chests in the larder. The green clay was used in some of the structures in the Peninsula cities, often packed into the foundation because people believed it brought good luck. Some people believed in this so much, there were even Marrow Eaters who used weapons made out of the clay because they believed it gave them a lucky edge in battle. The same for trinkets. People were willing to pay a handsome fee for such items.

Nay melted the butter in the green clay pans and sprinkled in the elder flowers. She added some fresh mint leaves and then poured some of the Green Wine into the pan. She brought the concoction to a simmer and waited for them to reduce. After reduction, the next step was pouring the mixture into the gnomish blenders and blending to break apart the flowers.

The blended elder flowers were then poured through strainers and the liquid was collected in jars to eventually be mixed with rice flour, sugar and eggs.

---

[Quest Detected]

[Quest: Make A Thousand Moon Cakes]

[Accept Quest Y/N?]

---

Nay had accepted the quest and for the rest of the day, her, Nom and Gracie would be making the paste and storing everything inside the walk-in cooler.

/////////

It turned out that Tuk-Tuk was also a beast as a dishie.

Not that he shifted into his bear form to take command of the dish pit, but that he was fast and efficient. He was also thorough. Every plate, pan and pot was cleaned with nary a speck of food residue or dirt to be found on them.

The previous night, upon arriving at the Lodge, after he had taken a bath and cleaned himself of the blood from the battle with the Nether Spawn, he was brought to family dinner where he met the rest of the staff.

And Nom.

Nay had prepared him as best as she could. "Don't be alarmed. The sous chef isn't of the human variety."

The tribesman had raised an eyebrow at that but it was clear that whatever he was expecting didn't line up with the reality. He had stopped in the threshold to the kitchen to stare.

"You must be the Bear!" Nom said. "Come and join us! I made some fried venison hearts and roasted potatoes. Should replenish you and you can tell me all about how you saved Moonglum Farms!"

Tuk-Tuk looked from him to the servers and to Nay. When he realized that everyone was calm, enjoying their meal and showing no sign that anything was wrong while dining with a talking tentacle, he relaxed some.

"Go on, don't be scared," Nom said, scooting over. "I don't bite."

"Hard," Nom added, after a moment.

Bryja and Ulla laughed.

Tuk-Tuk sat down next to Nom. He seemed stiff as a board, unsure how he should present himself, so he was defaulting to his stoic mode.

Nay served him a plate of the food and then grabbed a plateful for herself. She sat down across from him next to the girls.

Tuk-Tuk grabbed a portion of the slivered and fried deer heart with his bare hands and took a bite. His demeanor of suspicious caution melted away to one of pleasure. He was impressed by the taste and continued to eat, amazed.

Bryja and Ulla giggled while watching him eat. They didn't bother hiding their attraction to the youthful and mysterious hunter from the Twelve Tribes. Nay smirked.

"You know," Nom said. "If it wasn't for our new friend here, we wouldn't have the rice flour to make the moon cakes for the festival. In fact, the Moonglum family might not even be alive."

The server girls observed Tuk-Tuk with renewed interest. But the Northern hunter was too busy focusing on the meal. As one does when eating Epicurist-quality cooking.

"It's true," Nay said, as she made her way through the roasted veggies. "Some monsters attacked the farm but Tuk-Tuk was there to defend them. Isn't that right, Tuk-Tuk?"

Tuk-Tuk was having a moment with his food, going for seconds.

"Right, Tuk-Tuk?"

He realized everyone else had been talking. He set his plate down and nodded. "I was hunting it from the North. I tracked it to the farm and was able to confront it. Although I don't know if I would have succeeded in protecting the family if it wasn't for you and Quincy. You're as much to thank as me."

The servers looked at Nay.

"Well," Nay said, unsure how to act or what to say. "Quincy's a former adventurer. He's had plenty of experience dealing with monsters."

"If I recall," Tuk-Tuk said, "You didn't seem to have any qualms about getting close to it and stabbing it with knives."

Nay glanced at the servers, who were looking at her, impressed and ever curious about the chef. "Anyone else who was there would have done the same."

Tuk-Tuk observed her, a bit puzzled to why she was downplaying her role. But then he let it go and turned his attention back to the deer hearts. "I must thank you for the meal. It's nice to eat with others again."

"How long were you traveling alone?" Nom said.

"It's been seven moons since the last member of my hunting party perished," Tuk-Tuk said.

Nom nodded with respect. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"My people have been having problems with these things," Tuk-Tuk said. "Is it the same here?"

Everyone looked at each other.

"We've had our share of troubles," Nay said.

"Dark days, then," Tuk-Tuk said. "We share the same land and ought to protect each other. As long as I'm here, I will keep an eye out for you."

"And we for you, friend," Nom said. The tentacle got up and retrieved a Void Lambic from his conjured table. He set the frothy beer in front of Tuk-Tuk. Tuk-Tuk picked it up and Nom bumped his drink into his. "To new friends, and an end to the darkness!"

Tuk-Tuk watched Nom down his drink in one gulp. He was impressed.

The brown-haired hunter threw his head back and slammed the Void Lambic without taking a breath. When he was done chugging, he slammed his flagon on the table.

“Alright!” Nom said.

Tuk-Tuk wiped the beer froth off his lips with the back of his hand and looked sheepishly at the servers watching him. Bryja and Ulla smiled back, turning red. The chillwind faun slowly adjusted herself until she was hiding her flagon, but Ulla just started laughing.

/////////

Dinner serviced rolled around and everyone was at their different stations, back of the house and front of the house, all going about their different jobs. Occasionally their orbits would intersect.

As Nay and Nom concentrated on cooking pasta, working with careful timing to move the noodles into their pans of venison sauce where they would ladle a little pasta water and let things mix together, she glanced back at the dish room and gestured at Tuk-Tuk, who was crushing the dishes like a man on a mission.

“Better watch the front of the house girls with him,” Nay said. “He’s the type of dishie whom servers and hostesses can’t help but fall for.”

“He does have a certain mystique about him,” Nom said. “I wonder if the polar bear thing is a plus or a minus.”

“Definitely a plus. He can basically turn into a warm bed.”

“I’m a little jealous,” Nom said.

“Don’t be,” Nay said. “He’s unique, like you. To paraphrase the words of a great writer, he’s one of God’s own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind never considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and to rare to die.”

“You’re saying I’m weird?”

“In a good way. But to tell the truth, I think we’re all weird here.”

Nom didn’t argue with that. As he monitored his pan of venison sauce and ditali noodles, he went to reach for a sprinkle of parsley and realized he was out. “Need more herbs here.”

“I’ll grab them,” Nay said.

She went into the pantry where the barrel herb garden was. She went to pluck a few handfuls of parsley from where it was growing when a voice startled her.

“There you are.”

She froze and spun around. There was no one behind her at the door.

There was a chuckle.

“Not there. Here.”

Nay turned and looked at the black rose tucked behind the barrels of herbs. It had grown much bigger from when she last saw it. The shimmering galaxy black petals gestured at her, and there was sap or some type of secretion dripping from the tips of the thorns. And strangest of all, there was a mouth formed out of purple plant matter at the center of the black rose.

It spoke again.

“I’ve been looking for you,” the voice said, coming out of the mouth.

She recognized it then. It was the voice of the mysterious Entrophist.

“Have you been avoiding me on purpose?”

Nay glanced behind her again, to make sure no one was nearby. Then she leaned closer and whispered, “No, I haven’t been avoiding you. I’ve been busy.”

That chuckle again.

“I’m glad you decided to let the Rose of Distant Voices grow.”

“So that’s what this thing is called.”

“I gave it to you so we could communicate, should you choose to let it grow. I’m glad you did.”

“You know, I was about to throw it in the fire.”

“And why would you do that?”

“Because I have every reason to believe you’re a bad man.”

There was an exclamation of mock offense.

“Me? A bad man?”

“You’re from the Phantomhead Empire.”

“You’re right about one thing. The other is a matter of opinion, you’ll find.”

“So you’re not bad?”

“It depends on who you talk to about me.”

“So give me a reason not to cut off our communication and destroy this…Rose of Distant Voices.”

“I suppose that’s fair. What do you want to know?”

“Well, a name would be a good start.”

“Nikolai Dragavei.”

“Okay, Nikolai. How did you find me in the Frozen Vale?”

“Scrying.”

“And how did you elude the attention of those watching the vale?”

“It’s really not that interesting.”

“Humor me.”

“A powerful cloaking glamour.”

“What is it that you want with me?”

“It’s not what I want with you. It’s what I can offer you.”

“And what’s that? I’m not interested in doing what you do.”

“And what is it that I do?”

“I know what you are. You feed on souls.”

There was silence for a moment. Nay was sure this was the end of the conversation that spanned the geography and an ocean.

“Some of us, like me, only feed on the souls of the willing,” Nikolai said.

“What does that mean?”

“You assume all of us kill and steal souls. Am I right?”

“Well isn’t that what you do?”

“There are some of us who refuse to take a life. We only feed on those who have offered their souls to us. Those too sick to live. Those too old to live. They’re all on the cusp of death and want to dedicate their lives to a cause greater than them.”

“And what cause is that? Expanding your Empire?”

“There are those of us who might want to topple the Empire.”

This threw Nay for a loop.

“So you said you could offer me something. What did you mean by that?”

“What if I told you there was a way to return back to your world?”

Nay stared at the black rose, thunderstruck by that question. As her thoughts raced, there was a bang and the air filled with torn black petals, imprinted with a galaxy. The black rose exploded in pieces, pierced by a crossbow bolt.

Nay turned around and Quincy was in the doorway, holding Gertrude. His face twitching with anger.