The kitchen rang with metal on wood, flashing knives and clinking utensils, the air filled with smoke and steam. The hurried chatter of cooks and servers were traded swiftly, each swing of the door brought in happy words from the dining room as well as satisfied noises of eating people. Despite it being late afternoon, traditionally a slower period of time, the restaurant was busy ever since the creation of the new soup. Word had spread like wildfire and people lined up to order the new dish, bringing new interest to the eatery.

Normally Eyezyk Iron Fang would be happy. The soup he painstakingly recreated was well received, requiring multiple pots made a day. Business was booming, his staff busy and happy, his customers full and satisfied. Yet he stared down at the pot in his corner of the kitchen with a slightly dissatisfied expression. It wasn’t that it tasted bad, all the eager customers would prove that observation false. It was that the taste wasn’t his. He had recreated the soup from scratch, from a sample his friend Leon Richards had brought him. With the help of another, he was able to remake the original and now he and Leon were making a handy profit from it. Yet it didn’t taste like his cooking. The orc always took every dish he learned, every recipe he tried, and added his own touch to it. Something was always added or something was changed so that the original became something new, something distinctly his style.

The chef frowned, his jaw clenched around the stem of smoke-berry wood held between his lips. He chewed thoughtfully, letting the smokey sweet flavor fill his mouth as he mused over ideas. “The beef did not work, nor did any of the pork products. Poultry works the best considering the rock grouse and gilded duck went into the process. Unfortunately, the cloud beans clouded the broth reducing the golden clarity. I do not want to fill it with too much, yet it lacks something…”

So lost in thought, the orc didn’t notice the shorter petite figure beside him until he felt a tug removing the stick from his mouth. Opening it to protest gave the elvish girl her opportunity to shove one end of a sandwich within. “You’ve been chewing away at this thing all day chef,” Melody said throwing away the stick and ignoring Eyezyk’s gimlet glare. “You need to eat something proper and grunting and glaring at me won’t change that.”

The orc rolled his eyes but complied, strong teeth tearing through bread and meat as he chewed. “You are very fortunate that you are correct,” he replied to her dimpled smile. “How is everything?” His purple eyes flicked around the kitchen with a slightly guilty expression.

“Everything’s fine chef.” Slim fingers adjusted the red bandanna around flaxen hair. “The floor is busy but keeping up with orders, kitchen’s running perfectly smooth. We just got our delivery from the distributor so we’re all good.” She looked at the counters in the Alchemist’s corner, at the piles of ingredients in various states of use. “Still haven’t found anything that works with the soup?”

He shook his head, brow creasing with frustration. “Not yet, if ever.” He pointed an accusing finger at the pot of golden liquid. “The soup is proving to be as much trouble pairing as it did in creating. Nothing seems to work with it. It either overpowers the tastes of others or becomes muddled. It seems to be doomed to a solitary existence.” He chewed the sandwich with vengeance, as if swallowing his anger. “Yes, I know the taste is there,” he continued cutting off the elf’s reply. “However, it still does not taste how I want it to taste. It tastes like the original, but that is all it tastes like. It does not have something to set it apart yet, something more.”

He bit open air, realizing the sandwich had disappeared entirely. Before he could move Melody held out another and he accepted it gratefully. His fit of pique passed and he slowly munched on the second offering, now appreciating the rough crusted bread holding savory slow roasted pork and tangy century cheese. Subtle hints of pungent mustard cut through the creamy richness of the cheese and slivers of pickled ginger added a spicy note. He watched the elf girl fill a bowl from the pot, tasting it with various things on the counter.

“I see what you mean chef.” A moue of distaste crossed her face as the hopping beans turned the broth bitter, a cough leaving her mouth as the beans reacted violently and jumped from her mouth and spoon. She caught the errantly jumping legumes and threw them away. “It’s sad really, you worked really hard on it. Surely it has to work with something.”

The two stood in the corner, the bustle of the kitchen rolling around them like crashing waves around still rock. The elf looked up at the hulking orc. “Well, what did you used to do when you were stuck like this? I know some of your famous dishes took some time to make. You didn’t make them all perfectly the first time.”

He leaned against the counter, eyes glazing over thoughtfully. Melody was correct, many of his dishes did take meticulous investigation before completion. Long hours of experimentation built upon years of food knowledge had created those dishes. In fact many of them were developed while he was an active investigator. Foods he found and tasted in the wilds gave him ideas, inspiration that he held onto for years before he left the Agency to put his theories into practicality.

“Well, many of my favorite dishes were when I was still in active Investigator,” he spoke softly as his mind traveled back over the years. The girl’s pointed ears perked up, eyes sparkling as she listened. “When I was out in the Veldt, the Cloudspine Mountains, even deep in the Windswept Wastes, I found ingredients in primal forms, untouched and holding their truest flavors. Those flavors help lay the foundation for their future final forms.” A smile crossed over his lips. “Now those were the days…”

Melody tucked a strand of hair around her ear. “Maybe you should do that again then. You’ve been working hard for weeks on the soup. Most of your ingredient hunting has been at the markets and the nearby farms, not nearly as open as the wilds. Maybe you can find new inspiration?”

She leapt as the orc moved suddenly. He straightened up, like a sapling released by the wind and he clapped his hands. All the heads in the kitchen turned with the sudden noise and a bark from the sous chef had everyone return to their tasks. “By the Powers, a wonderful idea Melody!” It was as if a mantle of stress fell away from the orc. He turned to a calendar and ran a thick green finger along a line, a satisfied chuckle falling from his lips. “It seems fortuned smiles as well, just the right time for a very special place to open up.” He smiled at the elf’s confusion. “The ForeverGreen Basin. Usually the dense Ironwood trees keep all out save for aerial means. For the next month however, the wood weakens and migrates, letting any to explore. It is truly a wild paradise and some of the freshest and most primal of ingredients can be found.”

The elf smiled, pleased with the chef’s happiness. “Good timing then! Sounds like a wonderful place.”

Her smile faded as the orc continued. “Oh yes, I have been there before. Yet you will see if for yourself soon enough.”

“Wh-What does that mean?! You want me to come too?”

“Of course. You were instrumental in the creation of the final product and reminded me of my roots. As far as I am concerned you are a vital component to this dish. It is imperative you accompany me and continue to lend insight and luck.”

“I don’t know chef…I’ve never been there. I don’t know how much use I’d be.”

“Worry not. You will be compensated for your time and you will be with one of the best Investigators that ever worked for the Agency.” His skin darkened slightly as she snorted at his boasting. “I know you were raised in the city but I will take quite good care of you.”

---

The orc chef hung upside down, vines thicker than his legs wrapped around his body and he sighed deeply, eyes looking at the ground above him. He tried to ignore the giggling punctuated by metal cutting through fiber, the circumstances tugged at the corners of his mouth. “If you have time to giggle, then you have time to cut faster Melody.”

“I’m doing both as fast as I can chef,” replied the elf as she hacked industriously through the thick vines. “I’m just remembering what you told me when we left Nova Valora. Just kind of funny you have to admit.”

He sighed but it ended with a throaty chuckle. “Well, yes. Perhaps I am more out of touch than I thought.” His eyes narrowed as he stared at the girl. “However, I am impressed at how well you find yourself here in the ForeverGreen.”

“What can I say chef? It’s in my blood. I’m a wood elf after all.”

“I thought you were born and raised in the city.”

“Well yeah, but plenty of family still live in the Outskirts, between the cities, and even in Silver Woods. We visit often and I trained for a while with my cousins in the Patrols. That is until I learned that the food they ate is barely food and adding salt to the rations was considered fancy.” She sighed deeply, bringing a smile to Eyezyk’s lips. “I didn’t expect you to get caught by such an obvious Sneakster Vine Beast chef. I thought you were some bigshot explorer.”

“I have never seen one so big,” Eyezyk retorted with indignation. “There is a chance I am…rusty. It has been many years since I have ventured into the wilds,” he repeated lamely to a fresh bout of giggling. “Ware your words, I can fire you.”

“Many apologies chef,” mock sincerity oozed from the elf’s words. “I’ll try to do better. Ah there we go!” The blade finished cutting through the thick vine, loosening their grip around the orc. He managed to turn as he fell, landing heavily on his feet. He glared upward, stretching the coils of vine and they fell in a ring around him. He shook his head, another smile rising unreluctantly as he watched the lithe elf climb down the tree, leaping the last ten feet and landing nimbly beside him.

“Very well, you are still employed.” He lifted a coil of vines and dropped them into her arms. The immense weight caused her to stumble and he held her steady. “Sneakster vines make fine stock however so its loss is our gain. Come along then, no need to waste daylight.”

---

The pair eventually made it back to the main base, a bustling city of tents and temporary structures near the opening of the ForeverGreen Basin. When Eyezyk announced a return to wild investigation, word has spread like wild fire. The return of Eyezyk of the Golden Palate? The Agency swiftly came to an agreement with the returning orc. They would help furnish and finance the expedition and in return the orc would share discoveries as well as help the Agency explorers and scientists. In truth Eyezyk was pleased with the agreement. Any expedition is difficult to organize and without the sheer logistics and processing power of the Agency, it would have been difficult for him. However, with the Agency a full group of several explorers and technicians helped share the load with considerable resources. In the few days they have been there they already identified some new variations of wild peppers, a new species of fruit, and a grazing beast reminiscent of cattle.

“I haven’t seen anything like this before,” whispered Melody as she looked across the sea of thorns. An opening in the dense forest had revealed what seemed like a brown meadow. As they got closer they found a thick growth of thorny plants, thick brownish green stems covered in long thick thorns. They coiled and undulated, forming peaks and throughs and creating the illusion of waves frozen in place. Rustling of underbrush echoed through the thorns and glittering eyes opened and closed, a fluttering of wings showing birds entering and leaving the thorn sea. Here and there trees rose from the thorns, like rocks sticking out of the surf, and birds perched in the branches. Large red globes of unrecognized fruit hung from the branches, protected by the natural barrier. She turned and looked askance at Eyezyk as he pulled on thick leather gloves, fastening long sleeves over bare arms. “You…you’re not going in there are you?

He gave her a tusky grin of good cheer, a roguish twinkle in his eye. “Do you see those trees? I bet those fruit are especially tasty given how well they are defended.” He reached out and carefully grasped a thick branch while his other hand hefted a large heavy blade. A swipe of his arm and he cut a chunk free. Holding the branch to his nose he breathed deeply. “Hmmm, an earthy scent not unlike most edible roots.” He bit the end, crushing the fibers between his teeth. “A rich taste, pleasant mouth feel with a chewy finish.” He grinned at the incredulous girl. “No sense in not collecting some of these thorned plants as well. I imagine they will prove to be quite tasty properly prepared. Since you are the first to find this area, we can perhaps name them after you.

The elf started to bundle the sections cut by the orc, a wry smile on her face. “Gee thanks chef. Just what I always wanted, to have a pokey and ugly plant named after me. What ever will I do with that honor?”

---

The sound of furious squealing followed the two figures running through the undergrowth. Branches whipped past the fleeing pair, threatening to snag and trip the runners. “I’m so sorry,” gasped the human male, stumbling on a weak leg. “It caught me. You should go, don’t get caught by it.”

Melody shook her head, arm supporting and dragging him along. “Shut up. Save your breath. We should be back to base soon. Don’t look!” she gasped as the man turned his head. “Just….keep…running!” She ignored her own words, head turning slightly as the sound of squeals got closer, of wood snapping and earth torn and flung followed. Her eyes widened as bright blue met deep red. The King Boar was enormous, larger than some cars in the city and running nearly as fast. It roared, the sound shaking the environment around them as the beast screamed his displeasure at the intruders. Impossibly it sped up, thick ropes of drool spilling from its mouth and giant tusks protruded from its lips, glinting like steel in the light.

It closed the distance to the elf and human, hooves pounding the ground like beats of a drum. The man stumbled again and Melody felt her own balance start to shift. A form appeared in front of the runners and a deep voice cried out, “DUCK!” Half listening and half from gravity the pair did as commanded, falling into the thick loam and flying past the figure standing firm. The sound of stone hitting bone filled the air. The squealing cut off abruptly, replaced by a confused grunt and faltering footsteps.

Rolling over Melody looked wide eyed at the king boar. It walked on a few paces, almost drunkenly, before collapsing. Its knees gave out, the giant beast almost deflating and it fell over. Labored breathing was heard and the monster shuddered as it lay on the earth. Her eyes flicked back to see Eyezyk standing to one side, ruefully shaking his hand and blowing on the knuckles of a large fist. “Did-Did you just knock out a running king boar?!” Her voice was equal parts disbelief and delight at her employer and rescuer.

The orc grinned as he felt his hand, wincing a little. “It was a pretty good hit was it not?” He tapped the center of his forehead with a thick green finger. “A weak spot of the king boar. Usually difficult to hit and its horns prevent it from hurting itself when it charges. If you can hit it just right,” he gestured to the prone boar, “it is quite effective.” He strolled over and knelt by the gasping man. “Good job Melody for two good tasks.”

She crawled over, opening up the first aid kit that Eyezyk pulled out of his pack. “Two?”

“Rescuing our comrade here.” Eyezyk gently propped at the gash on the man’s leg. “And providing dinner,” he continued nodding at the boar. “We will eat well tonight.”

---

“A penny for your thoughts chef?”

Eyezyk turned and smiled at Melody as she walked up to him, munching away at skewer of roasted boar. The fragrant smells of the fire cooked pork wafted up, mingling pleasantly with the scents of the basin around them. A good portion of the researchers and adventurers still feasted on large quantities of pork, the bulk of the beast still turning on a spit over a huge bonfire. Other fires sported grills that cooked a variety of wild vegetables, sparks and aromatic smoke rising into the inky black sky. The orc held a large rib himself, tearing off meaty chunks and chewing blissfully at them as he stood over his portable stove.

“Just enjoying the feast. King boar is quite the treat cooked like this, freshest you can ever have it really.” He pointed with the rib at a bubbling pot on the stove. “Sadly it is still too strong of a meat for the soup. I suspect the Miso sardines umami cloud is a bit too strong for the boar.”

The elvish girl sighed, then perked up. “Well that means we can just eat more then.” She continued to devour her skewer as Eyezyk chuckled. “Thank you for bringing me chef, this has been an amazing experience. I feel like I really got to learn a lot more about natural ingredients, wild ones. Now I understand why you spring for them whenever you can, they are definitely worth the extra cost.”

The orc chef smiled, proud of his assistant. “You have been a welcome addition to the expedition, I am proud of your skills. You would make a fine Investigator for the Agency if you so choose.” He nodded solemnly at her blush. “I am serious, if you ever wished to change careers, this one would suit you well.”

“Thanks chef, that means a lot to me.” She hid her embarrassment by chewing voraciously at the skewer. “I’m happy with what I‘m doing now at the restaurant, but maybe can do this once in a while too. It’s a lot of fun. You look a lot happier in the field like this too.”

Eyezyk gnawed thoughtfully on the rib as his mind gnawed at her words. “Yes, I do feel more content the last few weeks. It is good to revisit my roots as an Investigator, an explorer. I have many good memories of being one. It is good to remember where you come from, it paves the road to where you are going.”

Melody approached the stove, her own gaze turning accusatory as she sipped from the ladle. “It’s sad though, the season for the Basin is about to end and we haven’t found a single thing that goes well in the soup. We’ve scavenged and went through the entire ForeverGreen for pity’s sake. We’ve put everything we hunted, found, dug, and anything in between into this thing.” She thumped the side of the pot with the ladle, glaring at the golden liquid bubbling away mockingly. “Ungrateful thing, it can’t work with anything.”

Eyezyk laughed, a rich sound. “It does seem to be an excessively proud soup. I used to think that there is nothing that cannot be paired with something else. Yet this soup may prove to be that.”

The orc and elf accepted another length of roasted meat from a server, exchanging words of thanks and the man limped off. Both smiled as the man ate at his meat with a look of satisfied vengeance, his slight limp not detracting from his enjoyment. “Say chef, we’ve served king boar at the restaurant before. I know that while it isn’t as fresh when we get it there, it still doesn’t taste nearly as good as this one. Why is that?”

Eyezyk warmed to the subject as he pointed at various trees and plants around the camp. “The king boar we receive is more domestic than the truly wild ones that live here in the Basin. While they are not farmed exactly, they are still raised in a more controlled environment. The boar here are able to eat favored foods that really add to the flavor of the meat. Acorns from the Ironwood trees add the rich minerality of the beast, wild sugar onions add that hint of sweetness, the grasses here are similar to the leek family. Even the water here possesses qualities others lack. While king boar raised elsewhere are more than edible, there are certain things that a boar is just lacking if it does not have access to. An essential companion if you will.”

Melody nodded along as she ate. As the chef spoke she felt she could taste the differences in this wild boar and she appreciated the lesson learned. “Too bad we don’t know where that soup originally came from. We would have a better idea of what its “essential companion” could be.”

At her words Eyezyk stopped. He felt that faint brush, that touch in his mind that let him the presence of a clue. He ran with the thought, grasping at it until he teased it into a coherent thought. “Melody, tell me. What are some things that fireweed is used for utterly? What are some foods that respond well with fireweed, nay, foods that need fireweed?”

---

Eyezyk smiled as he watched the customers eating his food. His own smiled was mirrored by a multitude of consumers as they sipped from their bowls and ate the same sandwich served with a reddish bread. The staff worked industriously, their happy chatter mingled with shouted orders of the chef de cuisine. His smile grew as he was approached by a lithe elvish girl, cheeks flushed from exertion and a slight rebellious eye from her. “You really had to make that sandwich didn’t you? Now we’re even busier!”

“You only have yourself to blame Melody,” Eyezyk replied to her snort. “You told me of a lovely bread made with fireweed, as well as a certain type of chicken that tastes delicious with it. So instead of adding it to the soup, we added it to the side and now both dishes sit in perfect harmony.”

She sighed and blew a strand of hair away. “You could help out you know.”

He shrugged. “I could, but I need to get going. I have been asked to weigh in on an expedition to the Jewel Coral Sea. Besides, as the sous chef now, you can handle it.” He looked pointedly at the new badge gleaming on her coat.

She smiled back, preening a little. “Thanks chef, don’t forget you better bring me with you on the next expedition you go on!”

He smiled and turned. “Of course not, it would not do for me to go without my essential companion.”