The aroma emanating from the kitchen provoked suspicion more than appetite. Pecos, his apron stained with flour, waved a giant wooden spoon as if conducting a musical orchestra.
Pecos (shouting with enthusiasm):
"Gentlemen! You are about to taste the 'Great Victory Soup.' A secret recipe passed down through my family, it makes the coward brave, and it makes Darius smile—which in itself is a miracle!"
Darius (sitting at the table, boredly polishing his bow):
"Pecos, the smell is reminiscent of old socks boiled in engine oil."
They were joined by three of Kayan's strongest soldiers: Enil, a lean youth with sharp eyes; Batter, a massive man with arms like tree trunks; and Lizard, the silent sniper wearing a scarf that covered half his face.
Enil (laughing as he sat down):
"So, you're the strangers who fell from the sky? I'm Enil, in charge of communications. And this is Batter; he doesn't eat food—he just crushes plates with his jaws."
Batter (in a deep voice): "I'm hungry. Pecos, if this soup is bad, I'll use you as a projectile the next time we storm the palace."
Pecos (backing away): "Welcome, Mr. Batter! Oh, your arm is bigger than my professional future! Lizard, what about you? Do you talk, or do you just prefer staring at us like we're prey?"
Lizard (in a whispered voice): "I talk when others stop talking nonsense."
Nikos (laughing with dignity):
"Welcome, young men. Don't mind Darius; he has a heart of gold but a tongue of thorns. Pecos, serve the food before Batter decides to eat the table."
Pecos placed the bowls before everyone. The soup was a strange shade of green, with unidentified chunks floating on the surface.
The Game of Wagers and Talents
Enil (inspecting the bowl cautiously):
"Let's play a game. Whoever finishes their bowl first without crying gets to make one request of the others. What do you think?"
Darius: "I'm in. And my request is that Pecos remains silent for an entire hour."
Pecos (gasping): "That's torture! That's illegal under the conventions of war!"
Everyone began to eat. Batter swallowed the contents in one gulp as if drinking water, while Enil started coughing violently. Lizard remained calm as usual, though his face began to change color.
Enil (panting): "Pecos... what did you put in here? Is this cheese or shards of explosive crystal?"
Pecos (proudly): "That is 'Aetheria Fire' pepper. It only grows on cliffs struck by lightning. It opens the pores... the eyes... and the soul!"
Batter: "I want more! This food reminds me of my childhood in the lower factories, where we ate rust and drank oil."
A Friendly Moment Amidst Danger
Everyone laughed, and the tension began to melt away. Nikos started telling them about the companions' previous adventures, while Enil mimicked Peonil's foolish gait in a hilarious way that made even Darius burst into laughter.
Enil (mimicking Peonil): "Oh, look at me! I am Prince Peonil; I want to dissect a pea to see if it has feelings!"
Lizard (laughing for the first time): "Well done, Enil. But the real Peonil has a foul stench; this impression needs some rot to complete the picture."
Nikos: "Boys, you are laughing now, but what's coming is difficult. How is the morale in the Liberation Army?"
Batter (suddenly turning serious): "We are ready to die, Mr. Nikos. The Vuanck family took everything from us. Lizard lost his family in a previous purge, and Enil was supposed to be a scientist, but they enslaved him in the mines. We aren't fighting for power; we're fighting so our children won't have to eat Pecos's soup in shelters!"
Pecos (with pride): "Hey! My soup isn't that bad!"
Darius (placing his hand on Batter's shoulder):
"We will all get through this. And if the palace falls, I'll open a private restaurant for you, Pecos—on the condition that I am the health inspector who shuts it down every day."