EREBOS

A challenge; the notion whistled through the lad’s ears and he pulsed with a brilliant, humming excitement, felt it keen and brim throughout his veins, because here was a chance, here was an opportunity, to do something great and grand, to rise to the occasion, battle against his fellow competitors, and hasten to the best. His eyes, constantly drawn to the small egg (nearly consumed by the strange turkey, had they not been swift in their approach), wondering what it was, if he could have it for his own, if it was like Adelric’s Tobias, housing some beautiful, wonderful creature, maneuvered over the crowd, nodded his head at the rules, at the regulations, absorbing everything with princely confidence. He had a chance, and like so many of his ancestors before him, he had no notion of giving in, of failure, of floundering, collapse, or defeat. Determination and tenacity wheeled the cogs in his head, and he set to work on adhering to the task at hand.

Fairy tales were an interesting concept to apply to food: his mother had told him many stories before bed, of maidens whisked away by dragons, of kisses awakening princesses, of fair knights jousting and dueling to the death. He perused his ingredients, gathered, found, and collected through various passages and nestled gardens, oasis’ blooming in the winter wonders, the bread offered and taken, and he recalled the story of the little foals Hansel and Gretel. Like so many of the myths, they’d been pressed by cruelty into further hardships, forced away from their family, hastening down dark passageways, returning only to find they still weren’t wanted, then wandering down the primrose path: towards a beautiful, candied cottage. Could he use this narrative for the turkey’s meal?

The little scion rushed to a nearby corner, secretly devising a plan for this appetizer. He glanced over the array of bread, cheese, and flour, and after some moments, wandered towards the edge of the Heart Caves, where the fires brimmed and glowed. Cutting out little sections of bread with his lengthy horn, hoping to embody the small, white pebbles Hansel had dropped through the murky wood, he placed them near the edge of the flames, before slicing out several pieces of cheese, positioning them over the neat, tidy mounds of bread. His eyes glistened as the cheese melted in gilded rivulets along the tops – it looked quite delicious – and he pulled all of them away before they burnt near the open inferno. But he couldn’t just present droplets of cheesy bread for the turkey, something needed to be done about the presentation; he frowned for a moment, then chased off into the opening of the caverns for a few fallen pine needles and dried, saddened leaves, browned and withering, to use as a plate.

Ebullient and buoyant, he bounced with great ease towards the turkey, putting the leaves and pine needles around in a dish, platter version: then putting the small, stone-like cheesy bread upon the dried, crispy leaves. For added finesse, he snagged a couple of breadcrumbs, like the ill-fated ones used by Hansel and Gretel, and sprinkled them around the edges. With a winsome smile, his gaze became riveted upon the turkey, and his charming, lithe tones embarked through the cave. “I made some cheesy bread for your appetizer, ma’am. I shaped them like the pebbles found in Hansel and Gretel’s story, and included some breadcrumbs around the edge, like they did in the dark forest.” His grin grew bigger, feral, impish, obviously proud (and hoping they tasted as good as they looked). “I hope you like it!”


[Additional ingredient brought in: cheese.

Made: cheesy bread cut up in little, rounded slices/circles to resemble pebbles used in Hansel and Gretel’s story. He also sprinkled a few breadcrumbs, another noteworthy portion of the fairy tale, around the edges of his leaf/pine needle plate.

Wishlist - Would like a Kitsune. No prior refusals.

Erebos will be bringing: mint, milk, sugar, flour, ginger, cinnamon, and peaches.]