"Wait, Mita, it's !" Johny coughed, spitting out a bit of salt.
"You're pale and weird-looking and you sll funny!" she wailed. "Only ghosts look like that!"
"I just ate sothing spicy, I swear!"
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, then quickly reached under the table and hurled a second pinch of salt like a holy warrior mid-ritual.
Johny ducked this ti.
"Mita, please, my eyes are still burning from yesterday's 'training'. I don't need another exorcism!"
"Nooo… go away Shooo…. Shoooo…"
"Mita!"
He had no choice but to run towards the door and flung it wide open to let her see that he was not a ghost. But before he could say anything she rushed forward with astonishing speed, her small feet making the tap tap tap sound and hurriedly closed the door before locking it.
"Mita please, I'm too tired for this." Johny cried out in desperation.
Still not believing him she opened the window a little bit and was preparing to throw another handful of salt but she looked at the boy standing outside, he himself was almost in tears. She finally paused, peeking closer.
"…Brother?"
He nodded, half-choking on a cough and brushing salt from his hair.
"Ohhh," Mita said with sudden, adorable guilt. Her bottom lip trembled. "You looked like a ghost. I thought you were cursed."
Johny sighed, gave her a crooked smile, and knelt down with open arms.
Please open the door first.
The next second she bolted into his hug in a second.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled into his chest. "But if you ever do beco a ghost, I'll still salt you. For your own good."
"…That's fair."
He tousled her hair softly, chuckling weakly as he thought.
Kaelen's cooking might kill . But at least I'll die loved.
Day Seven
Success.
It ca unexpectedly.
No theatrics. No fancy purification rituals.
Just a simple pan-sear in mana-oil, light salt, and a spritz vinegar, Alira's quiet idea, while the boys argued over whether to fla-grill or slow braise. Then by mistake Kaelen cut his fingers and a drop of blood fell into the pan.
He imdiately healed his wounds and luckily nobody noticed it.
Then he shoved the pan next to Johny. Saying to himself.
My blood will not increase the toxicity will it? Anyways, let's not waste food.
Johny took one bite.
Then two.
Then finished the whole plate in silence.
He sat there, blinking. Then slowly smiled. "That… was really good."
The trio stared.
Kaelen dropped his ladle. Neal gasped. Alira did a double take.
They cheered like children. Mita clapped from the doorway, still in her little rabbit slippers. Johny had brought her along with him since after the ghost accident and Alira quite enjoyed the company of Mita.
A single dish.
A true success.
They'd done it.
And then Kaelen ruined the mont.
"WE NEED TO PLANT AN ENTIRE FIELD OF THIS STUFF!"
Later That Afternoon.
Johny blinked at them as if they'd lost their minds.
"...You want to plant Wyrmleaf. In my backyard?"
Kaelen smiled his most disarming smile. "Just a few rows."
"No."
Neal leaned in, arms crossed casually. "We'll handle the setup. All safety asures in place."
"Still no."
Kaelen waved a hand. "We'll build a tier-three array. Anything living gets blocked. Even pests won't cross it."
"My sister plays in the backyard!"
Alira nodded. "We'll install a locking sigil keyed only to us and Mita's mana. She won't even notice it."
Johny frowned. "She's six and she still eats dirt."
Kaelen blinked. "...okay that's valid."
Neal added, "But unless she accidentally breathes fire, punches trees, and shatters spatial barriers, like the Dawn Academy kids, there's nothing she can do to this array."
"…still no!," Johny grumbled, crossing his arms.
"We'll cover her tuition at Dawn. And this ti I'm not lying, the information is legit." Kaelen promised with a wink.
And this was a blatant lie, the Dawn academy chose their students not the other way around and they never needed to pay any tuition fees, everything was for free.
"You're not helping," Alira muttered, elbowing him.
But the word Dawn academy caught Johny's attention like it was so salvation. He didn't have any information about the academy except it was the best and these three devils in human skin in front of him were all graduates from the Dawn academy so he decided to believe Kaelen.
"But if she starts levitating or talking to animals or sothing I'll never forgive you guys."
That Evening at Johny's backyard garden.
The plot behind Johny's house was small but perfect, rich soil, lots of sunlight, and a fence already in place.
With surprisingly serious expressions, Kaelen and Neal began constructing the array, a silver glyph pattern etched into the ground, powered by their own mana, woven with cleansing energy and defensive wards. This chapter is from the collection at *.
Alira stood watch, arms crossed, making sure no roots or leaves could escape.
By sunset, the plot glowed faintly gold.
Mita peeked out the window, saw the garden sparkling, and whispered, "Pretty."
Johny sighed, arms on his hips, already regretting agreeing. But when Kaelen turned, hands on hips, grinning like he'd just conquered a continent, it was hard not to feel proud.
"This is how legends begin," Kaelen declared, gesturing toward the growing patch of Wyrmleaf.
Neal muttered, "Legends of indigestion."
Alira smirked. "Or the Ashen Boar's first signature dish."
Johny looked at them all.
And despite himself… he smiled.
But it ca to a stop when the next word escaped Kaelen's mouth.
"Alright now kill everything inside and by everything I an everything"
The following days were quiet and they had already added the dish to the nu.
They had Wyrmleaf.
They had soil. Mana. Array.
They had a traumatized test subject, Johny, who still shivered slightly every ti he slled vinegar or saw anything with too much seasoning.
All that was left was… to grow it properly.
"Alright, we just need a second opinion," Neal said, crossing his arms.
"I already have an opinion," Kaelen said, flipping open a book titled 'Cooking with Wildfire'. "I think we should just plant it and yell at it to grow."
"Are you planning to shout it into existence?" Alira muttered, sipping her tea.
Kaelen squinted. "...Now that you ntion it… "
Reviews
All reviews (0)