Sete, the Spring:
Total power recovered [12%/100%]
Total divinity recovered [9%/100%]
Corruption of the world dispelled [0.17%/100%]
Heirs of divinities saved [8%/100%]
Coins from the seed store: 840
Agriculture [lv. 2]
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— Thyme, lemon and... lotus? — Sete muttered accidentally as she read the translucent panel in the seed store. — The thorns of the roses that were unlocked last time were useful for puncturing car tires, but how can I use these other plants?
— Thyme and lemon! — Bianca exclaimed, stopping cutting the pumpkin into pieces to stare at the young deity. — They're just the best seasonings for pork!
An excessively large smile broke out on Sete's face. Everyone watched her curiously as she bent down, took some seeds from the pocket of the dark cargo pants she was wearing — the mystery of where these things came from always intrigued the heirs — and planted them in the soil nearby.
The greenish aura of Spring's powers spread over the churned soil in soft, glowing waves, seeping into the substrate and enveloping the plants entirely. It wasn't long before delicate shoots erupted from the earth, growing uncontrollably to maturity: a sumptuous lemon tree bursting with ripe fruit and an aromatic thyme bush.
Bianca let out a happy, excited giggle, wiped her hands on the towel slung over her shoulder and instructed Lillia to finish dicing the pumpkins, heading over to the newly-grown plants and harvesting what was needed with the help of the children.
On the other side, Ethan, Reed and Hiroshi organized themselves to prepare the fire on which the evening meal would be cooked. They surrounded an area in the center of the camp with boulders, grouped some of the firewood in the middle of the perimeter bounded by the rocks and positioned portable grills on top of it, with enough space to roast the meat and boil the soup in a pot.
Bianca returned with all the spices they had brought from the bunker, some lemons and sprigs of thyme. Lillia put all the chopped pumpkin into the pot and watched from the side as the other girl seasoned the vegetables in the water, sealing everything with an aluminum lid. She signaled to Reed, who approached the wood and snapped his fingers. The friction between the digits sparked orange sparks, which fell onto the grayish leaves and straw beneath the wood and started the fire.
"Heir of Fire, then..." — Sete thought, her eyes reflecting the burning flames. — "I wonder what the others' powers are."
"You can simply, and literally, ask." — The System suggested, as animated as ever.
"That's not how it works, Vez." — Spring rolled her eyes impatiently. — "They still don't trust me enough to reveal everything they've been hiding. I may not be human and I may not understand the minutiae of their interactions, but I do know when they fail to expose some information and when they need time to do so."
༻ ༊*·˚ ༺
Bianca flipped the pork steaks over the grill with a spatula, ensuring that both sides were perfectly browned. The seasoning added color to the food, as well as the delicious aroma emanating from the protein every time the fat dripped and sizzled on the flames.
— Lemon juice can be poured over the meat after roasting, adding juiciness and acidity to the flavour, as well as neutralizing excess fat. — Bianca explained.
Sete had a slightly manic look on her face.
— Looks like the pumpkin broth is ready! — Lillia announced with a sweet smile, stirring the contents of the pot with a spoon. — Serve yourselves!
Everyone lined up with their bowls in hand, it was already past seven in the evening and their stomachs were rumbling like never before, the urgency for real food controlling them. Sete was the first to serve herself, of course, and watched with ravenous eyes as the creamy orange contents of the pot were poured into her deep utensil, warming her fingers.
— The meat is ready too. Who wants a piece? — Bianca offered, holding out one of the steaks to the young deity who undoubtedly wanted a piece.
The flavors that Sete experienced this time could only be described as fantastic: the pumpkin cream was soft and sweet, spices and salt in perfect balance to produce a velvety and tasty content that harmonized perfectly with the pork; which, in turn, had been removed from the fire at just the right point — it was tender and perfectly cooked, the thyme added welcome extra flavor and the lemon juice an indescribable juiciness.
Sete was speechless — which was common given her little knowledge of the vast human vocabulary — but it said a lot about the ecstasy she felt as she savored the food.
The heirs were in the same situation, some closing their eyes as they chewed and others staring at the food with dilated pupils, devouring everything as quickly as possible so that they could repeat the dish.
About forty minutes later, everyone had finished their meals. Satisfied and relaxed expressions clouded their faces in the dimness of the night, the crackling flames of the campfire enveloping them in a heterogeneous mixture of warm light and shadows. Sete noticed an exchange of alarmed glances between Reed, Lillia and Hiroshi — the older man with a more prominent scowl than usual, the red-haired boy and the blonde girl uneasy.
— So, Sete... — Reed began, pausing when he was shot by Hiroshi's narrowed eyes through tarnished glasses. Lillia wiggled her fingers nervously, but didn't take sides. — We have to tell you something.