PART I - TASTE TESTING

Vanis finished his story, looking out to find a largely confused audience. This hadn't been like a normal Prelude to the Feast. Jesca had explained to Callie that the Midsummer Prelude was more of a pep rally than a somber and meaningful story, so a lot of people were expecting just that. Uplifting and upbeat and maybe even a little raucous. Instead, they were given a somewhat long-winded story, that was far from raucous, and some of the meaning seemed to be lost on them.

Callie, though, saw it for exactly what it was. It was a eulogy. It was the eulogy in story form Vanis would have given if he'd been back home. But while the fates had conspired to keep him away, the words still needed to be said. She caught her friend's eyes and shot him a smile of support.

"Over my formative years, the three of us embarked on a total of five pilgrimages such as this," Vanis continued, stiffening his posture as he read from notes set in front of him. "The experiences of each journey, together with the guiding words from my elders, helped shape my character, instilling in me a profound sense of responsibility and compassion. As a result, the loss of my grandparents has left an indelible mark on me. Their memory, however, is a trove of cherished moments and invaluable lessons.

"Across the land, we mourn the deaths of two great leaders, two former kings whose legacies will forever be etched in our hearts and minds," Vanis continued, glancing down at his notes again. His voice was choking just a bit, but he was focused on pushing forward. "Their passing leaves a void that echoes in all our hearts. King Regent Feldwin the First, and King Regent Ruvan the Third, were more than just monarchs; they were servants of their people, bound by a profound sense of duty and responsibility. They dedicated their lives to the betterment of their kingdom and those that dwell within, both while they ruled, and after that responsibility had been passed to the next. They happily carried the weight of the kingdom on their shoulders, their hearts filled with unwavering love for its people.

"As I navigate this difficult time, I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from all of you. Because of this, I have come to realize a profound truth: I, too, am rich beyond measure. Your friendships, your strength, and your unwavering support have made me one of the richest people alive. No other words can do proper justice, other than to simply say, 'thank you'."

Clearing his throat, glancing down at the words again, Vanis took on a more authoritative tone. "May the stars shine upon King Feldwin the Second, and shine upon the Princess Alena. May they shine upon the great kingdom of Imoria. And may they shine upon each and every one of you, forever illuminating your lives. Once again, I thank you all."

Hesitantly, Vanis stepped back, taking his notes with him as he yielded the floor to Kyra and the next item of business. There was a smattering of clapping, people unsure if they should applaud or not. Then Vanis stopped, returning once again to the sigil-amplified podium. He looked out over the upturned faces, focusing in on two of them. "I had suspected before I began to speak, and based on the grinning faces that you are both wearing, I believe that Yovel and Dafnese are your parents? Your mother was pregnant with you when we were in Wixwind, correct?"

Towards the rear of the room, seated on either side of and equally grinning Ambria, Koka and Moka stood in unison. "Yes, we are both from …" Koka began.

" … Wixwind! Yovel and …" Moka continued.

" … Dafnese are our mother and father, and …"

" … Natio is our big brother!"

"How serendipitous!" Vanis called out, and then refocused to the faces in the room. "For those unaware, Koka and Moka, white-Tigerkin twins, are two of the camp's Bladedancer recruits. It simply goes to show that sometimes our world is much smaller than we think it might be, and that you never know how one may touch someone's life, or they touch yours." He returned to looking at the twins, placing a palm on his chest. "It is wonderful to come full circle. We'll talk more, soon."

With a smile to the crowd, Vanis turned the proceeding back over to Kyra. With a few instructions, she had everyone make space so Pama could clear the tables for the first course, Callie remembering to snag Vanis's nameplate before it disappeared into a puff. She reasoned he might want it as a memento, and if not, it could get recycled with the next clearing.

There was a lot of general muttering and mumbling around the room as everyone got situated, and Callie could hear a few voices unhappy about the story that Vanis told, either calling it 'too long' or the wrong sentiment. A few people defended him, but as a whole it hadn't been received the best. It was a shame, Callie thought. It really was a nice story, and hearing it gave her a lot more respect for the rulers of this world, or at least for the rulers of Imoria. Plus, Vanis's introductions to drimlings was cute. Both Melga and Bratig were drimlings for their Druid travel forms, and she'd seen their mini velociraptor-like forms running around camp several times, including racing against Artemis on a few occasions.

"This is my seat?" Vanis asked as he arrived.

"Yup. Here's your nametag," Callie said. "I saved it from getting magicked away." She handed it over to Vanis as he shuffled into the spot between herself and Juniper. "That was a fun story, by the way."

"Ugh," Vanis groaned. He roughly rubbed his face with both his hands before saying, "I droned on far, far too long. I had hoped to keep the story to five minutes, but details just kept coming into my head and by the time I got to the end I realized probably half the audience had dozed off. My apologies."

"Hey," Callie said, putting her hand on her friend's arm, "it's okay. Everyone understands that it was important. It was a nice story, too."

Around the table, the others were nodding in agreement, including Jesca, who had arrived and quietly slid into her seat while Vanis had been speaking.

"Thank you," Vanis replied to Callie. Then he looked at the rest. "Thank you all, for so, so many reasons."

With a followup warning from Kyra, Pama's fluttering of Culinar magics brought with it fresh plates and utensils, along with a rainbow-colored cakelet similar to the one that had been served at the opening feast. Callie remembered this time to focus on only eating tiny, little nibbles of the intensely-flavored delicacy. Pixyl moaned in her usual foodgasm as she tasted the rainbow cake, and the same sounds came from an already slightly tipsy Juniper.

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"So what happened with the fish?" Jesca asked. "Was it the mine?"

"Oh my," Vanis began, "Now I realize I forgot to tell everyone. I got so involved with all the other nuances and then trying to finish, that it completely slipped my mind." He sighed, actually bonking his forehead lightly on the table in frustration with himself. "I've never been very good at public speaking to a large audience."

"I would have thought they would teach you how to do that at king school," Callie said.

"Oh, they do. Many, many oratory lessons, in fact. They started probably when I was as young as seven or eight. A lot of good it did me. I end up rambling. If I have a script to read from, or at least an outline to keep me on track, I'm much better. I only wrote down those closing remarks, though. I should have been more prepared." Vanis laughed. "My sister is quite a good improvisational speaker, so perhaps it's better I won't be king." He lightly elbowed Callie. "She's much more studious at 'king school' than I ever was."

"But what about the fish?" Jesca asked again, a little more forcefully. "I need to know what happened in the end." Lhawni, Chown and Tazrok all nodded in agreement.

"Oh, right, the fish. As my great-grandfather suspected, the cause was indeed the mine. Not far inside the entrance, there was an area where they had processed the manastone ore. Despite most of it being cleaned up, remnant manastone dust and residue from the solutions used in the purifying process covered the ground. A tiny spring of water had formed, which trickled through that area and ultimately into the river. Over time, it started to affect the fish, causing that black blight and killing them off. Nobody's fault, really, just bad luck."

"How do you clean that up?" Callie asked.

"Ultimately, we brought in a Platinum Tiered Geomancer. She removed the top few centimeters of the stone ground, rolling it up into balls about the size of your fist so they could be easily hauled away, as well as rerouting the runoff from the spring. A year later word reached us that fishing had returned to normal, so that was that. In fact, my grandfather made sure that someone purchased some Wixwind fish from the markets when it eventually became available, for a dinner we hosted."

Jesca seemed to visibly relax at hearing the positive conclusion to the story, which drew some odd looks. "I come from a village on the river," Jesca said defensively. "I mean, it's named Cadavila by the River for star's sake. We catch and eat a lot of fish. And I'm sure this Wixwind is somewhere up-river of where we are. I felt invested in the outcome." She shrugged meekly, now feeling a little embarrassed by her reaction. "I'm just glad it worked out."

"So now that Jesca can breathe easy," Callie said, "there's a very important question we need an answer to. Lhawni, why are you wearing a uniform? I get why the others are, since they are corporals or higher, but why you?"

The Goblin coughed on her water, and then blushed. "Honestly, I have no idea. We were just ordered to the Commandant's office and then as a group to the tannery where we were given uniforms to wear. Apparently the Brownies retrieved Vanis and Pixyl's medals for them."

Callie narrowed her eyes before glancing up at Xera on the dais. "Curious. Xera didn't say anything? Not even a hint?"

Lhawni shook her head.

"If I had to speculate," Vanis began, "I suspect she is either being awarded something, or being promoted this evening. Possibly to the rank of corporal?"

"Uh … why?" Callie asked reflexively, before making a horrified face. "Oh Lhawni, I'm sorry, that came out wrong. I didn't mean to imply …"

In return, Lhawni held up her hands, "No, it's okay. If he's right, I have no idea why, either. I mean, I went on both of the combat missions, but so did Ambria, and she's probably better than me at healing."

"You are still pretty great," Chown said. "The best of all of the Shamans."

"I am just speculating," Vanis repeated. "As for the reason … I'm honestly at a loss as well. If it is the case, though, I'm certain it's well deserved."

"You good Shaman. Worthy of honor," Tazrok said. "Was good to fight with you and would again."

"Thanks, Tazrok. We'll just have to see what happens."

"Well, no matter what, you look great in uniform," Callie grinned.

"You do!" Chown agreed.

"All of you do," Callie said before wrapping her arm around Pixyl's shoulders. "Especially this blue-haired hottie right here." She added a purring noise for emphasis, which just made to embarrass the Pixie.

By the entrance to the back kitchens, about eight Goblin-height wheeled push-carts were being staged with what looked to be two large bowls filled with something, with stacks of plates piled on a lower shelf. Each cart had assigned to it a Goblin to push, a second perhaps to prepare, and then a taller race as a third person. The kitchen staff were all focused, apparently getting ready to be released for whatever they were going to do next, just waiting for the right signal.

That signal soon came as Pama stepped up and briefly took control of the proceedings, guiding everyone through their cakelet plates being magically cleared. Pama's followup spells laid out fresh utensils, but no plates. In addition, two platters of tiny bowls appeared on the table, which in turn were filled with sauces of some kind. The Culinar then signaled to the staff on standby, and they quickly, but quietly. fanned out to begin to serve the room.

"This must be the appetizer," Callie said. "Kyra said it's real, so they'd need to serve it, right?"

"Mmmm!" Pixyl added, her face alight with a grin of anticipation as she rubbed her hands together.

"Tonight's appetizer is something fun," Pama continued. "A specialty of one of our kitchen staff, Grig. As I was seeking what might go best with this course, I was introduced to a unique delicacy of his that he calls 'Shish Kabobs'. Skewers of meat or mushrooms are covered in his secret recipe of flavored sauces and herbs before being slow-cooked over several hours. The sauces on the table are to add additional flavor should you so desire, and range from savory to quite spicy. It is Grig's hope to someday open a restaurant back in Imor, and with these as a centerpiece, I believe you will all flock to enjoy them again. Good eating to you all."

Pama stepped away to a few murmurs in the crowd, all rolling the strange name for Grig's skewers around in their mouths. Others hesitantly dipped their forks into the sauces to give them a taste, many eyes going wide at the intense flavors.

Callie found herself giddy with anticipation, and not just to see how good the kabobs were. She was also eager to see how others enjoyed them, given her encouraging Grig to pursue his calling, and the 'Gnome' name she was able to bestow upon them for the Goblin. If the smells that were wafting on the air were any indication, though, they were going to be very well-received indeed.

Clearing her throat, Kyra stepped in and pulled everyone's attention back to the dais. "In the interests of time, as you are served, we will also bring up our next speaker. We do ask you keep your voices low, so as to not disturb this important ceremony." She looked back, as if making certain whatever was next was ready to go, and then simply stated, "I give you Arkan Pelidri Sylbane of the Cillisant Army and House Sylbane."

There was polite applause as Kyra stepped away. Around the room the Goblins descended with likely-practiced precision upon the tables. Callie was able to overhear the simple question of 'meat, mushroom, or both' being quietly directed to the diners, with equally quiet replies as to what best suited their palate or dietary restrictions. Then the air got heavy, and all attention refocused to the front as Arkan Pelidri stepped up to the podium.

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