Natsu stepped back inside the cabin, the sturdy stool tucked under his arm. Its wooden legs scraped faintly against the floor as he positioned it opposite the table. The lantern light cast a warm, golden glow over the spread.
Shadows danced along the edges of the plates like whispers of the encroaching night. He settled into his seat with a contented sigh, gesturing invitingly toward the feast. "Dig in," he said.
His voice carried a casual warmth laced with quiet amusement at their eager expressions.
Tanya and Anyael exchanged excited glances. Their eyes widened like children unveiling long-forbidden treasures. They each tore into the roast chicken first.
The crispy skin crackled under their forks to reveal succulent, herb-infused meat. It melted on the tongue with bursts of garlic and rosemary, juices mingling in a savory symphony.
After a brief pause, savoring the explosion of flavors, they both let out delighted squeals. High-pitched and unrestrained, pure joy bubbled forth like a dam breaking after endless hardship.
Without hesitation, they dove in ravenously, devouring everything in sight as if tomorrow might never come.
Tanya's fork speared a crispy roast potato. Its golden exterior gave way to fluffy insides glazed in buttery sweetness, eliciting a muffled moan of bliss. Anyael popped a stir-fried gizzard into her mouth.
The chewy texture popped with earthy spice and onion tang, her cheeks flushing with ecstatic tears. They stuffed their faces with squirrel-like fervor. Cheeks bulged comically.
Hilarious "mmphs" and contented hums escaped between bites. Happy tears traced salty paths down their faces amid the frenzy. Natsu watched in amused fascination, leaning back with a soft chuckle.
His gentle black eyes twinkled at the spectacle.
These two, so poised in their beauty, were reduced to gleeful gluttons by simple home-cooked fare. "So, it's safe to assume you girls liked the food, then?" he teased.
His tone was light and playful, infused with a warmth that belied his solitary habits. Anyael swallowed a mouthful dramatically. Her amber-brown eyes sparkled with exaggerated fervor.
"Liked the food?!" she exclaimed. Her voice was a whirlwind of mock outrage and genuine ecstasy, hands gesturing wildly. "We love it enough that we don't care if we die right now from overeating!"
"This... this is heaven on a plate—thank you, from the bottom of our stuffed hearts!"
Tanya, mid-bite, shot her sister a fond eye-roll. Her own stuffed cheeks betrayed her amusement. "You're overreacting, Anyael," she chided gently.
Her words were muffled around a carrot's caramelized sweetness. Her tone was laced with affectionate exasperation and underlying delight. "Although... I do agree that Natsu's cooking is very delicious."
Her squirrel-like puffiness only amplified the humor, drawing a snicker from Natsu. He covered his mouth to stifle a full laugh.
Anyael pointed at her sister with a fork, grinning triumphantly through her own tears of joy.
"See? You're not convincing anyone with that face, sis— you look like you're hoarding nuts for winter!" The sisters dissolved into shared laughter.
The sound was rich and cathartic, a release of pent-up tension that filled the cabin with unexpected lightness. The dinner wrapped in a haze of satisfaction.
Plates were scraped clean and bellies full. The air was thick with the lingering aromas of roasted herbs and contentment. After a short, companionable silence, Natsu leaned forward. His expression shifted to one of quiet seriousness, though empathy softened its edges.
"Alright," he said, his voice steady yet inviting. "I think it's a good time to hear your stories. After that, I'll share mine. Fair enough?"
Tanya and Anyael nodded in unison. Their faces reflected a mix of reluctance and resolve. The drama of their past hovered like storm clouds.
"Yes," Tanya replied first. Her golden-amber eyes met his with intent focus, laced with a flicker of vulnerability. "But before we dive in, Natsu, I just wanted to confirm something."
"Your recipes—they're clearly not from this world. And you seem to possess... magic, or something like it. So, are you an otherworlder? Or were you reincarnated?"
Her question hung heavy, infused with hopeful desperation, as if his answer might anchor their own displaced souls.
Natsu paused, scratching his head thoughtfully. His gaze was distant for a moment as fragments of his enigma surfaced. "No, I'm neither," he admitted.
His tone was laced with quiet introspection and a hint of melancholy. The words carried the ache of forgotten origins. "I actually don't remember any of my past... nor how I came to this world. I just... existed one day."
"As for the ability—it's hard to explain. It lets me peer into knowledge from other realities, pulling in recipes, ideas... things like that."
"I'm not sure how it works exactly; I just... can. Does that satisfy your question?" His voice softened at the end, vulnerability peeking through his composed facade.
Tanya studied him intently.
Her brow furrowed as she processed his words. Emotions swirled: curiosity, empathy, and a touch of shared isolation. "I guess that works for now," she conceded.
Her reply was gentle yet probing, a nod sealing the fragile bridge between them. "So, it's our turn. Anyael and I... we came from the kingdom of Azmuth."
"Or rather, we were summoned there from another world. Originally, we're from a place called Earth, in a country named Croatia."
She continued, her voice steady but threaded with raw emotion. "We were on our way home one ordinary day when a summoning ritual yanked us here—to this nameless world the people of Azmuth call the mortal realm."
"We've survived as adventurers for a year now, because we refused their demand to fight demons."
"That refusal... it branded us traitors. The officials, the royal family—they sent assassins, soldiers, even fellow adventurers after us."
"We overheard the plot by chance and fled as far as we could, until we reached these woods. But a few leagues from here, four from Azmuth's assassins' guild ambushed us. I took a mortal wound in the fight...".
Her hand instinctively touched her side, eyes glistening with relived terror and grief. "We barely escaped when a rampaging monster charged in—a colossal bear-like beast with steel-trap jaws and razor-sharp claws longer than daggers."
"We used the chaos to slip away while they battled it."
"We stumbled to the river, and I thought... I thought that was it. I'd die there, leaving Anyael alone." Her voice cracked, tears welling as the weight of near-loss crashed over her.
Natsu listened intently. His expression was a mosaic of compassion and quiet outrage. The sisters' pain echoed his own shadowed voids.
"I see," he murmured, his tone heavy with empathy, laced with a protective undercurrent. "That must've been a hell of an ordeal—literally chased to death by a whole kingdom. But now I get your situation better. You're safe here, for what it's worth."
Anyael chimed in, her voice trembling with bitter fire.
Her eyes flashed with unresolved anger. "I still feel so bitter about it, honestly," she confessed. The words were raw and venomous, carrying the sting of betrayal.
"We were hunted by people we thought were allies. And the one who gave Tanya that mortal wound... he was someone we knew really well. A friend, or so we believed."
Her fists clenched, tears of rage mixing with sorrow.
The drama peaked in a poignant silence that bound them all in shared humanity.