Page 43 of Storms & Sacrifice
Yogik smiles and nods his head. “I believe I am still needed in the kitchen.” He turns to his brother as he leaves the room, his annoyed look meeting Khazak’s smirk.
“Yog hit on David after the last dinner?” Ayla questions at their brother’s hasty exit.
“Something like that,” Khazak grumbles, probably remembering what I told him about Yogik asking to share me. “Now, what was it you were all talking about when I came inthe room?”
“Just some old things about when you were in school, you know,” Jarek tries his best to play it off.
“Mhmm,” Khazak hums his agreement but narrows his eyes at both orcs suspiciously.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you Ayla! He took me to Shad’rok Springs a couple of weeks back.” I shoot for a subject change that I think will make both twins happy.
“Really?” Ayla smiles, looking pleasantly surprised at her brother. “What did you think?”
“It was beautiful. The water was so clear.” I reach over to tug on Khazak’s wrist. “I’m kind of hoping we can go back beforeI leave.”
“I think that can be arranged.” Khazak smiles and reaches for my hand, giving ita squeeze.
“You only have about five weeks to go now, right?” Jarek’s question makes Khazak’s smile falter.
“Uh, yeah, just about.” I try not to let any of the melancholy I feel show. “Just talked to my friends this morning actually. They are pretty eager to get on the road again.”
“I know it was an unplanned detour on your journey, but I do hope you still enjoyed the time you spent here,” Jarekcontinues.
“Yeah, you managed to get here in time for not just the festival, but to meet me!” Ayla adds cockily. “Actually, that reminds me. Khazak, do you know whoelsewas happy to hear about my return? High Priest Bhok. He stopped by a couple of weeks ago after he learned I was back in town. Ended up staying for dinner and mentioned that someone told him I had a lot of free time. You wouldn’t know where he might have gotten that idea, would you?”
“You know, David, I think I hear my father calling for us.” Khazak steps backward, hand on my shoulder to pull mewith him.
I snort a laugh because no, he didn’t, but go along with him anyway. I’ll see Jarek and Ayla at the dinner table, and the info I learned about Khazak as a teen will keep me entertained for quite a while. We enter the home’s large kitchen together. I see one of Khazak’s fathers, Orlun (who he and Ayla seem to “take after”), standing over a large grill near an open window. Yogik is next to him, helping to move things from a plate to the grill while his father watches. Khazak’sotherfather, Rurig, is going back and forth between two stoves, each covered in pots and pans, as well as grabbing whatever spices or other additions he needs from one of the many shelves and counters in the room. It’s very warm, but it smellsamazingin here.
“Oh good, you are back.” Rurig looks over after noticing our entrance. He points at me. “You, over here.” Stepping over to the round orc, he stands me in front of one of the stoves, pushing the wooden spoon from one of the pots into my hand. “Stir.” He then turns and starts talking to his son quickly in Atasi, putting him to work as well.
The whole scene in here reminds me so much of home. Me and Mikey helping mom with dinner or being on kitchen duty at the academy. Everyone talking and laughing while the head chef (or mom) gives the orders. Even though I can’t understand what they’re saying, I can still hear the love in their voices, even when they’re grumbling at each other.Shit, is this actually making mehomesick?
Whatever it is I’m stirring smells pretty good. It’s some sort of sauce, red in color and smelling vaguely of tomatoes. Rurig occasionally comes by to add something else to the pot, dipping a pinky in to sample afterward. Over on a counter to the left, Khazak is carving into some sort of roast he pulled from the oven a few minutes ago, and it looks like Yogik is now taking thingsoffthe grill. Dinner should be ready soon.
When things are finished, Rurig starts handing the completed dishes to Khazak, Yogik, and me to bring out to the dinner table. Jarek and the others are already seated, and fifteen minutes later, Rurig’s said his form of a blessing and all of us are eating our fill. That sauce I was stirring ended up going over some really well-cooked chicken.I’m gonna miss this food whenI’m gone.
“David, how has working with the rangers been?” Orlun’s question catches me off guard. Since Ayla’s been home for a few weeks now, there’s less of a conversation buffer to protect me.
“It’s been...good.”I feel like I said that weird. I mean, it has been, right?
“David has been quite the asset.” Khazak takes over for me as he reaches over to squeeze my leg.Phew.“The other week he actually chased down a fleeing suspect all on his own, and he’s been learning Atasi in his free time,” he brags. I’malsothe reason that all four walls surrounding the station have had permanent alarm runes etched into them, but he doesn’t mention that.
“You know, when I was just starting my position as captain, we had a kavan/avakesh pair working together on the force.” Orlun looks between the two of us. “They were quite skilled at undercover investigations. They had this system...” He pauses, trying to think of something. “Khazak, what was it that Ragnar called it when he heard the story?”
“A ‘honeypot,’ I believe.” Khazak’s response sounds wary for some reason.
Orlun claps his hands together. “That was it—a honeypot. The avakesh, she would act as ‘bait’ for their targets, making friends or flirting to gather information. She was quite beautiful and could immediately disarm someone with her charm. Once they had what they needed, her kavan would walk out of the shadows, and they would take the suspects down together. The two of them once managed to infiltrate and arrest an entire smuggling ring on their own with zero casualties. I was always very impressed with their work.”
“Yes, Orda, we have all heard the stories.”Aww, I haven’t.Then Khazak turns to me. “Do not get any ideas,” Khazak warns me with a laugh.Too late.
Later, when we’re walking home (with a full stack of leftovers), I recall some of what Ayla and Jarek were saying about Khazak “connecting” with the other Khazak’s story. It’s obviously important to him.
“How come you never told me the story of Khazak and Vakesh before?” Unless he’s been planning the surprise forthat long?
“Actually... I did try to, once.” He looks over at me with a grimace. “It was the night of your last escape attempt. There was a book I started to read...”
I wince as the memory of the night comes flooding back. I remember Khazak reading a book about an orc warrior, right before I drugged him with some hypnograss and tried to break my friends out of jail.
