Ak-tu signaled for Jabali to follow him behind the counter, where a door lay to the Kitchen. The cooks had finished cleaning up by now, and the room lay dark. There were two long islands in the center of the room, and multiple metal fridges lined the walls. Against another wall was a long sink, where many trays were placed on a rack to dry overnight. Pots and pans were scattered along the marble counters, and a variety of spoons hung from the ceiling.
“There should still be a bowl in the oven,” Ak-tu said.
“Which one?” asked Jabali, scanning the row of ovens on the far wall.
“This one!” Ak-tu said, opening the door of the oven nearest the door that led into the southwestern tower, where the cooks were quartered. He pulled out the bowl and passed it over. “Hope it’s as good as that soup you were going to make!”
Jabali took the bowl, sniffing at the food Ak-tu had selected: a chickpea curry with bits of potato, carrots, rice, and extra chili flakes. “Mmm, smells tasty! Your cooks are too good to ’em students here. Tha’s a lotta chili flakes, though.”
“I know you like things hot,” Ak-tu said with a shrug.
Jabali stared at him for a long moment, then burst out laughing. Ak-tu raised one side of his unibrow, confused by the action. But before he knew it, he found himself chortling too. Eventually, both men calmed down enough for Ak-tu to grab Jabali a shell-shaped spoon from the ceiling to try the curry.
“This is good!” Jabali praised. “You oughta give your cooks to me!”
“You run a coffee shop,” Ak-tu stated bluntly.
“Eh, I can open a restaurant; I’ve done so before,” Jabali said.
“I’ll think about it,” teased Ak-tu.
“Then I’ll hire ya too,” Jabali said. “Ya still know how to cook, right?”
Ak-tu snorted, reaching up for another spoon (this one more of a ladle than a spoon), passing it to Jabali and taking Jabali’s spoon instead. He dipped it in the curry and tried a bit. It was on the cooler side since it’d been sitting for a moment, but the flavor was intense and hot, causing his tongue to burn and his throat to swell. Turning away, he coughed and choked over the chili flakes, Jabali laughing the entire time.
When Ak-tu finally recovered, he sputtered, “Yes, I know how to cook, obviously! You taught me, after all. But no, I will never cook something this hot again! GAH!” He coughed again, then said, “Anyhow, I can’t help you with a restaurant. I have a school to run.”
“Do ya even wanna be running this place?” Jabali queried, all traces of laughter gone as he scrutinized Ak-tu closely.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just…ya never wanted a magic school,” Jabali said, setting the bowl of curry down on the counter beside him.
“Maybe not, but it’s what I ended up with,” Ak-tu said, shifting his weight to one leg and placing a hand on his hip.
“Don’t ya wanna travel again?”
“Of course I do, but…it’s not going to happen anytime soon. At least, not long-term traveling like I’m used to,” Ak-tu said with a shrug. “Traveling over the summer is enough for me, and it seems to be enough for the kids. But the school is where our lives are now.”
“If ya say so,” Jabali murmured, grabbing the ladle and scooping more curry into his mouth. “But I dunno if this life really suits ya.”
Ak-tu frowned at the comment, but did not know what to say in return. He therefore walked past Jabali to the counter, grabbing a pot and pushing a button on the side to turn it on. The metal object was filled with fire magic, and it seemed to have just been re-enchanted by one of the cooks judging by the fast pace it was heating up. Then, he grabbed some almond blend from a bamboo carton in the nearby fridge, and took a sack of chocolate from the pantry in the island.
“Making hot cocoa?” Jabali asked; his tone sounded like he was smirking.
“Yes,” Ak-tu stated.
“It’s summer.”
“And?”
“It’s hot out.”
“And?”
“It’s hot in here.”
“You ate something hot,” Ak-tu pointed out. “Why can’t I have a hot drink?”
Jabali seemed disappointed when Ak-tu turned around after adding the blend and chocolate to the pot. He returned to his bowl of curry, the smirk gone from his face. Ak-tu frowned, wondering if he had somehow offended his friend.
Actually, knowing Jabali, I probably didn’t understand some sort of joke he just made, Ak-tu reconsidered, rolling his eyes.
He grabbed a wooden spoon (shaped like a serpent) from the ceiling to mix the pot’s contents, breathing in the chocolatey aroma as it melted into the blend. After a minute of stirring, he grabbed some pepper from a spice pantry, adding a bit in. By the time the hot cocoa was done, Jabali set his empty bowl on the counter.
“Well, tha’ sure was tasty. Thanks for the meal, but I best be goin’ home now,” he said.
Ak-tu blinked in surprise, turning the pot off. “Already? I thought you’d stay longer.”
“Nah, you know my visits don’t last long,” Jabali said. “Too risky with your kids ’round. But it was nice to see ya again. We gotta meet up soon. Properly, eh?”
“Yes!” Ak-tu agreed at once, smiling up at his friend.
He poured the hot cocoa in a mug, then led the way out of the Kitchen. They were soon walking through the glass doors and exiting the school.
“Where’s your boat?” Ak-tu asked, peering at the dark forest in front of them.
“Oh, y’know me, I took a rock to get here extra fast,” Jabali said.
“Then you shouldn’t be going back on one after you just ate!” Ak-tu exclaimed in alarm. “You’re gonna get sick!”
“I’ll take it nice ’n slow, don’t ya worry,” Jabali said, pulling his mirror out of his shorts pocket. “I already got my jazz music ready for a chill ride back!”
Ak-tu smiled and shook his head. “Fine, fine. Just be safe out there, okay?”
“Y’know I’m safe,” Jabali retorted. “If anyone ain’t safe in these parts, it’s you.”
Ak-tu snorted. “Yeah, sure.” He reached forward and hugged Jabali. “Thanks for coming by and checking the enchantments. I really appreciate it.”
“Yep,” Jabali said, patting his back before stepping away. “See ya soon enough!”
“See you!”
Jabali vanished into the shadowy forest, Ak-tu waving the entire time. He eventually lowered his hand and turned back to the school—but not before something caught his attention.
Snapping his gaze back to the forest, Ak-tu relaxed his body with several deep breaths. He scanned the undergrowth for a few minutes, wishing that the movement would happen again. Was it just an animal? A plant? A frogoyle? Or was it something more sinister?
“Who goes there?” Ak-tu called out, his voice bold and confident.
But nothing answered. Nothing stirred.
The crickets continued to chirp and the trees continued to whisper to each other. Ak-tu waited ten minutes…sixteen…twenty-two…
“Guess it was nothing,” he uttered, opening the door at his back while keeping his gaze on the forest.
He was in the school in two steps, but everything remained calm outside. Locking the door, Ak-tu waited another two minutes before finally walking away, only looking once over his shoulder as he went down the hall.
The world was quiet.
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