By the time the food was finished, the innkeeper had given Crackle the key to the challenge room. Enoki honestly would have been grateful for just four walls and a roof, at this point. While ze missed hir little apartment and its kitchen window herb garden, the last few days had lowered hir expectations. The opened door revealed an open window, gently letting a chilly desert breeze into the room.  Hanging on the walls were tapestries showing swirls and mirrored images identical but inverted in coloration. The faint smells of the food cooked in the day lingered in the room that was just above the kitchen. 

Daikon looked at the two beds and the stack of pillows in the corner, all colorful with soft tassels on them. 

“Alright so we have two lovely ladies, two nons, myself, and the fairnot. I propose Kraken and Crackle share a bed while I share with En’mat and Enoki.”

Kraken gave a small snort. “Crackle kicks, deep abyss no. You can sleep with me and the elf and the chef there can sleep with Crack.”

“I don’t suppose I get a say in this given how small the beds are?” En’mat was already trying to curl up on the bed, her 9 ft frame already making the king size bed tight for her.

Enoki barely paid attention to the debate. The stress of the day and a properly full stomach made hir realize just how tired hir body had become. Honestly, If Enoki had a choice in the matter ze would have simply turned into a puddle of goo. A small part of hir mind showed a floating memory of overly exhausted shapeshifters doing just that. It must be the part of hir that felt ze was human on some level which kept hir from doing it. Instead, ze flopped down onto the pillow pile and curled up. Enoki’s armor and boots turned into soft socks and a blue and orange cotton night shirt.

“Imma sleep here now,” ze mumbled as hir ruby eyes closed. 

Noodles’ feet scampered over to the pile, quickly burrowing under the pillows with its long body, propping Enoki up. All before its nose poked out from the pillows and gently touched hir nose to its own. Enoki opened hir eyes just enough to see the small centaur jump into the pillow pile next to the duo.

“I’ll sleep here! With new friend.” She giggled and was cuddled right up to Enoki, her square eyes looking right into Enoki’s. “We are a flock after all, which means friends forever.”

Enoki could hear Kraken mumble. “Thank the refinery… I’m going to bed. Figure yourself out, Orc.”

Enoki knew there were some slight arguments after, but ze was too tired to care. Even with Crackle looking like she was trying to stare into Enoki’s soul, that creep factor was a tomorrow Enoki Burger problem. 

Maybe even an after breakfast Enoki Burger problem.

***

A dreamless sleep meant Enoki woke up without feeling like ze fell out of bed. Not that one can fall from a pile of pillows, but Enoki didn’t doubt ze could figure out how, with the way the week had gone so far. As ze looked around, gently twisting hir head all the way around with ease, ze saw En’mat in the corner silently praying. Kraken was on the bed by themselves. Daikon had ended up on the floor, hugging a pillow close to his chest. And Crackle? Had attached herself to Enoki’s right arm. It wasn’t the lack of circulation that had woken hir up though.

It was the smell of breakfast.

Specifically the smell of what was possibly the not-tomato things, something spicy, eggs, and fresh bread. Ze didn’t smell yeast, so for the moment Enoki was assuming unleavened bread. Maybe something like tortillas? Oh, Enoki hoped there were tortillas. Even if they were green.

As Enoki twisted hir head back around to the correct spot, En’mat quietly spoke up. “Please don’t do that in public. It’ll scare the locals.”

This time Enoki properly turned hir body to En’mat, who had one eye open and was glancing sideways at hir. Her own ears were slightly up and turned towards the two behind her. “I’ve been listening for when you all started waking up.”

“Heh, breakfast. And a new dish to try, I hope.”

En’mat slowly stood up and went to get her clothing. “Well, chances are good they will have something ready downstairs. Then we need to get supplies and a covered cart. I’m just concerned about the Salt Spikes.”

“Why is that? I mean, are the waters really that dangerous?” Enoki mentally nudged threads into remaking what had become hir normal clothing, the shoulder pads gently nudging Crackle away and freeing the trapped arm.

“I have not traveled them myself, but I have heard the waters become violent. In addition to the salt spikes growing as much as a foot in a day during the dry season, the monsters that get trapped there become violent and grow in numbers. It’s believed they become confused due to the salt concentration and go mad. Otherwise they normally ebb and flow with the tides, making nights the most dangerous time.”

“Can’t we go around then?” Enoki pulled out the map, looking it over carefully. “Like right here, there is plenty of desert.”

“That is a place so hot not even my amulet will save us. The water will be taken from our bodies within minutes of entering the hottest of the spots.” En’mat finished changing and looked over Enoki’s shoulder. “I suspect that is where the cursed item you need is. It would be the most dangerous place to go, much like the woods.”

Enoki frowned. “Yeah I- oh! The list.” 

Ze reached into the pack again, pulling out the dark blue paper, noticing a slight warmth to it. As ze unfolded it, new words appeared on the list right after the centaurs. It read simply: 

Appetizer course.

Blessed ingredient: Chimeras Milk and Remnant

Cursed ingredient: Oasis Prickly Pear Fruit

En’mat hummed before speaking. “These seem reversed. Chimeras are known for being poisonous and venomous.”

“Dunno. But I doubt the gods would make a mistake like that.” Enoki carefully folded the paper back up, only to see Crackle staring into hir face.

“The gods are foolish and can make mistakes like any of us.” Crackle took the paper and looked at it. The normally perky centaur’s tone went somber. “But in this case they are right. And the locations are carefully guarded.”

“Well,” Enoki said, gently taking the paper back. “Regardless, they want it or people may die. So I gotta do what I can to make a proper dish.”

Crackle’s voice perked back up. “If you are cooking the meal then it will come out fine! For now, let’s get breakfast. And some fresh perfumes for the day. I don’t want to smell like yesterday’s sands!”

Enoki grabbed hir pack and quickly followed. “En’mat, make a list and I’ll help buy things so you can clean up.”

“As long as you promise not to spend it all on food and cooking tools!” En’mat called after hir, causing Kraken to stir from their slumber.

As the two got down the stairs, Enoki fighting the urge to simply jump over the railing, the old innkeeper was carefully scooping a spicy red sauce into a pan, and getting a stack of bread ready to be eaten. It maybe wasn’t tortilla but flatbread, Enoki couldn’t be sure without holding and tasting it, but either way the smell of fresh baking intertwined with the smell of the spicy sauce. Enoki quickly sat down and looked at the man. 

“Please tell me that is the guest breakfast.”

“This?” He chuckled. “Normally this is for other centaurs. We can eat food others can’t tolerate due to our natural magic.” 

Right. The centaurs were considered by some to be double blessed. In addition to their powerful lungs, they had powerful stomachs as well. One of the deposited memories floated to the surface again. A centaur ate sticks and mushrooms to survive. Other races with them perished but they survived, albeit ill and greatly weakened. Food contaminated by poisonous minerals, however, would end them. Otherwise, even spoiled food could sustain them as long as there was some amount of calories or nutrients left. Even if the one in the memory had gone blind as a result.

“I’m pretty sure I can handle that, sir. Humans are pretty adaptable.” Enoki said without thinking, not able to recall why that sounded correct.

He merely chuckled and cracked in the eggs. “That you lot are. And more creative than I gave credit for. I hope the next humans are just as interesting as you.”

Crackle grinned. “I doubt it, sir. My human friend is very interesting.” She turned to look at Enoki, the grin looking almost disturbing as the eyes locked on hir pack. “And ze has many interesting things ze plans to do and make. Even if those getting it are not worthy of it.”