Act 1: Eat!

…

When the egg lake was brought over, it looked like it was boiling and sizzling while producing endless steam. However, this was the egg lake’s normal state especially as it was made from the eggs of a Red-beaked Fire Bird. It did not even need to be cooked to emit heat. For this reason, the evaporating part of the egg actually had some consequences on whoever chose to eat it. After the vapor rose into the air, it would condense into solid after a while before sticking to the hair, skin, and clothes of the eaters. It would be a mess all around.

Therefore, Mwana chose to put a Lovers Net that he knitted himself on Kia’s hair in order to protect it. The lowers net was an elegant white mesh net with glittering stars made of white and transparent minerals.

“It looks really beautiful on you.” The sight of the net on Kia’s head was so breathtaking that Mwana almost forgot to breath.

"Lovers Net?" Seeing what Mwana had placed on her head, Kia had a light smirk on her face, “Aren't you moving way too fast?"

Hearing this, Mwana started stammering while waving his hands desperately, “That… that… that was not my intention.” He had never been so nervous.

In response, Kia just laughed at Mwana’s antics, “I was just teasing you.”

The Lovers Net in question was naturally a symbol of love in the Zika world. Its origin came from ancient legend about a celestial maiden who had been forcefully separated from her lover due to tradition. The maiden made the net for her lover and through its threads the two were connected even when separated by space and time.

While Kia ate the egg lake, she kept conversing with Mwana and he even moved over to ‘prey’ on some of her food. While Kia tried to ‘defend’ her lake at first arguing that he could have just ordered his own, in the end she gave in and allowed Mwana to eat with her. Along their conversation, Mwana got bolder and bolder. He went from cracking jokes to even promising to enter top 10 of the Candy Battle so that he could buy a magic hairpin for Kia. It sounded as if he was just a moment away from proposing marriage.

From the side, Jodenia was getting more and more jealous seeing Mwana and Kia flirt and argue. He could not help but vent to Fury about it. However, Fury was oblivious to whatever this fellow was even trying to say and only berated him for his insinuations.

“Your eyes are tinted by your hyena-like nature. If this continues you will be a menace to women.”

“It is puberty, puberty. I am already 11 years old now. I'm not a kid anymore.”

Jodenia could only defend himself by mentioning his age but Fury’s response almost made him spit out his food.

“Puberty what's that?” She asked in innocent questioning tone which left Jodenia smug as he poked her head.

“See you're a still a kid, ha ha.”

However, the response he got was Fury slapping away his hand and smacking him in the head,

“Puberty my foot, dumbass! You think I don't know. If you are acting this way now, how will you act when you are older? You will be a dog, a hyena in fact. Get your brain in line, you hear me?”

Fury berated him while holding down his head in a lock and repeatedly giving him thunderous smacks to the back of the head. The smacks constantly echoed across the entire restaurant even attracting attention to the groups’ table.

Jodenia could only repeatedly say “Yes” in a distressed tone in order to get Fury off his neck.

‘I am the victim here. Mwana was clearly flirting with Kia but you somehow cannot see that, but when I mention it, I get beat?’ Although he thought this, he did not dare say it lest he get more embarrassed. ‘I should have just spoken to Teso instead.’

After the fish and the egg lake, another delicacy was brought over to the table. This time it was Crying Panther Beef. This type of beef was a delicacy all over Toro. As for its name, some said it was called ‘Crying Panther’ because of the hissing sound produced when it was roasted on a grill.

“It is one of the most delicious, straight up grilled beef you can imagine.” Before they even started eating, Mwana was already hyping it up. Even the aroma alone was enough to entice a pure vegetarian like Vitali.

“Ho ho wow, that is delicious!”

“That is so meaty and garlicky.”

“The fat’s flavor is transforming everything! God has descended!”

All sorts of comments were uttered as the group tore apart the meat. Their table full of new and old dishes and everything was just scattered everywhere.

Apart from the beef, there was also fragrant fermented source in a wooden pot to dip the beef in and enhance its flavor. It was simply heavenly.

While dipping some of the beef into the sauce, Kia could not help but praise it endlessly, “This is supreme!”

“In fact other meats should build an altar to worship this Crying Panther Beef. It is just that good.”

The table was just filled with sounds of tearing meat, chewing, even crushing bone, followed by swallowing gulps and satisfied moans. With the strength of the group’s physical bodies, bones, and teeth after reaching Bone Forging, not even the bones of the meal were spared. Everything was devoured cleanly!

…