The inside of the Hallowed Ground is made of the same similar, polished dark wood that the rest of the building seems to be made of. Looking around the establishment I am slightly surprised to find it to be a simple, one-story restaurant. Most of the finer places to eat that I know of tend to be a multiple story issue but once again, I suppose the beautiful furnishings are more than I can ask for. As I glance around, I can't help but think this place really isn't much more than a tavern in my eyes. Round tables are scattered around a wide and open dining area, all of which vary in sizes and the amount of chairs, along with wooden booth seats lining the walls. I stare at the pelts, many of which are from creatures I can't even recognize, as they lie on the seats. Patrons take nearly all the booths leaving very few unoccupied tables as what appears to be our only option to sit at.

"Pick 'ya seats! We'll be right wit' 'ya!" A slightly thicker man yells from an open counter showing the backroom and kitchen it looks like he's working in. "Emmie! Ellie! Get their orders in before we start queueing up a line outside!"

Two younger girls turn at the shouting as they walk the floor and seem to be taking orders.

"We know, Unkah!" A short and younger girl calls out in reply. She flicks her head to the side and manages to get a lock of her deep, black hair away from her eyes. She leans behind her and speaks to the similar looking girl nearby. "Ellie, can ya get their table? I haven't had as many of mine leave yet."

"'Course, Emmie." The other waitress, whom I assume is Ellie by their interaction, answers back. "I'll be wit' ya' group soon as ah' get a couple drinks for these hard-working lads here." She beams a brilliant smile towards us and pulls a stand of straight blonde hair behind her ear before turning her gaze back to the reddening young group of men she's currently serving.

The men, being a mix of humans, elves, and a few other races I've seen around the camp, give a quiet cheer at the drinks and wave as she leaves their table. Subdued whispers happen as soon as she's out of earshot, but I can't hear them no matter how I strain my ears.

Eh, doesn't matter too much to me what they say anyways. I guess guys trying to impress stay the same no matter what realm.

Soot flickers a bit before leaving to a certain table that seems to be made of wood a bit darker than the rest around it.

"Over here, crew!" He waves us on to where he has planted a seat already. "This is my table! Glad it's open right now."

Caim looks back at us before shrugging his shoulders and beckoning to follow. We weave our way through the crowded tables, avoiding disturbing any of the diners as they eat and chatter in the background. When I finally get to the seats I can see what Soot means by this being his table.

The wood is flickering with embers where it touches him but the flames don't look like they're spreading somehow. I can't feel any heat coming from it either. Maybe something Soot can do or is it something to do with the wood? My stomach begins to grumble and I shake my head clear to ignore these questions for now. It's looking like my appetite is the one that needs to be answered right now.

"So, Arc...Day. What kind of things can the two of you normally eat?" Caim asks the Day and I.

I look to Day, who is seated to my right with Soot and Caim across the both of us, as she catches my glance in her direction. She turns back to the group and takes the lead for herself.

"I..." She stops as soon as she begins to speak but seems to be unsure of herself for some reason. "I... don't exactly know what I can eat to begin with. But from what I've heard I should be okay to eat any mortal foods...and more." She tells the last bit a bit more to herself than the group, almost in a bit of a confused whisper than anything else. "But I think I would like to avoid meat for now, at least. The idea hasn't settled in to me yet."

The idea? Of meat? I guess a Chord isn't used to meat or maybe they don't eat it where they're from?

"What do you mean...?"

"No problem!" Soot exclaims over me as I'm about to ask my question. "Plenty of veggies and options here. We can ask for a special menu they have when the young lady comes by."

The sound of clinking glass resounds across the background of the restaurant and I turn to the sound. Day looks at me briefly before glancing where I look to see the girl, Ellie I know by now, putting the men's drinks down. The glasses hold a foamy liquid that shines an amber color, sparkling almost as much as the eyes of the men staring at the drink. They nudge each other excitedly and speak in gleeful whispers to each other. Ellie just smiles passively as this happens, she must have expected this to happen somehow and leaves them with their drinks after a round of thanks are sent her way.

She turns and smoothly strides across the crowded floor and greets us warmly.

"Welcome to the Hallowed Ground! Nice to see you again as well, Soot!" She gives amore genuine smile to Soot and he flashes his stellar smile back at her.

"Glad to see my seats been kept warm for me, Ellie. I brought a party to the place but they're new around here, so let's see if we can find something they like, yeah?"

She nods at Soot and looks at the group as a whole again.

"We got plenty here to choose from and our local May worshipper can use her Boons to get whatever we don't have for you. Think we need menus around then?"

All four of us look at each other for a moment before Day speaks up first.

"I don't think I like meat for now, so is there anything a bit easier to eat that you can recommend?"

I catch a small look of confusion on Ellie's face with what Day says but her smile doesn't falter and she manages to give a brisk answer.

"Of course I can! I think a simple leafy green salad might do the trick. Fresh sweet tomatoes just came in for it and I can even bring out our four count dressing sampler for you to try with it."

Day brightens up at Ellie's recommendation, her golden glow shifting to a brighter shine, and she gives a thankful reply in earnest.

"I think I like your suggestion and I'll have one order with an herbal tea if you have some?"

Ellie gives a short nod and brings out a small white marble stone with gold lacing the surface. She gives a twist and the item clicks and a seam appears that oozes out a dark vapor slowly.

"Leafy greens, four count dressing, and an iced peppermint tea."

The orb flares in response to her voice but she gives it a squeeze and the device stops trailing vapor as much for now.

"Your order is in and started. What else or is that the first order alone?"

"I'll cover the whole bill under my tab, Ellie. If we can make sure everyone orders before myself is all."

Caim gives his rapid response and Soot claps an blazing arm around his shoulder and throws a bright grin his way.

"I would've covered this meal but I'll get the next one in that case, Caim-flame!"

Caim gives a quiet intake of breathe at the contact and shrugs the arm off with just a small amount of care.

"I know the heat is like home to you, Soot, but I'm not exactly a jungle elf myself so hot arms to yourself. And I've told you I'm no flamekin, so Caim-flame is just a waste of syllables."

Soot withdraws his arm and shifts his blazing orange hues down through red and into a lighter pink hue.

The rate he changes the color in his body is incredible! Almaej adjust color as wanted but at a physical cost with time. Usually we need to intake specific clay and take at least a full night's rest to assume the wanted color. If I could get some kind of elemental Boons like Soot could I do more than any others of my race?

"I gotcha, Caim. This should keep the area around us from getting to be a furnace because of me." Soot continues his cheery demeanor and turns back to talking to Ellie. "Maybe some greasy potato skins, a rare steak, and a cinnamon chocolate for me today. Done my usual style as always, Ellie"

"Cinammon chocolate and a rare steak with potato skins for Soot." Ellie repeats the order into her marble again with a series of clicks and twists I haven't figured out yet. She turns her winning smile to me and I can't help but see why the other guys across the restaurant seemed to be acting so awkwardly.

She smiles with all teeth!

Confidence in her strong bones and bodily materials such as her teeth would be a bit intimidating to most unable to keep up strong internal appearances. I'm taken aback briefly, however I recover after but a second glance at her cheery self. I've met other Almaej who've dabbled in experimental body modifications before as well. Not taboo exactly but very costly for us and doing so requires constant care and replenishment.

Thinking about the other eaters, I hear the commotion coming from said male group and I spot them with nearly empty drinks.

"I think... I'll try whatever that last group just had. The drink and what you think they ordered that pairs best."

A sincere look of confusion enters Ellie's face and she looks quickly to Soot and Caim before turning her attention back to me.

"Umm, we do have some excellent brews at the Hallowed Ground, but are you sure you wanna order drinks if you're new." She asks me with concern reaching her eyes.

"Hargh, har har." Soot gives a howling laugh that he seemed to be stifling for a small moment. Caim looks worriedly to him before receiving a firm nod in reply. "I think Arc should at least be fine with his drinks. Not even the most foreign elementals and other races suffer complete alcohol poisoning. Worst case we can just stone him at the church right quick."

I switch my gaze back and forth from the elemental to the young human girl taking our order. I settle on her as a reaffirm my order.

"Sounds like a delicious drink then. Ellie, right? Maybe just a smaller glass than theirs to start with though." I give her my best smile but not bringing the full brunt of my teeth to bare. I haven't had the time to get them up to par with the elites of my people in a few years.

"I think we can make that one a double in this case then. Same for me as for Arc then." Caim orders the same as I do and turns to me, giving a cheeky grin of his own before continuing.

"Can't let you have your first lager all alone, can we?"

With but a moment of hesitation, Ellie perks up once again and speaks up with more cheer than before.

"Alrighty then! 'Two glasses of Lagers and a two orders of steak and fries.'" She puts the stone to her mouth again and puts our order in. Although I'm still unsure of how she's doing this.

"If that's everything for ya, I can confirm the orders with my Unkah and your food'll be done around ten or fifteen."

Soot and Caim both raise an eyebrow to the two of us but I don't object and she seems to have confirmed her meal of choice for herself as well.

"Thanks again, Ellie. I think we've settled on the meals you put in." Soot speaks up with a kind assurance to the young waitress.

The rest of us give our brief thanks to Ellie following after Soot as she leaves us for the kitchen and the other diners.

Day seems to be watching some of the other patrons as the dine and chat, creating a nice background to the eatery. The low tones of conversation catch her attention most as I observe the food being eaten.

Soft and lightly colored grey clay makes up my body in total however my eyes shine alone with a warm tone of brown. This light is both a choice I make for style and function as it signifies my ability to see in color vision. In Alma, my home world, all the creatures we live with and eat are made up of the same grey clay flesh I am.

However the food here is beautifully vibrant! Sharp greens in the vegetables and rich shades of red and brown in the meats! There can't be anyway my food isn't as colorful as those I'm eyeing and my poor body aches for a taste.

Grrrmble

Looking to my seating partner, I see Day's cheeks have taken on a warm red not unlike a sun's setting as she covers her belly.

"Are you okay, Day?!? What was that noise?!?"

I turn to the injured girl I just met and reach one hand to wrap around her shoulder for support. I've never heard a noise anything like that before other than the roar of the wyrm I've met. I look back in front of me as the noise of the restaurant goes quiet and the eaters start to look our way. Soot and Caim both are taken aback and seem to be utterly stunned, clearly with shock at Day's sudden onset illness. Why else would her body make such a noise?

"N-no.. Arc.. I.." Day's entire face turns the same warm crimson as her cheeks as she flusters her words. She brings her head down and covers her face with her hands in a quick rush.

Unable to form sentences? This can't be any kind of good sign. I turn to the responsible pair, so far at least, and check with them.

"Soot. Caim. What's wrong with her?"

The duo look at each other baffled for a few moments. The silence reaching a deafening peak as the crowd finally understands our obvious plight and pays attention. Even the chef has leaned out his window to check on us, although his backroom is still cooking for itself somehow.

"Arc..." Soot begins to explain. "Her... I mean, Day's stomach just grumbled is all."

Grumbled? Like some beast? Why would she make it do that?

"Why would it be grumbling?" I ask Soot before turning to Day herself. "Did you make it do that?"

Soot reaches a shy hand to me as I speak to Day but she speaks up for herself in a whisper I strain to hear.

"...I'm hungry."

Hungry? So she made that noise to let us know she wanted food?

Soot fills the heavy silence in between her words and seems to come to some form of conclusion.

"Ah, you and I do have more similarities it seems then." He stands up and speaks loudly to the whole diner.

"Don't worry, everyone! Enjoy your meals, we're doing okay. Just a new patron from another world as you can see."

Looking around, I think I'm realizing I've made some sort of faux pas here. The groups around us nod to Soot and continue eating and the male diners raise their mugs of rapidly emptying 'lager' and cheer at us. One of the older ones with blue fish-like skin shouts a cheer to me for some reason following Soot's reassurance.

"Ah! There's the reason the Adventurer's Guild came here! Always some new [Quest] to be had and you're just the first sign of the ones to be made here. Mark my words!" He downs the rest of the glass, nearly full by the looks of it, and sits down to chat excitedly with his seat mates.

After calming the fellow patrons of the inn, Soot sits back down and continues speaking to myself, confused more than I've ever been in this world, and what I can clearly see now as an utterly embarrassed Day.

"You see, Arc, lots of races' stomachs growl when they haven't eaten in awhile and need to eat. However very few, like Elementals such as myself and Almaej I'm guessing, don't and show hunger in other ways." Soot nods to me in explanation and Day finally lifts her head looking at me now as well.

I look back to meet all their gazes with the two in front of myself and Day to my right. After a moment of understanding from their eyes I finally respond with both comprehension and confusion in my mind.

"You all need to eat!?"