“People needed to rest and relax from time to time as well, as otherwise their body and mind simply would not be able to cope well with the pressure they were faced with. This especially applies to youngsters, and doubly so when you put them to proper training. Even if you pushed them to the brink on a regular basis, proper rest was still required to allow their bodies to recuperate after the hard work.” - Celeysria Ambervale, the Blood Demon of Al-Shan, circa 694 FP.

“This is quite a clever drink your people have concocted, matron,” praised Cal as she gulped down the contents of the small bottle in her hand to the last drop. The beverage she drank was one of the most popular items in the resort island, a concoction of the locals that achieved great fame amongst the tourists and visitors.

The concoction itself was simple, consisting of freshly squeezed milk from the many goats raised in the island - goat-like therian tribes were the majority of the island’s inhabitants, and their young agreed best with such milk when their mothers could not breastfeed them for whatever reasons - mixed with an infusion of fragrant, bitter beans and a generous amount of sweet liquor made from fermented honey.

Once mixed well, the concoction was then portioned into small glass bottles and kept chilled in an enchanted cold box, only brought out moments before they were consumed at a near ice-cold temperature. The overall effect was refreshing and invigorating, with a strong alcoholic kick in the aftertaste.

It was especially refreshing when consumed by people who had just been in the hot springs moments ago, like right now, and was usually reserved for such times. Cal had even asked the inn’s matron for the recipe which the elderly therian happily elaborated on, but she also learnt that despite the locals freely sharing the recipe, nobody had been able to get the drink just right elsewhere.

Nobody was sure why, whether it was the breed of goat that was milked, or whether it was the beans or maybe honey that differed instead. Some had even speculated it was the water the beans were steeped in, that the honey was fermented with, that was different and caused the difference in taste. Either way, nobody has managed to recreate the concoction perfectly so far.

Since the custom of long, hot baths were also prevalent in Al-Shan, Cal had thought of giving a try to recreate the beverage out of local ingredients, so she had asked for the recipe more as a guideline than anything. The inn’s matron was all too aware that nobody had succeeded in perfectly recreating the drink and was not shy to divulge the recipe, and had even warned her about it.

After the long, relaxing bath, the group settled down on comfortable lounge chairs set in a large balcony attached to the inn, where they simply laid back and relaxed under the warm rays of the sun. Despite how it was still summer, the temperature that high up on the mountain was pleasantly cool, with the sun’s glare more a warming comfort than a heated one.

Most of the group was just clad in simple bathrobes for modesty, though some like the therians did without, their fur plenty for such things. It was a rare occasion where they had the opportunity to truly rest and relax - especially for Cal’s students as she had not exactly lessened their training during the trip - and they took their time to appreciate it.

Much like what one would expect from an inn that commanded such a high price, their service was impeccable. Shortly after the group returned from a nap on the balcony because the sun had almost set by then - incidentally the balcony also offered a beautiful view of the sunset which many of them appreciated - several servants from the inn had set up low tables in the style of the island, and brought out food and drinks once the party had laid on the divans arranged around the tables.

While the island leaned more towards herbivorous tribes population-wise, they got plenty of tourists all year round, and as such their chefs were naturally trained to satisfy the appetites of those visitors. As such, both meats and vegetables were provided aplenty as the servants brought their meal on large trays.

A cabbage-like vegetable with broad, light blue leaves was used to roll a mixture of julienned carrots, cucumbers, and mushrooms into long cylinders, with the addition of a sort of sauce, which gave off a tangy and spicy flavor to the mix. Other leaves of the same type were used as cups to contain a mixture of finely diced yams, radishes, and some sort of light-tasting crunchy fruit which had been cooked together into a savory-sweet mixture.

Smaller poultry like quails and pigeons were roasted whole and served as they were, their skin roasted to a deep brown, so crisp they shattered on the bite. The small bones of the little birds were cooked enough that one could simply crunch down on them as well, as they crumbled beneath one’s teeth. Some of the group ate the dainty birds bit by bit, though others like Willa just popped a whole bird into her mouth and chewed happily.

Cuts from what was likely larger game birds were cooked together with what seemed like the buds of a flower, which lent a slightly bittersweet yet refreshing taste to the poultry. It was served on a bed of various mushrooms and greens that had been stir-fried together with some salted, preserved fish which lent them a delicious savory and salty taste.

Fresh cuts of fish, clams, and various other seafoods were also brought in, some of them only cooked by a brief torching that left a fine sear on the outside while leaving the rest mostly raw. The chef who brought them in was a merfolk who demonstrated his skill as he carved a live fish into a platter of fine cuts before them like a performance art. The paper-thin nearly translucent slices of fish was then drizzled with the juices of a citrus fruit and briefly torched by another servant who was a minor fire mage, just enough to sear the surface.

Near the end of the meal, the servants proudly brought in a whole roasted goat, its stomach cavity stuffed with aromatic herbs and juicy fruits which had seeped into the meat during the long cooking process. The whole ensemble gave the usually tough, gamey meat an inexplicable tenderness with a hint of floral and fruity flavor to it, which was received with high praise by the diners.