42 Preparations of Cooking

Crynn POV

"Yeah when can we eat!" Warden shot out beside me while playing with some twigs and smashing them on the fire, creating sparks together. "Ughh, and now I have to cook," O'Connell brought both hands to his face, his desperate eyes covered and his moans of complaint sounded out. "Oh come on O'Connell, its just a bit of cooking after all," Evelyn friendly suggested patting his shoulders in comfort.

"Avter, go bring me the big patterned pouch from the far right camel," O'Connell helplessly finally relented and began grumbling about how accepting the job is a big mistake. "Now that's more like it," Warden needlessly pointed out, totally unnecessary in this case, it would only serve to make O'Connell grumble more.

I stood up and approached the camels, how they can have the ability to store water in their humps is very enviable, imagine not having to drink for a whole day and still stay healthy. I searched for a patterned pouch, it should be easy enough, there are a lot of pouches but most are single colored with no motif on them.

I eventually found it resting on as O'Connell said, the far right camel. A rather big pouch that looks as if its stuffed full with irregular shaped objects, bulging outwards in irregular directions. I mentally shrugged and carried it off the camel and damn its heavy. It's not as heavy the hyena, but it still counts as heavy.

I brought it back and slumped it down on the sands. And I sat back down, icked the pouch over to O'Connell, resulting me in a glare. He unpouched the big pouch, everyone got curious and is all waiting for the contents to be unfold. The grand reveal, no golden lights or anything, O'Connell just opened it up and there the magnificence was displayed, a multitude of... Cooking appliances?

"What are you all expecting, some explosives or something," looking at our 'anticlimactic' expressions, O'Connell released some top notch sarcasm, the hyperbole really presents it all. "We were expecting something... More," I drawled back at him with equal irony but seriously, what's with all the appliances. There's a cooking pan, a fry, some spatulas, cutting boards, big pots and even gas stove.

"Is it so wrong for me to cook or something," his joking smile stopped seeing us all gaze at him with equal, 'You cook? What a joke!' words written on our eyes. He faltered a bit before saying, "I'll have you told, its normal for guys like me to be able to cook okay!" He sounds aggrieved and pouted, totally unmanly. "Why do you bother bringing all these utensils anyway," its too much, I don't think meat shredders are exactly needed for a desert excursion.

I stared at the meat shredder I pulled out from the items, and what's the use of that juicer. "Can't a man be exclusive!" He forcefully took the meat shredder and juicer from my hands and stumbled his words embarrassingly and he scratched his head with a tiny blush on his cheeks. "Besides, some of these things can turn up useful in some situations!" He angrily took a wide, sharp knife and stomped off to a hyena.

Evelyn only chuckled and seemed to annoy O'Connell further as he chopped down on the hyena, revealing the innards of the hyena. He forcefully ripped out both the small and large intestines, bringing the heart, stomach and other unknown parts together, yuck. Evelyn, Warden and a very tired non-chatter mode Jonathan paled and looked elsewhere.

"So, what parts are we eating," I curiously asked, seeing O'Connell ruthlessly defiling a carcass is the least of my minds concerns right now. "Whatever meat I determine edible," wait what, are you saying that he doesn't even know. "Wait a second, you mean that you're just gonna chop some random piece of chunk and cook it for us."

"I've eaten hyenas before in the wild, and I usually know where the juicy meat is, so lets not chitter-chatter complain anymore and just leave it all to me, got it." At the end of O'Connell's line, he brought a giant slash towards the hyena's head, cracking open its cervical spine vertebrae and spinning to ensure a clean decapitation of the head, just gross.

I finally just looked away, I totally have no interest in watching a process of butchering. I just stared at the fire, other times the shining starry sky or the moon or at the rest of the group, which I admit is pretty creepy. "Done, Avter, can you pass me the big bottle of water from the pouch," I got the water and threw it towards him which he catches skillfully and cleanly.

Opening the bottle, I thought he's gonna drink it, but no. He washed 5 pieces of bloody cut hyena meat by pouring water on top of it, is he washing the blood off it? "Get me the grill please," altough there's no clear indication on whom he's calling for, its clear that he meant it by me from his obvious line of sight where his eyes pinpointed to me.

I took out a small red grill with a glass jar of some black rocks in it, charcoal perhaps? O'Connell really is prepared for anything. I assembled the grill down, where O'Connell placed two slices of meat, I should say steak now huh, of hyena on the metal grills. "Don't worry the cooking process wouldn't take long, it would be delicious."

O'Connell found some dry twigs and wrapped a small piece of cloth on the edge, nearing to the fire and ultimately firing it up. He opened the jar of black rocks and laid the all on the bottom of the grill. O'Connell finally threw the small twig into the grill, burning the black rocks to a fiery glaze. "Is that charcoal?" I need to ask, curiosity is a powerful thought that can't be ignored especially when facing the unknown, curiosity comes first before fear.

"Yes! Freshly kept charcoal, a survivalist must always have it everywhere they go!"

"Now! Let's all finally get a taste of middle eastern delicacy shall we!"