6 Teacher, I Want Some Meat- Part 2

Master Vashisth strode over to where the young demon was half laying, half sitting on the ground. He then pulled off the piece of meat that was still hanging from Shura's mouth and smelled it curiously.

"It is not even a healthy doe!" He chided the demon prince, throwing him a dirty look.

Vashisth then looked around and realized there were not enough dry leaves and twigs on the ground to create a fire. He hmphed. "Grab that dead animal and follow me." He did not wait for Shura to get his act together and marched off further into the bamboo forest. Shura huffed and puffed, brushing off the dirt from his body as quickly as he could, then snatched up the animal carcass laying on the ground and ran after his teacher.

Outside of the bamboo forest, the bright moonlight washed over the grassy, fertile land and the green hills beyond that looked grey at night. A gentle tinkling noise drifted in through the buzzing of the insects and hooting of an ancient owl. Vashisth pointed to a narrow, moonlit stream and asked Shura to clean the doe meat in its clear, swift-running water. Then, they crossed the creek and hiked down a meandering dirt path to reach a small thicket of ironwood trees with wide trunks and twisted branches. Vashisth guided them to a small canopy formed by a few of those lush ironwood trees.

Vashisth sat on a low rock on his crossed legs and closed his eyes. "I am going to meditate." His lips were shimmering again in the silvery light of the moon. "Wake me up when the meat cooked."

When the meat is cooked?! Shura scrunched his face. Was his teacher asking him to cook the meat? He had never boiled water in his life, let alone cook meat. The only times he had ever entered the royal kitchens of RakhtaPrastha was to steal sweets from the pantry.

"But teacher…." Shura started but was immediately interrupted by strange sounds.

Krrrrrrr, Krrrrrrr.

Huh! It was not even seconds, and teacher was already snoring?! Didn't he say he was going to meditate?! Shura padded up to his master and kneeled in front of him on the dirt and grass. Vashisth's face looked calm and peaceful as he continued to snore lightly as if the air was caressing his beautiful, straight nose. His long lashes rested gently on his high cheekbones, and the ever-present frown of reproof on his brow was replaced by a smooth forehead framed by wisps of soft, dark hair stirring in the wind. Shura quietly brought his lips close to Vashisth's eyelashes and blew softly through his mouth. No reaction from the teacher at all! He was definitely asleep.

Shura raised himself to his feet and scratched his head before glancing at the animal carcass and then looking around. Suddenly, his eyes glowed as a brilliant idea came to him. Shura held up his index finger and lit a flame. He brought that flame to the animal he was holding in the other hand, and soon, the meat began to cook. At first, it smelled delicious!! What great aroma! Yummy, yummy!

But soon, a burnt smell began filled the air and a long column of smoke rose from the meat towards the sky. Suddenly, the snoring stopped as Master Vashisth twitched his nose and sniffed twice before opening his eyes. His brows touched his hairline when he saw what Shura was holding, and he opened his mouth to say something, but only a loud sneeze came out.

"What manner of cooking is that?!" The teacher jumped to his feet, finding words on his tongue at last.

Shura glanced at his master, then the meat, then his master again with a perplexed look on his face. "Guruji, forgive this student. Is it not the right way to cook meat?" He asked innocently as the fire continued to char the bottom half of the animal carcass.

Master Vashisth looked at him incredulously before twisting his fingers, creating a ball of water in his empty hand, and throwing it at the burning meat. "No, it is NOT!" He said tersely as he snatched the meat away from the demon prince. "Now, go, collect some dry leaves and twigs!"

Shura followed the master's orders and soon there was a tall heap of dry leaves and twigs piled up under the canopy. Master Vashisth then crystallized an air dagger and showed Shura how to skin, gut, and butcher a wild animal for a meal. All the remaining blood from the carcass was dripping down the master's fingers, to his forearms, and tarnished his white cotton stole that was wrapped on his shoulders as he continued to wipe his hands on it.

"Guruji, use my stole to wipe your fingers." Shura offered, unable to withstand that the animal blood was sullying his teacher's white stole.

"It is okay. It is already dirty." Master Vashisth gently rejected Shura's offer, his tone easy at last. Then, he paused for a second before continuing. "But when we return to the gurukul, it will be your responsibility to wash these clothes."

"Do not worry, Guruji. I will wash guruji's clothes real good, so good they will smell like flowers for weeks." Shura immediately replied, grinning from ear to ear. He then reached out with a quick hand and grabbed a loose strand of hair that fell to the master's face, and tucked it behind his ear.

Master Vashisth flinched away from the touch and threw him a sharp glance but continued to butcher the doe carcass. Next, he skewered the butchered meat on clean branches and barbecued them on the little campfire they lit. Soon a lovely cooked meat aroma filled the air, even more tempting than before. When Shura bit into it, it was the most tender and savory piece of meat he had ever devoured, juices running out of the corner of his mouth as he continued to chew the flesh and suck on the bones.

"Teacher makes the best meat. From now on, I will only eat teacher's meat." Shura happily announced.

"Don't speak like that," Master Vashisth snapped at him, to which Shura smirked. Shura was not a fool or a child. He knew the meaning of his words. He just loved how the teacher flustered when he said playful things like that. He wanted to make his teacher fluster more.