Cook

The snow intensified as the hunting party left the village. Instead of slowing down, they quickened their pace. 

It took three hours for them to reach their destination. 

A vast snow-covered plain. 

"Are we there yet?" Dal asked his brother Dam. 

"No, not yet." 

"I thought we hunted near the Kurma lake. Isn't this Kurma Lake?" Dal pointed at the expansive plain before him. 

"Yes, this is the Kurma lake. But can't camp here." 

The snow-covered plain was indeed Kurama Lake. But it had frozen over creating an illusion of land. 

"Oh!"

"We need to go a little further towards the mountains before making camp." 

"Because of the snow giants?" 

Snow giants!

The word immediately piqued the interest of everyone in the group. Everyone had heard about the snow giants, the ferocious rank three creatures that inhabit the northern lands. There were many scary stories about their strength and cruelty circulating within the tribe.

Was it really because of the snow giants? All the children eagerly looked at Dam, waiting to hear his reply. 

"Yup! At night, the snow giants would begin to roam this land. Camping in an open area like this would immediately attract their attention. So, we have to go up the mountain." 

"REALLY!" 

"There are snow giants here?"

"I hate snow giants." 

"Will they eat us?"

"I am scared." 

Other children chimed in to express their fear.

However, Aru was unbothered by what Dam said. He could see the sly smile on the sixteen-year-olds face when he talked about the snow giant. There was no way Aru was getting fooled by simple lies like that. 

 It seems like he had nothing to worry about regarding snow giants. 

"They only come during the night. So, don't worry about that. We hunt during the day and you could stay within the camp during the night." Dam suggested. 

He intended to scare the kids a little. Not with malice though. 

He remembered how careless and reckless the children acted. So, he wanted them to feel a little fear to make them more cautious. 

"But what if it came to the camp? What if we came face to face with one?"

Dam took a long pause to look at the face of every kid that was within his group. His eyes turned serious and sharp. 

"Run," He said ominously. "Run as fast you can to safety. Don't look back and just run." 

"Gulp." The collective gulp echoed through the group.

"Can't we fight?" Adi the hotheaded child who awakened a grade 2 bloodline spirit asked. According to her, she was a warrior and wanted to fight and win against a strong foe like a snow giant. She wanted to prove that she was strong. 

"We?" Dam scoffed hearing a child's question. 

"You want to fight against a fifteen-foot-tall, 1 ton, rank-three humanoid behemoth. Who do you think you are?"

Dam couldn't comprehend what the child was thinking when he thought they could fight against a snow giant. 

"If not us, wouldn't the chief be able to fight against it?" 

"That's the chief. Don't compare yourself with the chief." Dam could feel a headache brewing when he looked at Adi. 

'This kid is a problem.' He thought. 

"Anyway, don't think about the snow giant for now. Walk quickly and follow me. Or else, we are going to be left behind." 

They quickened their pace to catch up with the hunting party, heading towards the range of mountains adjoining Kurma Lake. To establish their camp, the warriors needed to locate a secure spot on elevated ground near the hunting area. The mountains and cliffs extending from the north, covering the east of Kurma Lake, provided the optimal location for this purpose.

—

The noon sun shone perpendicularly over the heads of the warriors. They were scrambling around to chop down pine trees to create huts. 

The winter hunt was a long and arduous process that might take up to a week. So, they had to create a place for accommodation and to store the meat of the prey they caught. 

Aru helped out by carrying firewood, small branches and twigs from the tree towards the cooking station in the camp. He took it as training and decided to work hard. 

Although it took a while, he stacked a tower of fire wood earning praise from the cook.

"What are you looking at?" Seeing Aru hang around the cooking station even after completing his work, the cook, Kora asked. 

Kora was one of the middle-aged warriors of the tribe that specialised in making meals. He was not as strong as the other warriors, but his role was just as important. 

"Me?" 

Aru was surprised. He was a loner introvert who avoided conversation like the plague. His social skills were abysmal. He didn't know how to interact with a non-antagonistic person. So, he was a little shocked by the abrupt question from Kora. 

"Do you see anyone else around?" Kora, who was diligently chopping up vegetables, inquired.

"Um! I wanted to see what you are cooking." Fumbling around a bit, Aru answered. 

"Then come closer."

"Okay!"

"What do you want to see?" 

Aru found himself perplexed by the goodwill displayed by Kora. Since arriving in this world, he was the first person who treated him normally. 

Aru didn't have parents, friends or family. The kids used to bully him and the adults disregarded his existence. This was the first time, he felt someone acknowledge his presence without belittling him. 

"Are you willing to teach?" With some doubt in his heart, Aru asked. 

Amused, Kora let out a laugh and said. 

"If you want to. I was thinking about teaching a disciple. But before that, introduce yourself." 

Kora's knife was flying through the vegetables, even when he was talking. His eyes were solely focused on the work he was doing. 

"I am Aru, An orphan who awakened grade 1 bloodline water elemental spirit this year."

"Aru…" Kora contemplated seriously, "A grade 1 bloodline spirit is good. But being my disciple is not that easy. You must first answer my questions before you can learn from me. Are you up for the challenge?" 

Kore stopped his gaze and looked at Aru's eyes before asking.

Aru nodded promptly. One of the initial goals he had set upon arriving in this world was to improve the culinary techniques. Not for anyone else, but for his benefit. 

Only by improving the culinary techniques of this world could he fully enjoy his life. 

He couldn't bear to see the rich and flavourful ingredients being cooked half-assedly. 

These thoughts rushed him to accept the offer given by Kora. 

"Oh! Quell your excitement. Let me think about the first question. I want to test your basics." 

What basics was this odd man going to test with a six-year-old, Aru didn't know. But he went with the flow and nodded again.

"What is the most important thing you need for cooking?" After thinking for a while, Kora asked.

"Fire." Aru immediately replied. 

And it was not the answer Kora was expecting. He wanted to say that it was the tools. Knife, pot, woke and other tools were the answer he expected. But he got a surprising answer from Aru. 

Anyway, he couldn't deny that fire was essential when cooking. So, he decided to ask the next question. 

He was convinced of Aru's ability to think and solve problems independently. Even if the child answered all the other questions incorrectly, he resolved to teach him.

"If you are given a choice for only eating meat, would you do it?"

"No."

"Why not? Meat is tasty and good, right?"

"Meat is tasty. But only eating meat is not good." 

This answer greatly surprised Kora. He was expecting a wrong answer. But the kid, against all odds, gave the right answer. 

Kora was someone who can be considered to have deep knowledge about food. He even learned under the shaman to learn more about the effect of different ingredients and herbs on the body. Only after that did he conclude that a balanced diet was needed for the proper functioning of the body. 

In recent years, he even tested his theory on the tribe and found a tangible effect on those who ate a balanced diet. 

But no one was supposed to know about it except the chief and shaman. So, how did this kid come to the same conclusion? 

"Did someone teach you that?" 

'Hm… I come from another technologically advanced world. That's why I know it.' That is what Aru thought. 

But he said something entirely different, "No, It's just obvious." 

"It is?"

"It is." 

What was he doing with his life for the past couple of decades? Kora was gobsmacked by the answer. He even began to doubt his competence as a cook. 

"Anyhow, you answered two questions correctly. This is the last question and it will determine if you can learn under me." 

"Hm."

"You have a bowl of soup. However, there is an old granny and a baby who would die from hunger if you didn't give them the soup. Who would you give the soup to?" This time, he wanted to test the personality of the kid. 

"I will give half a bowl to each." 

"Yes, you are chosen. You passed my test. And it was the best answer I ever heard. I believe you have a kind heart and a knack for cooking. I will teach you well." As soon as he heard the answer, he declared. He felt a surge of happiness to finally have a disciple.

The baby fat of his cheeks curled as Aru grinned receiving the praise.