Going To Die  

It had been a while since I was able to sit down to a family dinner. I remained at the head of the monstrous table with my mates sitting three by three on each side of me. They laughed and joked amongst each other, making sure to include Ma'stbaut in their conversations until I think they even forgot to eat.

The konjin stew, whatever type of meat that was, was absolutely delicious. The meat was tender, the broth flavorful, and it smelled like heaven. But every bite I took stuck in my throat for a few minutes before it managed to get past the lump in my throat to land in the pit of my stomach.

I forced myself to continue eating, making sure to drink plenty of the red liquid that Ma'stbaut served with it. I wasn't feeling light-headed or dizzy, so I could only assume that there wasn't any alcohol in it.