Amelia Thornheart Chapter Ten: The Second and Third Words

“One at a ti, you bloody demons! You’re like a pack of damn wolfhounds! One at a ti!”

The rabble slightly cald down at the head cook’s bellowing, but it took only monts for it to fall back into a frenzy again, encouraged by the exclamations of the demons who managed to get their al.

“Seven hells! How can sothing taste so good!?”

“I must have died! I definitely died!”

“I feel like a right proper noble eating this, ha!”

“ next! ! I was first!”

The sardis was being filleted and cooked as quickly as possible. The sound of its sizzling flesh as it was placed on the hot plate was tantalizing. A rich mouth-watering aroma filled the air and contributed to the chaos of impatient hungry demons.

“Miss Thornheart! Gut these two!”

“Yes, head cook!” Alia hurried to the part of the kitchen that had been designated as the gutting station. She used a sharp knife to make an incision from the sardis’s tail to its gills, being careful not to cut too deep and penetrate the internal organs. They had been impressed by her knife control and quick learning, sothing that was certainly aided greatly by her high dexterity stat from the ga.

With the sardis’s belly open, she gritted her teeth and reached into the abdominal cavity, pulling out the innards. She couldn’t deny it made her squeamish, but the knowledge and sounds of a hundred ravenous demons behind her put those thoughts to rest. With the internal organs removed, she ran a thumb - like she had been shown - along the spine of the fish, removing any dark kidney tissue that would ruin the flavor.

They had gone through a sardis and a half before they figured that out.

Finally, she rinsed the insides of the fish and once that was done, repeated her actions with the remaining sardis. The results were passed to the next cook in line, who was delicately cutting through the connective tissue around the gills to detach the head.

“Done, head cook!”

“Get over there! I need more cooked! Don’t let the rest burn!”

“Y-yes!”

“Yes what!?”

“Yes, head cook!”

She ran to the hot plate where fillets of Sardis were cooking. Alia breathed through her mouth, not daring to breathe through her nose lest she start drooling all over the food! She grabbed a pair of tal tongs and began turning the fillets that needed it and removed the others that had just reached a subtle golden colour. Alia wasn’t sure if the flesh of fish was supposed to beco golden when cooked, but sardis did.

She replaced the empty spaces on the hot plate with new fillets that made a satisfying sizzling sound as they contacted the tal. The cooked fillets were carried over to the opening where the head cook was defending against the horde.

“Head cook! We’re falling behind over here!” One of the cooks shouted.

“Miss Thornheart!” The head cook peered down at her, raising two fingers. “Two pieces per demon! Two pieces per plate! No favoritism!” He dragged her to his spot in front of the crowd. “Go easy on her or she won’t heal any of you animals in the future!”

Alia gulped and the head cook vanished deeper into the kitchen, leaving her at the rcy of the frantic mob!

“O-one at a ti! Hey! Hands off!” She swatted the hand of a demon reaching over the counter.

“Hurry up!”

“We’re hungry over here, miss!”

“I’ll pay you if you give an extra piece!”

Alia found her stride and began serving the demons. She wasn’t sure but thought that perhaps they were slightly less aggressive with her than with the head cook. That didn’t stop the ss hall from being a madhouse though. Two pieces per demon. Two pieces per plate. She absorbed herself in the task.

“Don’t stand around eating you idiots! Get your grub and get out of here!” To’s voice could be heard from sowhere. The ss hall was a long, thin part of the ship and could only hold so many sailors at once. They were being funneled out the mont they got their food, to the outside corridors, first deck, or their quarters where they could enjoy the sardis.

“Two pieces per demon! Two pieces per plate!” She repeated to herself, a mantra to keep order in the chaos. After a while, she realized the noise had died down, and coming out of her work trance she couldn’t help breaking out into a nervous smile.

“Working hard?” Serena intoned, a space forming around her that she naturally commanded.

“Y-yeah!” Alia looked at the demon, noting the small smile that had appeared on Serena’s face. Honestly! Even though it was nice that she wasn’t snarling at her anymore - with that look in her eye that said I really want to stab you right now -she kind of missed it… Maybe she should annoy her in the future, see what happened when she pushed the captain’s buttons.

“I’m waiting…”

“Ah! Sorry!” Alia hurried and placed two pieces of golden fish on a plate. “Two pieces!” She said, beaming at Serena. “Per plate! No favoritism!” She handed the food to the captain, who cast a wary eye at it, then at her, and then at the pile of cooked sadis. Then, reaching out an arm, slowly and steadily, like a snake after its prey, the captain took another piece!

“Three!?”

“Officers get another share,” Serena said, standing straight and dignified before reaching out and…

“Four!?”

“Hmm? Oh, didn’t you know? Captain gets one more,” she gave an exaggerated sigh, “Especially as she’s been under so much stress recently”. With a definite smug grin on her face, rivaling that of Alia’s own…

“Five!?”

She shouldn’t chastise her captain, but she couldn’t help puffing out her cheeks in frustration! “Why five!? That’s unfair!”

“Well, an extra one for every Word you can Speak,” Serena leaned in, eyes glinted mischievously, “And how many will you be taking, I wonder?”.

She… she was playing with her! It wasn’t a serious attempt at extracting information from her, she was sure of that! Alia bit her lips, trying to think of a good coback but finding nothing ca to mind. Blast it! She knew it would co to her when she would drift off to sleep tonight, too late!

“Cooks!” Serena called out, her voice taking on that commanding captain’s edge. The demons in the kitchen stopped what they were doing imdiately. “An extra piece for you all, for your work! I last had sardis when I graduated and that was cooked by Hakian chefs from the desert! I’m telling you I think you may have outdone them!” The cooks raised their fists, hollering.

“Aye, captain!”

“Give another share to the pilots, any remaining pieces we’ll cut in half and serve for tomorrow's breakfast. If there’s not enough, we’ll do it by roulette.” Commands given, Serena looked at Alia. “As for you. Once you’re finished with your work here, co to my quarters.”

“Yes, captain! I an Lady Halen!” With that, Serena turned and - extruding control and dignity - left the ss hall. All was quiet for a few seconds before the chaos picked up once again as the last few dozen demons scrambled to be first in line.

Alia worked hard, and before she knew it she had been lost in her task and there was no one else left to serve. Looking around, the last of the sardis had been prepared and stored for tomorrow.

“Phew!” She said to herself, taking a plate and putting one, two, and then a third piece of sardis on it. It was common knowledge now she was a Speaker so she didn’t feel concerned about that third piece.

Besides, if she truly followed Serena’s instructions, she wasn’t sure if there were enough fillets, or space on her plate!

Her mouth had started watering again in anticipation! “Thank you! It was fun learning how to prepare fish! I’m happy to help in the future!” She gave a polite bow to the group of cooks.

“Miss Thornheart!” Bellowed the head cook, folding his arms and looking at her sternly, “Where do you think you’re going!?”

“Y-yes, head cook! Umm… to eat?”

The demons stared at her for a mont and then started chuckling amongst themselves.

“The captain instructed you to co to her quarters after your work is done, is that right?”

“... yes, head cook!”

“And that!” The head cook pointed to the workspaces of the kitchen covered in the blood and guts of fish. “And, that!” he gestured to the sinks, where a mountain of unwashed plates was piled up. “What do you think that is, Miss Thornheart?”

Alia felt her shoulders drop.

“... more work, head cook…”

She put her plate of heaven to the side. Fighting back tears she grabbed the washing-up cloth and began filling the sink.

Over the next two hours, she would curse more than a few tis.