Brook is a long walk from Altous. For a remote village (belonging to the elves no less), a dirt road is possibly one of the highest attentions Brook has given regarding neighboring villages. No doubt Haienna arranged this path to be made for their own use.
"Cecilia. Will it really be okay for me to go to Brook and deem myself Wren Altous?"
"It shouldn't be easy, but if you're set on being called such, then I think it's better to accept that it's going to be difficult navigating your past relationships now."
"I can't afford to be Sebastian now. I have changed far too much... and so I hope they will eventually understand. By the way... what do you plan on doing, Cecilia? You're not obligated to remain with me when you get there."
We step on the crest of the hill, now able to see a large, open field just before meeting the tall stone ramparts of Brook. "You're not wrong. I'm going to collect my compensatory pay from Haienna and visit my teacher. As for you... well, if you're still around after three days, let's get drinks. I would think we're close enough to be considered friends now." She smiles at the sight of Brook.
"You seem very happy. Is it the end of a long trek, or the return to city life that pleases you?"
"Both, without a question."
We make it to the large gateway. Through the opening, I can already see glimpses of the cobbled road and white buildings...!
"Halt!" A guard in light plate armor walks towards us, spear in hand. "Your names?"
"I'm Cecilia Enya. My card..." She produces a silver slip from her bag. The guard inspects it, then nods. He turns to me. "That is Wren, formerly Sebastian, Empyr's missing member. He doesn't have a card, so I'll be the guarantor."
"S-Sebastian? You look so different now." His eyes widen as he looks at me.
"Is it the long hair? Or perhaps Altous' finest tunic?" I pull my tied hair forward with a smile. "I am Wren Altous now, so I would prefer if you considered me such."
Affirming my identity in this way feels more authentic than the Jaksha excuse. But it still feels unfair that I have to deal with this body's old name. I would have gone with Sebastian if I knew about the name earlier! But, Wren is a name I've grown to like much more now, especially since I share it with Ren.
-Cecilia Enya-
It is so nice to be back. Being imprisoned for a few months is hardly a terrible punishment, considering my dealings in mass death. Wren had also done his part in making it feel more like a retreat than a prison. Now that he's returned, he has spent the past half hour staring wide-eyed like a newly born babe at shops and the merchant square.
"It's been a couple years, I bet you're tired of eating apples and plants all day. I know I'm sick of the vegetarian diet after being stuck with it for only a few months. With that in mind... we must go have some skewers."
"Yes." Succinct, yet full of excitement.
The merchant square is an open marketplace, with various stalls split across four corners of a circular plaza. Cheap artisanal crafts like linens and pottery are in the West corner, with foods in the South, Magitech and weaponry in the East, armor and jewelry in the North, and Brook's Fontaine Voilée in the center. It's a rather small fountain, but the Magitech within runs continuously, gathering moisture in the air and fueling the rills in the cobbled floor as it webs across the plaza. Only a refined person such as myself appreciates these small things about Brook's design... Wren is merely gawking at the stalls.
"Cecilia, I don't have any money. I have some skins, though. Can I sell them here, or do I need a license...?"
"You only need a license to sell goods from a stall. Look for leatherworkers. The ones with their tanning equipment out are usually advertising that they're willing to purchase materials." I clear my throat, pointing to the West corner. "Go look in that corner. I'll get us food."
-Wren Altous-
I am not too aware of the currency in this world, but I think I undersold my skins. They can't have been too expensive, just four Horned Rabbit pelts from impromptu hunting during our trip, but two of these iron coins per pelt? A meter of fresh cloth goes for 5 iron coins, from what I've seen so far. I lack the social finesse the seasoned merchants do to plead my case. Nonetheless... I have a nonzero amount of money, which means I can pay Cecilia back for my portion. I'd like to look for the materials for Staria, but I can't keep Cecilia waiting either.
I search the people, trying desperately to not be drawn to every pleasant smell of meat cooking and fresh preservatives in the food section. A younger man in light plate armor and a brilliant blonde I've not seen anywhere else but on my own head was amongst the crowd. Blonde hair must be a rarity, even in a marketplace like this where various people come together. Cecilia... Cecilia... was detached from the others, looking into an alley.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"Wren." She looked at me, then turned back. "There was some shady business going on. But it's none we should be involving ourselves in."
"Fair enough. I would rather not get in trouble as soon as I got here. So, you didn't get the food?"
"Of course I got the food. I wouldn't get distracted by the everyday sight of suspect urchins." She holds up two paper bags. "Prepare to have your mind shaken by this... it's my favorite food on the square."
I open my bag, pulling out one of two skewers, three pieces pierced on a small stick, the meat dark brown with hints of a deep red on the inside. The smell is intoxicating on its own, the scent of charcoal and the fragrant herbs lathered across the surface singing my nose just right. I gulp down a buildup of saliva I hadn't realized was there. I lick my lips, and sink my teeth into it. The outside was crispy, and where the charcoal left most of its traces. It was a mature, primal taste that preceded the sweeter inside juices. The meat itself was chewy, not too soft as to disappear too quickly, but not too tough as to tire your jaw from chewing. "Dis is... da besht thing I've ever put in my mouth."
Cecilia took a bite of her own skewer, visibly smiling as she savored the taste. "Mhm."
I continued, no longer able to restrain myself against the meat. This was Forest Dragon? I'd hunt them to extinction on my own if I knew how to cook the meat this way. The sweet juice was tinged with the taste of iron, leftover blood that was intentionally left inside to cook with the meat. "Do dey shell da recipe?"
"Mm-mm." Cecilia shakes her head, her cheeks already stuffed with all the meat that was on her skewer. I couldn't blame her.
"Brook is da besht." I swallow. "Altous needs this innovation. Years of going without meats has left us all too unaware of the true power of meat..." I imagined myself a savior, returning with hundreds of written recipes to deepen the hue of our village's knowledge.
Life is delicious food.