With all the back and forth about killing him and not killing him, half the day had vanished. It was lunchtime, and he was escorted into a large rectangular building with long, thin tables and benches that stretched across two-thirds of the room. On the right stood a long queue of ekari, each holding a flat tray made of wood.

  He spotted the pile of trays as he entered and picked one up, joining the back of the queue. It was heavier than he expected, being accustomed to plastic trays for food, but he supposed plastic probably wasn’t a thing in this village. Hey, it may not even exist at all. He had no way of knowing how developed the human kingdoms were.

  The queue progressed quickly, which he was thankful for, as it didn’t take long for the hushed whispers of ekari gossip to get on his nerves and make him feel more self-conscious than he already did. Arriving at the counter, a medium-sized ekari woman spooned something starchy onto his plate alongside a slab of meat. Smiling, she handed him a cup of purple liquid, which he took, returning the smile. It was nice to know not everyone hated his guts, that was, provided the smile was genuine and not a mask to shield her true emotions.

  Turning to grab a seat, he eyed the benches. Those who noticed him averted their gaze in subtle displays of hostility. Sighing, he slumped to an unoccupied end of a bench, far from the rest of the diners. This is what he had to look forward to: everyone giving him a wide berth as if he carried some kind of airborne disease, and simply being close to him might get them infected.

  At the center of the benches were pots of cutlery. While they were made of metal and resembled the knives and forks he was used to, the forks were missing a prong, which he barely noticed after doing a double take. Scrutinizing his meal, he realized he didn’t recognize any of the food on his plate. He decided to take a bite of the starchy thing first.

  Prodding it with his fork and tearing a piece away revealed it to be more gelatinous than it first appeared. The texture took some getting used to. The closest thing it resembled was a cross between mashed potatoes and jelly. Yet the flavor wasn’t that bad, it had the slightest hint of sweetness, which he appreciated. Next was the slab of meat. And slab was no understatement—it was the size of his forearm! He looked along the table to the ekari digging into their lunch. They were incredibly well-built, sporting the bodies of athletes. This explained the generous serving of protein. He wondered what their exercise routine must be like. Do all ekari work out? Hmm. He’d find out soon enough.

  Re-directing his attention back to the meat, he cut a chunk free. It was gray all the way through, giving it an unappetizing appearance. The taste was a little better, but not by much. The meat was far too thick to properly enjoy, and made worse by its toughness. He figured thin strips would prove far more palatable. Perhaps as jerky. The seasoning was also lacking, so overall rather underwhelming. He wouldn’t be looking forward to eating this meat again.

  However, some of the meal managed to impress—the purple drink proved to be the star of the show. Judging by the taste, it was some kind of berry juice, but it didn’t taste at all like blueberries or blackberries. It was bitter, sweet, and citrusy all at the same time, but the bitterness seemed to fade the more he drank. Before he realized it, he had downed the entire cup, leaving him drinkless for the remainder of his meal, of which half of the tough meat remained.

  Did they allow second helpings here? Based on the size of some of these freaks, he’d be surprised if they didn’t. Still, even if they did, it might not be best to ask for more on his first day. It could be insulting, and everyone seemed to despise him enough as it is. So he powered through without a drink and forced the dry bits of meat down.

  Upon finishing his meal, he instinctively went to grab his wallet, but upon patting his empty pocket, realized it was vacant. He, then, in turn, realized that even if he had his wallet, he wouldn’t have any money that actually worked. What even was the ekari’s currency? Careful not to draw attention to himself, he nonchalantly looked around the room, pretending to be inspecting his fingernails. There were no signs of a place to pay, and those entering and leaving the building made no exchange of currency that he could see. Perhaps the village traded goods in some other way?

  Regardless of whether some unseen transactions were occurring, he surmised he would not be expected to do so. It was his first day, and he had nothing, so he simply placed his empty tray on top of the others and exited the building. As expected, nobody made an effort to stop him. Walking across the village, he noticed the red-haired girl in the open area near the front entrance. She appeared to be roasting a piece of meat over a fire. It seemed not everyone ate at the Eating Hall. Upon seeing him, she gave him a stern glare. Thomas waved. This made her angrier. He didn’t like her very much. She was going to be trouble, and he knew it.

  Continuing with his walk, he spotted the Chief, Zerron, sitting at a table, playing some kind of board game with a child. He walked over to get a closer look. Before he could get there, the Chief looked up at him and sprang to his feet.

  “Thomas!” he exclaimed. “How was the meal?” Well, he sure seemed chipper.

  “Pretty good. I really liked that berry drink—the purple one.”

  “Ah, yes,” he said, nodding his head. It’s a favorite of mine, too. It’s called ruperneple juice. The berries grow all over the forest like a weed, so we’re never short!” he explained with a wide smile. That was good to hear. It would make a fine replacement for fresh orange juice, which he had more than a mild addiction to.

  “Awesome, I’ll get a refill next time then. Speaking of refills and the like, I didn’t see anywhere to pay back there—not that I have any money, but I’m curious about how trade works here.”

  “Of course, of course. I expect you have many questions. That’s where young Fizo comes in!” he exclaimed, putting a hand on the child’s shoulders. “Fizo. Say hello to Thomas, would you?” Fizo bounded to his feet and offered a hand to him.

  “Hello, sir! Nice to meet you. I’m Fizo.” Thomas extended a hand to complete the greeting. It was nice to know handshakes were still a thing in this place. A small gesture, but comforting given its familiarity.

  By his estimate, Fizo was in his mid-teens, which was surprising given the firm handshake he received that bordered on the intention to inflict harm. If Fizo were an ekari adult, he would have likely believed that was the intent, but his attitude seemed to indicate otherwise. For some reason he actually seemed happy to meet him; therefore, he chalked it up to a freakishly strong grip for his age.

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  “Today, you’re going to have the pleasure of getting a tour around the village from Fizo, here. He knows everything there is to know, so feel free to direct all of your questions to him.”

  That was rather unexpected. He’d figured they’d have someone watching him closely to see how he behaved. Perhaps someone old and wise who was well articulated. Not the boy that stood before him. He eyed Fizo in scrutiny, who stood a head’s height beneath him, beaming in his direction. Something seemed a little off. Why was this kid so keen to spend the day with him?

  Was he just the village oddity who got pawned off for jobs nobody wanted to do? Or maybe he was merely easy to excite. That could get boring quick. Alas, it was better than spending the day with someone who hated his guts.

  “Right then, Fizo, I’m Thomas, and today it looks like I am in your capable hands. Show me the ropes!” Fizo’s face lit up even further before a puzzled expression overcame it.

  “The ropes? What does that mean?”

  “Oh. It’s just a figure of speech. It means to show someone how something is done. I want to know all about your village.”

  “Ah, I see. Let’s be off then!” he exclaimed, prancing forward before stopping to turn and look back. “And Chief, I’m going to beat you next time. I was so close! When can we next play commander duel?” The Chief smiled and collected the game board and pieces.

  “I admire your confidence, Fizo, but it will be some time before you can best me. Beat Krag, and we’ll set up another game.” Fizo scowled, and with that, the pair set off.

  “It’s impossible for us to cover everything in just one afternoon, but if we’re quick, we should be able to visit the most important places. A great spot to start is at the farm. I believe it’s one of the few places you have already seen.” Thomas projected his mind back to the previous night, shivering in the animal hutch.

  “Yes. Indeed. Not a fan.”

  “Sorry about that,” Fizo sighed. “But wait until you get a good look at the farm, it’s one of my favorite spots.” Upon arriving at said farm, they were greeted by his still-empty hutch. He shuddered as they went by.

  “The farm is one of the most important areas in the entire village. We get most of our food here, from meat to plants. You see those beasts there? They are called palven. They’re a staple here at the village.” The beasts stood on four legs and had to be at least 30 feet long, sporting thick legs and a short, stubby tail. Their heads, like their body, had a rather bulbous look to them, and given how slowly they moved about within the confines of their sizable pen, they came across as rather dopey.

  “Look at the size of them! Bet they provide a lot of meat… hang on a second. Were these served at lunch today?”

  “That they were! How did you know? Did you like the taste?”

  “Call it intuition, and I'm afraid not,” he answered honestly. “A little tough and bland for my liking. I like my meat rare and salty,” he continued, trying to imagine the palven as juicy steaks. It didn’t work.

  “How odd. They are very popular here,” Fizo explained, staring at the beasts intently as they chowed down on grass, “but there is tonnes of other meat that makes its way to our plates. Perhaps you’ll prefer some of those. We’ve never cooked for humans before, you see,” he said, trailing off. “Come to think of it, darsilla and flurkusin meat is a lot more tender. Based on your description, I think you might like those better.” He nodded.

  “Great, I’ll keep an eye out for them.” The pair continued passing the rest of the caged animals. From tiny critters to great big beasts, there was an array of different species on the farm. Far more than he had expected. He counted 27 in total, and while some appeared much like the animals he was familiar with, none were quite the same. Even the rabbits were different, which he hadn’t noticed on his first night. Their legs were much longer, allowing them to jump greater distances.

  “What are these called?” he inquired, pointing to them.

  “Oh, these? I thought you’d have questions about the other animals. They’re just Spring Rabbits. I hear they’re derived from the rabbits found in the human kingdom. Those that wandered into the forest and changed due to its mystical properties.”

  “Changed, you say? So these were once just plain rabbits?”

  “As far as I am aware, yeah.”

  “And the forest changed them. How?”

  “Oh, right! You just got here, didn’t you? Think of the forest as an expanse of magical energy. Those that live within its borders are affected by the energy within.” Thomas raised an eyebrow.

  “So you’re telling me that everything in this forest is altered by magic.”

  “Yes, to some extent,” Fizo confirmed. “Some more than others. The changes are imperceptible in many cases, such as with select plants, but among the more intelligent species, we’re all clearly shaped by magic. Take the sylfern, for instance,” he said, opening his hands. “They are humanoid like us, but their fast-growing hair is made of vines, and from it they can sprout all kinds of plant matter, from leaves to berries.”

  “Their hair is made of vines!?” he questioned, his mouth agape.

  “It sure is! Neat, right?”

  “Super neat! I wonder how that works. Do they have control over what manifests on their hair, or is it just random?”

  “Oh, they can control it! They can grow any plant matter they are familiar with. The more they understand its form, the better they can replicate it.”

  “Amazing, I’d love to see one of these sylferns, as you call them, sometime. Wait…” he said, stopping himself short, “do they hate humans as much as you guys?” he asked, his face deadpan.

  “You’ll find humans are not very popular with any monsters out here,” Fizo explained, playing with his hair while averting his eyes. Thomas sighed.

  “What a shame. So you say that all monsters are affected by the magic of the forest, what about humans? Am I going to change?”

  “Good question! Humans are resistant to the effects of the forest, but you have to remember, you’re not a human anymore. You are a Summon.” That’s right. He had forgotten about that.

  “So what of Summons, do they change?”

  “I suppose, but we’re talking over the course of generations. You’re the first Summon to decide to live here, so it’s not something you need to worry about.”

  Moving past the last of the animals, they came to a series of small fields containing plants and herbs. “Here we have our collection of crops. At the front are the fruits and vegetables, and towards the back are the herbs. They’re mostly used by the healer for concoctions and the like.”

  While the land designated for crops was sizable, it was vastly overshadowed by the land for all of the animals. He concluded this was a result of the ekari’s preference for meat.

  Not skipping a beat, Fizo led him past the small fields to the back of the farm, where oddly, larger cages were situated.

  “Animals all the way here at the back? Why aren’t they with the rest?” Fizo shot him a cheeky grin. “Because these animals are no ordinary beasts. These will rip your head clean off.”