@King Cosmos@Crusader Lord@ERode@Kazemitsu
At this point, all it seemed the hunting party of Runts had left to do was devour their kills. They'd killed the beasts by themselves, but now that they'd dismembered them, even if they didn't eat them they'd have broken Auguz's requirements for the hunt. So, the four committed themselves to using this as a teachable moment.
Turning on the fire, the Elwet's slightly pink-tinged meat first became whiter, and brighter. But the inner meat had to cook too. As fatty juices began sizzling to the surface, every so often dropping into the fire to provoke spitting and crackling, the outer flesh began to brown. The smell that soon filled the air, mingling with the wood smoke and ash, set the Runts' bellies to rumbling.
The first bite was a flood of sensations. Heat from the flame, and flecks of grease that stung the chin and tongue. A soft, stringy consistency, with a slight grain. A lightly salty, slightly yeasty taste on the tongue, but dense and moist. A metallic hint of blood still lingered, along with an earthy game-flavor.
Grunthor cooked his bird whole, and was the only member of the group to deny Esfir's portion-divvying. The creature's feathers didn't seem to want to catch fire, though they still produced a foul, almost plastic-y burning smell. After some time, they began to blacken, and curl...and eventually, to either fall out, or easily scrape and pluck free from the loosening skin.
The scales, too, merely blackened and smoked instead of catching flame. They also expanded, until the Elwet's tail and neck sort of "popped" like some kind of pine cone opening up to release its seed. They too began to fall to the ground with clinking sounds whenever the bird corpse shook or shifted.
It took his bird much longer to begin changing colors like the others', and by the time they were scarfing down their meals, scrawny Grunthor's was only just beginning to sear. Also, his prey seemed to be leaking much more fluid than the others', both blood and...something else? It wasn't really easy to tell just what it was, only that it certainly didn't improve any smells.
When he finally bit into it, for a long time it didn't seem too terribly different than the others', perhaps just chewier from being a little undercooked. His body didn't seem to revolt at any point, and in fact his hunger only intensified after the first few mouthfuls. But once he started tearing deeper into the bird, the metallic flavors grew much, much stronger. So did the taste of something sour. There were bitter flavors, different textures ranging from creamy to tough, and sharp, stinking smells. Though Grunthor smartly put the intestines of the bird to one side once he found them, he didn't seem to have a problem biting into everything else. The gizzard was especially tough and had a snappy pull to it, like beef jerky--and at one point the hungry Runt felt a distinct feeling as he nearly choked while swallowing. It was similar to the feeling one gets eating fruit that they thought was seedless but was not, in fact, seedless.
A new feeling settled in the pit of each Runt's gut (or two feelings, in Grunthor's case). It was as though a muscle they never knew they had began to flex, a muscle akin to the lungs that could draw something into their bodies. The more they ate, the more this feeling swelled. And then, each time they bit into their prey, the smells and tastes and even the consistency upon their tongues provoked a mingling of senses and the memories associated with them...
The Elwet's sharp horns and spear-like beak...
The Elwet's flaming breath...
The Elwet's fiery, angry eyes burning with malice...
Just like when their lungs grew full of air, this new "muscle" inside them needed to breathe out...
Turning on the fire, the Elwet's slightly pink-tinged meat first became whiter, and brighter. But the inner meat had to cook too. As fatty juices began sizzling to the surface, every so often dropping into the fire to provoke spitting and crackling, the outer flesh began to brown. The smell that soon filled the air, mingling with the wood smoke and ash, set the Runts' bellies to rumbling.
The first bite was a flood of sensations. Heat from the flame, and flecks of grease that stung the chin and tongue. A soft, stringy consistency, with a slight grain. A lightly salty, slightly yeasty taste on the tongue, but dense and moist. A metallic hint of blood still lingered, along with an earthy game-flavor.
Grunthor cooked his bird whole, and was the only member of the group to deny Esfir's portion-divvying. The creature's feathers didn't seem to want to catch fire, though they still produced a foul, almost plastic-y burning smell. After some time, they began to blacken, and curl...and eventually, to either fall out, or easily scrape and pluck free from the loosening skin.
The scales, too, merely blackened and smoked instead of catching flame. They also expanded, until the Elwet's tail and neck sort of "popped" like some kind of pine cone opening up to release its seed. They too began to fall to the ground with clinking sounds whenever the bird corpse shook or shifted.
It took his bird much longer to begin changing colors like the others', and by the time they were scarfing down their meals, scrawny Grunthor's was only just beginning to sear. Also, his prey seemed to be leaking much more fluid than the others', both blood and...something else? It wasn't really easy to tell just what it was, only that it certainly didn't improve any smells.
When he finally bit into it, for a long time it didn't seem too terribly different than the others', perhaps just chewier from being a little undercooked. His body didn't seem to revolt at any point, and in fact his hunger only intensified after the first few mouthfuls. But once he started tearing deeper into the bird, the metallic flavors grew much, much stronger. So did the taste of something sour. There were bitter flavors, different textures ranging from creamy to tough, and sharp, stinking smells. Though Grunthor smartly put the intestines of the bird to one side once he found them, he didn't seem to have a problem biting into everything else. The gizzard was especially tough and had a snappy pull to it, like beef jerky--and at one point the hungry Runt felt a distinct feeling as he nearly choked while swallowing. It was similar to the feeling one gets eating fruit that they thought was seedless but was not, in fact, seedless.
New Materials Acquired:
Fire Hardened Elwet Feathers x8
Char-Forged Elwet Scales x5
Consumed: Congealed Elwet Blood
Consumed: Crackling Elwet Skin
Consumed: Burnt Elwet Scales
Consumed: Burnt Elwet Feathers
Consumed: Cooked Elwet Meat
Consumed: Cooked Elwet Marrow
Consumed: Small Cracked Elwet Bone Fragment
Consumed: Undercooked Elwet Gizzard
Consumed: Undercooked Elwet Organs (Multiple)
Consumed: Cracked Gizzard Sparkstone
You are Well Fed. Your HP and SP recovery rate is temporarily boosted.
Status Effect: Simple Digestive Issue - Within 3 hours, experience the following symptom(s):
- Random Chance of:
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Upset Stomach
- Indigestion
- Diarrhea
- ADDITIONAL CHANCE: Magic Discharge - Explosive
Current Ingestion: Elwet - 100%+
All Ingested Skills have been detected! Choose ONE:
- [Skewer]
- [Fire Bolt]
- [Murderous Intent]
Consumed: Congealed Elwet Blood
Consumed: Crackling Elwet Skin
Consumed: Cooked Elwet Meat
Consumed: Small Cracked Elwet Bone Fragment
You are Well Fed. Your HP and SP recovery rate is temporarily boosted.
Current Ingestion: Elwet - 80%
All Ingested Skills have been detected! Choose ONE:
- [Skewer]
- [Fire Bolt]
- [Murderous Intent]
Consumed: Congealed Elwet Blood
Consumed: Crackling Elwet Skin
Consumed: Cooked Elwet Meat
Consumed: Cooked Elwet Marrow
Consumed: Small Cracked Elwet Bone Fragment
You are Well Fed. Your HP and SP recovery rate is temporarily boosted.
Current Ingestion: Elwet - 85%
All Ingested Skills have been detected! Choose ONE:
- [Skewer]
- [Fire Bolt]
- [Murderous Intent]
Consumed: Congealed Elwet Blood
Consumed: Cooked Elwet Meat
Consumed: Cooked Elwet Marrow
Consumed: Small Cracked Elwet Bone Fragment
You are Well Fed. Your HP and SP recovery rate is temporarily boosted.
Current Ingestion: Elwet - 100%
All Ingested Skills have been detected! Choose ONE:
- [Skewer]
- [Fire Bolt]
- [Murderous Intent]
A new feeling settled in the pit of each Runt's gut (or two feelings, in Grunthor's case). It was as though a muscle they never knew they had began to flex, a muscle akin to the lungs that could draw something into their bodies. The more they ate, the more this feeling swelled. And then, each time they bit into their prey, the smells and tastes and even the consistency upon their tongues provoked a mingling of senses and the memories associated with them...
The Elwet's sharp horns and spear-like beak...
The Elwet's flaming breath...
The Elwet's fiery, angry eyes burning with malice...
Just like when their lungs grew full of air, this new "muscle" inside them needed to breathe out...
1x Like
