"Why are we here?" the warrior barked. He paced restlessly to and from the exits of the bunker and spoke between deep huffs of the stimulant vapors that poured from his mask.
The accompanying Hearthmaster bellowed a guttural chuckle from where he kneeled beside a fire at the center of the room, "It does not much matter, so long as we are eating well." Smoke rolled up and beyond the open ceiling where the wind pulled it along the arcing horizon of the Halo as it faded into the night sky.
This petty guard detail was issued down the chain of command from a Sangheili Fleet Master who held prejudiced opinions about the obedience and coordination of the Jiralhanae. Since the Halo had been discovered, Jiralhanae forces within the fleet have either remained in reserve or been stationed at remote outposts away from events of any significance.
The impatient warrior continued, "As far as I can tell, it's just two bunkers in a blood gulch, with no way in or out, in the middle of nowhere." He gestured wide as he spoke. "We guard nothing! Fight nothing! There is no glory here!"
"Bite your cheek, pup! That talk is for the quick and the dead," the Hearthmaster amused. "There are conscripts dying hungry in swamps as we lounge and enjoy freshly roasted Thorn Beast. Consider this time off for good behavior and enjoy the scents." He tapped his forefinger to his nose.
The senior Hearthmaster turned a crude stoneware dish held aloft at the center of the fire pit. He then patiently redistributed the smoldering coals evenly beneath and around it. The air rippled around a spiney beast, skinned and splayed within the dish.
The young warrior watched him work. He had not seen someone tend a hearth so carefully. In truth, he'd never cared where or how his food was made. But the Hearthmaster was practiced in the distribution of heat and an artist with salt, fat, and spice.
"What soft coward masters the hearth?" the warrior sneered. This was, indeed, the first he'd ever known. "What more does meat require than blood?"
Unphased by the biting remark, the Hearthmaster stared into the coals from which memories were conjured with a chorus of claps and cracks.
"I recall, as a pup, sitting in on an elder's council," the Hearthmaster said. "It was a meeting between a pack of humble herders and hungry neighboring raiders in a canyon valley much like this."
"Although they were not forthcoming of their plight, the raiding pack suffered from plague and starvation. Their leader knew how to slaughter Thorn Beast. But he knew very little about rearing them. And he knew nothing of preparation, or preservation."
"It was his pride that blinded him, gluttony that starved him, and a fear of retribution that brought him to our table."
Intrigued, the warrior took a seat near the fire and leaned in to listen.
"The raiders were greeted with feast."
"There was a female among the herding elders. She was built like a war-skiff and had been known to flay traitors and mutineers. But she was also the foremost gourmand of the pack. Her recorded works smell of all the roots and herbs of the forests and speak on the livestock imported from the nearby oceans and plains as well."
"Her most well-known recipe is her legendary preparation of Thorn Beast. And on that night, she demonstrated her secrets for the raiders."
"She'd start with an assortment of spicy seeds and pods, roasted until aromatic, and then pulverized. These spices would be tempered with cereal grains that too have been ground into a fine powder, and the mixture set aside."
"The beast itself must be beheaded at the base of its neck to avoid poisoning the meat, then spatchcocked. This is done by sliding a sharp knife through the open neck and into the chest cavity. Then, using the blade, one must cut through the sternum so that the beast's chest may be opened and its entrails removed. After this, she'd lay it flat in a pan greased with the fat of the beast."
"But beware the creature's spines," he paused tapping the blunted bones protruding from the roasting beast's backbone with a knife. "If they are not blunted, their sharp tips will stand tall and make this dish dangerous to handle."
"With the beast splayed, she'd dredge it with the spiced flour, ensuring that it is evenly coated in the rich flavors. Finally, before roasting, she'd generously grate a pungent root resin over the beast."
"Done properly, Thorn Beast is to be slow roasted slow at a low temperature that is raised over a few hours," the Hearthmaster explained as he once again tended the burning coals.
"While it cooks, she'd grind more spices to be sprinkled on the final plated dish, which would be served with mashed gourd, drizzled with drippings cooked down from the entrails, and paired with an aged berry wine. Here, we work with what we have."
The Hearthmaster grasped the smallest spine from the roasting beast. As he cut around the ball of meat at its base with his knife, the drip and sizzle of rendered fat crescendoed, adding to the crackling chorus of the coals. He cut the spine free and handed the morsel to the young warrior.
"Feast," the Hearthmaster demanded.
The warrior received the meaty spine. He sniffed it first, bathing his nostrils in the spicy aroma. Then he bit into it carefully, savoring the flavor. Finally, he devoured the morsel to the satisfaction of the Hearthmaster.
"The guest raiders at the table heard nothing. After the feast, they drew blades and threatened to remove the beasts from the pasture. They mistakenly thought humble herders were any less warriors than themselves."
"When the lead raider was slain, those who survived him were brought into the herding pack. And despite every year that brought plague and drought, they would never be hungry again. For what is a warrior whose stomach is as empty as his head?"
"The quick and the dead," realized the young warrior, his face now a mess of drool and rendered fat.
The Hearthmaster chuckled again, this time surprised. "Quite so, pup. Now, with Thorn Beast in your belly, you may speak to me of glory."
Roast Beast is a #Wayfinder story and #fanfiction exploration of the #HaloCE multiplayer map: #BloodGulch.
Written and produced by Alessandro Marino (vigg.substack.com).
Audio and visual effects captured from Halo: The Master Chief Collection on #XboxSeriesX.
Based on the #Halo Universe, a property of #Microsoft Corporation and #HaloStudios.
Watch now: youtu.be/Kw25ViLbE0U
#halospotlight
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