Chef in the Apocalypse

Soon enough it was Agni’s turn to collect his bowl. He decided to keep things cordial for now, merely walking up and accepting the steaming bowl of stew with a nod of thanks. He returned to a spot near a boulder, leaning against it before grabbing a spoonful and popping it into his mouth.

"Mmmm" He couldn’t help but exclaim aloud, feeling the multiple flavors dance upon his tongue joyfully. The richness of the gravy, the crunchiness of the vegetable, and the mellow taste of the meat morphed into the perfect bite.

The surroundings seemed to fade away as he continued to chew. With every bite there seemed to be a new flavor that he hadn’t noticed before, yet they all worked together seamlessly, creating a harmonious balance on his palette.

Agni opened his eyes, left speechless and dumbfounded by this one bite of stew. The flavors seemed to evoke a deep emotion within him, a feeling of comfort and home that he had never truly experienced in this life.

He blinked a few times, feeling as if his eyes were itchy. A warm liquid left his deep green eyes and trailed down his face, causing him to be even more confused. He reached up to wipe away the tears, not knowing how such a thing could happen so suddenly.

Yet before he could gather his thoughts, the loud sound of metal clanging against metal rang out across the field, catching everyone’s attention. Agni quickly looked up, his eyes trying to locate the source of the sound that had snapped him out of his reverie.

Jayce was leaning over the large pot which held the remaining stew he had served earlier. Colin was behind him, holding a giant platinum kite shield, preventing a shining dagger from sinking into Jayce’s exposed back.

Agni’s eyes widened seeing the scene in front of him. That Shadow bastard had initiated the Assassination without waiting for his signal, this was not the plan at all! Not only had he acted on his own, he had also gone after Jayce whom he wanted alive at all costs.

"What are you doing?" A deep and scary voice came out of Colin’s mouth, causing those who heard it to shiver subconsciously.

Shadow, who had been thwarted by the giant shield, quickly flipped backwards, trying to create some distance. Colin merely stood in place, acting as a sentinel to Jayce who had still not reacted to the sneak attack.

"Don’t leave just yet, I’ve made enough stew for everyone." Jayce’s voice rang out, yet his tone sounded a little weird.

Not even sparing them another glance, Shadow quickly bolted away, wanting to return to the cover of the forest in which he had originally been hiding. He clicked his tongue in annoyance at the big man’s interference, yet it wasn’t a complete loss.

He stayed alert, waiting for their party to chase him into the forest where his Shadow Garden faction would be waiting to ambush them. He never went into an Assassination without a backup plan, which was why he was able to be so successful all this time.

"I said, you can’t leave yet." Jayce repeated, a hint of annoyance in his words.

Suddenly, a group of dark flames erupted around Jayce like an inferno straight from the depths of hell. The raging fires spread outward in a 300-meter radius, bathing the entire field in their ominous glow.

These flames were not hot, nor did they burn any of the surrounding forest. However, those who were in its path suddenly felt their strength draining away from their body, as if these flames fed on their life force rather than their physical bodies.

Shadow, who had almost made it back to the tree line, suddenly fell directly onto the ground, letting out a cry of pain. He quickly turned around so as not to expose his back to his enemy, ’F*ck what are these flames?’ he questioned inwardly, feeling his body grow weak.

He quickly made a hand signal in the air, as if to tell his lackeys within the forest to back him up. However, nothing happened. He panicked for a moment before making the signal again, hoping that they perhaps hadn’t seen it the first time.

This time he heard a rustle in the trees behind him, causing his face to bloom into a smile. ’Just you wait f*ckers, I’ll follow you to the ends of the Earth if I have to. You can’t watch your back 24/7.’ he thought with satisfaction.

A pair of hands grabbed his robe, picking him up in one fluid motion. Yet instead of retreating back into the forest, they were actually heading back towards the clearing to where the enemies were located.

"What the f*ck are you doing? You’re going the wrong way!" Shadow shouted in frustration. He turned his head to find out who the hell in his faction was so stupid as to deliver him into the hands of the enemy.

"...Who are you?"

He stared at the handsome man in front of him, feeling extremely inferior when comparing his own looks to the chiseled jawline and perfectly framed face that this person was blessed with. The man in question merely looked at him with pity and a slight hint of annoyance, yet he did not respond.

"Did you take care of the one’s in the forest Zane?" Jayce asked, a small smile on his face.

"Yes Leader." Zane responded, throwing the Assassin to the floor in front of Colin and Jayce.

Shadow paled, finally feeling powerless in front of these people. Hearing that his faction had "been taken care of" he felt a pain in his heart and a huge sense of loss. His face went listless, and his thoughts moved onto some more radical ideas.

His hand slowly moved towards his dagger, his eyes filled with resolution. With the death of his Shadow Garden he felt immense guilt and hatred, mostly towards himself. If he had been a better leader, they might all still be alive.

Yet it no longer mattered, he would be joining them in the afterlife where they could drink merrily without having to worry about fighting for survival.

"Good. Heath, Lianna, go round them up and bring them here. I’m sure they’ll have quite a headache when they finally wake up." Jayce said, the grin still apparent on his face.

Shadow’s hand suddenly stopped on his dagger, not believing the words he had just heard. He gulped deeply before asking, "You mean they’re not dead?" his voice was shaky, as if it were filled with hope and disbelief.

"Dead? No no, I do not take human lives lightly." Jayce responded, his clear blue eyes staring deeply into Shadow.