Ch 2
To keep Pepper from tiring herself out carrying two passengers, Caleb decided to try using the Elemental Cargo and sail to the Ozette Ruins from Sybak. Wren got over himself fairly quickly once he saw the kitchen that was built into the cargo hold area. Altessa had the foresight to remodel the interior of the barge to comfortably house the mana beast on seafaring trips as well as act as a temporary home for Caleb, even though the doll had no real need of such facilities.
"Our estimated time to arrival at Ozette Ruins is five hours, give or take a half hour for fueling." the redhead remarked and looked back at Wren. "Make yourself at home; you could probably use the rest. Where have you been staying that whole month?" He got no answer as the Wonder Chef had curled up on the bed, asleep. Pepper thought that was a pretty good idea, and decided she could use a nap as well.
The EC was smooth and quiet, and only needed one refuel, which Pepper easily did by pulling mana from the fading sunlight. As a mana beast with Ascension blood, she could easily use her power to draw mana from the light and redirect it to where it was needed. This was how mana beasts spread mana from the Yggdrasill Tree to the world, pulling it from the tree and then carrying it to where it would do the most good. Caleb sailed the ship onwards, checking back randomly to see how his friends were doing. Pepper was entertained with the Wonder Fork where it lay on the floor, pawing at it and rolling it back and forth between her paws. Wren shifted uneasily at random times, but stayed asleep the whole trip.
"He must really have been tired." Caleb murmured and looked back towards the land, "Well, I'll let him sleep and set up camp on the shore. Pepper could use the exercise." The ship pulled alongside the coastline and Caleb switched off the engine, then stood to open the rear cargo hatch. He began to climb out of the EC, but paused to check on his friend once more. Wren twitched once, but that was it. With a sigh, Caleb disembarked and walked through the surf onto the beach, then waited as Pepper trotted down the ramp that emerged from the underside of the rear of the EC.
"Ready to play Fetch, Pepper?" Caleb asked with a grin, holding up a bright red ball of heavy wood. The mana beast clacked and bounded to his side, ready for fun.
It was nearing moonrise when Wren finally stepped out of the EC, Wonder Fork in hand as he leaped down into the surf and waded towards Caleb. He paused on the beach and smiled as he watched the doll toss the ball towards the forest and let Pepper fly after it in retrieval. As she headed off for it, Wren made his way up to the automatic doll.
"Having fun?" he asked. Caleb turned his head with a smile.
"Sleep well?" the doll countered. The Wonder Chef looked down at his shoes for a moment, then returned the grin.
"Ah, yeah. Thanks." he answered and watched Pepper bound towards them with the ball in her mouth as Caleb called the EC into the Wing Pack, "So, are we heading for the tree now or in the morning?"
"I don't need rest, and Pepper had her sleep so she's good for a night of travel. The only one I'm worried about is you. Where have you been staying in Sybak that can konk you out for more than half a day?" Caleb questioned, a serious expression on his face. Wren just shrugged, pulling off his chef's hat with the insignia of the Wonder Chef Family and stuffing it into a pack he carried on him.
"Here and there. Anyplace with a roof over it." he replied in a nonchalant manner and slung the Wonder Fork onto his back. He began walking towards the forest, "C'mon! Let's go!" Caleb jogged to catch up and was joined by Pepper as the mana beast whistled her confusion at the sudden change from play to travel.
"Wait, what? You didn't even have a hotel room or something?" Caleb exclaimed in disbelief, "You're the Wonder Chef! You should be able to get a free place in any bed and breakfast!" Wren's jaw worked as he strode on, keeping his eyes on the path ahead. "I mean, come on! What's up with the Wonder Organization?! They should be thankful that you're even still around! You almost got killed by the Dark Chef Alliance and this is the way they treat their leader...?!"
"Agh! I don't want to hear about the Wonder Organization!" Wren suddenly snapped, glaring at him as he came to a dead halt, hands tightened into fists. "I said I was sick of it! Just drop it and let's go!" Caleb blinked in shock and shook his head as Pepper reared back with a shrill screech, fur puffing and wings trembling.
"Whoa! Wren, what's wrong with you?" he murmured. Wren took a deep breath and stepped back.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to blow up on you. But I meant what I said there. I don't want to hear about the Wonder Organization." he told the doll, gazing down at the grassy path that would lead to the ruins of Ozette. "It's something I have to deal with as the Wonder Chef, but I can do that later. I'm not the Wonder Chef now, I'm Wren. You promised I would be Wren when I'm with you."
"All right. I'll keep my mouth shut for now. But after I talk to Orator you're spilling the beans on what's going on!" Caleb lectured and winced, "Great, now I'm the one with the bad puns."
"I'll think about it. So, who's Orator? You keep talking about him." Wren remarked as Caleb turned to calm Pepper down with coos and an apple. The doll nuzzled Pepper's snout and smiled at the chef.
"That's right. You weren't with us at the time. Orator is the mana beast companion to Martel. He's like the wise man to the other mana beast clans." he replied.
"Ah! You mean, there are more of these things in the world?!" Wren exclaimed in shock.
"Yeah, and Orator's the only one who can talk human language."
"It talks, too?!"
"Wren, you're turning different colors. I think you'll do better riding on Pepper for the trip." Caleb pointed out with a slightly exasperated smile, arms folded up in a casual pose, "It won't do for me to introduce you to all my friends while you're fainted."
"I suppose you're right." Wren answered weakly and gingerly climbed onto Pepper's back.
Ozette Ruins brought back mixed memories and emotions as the three friends walked through the destroyed village. Caleb thought on how he met both Pepper and the Wonder Chef because of experiences near the ruins, Wren couldn't help but think of the hardships the Wonder Organization and his family went through because he dropped out of sight unwillingly, even as he tried not to think of his own current hardship. Pepper thought about fruit and dinner. She was the only one to vocalize her thoughts, startling Wren and bringing Caleb to a halt.
"She's hungry." Caleb realized once the faint image of a pot and apples appeared in his mind. "Okay, we'll stop here and make a snack, Pepper. I'll make a meat stew." Wren slid off of Pepper's back and checked the supplies they had brought along from the EC.
"We don't have the meat for a meat stew. Just lots of fruits." the chef reported. Caleb looked distressed.
"No way! I brought the wrong pack! That's Pepper's treat bag!" he cried. Wren laughed and looked up at him.
"That's okay. I'm sure she won't mind if we use some of her treats to make fruit cocktail for all of us." he remarked and picked out several ripe fruits, "I'll need to borrow a knife and a cutting board for this." Caleb searched his own travel pack and pulled out the tools for him. "I'll get started on it right away."
"I'll go and see if I can get some meat from the wild animals around here." the doll added and turned to Pepper, "Pepper, be a good girl and stay here with Wren. Make sure the wild animals don't come here. Remember what your mother and father taught you about chasing away monsters." Pepper whistled sadly. "I know you want to come with me, but I want to try this on my own. It's the only way for me to see if I can do this." Caleb murmured and left the clearing as Wren set to chopping apples, humming to himself as he worked. Pepper watched Caleb leave with a sad expression, then watched Wren with interest. She toyed with her innate Ascension powers, clacking with pleasure as she snuck a piece of apple from the pile towards her when the chef wasn't paying attention.
Caleb didn't have to walk far into the forest before he came across one of the mana reactors that sat almost overgrown with flora. Sliding his hand into the light shining within the dome of the device, the doll watched the mana crystal change to fit the area. He brought it out and held his fist forward, smiling as a beam of light shone forth and lit up his path.
"Okay. So that works. Now to find a monster or two." he remarked brightly and continued on. The sounds of him walking on the fallen twigs and dead tree limbs attracted the local wildlife and Caleb soon found himself confronting a pair of wolves and a small flock of angry birds of prey. "That was fast." the doll commented with a smile and set his feet in a solid stance, one hand going over the area of his chest where his heart would be. His free hand stretched out towards the approaching animals, index finger pointing as if to accuse them of some evil deed.
"Let's see what I'm made of! Come on!" he exclaimed and the pack of animals took it as a challenge, racing towards him. Caleb quickly drew a focusing point into the air with his outstretched hand, a way of helping him concentrate on where the best place to unleash the spell would be. "Want a taste of me?!" he cried, a red mana circle spiraling out at his feet as another formed in front of his free hand, "Fireball!" The spheres of magically conjured flame slammed into the wolves, sending them howling with pain across the ground.
The birds swerved aside to avoid the attack and dived at Caleb. He rolled aside, flipping out of the way as agile as the man whose body served as the model for his own. Regaining balance easily, the doll spun and resumed the spell casting pose.
"I don't suppose you'll be trying that again?" he purred and smiled as the birds came at him again, "Okay! Here comes another!" He drew out the focus again and slammed his open palm forward once more, "Wind Blade!" The concentrated air tore into the flock before they could evade the blast, dropping several of them to the ground. What survived the attack flapped off in a hurry, screaming in fury. Caleb collected the fallen prey and cleaned them of feathers and grit.
"Meat stew's back on the menu!" he remarked cheerfully and went back to the campsite, confident that he had a handle on his new spell casting ability.
Caleb's triumphant return to camp was met with Pepper being chased around the clearing by Wren, who waved his fist into the air as he raced after the clacking mana beast.
"Get back here, Pepper! I'll teach you not to eat that fruit cocktail all by yourself!" the chef shouted, "What about the rest of us?! We have to eat, too!"
"You mean, you need to eat." Caleb corrected loudly and held up his prizes, "Don't worry! I got some meat here for that stew." Wren stopped his chasing and huffed tiredly. "I'll cook it this time. Get some rest, you're not supposed to tire yourself out like that." the doll added and looked over at Pepper. "And you should know better than to swipe dinner before it's been made! Settle down and rest up some. We'll continue once Wren has had something to eat." The mana beast clacked and sat down, seeming to snicker at her own cleverness. She had her snack and got some playtime in, all at the same time.
Despite Caleb's thoughts on when they would leave, it became clear that the race and dinner made for a sleepy chef. The three of them didn't make it to the Yggdrasill Tree until mid-morning the next day. The clearing was fairly empty, save for the mana beast hatchlings playing near the base of the tree with their live-in baby-sitter and Orator, who sat calmly nearby, watching the group.
"Hello! I'm here for a visit!" Caleb called out as he, Pepper, and Wren entered the clearing and walked up to Orator. The massive mana beast turned his attention to them and nodded his head in a sort of greeting. "Orator, I'd like you to meet my best friend, Wren!" he introduced as Wren stared up at the mana beast in shock, "Wren, this is Orator."
"He's bigger than I thought!" Wren exclaimed.
"I get that a lot." Orator told him and didn't move when the chef yelped and jumped back in surprise, "I get that, too. Pleased to meet you, Lord Wren." He cocked his head and gave him a steady look. "Hmm. I didn't think the Wonder Chefs would actually survive the Kharlan War, given their connections to those involved. You must be the newest Wonder Chef in the line." he added. Wren looked startled.
"How did you know I'm the Wonder Chef?!" he exclaimed in shock. Orator straightened and snorted a bit.
"You hold about you a very particular aura and scent that is unique to those of the Wonder Chef line. It is an ancient lineage as proud and vital to Symphonia's survival as the mana beast race and the protozoans." he declared in his rumbling voice, "And I can see your fork on your back." Wren turned bright red with embarrassment as Caleb and Pepper laughed at the mana beast's words.
"That's Orator for you. He's a wise guy as well as a wise one." the doll explained between his chuckling. Orator's mouth turned up in a smile.
"I like that description. I'll remember it from now on." the mana beast remarked and settled down comfortably, "So, are you here to visit Lady Martel, Friend Caleb?" The doll shook his head.
"Actually, this time I'm here to see you. I'm on a quest to save the knowledge of this world so it can be preserved in case another disaster befalls Symphonia." he began, "Since you are from the time before the Kharlan War, I thought you might be able to tell me about the histories of this world before Mithos destroyed them." Orator eyed him carefully.
"Your journey is a noble one and suits your abilities well. But, I don't think I can be of much help. The knowledge of the past that I hold is in the form of legends and stories that pertained to the mana beast race and the Spirit of Mana when the Kharlan Tree grew lush long ago. Such things are best left to those of us who lived the past, so that we may see in advance the signs of troubled times to come in the future." he told the doll, "If they were to be recorded, then history would be doomed to follow those previous mistakes and all that the Heroes of Union fought for would truly be the lost knowledge and wisdom of the world."
"Oh. So, you have nothing that can be shared with us?" Caleb pressed on, disheartened by his words, "Not even an ancient recipe or two for my friend, Wren?"
"I'm afraid not, Friend Caleb." Orator affirmed with a slow shake of his head. He gave Wren a confused look. "And why would the Wonder Chef have need of archaic recipes? Aren't the ones they have in possession now enough? Your family must also have an archive of the recipes before the Ancient Kharlan War, and you have the Ultimate Recipe, as I recall. What makes you search for recipes that your ancestor had no need to master?"
"My reasons for finding new recipes are many. All I can say for now, to both you and Caleb, is that the Wonder Organization is in need of new recipes to modify to continue protecting the world's food and well-being." Wren told the mana beast, "We were recently betrayed by a spy, who has taken many of our secrets and may use them to try to change how food is prepared for the people of Symphonia. Without a new menu of culinary counter-recipes, we could very well fall to the Dark Chef Alliance and Symphonia's quality of life will fail." Orator studied him intensely and the blonde looked away anxiously.
"You are troubled by something. There is a darker side to your search." the mana beast murmured and sat back up. "I won't pry into your affairs. The Wonder Chef Family's concerns remain their own. We mana beasts only supply what we can to them." Orator lifted a paw and tapped his lower lip. "I may not be able to give either of you what you seek, but I do know of a place that can." he finally remarked.
"Really?!" both Caleb and Wren exclaimed hopefully.
"In the past the Moria mine of today was the home to a vast brotherhood of dwarves who amassed their combined knowledge and wisdom in the Moria Gallery. It is a library of information that may have survived the creation of the two worlds." Orator told them, "The Moria Gallery contains dwarven knowledge and technology, and has been myth for much of the race in recent generations, at least as far as I've heard. It is no myth, and if the Moria Gallery survived, then you have a chance at its wealth of knowledge." He winked at Wren. "You might even find a few dwarven recipes, too."
"The technology and knowledge of the dwarves of the past." Caleb whispered with shining eyes, "Just think of what that could do to help Altessa and Dirk in their journey to educate the dwarven race!"
"The Dark Chefs won't know anything about dwarven recipes! We can use those to counter the human recipes they might have stolen from us!" Wren murmured and closed his eyes, "And I will have the proof I need..."
"Come on, Wren! Let's go to Moria!" Caleb exclaimed with renewed enthusiasm, "I bet we can find the Moria Gallery and learn all we need to from it!" He paused and thought hard. "Hmm. Moria mine is connected to the Toize Valley mines by a tunnel that was sealed by the Lezareno Company. That means we need to get special permission from them in order to access the mines and the tunnel that will take us to Moria."
"The Lezareno Company is in Altamira, right?" Wren pointed out and gave Caleb a stern look, folding his arms over his chest, "You're not gonna make me swim there, are you?" Caleb laughed sheepishly.
"No, no. I've got friends in the company. I'm sure we'll get the permission we'll need." he laughed embarrassedly. Orator cleared his throat for attention.
"I've noticed that Pepper has been wearing a bell for some time now. There may be a usefulness to it." he began, "For the time being, she has been able to draw mana for your benefit from the light and from fire and heat. Let me make the suggestion that you find certain gems to decorate that bell with. Do you know of the gems that are blessed by the Summon Spirits?"
"Yes, those are the Rings of Pact that each Summon Spirit gives to the pact-maker whose vow they uphold." Caleb returned, "Sheena of Mizuho is a summoner, and her rings were from the Summon Spirits of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. She has given them out as gifts to her friends to keep them safe."
"Precisely. If you can find gems just like those, bring them by here. I'll request the clans of each corresponding gem to infuse it with their bloods." Orator told the doll, "That will help Pepper draw mana from other sources. Remember, Friend Caleb, that she is still a child though she has an adult body. Take care of her and continue to love and protect her as well as teach her what is just and fair. Her Ascension powers will grow and she will develop her other abilities in time."
"I'll remember that. Thank you, Orator." Caleb answered with a polite bow, "We'll be leaving for Altamira."
"I'll teleport ahead with the Wonder Fork and meet you there." Wren suggested, "Pepper can't carry both of us there." Caleb shook his head vehemently.
"No way! Not after the shape I found you in back in Sybak! We'll get there in the Elemental Cargo!" the doll declared, "It may take us a little longer than on Pepper or by teleportation, but it will sure as hell be a lot healthier for you! If the You-Know-Who won't cough up the gald to get you into a hotel, then I'm going to make sure you aren't left out in the cold!" Wren looked startled, then smiled tearfully at him.
"All right. You're a real friend, Caleb. I'm glad I met you so long ago." he murmured.
"Then it's settled. Good luck on your journey. May you both find what you seek." Orator told them and resumed his watchful gaze over the hatchlings as Caleb, Wren and Pepper left the clearing.