Ch 5
When the smoke cleared, Wren, Caleb and Pepper were all standing in a heavily forested area. Caleb looked around in confusion as Wren muttered angrily to himself and rubbed his head.
"Agh, sorry! I forgot to tell you that I can't teleport us directly into the Wonder Organization's headquarters. Safety reasons and all. I stopped using my Hima teleportation link for the same reason." he apologized and pointed at the mountain path nearby. "We have to walk there and find a small shop."
"A shop?" Caleb echoed as the three of them began walking up the rocky trail, "In Hima? What would you be doing with a shop in Hima?"
"Well, it's a front." Wren explained, "I have an uncle who is the shopkeeper. He sells utensils and customizes, too." Caleb stopped abruptly, blinking rapidly.
"Customize? You people can get customized utensils?" he asked in shock and looked almost tearful, "My Goddess, what more can you do to uproot any sense in this world? Do you have a summoner cook who goes around making pacts with Kitchen Spirits?" Wren paused and looked back at him flatly.
"You don't want me to answer that." he replied.
Hima seemed almost deserted, but then it always looked almost deserted. There weren't many people and buildings there, and whatever was there was so old and so unattended that most of them didn't even garner a second glance. Wren looked around as the group arrived in the village, then made his way towards a ramshackle little shop set along the wall of the mountain. Caleb followed him along, whistling to keep Pepper in line.
The interior of the shop seemed almost as bad as the outside, but the merchandise was at least good quality. The shopkeeper yawned as the three friends entered the building, Pepper needed to squirm a bit to fit through the door and wisely chose to stay right where she was. Caleb looked around and then glared at Wren.
"You still don't have knives in stock?" he growled. Wren only rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation.
"Welcome to the Egg Beater. How can I be of service?" the shopkeeper drawled out.
"Uncle, it's me!" Wren exclaimed, "I need to get home and report that I've found ancient recipes for the Organization to master!" The shopkeeper suddenly snapped into alertness.
"Adam! You actually found something?" he cried and the blonde nodded with a smile, "I knew you could do it!" The shopkeeper then spotted Caleb and Pepper, and his demeanor changed. "Who is this and what is that?" he demanded of the young chef.
"This is Caleb, my best friend. And this is a mana beast named Peppermint FireBlossom, and she's also a friend of mine. They helped me find the recipes." Wren told him, "I want them to go with me into the mines."
"I don't think that's a good idea." the shopkeeper muttered, "You know how your father is when it comes to..."
"Father will understand, Uncle." Wren interrupted stiffly, "It's because of my friends that I even stand here. I almost died in Moria trying to find these recipes, as demanded by the Council of Gourmet Chefs." He leaned on the countertop and tapped his fingers against the wood. "Also, I am still the Wonder Chef, no matter what anyone else says. I say that I want Caleb and Pepper with me when I enter the mines." the blonde added in a low authoritative tone.
"All right, sir. Mind you, I'm only backing down because of that title." the shopkeeper sighed, "I just hope you know what you're doing. Eve hasn't come either. She says she refuses to believe that you've lost focus in your cooking." The man turned and pulled on a wooden spoon that was on display behind him, opening an entire wall that was set against the side of the mountain.
"My sister has more faith in me than anyone in the Organization does right now." Wren murmured with a half-hearted smile, "I'm grateful for that, if nothing else." He walked towards the secret entrance to the Hima mines and motioned to the startled doll and mana beast. "Come on! I have to give this to the Wonder Cooks and you need access to the archive!" he added, already regaining courage just knowing the two of them were there with him. Wren didn't wait for a response, just headed into the darkness with all the bravado he could muster. Both Caleb and Pepper looked at each other, shrugged, then made their way after the blonde chef.
Hima mines sprawled several levels and was divided into two sections for safety. The first section was for normal mining, meant to keep people in the village busy with their work. The second one was set deep into the mountain, with a network of air tunnels and light fixtures built by means of magitechnology and dwarven craftsmanship together. It was there that the Wonder Organization made their home and base, a place where they could gather to train and master recipes before going out to spread what they had learned and protect the people and upcoming cooks from the Dark Chef Alliance. It was there that the Wonder Chef Family resided, teaching their craft to the new recruits and helping other chefs further master their own unique recipes while at the same time continuing to reinvent their menu of older dishes to keep up with the Dark Chefs.
News of the Wonder Chef's return spread quickly and, as Wren made his way straight to the main hall to meet with the family and the Council that had approved his original mission, more and more cooks began sticking their heads out of kitchens and classrooms to watch him walk by in awe and surprise. Pepper was hard to keep a handle on, as the smells of so many dishes being cooked up was incredibly enticing to her. Caleb kept a steady grip on her green sash, the bell ringing loudly as she tried to dart off at random times to see what new foods were being created. The doll was fascinated by the Wonder Organization's headquarters, studying the white walls and ornate designs carved into the trim to provide blessings and protection on the residents.
"Dwarven handiwork. Amazing! It's the same style as the Moria mine and the Famine Temple! More proof of the connections between the Wonder Organization and the Moria Dwarves!" he whispered as Wren reached the end of one hall and pushed open a set of heavy oak doors. He followed along with Pepper as the chef walked down a path of red carpet, past banners displaying the crest of the Wonder Chef and its Organization, a white cauldron with a candle-lit 'W', past startled cooks who looked up from their pots and pans, still clutching various utensils and ingredients in their hands. At the end of the path was a stage where a table of cooks stood off to one side and a group of two women and an old man stood on the other end. In the center, waiting with a stern expression on, was another elderly gentleman, dressed in simple chef's clothes of pure white and shining brass buttons, a chef's hat set properly upon his head. Wren stopped before him, not ascending the stairs to the stage.
"Father, I'm home." he announced, "And I've brought with me my two closest friends, Caleb and Pepper. I wish for them to be guests here and have access to our archives." The Wonder Cooks murmured to each other in surprise. They fell silent when the elderly cook turned his gaze on the crowd.
"They can be guests, but why should these outsiders have the right to view our history?" he questioned in a quiet tone, "And what of your mission? Have you succeeded, my son... or failed?" Wren blinked and seemed to consider his words carefully.
"Caleb is on a journey to archive the world's knowledge, in case another disaster, like the one Mithos caused, should ever occur to Symphonia and force a loss of history." he explained, "I don't want the same fate that befell Tethe'alla and Sylvarant to fall on the Wonder Organization. We must always stand to protect the health and the people of this world."
"I see. The decision will be made after you have made your announcement." the elderly chef answered, "I will ask once more. Have you succeeded or failed in your mission?" Wren produced the small data crystal, surprising the cooks again.
"I have succeeded, Father. I hold in my hand the library of dwarven recipes as recorded by the Moria Gallery. There is enough information here to begin the experimentation process right away." he declared, "I have kept my promise and proven my skill in the quest to find new recipes!"
"Then judgment is final. Here and now, as agreed by the Council of Gourmet Chefs, my son, Adam Voraci, remains titled the Wonder Chef from this day until he can no longer hold such responsibility!" the elderly cook exclaimed powerfully, "Bon appétit!"
"Bon appétit!" the other Wonder Cooks called out and returned to working madly at their recipes. The table of chefs didn't look too pleased and whispered among themselves as Wren bowed his head gratefully. Caleb cheered happily as the blonde climbed the steps and stood before his father, waiting.
"Have I... done well?" Wren whispered softly and looked surprised to have the elderly chef step forward and embrace him in a hug.
"In my eyes, you always do well. Whether you are Wonder Chef or not, you are and will always be my son, Adam." the older man told him and pulled away, baby blue eyes shining with pride, "Your mother and grandparents are waiting for you. Go and speak with them." Wren smiled brightly.
"Thank you, Father. This time, I'll prove to myself that I am capable of being Wonder Chef. I still have to regain my true skills." he replied and ran to greet the rest of the family. For a moment, the elderly chef watched him, then turned a new stern gaze at Caleb, walking down the steps to face him on level ground.
"As for you... you are the one Old Jack says helped Adam escape the Dark Chefs, correct?" he asked. Caleb blinked and nodded. "I am Estéfan Voraci, the former Wonder Chef during my generation of cooks. Thank you for protecting my son. Have you come for a reward?"
"No, Sir Voraci." Caleb answered firmly and with a shake of his head, "I saved your son without ever knowing he was the Wonder Chef because I saw a young man in need of help, not someone in a position of power. I became his friend because he needed one, not because I could influence him." He smiled up at the gentleman chef. "Wren is Wren. To you he may be Adam, to the world he is the Wonder Chef, but to me, he's just my friend Wren. I'm thankful to have a friend like him." Estéfan seemed to accept the response and told him where to go to find the archive before turning back to the stage to join his family. Caleb watched them interact for a bit longer, then turned to Pepper. "Well, let's go see what the Wonder Organization has stored in their data crystal. If what Orator said is true, and I don't doubt him at all, then this group must have the most complete history of Symphonia. After all, they've been here for seven thousand years!"
The Wonder Organization's archive consisted of a room filled with cookbooks collected and written over the length of their existence and a single data crystal set into a reader/writer unit that archived many more, as well as histories, legends and governing 'laws' concerning the Wonder Organization. As Caleb sped through the books as carefully as he could, then made contact with the AI of the data crystal, it became apparent that this collection wasn't as complete as he had hoped. There were mentions of Mithos and his companions here and there, usually marked with dates and a list of recipes that had been taught to the group. Many thoughts and facts concerning the sudden splitting of the world were also recorded, as well as the decision to build two bases and move the Organization as needed from one world to the other. As the flourishing world always seemed much healthier overall, cooking-wise, than the declining one, the Wonder Chef of that time would move the entire Organization over a bit at a time in order to try to balance the worlds out. Eventually, they learned to just train two sets of Wonder Cooks, one for each world, so only the Wonder Chef would need to pass between them to maintain stability.
Mithos took notice of the earliest attempts to balance Sylvarant and Tethe'alla and used his power over the Eternal Sword to bring the Wonder Chef before him. After a great deal of talking, Mithos offered a deal with the Wonder Organization. The Wonder Chef would not try to alter anything in Cruxis' plans to maintain order and create a vessel for Martel by spreading information other than recipes to those who lived in whichever world the Organization dwelled in at the time. In exchange, Mithos would not purge their archives and told the Desian groups to leave Wonder Cooks out of their captures for human ranches, as he knew of the history behind the first Wonder Chef and respected the actions of those who appeared to be following his ideals.
The Wonder Chef accepted, of course, as it was reported that any other answer would have resulted in the chef becoming the next victim bound for testing at a human ranch. The resulting imposed neutrality to all races was pleasing to Mithos, who considered it a sideways step to the end of discrimination. After several centuries had passed, the neutral mindset of the Wonder Organization became second nature and it was often forgotten exactly why they only concerned themselves with just recipes when dealing with half-elves, dwarves, elves and humans.
"Well, this tells me a lot more about the Wonder Organization, I guess." Caleb sighed as Pepper slept nearby, carefully curled up to avoid knocking anything over. "I'll get this saved to the data crystal. History is history, no matter whose it is." He turned at the sound of the door opening and blinked as Wren walked in, dressed like his father with a red neckerchief and his own chef's hat bearing the golden candle-lit 'W'. "Nice outfit." the doll commented with a grin.
"Ah, this?" Wren stammered out, turning red, "I always get kind of embarrassed in this outfit. It's what I wear when I'm home." He sighed and shook his head, partly out of exasperation. "I go out and see all the other people wearing normal clothes and I wish I had some like that. It's all chef's clothes here in the mines. Weird, huh?"
"What about that green and white outfit I usually see you in?" Caleb asked, "That looked like normal clothing to me." Wren thought about that.
"Oh, those. Those are my traveling clothes, and I guess they do look halfway normal. I was the one who told the tailors what to make for me, and I must have mentioned my wish for normal clothes or something." he murmured and shrugged. "Either way, I prefer my travel clothes over this." Caleb stood and let him sit at the device, then watched as he plugged the crystal into the second setting beside the archive crystal already in the reader/writer. "Huh. So we really did have one of these things. I wonder why no one told me about it or showed me where it was hidden?" Wren muttered and sighed again, irritation creeping back into his tone, "At least they brought it out for you. I really should talk to the Council about denying me information; that's not a good indicator of my popularity." He scowled for a moment as the data began transferring, then looked up at the doll brightly. "So, did you get it all down? Read every cookbook, memorized every ounce of data about how you shouldn't add too much flour to dough else it turns into a lump of cheap concrete?" Wren asked with a grin.
"Wren, please don't remind me of what I just crammed into my head." Caleb pleaded almost tearfully, "It just shows me that I really didn't have the skill to use the Wonder Fork in Moria! And a quarter of these books I couldn't understand at all! I had to record them as images, page by page, because they were written in some weird language I've never seen before! At least they're saved..."
"Now you know how I feel around dwarven and angelic languages." Wren pointed out, pulling free the data crystal from his pocket. A strange look flickered on Wren's face as he set the device to copying the dwarven recipes. "Speaking of saving things... I've been meaning to do this since we first started this journey." he murmured and stood up from his seat, "You don't have all the data concerning the Wonder Organization. There's still one bit of information left." Caleb blinked.
"But I've double-checked everything in the archive." he insisted as the blonde studied him carefully.
"Could you come down a bit? You're taller than me." Wren asked. Caleb sighed in exasperation and bowed slightly. After taking a deep breath, the Wonder Chef leaned forward and began to whisper into the doll's ear. After a few minutes of hushed speaking, Wren stepped back and breathed a sigh of relief. "There, that's everything." Caleb straightened, rubbing at his ear subconsciously as he eyed the chef.
"Okay... What was that about? I didn't find a copy of that anywhere in the archive." he remarked. Wren looked vaguely uncomfortable as he stared down at his shoes.
"Th-that's because it's forbidden to record it anywhere. What I just t-told you, and you can't ever tell anyone, is the Ultimate Recipe." he murmured softly, "Please save it to the archive, but put it under encryption, with a passcode only a Wonder Chef can know."
"Wren! I thought you aren't supposed to tell anyone other than your successor that recipe!" Caleb hissed in shock.
"I know! If anyone finds out, I'm as good as dead!" Wren replied fearfully, "Not even my father will have the power to stop my exile then! And that's if I'm even lucky enough to get exiled! I could be straight out executed for this!" Caleb stared down into the single deep blue eye that looked out from the blonde hair hiding his friend's face, then sighed almost painfully.
"Wren, you've gotten me in a position I never wanted to be in, y'know." he told the young chef, "I'll save it to the crystal, under the best encryption I can, but right after that, I'm purging my own memory of this whole conversation." Wren looked startled.
"You can do that? You can erase your own, personal memories?" he cried and clapped his hands over his mouth, turning almost white.
"I can, but I never had to before. This is dangerous information that you've given me, Wren. I can easily dump the data that's in my cold storage system, but my personal memory of this whole conversation also contains that recipe because you didn't warn me about it. I have to purge that as soon as possible." the doll explained, "Once I've done that, you must promise never to bring it up to me again." He looked at the data crystal. "It's finished the upload of the dwarven recipes. Now I'm going to have it copy the data from my memory directly to the crystal so any alarms in the Wonder Archive won't go off."
"Will it have enough room to hold it all?" Wren asked faintly, holding the edge of a table to steady himself. Caleb placed his palm on the reader/writer's scanner.
"For safety, I'll put in the Ultimate Recipe first, under heavy encryption. What do you want the passcode to be?" the doll asked. Wren gazed dully at him, seeming to see through him.
"Kartha, the half-elf who created Incineration. She's not in the legends held in the Wonder Organization, so I'll tell the truth to my successor, and she will be remembered as the key to the Ultimate Recipe if the Wonder Chef Family falls." he decided and sat down, "I think I'm going to be very ill."
"Don't. You'll make me worry when I wake up." Caleb told him sternly and looked away, closing his eyes as he began the transfer. Pepper twitched in her sleep, aware of the changes in emotions around her and not comfortable with it at all.
It was some time later that Wren saw Caleb pull his hand away from the device and open his eyes. The doll blinked a few times, then looked back at Wren. He looked surprised, then smiled.
"Hey, Wren! I didn't hear you come in. I've uploaded what I've learned into the secondary data crystal, but it looks like I don't have enough room. So some of the data is still in my memory." he told the chef. Wren managed a smile back.
"Really? I guess we'll have to make another data crystal to store the rest of it." he replied and hid his hands behind his back, wishing they didn't tremble so much. "So, you got everything inside the crystal and yourself, huh?"
"Yup. What's up, Wren? You look like you're about to be sick." Caleb asked worriedly as he unplugged the small crystal and stuck it into his pocket.
"Ah, it's this outfit I'm wearing. I've never really liked it. I prefer my traveling clothes over this outfit I usually wear when I'm here." Wren answered quickly. Caleb studied him strangely, then grinned almost cat-like.
"Aw, too bad! I think it makes you look adorable! What a cuute little chef-boy!" he teased. Wren shot him a deadly glare, face turning red with embarrassment as Caleb laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself." the doll apologized and looked over at Pepper with a smile. "At least Pepper behaved herself. So, what will you be doing now, Wren?"
"I'm going to talk to my father about some things. And I need to stay here to learn how to cook those recipes we found." the young chef replied, "Traveling with you was a lot of fun, even the parts where we barely escape with our lives!" He relaxed and laughed at the memories. "No way am I ever forgetting all that!" Caleb tapped on Pepper's snout and watched her get up with a yawn and stretch.
"Well, the two of us should be heading out, then. Once I've stored the rest of the Wonder Archive, I'll find a place to hide the crystals for safekeeping." the doll remarked, "Maybe in Altessa's cave or a new one that's undiscovered by anyone."
"Where will you go next on your journey?"
"I think I'll go to each of the Summon Spirit Seals in Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, but I'll start with the ones here." Caleb answered, "I know that they were destroyed long ago, but I can try my luck at entering them with Pepper to help me. First, I'll speak with Lloyd and his family about the seals and see if they have any information that will help me get into the ruins."
"All right. Good luck and... arrivederci." Wren murmured and offered a hand to the doll. Caleb shook hands with him, gave him an odd expression at the words, then whistled to Pepper. Both left the library, ready to continue their quest around the world. Wren stayed in the room, reflecting on the one-sided conversation he had with Pepper while watching Caleb destroy his own memory. "Pepper... keep your promise to me..."