(About 500 years ago/Aletta on Torna)

"You cannot just cut it into pieces, Jin", Addam said.

"Why not?", Jin mused. "It seems to be a proper and practical form for a cookie."

"No, Addam is right, you know", Lora intervened. "It said in the book that you have to cut out gingerbread men."

"Well, I guess, some variation would not hurt anyone", Minoth said. He stood rather in the background, watching as the rest of the group was gathering around the table with the already rolled out dough on it, pondering over the gingerbread problem.

It had been Addam's idea to do something to raise the groups spirit while preparing some supplies for his troops. Brogyn had been more than happy to let his prince use the storeroom to prepare some durable 'bread-cookies'.

The recipe he had found in some very old book. Minoth was holding it in his hands right now. He was not very inclined to prepare food with the others, but this book looked pretty old and contained certainly more knowledge than a recipe for some spicy, durable breadlings.

"I would do some gingerbread fish, then", Aegaeon decided.

"That's certainly… unconventional", Hugo observed. "Makes me wonder whether gingerbread onions might look good."

"Um, that's rather unconventional, too", Lora commented. "But, maybe… Might it be possible to bake gingerbread talismans?"

"Is this going to be a contest now?", Minoth wondered. "A contest, who can bake the most unconventional gingerbread man?"

"You could try making a gingerbread book", Addam tried to tease him. He turned to his Aegis. "What about you, Mythra?"

"I don't know", Mythra stated. "Why should I bother making some gingerbread, too, when you are already doing the job?"

"Oho", Minoth said. "Maybe you need a special challenge? Here." He flipped the book around. "Why not try this Christmas Cake instead."

"Cake?" Mythra looked at the book with interest.

"Please don't", Mikhail and Milton exclaimed at the same instance.

But Mythra had already taken the book. "Now that doesn't look too complicated…", she said to herself. "Maybe, if I make some modifications…

"That's… going to be…", Addam said, looking nearly scolding at Minoth.

"Well, at least she will find no time stabbing one of you accidentally with the knife while trying to cut out gingerbread Aegises", Minoth said.