91 - They are back

  The next day, Nexha was still savoring his culinary success when a new idea popped into his mind. He looked at the basket still full of grains. He had tried fried cakes and cooked rice, but what if he made something creamier?

  He grabbed a handful of grains he had used for cooked rice, then poured more saltwater into the pot and started stirring. The rice slowly broke down, creating a more porridge-like texture.

  — This should be good for Jasper… or for when I'm too lazy to chew.

  The scent rising from the pot was mild, slightly sweet. When he tasted it, he realized it was saltier than expected, but not in a bad way. It needed something to balance it. His eyes fell on the pieces of fish he had set aside to fry later.

  Without thinking too much, he took small boneless pieces and tossed them into the porridge, stirring so they would cook in the hot mixture. The smell of fish mixed with rice was tempting.

  He scooped up a bit of the mixture with a spoon he had made in the morning—since Lilay and Jasper couldn’t use chopsticks—blew on it, then took a bite.

  The texture was creamy, but there were still soft fish pieces that gave a bit of resistance when chewing. The fish added a more complex flavor, breaking the excess saltiness.

  — Look at that… this is comforting.

  He smiled to himself. It might not have been extraordinary, but it had a comforting taste, like a dish meant for a cold day.

  He couldn't explain why, but it brought a feeling of warmth.

  As he finished eating, he heard footsteps behind him. Lilay appeared with a sleepy expression, eyes half-closed and hair messy.

  — What are you doing?

  — Cooking.

  Lilay approached and looked at the pot.

  — That looks like fish egg paste… but it smells good.

  — It tastes way better than fish egg paste, I can guarantee that.

  Without asking for permission, Lilay took some with his fingers and put it in his mouth. Nexha waited for his reaction. His brother chewed slowly, furrowing his brow, then shrugged.

  — Hm. It’s edible.

  Nexha scoffed.

  — That’s it?

  — I prefer fried food.

  Lilay looked around and spotted the fried cakes Nexha had made for breakfast. Without hesitation, he grabbed one and took a bite.

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  — Now, this is good. Make more.

  — You could at least ask, you know? And it’s morning... I’m only making more for dinner.

  — Then I'll eat all of them so I won’t be hungry until dinner.

  Lilay just grinned mischievously, already munching on a second cake, then grabbed the whole basket and ran off.

  — Glutton.

  After the success of the fried cakes and porridge, Nexha had another idea. He looked at the rice flour and wondered if he could make something more solid, like bread.

  He mixed the flour with saltwater, trying to create a firmer dough. The result was something sticky that was unlikely to turn into bread.

  — Hm… maybe I need something to ferment this… and milk and eggs, unfortunately, I don’t have animals that produce those kinds of byproducts.

  Since he also didn’t have yeast, he decided to try anyway. He shaped small flat discs and placed them to bake directly on a hot stone beside the fire. The smell wasn’t bad, but it took a while to cook fully.

  When he picked one up and broke it in half, he saw it was cooked inside but dense. He took a bite and chewed.

  It was… edible. But it lacked the flavor that would make him consider it real bread.

  — It’s missing everything to be real bread, and it's as hard as bread that’s been forgotten for days.

  Nexha sighed as he realized.

  — Looks like bread won’t be viable for now.

  Trying not to dwell on the failure, he moved on to a new test. Nexha took the fish pieces and decided to try something different. Instead of simply grilling them, he coated them in rice flour before frying.

  He dipped the pieces in saltwater, then breaded them in flour and placed them on the hot stone with fish oil.

  The sizzling sound was satisfying. The smell rose quickly, making Lilay return, curious about the scent.

  — Now this smells really good.

  — Of course it does. Your brother is the best and only cook in this world.

  Once the fish turned golden, he took it off the heat and let it cool before taking a bite. The crispy crust cracked with the first bite, revealing the tender, juicy fish inside.

  — This… this is really good.

  Lilay grabbed one and bit into it without hesitation. His eyes widened.

  — Hey, this is way better than the porridge! Make more!

  — You really only like fried food…

  At that moment, Krahs appeared, drawn by the smell. He crossed his arms, watching the two devour the fish.

  — What are you two up to now? Eating all the fish before dinner…

  Nexha held out a piece of fried fish.

  — Want to try?

  Krahs hesitated. After the "shock" with the rice, he still didn’t fully trust Nexha’s cooking. But the smell was good.

  He took a piece, bit into it slowly, and chewed. His eyes narrowed slightly, then he gave a small approving nod.

  — Hm. This is good.

  Nexha smiled victoriously.

  While everyone was busy tasting the new food, a loud sound caught their attention.

  — We’re back!

  Nalu’s voice echoed through the area. Nexha turned and saw his older sister arriving with a large bag on her back. Behind her, Zhaelor walked with a calm smile.

  — Hey! You guys took forever! — Nexha complained, but his tone carried a hint of relief.

  — We had to take care of a few things… — Nalu replied with a mysterious smile.

  Zhaelor approached, picking Nexha up effortlessly. He seemed surprised to see him looking more mature. Nexha frowned.

  — What happened to you? You’re huge!

  — Not as much as you. I can’t reach the size of a sperm whale.

  Zhaelor let out a loud laugh.

  Meanwhile, Nalu placed the bag down carefully and smiled.

  — Say hello to the new family members.

  Nexha and Lilay exchanged curious yet suspicious glances and looked at the bag.

  Two small eggs, a mix of blue, green, and a slight light brown shade, gleamed under the sunlight.

  The children's eyes sparkled, and Lilay immediately shouted.

  — The barracuda gave you eggs too!

  Nexha collapsed onto the ground in hysterics, realizing Lilay’s innocence. Zhaelor spat out water as he laughed, joining Nexha.

  Krahs watched the scene silently, trying to hold back his laughter.

  Nalu patted Lilay’s head as he looked confused about why everyone was laughing at him. Amidst the commotion, even Jasper, who had been sleeping near the rice basket, woke up. He looked at all the noisy adults, stuffed two pieces of seaweed in his ears, and tried to go back to sleep.