God’s Tree

Kaelred rubbed his temples. "Okay. Sure. Why not. Let's add 'undead lich with a pet in a shadow realm' to the ever-growing list of things that I shouldn't be surprised by."

Argolaith grinned slightly.

Kaelred then turned to him with a deadpan expression.

"Please tell me you aren't actually going to eat his tea and cookies."

Argolaith glanced at him.

"Of course I'm going to eat them. What kind of guest would I be if I didn't?"

Kaelred stared at him. "A sane one."

Argolaith smirked. "Besides, I'm hungry after the battle earlier."

Kaelred sighed deeply, already dreading whatever madness was about to unfold.

And with that, Malakar opened the door to his home.

As the massive doors to Malakar's home creaked open, Argolaith and Kaelred stepped inside—and froze.

Their eyes widened as they took in the sheer magnitude of what lay before them.

The walls were lined with ancient weapons, some recognizable—swords, spears, daggers—but many others were completely foreign, their designs unlike anything seen in history for hundreds of thousands of years.

Every single blade, axe, and warhammer seemed to hum with a faint latent energy, as if the very essence of their past battles still lingered within them.

But it wasn't just the weapons.

Entire libraries stretched across vast rooms, filled with ancient tomes, forbidden scrolls, and records of long-lost civilizations.

The sheer weight of history contained in this one place was enough to send a shiver down their spines.

But what made their blood run cold the most—

Was the creature.

At first, it seemed small.

It wasn't some towering, monstrous beast.

No, the creature that gazed at them was only about the size of a large dog.

But its fur was blacker than night, shimmering with little white specks—like a living reflection of the endless void of space.

It had thirteen eyes.

Each one a different color, each one radiating a different aura, shifting between gentle warmth and cold dread.

Despite its strange, cosmic horror-like appearance, the creature did something Argolaith and Kaelred did not expect.

It spoke.

"Hi!" it said cheerfully.

Argolaith and Kaelred nearly jumped out of their skin.

Before they could react further, Malakar suddenly rushed forward and—hugged it.

"Who's a good little Fluffy? You are! Yes, you are!"

Kaelred's face contorted in absolute disgust.

"…I don't think Malakar is all there in his head."

Argolaith, however, tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Does that even matter?"

Kaelred turned to him, horrified.

Argolaith crouched slightly, observing the creature more closely.

"…Besides, Fluffy is kind of cute. Whatever it is."

Kaelred grabbed his face in exasperation.

"Not you too."

Fluffy, meanwhile, blinked all thirteen of its eyes at them, its fur shimmering in an eerie but oddly mesmerizing way.

Malakar turned, smug as ever.

"Well, now that you've met Fluffy, shall we proceed to the kitchen? I believe we have tea and cookies to make."

Argolaith grinned. "Let's do it."

Kaelred groaned. "I hate everything about this."

But he followed anyway.

The kitchen inside Malakar's house was unexpectedly elegant—a space filled with dark stone counters, shelves lined with rare ingredients, and a large black cauldron that pulsed faintly with magic.

The air was thick with the scent of arcane herbs, enchanted spices, and something faintly metallic—the mark of ingredients not meant for ordinary consumption.

As Malakar rolled up his sleeves, Argolaith took out a notebook and a quill, ready to write down every detail.

Kaelred, meanwhile, sat at the far end of the room, arms crossed, watching with undisguised skepticism.

"Alright," Malakar began, his voice taking on an almost instructor-like cadence. "Let's begin with the cookies."

Step 1: The Flour

Malakar pulled out a jet-black sack, opened it, and revealed a fine, shimmering powder.

"This is Spiritual Wheat Flour," he said, letting the fine grains flow between his fingers. "It's made from wheat that only grows in places of pure mana saturation—absorbing essence from the atmosphere, making it ideal for magical consumption."

Argolaith quickly jotted this down.

Kaelred muttered, "So it's wheat, but cursed."

Malakar ignored him.

Step 2: The Sweetener

Next, Malakar took out a small, ornate jar filled with a rich, amber-colored substance.

"This is Ember Rose Nectar. Harvested only from flowers that bloom under moonlight."

Argolaith raised a brow. "What does it do?"

Malakar smirked. "Enhances spellcasting clarity. Mildly addictive if consumed in excess, but excellent for baking."

Kaelred muttered, "Definitely cursed."

Step 3: The Binding Agent

Malakar reached for a silver vial, uncorked it, and a soft mist of frost escaped from inside.

"Frozen Shadow Essence," he said. "Extracted from deep within the Shadow Abyss. It ensures the cookies maintain structure, while also binding the magic together."

Kaelred rubbed his temples. "I was right. These are battle cookies."

Malakar chuckled darkly.

"They are functional, yes. But also delicious."

While the cookies baked in an obsidian oven, Malakar turned his attention to the tea.

He retrieved a bundle of deep violet leaves that seemed to absorb the light around them.

"Shadow Leaf," he said. "A plant that can only grow in the darkest places on Morgoth. The process to prepare it is simple but crucial."

Step 1: Dry the Leaves

Malakar laid the leaves out on a black stone slab, whispering a slow incantation as a gentle shadow mist coiled around them.

Step 2: Infuse the Water

Taking out a pitch-black kettle, he poured in Lunar Spring Water, a liquid that shimmered like molten silver, and let it simmer.

Step 3: Brew with Care

The dried leaves were placed into the kettle, their essence mixing into the water, turning it a rich, midnight blue.

Kaelred watched, baffled.

"Why does everything you cook look like it's capable of murder?"

Malakar simply smiled. "Because perfection requires effort."

With the cookies done and the tea brewed, Malakar led them out the back of his house to what looked like an orchard of strange, glowing fruit trees.

Each tree had bizarre fruits of different colors, shapes, and faint magical auras.

Argolaith, still writing in his notebook, asked curiously, "How long does it take for them to grow?"

Malakar smirked.

"Each tree takes at least five thousand years to bear fruit. And another ten thousand years to fully ripen."

Kaelred stared blankly.

"…I don't even want to know how old you are."

Malakar chuckled. "Then don't ask."

Argolaith picked up one of the cookies, examining its dark surface.

He took a careful bite.

Immediately, his face relaxed.

The warmth, the chewy texture, the way it melted in his mouth—it was unexpectedly satisfying.

"This is… really good," he admitted.

Kaelred sighed. "Of course you like them."

Malakar smirked, sipping his tea. "See? A refined palate appreciates complexity."

Argolaith turned to the tea next, taking a slow sip.

It had a bitter richness, almost like dark chocolate, with a faint woody undertone—possibly from the Shadow Leaf itself.

But what surprised him was the sweet aftertaste, a lingering note of honey.

Kaelred watched them, eyes narrowing as they talked so casually about the taste.

With a reluctant sigh, he picked up a cookie.

"…Fine."

He took a gentle bite.

At first, the cookie didn't crumble.

His brow furrowed.

"Huh?"

He bit down harder.

CRACK.

A tooth chipped.

"…You two are strange. Why am I not able to eat these, but you can?"

A single tear of betrayal rolled down his cheek.

Silently, he reached for the tea instead.

He took a cautious sip.

The bitterness hit first, but then—the subtle sweetness of honey.

"…This isn't bad."

Malakar smirked. "Ah, acceptance. It is the first step toward enlightenment."

Kaelred grumbled under his breath.

Argolaith took another bite of his cookie, completely unbothered.

"Well, Kaelred, guess you just aren't built for greatness."

Kaelred glaring intensifies.

Argolaith took another bite of his cookie, savoring the warm, chewy texture, while Kaelred sat across from him, glaring at the betrayer in his hands.

After chipping a tooth on the cursed cookie, he had wisely chosen to stick to sipping his tea instead.

Seeing Kaelred's expression, Argolaith let out a chuckle.

"Relax, Kaelred. I was joking earlier."

Kaelred narrowed his eyes, still holding his cup of tea.

"Sure. But I feel like that doesn't change the fact that I can't eat these things without losing a piece of my soul."

Malakar, looking entirely too amused, leaned back in his chair.

"That is because these cookies are made from high-quality magical ingredients."

Kaelred shot him a deadpan look.

"That's a nice way of saying they're 'weapons disguised as food.'"

Malakar smirked. "Only for the untrained."

Argolaith nodded, taking another satisfying bite.

"You have to train your body and jaw to be able to eat things that are far denser than normal," he explained. "Magic ingredients don't break down like ordinary food, especially when they're of a high enough quality."

Kaelred sighed. "You're telling me people just train to eat harder food?"

Argolaith shrugged. "It takes time, but yeah. The more magic-infused food you consume, the more your body adapts."

Malakar tapped his fingers against the table.

"To be fair," he said, "I did not expect you to be able to handle them. I originally made these cookies to be consumed by creatures much stronger than mortals."

Kaelred stared at him.

"…Then why did you offer them to me?"

Malakar smirked. "Entertainment."

Kaelred groaned. "I should have known."

Despite the disastrous attempt at eating Malakar's legendary cookies, the overall atmosphere was light and relaxing.

The conversation continued, shifting from food and magic ingredients to traveling, combat, and training.

The warmth of the tea, the slow passing of time, and the dim, comforting light within Malakar's strange home gave them a rare sense of peace.

Malakar sipped his tea thoughtfully, watching Argolaith with mild curiosity.

"You pick things up quickly," he noted. "Most wouldn't take notes on how to make shadow-infused tea and arcane cookies."

Argolaith smirked. "I like learning. If it's useful, I want to remember it."

Kaelred, still holding onto his precious, non-dangerous tea, exhaled deeply.

"As long as we don't make a habit of this, I think I can tolerate it."

Argolaith laughed. "We'll see about that."

And with that, the slow, peaceful moment stretched on, the worries of the world outside Malakar's home momentarily forgotten.