"Sorry for bringing it up. Let's drop that talk. Tomorrow we can talk about whatever you want. Tell me a bit about yourself. Like what brought you here and why you joined the group unless there are personal things in there," I said, and Gwenth shrugged.
"Like all the others, I was chosen for this for my skills. I am a pretty good shot! As for the rest, I love tinkering like most do in the Palka District. Really, anything with moving parts gets me excited!" Gwenth exclaimed as the food was starting to be brought out.
"I am really excited to see your shop tomorrow!" I said, but then Gwenth blushed.
"Umm, it is a bit messy," Gwenth said shyly.
"A bit?" Eliza asked, turning from her conversation with Chili and Xieus.
"The city after a storm is a mess; your shop looks like you only use explosives to move things!" Chili laughed, and Gwenth's face started burning.
"All right, I am sure everyone has places they are not the best in, just like you all have strengths. Let's get some food going and get the drinks flowing again! I have lost the little bit of a buzz I had!" I laughed, and Gwenth leaned her head into my side.
"You are pretty nice. You always stick up for people, and I like that about you," Gwenth said quietly, and I put an arm around her with a smile, using the other to grab some sort of spiral roll with a wood stick through it.
I took a bite and closed my eyes with a moan of pleasure as the creamy center with a herby taste squished out into my mouth. I had about five more before I could finally stop filling my face and ask what they were.
"That is a flatbread we call a wrap, made with Gold Kern and other things. The inside is cream cheese with some herbs and garlic," Lady Katarina explained as drinks were poured.
"Hold on! This is cream cheese?! Let me think about this… wait! Wait just a minute! Do you have or make Cheesecake?!" I asked with excitement, images of the soft cool cake made in so many different ways.
"A what?! You make a cake from cheese?!" Breya almost yelled, standing up, her body almost shaking with excitement.
What was this about? A fan of sweets?!
"You mean that you have never tried to make a cake from the stuff? What about Fruit Pizza? Sex in a Pan?! Tell me you at least use it for potatoes?!" I asked in despair, but the confused look made my heart bleed for these women.
"We don't use the smooth cheese for much, but if you have a way to use it, I would like to hear more about it! You seem to know a lot about cooking, Galio, but you don't seem the type?" Lady Katarina asked, and I nodded.
"I have a plethora of knowledge but only have access to it when I need it. I don't know what I was doing before I came here, but I must have been pretty skilled for the amount of stuff in my head. Still, I really like sweets, and I am appalled that you have such limited sweets for a world filled with women. I half-expected bake shops on every corner with many new things for me to try and old ones to enjoy!" I cheered and then took a drink from a mug filled for me.
The taste wasn't nearly as good as the one Tilda served me, but I had no need to complain about it.
"I would really like to talk to you more about this Cheesecake! You seemed so excited about it and then dejected after learning we didn't have them! I love cake! Of all kinds!" Breya exclaimed as Lady Katarina pulled her back down to sit.
"Goddess above! Sit down and watch your wings! You are making me nervous with them swinging around! You Guardian's always got excited about cake, but you really are a special case," Lady Katarina said while rolling her eyes.
"We don't eat food to sustain ourselves. We only do it to enjoy the sweet varieties of cakes! I just don't like how other sweets are!" Breya exclaimed, and I grinned at her, enjoying just listening to her voice.
The Angel could have talked about anything, and I probably could listen for hours. The way that Breya talked was almost like there was a song softly playing in the background or something like that.
"Well, if you like them that much, we might have to set aside some cooking days. I am sure that I can think of many tasty dishes that would be easy enough for most people to do," I said and popped two more rolls in my mouth.
These were good, but the cream cheese was too rich, and they could have gone in the oven on broil for five to ten minutes. That would have added a bit of crunch and cut down some of the richness.
"Umm, I saw you fighting before against that monster, but you barely had to do anything to fight it. Do you think that we could, umm, maybe spar?" Penny asked from beside me shyly, and I turned to her.
"Right now?" I asked, and she nodded, her cheeks starting to flush.
"Umm, yes, if that is okay with everyone?" Penny asked, but I felt Gwenth pull on my sleeve.
"Umm, do you know what this means?" Gwenth asked, and my hair on the back of my neck started to rise.
"No, what exactly does this mean?" I asked.
"If you can beat her, she will become completely loyal to you. That means you will become her only mate. Other Dog Folk are different, but Red Healers and Canisius Shepherds only ever have one mate, but most of them die alone," Gwenth explained in a sad voice.
"Why is that?" I asked.
"Most races that could beat them, look down on them. They are great people, but as you see with the Vampires, many stuck-up races think they shit gold and sneeze silver," Xieus said, speaking up.