Restart Again: Volume 1 by Adam Scott (pocket ebook reader TXT) 📕

table and approached, stopping to give me a hard look up and down. I met his gaze and stood silently, unsure as to whether he expected me to respond. After a long moment, he grinned and extended his hand. “Glad to see I was wrong.”

I took his hand and laughed. “You and me both.” He squeezed my hand hard and shook it up and down vigorously. His arms and legs were close to twice the thickness of mine, though he stood shorter than both his wife and daughter. He had a large bald spot on the top of his head but was otherwise covered in coarse brown hair, from his bushy beard and mustache to his impressively hairy arms. “Marten, I presume?”

“Indeed I am. You must be the famous Lux.” His face broke into a wide grin, and he turned so he could see Lia. “We’ve heard so much about you.” In the kitchen, I saw Lia’s shoulders tense, and the force of her chopping audibly increased. Hana laughed, shooting Marten an amused look as she shook her head. He chuckled and turned back to me. “You must be starving. Come and sit down, dinner is just about ready.”

“I’d love to, sir. It’s been a while since I had a proper meal.” I moved to the table and took the chair beside Marten’s. Four places had been set out around the edge, each with an unadorned ceramic plate, a knife and fork, and a small cup of water. As if on cue, Lia and her mother carried over platters from the kitchen and set them at the center of the table. My stomach growled loudly again as I took in the sight, drawing a laugh from Lia’s parents.

My eyes first fell upon a whole roasted bird about the size of a small chicken, glistening with fresh juices in the late afternoon sun. Next to it was a platter of fresh bread, sliced and arranged around a dish of brown gravy. A large pile of skewers caught my attention next; bright red and purple orbs about the size of ping pong balls, skin broken and charred, were packed tightly onto wooden sticks. They were piled on a bed of some sort of thick leafy plants, which were a pale orange and yellow in color and sliced into thin strips. A pitcher with the faint aroma of alcohol rounded out the offering, with a small stack of mugs next to it.

I eyed the meal hungrily, feeling like a king at a feast in comparison to the meals of prison gruel I had endured over the past week. Lia took the seat next to mine, and Hana sat down opposite me. I realized my face must have let on how much I was anticipating the meal when Marten laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. “Help yourself, lad!” Everybody began to load their plates with food, and I eagerly joined in.

Whatever had been suppressing my appetite before was gone now, and I ate voraciously. The meal was delicious; I quickly gave up any pretense of being civilized and stuffed myself with food, grease running down my chin unchecked. The strange skewers were a standout among the spread, and unlike anything I had ever eaten. Initially they seemed to be like a pepper with a thin skin and crunchy flesh underneath, but after biting into one I found they were filled with a thick jelly. It had a rich savory flavor reminiscent of a spiced brown butter, which I hadn’t expected from something I assumed was a vegetable.

Over the course of the meal I hardly said a word. When it became clear that I was completely focused on the food, Lia and her parents talked amongst themselves, discussing various aspects of the trade business or some gossip about the neighbors. Every now and then one of them would glance at me out of the corner of their eye with an amused smile on their face, but nobody seemed eager to interrupt my feasting.

Finally, after ingesting far more food than I thought possible, I sat back in the chair with a deep, satisfied sigh. I wiped my chin with the back of my hand, embarrassed by my previous display, and began to nurse my cup of warm ale. It was thin and weak, most likely watered down, but I didn’t mind. The conversation at the table had hit a natural lull, so I took the opportunity to speak. “Thank you for the meal, everyone. It may have been the most delicious thing I’ve eaten in my life.” This life, for certain.

“Oh, go on. It’s nothing special really, but I am glad you enjoyed it.” Hana nodded in thanks.

“Having not eaten for a few days, this could be a royal banquet as far as I’m concerned.” I laughed, patting my stomach gently. “I suppose hunger does that to you.”

“So, Lux,” Marten addressed me in between bites as he picked a bone clean of its meat. “Where are you from? Forgive me for saying so, but you don’t look like someone from around these parts.”

I was hoping to avoid this question. “You certainly caught me. I must stick out like a sore thumb.” I laughed a bit nervously, trying to buy myself a few moments to think of a satisfactory lie. Lia chimed in, saving me the trouble.

“He’s from somewhere in Doram,” she said casually, chewing on a slice of bread. I did my best not to react but made a mental note to thank her later.

Marten’s eyebrows raised slightly. “It’s not often we get Northerners in these parts. What brings you down from the mountains?”

I shrugged. “Sometimes you just need a change of scenery, you know?”

“And you’re traveling by yourself?”

Nodding, I took a sip of my ale. “That’s right. I’ve got no family or attachments to speak of, so I figured it was the perfect time to see the world. I didn’t intend on staying in Yoria for long, I just happened to get…” I waved