“Talk to me about clan specialties,” Gunter urged, poised again to type.
Sora obliged, explaining one clan at a time. Gunter was an avid listener and took notes furiously. Really, he was at court-reporting speed, that was how quickly he typed. It brought up the topic of the Abe’s specialty, and it gave Sora a chance to ask a burning question.
“Is it alright if I offer my services here?”
Gunter blinked at him from behind his yellow-tinged glasses. “Of course! I’m not sure why you have to ask.”
“I don’t wish to impose or assume too much,” Sora explained. The idea of pushing his ideas onto someone else when they were unwanted made him squirm. It wasn’t polite to do that. “But I’ve seen several ailments in the clan, and I’d like to attend to them. The aged dragon with the severe cataracts, for instance.”
“Sandor? Yes, his eyes are growing progressively worse.” Gunter nodded in encouragement. “Please, do. Human medicine can’t help dragons very much. Our physiology makes it impossible.”
“Trust me, I’m well aware.” This was the more delicate question, and Sora tried to phrase it the right way. “I’ve heard hints that your king also has something ailing him?”
“If you’re talking about the injury he still suffers from, then yes. And please, please do something to help him if you can.” Gunter took off his glasses, rubbing at the bridge of his nose, his expression pained. “Our mages do all they can, but they’re just treating his pain. He has no strength in his left arm. He…he can’t fly.”
The final bit was soft and slightly choked. These weren’t the words of a clanmate or a loyal subject, but of someone who ached for his beloved friend.
Sora winced. “I didn’t realize it was so severe. Was this from the war?”
“Yes. His father took the brunt of an attack meant for him—it’s how we lost our former king. But Hoheit didn’t escape it unscathed. We were devastated then, and we’re pained by it now. Please, examine him. Hoheit won’t think to ask at this stage; he’s resigned to it. But surely an Abe can do something more than treat his pain.”
Sora had no doubt of that and nodded sharply. “I will certainly try. If nothing else, removing the scar tissue that is likely building up will ease a significant amount of his pain and should give him some mobility back.”
Gunter practically beamed at him. “You can do that without surgery?”
“I should be able to do it with light surgery, I should say. It depends how deeply the damage goes. But I’ll offer my help to King Alric and see how he responds.” Sora glanced at the clock and frowned. “Apologies, but can we resume later? I’ve promised to meet Ravi for lunch.”
It seemed Gunter only then realized the hour himself, and he blinked at the clock as if wondering where the time had gone. “Oh! Oh, it is that time. Sure, go ahead. Later this afternoon?”
“Sure.” Sora was half out of his chair when he realized Gunter was looking at him a bit strangely. “Is something…?”
“Huh? Oh, no. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around it, is all. Ravi being courted.”
Now that, Sora couldn’t leave be. “Why?”
Gunter’s head canted one direction, then another, as if he sought the words to explain.
“It’s not that I don’t see him as an adult. He’s five hundred and three years old, of course he is. It’s just that he’s always been everyone’s kid brother. We, as a clan, helped raise him. And he’s this jokester we don’t take seriously most of the time. Seeing a serious man like you courting him is breaking my brain on some level.”
How interesting. Sora could understand, in a way, how Gunter’s perception of Ravi colored his view of things. But he also felt a challenge in those words and couldn’t let it stand.
“It’s because of his spontaneity that I’m drawn to him.”
Gunter regarded him carefully. “Really. That’s why?”
“And he’s wickedly cute.” Sora winked and got a surprised smile out of Gunter. “But, yes, I think that’s what initially caught my interest. I’m too much the straight-man. It’s hard for me to be impulsive, as my nature doesn’t lend itself to that kind of behavior. But I enjoy it in other people and admire those who can be true to their emotions. Ravi is the epitome of that.”
Snorting, Gunter agreed. “He’s definitely that. We’ve all said for years that Ravi needed someone responsible as a mate, otherwise the world might burn. So, in that sense, Sora, I’m glad that you’re the one courting him. But, you understand what will happen if you hurt him?”
Sora blinked in surprise. Oh. A shovel talk? Really? He’d never been on the receiving end of one. It was a novel experience.
“I don’t think I’d come out unscathed. Or alive.”
“You do understand, good.” Gunter looked fierce for a moment, a dragon looking after his own. His smile still had an edge of ferocity to it. “Be good to him, Sora. And I hope things work out well for both of you.”
He hadn’t been looking for any sort of recognition or approval. But now, having been freely given both, Sora was surprised by the warmth he felt. “Thank you, Gunter.”
Sora found Ravi in the kitchen.
To be precise, he heard Ravi’s name being yelled before he even made it to the kitchen doors.
“RAVI!”
“What?” Ravi responded, sounding defensive. “It’ll taste good!”
“Don’t you dare put a banana into the curry!”
“But it tastes good that way!”
Sora rounded the doorway and took in the scene. The two people on staff were in the middle of a large meal-prep, obviously ready to serve lunch to the entire castle soon. There were pots of curry on multiple stove eyes, with large, industrial-sized rice cookers lined up on another counter. Ravi had a peeled banana over his head, looking rather like a monkey getting up to mischief.
Which, all things considered, probably wasn’t too far off.
Ravi heard him enter and turned, then pointed to Sora as if he were the answer to all questions. “He’ll tell you! Being both Japanese and living near India, he’ll be the master of curry. The banana will work!”
Sora was hardly an expert in culinary matters. But he could try and salvage Ravi’s point before it got tossed. “The reason why chopped apples go into curry is because the sweetness counters the spiciness. I’ve never tried it with a banana, but I think the combination of the sweetness and the texture will add a thick consistency to the roux.”
The staff members respectfully shared doubtful looks before regarding Sora with open misgiving.
“We can dish up a single bowl and mix in a bit of banana, try it on a smaller scale, if you wish?” Sora offered. “There’s no harm in testing it, is there?”
“No, I suppose not.” The woman with short blonde hair fetched a bowl and ladled some curry into it.
Ravi promptly cut off a bite of banana with a spoon and blended it into the curry. He offered it to her, eyebrows waggling in challenge. Rolling her eyes, she accepted the bite, then chewed. Then chewed some more, expression turning thoughtful.