Good soup

"Alright, I just need to get the ginger now, where did mom say to get it?" Kora murmured, her satchel heavy against her side, full of ingredients. Kora and Naya wanted to make a special fertility soup, hoping they could have pups soon. Kora pulled a sheet of paper out from her satchel, unfolding it and reading it quickly to herself. "Ok! Let's go," she said to herself, setting off for the furthest part of the market. Millstone had a notorious market, filled with goods from around the continent; farmed goods from the southeast, fish from the sea to the north and west, dye from faraway islands, and even more. Verbena, Kora's mother, had advised her on where to find all the ingredients Kora and Naya would need to make the soup. Kora had already found the gold boon and strong fertility grog for the broth, as well as carrots and potatoes for the rest of it. Of course, she had a large stash of spices and flavorings at home, but there was one last item they needed.

Cursed ginger was known to be an expensive ingredient, due to its strange effects and delicate nature. The "cursed" green spots on the root were known to cause the entire thing to spoil quickly. so it was important to find and use the item as quickly as possible. Padding down the busy road, Kora read the names of the many shops, thrift stores, clothing stores, and grocery stores being some of her favorites. Finally, she found the shop she needed- Magic and Mist. Stepping inside, the strong smells of incense and strange flowers assaulter Kora's senses, causing her to sneeze.

Making her way to the counter, she greeted the shopkeeper, who recognized her and stepped away to grab the ginger from his icebox. "Now, do you know how to use this?" he asked, holding the root wrapped in fabric delicately. "Yes, I have a recipe ready, and I've got all the ingredients I need," Kora responded, motioning to her full satchel. "Perfect," he said, handing her the ginger,

"that's 600 gold.

" Kora took the root gratefully, and placed it gently inside her bag, pulling out her

pouch of 600 gold she had set aside for this. "Thank you very much, may the goddesses bless you," the owner responded, taking the pouch offered to him. Kora grinned and blushed, and turned to leave the shop before she could be tempted into buying anything else. Stepping back outside, Kora sighed, giddy with excitement. She cheerfully trotted back home, avoiding any unnecessary stops on the way back, knowing she was prone to get distracted by fun-looking shops. Arriving back at their shared home, Kora opened the door and sang "I'm home!" Some clattering in the kitchen told Kora that Naya was busy preparing things in the kitchen. Kora shut the door behind her and made her way into the kitchen with her full satchel. Setting it onto the counter, Kora turned to meet Naya in a brief kiss before she turned back and began pulling things out. "Ok I've got cursed ginger, purple and white potatoes, regular carrots, celery, the gold boon, and the strong fertility grog!" Naya examined everything on the counter, it all looking to be in almost perfect condition. "Perfect! I'm excited to try the drinks," Naya responded, picking up the sealed bottle of gold boon, the liquid inside swirling and shimmering invitingly. "I'll start cleaning and chopping everything up." Kora said, eyeing the bottle suspiciously. She had heard that fertility items could be bitter, or even downright disgusting from some friends. Kora brought all the vegetables aside from the ginger to the sink and began washing them quickly, none of them being very dirty. She pulled out a knife and began chopping them, doing the potatoes first, then celery, and then the carrot. but not without sneaking a few pieces of it to eat now. A hiss and a pop sounded from behind Kora, where Naya had opened the gold boon bottle and was sniffing it. Still chewing on the carrot, Kora went and stood beside her, "How's it smell?" she asked. Naya seemed confused, taking a deeper sniff. "I really don't smell anything," she said, pointing it towards Kora who gave it a hesitant sniff before making a surprised face and agreeing. "Well, I hope it's real at least," Kora responded, turning away and filling their soup crock up with some water. She put in the potatoes, carrots, and celery first, ensuring they were cooked through. Once they were done, Kora turned back to Naya. "Do you want to do the honors?" she asked, motioning towards the two drinks. Naya grinned and quickly took a sip of the gold boon, Kora yelping in surprise. "What? It's fine," Naya laughed, licking the residual gold shimmer from her lips. Kora looked mortified, but Naya stepped to the pot and poured in the boon, its shimmer coating each vegetable and mixing with the water.

They both stared and watched for a minute until it returned to a boil, when Kora quickly mixed it. lowering the heat of the stove a little bit. She mixed it slowly until the mixture stopped boiling and motioned for Naya to open and add the strong fertility grog into the mix. Naya popped out the cork and gave that one a sniff as well. "Ew, this one smells like low tide," she laughed, pointing the open end towards Kora as well. "No thanks!" Kora responded, blocking it with her free hand. Naya giggled and poured in the red-orange liquid. Again, they watched as the red liquid coated everything and began swirling together with the shimmering golden liquid. After a few moments, Kora stirred it again, then added a cup of water she had previously prepared, with all the spices they needed mixed in to hydrate them. As the pot steamed, Kora covered it with its lid and turned up the heat again. "Alright! When it's done, we're supposed to top it with green onions and the cursed ginger grated, then share it from one bowl," Kora read from the letter. "I can't wait to start our family!" Naya squealed, squeezing Kora tightly in her arms.