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Bring Home the Bacon

As Azurium, like any former officer in the Oplentian army, would tell you how important it was for his men to go on regular hunts in order to control the monster population, keeping them away from the city limits. Almost every major city on the plane of Crossroads had a standing martial force explicitly for that purpose.

But that was a lifetime ago, and this was a different kind of hunt. The anniversary of the day he became a titan was coming up, and the old tigerkin wanted to surprise his Master Volpes with a special feast to celebrate the occasion. With his skills and strength, it was easy for him to track and kill a wild boar, perfect for what he had in mind.

Carving the meat, cooking it, seasoning it, preparing a spread of vegetables to go with it, the career soldier thought once more about his relationship with Volpes. It had been nearly a decade since the two of them joined forces, and in that time many more titans had been created. Like him, they all swore by the Master. Deep down, he knew that whatever process secured their loyalty was also working on him. Some form of brainwashing in the titan formula cemented his devotion.

But as the foxkin walked into his private chambers, feasting on the spread with his eyes, before it even reached his lips, none of that mattered. They sat together, over a candlelit table, enjoying the celebration. Both titans spoke at length about the past decade and how much it meant to each of them. And when their meal was finished, they sat together, arms wrapped around each other.

In that transcendent moment, it did not matter if it was all manufactured. Even if the chemistry between them was just the result of a potion working on the tiger’s mind, this was no less real.

To him, that was enough.

This piece from Marsel-Defender back in November of 2022 gave Azurium a chance to showcase the skills that he picked up back in his military days. I’ve mentioned them before, but this was the first time he showcased them practically.

As a writer, it can be a struggle to demonstrate character traits instead of just saying they exist, and it’s something I still have to consciously think about when I write a new story. Readers want a chef to cook a good/bad dish, not to be told that he’s a good/bad cook.

Likewise, I don’t want to tell people Azurium is a survivalist. I want to say that he’s hunted game and cooked a good meal out of the spoils so that the reader can conclude that on their own. As short as it is, this little lore blurb does a good job of that.