The Incandescent | Book 7 | The Fairy arc

Chapter 5 ~ The Tea Dispute

Mara traced the window with her fingers, observing the black space with glittering galaxies. She stretched her legs, moving them upward on the other side of the windowseat.

The spaceship belonging to the Decuir siblings, Rose Wing, was on autopilot, maintaining a steady course to take them home to planet Dusaro. Their prior assignment was cancelled due to their encounter with the Glittered Inktraitor.

It wasn't the energy manipulation that alarmed the agency, but it was logistics and red tape that would cause unnecessary turmoil, since this involved a native Ghatomese person with dealings on intergalactic planets. Therefore, the Decuir siblings were sent home on another assignment, this time to investigate a matter involving financial embezzlement. A light, safe assignment with no danger.

Drave was in the ship's kitchen with Erasmo, stirring batter to make pancakes. Erasmo wanted to add more flour, but Drave said no, moving the mixing bowl away from him. Erasmo rebelliously dunked the flour container in the mixture, making Drave exclaim, "Erasmo! I told you, that's too much!"

Erasmo flung the flour container at Drave, who flung the mixing bowl contents at him, covering Erasmo with pancake batter. Erasmo hovered in astonishment, shocked that Drave did such a thing. In retaliation, he threw ingredients at Drave, including the sugar container and vanilla extract.

"That's enough! Out of the kitchen!" A flour covered, vanilla scented, sugary sweet Drave yelled at the pancake batter splattered Vanquesha, chasing him around the kitchen with the fury of a fast-moving mixer.

Erasmo held a measuring cup in defense, but Drave snatched it out of his grip. "I said out!" Drave said irately, flinging a kitchen towel towards Erasmo. Erasmo darted out of the way, making Drave miss. The kitchen towel landed on the floor, adding to the mess of flour and sugar.

"What's going on here?" Mara asked as she walked into the kitchen, enticed by the pleasant scent of vanilla. Her eyes widened at the mess, at her flour covered brother and the pancake battered Vanquesha.

Sighing heavily, Mara picked up the mixing bowl and placed it in Drave's hands. "Both of you, clean this mess immediately. No cooking or baking unless under my direct supervision, since you clearly can't work together."

Mara strode out of the kitchen, being careful not to step on the mess. Drave glared at Erasmo, whose sparkles darkened in anger. But they set to work cleaning the kitchen.

Instead of warm delicious pancakes, there was a meager bowl of oatmeal and blueberries. Drave sat picking at his food, while Erasmo sifted through the tea boxes.

Mara headed back to the cockpit to check on their route. The map on the screen showed they were about to pass Monshalow, a fairy planet in the void dimension, on the way to the sparkly dimension where Iredescent and Dusaro were located. The path was clear, no asteroid fields nor any incoming traffic. Satisfied with the route, Mara sat to read a book.

Drave pushed forward his half-eaten oatmeal. "What kind of tea are you getting?" he asked, getting up to heat the tea kettle.

Erasmo held tea assortment boxes, undecided which one to enjoy. All of them?

Drave looked through the options. "Let's see what you've got. Peppermint rose, oolong merlot, walnut blueberry, cherry pistachio, mango – "

Erasmo snatched the box of mango tea, throwing it in the trash bin.

"Whoa, hey!" Drave exclaimed as he went to retrieve the tea. "That's not trash! It's good tea. I like this blend."

I don't! Erasmo clutched the tea boxes, protecting them from the mango tea.