My name is Akhalia, chief of the Akhal Teke herd of centaur demihumans. Our herd is a rare breed of centaurs. We're known as Akhal Teke, a somewhat rare breed. There's only 6,000 of us out of our kind that are such beautiful features. I am the leader of the herd, and my herd resides in a forest just at the edge of the dessert sands. My people are very fast with great stamina and endurance. We can survive in -40°F to 120°F and our beautiful metallic sheen in our appearances never sees to faultered. As their leader I'm fairly good at leading, but it was when my people discovered a strange door just on the edge of the sands close to the forest appeared. The land of Sands is just beyond the dessert. We have to use spears to fight anything that stummbles from the dessert into our forest. We're good at crafting things, but I find if we had anything to aquire money. It would be our great friends the grape slims. They collect grapes that are good for us. Then my herd works to crush them into juice. We obtain dyes from them while we allow the grapes to age into alcohol. We have a tiny Vinyard in our forest that we maintain. The slimes get a small amount of the wasted grapes. This allows for our relationship to be beneficial. The dyes could go at a good price and we keep our aging product safe and highly protected. Because these bottles are protected from our herd for generations. Once they're in need for the herd to obtain something. We offer to sell a bottle or two and no more. Because our wine bottles are our herds legacy, and we should treasure their hard work. We manage this Vinyard of ours well enough it's defending and storing our wine that's hard. One of my people ran back to me to inform me and had me galloping to assest the danger. Once I had arrived I had my people stand back from this door. My herd has such beautiful features, that we've had to defend against hunters. People who would make a pretty sum of gold for auctioning us off as slaves or worse.
Thus, I've had to protect my herd. I don't want this possible trap to try and make off with any of us. I straightened up my posture and carried forth a spear upon opening the door. Startling me was the sound of a bell upon opening as I held my spear forward as I entered. " Welcome to-! " " What is this place? Where am I? A portal? " Then a man with a thinner beard, longer hair that is kept in small round ponytail appeared. His waist apron is black instead of white, he also have red neckerchief as part of his chef uniform. " Pardon but, could you put down your spear? " I did warily and he said, " You just entered a portal to an eatery. "
After a moment to process, I found my ears perk up and listening for everything in the bustling room. I answered, " So you serve food, and what of this door? " That's when it was explained to me. I calmed down and took a moment to breath and compose myself. " Apologies, I'm Akhalia, chief of the Akhal Teke herd of centaur demihumans. " I placed my spear in this holder that had two spears with fabric inside it by the door. " I wish to not cause anymore grief thanks to my intrusion upon your restaurant. I must know of what food do you serve here, and whether I'd have a table without a chair. " That's when this demon girl from before lead me through the restaurant that was packed. Which wasn't easy with my centaur body trying to walk between tables. She pulled away a chair from a table and offered the table in the corner that had a booth on the otherside of it to sit. But I laid my legs down sitting on the floor and my upper half was perfectly leveled to the height of being in a chair. She offered me a menu and left some ice water with lemon on the table for me. I roamed the menu and couldn't understand much of what these dishes are. I then asked the waitress Aletta was her name, " May I request that the Master of this place create something he thinks I'd like. It's up to him, I have no alergies." She took my order to him before grabbing refills for this lion demihuman, and this lizardman. I looked around the bustling restaurant, and found myself feeling a little foolish for how my first impression was. I can't help feel bashful at getting such looks from strangers, it's shameful.
I felt myself remember the rummers, that in my herd. That among our people I'm the fastest of an already fast herd. I've heard embarrassing interest some of my herd finds be beautiful even among our already beautiful people. The thought of drawing attention even in here is a little embarrassing. My people have a metallic sheen to our bodies. Some have bluish or green metallic sheens or even a faint pink or red. By mine is considered the most rare to have which is golden and silver sheen to my hair. So I attract a lot of attention I don't need. As I took in the smells around me of the mingling dishes. I found my appetite being stimulated while my hands marveled at the smooth and polished wooden table. The quality of everything is so refined that I'm not used to it.
I started analyzing the table and it's containers upon it. But just as I was about to start to a sip of the lemon water.
" Your dish is here! Please enjoy, " as I looked down from my raised cup. I caught a glimpse of the dish before putting the cup down to quickly ask.
" What sort of dish is this? " She smiled and responded quickly, " It's called Karoot Cake, " the word Karoot hit my ears eagerly before she walked away. " Is this really Karoot's? " My herd are lucky if we find any Karoots. They're so tasty that my herd loves them. Every time we get some we have to divide them equally among everyone. But could this really contain Karoot?
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It appears to be a cake with moist texture with tiny orange bits inside that I assume are the Karoot. I used my finger to swipe a little dab of the white cream on top. Once I tasted it, it's so sweet! I took the utensil and decided to start with this cake. Once it hit my tongue, I could feel the warm moist cake with a warming spice that contrasts with the sweet Karoot bits. The richness of the cake is light and feels lighter, once I tasted the cream dividing the cake in the center. I felt completely taken aback, this dish has such creaming sweet white frosting and an even more cheese rich frosting. It being in-between the cake makes for a rich and unexpected surprise. The frosting is cold which mingles cause me to loose words for how to describe how wonderful this cake is.
Wait....how do I pay for this?! I wasn't thinking. Maybe I could offer the chef some grapes from our Vinyard in exchange. My herd I've had to travel to the land of Sands to trade the dyes and a bottle of wine. In exchange for custom hoove shoes with their magic bottoms. So my herd may travel the sands with great speed that the sands would hinder. This way now, we're all able to run across the surface of the sands. So I could only offer the Master of this place grapes since it seems he'd get more use out of it than our dyes. I had went to the Master and handed him 3 silver coins, and was able to take some Karoots back through the door. I'm determined to offer each of my people a Karoot and had asked of our grape slime friends to get a good quality load of grapes. Then we'll put them aside for the next day of Satur. My people were pleased that we had another place that excepted trading with us. I've found that only a handful of people would trade with us demi humans. Thus, why I take the long trip to the land of Sands it's the closest place that houses some people who are willing to treat us fairly.
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But that means once a week we have some to trade goods. Plus, the amazing food that I can provide my people. Lucing( milk) is a great drink I've found to compliment that Karoot Cake. I hope that I'll eat it again in seven days.
