Klauthsura and Renato stopped discussing the commoners of Samoriel City. The Mind Flayer turned and gestured, and the Magic Forge's door swung open on its own, sending a wave of heat into their faces.
Then, guided by psionics, a skewer of meat roasted to a crisp floated out of the forge and hovered steadily between them.
The chunks of meat were charred black and red on the surface, their fat rendered by the intense heat into a glossy amber coating.
A rich, meaty aroma spread through the air, mingling with the Workshop's existing pungent smells of rust and chemical reagents to become unexpectedly enticing.
"You haven't taken in any nutrients yet, have you?" Klauthsura offered the skewer to Renato. "Try the food I prepared especially for you. I learned from and imitated your roasting process to produce this. Tell me what you think of my work."
Renato lowered his gaze to the food being offered to him.
The chunks had the distinctive black-and-red coloring of roasted meat, with white salt sprinkled over the surface. He discreetly edged half a step away and chose his words carefully.
"Klauthsura, I appreciate the thought. But eating the flesh of intelligent beings is really beyond what I can stomach..."
The Mind Flayer froze, tentacles swaying, and stared at Renato with needlelike pupils for a long while, seemingly struggling to understand what he meant.
After a moment, Klauthsura seemed to realize something and spoke in sudden understanding.
"This isn't tissue from a Half-Drow's body. It's some of the uncontaminated flesh from the Deep Dragon."
"I already took Humanoid dietary habits into account. You needn't worry about that, Renato."
"The Deep Dragon's muscle tissue isn't as easy to store as its scales and hide. The energy within it is rapidly dissipating over time. I don't have