Lunch

Lunch

Dunstor was furious.

Unfortunately for him, he was far too busy clutching the shredded flap of his trousers together to launch one of his usual insults. With one hand desperately holding what remained of his dignity in place, he had little energy left for a snarky remark or one of his usual physical retaliations.

At that moment, Ferson returned from his walk farther along the beach.

Dunstor immediately decided he'd rather disappear upstream toward the monastery than explain why half his trousers were missing.

He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "You'll all pay for this," but the words were completely drowned out by the boys' laughter as they enthusiastically re-enacted what had quickly become the most legendary fishing lesson in Zouken history.

Then, his embarrassment finally boiling over, Dunstor lunged toward Zelnard.

Ferson stepped calmly between them.

"That's enough, boys," he said firmly.

His voice carried the quiet authority of someone well practised at keeping the peace. Yet as he glanced briefly at the enormous tear in Dunstor's trousers, the tiniest smile threatened to reach the corners of his eyes before disappearing again.

He turned to Dunstor.

"I believe you had a message for us?"

Dunstor scowled.

"You're supposed to come back to the monastery," he muttered while still gripping his trousers together. "Someone missed the morning clean-up and the dining hall needs preparing for lunch. There's work to be done."

"Very well," Ferson replied soothingly. "We'll head back shortly. But first..."

He looked toward the river.

"Let's see what Jabar has on his line. We can't leave a promising catch unattended, and all those worms deserve the chance to fulfil their purpose."

As though someone had cast a spell, every eye turned toward Jabar.

While everyone else had been distracted by Dunstor's spectacular humiliation, Jabar had remained completely focused on his fishing line.

His rod bent into a deep, satisfying arc.

The line stretched tight across the river, vibrating with unmistakable life.

"I think..." Jabar whispered.

"...I think I've got something!"

His voice cracked with excitement. Every trace of the boy who had earlier complained about touching worms had vanished.

Ferson stepped beside him.

"Keep the tip up, Jabar. Reel slowly. Steady now."

Under Ferson's calm guidance, Jabar carefully worked the reel, terrified that one careless movement might lose the fish of a lifetime.

Moments later, a magnificent Bulbous Eel burst through the river's surface in a shower of sparkling water.

It twisted through the air, glistening in the sunlight before landing safely upon the bank.

It wasn't quite the mythical leviathan the boys often imagined catching...

...but to Jabar, it may as well have been.

Cheers erupted from the boys.

It was Jabar's first ever eel.

His grin stretched from ear to ear as he proudly admired his catch.

Before long, the group hurried back toward the monastery. The sun was climbing toward its highest point, and there was still a dining hall waiting to be cleaned before lunch.

Even with Dunstor trudging silently behind them, still clutching his ruined trousers, there was a feeling of friendship and accomplishment among the younger boys.

Zelnard couldn't resist glancing over his shoulder.

Dunstor was still desperately trying to hide the large tear, though an unfortunate patch of pale skin kept making unexpected appearances.

Zelnard smiled.

It wasn't his proudest moment...

...but after years of being bullied, watching Dunstor suffer a little embarrassment felt like surprisingly fair payment.

Back at the monastery, the familiar smells of simmering stew drifted through the corridors while older monks quietly prepared for the midday meal.

As the boys settled back into the rhythm of monastery life, Master Borna paused as Zelnard walked past.

The elderly mage stroked his long white beard thoughtfully.

"Catch anything today, Zelnard?"

Zelnard leaned closer with a mischievous grin.

"Sure did, Master Borna..."

"...a butt."

Master Borna froze.

He stared thoughtfully into the distance, gently stroking his beard.

"A... Butt Eel?" he murmured to himself.

"Remarkable. I've studied the rivers of Argent for over sixty years..."

"...and I've never heard of that species."

Zelnard bit his lip, trying desperately not to laugh as he hurried away.

Thy Quests
What does this chapter suggest about pride and embarrassment? Use at least two moments from the story to explain how both emotions affected the characters.