Mikael cut the pear with a sharp knife, dropping the pieces into the bowl that he had in front of him. He put a segment in his mouth and chewed it slowly as he finished, enjoying its flavour. Its cool wetness proved refreshing, too, a welcome relief in the stifling heat. Mikael had already removed his shirt due to the warmth; the feeling of cotton hanging on to him in the high temperatures was not to his favour.
He placed the knife to one side when he was finished and walked over to the small cupboard where the Cohort kept perishable savoury goods. Opening the door and reaching inside he pulled out a small block of cheese wrapped in waxed paper that Lucinda had brought back the last time she had visited the local town. He cut this, too, placing those cuttings into the same bowl. It was a small meal he had learned to prepare in his days working in a tavern. It was cheap yet filling, and when quality ingredients were used, surprisingly delicious.
As he sliced the cheese he puffed his cheeks. It was too hot, and he did not particularly enjoy it. He had never felt the Sanctuary this warm before but, he supposed, he had not been here long. Perhaps his Sisters could shed some light on the heat or at least confirm that at certain times of year it was something he'd need to get used to.
He wiped his brow, reaching for the large cup of water he'd filled slightly earlier, and took a swig. It slipped down his throat, pure and refreshing, and he as he put the empty mug back onto the table he sighed with contentedness. He could not prevent the heat but he could at least try and stay cool.
He'd not even exercised properly today, the air too cloying for him to work up much of a sweat in the training room. He'd enjoyed a quiet swim in the early morning before any of his Sisters had been awake but that was more in an effort to keep cool rather than build his athleticism. He supposed that he could ask Quintia for further instruction in the sorcerous arts, which would at least help him hone his fighting skills, but he couldn't bear the thought of being around so many fireballs.
He finished cutting the cheese, wrapping the wax paper back around the remaining block and returning it to the cupboard. Shaking the bowl, he ensured that the cheese and pear were properly mixed rather than layered on top of one another, and then took a small bite and appreciated his handiwork. Remembering then that his cup was empty, he moved to refill it.
The small well that was situated in the corner of the kitchen made this easy and Mikael lowered the cup into the bucket of clean, fresh water that he pulled up. Had he not been in the Sanctuary he would have worried about the water drying up in this heat but he felt no concerns about its supply when he was here. He had never known the water to not be at its maximum level, even when the shores of the lake outside receded slightly. Clearly, this water was from a supernatural source.
That done, he was reaching for a loaf of bread to complete the meal when he suddenly became aware of someone walking towards the kitchen, their feet padding softly on the stone floor. He turned as the curtain was pulled open and smiled at Kristine as she walked in, and she smiled back.
"Hello," he said pleasantly, slipping some more cheese and pear into his mouth.
"Hello Brother. Preparing a meal? I didn't know you represented the Gods of food, too."
Mikael laughed at that and turned to face her, allowing his eyes to quickly rove over her body. She wore a loose cloth top and a linen skirt that fell to her knees, and although both did a good job of concealing her figure Mikael knew well what lay beneath. Her blonde hair was down but swept forwards over one shoulder today, and her piercing blue eyes were creased in amusement.
"What can I say? I'm talented."
Kristine laughed. "Well, I was going to get some food for myself, but I think now I'll just steal yours."
"I suppose I expected no different," he said with a wry smile as she reached into the bowl, withdrawing her hand with a small slice of pear. She giggled as she slipped it into her mouth, her eyes rolling back with pleasure as the refreshing fruit washed over her tongue.
"It's nice, isn't it?" Mikael grinned, taking out a slice of pear and cheese. He ate the two together, enjoying the taste. "Especially in this heat."
"Indeed," Kristine nodded. "I came originally for a cup of water."
Mikael smiled as he handed her his own and she thanked him before gulping back the entire contents of the mug.
"I didn't mean for you to drink it all," he laughed, taking back the cup from her.
"You know me. Offer me something nice and I'll take it."
"I know. I've experienced it."
She grinned again, her gorgeous face lit up with mirth, before leaning forwards to take another slice of pear from the bowl.
"This is nice," she beamed, eating another slice. "My compliments."
Mikael shrugged. "Well it's a light meal, and in this heat that's all I wanted."
"Understandable," Kristine nodded. "I've not known it to be this hot here before. It's actually rather worrying."
Mikael furrowed his brow. "I wanted to ask you about that. Whether this heat was normal or not."
"It is not," she replied, shrugging her shoulders to signify her lack of answers. "I don't entirely know what's causing it. I asked Quintia to see if she could divine anything out of the ordinary in this place but she found nothing. If there's a direct cause to this heat then it is away from here."
"Interesting. If there is something individual causing this then it must be powerful indeed to affect the Sanctuary, surely?"
"Oh, yes," Kristine agreed. "This place is well protected from spells. If something is breaking through those barriers, even if it is not targeted directly at us, then I would not be surprised to see us tasked with its removal by the Gods."
"Well, whatever we have to do I hope it cools down soon," he sighed. "I feel like I might melt."
"I wouldn't want that. Though if you did I might be able to eat all of this."
She reached out to take another slice of the pear but Mikael snatched the bowl away. She looked up at him with a smirk as he moved it behind his back, holding it away from her.
