Reaping What You Bake
The Lulaben marketplace was brimming with Mythics of all kinds, a sight that 10-year-old Cherry Halock had never seen before. Fairies, elves, trolls, and other creatures bustled from stall to stall, perusing wares or engaging in small talk. The air was teeming with excitement, most likely in anticipation of tomorrow's pie competition. In addition to having the royal family serve as guest judges for the event, the winner would receive 3,000 gold pyns and have a chance to get their recipe into the Royal cookbook. An improvement from last year’s prize of 500 silver pyns and a rose flower crown (thorns included).
Earlier Cherry was excited about baking a pie for the contest. Now, loose nerves chewed at the happy feeling. She tugged the sleeve of her mother’s dress.
“Mama? Can I ask you something?”
Strawberry Halock stopped walking and looked at Cherry, her strawberry-colored hair tumbling away from her brown shoulders. Behind her Delta, Cherry’s black and white Dire wolf pup yawned and scratched his right ear.
“Yes?” Strawberry asked.
Cherry’s eyes scanned the creatures in the marketplace.
“There’s a lot of unfamiliar faces here,” Cherry said.
Strawberry looked around and nodded. “I imagine they came from the surrounding villages and towns.”
“Do you think a lot of them are good at making pies?”
“Perhaps, although some might be travelers who have come to watch the competition. Why?”
“W-What if I don’t stand a chance tomorrow?”
Strawberry stopped and looked at Cherry with wide eyes. “Cherry, don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet now.”
Cherry frowned and lowered her eyes, ashamed to admit she was. Strawberry knelt and tilted Cherry’s head until her red eyes met Cherry’s brown eyes.
“What happened to the excitement that was in your eyes earlier,” Strawberry asked. “Didn’t you say you were going to make the best apple pie for the competition?”
“That was before I saw all of this,” Cherry said, gesturing at the bustling crowd. “There must be lots of great pie makers here. What chance do I have against all of them? Perhaps this was a mistake.”
“Cherry.”
“No, this was a big mistake. Let’s just go home and forget about the-ow!”
Cherry rubbed the spot on her forehead where her mother had flicked her. Strawberry frowned as she shook her head.
“None of that. You’ve made dozens of pies in the past, and they’ve all turned out great. Isn’t that right, Delta?”
Delta barked and wagged his tail.
“See? Delta and I believe in you. However, if you’re afraid of making a pie by yourself, why don’t we bake one together?”
“Really?”
“Sure. Just because I'm baking a pie doesn't mean I can't help you with yours."
Cherry smiled and nodded. If she was making a pie with her mother, there was no way she could mess up. Strawberry brushed a coiled strand of red hair from Cherry’s face and gave her a tight hug. She collected Delta’s leash and stood up.
“Ready to get started?”
Cherry nodded and took her mother’s hand, no longer afraid. The trio continued their walk until they arrived at an area with lots of food stalls. Ahead of them was a sign with an image of a knife and fork forming an X, the Food Bazaar.
“Here we are,” Strawberry said. "Now, let's see what we need."
She pulled a slip of paper out of the basket on her arm and handed it to Cherry.
“Here’s a list of ingredients for an apple pie. See if there’s anything else we might need.”
Cherry looked at the items on the list: green apples, unicorn milk, Ospher eggs, flour, ground sinmin, and sugar.
"Looks good,” Cherry said.
She gave the list back, and Strawberry returned it to the basket.
"Perfect, let's go."
Strawberry took Cherry's hand, and they moved through the area. They visited stall after stall, collecting the items on the list. When the trio arrived at the stand for unicorn milk, there was a long line. Since it was the only stall open, they had no choice but to join in. Cherry spotted a nearby stall selling rainbow apples. Recalling that green apples were on the list, she tugged at her mother's sleeve.
"Mama, can I get the apples from over there?”
Strawberry looked over at the stall and nodded. "Sure. Come back when you’re done.”
Cherry left the line and approached the stall, examining the apples on display. She found a row of green apples placed between the yellow and blue apples. Cherry raised a hand to grab a fat green apple. Suddenly, a pink tongue snatched the apple from her reach. Cherry yelped as the apple flew out of the cart and disappeared behind her.
“Ho ho ho,” a voice called. “Hello, Cherry.”
Cherry turned to see a short pale woman with iron-grey hair standing behind her. It was Madame Kace, her Chamelman neighbor, and Lulaben’s seemingly permanent pie-winning champion. The green apple Cherry had been eyeing was wrapped in her long pink tongue.
“Hello Madame, Kace,” Cherry said. “How are you?”
“Ah, just splendid,” Madame Kace replied.
She pulled off her glasses, revealing two black eyes that pointed in different directions. She focused them on Cherry and tilted her head.
“What are you doing here, Cherry? You aren’t out here by yourself, are you?”
“No, I’m with my mother. We’re shopping for ingredients.”
Kace frowned, and her left eye landed on the basket in Cherry’s hand. “Oh, I see. Must be for the competition tomorrow.”
“Yes. Are you shopping for ingredients too?”
“Oh no. I’d never use anything from this third-rate place. I shop elsewhere.”
Madame Kace plucked the apple from her tongue and bit into it. Without taking her eyes from Cherry, she fished three silver pyns from her pouch and placed them on the stall counter. The owner glared at her before picking up the coins. Madame Kace didn’t seem to notice.
“Pardon me for asking Cherry, but are those ingredients for an apple pie? I would have expected better from your mother.”
“Oh no. These are for my pie.”
Madame Kace paused and shifted her eyes to focus on Cherry’s face. She cocked her head and squinted her eyes. “You? You’re entering the competition?”
Cherry nodded. “Mama is going to help me bake one for tomorrow. It’s going to be so much fun!”
Madame Kace went silent. She raised her chameleon tail and scratched the top of her head. Suddenly she threw back her head and laughed. A terrible laugh that sounded like glass shards scraping a plate. Cherry winced and covered her ears until Madame Kace stopped laughing. She sighed and wiped a tear from her scaly eye before returning to Cherry.
“Let me give you some advice. Quit immediately.”
“Huh?”
“Your mother has never won a pie competition, and you barely have any baking experience. What if you served the Royal family an underbaked pie?”
“I’ve never made an underbaked pie in my life, Madame Kace. And just because my mother hasn’t won a pie competition doesn’t mean she’s any less of a baker than anyone else.”
Madame Kace snorted and shook her head. “Cherry, true bakers have something to show for it. Your mother is only wasting her time. As a forest elf, she should stick to gardening, and I’d recommend the same to you.”
“That’s not true. My mother is good at a lot of things.”
“Ah, look at the time. Sorry but I must be going, got a winning pie to bake. Have a good day, Cherry."
Madame Kace placed her shades on and walked off. Cherry looked at the ground, fists clenched to her sides. She wanted to shout at Madame Kace and tell her to stop being a stuck-up snob. Instead, Cherry tossed the apples into her basket, paid for them, and returned to her mother.
~
Strawberry didn’t say anything when they left the marketplace. Nor did she say anything on the way home. It wasn’t until they had arrived at their house and entered the kitchen when Strawberry finally spoke.
“Cherry. What did Madame Kace say to you?”
Cherry froze and looked to see Strawberry staring at her from the kitchen entrance. Strawberry crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.
“I saw the two of you talking. And when she left you seemed upset. So, I’m curious to know what she said to you.”
Cherry bit her lip as she put the sugar on the table. She considered lying to her mother, something she had never done before. A lie would be better than the truth of Madame Kace’s words.
“Cherry? What did she say?”
“Not much. We talked about the competition tomorrow.”
“Oh? What about?”
Cherry wrung her hands and looked over at Delta. He was sitting by the kitchen wall, gnawing on a giant meaty bone that Strawberry had purchased for him.
“Cherry?”
“Ah, um. I told her I was entering the competition this year.”
“And what did she say?”
“She, um, she told me to quit immediately.”
“What!”
Cherry jumped at her mother’s sharp voice. She looked up to see Strawberry charging towards the counter where the knives were. Alarmed, Cherry ran from the table and grabbed her mother’s arm.
“Mama, no! Don’t do it!”
Strawberry stopped and gave her a puzzled look. “Do what?”
“Please don’t do it. Don’t kill our neighbor!”
“Kill? By Kichu’s eyes! Cherry, what are you going on about?”
Cherry pursed her lips and looked at the knives on the counter. When Strawberry followed her gaze, she gawked, and the color drained from her face.
“Cherry! You know I would never do such a thing. I was going to get a bowl!”
“Huh?”
Strawberry knelt and grasped Cherry by her thin shoulders. “Madame Kace had no business saying such things to you. She thinks she can because she hasn’t lost in fifteen years. Well, we aren’t going to let her get to us.”
“We aren’t?”
“No! We’re going to make an awesome pie and present it to the royal family. Even if we don’t win, it won’t be a big deal. Know why?”
“Because we would have tried our best?”
“That’s right. So don’t let Madame Kace’s words get to you.”
“Okay, I won’t, Mama.”
“That’s my girl. Now enough chatter, we have a pie to put together.”
Strawberry and Cherry returned to the table. They emptied the apples from the basket and watched as eight green apples and two yellow apples rolled onto the table. Silence filled the kitchen as they stared at the gold fruits.
“Cherry, how many apples did we need?”
“Ten. Ten green apples,” Cherry whispered.
“Then why? Why are these yellow ones here?”
Cherry lowered her head and looked at the floor. “I must have grabbed them by accident. I’m sorry.”
Strawberry frowned as she looked at the apples, eyebrows furrowing in concentration.
“Maybe we can still use them,” Cherry said.” Green and yellow apples don’t taste too different from each other.”
“Perhaps,” Strawberry said. “Although the flavor won't be the same. Why don’t we make a second pie? We can judge the flavor on both and see which one is better.”
“But there aren’t enough apples to make two pies.”
“We’ll make a different pie, using the fresh plumberries in the icebox.”
“The ones for your pie? Mama, I can’t.”
“Cherry, if the flavors don’t work out for the apple pie, you can use the plumberry pie instead.”
“A-are you sure?”
“Cherry, what matters to me is that you have fun and enjoy yourself. I don't care if I participate or not."
“Okay. Thank you, Mama.”
“You’re welcome, Cherry. Now let’s get to work.”
Cherry nodded and went to grab a bowl. After setting the ingredients for both pies on the table, they got to work. Cherry made the filling for both pies, and Strawberry prepped the dough. The fillings were taste-tested, and much to Cherry’s delight, they were delicious. Delta tried to sneak a taste of the filling, only for Strawberry to shoo him away. When he limped into the corner, Cherry relented and gave him a plumberry. Strawberry placed the pies in the oven. After three hours, both scrumptious pies sat on the table to cool.
“Looks good,” Strawberry said. “Now to figure out which one we’ll take.”
“Let’s decide in the morning,” Cherry said. “I’m exhausted.”
“Alright. You head to bed while I put the pies away.”
Cherry nodded and shuffled out the kitchen. When she climbed into bed, she dreamed of pies and stars.
~
The sun rose on the day of the competition, but Cherry was fast asleep. She would have remained in bed if a horrific scream hadn’t terrified her awake. Cherry stumbled out of her room, red hair flying and eyes struggling to shake the last remnants of sleep. She ran to the front entrance and stopped when she saw the door standing open. Outside, Strawberry was standing by the picket fence, wearing pink pajamas and slippers. Delta sat behind her, his head lowered and his tail lying limp. Strawberry appeared to be talking to someone, but Cherry couldn’t see who it was.
“You owe me a new pie!”
Cherry jumped at the voice of Madame Kace. Was she the one who had screamed earlier? Curiosity got the better of her, and Cherry ran outside. Madame Kace stood on the other side of the fence wearing a long white dress, sandals, and a white top hat. Her entire body was blood-red, and her cheeks were puffed with air. There was a silver object on the ground next to her foot. As Cherry came closer, she saw that it was an upside-down pie tin, with the remnants of Madame Kace’s pie lying underneath it.
“Why isn’t your mutt tied up to a post!?” Madame Kace shouted.
“Why would we do that?” Strawberry shot back. “This is OUR yard.”
“Mama,” Cherry called. “What’s going on?”
Strawberry jumped and turned around to look at Cherry. Upon seeing her, Madame Kace turned a deep shade of purple.
“Cherry,” Kace shouted. “Did you do this on purpose!?”
She gestured to the fallen pie. Stunned, Cherry shook her head.
“Madame Kace,” Strawberry cried. “Why are you bringing my daughter into this? She had nothing to do with your upturned dessert.”
“Of course, she did! She trained her mutt to scare me the moment I approached so I’d drop my pie. Well, it worked, and I hope you’re happy!”
“Madame Kace, that’s ridiculous,” Strawberry said. “First, Delta would never do something like that on purpose. Second, you shouldn’t have been walking so close to the fence!”
“I was only trying to be a decent neighbor and show you what a winning pie looks like. I guess I shouldn’t have bothered.”
“Yeah, you shouldn’t have. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we need to prepare for the competition.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I get a new pie. I refuse to show up empty-handed.”
“Just go bake another one. You still have a few hours-”
“I don’t have the ingredients to bake another one. Had I known that my neighbors were cheaters, I would have gotten more ingredients. Since I can’t make another pie, I’ll take one of yours as a replacement.”
“Madame Kace!”
“Don’t you dare! I’ve been working hard all year to prepare for the competition, and I refuse to lose this chance to impress the royal family. If you had your mutt tied up like you were supposed to, I’d still have my pie. Which reminds me, it’s illegal to have a wolf running around freely without a leash on. You either give me a pie, or I’ll report your mutt to the hound catcher!”
“Please don’t,” Cherry cried. “You can have my apple pie!”
“No,” Madame Kace said. “I don’t want your pie. I want the one your mother made.”
She smiled and looked at Strawberry. “Even though you never win, you always bake a pie for the competition. And I’m sure this year is the same. What will it be, Miss Halock? Your pie or your mutt?”
Strawberry glared at Madame Kace, then turned from her and walked inside the house. Minutes later, she returned with a wrapped pie and thrust it towards Madame Kace.
“Take it,” she said.
Madame Kace snatched the pie from her and examined it.
“Plumberry pie huh?” She frowned and wrinkled her nose. “I guess it’s better than nothing. But I'm not serving it like this. I’ll smash it and reconstruct it into something better.”
With that, Madame Kace turned away and walked back to her house. Strawberry watched her, her eyes narrowing and her body trembling in anger. When Cherry took hold of her mother’s hand, Strawberry stopped shaking. She sighed and led Cherry inside, with Delta following after them. Once they were inside, Strawberry closed the door, leaned against the wood, and slumped to the floor.
“Mama!” Cherry cried. “Are you okay?
“I’m fine Cherry,” Strawberry said. “Just fine.”
She waved her daughter away as she stood up. Delta moved closer and pressed his body against her, offering himself as support.
“Delta, I’m fine. Go to the kitchen, and I’ll give you your breakfast.”
Delta whimpered but reluctantly obeyed. Cherry followed Strawberry into the kitchen, trying to think of something she could say.
“I’m sorry,” Cherry said.
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” Strawberry said. “It’s Madame Kace who should be apologizing.”
“But if I had taken Delta upstairs, he wouldn’t have frightened Madame Kace. And you’d still have a pie.”
“I’m not worried about the competition. Besides, we have another pie.”
“The apple pie?”
“Yes, it might not be perfect, but it’s delicious and fully cooked. Bring that to the competition.”
“I couldn’t. We both wanted to do this, and I couldn't do this without you.”
“Cherry, I don’t care about the prize money or the prestige. I’ve entered dozens of times in the past and never won. This is your first time, and I want you to have fun.”
Strawberry picked up the pie from the table and brought it over to Cherry. It smelled delicious and looked fantastic. Cherry smiled and hugged her mother.
“I'll do my best for you, Mama.”
Strawberry smiled and ruffled her hair. "That's fine Cherry. Just seeing you on stage is enough for me."
~
There were so many mythics and humans packed into Vasortho fields, Cherry felt nervous the moment she arrived. She sat at a table and placed her pie next to her, pausing to look at the other tables. Cherry noticed she was the only elf child participating in the event. The other contenders, a mix of mythics and humans, were young adults or older. She looked at the stands and saw her mother waving at her. As Cherry waved back, she felt a sense of calm settle over her. The crowd hushed when the Mayor of Lulaben approached the stage. He tapped the mic a few times, cleared his throat, and spoke.
“Welcome to Lulaben’s 16th annual pie competition! Today’s event is very special as we have the royal Beltova family here as guest judges for the event.”
He turned and gestured to a family of three sitting at a decorated table, King Berket, Queen Tamiza, and 1-year-old Prince Mioro.
“Please give a round of applause for our royal majesties!”
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience, as well as a loud cheer that rocked Cherry’s ears. Once the applause died down, the contest began. Each contestant approached the stage and presented their pie, which was checked for poison and given to the judges. After eating the pie, the judges wrote something on a white card, and the mayor announced the next participant. Cherry examined the judge's faces, hoping for a clue on whether they liked the pie or not. The only one who seemed to be giving clues was the young Prince, who made an expression for each bite of pie he ate. An act of amusement that probably meant nothing.
Suddenly, the mayor read a familiar name that Cherry had been dreading. “Madame Kace.”
The chatter that filled the air died. Everyone watched as Madame Kace approached the stage and presented her pie to the judges.
“Your royal majesties, I present to you my greatest creation,” Madame Kace said. “Plumberry pie with honieberries and dumble jam.”
She removed the napkin, revealing a pie that looked nothing like Strawberry’s creation. The crust was flakey yellow, and it smelled so good that Cherry’s mouth started watering. Surely, Cherry thought, the pie would be just as delicious.
The mayor cut the pie. As soon as the knife pierced the soft shell, a rancid scent similar to rotten eggs and garbage enveloped the area. Mythics and humans that leaned in for a whiff, recoiled in horror and covered their noses. The mayor retched and turned his head to avoid throwing up on the table. As he did so, the freshly made slice tumbled from the tin and fell on the floor. Instead of a golden filling, the inside was a mixture of lime green and black. Cherry wondered what Madame Kace had done to turn her mother's beautiful pie into a rotting mess.
The smell irritated Prince Mioro’s nose, who began sneezing uncontrollably. Queen Tamiza fled the table with her son, and King Berket followed after them. Madame Kace was very pale, so pale that she looked like she was trying to blend in with her surroundings.
A trio of fire sprites ran onto the stage and blasted the foul pie with fire until nothing was left but a pile of ashes. The wind sprites came to air out the area, and the audience emptied from the stage. During that time, Cherry tried to find Madame Kace in the crowd. But the elderly Chamelman had vanished. Once the area was clear, the audience returned, and the contest resumed. Finally, it was Cherry’s turn. She approached the stage and presented her pie to the judges.
“Good afternoon, your majesties,” Cherry said. “I present to you a delicious apple pie.”
At the word apple, Prince Mioro squealed and clapped his chubby hands. Cherry smiled as the pie was cut and delivered to the family. As they ate it, Cherry studied their faces hoping for some hint of satisfaction. But neither of them betrayed a hint of emotion. Cherry crossed her fingers and walked off-stage. Once all the contestants had delivered their pies, the judges left the stage to decide the winner. Everyone waited with bated breath for the mayor to return. Not only would the winner receive a massive award, but they would claim Madame Kace’s winning spot. After what seemed like an eternity, the mayor finally returned to the stage.
“Attention please,” the mayor said. “We’re ready to announce the winner.”
He held up a small sheet of paper and read the name on the card.
“Cherry Halock!”
The cheers shook the entire stands and grew when Cherry approached the stage. Before she went to the judges, she pointed at the audience.
“I didn’t do this alone. Mama, come over here.”
The rest of the crowd turned and motioned for Strawberry to join Cherry. Strawberry descended the stairs, lowering her head to hide her blush, as Delta trotted behind her. When they arrived on stage, the mayor handed them a large bag of pyns and a golden trophy in the shape of a pie. He stepped aside to allow the King and Queen to approach. Everyone went silent and bowed their heads in respect. When Cherry and Strawberry stood up, Queen Tamiza stood before them, with Prince Mioro balanced on her hip.
“Congratulations,” she said. “As declared in the rules, your recipe will become a permanent addition to our cookbook."
She stepped back, and King Berket took her place. In his hands was a large book with the image of a chef’s hat on the cover, the Royal cookbook. He offered it to Strawberry, who stared at it with a dazed expression until Cherry tapped her arm. Strawberry closed her mouth and accepted the book, whispering her thanks. King Berket smiled and turned to address the crowd.
“Thank you all for a lovely afternoon. My wife and I have had a glorious time, and we look forward to-”
A loud thud sounded behind him. Startled, King Berket and Queen Tamiza turned to see Strawberry lying on the stage with the book resting beside her. Cherry cried out and called out to her mother while Delta barked and licked Strawberry's face. It seems the excitement, surprise, and anticipation were too much for Strawberry.