How does Balina Dakós relax?
How does Balina Pervola relax?
How does Balina Mejeri relax?
How does Balina Amarini relax?
How does Balina Mahigan relax?

The life of a warrior-chef means going further into the wilds than most would dare, all in the name of gourmet cuisine. If the map says, 'here be dragons', it was her job to go out there herself and find out what kind of dragon, and what kind of side dishes they best compliment. It also means, once in a while, you find a perfect, quiet little corner of the world. After a long day of tracking, fighting, and tasting, a chance to soak in a natural hot spring was too good to pass up.

It also meant that she had an excellent opportunity to bring out a barrel of rice wine she'd been saving. Fingers idly drumming on its surface, she waited for its contents to reach a proper serving temperature. She'd been looking forward to trying it for a while, though she hadn't really found anything so far in this trip to pair it with; a hot bath was the next best thing, as far as she was concerned.

A faint rustling broke her reverie. Her body tensed up; one head kept an eye on the precious barrel, while the other scanned the foliage around, nose twitching as she tried to figure out what beast thought it was sneaking up on her. Maybe she could go for just one more little snack tonight, after all...

Art: Zannah (original)