ZOMEGA: Lost Origin Chapter 04: Hunger Strike

What was it now that Billy remembered? Another memory from when he was a child. He could remember being barely tall enough to see over an old oak table, looking on a steaming plate of spaghetti. To his right around the table, was the young daughter of his scout master. To her right was the scout master, dressed in regular clothes. And last but not least was a beautiful young lady with silky black hair, perhaps the wife of the scout master?

Billy could remember the smell of the garlic in the spaghetti and how the warmth rising from it was heavenly. He always did like a good plate of spaghetti. Billy could also remember how the little girl had placed a mountain of Parmesan upon her plate. The little girl had set the can of Parmesan on the table between herself and the scout master, but also well outside Billy’s reach. Billy had grunted and reached for it, receiving a cough from the mother.

Billy snapped his arm back and looked into the deep blue eyes of the mother. She laughed at him and said “Now now Billy, you know your elbows should not be touching the table. Besides, you can just ask someone to get you the Parmesan.”

“Sowwy” Billy remembered saying. Though he was not sure that had sounded like that. He had then asked “Please pass the parmashon.”

The mother chuckled and grabbed the Parmesan, shaking it on Billy’s spaghetti. She shook it slowly and said “Say when Billy.”

Billy watched eagerly until the spaghetti was just barely visible at the top of the pile. Then he said “That’s enough, thank you.”

“Okay” the mother said, placing the can of Parmesan on the table “Now eat up. Just because the Parmesan cheese looks like snow, doesn’t mean you want to let your spaghetti get cold.”

Billy took a large bite of what was more Parmesan than spaghetti. Even then, the sauce was simply heavenly and Billy was enjoying the taste. Right up until he sneezed and sent clouds of Parmesan everywhere. The Parmesan drifted down slowly, covering everyone and the table. Billy was mortified, but for no more than a few seconds as the little girl says “Look mom, snow!”

The father covers his mouth, trying to stifle a laugh, which was all the okay Billy needed to start laughing himself. Even the mother laughed as she said “Alright, alright, finish eating Billy. Now we need to give you a bath before your parents return from their business trip to pick you up tonight.”

***

At least Billy knew how that memory related to this. Because, right now he was sitting at a hobbled together table with the woman who lit a dragon on fire and the guy who claims to be her brother. Though they have similar red hair, Billy wasn’t so sure that he believed it. She just feels older for some reason, so much older. Like a grandparent that took in their grandchildren. Though she looks young enough to be his sister. Truly strange. He thought to himself.

Then another text box appeared Achievement Unlocked - Not A Spring Chicken Himself, Say What? Billy looked at the text confused and said “What?” To this another text box popped up that said Exactly. The text boxes didn’t seem to be going away this time, but Billy wanted to avoid outbursts, especially related to things he was sure only he saw.

Instead he tried to focus on the bowl of soup before him. Picking up a spoon full of vegetables and a delightful smelling broth, he inserted them into his mouth. He enjoyed the taste of the vegetables as he chewed them and the broth as it swished around his mouth. He swallowed the mouthful and looked to the chef, approximating where his eyes where as the second text box remains in front of his face. He said “Excellent soup, thank you for sharing with me.”

He could still not see the young man’s face, but he heard him say “You are quite welcome. I wanted to prep and add a bird that I caught earlier, but my sister suggested she had other uses for it.”

A new text box appeared in front of the young man

Initializing Status Window Beta

Status

Character > Israel Williamson

Class > Lvl 17 Photomancer  Race > Human Age > 17

Attack > 10 Defense > 10 Speed > 17 *Threat Level > Little Brother

Will > 25 Intelligence > 25 Taste > Either Citrus or Carrots?

Reward > 1,700 EXP and Void Elemental Merge ability

So, his name is Israel? Billy thought to himself. He really wasn’t sure what to do with the rest of the information. But he could easily focus on the soup before him. But the more he ate, the more it became apparent, this wasn’t filling for him.

Then there was another text box hovering over the bowl.

Optional Quest

Quest Name: Devour Israel

Objective: Devour the ginger!

Reward: 1,700 Experience and the Void Elemental Merge Ability.

Yes or No

He tapped No and continued eating. It still wasn’t filling and he was certainly feeling hungry now. But he still had no interest in eating those who had been such kind hosts. The voice mad and angry return as it declared “You need to eat idiot! Besides, it won’t matter how kind they are if this place burns!”

Billy opted to ignore the voice and instead looked to Andrea and asked “So, is it really just the two of you out here?”

From the other side of a new pop up, Andrea responded “Yes, my brother and I have lived out here since I found him.”

The text box said.

Status

Character > Andrea Nova

Class > Lvl (Explosion Emoji) Pyromancer  Race > Human? Age > (Skull Emoji)

Attack > 60 Defense > 60 Speed > 110 Cup Size > B Threat Level > Surprise or Die

Will > 120 Intelligence > 220 Butt Rating > Ok * Taste > Spicy!

Reward > 500,000 EXP and Ebony Scale ability

Billy saw the contents of the text box and quickly looked back down to his bowl. He couldn’t help but look back down to his bowl. He also couldn’t help but wonder why some of that new information was necessary. Maybe if he continued to focus on eating, the text boxes would finally go away. Then another one popped up.

Optional Quest

Quest Name: Devour Andrea

Objective: Devour the witch! If you move quick enough you might catch her by surprise.

Reward: 500,000 Experience and the Ebony Scale Ability.

Yes or No

Again he hits No but another text box appears.

Are you sure? She might like it.

Yes or No

Again he hits No. But surprisingly, the box does not go away. Instead more pop up as he tries to ignore them and says “Somehow that makes sense. I’ve only met a few people before I came here, one of them being a strange Maranboe fellow and that plant guy Terry.”

Though Billy can’t see him, he does hear Israel ask “Where did Terry go anyway?”

***

Terry had gone on patrol. Walking laps around the forest area around the cabin, he found it lonely being surrounded by a full forest of what could closest by referred to as his distant cousins. He and the fellow Dryads had never bothered looking down at the trees whom were without mind. Some even wondered if given enough time if they took would obtain consciousness.

Before whatever had changed the world, there had been plenty of Dryads, almost as many as there had been trees. Now it was only he and so many trees. But that is to be expected. There aren’t that many of any races remaining. Even the cockroaches near extinction. But maybe the frequency of beings reviving such as Billy lately, could mean that life is in some way returning?

It is not to be entirely unexpected that an event that wiped out the world, that any life remaining would be a surprise. Or perhaps life simply returned or found a way. Terry couldn’t be sure. Terry remembered the oncoming fire. Terry remembered what he was sure was his fiery death. The next thing he remembered he grew back out of the ground.

But Terry could swear that before he did that there was a great voice from within the darkness. A gentle voice full of hope for the world, hate for the apocalypse, sadness for the loss, happiness for the ones returning and love for one person they could not find. One voice that beckoned the world back into existence, but stopped mid chant with a great scream. Then five voices cried into silence.

But that was many years before Maranboe had found the forest that Terry had been reborn in. Where he and the others had found peace and happiness in a world where all pollution had simply vanished. But that man and those who followed him burned away that peace. That man who he had not only found again, but found him and now stood before him.

This had been what Terry watched for. Terry needed to alert the others, for surely another fire would follow in the shadow of Maranboe. Yet, Terry also needed to get revenge on Maranboe. He didn’t even provide the man a chance to speak. Instead he pulled a pinecone from his loincloth of leaves and threw it.

Maranboe looked to him with a look of confusion, until the pinecone exploded in a flurry of wooden shrapnel.

The scratches and scrapes were of little consequence, so Maranboe continued to move toward him. He swung a mighty hand at Terry, trying to grab him. That was all he needed to do after all. But his finger tips barely missed the cape of Terry. But his ears could not miss the child-like giggle that escaped the forest personified.

Terry jumped over the arm of Maranboe and spinning threw several sharp branches into the feet of Maranboe. They sunk into the legs and arm of Maranboe with a series of squelches. The ones in his feet kept him from easily moving, but not from pain that he no longer felt, but from simple physics.

Before he could successfully move, he would need to remove the sticks tacking his feet to the ground. Meanwhile, Terry threw more pinecones and sticks at Maranboe. With another series of squelches, he tore his right foot up, pulling sticks out of the ground. Then slamming the foot down on the ground, he broke the sticks and ignored possible damage to his foot. For even if it could not simply heal quickly, he was many.

Maranboe spun on his heel, smearing an arc of blood across the ground, but Terry was no longer there. Maranboe shook his head at that point and thought. Perhaps I should have just burned it all down. Still an option. I might anyway, just to drive all the rats out to a cage of my choosing. He no longer had a particular reason to chase him this way, pride not withstanding, it wouldn’t be worth losing the others.

So Maranboe turned back to where he had entered and began to step away. Several sticks impaled into his shoulders and back, but he opted not to react. Not that he couldn’t feel it, but that he could draw the hiding shrub person out due to his recklessness. And indeed he did, because Terry ceased hiding as though a branch and dove at Maranboe.

Maranboe however, he was ready. He grabbed the outstretched arm of Terry as he slammed him into the ground, trying to put him in an arm bar. He had direct and full contact with Terry, so he knew that he had him now. Only, he didn’t, because Terry’s arm popped right off and Terry rolled away. No, that’s right. Maranboe thought. This limb is as dead as a fallen tree. So, They can simply stop existing in their limbs? That just makes me more curious.

***

At that moment, Billy had his own challenger, or perhaps challengers would be more appropriate. For at that time, he was surrounded by text boxes. All of them were asking him to eat Andrea or Israel. Trying to convince him thing such as that Andrea would be juicy and that Israel was full of vitamins C and D. At that moment, Billy was busy frantically declining all of them in a panic. Hitting every No button like a madman swatting an army of flies. An army that was only present to him.

In his flurry, he had lost any worry of what this looked like to his hosts. And then he reached for another text box and in an instant they all went away. In their place, he found he had himself instead a handful of Andrea’s right breast. Both hosts stared in astonishment as a new text box popped up Achievement Unlocked - Definitely a B Cup.

Slowly, Billy withdrew his hand and shifting his eyes looked back and forth between the gazes of his hosts. Israel’s face carried a look of shock. Andrea however, she looked at Billy intrigued. She calmly stood and looked to Israel and asked “Your catch is out in the shed, correct?” She slowly walked across the kitchen, toward the back door, grabbing a butcher knife offhand.

Israel nodded, and pointed to where Billy presumed the shed must be. No sooner had Andrea left the building, then a sword of light emitted from the hand of Israel, grazing the neck of Billy. Billy could smell his skin singing and hear it sizzling at the edge of the blade. Israel spoke calmly “Do be a proper guest and don’t get handsy with my sister again. Especially not in my view.” He then withdrew the sword and returned to eating his soup.

***

Terry had barely grown a twig to replace his lost arm, but had no time to consider it. He laughed as he jumped over the hand of Maranboe. Maranboe had indeed had enough of this frivolous battle. He however did not need to emerge from the forest to burn it down. For he was many, where one host falls, another simply takes their place.

Again did Terry jump and weave and even spin. But it did little but to frustrate an already angry Maranboe. But perhaps that was his point, for certainly it couldn’t have been to defeat him. For what little damage he could do to Maranboe just seemed to heal. But perhaps, he could draw Maranboe from where Billy was. He spent too much effort thinking and not focusing on dodging.

For now, Maranboe had a tight grip on his right leg. Mid-spin, Terry released his leg from his body, only this tactic failed. For this time, Maranboe got a grip on his other leg in quick succession. But this would not stop Terry. He landed on his remaining hand and used the full extent of his arm to push himself up and away from Maranboe. But how much further could he really continue this?

***

Billy had watched Israel and could not decide what to do further. Andrea had not yet returned and Billy’s hunger only worsened. Text boxes were not helping, but at least they weren’t stacking up anymore. Then another one pops up.

Optional Quest

Quest Name: Devour Israel

Objective: If you act quick, you can devour him and then catch the other by surprise.

Reward: 1,700 Experience and the Void Elemental Merge Ability.

Yes or No

Billy again hit the No button and coming to the sake of his sanity was Andrea. At that very second, she had slammed a small cage on the table. Inside the cage a bird squawked and bounced within the confine. Andrea stepped back and said “Eat up zombie, you’ll feel better.”

Billy contemplated arguing. All the while, the text boxes began to appear and layer up again. But oddly, they did not cover the bird up. Billy’s head and shoulders sank, for he knew that she was right. He opened the cage with an obnoxious creaking and reached for the bird, until three slow and deliberate knocks struck the door.

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