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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
The Fool and the Food
Talon was a fool.
Starvation can do that to anyone, but it didn’t change the facts. Only a fool would be so distracted by the third or fourth most potent source of love he’d ever come across that he’d get hopelessly lost in a forest. And only an even bigger fool would be so focused on being lost that he would walk straight into the backside of a chimera.
Unsurprisingly, the serpent head he’d run into wasn’t pleased by the unexpected horn in its face. Even less surprising was its suggestion that perhaps he and his brothers have an early lunch.
Talon briefly considered his options. At his peak, a chimera would have been no problem for a changeling warrior like himself. But as starving as he was, he wasn’t convinced he could even subdue an unexpecting pony if he had to. But against a threat of this magnitude he currently had only one option.
He ran.
Wings flapped futilely against his back as he commanded his aching muscles to take him to the sky and out of the reach of the beast. A moment later he was airborne. Not through any effort of his own, but because he had tripped over a root. Such a fool.
When he landed, a sharp crack followed by an equally sharp pain in his right foreleg told him that he had lost his ability to flee from his pursuer. Talon closed his eyes, accepting his fate.
“Why don’t you pick on someone who can fight back!”
Startled, Talon opened his eyes just in time to see the prey he had been stalking deliver a sharp kick to the chimera’s side, sending it flying from Talon. How low had he fallen that he needed to be saved by food?
The chimera rose to its feet and pounced towards its new victim, accepting the challenge.
The food just grunted, spun around, and delivered a fierce buck to the tiger head’s jaw, knocking it out. The goat and snake heads exchanged a surprised glance, then fled, leaving the food alone with Talon.
“You alright, kid?” the food asked. Talon didn’t respond; talking to food was undignified.
The food picked up Talon’s injured foreleg and felt it. “Feels like a bad sprain. Probably fixable though. C’mon, kid.” The food pulled Talon up onto its back and started walking.
“So I know it’s a long shot, since you’re a changeling, but you wouldn’t happen to know of a donkey named Matilda, would you?” Talon could feel the food’s love swell up as it mentioned the name. Remembering how hungry he was, he couldn’t help but feed.
He was brought back to his senses by a quick blow to the head. “Hey, none of that! My memories of Matilda are…” the food stopped. “Well, she’s special to me.”
The strength of the food’s love grew even stronger. Overpowered by its strength, proximity and how hungry he was, Talon began to feed again. “Knock it off, kid!” Another blow to the head.
The food turned around to look at him. “Look, kid, I get it. You’re a changeling. You gotta eat, just like everything else. But Matilda’s off limits, okay? Let’s see…” A moment later, the area was filled with love again. Not nearly as strong or as tasty, but still edible. “You can have that, but try not to eat it all. Family’s still important.”
Talon scoffed to himself. Being lectured by food, and told what he could and couldn’t have. He could just picture the rest of the hive laughing at him now. Still, he had something to eat now. And he was so hungry.
Still unsure why, Talon showed restraint when eating for the first time in his life, leaving about a third of the offered love alone. Enough that it would likely regenerate over time. If the food was careful about it, anyway.
“You got a name, kid?” the food asked when Talon had finished. Talon didn’t respond. “Ehhhh, you look kind of like a Kevin.” It chuckled to itself, as though this were some kind of joke.
Saved by food? Fed by food? <i>Named</i> by food? Talon was no pet. He couldn’t believe how miserable his life had come.
Then again, there were benefits to having a ready and willing food source nearby. And there was no way he was getting his foreleg repaired on his own. Perhaps he would stay with this food a little longer.
Besides. He kind of liked the name Kevin.
Starvation can do that to anyone, but it didn’t change the facts. Only a fool would be so distracted by the third or fourth most potent source of love he’d ever come across that he’d get hopelessly lost in a forest. And only an even bigger fool would be so focused on being lost that he would walk straight into the backside of a chimera.
Unsurprisingly, the serpent head he’d run into wasn’t pleased by the unexpected horn in its face. Even less surprising was its suggestion that perhaps he and his brothers have an early lunch.
Talon briefly considered his options. At his peak, a chimera would have been no problem for a changeling warrior like himself. But as starving as he was, he wasn’t convinced he could even subdue an unexpecting pony if he had to. But against a threat of this magnitude he currently had only one option.
He ran.
Wings flapped futilely against his back as he commanded his aching muscles to take him to the sky and out of the reach of the beast. A moment later he was airborne. Not through any effort of his own, but because he had tripped over a root. Such a fool.
When he landed, a sharp crack followed by an equally sharp pain in his right foreleg told him that he had lost his ability to flee from his pursuer. Talon closed his eyes, accepting his fate.
“Why don’t you pick on someone who can fight back!”
Startled, Talon opened his eyes just in time to see the prey he had been stalking deliver a sharp kick to the chimera’s side, sending it flying from Talon. How low had he fallen that he needed to be saved by food?
The chimera rose to its feet and pounced towards its new victim, accepting the challenge.
The food just grunted, spun around, and delivered a fierce buck to the tiger head’s jaw, knocking it out. The goat and snake heads exchanged a surprised glance, then fled, leaving the food alone with Talon.
“You alright, kid?” the food asked. Talon didn’t respond; talking to food was undignified.
The food picked up Talon’s injured foreleg and felt it. “Feels like a bad sprain. Probably fixable though. C’mon, kid.” The food pulled Talon up onto its back and started walking.
“So I know it’s a long shot, since you’re a changeling, but you wouldn’t happen to know of a donkey named Matilda, would you?” Talon could feel the food’s love swell up as it mentioned the name. Remembering how hungry he was, he couldn’t help but feed.
He was brought back to his senses by a quick blow to the head. “Hey, none of that! My memories of Matilda are…” the food stopped. “Well, she’s special to me.”
The strength of the food’s love grew even stronger. Overpowered by its strength, proximity and how hungry he was, Talon began to feed again. “Knock it off, kid!” Another blow to the head.
The food turned around to look at him. “Look, kid, I get it. You’re a changeling. You gotta eat, just like everything else. But Matilda’s off limits, okay? Let’s see…” A moment later, the area was filled with love again. Not nearly as strong or as tasty, but still edible. “You can have that, but try not to eat it all. Family’s still important.”
Talon scoffed to himself. Being lectured by food, and told what he could and couldn’t have. He could just picture the rest of the hive laughing at him now. Still, he had something to eat now. And he was so hungry.
Still unsure why, Talon showed restraint when eating for the first time in his life, leaving about a third of the offered love alone. Enough that it would likely regenerate over time. If the food was careful about it, anyway.
“You got a name, kid?” the food asked when Talon had finished. Talon didn’t respond. “Ehhhh, you look kind of like a Kevin.” It chuckled to itself, as though this were some kind of joke.
Saved by food? Fed by food? <i>Named</i> by food? Talon was no pet. He couldn’t believe how miserable his life had come.
Then again, there were benefits to having a ready and willing food source nearby. And there was no way he was getting his foreleg repaired on his own. Perhaps he would stay with this food a little longer.
Besides. He kind of liked the name Kevin.