Chapter 3
Narration: It has been said that there are nuggets with roasted pork mixed with buttery mashed potatoes. Pork Nuggets. And in a country where men try to woo woman they'd climb up the peak of mountains finding a chocolate with the perfect aphrodisiac of love. A single bite would make anyone who ate it fall instantly in love. Love Aphrodisiac Chocolate. This is the Gourmet Age. Where people scour the world for culinary delights.
Last Time: As we last joined Zoltik and Ryou they finally reached the marsh where the rainbow snake was hiding. After saving Ryou from being manipulated by the siren of a butterfly, Zoltik fought against a fierce Troll Kong. After finding traces of the rainbow snake, he sets up camp hoping to lure it too them.
Battle of the Rainbow Snake.
Zoltik and Ryou were sitting by a roaring fire. Zoltik and Ryou were eating by the fire. Instead of having marshmallows Zoltik and Ryou ate heads. The heads were from a Gako Frog.
Gako Frog
Capture Level: 2
Status: Amphibians that are easy to find. Hide when it's sunny and only come out when it's raining.
The Gako's Frog portion was small, but it tasted good. While steamed, it had the taste of buttermilk creamed in caramel chocolate with a hint of cheese and corn. Ryou, who was a chef, could taste all the ingredients, but Zoltik just ate like he didn't even care.
" Hey Zoltik," Ryou said.
" Yeah, what is it, little man?" Zoltik asked while he chewed on his Gako Frog.
" What makes you think the Rainbow Snake shows up here? Wouldn't it be safer hiding in a nest or something?"
" Na-ah. Like I said, Rainbow snakes are able to blend within their natural habits. If something bigger than it does show up, it will just sneak away."
" Hey Zoltik."
" Yeah, what is it?"
" Do you have any spices on you? I wanted to bring my own spices, but I didn't know if we were ever going to get the chance to eat. Do you have anything on you?"
" Nope. I don't like spices. They taste bad on my uogolia. I prefer eating my food plain. I 'm also not a big fan of anything spicy."
" That's a shame. So you've never had curry before?"
" Nooooo. Never have and probably never will."
" You never know. Maybe I could make you some of my curry."
" Really?"
" Really."
" Huh? Guess you're not completely useless. Who would have known?"
" Thanks, it really means a lot to me—"
Zoltik and Ryou heard the sound of footsteps throttling towards them. Both Zoltik and Ryou looked in the direction where the noise was coming from and saw a Troll Kong charging towards them. Apparently it was the same Troll Kong Zoltik faced before because it had the same Mohawk.
The Troll Kong gave one great big roar, and then it fell on the ground, dead. On its back was a giant bite mark.
" Zoltik, do you see this!" Ryou shouted. " That's a Level 9 creature! What could have possibly beaten it?"
" I think I know," Zoltik said. He looked in the woods and saw a pair of red beady eyes stalking him. " It's the same creature we've been hunting. Come out and show yourself, Rainbow Snake."
From the woods came a snake-like creature. The creature was a serpentine with scales like a jellyfish, different colored IV lights glowing through its scales, and six fangs through its mouth. Through its head was a pair of red beady eyes.
Rainbow Snake
Capture Level: 11
Status: A nearly extinct creature. It has scales that can change color and blend in with its environment. Nine out of ten chefs consider its tender meat to be a delicacy.
" T-that thing beat a Troll Kong? How are you ever going to stop something that powerful, Zoltik?"
" How do you think? I'll beat it with my own two hands."
Zoltik slapped both his elbows as he prepared to fight. The rainbow snake snarled at Zoltik as it too prepared to fight. Then Zoltik and the Rainbow Snake charged towards each other. The Rainbow Snake whipped its tail at Zoltik and he jumped over it. He then grabbed the tail, lifted it off the ground, and slammed it back on the ground.
" You're doing really well, Zoltik."
" I'm doing all the work! Why don't you get over here and help me fight?"
" I can't. I'm a cooker not a fighter. That's why I need your help, Zoltik."
" Guess it can't be helped if you're weak. I'll just have to beat this thing myself."
Zoltik grabbed the Rainbow Snake's scaly tail again, pulled it too his face, and he punched the snake in his face. He continued to punch the snake in its face again, and again, and again until blood was squirting from the nose, then he spun around and threw it into the tree.
Zoltik wasn't hesitant to act and ran straight towards the Rainbow Snake. He jumped and prepared to grab the snake, but it disappeared before his very eyes. Zoltik stopped fighting and blinked at the spot where the snake had been.
" That's weird. Where could it have gone—"
Out of nowhere something whacked Zoltik's face. Then again something whacked Zoltik behind his back. Again and again he was hit by the mysterious object. And while he was hit he was bleeding from wounds inflicted on him.
" What the fork?"
The hitting finally stopped. Zoltik landed on the ground and was being wrangled by something he couldn't even see. While he was being wrangled his face turned bright red.
" Zoltik!" Ryou screamed. " Zoltik, I'm coming to save you!"
" Stay back!" Zoltik managed to scream even though he was being strangled. " I fight my own battles. Always have and always will!"
" But what if you lose? You could die."
" I'm not going to lose. Losing against food would be overbearing on me. I promise you I will beat this thing so I can eat!"
Zoltik pumped both his hands back and hit the invisible Rainbow Snake. Zoltik dropped from the snake and hit the ground. He rolled out of the way just as something obscure was hitting the ground where he rolled.
Zoltik rolled back to Ryou. He stood up in front of Ryou and closed his eyes. His ears twitched as he listened to the sound of something moving.
" Zoltik, what are you doing?" Ryou gasped, he was then silenced by Ryou raising an arm to his face.
" Sssshhhhh," Zoltik shushed Ryou as his ears twitched. " I'm trying to listen. When my culinary instruments don't work I always rely on my senses to help. Relying on my senses is key to understanding my prey. That's lesson two of what my master Toriko taught m—"
Zoltik reacted with his senses. The invisible Rainbow Snake tried snapping its jaws at him and Zoltik stopped it by catching its jaws with both his hands. The invisible barrier around the Rainbow Snake disappeared and the Rainbow Snake's red eyes glowed in the darkness.
Zoltik pushed the snake away and it made a thud when it crashed on the ground. To Ryou's surprise Zoltik then closed his eyes again and clapped his hands together.
" I solemnly thank thee for the meal I'm about to receive. And I'll be sure to use both my cooking utensils: my knife and my fork."
Zoltik reached into his pants and pulled out two triangular shaped metals made out of copper from his pants. He charged at the Rainbow Snake on the ground and he punched the snake into the air.
" Here's my Knife!" Electricity surged through one of the culinary instrument. A giant knife made out of electricity came out and he slashed it at the Rainbow Snake. A large curvy slash mark was made on the Rainbow Snake. " And here's my Fork!"
Electricity surged through the other culinary instrument. A giant fork made out of electricity came out and plunged through his open wound. Electricity burned the inside of the snake, and then it finally collapsed. The Rainbow Snake was defeated. Its scales were burning, its body turned black, and steam burned out of it.
Zoltik smiled at the sight of the burning snake, licked his lips, said, " Alright. It's time to eat."
Twenty Minutes Later
Large wheels of black rainbow meat were cut out of the giant Rainbow Snake and surrounded Zoltik and Ryou. Zoltik and Ryou sat by the fire and feasted on the pieces of rainbow meat. Zoltik salivated through his mouth with the smell of the Rainbow Snake, but Ryou was worried.
" Are you sure we should really be eating this?" Ryou asked. " I'm suppose to be delivering this to my associates."
" Relax. We're not eating all of it. We're just lightening the load that's all. Now try to relax and have some meat. It's good."
Zoltik took out another slab of meat before Ryou could say anything and ripped the meat off with his teeth. Ryou was hesitant at first to have any of it, but then he quickly grabbed a piece of meat and ripped it away with his mouth. Ryou chewed slowly on the piece of meat. His face lit up like fireworks after it touched his palatine tonsil.
" Amazing. It tastes good. It's like ribs covered in soda, charcoaled with hazelnuts, and it's crunchy like French fries. I want more."
Zoltik and Ryou went into a food frenzy. They ripped out more and more slabs of meat off, burned them, then they salivated as they swallowed the meat down their gulches. Finally, Ryou stopped Zoltik from eating anymore with a knife.
" Not yet. First let's cut it into four pieces."
" What an excellent idea."
They took out a cylindrical piece of meat and roasted it over the burning fire. When the meat looked just about right, Ryou took out his knife and cut the meat into four separate pieces. He served two to Zoltik and two to himself.
" On the count of three," Zoltik said with a smile on his face.
" Okay," Ryou said with a smile on his face.
" One…Two…Three…"
Both Zoltik and Ryou ate their meat at the same time. The food got stuck in their throats at first, but then they were able to swallow the meat whole. Both Zoltik and Ryou had relished looks on their faces as they pat their bellies.
" You know, it was fun travelling with you," Zoltik said as he pat his belly. " Much more fun than travelling alone. How would you like to be my partner, bro?"
" P-partner?"
" Yeah. I can't cook. I need someone like you who can cook my food for me. And traveling in groups is so much better than travelling alone. So what do you say? Want to join me?"
" Z-Zoltik?" Ryou's eyes swelled up with tears. Ryou was an emotional crybaby. Without a second of thinking, he ran up to Zoltik and hugged him. " Zoltik! Wahhhhhhh!"
BONK!
Zoltik bonked Ryou on his head. Ryou cried weakly and ran around in circles as he continued to cry and hold his head. Zoltik just watched Ryou while he continued to prance around like a loon.
" Hey, don't hug me. We're grown men. And grown men don't cry in front of other grown men. But does your crying mean you do want to become my partner?"
Ryou stopped crying. He rubbed his head, smiled, and held a hand out for Zoltik to shake. " Sure. I want to be your partner more than anything. Because if I'm your partner, I can explore vast and new regions and prepare dishes nobodies even heard about." Zoltik than grabbed Ryou's hands and shaked it.
" Great. Let's settle this with a feast. We're having Rainbow Snake."
The Next Day
In their moment of celebration both Zoltik and Ryou ate every last shred of Rainbow Snake meat. All that remained were the scales of the beast. Ryou was freaking out, held his hands on his head, and gasped seeing the scales. Zoltik was on the ground with a blotted belly and a zeal look on his face.
" Mmmmmmm. That was good."
" Ah! Just look at this! What am I going to tell my boss?"
" You tell him…." Zoltik looked at Ryou with a serious look on his face. " It was the best meal you've ever had."
" HOW DOES THAT HELP ME!?"
" Ooh, that was good. Course it probably would be better if I had my kitchen utensils."
" THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY!?"
" Hey, don't worry about it. We're partners. Our adventures together are just beginning. But on our next adventure, make sure to bring the silverware."
End of Chapter 3