CONTESTANT NUMBER FOUR - HIX!
-----------------------------
Viktor sat up and yawned loudly, rubbing his eyes with both hands.
"Erg... what happened...?"
Flik stood, stretching, before rubbing his head.
"Tai Ho slipped that Robber's Tea stuff into the sake..."
Viktor snapped his fingers, his face taking on a menacing countenance.
"That stupid, crazy fisherman! I'll hang him by his throat with his own fishing rod!"
"Muku!"
Viktor glared at Mukumuku.
"That's your solution to everything!"
Meekly, the flying squirrel became silent.
"Viktor, calm down. We've got to continue the competition. Anyway, I enjoyed the extra sleep," said Flik.
Viktor sat down, a frown remaining on his face.
"Fine. Let's bring on the next contestant. The next entree is... Hix."
Hesitantly, the young warrior himself stepped forward. Bowing cautiously, he smiled nervously and waved to the audience, who responded with mild applause.
"H-hi everyone."
"Hix, you can start when you're ready," said Viktor, sitting in his chair and wiping some sleep from his eyes.
Loudly, Tengaar called from the audience.
"C'mon Hix! This'll be easy! Just remember the recipes!"
Hix rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, using his free hand to seize a wad of dough. Slamming it onto a tabletop, he used both hands to knead it steadily. Leaving the dough when it became flat and circular, the young warrior walked to a nearby shelf and grabbed a can of tomatoes. Within a few minutes, he had created a red mixture, which he poured onto the top of the flattened dough. Taking some cheese which had been prepared for use in the competition, he sprinked it over the mixture and the dough until there was a subtle layer to cover it all. Scooping an iron platter underneath the dough, sauce and cheese, Hix approached the oven, biting his lip nervously as he tried to recall the next step.
"Heat to four-hundred... or is it two-hundred fifty... darn..."
Seemingly out of nowhere, a small scrap of paper drifted from among the ranks of the audience, landing in front of Hix's nose. Taking the scrap, he soon saw that it was a note, which said "Heat to two-hundred seventy-five for fifteen minutes, then cool for five minutes. I love you!"
Hix blinked, and put the food into the oven.
"That sounds right... what an odd note to drift down here like that," he thought to himself. "I should find out who it belongs to, they'll probably miss it,"
The audience clapped for Hix. They saw that he was nervous, but had a careful, steady way of preparing food. A very good character trait for an aspiring chef.
Flik smiled slightly.
"Good. Hix's not a show-off, but he gets the job done. He does the Warrior's Village proud."
"Muku!"
Next, Hix began to make a simple salad of lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. He was starting to prepare a creamy sauce to go over it when he once again struggled to remember the recipe.
"Crushed green... no, red pepper... no wait, it was green... and some basil... hang on, basil doesn't belong in salad dressing..."
He was about to abandon the idea of the salad dressing when another scrap of paper drifted down from the audience, landing next to Hix's bowl of salad. Hix cautiously picked up the paper, which was inscribed with the message: "Green and red peppers crushed with sweet onions, beet paste, and cucumbers to spice the salad. You can do it, you're supposed to be a warrior!"
The young man scratched his head with puzzlement.
"Another note... how many warriors are running around this castle? Oh well, might as well try it."
The salad was finished in fairly short order. While the oven was cooking the main course, Hix served up four bowls of his salad, giving one to each judge. Eagerly, they dined on the salad, approving of it heartily.
"This really hits the spot!"
"The salad's mild, but the sauce is spicy. Good stuff."
"Muku!"
The fourth judge merely smiled in approval and gratitude to Hix.
"Aw, it was nothing... thank you..." said the young warrior shyly, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.
A voice from the crowd rang out "You're doing great, Hix! Keep it up!"
Hix nodded, waving in the general direction of the voice.
"Thank you..."
A few minutes later, the oven had finished cooking the main course. When Hix placed it on the table, it was revealed to be a pizza. As it cooled, he dropped pepperoni, onions, and bits of ham over the cheese.
The young warrior paused, realizing that he was forgetting something.
"Darn! I'm missing something important... I got the pizza... the salad..."
Among the shadows near the edge of the audience, a certain young woman was aiming a projectile at Hix. With sniper's accuracy, she launched the triangular bullet, which hit Hix square on the forehead.
Blinking, Hix rubbed his forehead, looking down at the triangle of paper ruefully. Snatching it, he unfolded it, and read the following:
"You forgot the drinks, dummy!"
"Oh!"
Hix put the note in his pocket, and walked over to a series of barrels. Taking four mugs, he poured a foamy drink into each. When he was finished, he placed four plates of pizza slices, and four mugs in front of the judges.
"I-it's r-r-ready."
Eagerly, all four of the judges began to eat.
***
"Whew, that was great," said Viktor.
"You really outdid yourself Hix," said Flik.
"Muuuuku!"
Hero nodded appreciatively.
"It w-was r-really good?" asked Hix, smiling a little.
Flik replied, "The best one yet."
"Whooooo! Go Hix!" screamed Tengaar from the audience.
"Hix, you've done well. Go ahead and join Tengaar in the audience until the competition is over," said Viktor.
Hix nodded.
"A-a-all right... thank you..."
With that, the young warrior left the stage, and a small crew of volunteers gathered the used plates, mugs, and utensils.
"When things are cleaned up, we'll be ready with the next contestant. In the mean time..."
Viktor rose, heading out the nearest exit.
"Viktor, where do you think you're going?" asked Flik.
"Nature calls, warrior boy," replied Viktor, waving absently with one hand.
"Oh. Guess we'd all better take a break."
"Muku..."
-TO BE CONTINUED-
-----------------------------
Viktor sat up and yawned loudly, rubbing his eyes with both hands.
"Erg... what happened...?"
Flik stood, stretching, before rubbing his head.
"Tai Ho slipped that Robber's Tea stuff into the sake..."
Viktor snapped his fingers, his face taking on a menacing countenance.
"That stupid, crazy fisherman! I'll hang him by his throat with his own fishing rod!"
"Muku!"
Viktor glared at Mukumuku.
"That's your solution to everything!"
Meekly, the flying squirrel became silent.
"Viktor, calm down. We've got to continue the competition. Anyway, I enjoyed the extra sleep," said Flik.
Viktor sat down, a frown remaining on his face.
"Fine. Let's bring on the next contestant. The next entree is... Hix."
Hesitantly, the young warrior himself stepped forward. Bowing cautiously, he smiled nervously and waved to the audience, who responded with mild applause.
"H-hi everyone."
"Hix, you can start when you're ready," said Viktor, sitting in his chair and wiping some sleep from his eyes.
Loudly, Tengaar called from the audience.
"C'mon Hix! This'll be easy! Just remember the recipes!"
Hix rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, using his free hand to seize a wad of dough. Slamming it onto a tabletop, he used both hands to knead it steadily. Leaving the dough when it became flat and circular, the young warrior walked to a nearby shelf and grabbed a can of tomatoes. Within a few minutes, he had created a red mixture, which he poured onto the top of the flattened dough. Taking some cheese which had been prepared for use in the competition, he sprinked it over the mixture and the dough until there was a subtle layer to cover it all. Scooping an iron platter underneath the dough, sauce and cheese, Hix approached the oven, biting his lip nervously as he tried to recall the next step.
"Heat to four-hundred... or is it two-hundred fifty... darn..."
Seemingly out of nowhere, a small scrap of paper drifted from among the ranks of the audience, landing in front of Hix's nose. Taking the scrap, he soon saw that it was a note, which said "Heat to two-hundred seventy-five for fifteen minutes, then cool for five minutes. I love you!"
Hix blinked, and put the food into the oven.
"That sounds right... what an odd note to drift down here like that," he thought to himself. "I should find out who it belongs to, they'll probably miss it,"
The audience clapped for Hix. They saw that he was nervous, but had a careful, steady way of preparing food. A very good character trait for an aspiring chef.
Flik smiled slightly.
"Good. Hix's not a show-off, but he gets the job done. He does the Warrior's Village proud."
"Muku!"
Next, Hix began to make a simple salad of lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. He was starting to prepare a creamy sauce to go over it when he once again struggled to remember the recipe.
"Crushed green... no, red pepper... no wait, it was green... and some basil... hang on, basil doesn't belong in salad dressing..."
He was about to abandon the idea of the salad dressing when another scrap of paper drifted down from the audience, landing next to Hix's bowl of salad. Hix cautiously picked up the paper, which was inscribed with the message: "Green and red peppers crushed with sweet onions, beet paste, and cucumbers to spice the salad. You can do it, you're supposed to be a warrior!"
The young man scratched his head with puzzlement.
"Another note... how many warriors are running around this castle? Oh well, might as well try it."
The salad was finished in fairly short order. While the oven was cooking the main course, Hix served up four bowls of his salad, giving one to each judge. Eagerly, they dined on the salad, approving of it heartily.
"This really hits the spot!"
"The salad's mild, but the sauce is spicy. Good stuff."
"Muku!"
The fourth judge merely smiled in approval and gratitude to Hix.
"Aw, it was nothing... thank you..." said the young warrior shyly, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.
A voice from the crowd rang out "You're doing great, Hix! Keep it up!"
Hix nodded, waving in the general direction of the voice.
"Thank you..."
A few minutes later, the oven had finished cooking the main course. When Hix placed it on the table, it was revealed to be a pizza. As it cooled, he dropped pepperoni, onions, and bits of ham over the cheese.
The young warrior paused, realizing that he was forgetting something.
"Darn! I'm missing something important... I got the pizza... the salad..."
Among the shadows near the edge of the audience, a certain young woman was aiming a projectile at Hix. With sniper's accuracy, she launched the triangular bullet, which hit Hix square on the forehead.
Blinking, Hix rubbed his forehead, looking down at the triangle of paper ruefully. Snatching it, he unfolded it, and read the following:
"You forgot the drinks, dummy!"
"Oh!"
Hix put the note in his pocket, and walked over to a series of barrels. Taking four mugs, he poured a foamy drink into each. When he was finished, he placed four plates of pizza slices, and four mugs in front of the judges.
"I-it's r-r-ready."
Eagerly, all four of the judges began to eat.
***
"Whew, that was great," said Viktor.
"You really outdid yourself Hix," said Flik.
"Muuuuku!"
Hero nodded appreciatively.
"It w-was r-really good?" asked Hix, smiling a little.
Flik replied, "The best one yet."
"Whooooo! Go Hix!" screamed Tengaar from the audience.
"Hix, you've done well. Go ahead and join Tengaar in the audience until the competition is over," said Viktor.
Hix nodded.
"A-a-all right... thank you..."
With that, the young warrior left the stage, and a small crew of volunteers gathered the used plates, mugs, and utensils.
"When things are cleaned up, we'll be ready with the next contestant. In the mean time..."
Viktor rose, heading out the nearest exit.
"Viktor, where do you think you're going?" asked Flik.
"Nature calls, warrior boy," replied Viktor, waving absently with one hand.
"Oh. Guess we'd all better take a break."
"Muku..."
-TO BE CONTINUED-