15. Food at Last
There were indeed many rats at the dump, and the overlay showed that they
were all NPC's. Sozont grabbed one and ate it. This was just
too easy. He caught another one and was eating it when he suddenly felt
sick to his stomach. This was not hunting! He did not want rats,
he wanted rabbit.
Sozont moved to a nearby meadow. There was a
rabbit eating some ragweed. It was an NPC. Sozont approached
to its 8-foot defense perimeter and started circling it. Although he
knew it was pointless, he started a conversation because, well, that was
what he always did.
—"Hello, I'm Sozont. What's your name?"
—"I'm Flayvao. I *love* ragweed!"
—"Oh? Some animals hate ragweed. It makes
their noses run."
—"Yeah. Not me!"
Sozont had nearly finished his circle. It was
clear what the best spot would be for a pounce: opposite from a rock, which
the NPC rabbit would stupidly run towards and then have to veer away from.
Sozont continued circling, to get back to that spot.
—"I'm a troll. I eat anthro animals."
Flayvao gave him a funny look. "That's not good.
You should eat NPC's like rats and lizards."
—"Oh, I eat those too."
—"Recidivist trolls can get banned from Fairytale
Land."
Sozont was in position. He feinted a direct attack,
then pounced toward where he knew the simply-programmed rabbit would end
up. He ripped off its belly fur and ate the viscera. Rabbit tasted
so good! But seeing the "NPC" overlay disappear as Flayvao's heart
stopped just seemed totally unnatural, as if Sozont were looking at the world
through a viewscreen. He ate the entire rabbit and was still hungry.
Sozont found another rabbit, its "NPC" overlay comforting
yet irksome. He was on an overhang and the rabbit was below. Sozont
turned off the overlay, to see his world as he wanted it to be. He
pounced. At the last moment the rabbit saw him and bolted. When
his first talon hit the ground Sozont pivoted and pounced again, grabbing
the quickly-darting bunny. He looked into its eyes. He bit off
its head. Life was good. He ate the rabbit.
Although he was not exactly full, Sozont was no longer
ravenously hungry. He decided that the next thing he really wanted
to do was to read that email from Marth. He went home to his lair.
-- Pyesetz
the Dog