Medieval Hunger Priorities

EVERYTHING ABOUT HUNGER

Hunger.

What comes to mind when you hear that word? Food? Is hunger only limited to food?

No. Humans can be hungry for anything.

Hungry for food.

Hungry for knowledge.

Hungry for love.

Hungry for power.

And... hungry for the world.

– LGT Justin, Everything About Hunger

KARIN CITY, 2022

I slid the book Everything About Hunger back into the library shelf, mulling over its words.

Hunger, I thought. What a concept.

I'm Ritik, by the way, the narrator of this story.

"Wow, what a book..." I murmured, still thinking about it as I made my way toward the library's entrance.

A girl approached, walking in rhythm, whistling a tune, and carrying a stack of books. We were about to pass each other when—

"Ah!"

"Ouch!"

We crashed into one another, the books scattering across the floor.

"Sorry, did you get hurt?" I asked, immediately concerned.

"No, no, I'm fine," she replied, brushing herself off.

"Here, let me help you with the books."

I bent down and gathered the books—and something else.

"Thanks!" she said with a smile.

"It's no problem," I replied before heading off on my way again.

"Ahem, ahem," came a soft voice from behind me. I turned around and saw my friend, Stacy.

"Stacy! When did you get here?"

Stacy – my best female friend, super intelligent, but the dark circles under her eyes speak of many sleepless nights.

"Just a few minutes ago," she replied.

"So, what brings you to the library? Studying?"

Stacy hadn't studied in years, so it was pretty obvious that wasn't the reason. She smirked.

"Nah, I'm here to see Sofia."

Sofia – the librarian, and a total genius when it comes to computers and IT.

"Told you!" I laughed.

After our brief chat, we parted ways. I was heading to Street 5. On my way, I ran into Grandpa Mucho.

Grandpa Mucho – an elderly man who walks with a cane, barely holding onto his last tooth.

"Yo, grandson, wheRE Are you GOing?" His voice cracked with age, and every word sounded like it might cost him his final tooth.

"I'm off to the concert hall, Grandpa. Do you need anything?"

"No, No, just gO on."

I waved goodbye and continued toward Yoshimura Concert Hall, where a famous actor was scheduled to appear—none other than Daniel Bluecliffe.

Arriving at the entrance, I didn't see Pulvoy, or as I call him, Puli.

Puli – my best friend. He's strong as an ox but has an irrational fear of bugs.

I called him five times, but no answer. After two minutes, my phone rang. It was Puli.

click

"Bro, I'm almost there! Got held up in a crowd."

"Hehe, I get it. See you soon."

"Yeah, coming quick!"

With that, I called Stacy.

"Yo, Stacy!"

"93AB6T," she responded immediately.

"Nice work, girl. Come quick!"

"On my way!"

Now, I know you're wondering what's going on, but don't worry—it'll all make sense soon.

The three of us met at the entrance, grabbed our tickets, and entered the hall. The massive crowd was buzzing with excitement as we waited for Daniel Bluecliffe. We exchanged glances, knowing what was about to happen.

I whispered, "Espada."

"Espada," Puli and Stacy echoed.

[Espada – Spanish for 'sword'. It's our code word to begin the mission.]

The mission had officially started.

I headed for the rooftop, Puli moved toward the locker room, and Stacy made her way to the control room. I reached the roof access, but the door was locked. No problem. I had a plan.

Two sheets of paper.

Do you remember when I picked up those books earlier? Along with them, I also grabbed two sheets of paper. I folded them into the shape of a key and, with a little magic, unlocked the door.

At the same time, Puli entered the locker room. It was empty, but he found Daniel Bluecliffe's VIP locker. He opened it and took the actor's clothes. Just as he was about to leave, three guards entered.

Meanwhile, Stacy slipped into the control room, where only one technician was working. She pulled out her sleeping gas spray, knocked him out, and began tinkering with the controls.

The computer asked for a password, but Stacy was prepared. Thanks to Sofia, the librarian, she knew it: 93AB6T. She entered the code and locked down the CCTVs and the entrance gates.

Back on the rooftop, I found the transformer that powered the concert hall. Two wires ran behind it—red for receiving electricity and yellow for sending it. I cut the red wire, leaving the hall in darkness.

Stacy and I regrouped, but something was off—Puli wasn't there. We rushed to the locker room and found him sitting on the bench, surrounded by three guards.

We were shocked that the strongest of us all had been cornered like that. Our only option was to help him.

Stacy used sleeping gas on one guard, and as he passed out, I kicked another. But the last guard grabbed me, held a knife to my neck, and threatened the others, using my life as leverage.

"Puli, what are you doing? Help us!" I shouted.

"There's a cockroach!" he replied, frozen in place.

Stacy and I shared a look of disbelief.

"WHAT?!" we exclaimed.

"Stacy, get rid of the cockroach!"

"On it!" she said, driving the insect away.

The moment the bug was gone, Puli leaped into action, knocking out the guard holding me hostage. Stacy finished the rest with her sleeping gas, and we made a quick escape.

Back in the audience, we blended in as chaos erupted. A voice over the PA system announced, "Due to technical issues, Daniel Bluecliffe will not be able to appear on stage."

You already know why. No clothes, no show.

The crowd went wild—shouting, throwing shoes, and even more absurdly, losing track of their belongings in the dark. Someone cried, "Where's my wallet?!" Another yelled, "Where's my phone?!"

In the dim light of cell phone torches, someone spotted the actor's clothes thrown onto the stage. The host gasped, "Are those Daniel Bluecliffe's clothes?!"

People started panicking. "Is he dead?!" "Oh no, what happened?"

And then... we made our move.

Standing on the stage, I called out, "Everyone, look over here!"

The crowd's eyes turned to us.

I grinned.

"We are—"

Stacy stepped forward.

"The—"

Puli joined in.

"DARK GOLDEN TRIO!"

The audience echoed our name in awe.

And that's how it all began. If you're wondering who we are and why we're called the Dark Golden Trio, well, let's travel back in time, to twenty years ago, when none of us had even been born yet...