Emperal blinked, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Did that thing just… talk?"
The yellow beast darted toward him, and the villagers pursuing it froze in their tracks. As they saw Emperal standing there, their expressions shifted to pure horror.
Falling to their knees, one of the villagers stammered, "L-LORD XYNOS?!"
"Hmm?" Emperal turned toward them, genuinely surprised. "Are you talking to me?" He asked, looking slightly confused.
"Yes, sir!" they responded, their fear palpable.
"Xynos…?" Emperal's thoughts raced as he tried to make sense of it. "Ah. Could it be this body?" His eyes narrowed slightly as he puzzled over their reaction. "But why are they so fearful?"
The villagers, clearly nervous now, exchanged glances. After a moment, one of them spoke up respectfully.
"What are you doing in this backward palace, my lord?" he asked.
Emperal glanced at him, his tone casual. "That's none of your business." He paused, then inwardly mused, This body must have a higher status than I thought.
His eyes then scanned the crowd of villagers. They had blonde hair and pointed ears, although their ears were shorter than his.
The crowd went silent as they awaited his response.
Emperal, still processing the situation, turned his attention to the yellow hippo below. "So what's all this commotion about?" he asked, gesturing toward the creature.
One of the villagers stepped forward. "My lord, this thing is very evil. It ate all the food from the stalls near the entrance!"
Emperal glanced down at the "thing"—the yellow 4.5-foot creature with stubby legs and an oddly puffed-out chest.
"My lord, it's a strange hippol," one of the villagers ventured.
The yellow hippol, completely unfazed by the accusations hurled its way, puffed out its chest again and stepped forward with an exaggerated wobble that, instead of being majestic, only emphasized its stubby legs.
With a loud snort, the hippo spoke, its voice surprisingly articulate but carrying a pompous edge that made Emperal blink in confusion.
"Strange creature? STRANGE CREATURE?! How dare you insult perfection with such an underwhelming title!"The strange hippol belowed.
(He turned his gaze toward the villagers, his small, beady eyes narrowing dramatically as if he were addressing a royal court.)
"Listen well, peasants! For you stand in the presence of greatness incarnate. I am Grimblaze, the Radiant Majesty of the Wilds, the Thunderous Storm of the Savannah, the Culinary Connoisseur of All That is Edible! The Unstoppable, the Incomparable—Grimblaze!"A being so extraordinary, even the gods look down and say, 'Wow, that's one handsome hippol!'"
(The villagers blinked in unison, unsure whether to laugh or faint from second-hand embarrassment. One brave soul muttered, "Did… did that hippo just name himself?")
Grimblaze: (hearing the comment, grinning smugly) "Indeed, I did! Handsome, majestic, flawless—you may use all those words and more. Your vocabulary is probably too small to describe me fully, but I'll allow you to try."
(He adjusted his stance, clearly posing, as though he expected someone to start painting his portrait.)
Emperal: (staring at him, his expression a mixture of disbelief and amusement) "So, you're telling me you ate all the food, caused a commotion, and now you're giving yourself a standing ovation?"
Grimblaze: (snorted, waving a stubby leg dismissively) "Ate all the food? My good elf, I was merely performing a sacred duty! A taste test, if you will. Do you want these poor villagers to suffer subpar culinary experiences? I sacrificed myself for their benefit!"
(The crowd murmured angrily, but Grimblaze wasn't finished. He turned to them, his voice booming—or as booming as a voice can be from a 4.5-foot hippo.)
Grimblaze: "Besides, your pies were dry! Your cabbages were mediocre! And don't even get me started on the bread! You should be thanking me for sparing you the humiliation of selling such bland wares."
(One of the farmers, clutching an empty cabbage crate, looked like he might explode.)
Farmer: "Bland wares?! You ate everything! Even the decorations! You chewed on the tablecloths!"
(Grimblaze's ears twitched, and he tilted his head, his expression the picture of mock innocence.)
Grimblaze: "Tablecloths? Oh, so that's why the 'salad' tasted strange. Well, that's on you for poor presentation."
(The crowd erupted into chaos again, but Grimblaze raised a stubby leg, signaling for silence as if he were a ruler commanding his subjects.)
Grimblaze: "Now, now, don't let your jealousy blind you. I understand it's hard to stand in the shadow of someone as remarkable as me. But fear not, humble villagers! For I, Grimblaze, will grace your lives with my presence for just a bit longer. Consider it my gift to you!"
(He turned to Emperal, flashing a grin so self-satisfied it bordered on absurd.)
Grimblaze: "So, my new elf companion, how about we discuss our partnership? Obviously, you'll handle the boring bits like fighting and saving people, while I bring the charm, brilliance, and culinary expertise. Sounds good?"
Emperal: (staring at him, deadpan) "So let me get this straight—you ate their food, insulted them, and now you expect them to be… grateful?"
Grimblaze: (snorted again, strutting off with all the swagger of a king) "Ain't that the way of it? Now come on, partner. We've got glory to achieve and food to critique. Follow me!"
(And with that, Grimblaze waddled off, leaving Emperal to stare after him, feeling both confused and slightly amused.)
Back to the Present:
Emperal, still processing, turned to the villager, a smirk tugging at his lips. "So what happened in the village?" he asked, clearly entertained.
The villagers, their faces already flushed with anger, exchanged nervous glances before speaking up.
Flashback to the Chaos
Earlier that day, Grimblaze wandered into the village while Emperal was off in the forest. As soon as he spotted a farmer's stall laden with fresh produce, his eyes lit up like stars.
Grimblaze: (sniffing deeply) "Ah, the aroma of fine cuisine! My legendary appetite deserves nothing less than the best!"
Without hesitation, Grimblaze dove snout-first into a pile of cabbages, devouring them at lightning speed. The farmer, watching this unfold, rushed over, flailing his arms.
Farmer: "Hey! That's my stock! Stop that, you... whatever you are!"
(Grimblaze lifts his head, a cabbage leaf dangling from his mouth.)
Grimblaze: "Fear not, good man! I'm simply performing a quality check. Your produce is… acceptable." (He takes another bite) "Barely."
Farmer: "Acceptable?! You're eating me out of house and home!"
The farmer waved frantically for help, and more villagers arrived. Meanwhile, Grimblaze moved to another stall, this one piled with pies.
Grimblaze: (eyes gleaming) "Ah, pies! The nectar of the gods! Clearly, this village knows how to honor its guests. Don't mind if I do!"
He chomped into a pie, smearing his face with berry filling, and looked absolutely delighted.
Villager 3: "That's my dinner!"
A crowd started forming as Grimblaze continued his culinary rampage, moving from stall to stall, leaving a trail of destruction behind him. Finally, someone called for the town's guards.
Grimblaze: (between bites) "Honestly, you people should be thanking me! My refined palate has blessed your humble food. A privilege, truly!"
The guards arrived, and Grimblaze tried to make a grand escape by waddling at top speed. He accidentally barreled through a cart of flour, emerging from the cloud of white powder looking even more ridiculous.
Guard: (choking on laughter) "Catch that… whatever it is!"
(The chase escalated, with Grimblaze zigzagging through the village, knocking over barrels, stealing a loaf of bread mid-run, and finally escaping by squeezing under a fence.)
Back to the Present
Emperal couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. "Hahaha. What an amusing creature," he said, looking in the direction Grimblaze had waddled off to.