Mustache

I walked. Walked. Walked.Walked.Walked.Walked.Walked.Walked.Walked.Walked.

WalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalkedWalked.

When the sun was high up on the sky, perpendicular to my existence. I spotted a silhouette. A dwarf-like, hobbity hobbit. He had a gruff beard and spiky mustache. He sported round goggles you would find pilots wearing in the WW2 photos.

I waved my hand at him and said, "hey!"

That shook the man. He pulled back and raised both his hands at me.

"I am… huff… dead. Just… Watrrr~"

My knees folded and I looked at him, he looked at me on my knees. 

"@#$%%#@@(*)&"

No way… The first and only person I find and he's speaking gibberish.

The mustache fiddled with his goggles, then he started moving his mouth, making noises of the same gibberish.

"!@... &@))$... &ait, and there. I hope you understand me now…? Or not… guess, my–"

Oh fucking hell, "I understand! I understand! Damn, thank— cough cough –"

Mustache started rummaging his huge bag, which might have been twice his size. He finally pulled a box out and came near me.

"Open your maw. This should hopefully help."

Cold liquid guzzled down my esophagus and gently into my stomach. My tongue started to relax, erupting with tingles. Then, I choked.

Cough Cough~

I wish I hadn't choked.

I caught myself and settled, resting on the boulder. 

Still rummaging the duffel.

He stopped and turned to me. 

"You don't seem to be a Sic-er. Are you from the realside?"

"What?"

"...You must be from the realside. Nakkis probably. They are the only things that use primitives…"

So, Nakkis is the place of the octopuses? 

"Do you know where this place is?"

"This? It's the Altside, ancient. You don't even know that? Gosh, it seems the Nakkis got desperate enough to push a freshie right into the Altside."

He scratched his beard. He stared at me.

"Is it the Sic-en rumor?"

"What?"

"About there being a piece of an Alter-being found?"

"Sir, I don't understand even a little of what you're saying. Like shit, nothing."

"I asked why you're here."

"Well…" He seems friendly, can't hurt to share details, right? "I was asked to bring this specific thing called the 'eye'."

"And, you obeyed them?"

"Well, they gave me good food and even entertainment. Shouldn't I repay them?"

"You talk like a capitalman. Well, guess that also makes you alright."

He gave me a flat cylindrical container. And, at my touch, it opened to show… sludge.

It smelled okay. 

"Finish it before the sun vanishes."

He went inside the cave.