The Devourer

I’m hungry.

This neverending hunger is driving me insane. No matter how much I’ll devour, it’s never enough. And it’s slowly getting harder to find anything.

Since I remember I was floating through darkness, sometimes passing some weird round things. Some were smaller, some were bigger. I didn’t know what to do. What's my goal? Where should I go? No matter where I went, everything was the same. Neverending darkness. I could go up, down, right or left – it was the same. Like I was in emptiness.

Very soon I started to feel this hunger. I’ve never felt this before, so at first I didn’t know what to do with that. But the urge to satisfy it was getting stronger. Something was telling me to try devour those round things as they were the only thing existing here. I had no choice, but to do that.

I felt a bit better, but it wasn’t enough. This feeling of slight satisfaction is the reason of this unsettled feeling I have. Once I tried that, I wanted more. And more. And more.

But it wasn’t enough.

It started to be unbearable. I couldn’t think of anything else.

I don’t know how much time has passed. Or where I am anymore.

I just need to eat something. To satisfy this hunger. But there wasn’t much anything so far.

It’s bad. It’s really bad...

Oh, there is something. Finally! Finally! Maybe it’ll help. I hope it will. It has to help.

„Hold there, dragon!”

Huh? What? What was that? Where did it come from? There is nothing there, but this round thing.

„I’m down there. Can you see me?”

What? Where ‘down there’? On this thing? Can I- Can I see it? Uhh... Uhhh...

„Can you use magic to zoom to place where I stand?”

M-magic? What is that ‘magic'? I’m actually curious from where this voice is coming. Umm... Maybe if I'll try to think to do it, it will work? Let’s try.

So, first, I need to locate the source and then... WHAAAA-

What is it?! I’ve never seen thing like that!

„Can you see me now?”

This is the source. It needs to be really small, but to produce such powerful voice...

„I think so.”

It looked weird after I spoke. I’ve never really spoken to anybody, while there wasn’t anyone, but me. Maybe... Maybe it knows how to satisfy my hunger? Or if I’ll...

„You can’t destroy this world!”

Huh? What? It seems... angry? At me? Uhh, but...

Oh, there are more things like it around it. Quite a lot...

„If you want to destroy something, destroy something else elsewhere!”

Uh? But I’m...

„I’m hungry...”

I’m just really hungry...

The thing kept silent. And this unbearable feeling was hitting me again. I don’t think I’ll be-

„Can you make yourself smaller, so you can stand on this ground?”

Smaller? But why? Other things seemed unpleasant with its offer.

„Why?”

„I want to help you with your hunger, but you need to tell me what will help you.”

It-it wants to help me? It knows how to? Oh! If it’ll really help...

„But how can I make myself smaller?”

„I think the same way you can see me.”

So, I just need to think about getting smaller... But how much smaller should I get? Something like it? I guess. I’ll do it gradually. I’ll have to close eyes to focus.

Get smaller... Get smaller... I feel really weird, but I don’t think I’m enough small. A bit more... A little bit... Better to check how small I get.

...

Where am I? It’s no longer so dark, empty... It’s more pleasant.

Where is this thing? I don’t see it! Upper? No. Lower? Oh, there is something. Actually more something.

They are very small, but I can see them. I didn’t know they are that small.

Something’s coming in my way. I think that’s the thing I spoke to.

It says something. I can’t hear it. I think I need to be even smaller, so I can hear it.

It should be enough. I’m still bigger than it, but I can see it even clearer. It looks better when I can see it with my own eyes.

„Can you hear me now?”

„Yes.”

„Thank you. Before I can help you, I need to know more about your diet.”

„Diet?”

I’ve never heard about this word.

„About things you eat. We do have some food, but I’m not sure if it’ll be good for you. That’s why I’m asking.”

„...I don’t know...”

The only thing I ate were those things. To be precise – their energy. I can’t digest material they’re made of.

„If you wish, we can try give you what we have. Is it alright for you?”

„Will it help?”

„I don’t know.”

Uhh... But it’s trying to help me, so...

„Alright.”

„Can you wait for me?”

„Yes.”

„Thank you.”

It went back to the group. Some of them went somewhere. I started to notice some difference between them- oh, are those... what was the word for it... those little ones their offspring? They are really... cute? Yes, that’s the word for that. They are really cute. So if they’re their offspring it means that they have... women and men... Yeah... That’s correct. Uhh...

The person that spoke to me... I think it was a man... Yes, more likely yes...

I wonder if I can look like them.

Ugh... I’m starting to feel weird again... This hunger... Uhh, it's really bad...

„Sorry for the waiting.”

He came back with a lot of things. Will this be enough? I’m afraid it won’t...

„I’m really hungry...”

„We’ve brought as much as we could. I’m really sorry, but that’s all what we have.”

„It won’t be enough...”

They look... sad. They did their best, yet...

„It was never enough for me... No matter how much I ate...”

„...I have an idea. Can you... change your body?”

„Uh?”

„I mean, if you can change yourself to, for example, human, like us.”

„...”

I don’t know. How should I know? I’ve never done things like that.

„I have a clue to reason of your constant hunger. That’s why I’m asking you.”

I can try, I guess... Ugh... My stomach hurts...

„I’ll try.”

I guess I need to think that I want to be a human. But what human exactly? Ugh... I don’t have time for that... I’ll just try out something... But I’m sure of one thing.

I saw their faces. I saw their terrified faces when they looked at me. It made me feel really bad. I’m just... ugh... I don’t want them to look at me this way. So if I can look like them... Will they stop be afraid of me?

That man... He said earlier to me „dragon". I don’t know what dragon is. I’ve never thought about my look, while it never really mattered to me.

But if it terrifies them... I want to look more nicer for them... Their offspring... They look really cute. If I could be that cute... ?

I’ll try. They’re trying to help me. I can do that much.

I need to think about being a human. Like them. I think... I have this image in my head... But it needs to be smaller... Yes!

I started to feel weird again. My body, which was long and big, now I can feel it’s even more smaller and lighter.

I think it worked. I need to have a look.

... It worked. I have body like them. It feels really nice. I can even touch myself! Skin feels so nice~. Previous one was full of scales. And I can touch every part of my body! Oh, something’s going from my head. Is that... hair? It feels soft too. And it’s yellow. Yellow? It’s lighter than yellow... It reaches my shoulders.

Oh? When I’m moving my feet, I can feel something beneath them. It’s really weird, but these green things are kinda soft too.

Everything was very first for me as I’ve never experienced anything like that before. I feel weird, probably because of that, but also... excited in the same time? I don’t quite understand that, but it made me feel good.

Ugh... Stomach... It hurts so much that I have to grab myself around belly to ease this pain... I’m on verge... Very bad thoughts are coming to my mind...

„Try to eat it.”

Man from earlier was standing in front of me with some stuff. They looked so tasty... I wanted to grab them all and put to my mouth, but... My hand is so small... It seemed like I could grab only one at a time. I have no choice.

„!”

It’s too big to fit in my mouth...

„Try to take a bite from it.”

„Uh?”

I don’t get it how am I supposed to do it... Probably he noticed that and grabbed other thing and... took a bite, I guess. He took a small piece from it and was moving his mouth for some time... But for what?

„You need to chew it first before swallowing, otherwise it won’t go through.”

Chew it? Oh, that’s why... So, I need to take a bite first... Oh?

„!!!”

What is it?! It’s... it's so good! It tastes so nice! I could never imagine something that delicious could exist. I don’t even know when I start to chew it. It tastes so good... It really does... I think it’s chewed enough, so I need to swallow it... And have more bites of it.

After finishing one, I took different one. First was round and red, second was green and had weird shape. It tasted differently, but was delicious as well.

I ate so much. I don’t know how much, but, when I tried to take another, I felt like I’m full.

...Full? That means...

My stomach doesn’t hurt anymore. Also, this unpleasant feeling is gone. Did I... Did I...

Did I finally satisfy my hunger?

I don’t feel pain. I don’t feel anxious. I think I’m... happy? I don’t know.

Something started going from my eyes. But why?

Is it because of that?

„Are you okay?”

Huh? What does it mean? Is he asking, because I stopped eating? I should say I can’t anymore.

„I-I’m full...”

Why my voice is cracking? It wasn’t like that before. Is it because of these fluids coming from eyes? I don’t get it. I’m trying to understand, but I can’t. I can’t describe myself what is this feeling.

Suddenly I felt something on my head. Man put his hand there. Why he did that? And I just realised that he’s now taller than me. I need to look a bit up to see his face.

„Are you... relieved?”

Relieved? Oh, that’s the word. Relieved... Yes... I’m relieved.

I feel relieved. I really do.

„I am.”