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Iota

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Salad, with some pale meat mixed in with the veggies. Picking at the leafy food, I look at Zenith to see their reaction. Unperturbed, they started eating once the plate hit the table. Gaining a bit of confidence, I pick up a forkful and crunch down. The meat has a salty flavor and the greenery is slightly sour, it’s tasty. As I eat I look at Count Cleave with a grin. “Good food, Count Cleave!”

Cleave, snorting, tries to hide his amusement. “Boy, Cleave is my first name. You’d call me Count Holdings." He waves away the idea. “Don’t bother with that, though, I’ve taken a liking to you, just call me as you want." Shooting a grin at Zenith, he snorts again. “So, you like that salad, kid?”

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With a broad smile on my face, I nod enthusiastically. “It's very good, Count Cleave." I shovel more food into my gob.

The Count nods, rubbing his chin. “Swirl herb salad is best with grub meat, I’ve always said that." After he takes a bite from his own dish, he continues, “Never met someone as young as you that’d eat it, though."

His words cause me to pause. I look at the Count. “What’s grub meat?”

Looking anywhere but my direction, he answers, “Well… it’s meat from a grubling."

“What’s a grubling, Count?”

“It’s, uh… an unfertilized grub of a travelbeast."

My stomach drops. “And what’s a travelbeast?”

“The thing that pulled us here, boy!” His eyes finally make contact with mine. “Good, right?” I nod, but my enthusiasm has vanished. Staring down at my food, I see the pale meat I’d been eating, and it suddenly starts getting closer. With a bang, everything goes dark.