Nugomi

Alexandreastrial Krunishna

I stand in total darkness; A space where not even the most courageous photon dares to travel. The only tangible matter in this void is the sticky and wet sound of rubbing. The sound of a long and hard cylindrical object smothering my lower half palpates the infinite room. In this impenetrable darkness, the Swaying from right to left; the rubbing up and down; the frotting in a spiral motion causes my entire self to succumbs to the exhilarating and jolting ecstasy that emanates from my nether regions. The pleasure is immeasurable and overpowering. Nowhere I run in this dark mist, the great dark rod finds itself back to its place. A pathetic moan escapes from my lips as the heat from my little friend begins to rise, burning every cross-section of my body.

It's unbearable.

I need to get out.

My breathing becomes disjointed as the heat finally reaches the base of my throat, suffocating every bit of rationale in my body. I tried to scream for help, but the only sound I could make was an increasingly loud moan as the rubbing increased its cadence and consequently increased the heat.

Please stop. I moaned to the mighty rod as it rubbed and frotted by the groin. A hot liquid streamed down my legs. Finally, as my groin became tight and hard,

I wake up.

Sweat covered every part of my body and the rags that I call a bed were soaked. A slimy and wet ooze streamed between my legs creating a sticky pool in the bottom of my legs.

How old am I?

However, despite this embarrassing situation, there was something that took me by surprise. Something so out of place that it made me unable to react, so much so that the embarrassment of my current bodily state was shoved aside for a moment due to the sight of a peculiar object that stood a few inches away from my face.

Instead of my familiar triangular-shaped roof, my eyes were met with two very familiar eyeballs. The stare was accompanied by wavy blonde hair with red tips cascading downwards, touching my face. The sweet fragrance of honey invaded my nostrils as the red-tipped hairs waved in front of my nose.

"Juuum, I could swear on the great progenitor's name that I have seen you before," said the yellowed hair boy as he inched closer to my face. His red lips frowned and his doubled-hued eyes squinted like an inspector investigating a scene of the crime.

"Master Krunishna, what a PLEASANT surprise to you see you in my—" The words were cut off while a strange gaping hole in my memory became apparent.

Wait.

Wasn't I at that party just a few moments ago? What am I doing here? In my house? And why is this brat here?

Questions began to circulate my head, only serving to widen the blank space in my memory. While stuck in my thoughts, the white porcelain face began to redden, puffing his cheeks and furrowing his brow.

"Hey! Marc did I not tell you to call me Alexandre like everyone else. We're brothers now so cut that whole master thing, not to mention that master Krunishna is my father. He gets pretty spiteful if some else gets addressed that way" Said the boy while inching away from my face. He takes a step from my bed—a few rags on the floor—, and troads around the confined space of my triangular home.

"Say, for an associate of the community, your house is minute. Where are the chairs? Where are the tables, the butlers, rugs, cups, or even guest chairs? There's only a small sink in the one corners—with no water by the way—, and this bundle of rags you call a bed" said the boy twirling around my meager concrete house.

"Master Krunis—"

"A-LE-XAN-DRE" interrupted the boy

"Alexander, I highly doubt someone of your status would solely come to these parts of Duermos, just to remind a man of his paltry," I said reaching for a nearby rag trying to cover the massive annoyance that has been throbbing since I woke up. "If it's not too much to ask, were we not in that reunion a couple of minutes ago? How did I get here and how did you find where I lived?"

"Pardon, I meant no offense. " said the boy inclining his head"For the first question, it's been a full two days since that magnificent dance with Mr. World, So full of art and passion. Unfortunately, after that, you slump over; utterly unresponsive. " Alexandre said as he twirled gracefully around the around to the sound of an imaginary orchestra. And then throwing himself on the floor like a ragdoll. "After making sure you were not dead, Mr.World ordered us Krunishnas to take you back home safe and sound. We specialize in recon and information gathering so finding where you live was not an ordeal for the house of the seven stars, for you see—"

"I-I see, I thank you for the hospitality" I interrupt the boy mid-sentence as I felt another lecture looming in the young one's throat.

So this is their annoying way of telling me they know where I live. This got to be a dream.

"So what brings you here?" I said fighting off the wet throb.

"OH! That's right, I almost forgot! Ajem" straightening his back and pointing to my face he says. "As everyone's pet—I consider you a brother—I ask of you to aid me in the investigation of the infected."

That word again.

"Since the whole family has other business to attend to, it was left in my hands to continue this investigation. This is a vital task as a member of the family, so your compliance is of the utmost importance"

They just ditched you.

"I believe that to find the clues about this case we need to look in areas where no one would think they would be hiding "

"That's a pretty swell idea, sir. There are many parts in this island that are abandoned so we could—"

"For example, we could search around that peculiar place where they Hang animals upside-down, slice their flesh and prepare wonderfully crafted dishes, or we could search that ominous establishment where they douse vegetable-filled wheat balls in strange liquid or those beauti—dangerous mountain ranges on the North or, or, " He said with eyes brimming and slightly drooling on the edges of his mouth.

This kid has nothing else to do.

"W-well we could visit some sites before beginning to investigate "

"Really! You really mean it ?" The youth's eyes grew twice their size as he began to tremble and jitter in place. However, after a little while, it seemed he caught my stare as he quickly calmed down. " Ahem, Marc, that is a splendid idea. Getting to know the area first is the number rule in information gathering. " He said straightening his back again.

Liar

Even so, getting him to trust me might prove useful in the future, so indulging him on his idiotic request might be the right play.

"Before we set out, it would be good to know what exactly we are looking for." I inquire

"We're searching for the infected of course, "He said dumbfounded.

I'm going to smack this guy.

"I mean what sort of things are we looking for? What are their physical attributes, typical behavior, and why are they so important to the family? " I push on

"Uuuh, y—you know. They are ugly, I think and very mean, maybe. I think they are very sick and lost their "raisins the tra", or at least that is what father said. Maybe they are furious they lost their raisins and got very hungry " He said c*****g his head from side to side.

This kid is utterly useless.

One thing is certain though, these nugomi, and the legendary "nugomi" creatures that have been attacking indiscriminately are completely different, or at least they pretend they are unrelated. So the attacks are real. How does Mr.World fit into this?

"Hey! How long are you going to stay there? Are we not Visiti—investigating the area?" A high-pitched voice cut through my thoughts as the questions kept piling on.

"Give me a minute. In time I'll show the best place in town"

.........................................................................

Clunk! Swish!Clunk! Swish!

"You hangin' 'round them folks now are ya, Marcus Jones?"

"... Mawcus Jone" a little voice echoed.

Clunk! Swish!Clunk! Swish!

"What 'appened to the ol' lone wolf routine ya had goin' on. Didn't work out and now you're babysitting royalty?"

"..royaldy" echoed

Clunk! Swish!Clunk! Swish!

The steady rhythm of chopping and the stench of fish filled the air as the enormous man sifted through piles of wide-eyed, dead fish. To his side, a little red-haired shrimp, barely noticeable under the counter, was wrapping the cut fish into neat wraps and putting them on the display stand.

"Like you're the one to talk. Since when did the one-eyed reaper Mac start a daycare? Is the fish business not working out? I can already picture it, 'Big Mac's shoal daycare' where we ensure the highest quality child labor."

CLUNK!

"Ya got it all backwards. That little runt just upped n' appeared one day, All bones and shakin'. Felt bad for the little one so I threw her a couple of fish. Hasn't left my side since then. She has a good head on her shoulders; learns quickly, so I put her to work. She reminds me of you, all alone and lost, but quick-witted. "

"Alone?" Alexandre chipped in after he finished roaming in-between all the food kiosks that surrounded "fish n' Mac." "What do you by alone?" He sat on one of the seats on my side.

"Yessir, this here guy was smaller than a tuna fish and he was already rummaging through garbage when I first saw him; all bones and no meat. A swift gust coulda topple him over." Big Mac said, stopping a brief moment from his work and addressing Alexandre "But let me tell ya kid, that didn't stop him. He fought against all odds to survive and became the man you see now. If only I had...." He trails off.

"But, but what about his mother or father, could they not take care of their child? What sort of parent would leave their child in such a state" said Alexandre getting all jittery.

"Listen, kid, up in that castle of yours everything might be peach and roses. But in here, this is the norm." Said big Mac looking straight into Alexander's eyes. "Some disappear and other just randomly appear like this kid and Marcus. But one thing they have in common, including us older folk, is that all us here don't got anything but this lil' scrap of dirt. No family; no loved ones; nothing."

All the color in Alexandre's drained and a sullen expression came over his face.

"Come on Mac give the guy a break with all the depressive talk. We came to ask you if you've heard any rumors about any nûgomi sightings, not give us a sob story."

"Sorry there squirt, got a little emotional there. Looks like age gets ya thinking about the past 'n whatnot" he said while renewing his chopping." Anyhow, little fishy says there's been an unusual amount of disappearance in lloiza sector in Despairia. " said Mac

"What's so unusual about that. As you said, people disappear all the time, Mac. Stop wasting my time with trivial stuff." I asked

"....can't....throw" I could hear Alexandre in the distance.

"People? Yes. A whole sector? Smells like rotten fish to me" said Mac as he tossed a decomposing fish on a bin."The whole sector of lloiza is desolate and empty as the eyes of these fishes. And get this," Said big Mac stopping his chopping and closing in a whisper. "When some of them merchants went there to sell their wares, they found themselves knee-deep in liquid the further they got in."

"Wait Mac, that's odd. There's not a single river in the vicinity in Despairia so how did—" The words got jammed in my throat as the sudden realization brought a knot to my stomach.

".....sniff"

"Yeah, as you suspect. The whole town was bathed in blood and the further they went the deeper the pool got. Some of them swear they could a soft wailing in the town square, but those spineless tucked their tails and ran away. You could almost imagine the terror in their faces. HAR HAR HAR. "

I couldn't bring myself to laugh. Maybe in some other time, the story would have brought a chuckle or two, but now, having come in contact with one of them, I can't just chuck this up to a fairy tale.

I give a side glance to Alexandre, who had up to this point stopped listening. Instead, he was trying to talk to the little girl who was completely focused on her task.

Is this brat also a monster. It's hard to believe but given how completely they change their exterior, this could be a disguise. Not to mention that time we first met, those cold-blooded when I mentioned the invitation. I can't be deceived

"What's with the scary face. It's not like you to believe that hogwash" said Mac as he stare at my face"If you ask me, reality went like this: the merchants went to sell, the lloizans wanted none it, in a fit of anger they began to spread that little tale to prevent anyone from going in; end of story" said Mac matter-of-factly factly

"What use would that do, the moment someone goes in, they'll see that the sector is just fine."

"Who knows? human nature is odd, maybe they wanted some petty revenge; even if in the end it had no effect. "

I'm not satisfied. It looks like taking a little visit to the sector myself will be the aptest decision. I once again take a glance at Alexandre, where he seemed to have finally struck a conversation with the little shrimp girl. He gracefully put a white flower on top of her hair.

"Well, thanks for the info Mack, I'll make sure not steal anything for at least a couple of days, " I said while standing from the sit.

"About that Marcus... why don't you come back and work here, like ol' times. Things will be different, I swear." The old man beggingly stares into my eyes. The only time that old wrinkly eye shows any emotion.

Ignoring the old man's pleas, I walk away from fish n' Mac. Trailing behind me at a quickened pace was Alexandre.

"Hey! Don't leave me behind." He yelled as he reached my side "what was that all that about?"

I ignore his question

Alexandre quickly walks in front of me and turns to face me while walking backwards. His face was once again was shining as if he had discovered the most amazing treasure.

"You know, you know, that little girl's name is Lutja. At first, she would not l even spare a glance—the nerve of her—but no one can withstand the might and power of Alexandreastrial Krunishna's charm for long. So after a while, you know what was the first thing she said?

'shuddap.' "said Alexandre astonished.

Serves you right for being so annoying.

"What a peculiar way of saying hello!" Alexandre shined.

Idiot

"And, and after that, she tried giving me one of her fishes. But I said 'if you throw them like that, I can't catch them'. I mean, I can jump pretty high, but she was throwing it way too far. Anyhow, anyhow, she noticed that it was impossible to give fish that way so she began to call that big burly guy, but since you and he were having a deep conversation he didn't hear. After a while, she began to softly weep for some reason " said Alexander.

I Kinda pity her.

"So I gave her one of my favorite flowers, one mother used to give me every time I felt sad. A white cheistalium, she grows them herself and you can not find it anywhere in h this whole wide world. I tell you, you would not believe when I tell you that she gave me the widest smile I have ever seen. " Said Alexandre giving a smile himself" I didn't want to lose so I gave her my trademark 'Alexandre smile beam '

And for some reason, she began to laugh and could not stop laughing still her tears showing. The never of her. Anyhow, she told me her name and gave me a redfish. Here, look " He shoved a redfish in front of my face.

Does this kid ever shut up?

"But can you believe it, she doesn't know her parents or even a simple sibling. She said she just appeared here, without a single memory. That's so odd" He said looking at me."So I told her, 'don't Worry!, now you got that big guy, me and Marc over there."

Don't drag me into your troubles.

"So Marc, if you ever feel alone or lost, remember you got the best brother you could ever have asked for: the great Alexandre Krunishna. I'll give you all the flowers I have whenever you feel sad. So, please, " Said Alexandre stopping in front of me looking straight into my eyes. His different colored irises brightly shone as the sun reflected on them. "Don't look so miserable"

"Whatever you say, boss," I said.

Don't make me laugh monster.

"Big Mac gave some information about a weird occurrence in lloiza, so maybe you're infected are there," I said

"Really! That's great news, I going to report this to headquarters so that they send reinforcement"

Reinforcements... that might not be good. Who knows what they'll try to hide if there is something there.

"Wait a moment, Alexandre. I think we're better off if you hold on contacting them until we inspect the area "

"Huh? Why is that? I was strictly informed that if I came to any clues, I should immediately report back to father" said Alexandre

Father.

"Yes that might be true Mr. Alexandre, but don't you think it would be much better if we check out the area first and confirm our suspicions? We only have some tell-tale rumor from a fish guy. Would you really want to waste Mr.Krunishna's time with such a flimsy story " I said to Alexandre closely studying his face.

The corner of his mouth slightly twitches at the mention of his father's name. His hand began to fidget with the bottom of his white tuxedo jacket. He looks to the side for a moment and then back at me.

"T—that might be true. But, but I still need to follow orders. Father's orders are absolute"

He begins to twist and turn the edges of his shirt and avoids my gaze; slightly trembling at the sound of his father's name. It seems this Mr. Krunishna has this boy scared witless.

I can use this.

"Tell me this, since you guys arrive at this island, how many leads have proven to be real or even useful?"

"None..." The boy said increasingly shaking

"Then answer me this, would you, his son, send Mr. Krunishna, head of a magnificent house with all kinds of responsibilities and hardship, to a wild goose chase that would only add to the amount burden he has to Deal with. Would you like that?"

"No..." He whispered

I circle Alexandre and place a hand on his shoulder while inching closer to his ear. His shoulders are increasing in tremor as I speak in his ear "But picture this, you, the honorable son, bringing the first hard lead on these so-called infected or maybe even bringing physical one to his feet. Wouldn't that make your father very, very proud

Of

You"

I let the words resound in the air as I feel the increasing tremor on his shoulder. A few minutes go by in silence and slowly his shaking calming down he softly speaks, " OK, we will recon the area first "

Heh

"But if we find anything, even the smallest bit of evidence indicating of an infected, we report to father." He said teary-eyed.

'"As you wish. After all, this is YOUR investigation"

...........................:)...........................

After a long walk through Despairia, which included lots of stops of Alexandre picking up flowers, rocks, and petting all kinds of wildlife, we arrived at the faded sign that indicated that we were entering lloiza territory. It was deadly quiet. The sector of lloiza was known as the only place on the whole island that could boast some type of cultural development. From indigenous dances to enormous festivals to the development of strange music, this place was a complete contrast to the rest of the ominous atmosphere of the rest of the towns. However, what we saw was not the cheerfulness of the sector but, spine-chilling silence.

Something is wrong.

It seems I was not the only one who noticed, because Alexandre was a short step behind me, almost strangling the bottom of his tuxedo jacket.

"I think this is evidence enough that this place reeks of an infected. Let us go back and inform father" said Alexandre timidly.

"Not yet, as we said, people disappear all the time. This might just be a particularly big one " I said marching on, leaving the complaining boy to catch up.

Walking through a paved path, we reached the gate of lloiza. Again, dead silence. Only the sound of the wind howling and Alexandre's unsteady breathing could be heard throughout the whole area. I hate to admit it, but the increasing sound of heat did not help with the feeling of unease that began to creep on me.

"I think this is more than enough evidence. Let's go back, please?" Alexandre began to plead.

"Like I said this is no—"

"UUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHRRRRR"

The shriek reverberated throughout the air, leaving me and Alexandre both stunned.

What was that? A scream?

"HHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLPPPPPP"

"Can we please go?" Alexandre said almost reaping the sleeves of my shirt.

"Wait, listen. Doesn't sound like it's asking for help" I said ignoring the boy's pleas.

"HHHHHHUUUIUUULLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPP"

"Maybe it's one of the citizens yelling for help," I said as raced towards the sound.

"Wait! Don't go it is dangerous!" Echoed Alexandre's voice as ran through the city gates.

SPLASH!

Was the first sound I heard when I ran through gates. When I looked down, My feet were completely submerged in crimson liquid.

"What is this!?" I panicked as the liquid began to reach my shins then my things up until my hips. The liquid slowly made its made all the to my chest as the howling became increasingly loud.

"HEeEeaeEeeELlllLllLlPPpPPppp" The sound became dampened as the liquid completely submerged me in crimson darkness.