Stranger was the bearer of the holo-map, holding it up every once in a while to check our headings. We traveled for days, Thrusting into my mind just how Huge Oddworld is. Around Noon the next day we stumbled out of the woods upon a lake.
"Check the Map, Stranger" I said.
He pulled out the medallion, and held it up. Our "dot" was on the edge of what appeared to be a lake. The destination dot was another couple days above the lake.
"Meanther Lake" Munch said.
"Right," Stranger said, "Home of the Ichava."
"The What?" I asked, not remembering such a species.
"Amphibious creatures, similar in that respect to the Grubbs. 'farmers of the sea,' they're called, but their main industrious sect is here. You'll be lucky to see a native one here, all but some of them have been modified to adapt to land."
"Okay then," I said, "What about them?"
"Well," Stranger replied, "We could walk around this lake, which would take a couple days, but if you don't want to, we can relatively 'take it easy' and go through the lake, via the Ichava."
"sounds good," I said, not wanting to circumnavigate a lake equivalent to one of the great lakes.
"So where do we find these guys?" Abe asked, looking around.
"That I don't know" Stranger said. I was kinda surprised.
"Perhaps I can help," Munch said, and he walked to the edge of the water. He put his head down to the water. It took me a bit to understand what he was attempting, but I then realized that he was trying to zap the water. After a few tries, he stood back up and hopped over to me.
"A little juice, if you please," He asked, looking up.
"Wha? oh, yeah, sure," I said, and held my hand over his head, sending a jolt from my hand to his instrument. I must've misjudged cuz I accidentally zapped him as well.
"Much *cough* obliged," a smoked Munch said, making his way back to the water. He knelt down once again, and this time, a thunderous Bolt of electricity jumped from his head and stuck the water, filtering out in all directions. Then nothing.
"Sure this will work?" Stranger asked, with a confused awe behind his solid demeanor.
"Oh, yeah" Munch said, with a giggle.
All of a sudden, we started hearing alarms ring throughout the forest, and a PA blurting, "Intruder! Intruder!" The water started churning when all at once, these miniature helicopter things started to arise from the depths. A loud speaker from one of the things began to speak
"We have you surrounded! Any attempts to escape will result in being shot and/or death."
"Oookay," I muttered, "Munch, what are they doing?" Munch was silent. The loud speaker continued.
"You have the ability to shut your mouth, anything you utter will be misquoted and used against you in tortu...wait...I...is that...Munch?"
All the other 'copters stopped and "looked" at the loud speaker copter.
"It's Munch! He's Back!" It screamed, and it swooped back underwater, quickly accompanied by the others. A few minutes later, and the water started churning again. And slowly rising from the water, was a significantly bigger and fancier ship. The Window opened, revealing what appeared to be their monarch, and then I realized it.
I did know about Ichava, in fact, I created them. Well, back on earth anyways. I remembered drawing them and posting them on OWF. Never in my life had I imagined I'd be meeting my "creation" face to face.
"Muuuunch!!!" The little gecko type king yelled, hopping down from his ship. His voice was the stereotypical surfer dude voice...but it fit him, I guess.
"King Rufius!" Munch said, hopping over into an amphibious embrace.
"How are you, little Green zappy dude?" The king asked. They almost looked like brothers, just by how they acted.
"Not bad, your majesty, not bad," The king caught eye of us.
"Dude! You brought friends? Why didn't you tell me, Party on dude!" He came over to us.
"I, am King Rufius, of the wonderful Ichava, and I welcome you to our Lake."
He went over to Abe.
"You must be Abe, my friend. Munch always talked about you when he was here." He walked over to Stranger.
"Steeef! rare breed! Nice catch, Munchster!" Stranger's eyes widened.
"You're wondering how I knew?" Rufius asked Stranger, "I'm not king for my good looks, I'm also an avid tracker, could smell you a mile away." Stranger just grunted.
"Whoa!!!" Rufius said when he came to Fangus, "Hey Munch! Does he bite?" He laughed and he continued to me. He sniffed me. He stood there thinking, sniffed me again, and looked up.
"Never had a smell I couldn't identify, Well met, worthy adversary, well met,"
"You're welcome," I said.
"Sure I am," he said, chuckling, "Well, what are you anyway?"
"I am a human," I said simply. He stopped.
"Did you say, Human?" He asked. I expected this response.
"Uh...yeah...why?"
"OH CREATOR! FORGIVE ME FOR I HAVE SINNED!" He wailed, throwing himself at my feet. I was really confused. How could they know that they were spawns of my creation?
"What do you mean?" Munch asked.
"Ancient Ichava history states That the great ODD did not create all the creatures in this Oddworld. He populated the continent of Mudos with his creations, and left the rest of the world to be inhabited by creations made by others in his race. We Ichava have a name for such creatures who are created by these beings. "Fanmades". We Ichava are Fanmades. A species of thug with faces on their torsos, and modified with guns where the heads should be, are also Fanmades."
"but," I asked, "Why are these "Fanmades" here on Mudos if this was the great ODD's Chosen land?"
"Migration and deportation," Rufius answered, "Fanmades are usually made to be ideal creations, modifications, if you will, of the great ODD's original work. And also they come in such numerous quantities. For example, Mudokons are mainly native to Mudos, and not so numerous outside of it's borders, be we Ichava, are inhabitants of all the Oceans on Oddworld. Kinda unfair, but that was what was in the mind of the Fans when they made us.
"Fans?" I asked, almost laughing.
"Yes, all the other divine beings that came after ODD."
"But why isn't this known everywhere?"
"It isn't accepted here on Mudos. They call it 'blasphemy' to say such things. They believe that well are all creations of the great ODD. Which I find preposterous."
"So how do you know that it was humans who created you?"
"Well, In our research, we stumbled across a huge cavern, with elaborate markings all over the walls, not possibly written by simple beings. When we translated it, it revealed to be the entire history of Oddworld, and how ODD came to be, how He and others created the inhabitants . Of all the words, one was used alot, and it's translation and use led us to learn of the race of beings ODD was part of. Human."
"So..." I started.
"So? So!? You're here, you are the fulfillment of the prophecy! One of the Fans would descend to Oddworld in the Flesh when would come the end of times."
"I've heard that before, but not quite the same." I noted.
"YES! The universal Prohecy! All races have it, maybe different versions, but all the same, for example, You didn't here the part about the Fans from the Mudos prophecy, but they admitted to a human coming to Oddworld in the end. No matter how you spell it, you were meant to be here."
"And you know I created you, how?"
"Why, it's obvious man!" he said, "Who else could've made such an awesome species!"
I laughed.
__________________
|
