Ever So Important Quest of the Great Scorch

Chapter One

Cheddar and Colby Jack lived on Mozzarella Mountain, in a small, quaint town called Blot. Every year, on TrueHeart day, the inhabitants of Blot would gather around the statue of their hero, TrueHeart, who founded the town thirty years ago. Four and a half days before TrueHeart died, he prophesized that one day, the town would see the rise of a new hero who would keep beloved Blot from being destroyed by the Great Scorch.

No one knew what in the world TrueHeart meant by Great Scorch (He was kind of out there in his last days), but they would all assemble every year, anyway. Each citizen would approach the statue and poke the GlowGem embedded in the statue-TrueHeart's forehead, just underneath the carved, rolling white curls and above his proud eyebrows.

As the young legend went, when the new hero approached the stone and touched it when the Time was Right, a map and a message would appear on the rolling cloak of TrueHeart that would direct the new hero on the Ever So Important Quest of the Great Scorch.

Cheddar was bored. She and Colby had been happily working on her Mozzarella Man, made by rolling balls of the shredded cheese that snowed on the mountain, when the summons came for the assembly. Now she had to wait at the end of a line that was almost a hundred people long. Children were always last to poke the GlowGem. Colby did his best to keep the two of them entertained by whistling tunes through his fingers (like "On Top of My Pizza"), but then Miss Swiss, the town's school master, had batted him on the head and told him to "Hush up right quick!" She had hushed him so aggressively that her tiny glasses had fallen from their perch on her nose and onto the ground. Cheddar had plucked them up quickly enough, but it was already too late. The grease of the mozzarella cheese coating the ground had smudged them.

Now all Cheddar and Colby had to do was watch the brawny young and women men, including Colby's older sister Pepper Jack, take turns poking the stone. Pepper had flexed her muscles and thrown her long hair over her shoulder before taking her turn to poke, but nothing happened. Still dull. Then Romano, her boyfriend, had tried (with a similar display), but still nothing. Miss Swiss clucked her tongue at the both of them.

Cheddar and Colby had gone through sixty-four rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors by the time it was Cheddar's turn. She rolled her eyes when she was beckoned forward, and didn't even hesitate before her annual poke. She hopped down without even looking to see what happened.

"Um, Cheddar!" Colby could hardly keep himself from jumping up and down. His little cap bouncing on his head. "Cheddar!" He pointed. Still, she didn't turn around. She walked right up Colby, eyebrows raised questioningly, so that Colby couldn't take it anymore and spun her around.

Cheddar saw that the GlowGem was glowing. It was glowing green, like the map and the words that now decorated TrueHeart's cloak.

"Shred it!" She said, a common and acceptable exclamation among the towns' children. Colby was practically dancing around her. She could see his sister boiling angry by the lamp post.

"You'll have me come with you, right, Cheddar? You'll pick me as your comrade!" He asked, knowing full well he had gotten the promise out of her years ago—she never thought she'd get picked, though.

"Um," She asked Miss Swiss, "Is it possible for me to decline?"

Colby was horror struck. He clung to Cheddar's arm, his eyes boring into her. Then he whirled round to Miss Swiss.

"Shame on you, Cheddar," She said, "You know full well that for the good of this community, which has supported you and your family, and has given you a wonderful home, you need to give back. You were chosen. You go on the quest."

The gathered townspeople murmured uncomfortably. They were not pleased with the Choice, or with Cheddar's demeanor. Even though, they did admit Cheddar did hold one very Heroic skill—which was probably the reason she had been picked. Cheddar sighed and sagged, watching the scribes copy down the locations on two maps, one for her and one for her chosen comrade, along with the instructions.

"At least take me instead of my kid brother," Pepper called out, "We can't have two kids out there."

"Sorry, Pepper," Cheddar was pleased for the first time after the Choice, "But I promised. What kind of hero would I be if I didn't keep it?"

Pepper scowled harder. Colby hugged Cheddar.

"Just you wait, Cheddar," He said, "This will be excellent."

The scribes passed the completed maps to Cheddar and Colby.

"Well, off you go then," Miss Swiss shooed them, "I don't know what exactly this Great Scorch is, but I know our esteemed TrueHeart has provided you with all the information you will need."

The town coolly followed them to the main gates, which were more decorative than anything else, and were surrounded by a picketed garden-like fence. The word "BLOT" was proudly emblazoned over the gate's threshold.

"Remember, you cannot return until your quest is complete," Miss Swiss warned.

"This is so amazing!" Colby practically skipped down the path.

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