Ever So Important Quest of the Great Scorch

Chapter Ten

Cheddar was rolling a giant onion across the desert parmesan-cheese sands. It was tricky, because the onion was so heavy that it sank into the sand as she pushed. She had to try to roll it, by pushing up instead of forward. Even with her extreme talent in Strength, Cheddar was sweating. Her white Egyptian-style dress stuck to the skin of her back. The hem even dripped.

But, Cheddar didn't even think of stopping. She didn't question why she was uprooting onions from the riverbank and rolling them to a post-marked spot between the sweet onion pyramid and the Great White Onion pyramid. The Onionite Priestess with the Golden Breadstick staff told her to do it, so she did it. If she was lucky, she might even get an extra glass of tomato sauce with her supper. It was difficult for her not to eat the onion she was rolling . . . but she knew the Priestess and the other Onionites would stop sharing their delicious onions if she tried to steal some.

"Hurry along, Strength Talent," The Priestess said, waving the staff in the correct direction.

With a grunt, Cheddar pushed extra hard, hoping for extra onion treats as a reward, and the onion rolled forward down the slope--- and didn't stop. Instead, it gained speed. The Onionites shrieked and ran from where they worked slicing and stacking rings of onion.

Cheddar dashed forward, somehow getting in front of the run-away onion. Not even afraid, she rammed herself against it to stop it. She closed her eyes, and felt the Onion bounce against her, knocking the wind out of her. When it came back from the bounce, Cheddar didn't have the strength to hold it back. It rolled over her. However, she had slowed it down quite a bit, so that the giant onion stopped soon after it had crushed her.

Chedder panted, and got up to her knees. She realized she had puked. The giant onion had rolled the tomato juice and onion slices right out of her. She wiped her mouth, embarrassed, and tried to get to her feet. She wasn't squished or broken. She had always been pretty durable, but this was incredible.

Why was she in a desert? And what was that giant white ball—an onion? Then she noticed she was wearing a breastplate---- the Bacon Breastplate! Her quest. She had to hurry. Colby was in trouble. The Scorch was coming.

"That was careless, Strength Talent!" Cheddar turned around at the voice. An older woman holding a breadstick staff stood in front of her, hands on her hips, with way too much eyeliner on. "You almost hurt the workers! There will be no onion slices for you tonight."

What? Onion slices? Cheddar had no idea what she was talking about.

"I need that staff," Cheddar said, and pointed at it, "Please, danger's coming--- a Scorch--- and I need it complete this stupid quest that the Mush wizard gave me—"

At that question, the old woman's eyes bulged.

"She's awake!" The Priestess yelled, suddenly frantic. "The Strength Talent is awake!"

"What's going on?" Cheddar asked, spinning around. She was surrounded by Onionites, and they were pointing spears at her. They looked angry.