Mother Ooze

Inside the mine, the darkness seemed to stretch indefinitely, filled with an unending number of oozes. The complex tunnels veined deep into the mountain, a labyrinth of narrow paths and hidden turns. Stalactites dripped from the ceiling, and the walls bore the scars of countless mining tools.

In the midst of our struggles, I started paying more attention to my companions. Especially after my midnight talk with Esther, I noticed more of their little habits, their anxieties. Among all, Oman's occasional glances at Esther stood out. At first, I dismissed it, focusing on our imminent enemies, but it began to gnaw at the back of my mind.

When we paused to rest, nourishing ourselves with the scant rations and potion, I pulled Oman aside.

“Oman,” I began, eyeing him carefully, “You do know that Zarah would be pissed if she found out you had feelings for Esther, right?”

His eyebrows furrowed, and he looked genuinely confused. “What...what are you talking about, Jasper?”

“Your glances at Esther,” I said. “They haven't gone unnoticed.”

Oman's face turned beet red, the first time I've seen his cheeks been anything other than fresh snow. He looked down at his feet, clearly flustered, before stuttering out an explanation. His voice, although still as monotone as ever, wavered.

“The...the truth is, Jasper... Ever since Esther started cooking with 'love', I have been...ahem... feeling an overwhelming sexual desire. I have...I have been using that energy with Zarah.”

The confession left me stunned, Oman's unexpected revelations spun around in my head.

Oman continued, his face flushed and his monotone voice wavering more than ever, “The nights when we ate meals prepared with 'love'...it was...different. I felt an endless energy within me. Zarah and I...we could...continue throughout the night and I'd still wake up feeling refreshed, not a trace of fatigue. It was... exhilarating.”

He sighed, looking down at his hands, “But, ever since Esther has stopped incorporating 'love' in her cooking, things have changed. The fire that once fueled our passion...it's diminished. We've tried various things, experimented in ways we thought might help bring back that spark. But none of it has worked. The intensity, the vitality...it just isn't the same without 'love'.”

“I'll talk to Esther about it,” I found myself assuring Oman, however I don't intend to feed Oman or Zarah anymore of that stuff. It was clear he was relieved as his normally stoic face lit up, a flicker of hope rekindling in his eyes.

Eventually, during one of our breaks, Oman voiced out his theory. “There has to be a primary source for all these oozes, a 'mother ooze',” he said, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

Esther, in spite of her own fatigue, nodded in agreement. “Yes, the frequency of their appearance indicates a strong, centralized source.”

We all shared the same sentiment. Looking at each other in silent accord, we knew our mission had evolved.

“We need to find this 'mother ooze', defeat it and cut off the ooze production at the source,” I announced, opening the map of the mine that we had been meticulously mapping out over time. We spread it out on a flat surface, and all of us began studying it, the flickering light from Esther's orb illuminating the complex network of tunnels and pathways.

“The mother ooze... it's likely to be on the lowest level,” he muses aloud, running his fingers along the drawn paths. “It's the ideal place. Away from intruders, with easy access to the surrounding grounds via the numerous passages... Yes, it must be there.”

I peer over his shoulder at the map, trying to understand his thought process, “Are you sure, Oman? That's deep into the mine.”

He nods solemnly, “Indeed. But it's the most logical conclusion. It's the optimal environment for spawning.”

The plan made sense, it was a risky but necessary course of action.