After taking off the horrible smelling cheese armor and tossing it to the ground—because he was not going to let it stink up his Inventory and Core—Colby forgot all about the exhaustion that had been plaguing him moments prior as made his way home with a hop and a skip in his step.

  As for the [Flaming Saganaki] torch, its flame had been extinguished, and melted cheese dripped down its length like a candle. Unlike the cheese armor, the halloumi didn’t smell as foul. A bit burnt, but not enough to make anyone gag. The top part was charred, almost as dark as the Myconet’s cave, while the rest was off white.

  It should still be safe to eat—maybe.

  Colby twisted the cylinder of cheese around until he found the perfect place to bite into it, below the scorched area and above where he gripped it.

  He took a bite.

  The cheese wasn’t as firm as he had expected and the dash of salt he had sprinkled was definitely way too uneven. Overall, it was pretty bad.

  Multiple ways to improve on the cheese began to sprout in his mind.

  He should’ve been on the lookout for anything yellow and citrusy, but his nose had become sour blind after inhaling fumes and the cheese armor’s rancid odor.

  There was also the fact that he was just way too happy.

  With all of the ingredients secured, he could finally go back to making his cheese—at least mozzarella—guilt free. But first, lunch.

  Colby was back at the cheeseshop. Once again, his father sat at the counter and tended to the shop. Though, this time he wasn’t drenched in sweat nor pretending that he was alright even though he desperately wanted to inhale copious amounts of air. Now, he sat comfortably, flipping through today’s news.

  “Hi, Colby,” his father said, lowering the paper. “How’re you feeling?”

  Boy, that was some deja vu.

  “Great, dad. A little traumatized, but good.”

  “Can I know what exactly got you so traumatized?”

  “I think you already know, Dad.”

  “You know I don’t,” he chuckled.

  “I know. I was just testing you, Dad.”

  “So what ingredients did you go after this morning?”

  “See-salt and rennet.”

  “See-salt?” his father asked. “I thought you were scared of Farmer Hound.”

  “I was and still am. Now, I’m doubly, maybe even triply scared of him now.”

  “You didn’t hurt any See-Stars, did you Colby?”

  “Quite the opposite, I saved one from the hands of a bunch of bad people, who coincidentally were also the same group who tried to rob me last week.”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t have let you go out alone today.”

  “Relax, Dad. I’m fine.”

  “Just let your mother know you’re okay,” he sighed.

  “Got it, Dad.”

  Colby slipped behind the counter and through the door to their living quarters.

  The smell of cheese assaulted his nostrils. Colby paused. He sniffed the air one too many times, but it was crucial. He had to confirm his suspicions.

  If Mac and Cheese was Brie’s favorite food, then this was undoubtedly his. It was tacos. And the best part about his mother’s tacos was all of the cheese she used. Even the taco shells themselves were cheese—a cheddar folded into that unmistakable shape.

  Colby waltzed into the kitchen. Through the sizzling of tacos in the air, he heard Brie’s giggles and Thornelius’s bushy barks.

  His little sister sat at the dining table, bouncing up and down without any utensils in her hand this time. Instead she opened and closed her palms like they were twinkling little stars. Meanwhile, Thornelius ran circles around her chair for no particular reason at all.

  “Hi, Broby,” she said, after spotting him.

  Thornlius—that little betrayer—barked hello too.

  “Hi, Brie. Thornelius. Miss me?”

  The Thornwolf bolted towards him. He got up on his hind legs and started licking as high as he could reach, which was just the lower part of his shirt.

  Okay, maybe the little betrayer was now just regular betrayer. Colby rubbed his hand through his leafy fur, giving the boy a good pat.

  “Thorpy misses you,” Brie giggled.

  “Hi, Colby,” his mother said, turning around the kitchen countertop with two trays in her hand. “Do you miss my tacos?

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “Yes!” he shouted.

  “Tacos!” Brie cheered.

  He left Thornelius and rushed over to his seat. His eyes tracking the trays of crunchy, cheesey, yumminess as his mother placed them on the table. The moment the table and the tray had formally met, his hand blitzed forward at lightning speed. Unfortunately, his mother’s hand blitzed at twice the speed of lightning, slapping his hand down.

  “Wash your hands first.”

  Colby got up from the table, chair screeching against the wooden floor, and dashed to the sink. He flipped open the tap, letting the water run through his hands as he vigorously rubbed them together like a mosquito, before flipping the tap off and shaking his hands, drenching everything and everyone as he sprinted back to his seat.

  “Now?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  Colby grabbed a taco and shoved it into his mouth. A burst of flavorful cheesiness exploded. It was so good, it even managed to make the yucky vegetables inside taste delicious. Now, this was cheese. As he was eating, he decided to ask his mother a question.

  “Say, Mom. How would one filter out all of the gross yucky stuff from the liquid you scrape off a Myconet and turn it into usable rennet?”

  “And why do you want to know this? You know I told you to stay away from that cave.’

  She did? He had zero memory of that. But if she learnt that he had already ventured into the Myconet’s domain, she was going to kill him.

  Colby gasped, putting on an overly exaggerated accent that may or may not be worsening his cause, “Mother! Is it wrong for a child to learn more about the world they inhabit? Is it wrong for one to seek out knowledge?”

  “No, it isn’t. It is when you’re putting yourself in danger.”

  He gasped again, putting a cheese stained hand over his chest. “Mother. Why, you sound like some sort of tyrant, restricting knowledge from the masses in order to control them.”

  “Colby,” she said, staring at him.

  “Yes, mother. It is I, your son, Colby.”

  “Colby,” she said, her stare slowly transforming into a glare.

  The whole time, Brie was loudly munching on her taco as she watched the live action drama in front of her. Thornelius sat right next to her, his tail swishing side to side as he eyed the vegetables poking out of the shell.

  “Yes, mother? What is it that you require from I, your son, Colby Tyro?”

  “I want you to promise me that you won’t go into the Myconet’s nest, at least not alone.”

  “Why of course, mother. From this moment onwards, I promise not to enter the Myconet’s abode alone.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “You’re planning on going there no matter what I say, aren’t you?”

  “Mother, how could you possibly ever conceive such a notion?”

  “Do I really need to point out the way you’re talking?”

  “Whatever do you mean? This is the way I, Colby Tyro, normally speak. Mother, how could you not recognize your own son’s voice? Tis a shame,” Colby said, pressing the back of his forearm against his forehead and turning away as though overwhelmed by tragedy.

  When he turned back, his mother still glared at him, but now her arms were folded.

  Curds! This was bad!

  He quickly turned away, resuming the overly dramatic pose that may or may not be making things worse—it was definitely making things worse.

  “Colby,” his mother said. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Nothing, mother.”

  “If you don’t tell me, I’m not making tacos ever again.”

  No tacos! How could she do this to him? How could his mother be so cruel?

  “Mommy don’t take away the yummy tacos!” Brie yelled.

  “Only if your brother tells me what he’s up to.”

  “Broby! Tell mommy! Tell mommy!

  Thornelius barked as if coaxing him to fess up, but there really was nothing to confess. He really wasn’t planning on visiting the Myconet again.

  “But I’m really not planning anything, Mom.”

  “And I should believe you because?”

  “I don’t have a reason to go into that cave.”

  “Then why were you asking about the Myconet?”

  “Knowledge is a wonderful thing, mother. Don’t you agree?”

  “Colby…” she trailed off.

  “Yes, mother?”

  “You already went into the cave didn’t you?”

  “Why of course, mother. Back then when the Supply Runner faced difficulties running the supplies.”

  “Not that! Colby! Did you go into the cave today? Yesterday? Or whenever!”

  The jig was up.

  “I just came back from there,” he said.

  “Oh my Gouda!” she yelled. “I knew I shouldn’t have listened to your father. I knew I should have insisted that either one of us trail you.”

  “Wait, why?”

  “It’s not safe.”

  “I thought we already established that I know how to handle myself.”

  “A couple of Daisy Cows or even a See-Star, maybe. Heck, even the LeMonkeys were already pushing it. But, the Myconet! Are you insane?”

  “No, I’m—”

  “Zip it.”

  “I really don’t get what’s the problem.”

  “Do you know why I keep insisting that you don’t go in there?”

  “Obviously not.”

  “It’s a cave, monsters love caves. Do you know how many species make their home in caves?”

  “Do I really need to answer?”

  “A lot, Colby. A lot. It’s even more dangerous than the forest. Out there you have plenty of space to run around. In there, you’re trapped like a sitting duck. And it's pitch black inside. Wait, how did you even navigate through the cave if you couldn’t see. Colby, if this is your idea of a joke, it’s not funny. Tell me the truth now, Colby Tyro.”

  “Okay, Mom.”

  Colby began to retell how he managed to make Fire with cheese and how he escaped the horde of mold zombies.

  “Oh my Gouda,” his mother said, collapsing on the chair.

  “Mommy! Are you okay?” Brie asked, getting up from her seat and running over to check on her.

  “I’m fine, Brie,” she said. “Just a little shocked.”

  “Bad Broby! You hurt, mommy!”

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t realize it was going to be that dangerous.”

  “I’m just glad you’re safe, Colby. Please don’t do anything that reckless again.”

  “I’ll try my best, Mom.”

  “And please, tell us wherever you’re going next time. Don’t just randomly drop it on us. You know how worried I get.”

  “Yes, Mom. Sorry, Mom.”

  “And congratulations on actually being able to use fire. That’s…wow. That’s just something I never thought I’d see ever happening.”

  “You and me both.”

  “Since you’ve already got the raw enzyme I guess I might as well explain how to process it.”

  “So you’re willing to teach me how to turn the Myconet sludge into rennet.”

  “Yes, Colby. I am. Only if you promise me that the cheese you make using these ingredients isn't sold to customers."

  “Promise.”

  After a quick explanation, Colby dove into his Core to start turning that sludge into rennet.