Baby Oatmeal
Legacy Name: Baby Oatmeal

It was a day Gunter would never forget.“Feli stuck in your throat?”As Angrybeard set down his now-empty mug, a triumphant look swept across his face. Gunter dropped his own mug soon after, but he knew it was over.“What happened to ‘ya, brother?” The cream anyu roared. “Anyone can go drinkin’ this rum like plain old water! Have you perhaps gone stale?”Gunter, defeated, couldn’t meet his brother’s eyes.I’ve never lost. Gunter thought bitterly. He glared at Angrybeard across the table. And to think my first loss would be from my own brother!Gunter stormed out of the pub.---“I heard about what happened.”Rosemary’s sweet voice brought Gunter out of his reverie. They were in his cabin, recalling the events of the previous week. He once again took in the emerald eyes, the ochre curls and the freckled face of the young girl before him.“I’m a disappointment.” Gunter murmured.“It’s no big worry,” Rosemary said. “I brought you something -- no, someone that might help.”The young girl went out for a few minutes and came back carrying a bundle of cloth. From within the sheets came an unfamiliar sound.“This is Oatmeal!” Rosemary said, handing out the white bundle to Gunter. “Come on, he’s friendly! He won’t bite.”A few seconds after, Gunter found his hands full from carrying what seemed like a baby. Rosemary spoke before he could say something.“I know what you’re going to ask. He’s a kid. Literally.” She winked at him. “Try to talk to him, I don’t know. I bet you a million sP that he’ll help, I just don’t know how..”And with that, the young girl went out of the cabin, leaving a confused Gunter with a young goat in his hands.---“What am I supposed to do with you?” Gunter wondered, staring at the kid before him. It continued sleeping peacefully among the bed sheets.Not knowing what to do, Gunter put out a few sheets of paper and a quill. Ever since he moved into this cabin to live alone, Gunter found writing to be his source of comfort and respite. It was rare for him to go out and socialize with people, and only those who had the courage (and nerve) to go up to a huge, bearded man could successfully strike a conversation with him.Like Rosemary.Sighing, Gunter started his entry for today.Rosemary gave me a kid. Now don’t go thinkin’ all strange things. It was a goat. I ain’t got a clue what to do with it. Oatmeal’s the name. Rosemary told me it would help me get over my loss…I guess I really did lose, didn’t I? And it was against Angrybeard, for cryin’ out loud! Never thought that this day would come.Gunter stopped, recalling once again the bitter moment of defeat. He shook his head. This is just impossible. It was only a few seconds difference, I could have--An ugly wailing cut through his thoughts.“By Neptune’s triton!” Gunter shouted, jumping from his seat. “What is that ungodly sound?”He glanced towards Oatmeal. It’s got to be that kid.Believing it to be hungry, Gunter went to the kitchen to grab some canned food. Heck, it’s a goat. He went out of the cabin and plucked a few blades of grass on the ground. I ain’t got a clue about this. Maybe it would prefer leaves?As Gunter returned to his cabin, he was surprised to hear that the wailing had stopped.Perhaps the wee kid had a nightmare. Can goats dream?He went back to the room, hoping to finish his entry for today, when he saw that Oatmeal was chewing the sheets of paper he wrote on.“What in Davy Jones’ locker are you doin’?!”The kid, startled, started wailing uncontrollably once more. Realizing that he scared it, Gunther calmed himself down. A few deep breaths from Gunter and eventually, Oatmeal stopped crying and continued gobbling up the pieces of paper.Baa!Resigning himself to his situation, Gunther picked up another set of papers and began writing a new entry.This goat is starting to get on me nerves… One minute I’d be getting it some grass to feed on when it decided that my papers would be a better meal instead!Rosemary, what is this abominable beast that you’ve given me? If this is meant to cheer me up, I gotta say it ain’t doin’ a fine job.About my first loss, then...In the middle of writing about Gunter’s loss against his brother, Oatmeal took his papers without warning and started gobbling them up.Gunter stared at Oatmeal, and Oatmeal stared at Gunter.Baa!Between that moment when he stared at the young goat eat up his worries, Gunter smiled. He smiled because here he was, trying to recall again and again how he lost to his brother, when before him was a goat who was simply trying to eat them all away.I guess I can live with this, Gunter thought to himself. Writing about me worries, about lost drinking matches, about goats eatin’ up paper. Quite strange how it gives me some sort of happiness.Gunter watched as Oatmeal gobbled up another piece of paper from the table.“Hey Oatmeal, still hungry?”

Special Thanks

Thank you Free for writing my story and to Kushiel for my art, Assiejj_x for coding