The Hunger Never Sleeps

by 501st Big Mike

This is a Beyond the Battlefield story, set during the Hextech Revolution storyline.

The void creature loved the land that the Discord alliance had gained. Icathia was filled with much more than he had tasted before, so much more FOOD. So many new things to taste, this was a delight for this little voidling. He had tasted sweet food, sour food, crunchy food, chewy food, food that had rotten for days, food that still screamed as he swallowed, all delicious, all food. He devoured another little creature and began to hope that Discord would soon attack the Freljord, giving him access to taste those yummy poros. I bet they are crunchy and salty. No, they are juicy and tender. What did it matter really, they were food.

Kog’Maw saw a tiny animal scurrying on the ground, a rat and it looked delicious. His stomach began to create a mixture of acids that would digest the rodent before he even swallowed. He spat his concoction at the insignificant creature. The acid created a loud hissing as it broke down the compounds the made up the rat’s body. The creature squealed, causing Kog’Maw to wonder if being eaten hurt. He dismissed it quickly, It must just be a coincidence. Being eaten is just the other side of eating, and how can anything related to such a joyous act as eating be painful? In a moment the squealing ceased and all that remained was a soup of compounds broken down to their most basic elements and acid still hot from Kog’Maw’s belly.

Food! He easily fit the entire meal into his gaping jaws and swallowed it whole. He savored the taste as it digested within a matter of seconds.

As Kog’Maw finished his meal, he stood there disappointed. His stomach was empty once again. So hungry, must find more to eat. He wondered how his friend, Cho’Gath, could get so big by eating. I am so much smaller than Cho’Gath, but I eat so much more. So much more food. He remembered back to one time when on the Fields of Justice when got to play with Cho’Gath. He remembered how big his friend became; it was the biggest he had ever seen. Then Kog’Maw remembered how he ate that gigantic Cho’Gath, now THAT was truly a feast. His hunger grew as he thought back on that wondrous meal. He wanted food, no he needed food, no he demanded food. Food, so yummy, must find some. Hmm what a wondrous word, foooood. It is the perfect word, I just love it so much. Food, food, food!

He began to wonder if one of those short creatures would make him some new treats to taste before he feasted on their flesh. Those creatures, those…yordles… yes that was their name, would be his friends if they did that, his very best of friends. That, however, would take far too long. Kog’Maw grew hungrier by the second, and had to find something to eat. His stomach growled inside him, it demanded that he ate MORE! He had to find something quick, anything. He would have to eat the first creature that came across his path, or be consumed by the eternal hunger, his master.

He looked around himself and found nothing, Kog’Maw grew ever more desperate. FOOD, FOOD, FOOD! Those were the only thoughts that he could muster up as the desperate desire to eat controlled him, driving him to the edge of insanity. His hunger was… so strong. He had to consume, or he would be consumed by the inferno that was his stomach. Then, he saw off into the distance, a horse of some sorts. Juicy, raw flesh.

Yummy food, tasty food, FOOOD! Kog’Maw rejoiced in the fact that soon his hunger would be temporarily sated with a meal much larger than himself, luckily for him the laws of physics did not apply to the bottomless pit that was this void creature’s stomach. Yet, he could tell that there was something different about this pony that he had discovered, and it seemed… familiar. It seemed to somehow be void of life, and to be larger than horses that he had previously eaten. That mattered not to him though, it was walking, so it must be alive, and its extra size only meant more flesh to satisfy this voidling’s ceaseless need to eat.

His need for hunger continued to grow now that this meal was standing before him. “Hmmm, yummy food. Pony meat, pony flesh, pony feast. Hungry… must eat… NOW!” Kog’Maw cried out. Corrosive acids were already drooling from his mouth, preparing for the upcoming feast. The drool dripped to the ground, making a hiss and smoking with each droplet. He could already taste the meat inside his mouth. He imagined himself tearing the flesh off of the bones of the pony, and then eating the bones. He could not wait to crack open the pony’s skull and taste its brains. He began to chant “Pony meat, pony meat.”

Hecarim stared at Kog’Maw, filled with overwhelming anger. Insolent pest!  “I am no meal you insolent fool! I am the might of the Shadow Isles!” The hunger crazed creature of the void seemed to not even hear him; it just continued its chant, “Pony meat, pony meat.” Hecarim grew even more furious at the void monster. He raised his halberd and stomped his hooves onto the ground. That insane beast has made its last mistake. I will crush its bones. He began to question if it even had bones, though it mattered little in the end. He began to picture Kog’Maw’s corpse aimlessly running around until it exploded. That would please him greatly to witness.

Kog’Maw’s anticipation of the meal grew. He gathered digestive fluids from his gut and launched them towards his next meal, allowing the digestive process to start before he ran up to the pony. He remembered all the meals he had eaten, and he remembered how many were already half digested for him by the time he started biting. Those meals drenched in his corrosive acids were his favorite meals, so too were the ones weren’t.

Hecarim stepped aside from the projectile that had been sent hurling towards his face. The fluids splashed as they landed on the ground, getting some droplets onto his tail. He looked at it and saw that several of the hairs were now several inches shorter. A foul smelling smoke rose into the air. He bellowed at the pathetic creature that was drooling at him, “Rraaaaaaaaa! Embrace Death!” He then galloped at full speed towards Kog’Maw, intent on trampling the creature to death underneath his hooves. He considered calling forth soldiers from his undead cavalry, No, I will have the pleasure of killing it by my own hands.

Kog’Maw stared at the pony with excitement, Run to me food, keeping running to me. He prepared to launch another projectile consisting of the fluids from his gut, but a much more concentrated ball this time. He would be able to swallow the pony whole after this corrosive concoction had completed its job. He took aim and… he could not hurl his corrosive ball, he could not even speak.

Kog’Maw stood in confusion and frustration, not only could he not use his digestive fluids to start feasting on the pony he had found, but the pony had also stopped charging towards him; a purple translucent wall separated him from his prey. No, my pony feast! Keep coming, not full.

Hecarim slid to a halt in front of the magically constructed wall that had appeared before him; he stopped only inches away from it. He knew that trying to charge through it would slow him to a crawl, making it pointless to continue through. His anger grew still greater. Who would dare interrupt ME while I charge down my opponents! He turned his head to the left to find Malzahar and Karthus staring at the two of them much like you would expect two parents to stare at children they had found fighting. “What is the meaning of this?” he demanded.

Malzahar spoke to them both, “Enough, this useless quarrelling will cease immediately. There are much more important issues at hand. We are the Discord, united and our power without measure.”

“But, sooooo hungry. East must, hunger never sleeps.”

“You are always hungry, trying to eat your allies will not change that. You will control your hunger when the Discord commands it. Your feast will come when we destroy those feeble races that live in Runeterra.” Malzahar then turned to Hecarim, “You will control your anger and refrain from fighting your allies. Kog’Maw attacks out of his uncontrollable need to eat and consume. You on the other hand have absolutely no excuse.”

Hecarim simply grunted in reply, for he had no answer that would aid his case.

Malzahar then turned to speaking to the two of them, but it also seemed as though he was speaking to all, as though it was a rehearsed speech. “We are not like the pathetic races that run through the land. We are the Discord, the combined might of the Shadow Isles and the Void. We do not go on fighting each other over inconsequential differences as they do. Those races  that  fight over the waste that we leave in our wake, and will be eradicated so that it will be as though they never existed. It was our combined power that brought Icathia to our rule, and it was that same power that brought Noxus, the lands only line of defense against us and the Might of Runeterra, to its present state:  a mere leaf that will easily be swept away by the wind. We destroy all in our path and grant no mercy. Even the council is powerless to stop us.” He then spoke only to the two of them once again, “And we do not fight our own.”

Kog’Maw then looked at his friend, Hecarim, I will have to make sure he doesn’t fight anymore, that way he won’t get into any more trouble with the… floating mage… ah yes, Malzahar. He should know better than to attack a voidling. Whichever voidling that started fighting with him today should ashamed of themselves. He stared at Hecarim for a moment, Hmm, he looks strangely like a pony I once played with. That pony was delicious, I think. It was food after all, so it must have been. Oh, something about food. Hmmm, that pony looks so tasty.

Kog’Maw’s only response was, “Feast on feeble races…hmm, that sounds delicious. Food!”

Malzahar sighed quietly. That creature doesn’t pay attention to anything that isn’t about food. He has been starving for so long that he has lost most of his sanity. After all that hunger, nothing matters but food anymore. It’s gotten so bad that even one of those self-righteous Demacians could hold a better conversation.

Hecarim looked Kog’Maw, I will work with this creature of the void for now, but if it ever tries that again, it will be the last thing it will ever do.

Karthus then simply added, “Come, there is much we must discuss.”

“Is it about food?  Will you tell me of the many wonderful creatures I will eat?” He remembered the last time that the Discord gave him a feast, only they had another name for it. What was it… ah; they called it an “invasion.” He could care less what they wanted to call it; to him it all just meant FOOD. He was so sad when it all had to end, he couldn’t play with his friends from… Noxus anymore. He had tasted much while fighting on the Fields of Justice, but the number of things he could eat there was so few when compared to the countless organisms living in Runeterra. He dearly hoped that he would have the chance to go play with the creatures in the land once again. Such yummy food they were. I will just have to convince them to have another “invasion” sometime soon. I need some food to help me think though. Hmm, maybe Hecarim knows some pony friends that want to play. I haven’t eaten enough pony meat yet.

Karthus replied, speaking more to Hecarim than Kog’Maw, “There is news concerning the witch, Nefara.”