Chapter 1. Imagination

The key to a powerful memory is... Imagination.

Hmm... One more time.

The tiger paces fast through the trees and jumps on the rope. It bites on it and swings towards the ship. It crashes violently near the mast while smashing the rum drums. The crew is shocked at first but notices the flowing liquid. They get enraged, gathering their swords and attack the tiger. Their blades shimmer in the dazzling sunset, and their faces burrow in fury.

Growl...

The tiger is not scared. It stands on its fours and faces the approaching mob.

Transformation.

The tiger growls and stands on its twos while pounding it's chest with it's forelimbs. It's not a normal tiger. It stomps on the wet wood like a marching soldier, and the transformation begins. The crew is awestruck.

First, it's tail. It elongates fiercely, it's tip dividing into three and stylizing in design. The stripped tail turns to gold as the tail separates from the body. It reorients itself and stands perpendicular to the wooden surface. The tail has now become a giant gold fork - a trident.

Growl... "Come on stomach. A little longer. I have to finish this."

The hind legs converge and elongate, their colour turning as blue as the sky. Their surface becoming moist as they fully transform into a mermaid tail. The tiger is now a mermaid tiger with a trident.

Grrrroowll... "I'm so hungry."

Next comes the gorilla arms with their dark soft fur and masculine structure. They collide on the chest as they pound on it, causing the next transformation. A golden breast plate wraps around the chest, cascading down to the stomach...

Growl... "My stomach is empty. But I need to finish this."

Neighs...

The right gorilla hand picks up the trident as the head of the tiger transforms into a white horse head. The amalgam being raises the trident and points it towards the cabin. The trident crackles as energy surges through it.

Without a warning, the being shoots a lightning bolt towards the cabin, completely decimating the wooden structure and transforming it into a glimmering structure. It's colour golden and white, and it's structure an architectural marvel: a detailed model of a city.

"Whew! All done!" Tuk said to himself. "My memory map of the greatest places on Earth."

He looked at the rusted trinket on his palm, and observed the time. "I'm getting better and faster. I beat my record time once again. Now I'm at 2 seconds."

"It's amazing how fast I can create and process thoughts. Although it feels like an eternity being in my mind every time I Zone In." He said to himself. "But I'm still not their yet. I have more work to do before I can become the Smartest!"

In just 2 seconds, Tuk had managed to map out all the greatest places on Earth, using his memory system. He had made it a habit of going to his Zone to improve his memory. The location of this Zone was on top of a cliff at the precipice of a lake.

Behind this cliff was a small forest, then the village where Tuk lived.

The tiger from the woods represented The Tiger's Cage, a land not far away from where Tuk was standing. You just had to cross the lake.

Next was the rope that represented the Flying City, rumored to exist in the skies. The ship represented Dockyard Waters where the best ships were crafted. The rum was a placeholder for Wine Gardens, a country with vast vineyards.

The swords from the crew represented the Steep Volcano Island where master iron smiths converged. The trident represented the All Restaurants country, praised for it's delicious meals.

The mermaid tail represented the submerged City of Atlantis, where the mer-people were said to exist. The Gorilla transformation was a placeholder for the Kong Kingdom, a forest domain.

The breastplate and the horse head represented King's Land, the longest standing monarchy in the world. The lightning bolt was a representation of the Mystic Arts, the country of magic.

And finally, the city model represented Tuk's primary goal. His greatest desire and wish, one that he was working very hard to get to - Smart City, the treasured island of Knowledge and Wisdom.

Becoming the smartest had been Tuk's goal for as long as he remembered. He had vowed to never stop until he achieved it.

Growl... His stomach complained yet again, and Tuk sat down on the ground, his head bowed lightly, and his hands clutching onto his belly.

He took a deep breath as a gentle wind raffled his T-shirt. From a far, his poise looked calm and composed.

He was tuning his most developed sense as he listened to the breeze. He sniffed as he noticed a faint scent flowing with the wind.

His mind registered the aroma as he took a deeper breath. "Beef stew simmering in a rich, aromatic broth, laden with tender chunks of beef, hearty vegetables, and a medley of savory spices."

"Mfh... Yugi." He said slowly as he raised his head slightly. He chuckled lightly as he wore a gentle smile.

"I'm coming for you Fooood!" He yelled as he suddenly rose from the ground and turned into the forest, racing to the village. "Hold on tight for me!"

Tuk raced through the forest as his nose sniffed the tantalizing aroma, guiding his path as he swerved through the trees. If there was anything that Tuk loved more than being alive, it was food, and everyone in the village knew this.

His movement in the forest was awestriking, making him look as if the sweetening aroma was somehow making him to levitate as he moved. His face was painted with a broadened smile as he raced to his favorite restaurant.

He reached the village and navigated the houses to reach the restaurant, causing disruption to the movement of the villagers on his path. But his mind was captivated, and he couldn't think about anything else besides swallowing the chunks of meat, a million times over.

"He must be headed to the Food Palace." Someone said as more turned their faces to try identity the figure zapping at high speed.

"What is it with this kid and food?" Another asked as Tuk dashed past.

Soon, Tuk reached the Food Palace and violently opened the door, interrupting the casual mood that had been in the restaurant.

"Yummy!" He said as he drooled over the delicacies on the tables. But before he could take another step into the cherished Food Palace, a heavy blow landed on his head, sending him crashing to the floor.

His face smashed the ground as his tongue licked on the dusty ground, dirt mixing with his saliva.

"Ehhh..." He groaned as he tried to look upwards. He noticed a familiar figure as a swam of stars started to blur his vision.

"Go easy on him old-timer." The customers in the restaurant said amidst murmurs and laughs, as they looked at the two people at the door. The owner of the Food Palace and the fallen body of Tuk.

"Y-y-yummmyy..." Tuk stammered weakly as the stars transformed into all kinds of foods, before resting his head on the floor. He lay there, rendered unconscious.

"If I don't smack him and teach him some manners," the Owner started, "he will bring down the whole Food Palace with his insatiable hunger."

"Don't be so hostile, father." A girl who had been serving at a table as Tuk came crashing in said as she walked to the door. "Help me pick him up."

She had a white apron over her clothes, showing that she was a waitress in the Food Palace.

The father and daughter bent to pick up Tuk from the ground.

"How could someone who eats so much be this light?" The Owner asked, noticing Tuk's weight. "It's like we haven't been doing anything this last ten years."

"Don't be harsh, father." The girl said. "Besides, all his energy goes to the incredible loads of work you lay on him."

"Let's take him to his special place." The girl said, as they moved the body out of the restaurant.

Most of the people in the restaurant who had been observing had already been used to this. Frankly, they wondered why Tuk never learnt his lesson, following the multitude of smacks that he had landed from the old-timer.

Was he a slow-learner or something, such that years of being whacked never sank the message in?

But they enjoyed the frequent show that heartened their solemn lives in this hopeless village. Some even came to the Food Palace, hoping they would catch a glimpse of the action and laugh their hearts out.

As soon as the girl and the owner left the entrance to the Food Palace and the show was over, the restaurant went back to it's brisk mood. The clanking of spoons with the plates as they enjoyed the delicacies of the Food Palace became the rhythm one again.

The sips, chugs and gulps of the warm and soft drinks, and the soup, continued.