Zilpher was up to nine plates, while Pema was on her tenth.
"I can't believe she's still going at it! Her stomach must be some kind of portal or something," A slender Dwarf remarked, "You reckon she might win against him?"
"Ha! Against Zilpher the Insatiable? I seriously doubt it," An old Dwarf stated and walked up to Zilpher, "Hey, how're you feeling, son? You can win this-"
Zilpher turned his head slowly and looked directly into his eyes. He didn't shake his head nor did he speak. Zilpher simply communicated with him through sad, discontent eyes, and his mouth drooping into a frown; he appeared to be defeated.
"No..." The old Dwarf exclaimed, his eyes widened in disbelief.
Pema began to reach for a chicken thigh when she suddenly stopped and covered her mouth, feeling herself about to gag.
"Pema, are you alright?" Salem hovered closer to her.
She tightened her fists, "I... I don't know how much more I can take..."
Both opponents seemed to be hanging by a thread, staggering to finish the rest of their meal.
Pema peered around at everyone. All the Dwarves, Calien and Fxeni. She shook her head, "No... I'm not finished yet... I can't- I will NOT lose!" She closed her eyes and ignored all the noise and distractions around her. She imagined the humidity of the room was because the walls were made of hot, melting cheese and the chairs were chocolate.
"So... cheesy... sweet, chocolately goodness... I'm in heaven..." She whispered, a smile slowly stretching across her face.
"Wait, what?" Salem said dumfounded.
Pema opened her eyes, a renewed spark ignited within her. She climbed on top of the table, "My name is Pema and I won't give up... I'll never give up! Food helps to keep me going, it's super tasty, there's an endless variety and, and umm... it's real tasty!! My passion will make me stronger!"
She sat back down, "Remember your passion, Zilpher, and never let it go! Full steam ahead!" She mouth-wrestled with beef steak, her rampant tenacity and resolve partially shrouding the creeping pain in her gut.
Zilpher stared at her, his arms hanging at his side, "Pema..." With a trembling hand and his vision going a bit blurry, he continued to eat, albeit at a considerably slower rate than before. He groaned weakly as he reached for the bread roll.
Pema felt a tad dizzy herself, but she made a desperate attempt to soldier on through it.
Zilpher nearly reached the bread roll, however, he succumbed to the pain. Groaning again, he stood up from the chair with his back hunched over, his legs wobbling and then crumpling to the floor. His body hit the ground with a loud thud.
Everyone stared at him, speechless. The room went stagnent, with more than a few gasps to be had from some of them.
Soon after, a Dwarf broke the silence, "Z-Zilpher the Insatiable has been... defeated?!"
"That's... No way..." Another spoke, practically a whisper.
...
"Pema... Pema..." One of them chanted her name in a low voice, and eventually, more and more began to chant her name.
Calien ran over to her, "PEMA DID IT!" He shouted, grabbing her arm and raising it in the air victoriously.
The crowd erupted with enormous cheers and applauded her astonishing display of will. Frightening, hungry will.
Zilpher slowly shuffled himself onto his feet and walked towards the champion.
For a moment, the two simply stared at one another, until Pema bowed, "Mr. Zilpher, sir... Thank you for competing with me," She raised her head, looking at him with a smile that lit up the room, "I had sooooo much fun! Let's do it again, sometime, okay?"
He briefly closed his eyes and stroked his beard, "You... are quite the surprise, young one. I never would have suspected such a fierce, heated battle from a mere child... But alas, you have proven yourself as a fine culinary warrior. Strong heart, stronger stomach."
Pema nodded happily, "Thanks! It was an honor to face you, sir. I'm real glad I got to meet you!"
"Likewise," He smiled. He thought for a moment and then sat down next to her, "I wasn't always known as Zilpher the Insatiable, you see. My passion for food wasn't realized until my young adult years. From then, I spent precious time learning about cuisines from all over, understanding and respecting the art of fine dining and the joys of exploring the vast ocean of delicacies. One day, I began to eat, until all I could think about was eating. Small portions became large portions, and so forth."
He leaned back in the chair, "I discovered my passion, and crafted my will to explore what I truly love. Henceforth, I became a warrior of the plate; Zilpher the Insatiable! 7 long days in the kitchen, 7 longer nights in the restroom."
"Oh... Oh dear God..." Salem grimaced at the imagery.
Zilpher walked over to Pema, "Young one, you have a wonderful passion. Worthy to be a warrior of the plate!" He carefully picked her up and perched her atop his shoulder, "Pema, I hereby bestow upon you an honor with an open mind and a full stomach! It is my great pleasure to congratulate our champion and pass on the torch to Pema..."
Zilpher raised his fist into the air heroically, "Pema the Insatiable!"
His fellow Dwarves cheered and applauded, their voices booming loudly.
Pema scratched her head, "Umm, I don't know what In-say-dee-able means, but... I like it!"
"HAHAHAHA!" Zilpher bellowed in laughter, as did his brethren.
"She's so... darn... cute..." One Dwarf sniffled, wiping a tear from his eye.