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Click image to be transported to the Wattpad version of the book.
Yes dearies! I'm back with a sequel to m'first book. I even made a snazzy new cover f'er it. (That cover may just keep on evolving detail-wise. I'm never satisfied with my style. Lol, just bare with me here.)
I've got about four chapters done- the fourth one is just about completed. I'm entering both books in the series in the Wattys2016. Don't know what that is? Just check this link (https://www.wattpad.com/story/75770651-wattys-2016). 'Tis m'dream to b'come an author someday and get this series published. I really do feel like this is something different from the rest of the fantasy genre, but m'opinion really doesn't matter. >v<
Anywho, 'nuff chatting.
Prologue
Voices, I hear them all around me in this black void. My past, it comes to haunt me each time I close my eyes.
"Milah, how could ye do this? Ye mean to tell me ye've been b'hind this the whole time?"
"Please, you must hear me out. I had no choice."
"Name's Hotaru, and what the heck are you?"
"I, I'm a dryphon. And m'name is Enoki."
"You cannot win. If they don't conquer Yugure by force, they will just buy it out, as they have done with me. You will lose."
"The Mist are a no-good, evil, naariv, veistul, kaarn malur do draaf."
The League of Mist. The end result of combining jealousy and ego with pure hatred. Once only a group of self-absorbed dragons from the brave and honorable Kurai clan, this group now consists of practically every vile soul that lives in Yugure. They're murderers; they killed my mother and countless other innocent creatures just to get what they want. These monstrous creatures are bent on conquering this realm and the next, until their reign is extended all over Yugure. I won't let them take it without a fight.
This band of evil looms in my dreams, always appearing to me as a hideous dragon clad in a wine red armor. It calls to me, hissing its single word that chills me to the core every time I hear it.
"Nexxxxtttss."
~
Thump!
I awake to find myself partially on the floor. My feline body hangs over the left side of my bed, only holding on by my half scaled, lion-like tail that grasps the other end of the bed for dear life. My dragonesque wings lie about the room in odd positions. The feathery limbs that fade into the iconic scales of a dragon wing pull close to my body and retract my clumsy appendages.
My head doesn't reach the floor, my wooden antlers being the mediator between the two. I release my tail's grip on the bed to helplessly slump to the oak floor. I dare not look at the clock, knowing that I am only a few minutes till my morning schedule begins.
As my hypothesis proves itself correct with the bells inside the clock chiming away, I groan with reluctance to start the day. I wash my face clean of grogginess in the washroom using a basin of fresh rainwater to do the task.
Drawing myself a bath with the rest of the stored rainwater, I throw in my herbal blend into the liquid. I soak up the healing powers of the bath and reflect on the day ahead of me.
"T'day won't be easy, will it?" I ask the driftwood duck that scurries across the water's surface. I pick it up and stare at it blankly, feeling no strong emotions whatsoever. My chest deflates as I heave out a long sigh. Mother's death was only about two months ago, but it feels like it's been an eternity since I've heard her voice. We've delayed her funeral for so long just so I and my accompaniment could attend. The trip from the Spires was the least bit exhausting since we traveled by air ship but the mind and heart have had a bruising of a journey to get this far.
"I hope you're not taking your time in there. We need to get going," a deep voice rumbles from outside the door of the washroom. It is my long lost brother, Hotaru, who I happened upon by chance during my long expedition to find the resistance. Although I have lost my mother, Hotaru has filled part of that void that now resides inside my heart.
"I'll be out in a wee moment," I reply, placing my wooden duck aside and beginning to scrub my scaled back. My thoughts drift as I scrub hastily with my moss sponge. I know today will be an interesting day to say the least. After my mum's funeral we have a war to win.
One naughty word used, just a warning. Eno scolds 'em though. ;3
Day One ~ A Sorrowful Beginning
The light rain speckles swiftly onto the many green leaves of the forest, turning into larger droplets that fall to the floor of the realm where stands our solemn party. It's as if the day knows the sorrow we hold and is crying for the loss of my dear sweet mother.
Zana Gryphoclaw lies in her casket, adorned by many arrangements of flowers- courtesy of myself. It is a closed casket, for what is really left to see after being scorched by the heat of a thousand suns? Dragon fire is not a comforting way to go.
We, meaning me and all of my many friends: Professor Achilles Blacktalon, Shadequill, and Erickson the gryphons, Lady Hawk the sabertooth feline, Sendaar the pyroraptin, Vahraniik the dilophoraptin, Lady Asha the Hikarian dragon, Namazzi the kelpie, Hotaru my brother, Adlanniel and Rilien the sky elves, and Tinco the robot, are in our finest accessories for the procession. I say accessories since some of us have no need for actual clothes. Neighbors and friends of my mother gather around the casket one last time to say their farewells and begin to sing a few mourning songs that one may hear at a funeral.
I, being the forest green hybrid with wooden antlers growing atop my head, wait until the rest of the members of the procession leave to give my respects to my late mum. Her casket is of a dark cherrywood- her favorite wood stain. I spent the past few days carving special details of flying gryphons and harmonious dragons frolicking happily in a woodland background. It's what she died fighting for; the freedom of the many creatures of our universe from the dastardly group of villains known as the League of Mist.
You, dear readers, must be wondering why I carved dragons on her casket. I mean, after all, that is what killed her, yes? Well, not all dragons are evil. In fact, the dragons of the Mist are of the minority. My father, is in fact, a dark dragon from the Kurai clan. The Mist isn't just dragons, as I first thought. This League of Mist has recruited many a vile creature for their cause and has no standard when it comes to enlisting troops. This horrid group is why we are all here today, and I plan to stop them before more families are torn apart by their evil deeds.
I place my emerald scaled hand on the casket and stroke it affectionately. Hotaru, my lava dragon brother, comes up behind me and watches the casket with a caring eye. He stands underneath a lightweight umbrella that Adlanniel holds above him. Due to his fiery temperature that he has grown accustom to in Mt. Kazam, a volcano found in the Volcanic Isles, Hotaru has a hard time with the cold, damp weather of the First Realm.
"You coming?" Hotaru asks me gently, knowing this is a sensitive time for me. Although one would see Hotaru as uncaring, indifferent to his surroundings, stubborn, and hot-headed - mind the pun - he really is kind and generous at heart. He had rescued Sendaar and I from a horde of wolfwyres, causing him to lose the use of one foot for quite some time.
I can still see the shiny metal boot wrapped around his hind leg sprinkled with dew. He still wishes to wear it just to be sure his broken foot heals completely, even though the doctor said it is perfectly well now.
"Doctors don't know anything about my body. The only diagnosis I believe is my own," is what he always tells me when I ask when he's going to take the boot off.
My mind clicks back to the present as I think about what he just asked. "Of course," I say quietly- still wishing I could stay here just a bit longer, thinking that if I do she'll magically be revived and we'll go have some tea and biscuits.
I follow Hotaru to the sea of friends that wait for us at the foot of my home. My home in the tree is a wonderful piece of hand-crafted art, if I do say so myself. I had built it all myself, being the crafty one in the family. I scoured the realm day and night for just the perfect tree to make my own and I finally came up upon this large Dragon Oak tree. The name says it all, for these grand species of oak trees are one of the biggest trees in all of Yugure.
I am comforted by the company of my companions, all of which I met in the past few months during my rather grand adventure which took up an entire journal to write. Of course, not all of this jibber-jabber will be for pleasantry. We have a bit of business to discuss.
"Is this thing on?" A muffled voice calls out. The sound of staticky tapping comes from inside a strange metal box.
"Yessir! She's up and running," Rilien speaks to the box, adjusting its antenna. Even at his young age, Rilien is probably smarter than I. He has built many wondrous inventions, including many an airship and this talking box he calls a "long-distance radio." Yet he is still a child, not even a teenager.
"Ah good, so let's get down to the brass tacks," the box says with authority.
"Of course, Bellsulion." Lady Asha says with her regal voice. Being the leader and ambassador of the Hikari clan, Asha has many responsibilities to her land and to the light dragons that live there. "Our scouts have finally lured the wolfwyre, General Vannhyde, out of hiding. He is currently on the run with his last few remaining troops that are still loyal to the Mist. We have managed to retrieve a small portion of surrendering Mist that used to take orders in Vannhyde's regiment.
"From what we've gotten out of them, it seems that their outpost in Oashisu Desert is in fact inside the Barrier."
"The Barrier, eh?" Sendaar strokes his feathered head as he thinks.
"That's practically in the center of the great desert itself," Blacktalon adds on, "the Barrier is a very vast portion of the desert, so whatever their hiding in there is going to be big."
"We can handle big, right? I mean, I know I can kick ass easily, and Enoki took down that ice wyvern a few months ago," Hotaru replies casually, plopping onto his side and crossing his forearms.
"Krah was a prisoner, and therefore wasn't going to argue when I subdued his rider, and don't swear- 'tis not polite." I scold him, not appreciating the foul language that sometimes escapes his mouth.
He looks at me funnily, "All I said was a-"
"And I still consider it a swear." I say, swatting his rump with my feather-tipped tail. Adlanniel laughs, and accidentally tips the umbrella sideways, causing the rain to drip onto Hotaru.
"Ey!" He grumbles, twitching where the water fell.
"Serves ye right," I chuckle. I then notice that we're taking up precious time. "Oh, terribly sorry- continue."
Lady Asha smiles politely and nods. "We were thinking it would be best to send out a small group to check it out. Maybe five or six people?"
"That sounds like a decent number," Bellsulion says confidently. "Any volunteers?"
Hotaru raises his hand immediately, to all of our surprise. When we had first met up with him in his home under Mt. Kazan, he had practically no interest in our quest to stop the Mist, but it appears now he has a new mindset. Maybe it is the death of our mum that is driving him onward, just like it is me.
I raise my hand as well. Following my hand comes Sendaar's, Adlanniel's, and my professor with Shadequill not too far behind. Erickson stamps the ground, noticing he is a bit too late, for six hands are already raised.
"I wish I could go with you, but I'm afraid I'd only slow you down. My fur wasn't made for such a hot climate," Lady Hawk, a beautiful white feline, says in a sad tone. She is right, of course. Her pelt would be far too thick to venture out in the vast, sweltering land of hot sand and dust.
"It is quite alright, Lady Hawk. I'm sure you have important matters elsewhere anyhow," Adlanniel nods to the ambassador of the snow-covered Third Realm.
"Well, I presume we're coming along with you six, considering that you need someone to pilot the Thunder Transport." Rilien smiles and nods to the big, black airship that is parked off in the distance, away from the trees lest it should get caught on the sharp limbs and pop the balloon that keeps it afloat.
Tinco jumps in surprise of his inclusion in this mission. The robot has always amused me with its overly-expressive motions. His almost cartoony appearance - long mismatched arms and legs, big lenses for eyes, and the lone lightbulb that flickers slowly atop his head - makes him almost always, if not always, comical.
"Me too, sir?" He asks in shock. I'm rather shocked myself, but not for the fact that he is included in our mission; I'm shocked that he has lasted this long in the rain and has yet to rust! I must ask Rilien what he uses on Tinco's joints.
"Of course, Tinco! I need you to help with the engine. You're like my second body; you know your way around the airships just about as well as I do. You think you could lend me a hand in that department?" Rilien pats his robot companion on the back in an encouraging way. Tinco smiles, I think - it's rather hard to tell with the robot's facial features - and nods in agreement.
"Well then, I guess that matter is settled," Lady Asha announces. Her white, lavender, and teal feathered wings soaked in water lift from her frame as she tries to shake them dry. The rain has begun to downpour, and my feather mane is as droopy as Asha's wings.
"Perhaps we should go inside now," I say with an amused smile. "I would hate f'er us to catch a cold when we 'ave an adventure waiting f'er us."
Day Two ~ Sails, Generators, and... Pirates?
"Full sail! I want those balloons as big as they get!" Rilien commands us from the steering wheel of the airship. We scurry along the ship like rats working to get our crumbs. My body pulls at the ropes forever hoping that they will do as I wish.
I enjoy the view from where I hover on the ship. Clouds roll by us as we pass over the mountainous bowl that holds my homeland. We have passed over the giant rock formations that surround the forests of the First Realm and are flying in the abyss of what is known as the Nether Region. It's not as scary as it sounds. It's just empty as far as the eye can see and covered with fog half the time.
Our little crater we call home is the only plentiful region we know of in this realm. A few desolate plants and some scrawny birds and rodents can be sometimes found pecking about the Nether Grounds, but it is nothing compared to the life found in our homely forests.
"Enoki, mind getting that last rope?" Sendaar caws noticing my thoughts drifting.
"Oh, yes! Sorry." I reply in a hurry to untie the knot that holds down the balloon from reaching its full potential. As soon as the knot comes undone, the balloon widens and our pace quickens.
"Much better, thank you all!" Rilien exclaims with a hoot. "Can someone go check on Tinco? I need him to set us to full power on the generator."
I volunteer to check below for our robotic friend. The humming of machinery below deck are somehow comforting to me, making me feel rather at home in my surroundings. Gears tick away happily, giving me a pleasant feeling as I watch their symmetrical notches fit together and mingle perfectly.
The underbelly of our ship is a trifle confusing. Many long hallways present themselves to me as I pad along the wooden floor. I jolt my head around to shake my feather mane. My scarf tends to tighten around my neck making my feathers feel clumped underneath the fabric. I adjust this as I trot around the halls looking for the maintenance room where Tinco should be working away at the generator.
"Gyah! Stupid service bots!! That plug goes over there." A metallic voice echoes through the halls as I near the source. I find Tinco in the maintenance room shouting at bots strikingly similar to him, just a head tall. That's really all there is to them- a head with limbs.
Tinco, a rusted brass robot with mismatched limbs, snatches the plug away from one of the service bots and stomps over to plug it in to the wall on my left. The light bulb that sits on top of his head flickers in a dim glow while his steam pumps push the steam through his escape valve that's hidden behind his metallic mouth.
"'Aving difficulties with y'er minions?" I chuckle as I enter the room. Something about that robot just puts a smile on my face. His existence alone fascinates me. We don't have this sort of technology in the First Realm sadly.
Tinco jumps at the sound of my voice. "Oh, Enoki! I didn't hear you come in. Think you can give me a hand?"
"Of course." I follow him over to the generator with watchful eyes, scanning the powerful machine that runs the entire airship.
Tinco sighs, releasing another gust of steam. "I can't seem to get this thing to budge," he motions to the wrench clamped firmly on a bolt, "do you think you can move it for me? It needs to be turned to the left." He four fingered hand illustrates his explanation as I grasp the wrench with my forehands, which are also able to work like any humanoids and are useful for things other than walking.
I crank, and crank, and crank away at the bolt that barely moves with each heave. Arms drained of all strength after many tries, I collapse on top of the wrench. You can imagine my surprise when I fall to the ground as the wrench gives way to my weight. A slight shriek escapes my throat during my dramatic fall to the floor.
"You did it! Excellent job, sir! I would have never have thought to do that." Tinco clasps his hands together and twirls. The generator chugs away loudly and much faster than it did before. Steam release valves puff their billows of hot mist which lets me know our work here is done.
Ba-boom!
"What was that!?" I shout over the sound of the generator. The little service bots tumble around as we hit turbulence. Their little frames shake nervously as they help one another up.
"That sounded like cannon fire." Tinco blinks and look out the hallway to see if anyone was nearby.
"Cannon fire? Why on Yugure would we be shooting off cannons?"
Tinco gives me a worried glance, "Oh no, not us. Pirates."
I nearly laugh, "Pirates? In the First Realm? But we don't 'ave that sort of technology. And why would pirates be coming here anyhow?" My muzzle nudges one of the service bots upwards as another quake passes through the airship.
The automaton grabs a pistol that is hanging on a hook by the door. I flinch as he fumbles with it, nearly letting it drop to the floor. "They must have followed us here and have been waiting for us to return to the Volcanic Isles portal that's nearby. Must assume we're merchants." Tinco loads the revolver with plasma shots and turns the safety off.
Knowing his track record, I'm not sure that it's wise to let him handle a firearm, but I surely can't maneuver a pistol. Granted my hands can grasp items and write, but difficult things such as using a gun I better leave to the elves. He opens a secret compartment on his abdomen and hides the gun inside. This worries me even more; what if the gun misfires?
"Come on Enoki, sir. We've best go check on the captain." I nod in agreement and lunge out the door, prepared for anything... Even pirates.
We run at as fast as a pace that Tinco can muster. The door to the deck is just ahead. I gain the courage to pass Tinco and burst through the door. 'I'm almost there,' my mind cheers me on.
Bang!
Yet another rumbling shake echoes through the wooden halls. I stumble and trip over my own legs and go headfirst through the doorway. My head lands with a thump and my body follows suit. The deck seems fine. There aren't any pirates anywhere. Actually, there isn't anyone anywhere.
"Where is ev-"
Whack!
Something hits me hard on the head and I fall yet again, captured by the darkness that envelops my vision.
Day Three ~ Why Is the Rum Gone?
"Glad to see you could join us," Rilien says sarcastically, but almost cheerful.
"Wh-what?" I wiggle, trying to roll over. "Why is m'head stuck?" I ask in a daze. My eyesight, still blurry, slowly focuses on Rilien, Sendaar, Adlanniel, and Tinco. They are all swinging, as if they are levitating. Then I notice the ropes and nets.
"That's because your antlers are tied to mine, dimbo." My brother rumbles and jerks his head back after my multiple attempts of breaking free.
"Ow!" I mumble irritably. "Why don't ye just blow a hole in our net, dimbo?" I retort with thrashing my head around once.
"Well would you like me to melt your tail that's tied directly in front of my face?"
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh," he grumbles deeply. "Why don't you summon a plant to cut us loose?" Hotaru inquires of my plant-controlling abilities.
Being half dragon - technically I'm one-fourth dragon and one-fourth but who's really keeping track - I was granted the ability to control the flora of the realms. I can also grow any plant I wish. "How?" You may ask. Well, I won't go into all the boring scientific details, but my body grows microorganisms that I can communicate with via brainwaves- telepathically I guess you could call it. These microorganisms can form themselves into any plant that comes into mind by rearranging their cell structures to fit the description of the desired plant.
I guess I did still go a bit much into details, but the more you know can help you along the way of this story. Am I right?
"Do ye see a patch of dirt magically lying around? Plants don't just grow on wood, Hot."
"Would you two shut up already?" Adlanniel scolds. "If there was some quiet I could concentrate on getting one of my knives out from my back scabbard."
Hotaru and I quiet ourselves in the new idea of how to escape. "That works too, I guess." My brother says in a hushed tone, watching the she-elf twist her arms underneath her legs, both of which are tied to their counterpart.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a grusky voice entered the room, followed by an odd set of footsteps.
Pop, tink, pop, tink.
I try to turn around to see who is coming, but Hotaru's head is in the way of any maneuverability. I only manage to rock our hanging net, giving me a seasick feeling in my stomach. The footsteps move closer and sound almost as if they have passed us, yet no body has passed by.
'Are they invisible pirates?' The question lingers through my head.
"Down here you overgrown fuzzball," the voice says and a feel a finger poke through the holes in the netting into my back. I turn my brother's and my head down to see a man about half the size of Adlanniel but with a much larger build. The very iconic features of a dwarf.
The top of his head is shaven, yet the raven black hair around it is thick and at a medium length. His mustache and beard are long and braided in some places. Silver streaks run through his locks, almost the same color as the mysterious metallic tattoos that run their course through his body.
"Who are ye?" I ask. His demeanor is frightening and while he looks like he jumped off the pages of one of my good pirate novels he doesn't seem interested in letting us walk the plank.
"Scythe," he says, spitting on the floor. "Captain Silver Scythe. And these are me crew." He motions his hand towards the doorway where a group of filthy miscellaneous creatures lurk. They look like they haven't bathed in months and one is even drooling.
"What do you want with us?" Adlanniel asks. Her gaze is stern and forceful.
"Nothing really. We just want y'ar booty." Captain Scythe growls menacingly. Of course, this all is mostly drowned out by Tinco's muffled laughter. "Shut it ya wee immature frame of scraps!" The pirate captain smacks the net and they all go for a spin.
"But we don't have any loot. This isn't a ship of trade. It's a ship of travel." Sendaar chirps for the first time in a while. The pyroraptin looks at the dwarf with his head tilted.
"Isn't this the Class VI Thunder Transport? One of a kind airship, very high tech, very expensive. That is if we decide to sell it. I don't know boys, wouldn't it be great to fly our colors on a Class VI airship?" Scythe unsheathes his, well scythe, and raises it in the air for morale. Cheers of victory reign through the crowd of robbers as their leader makes his demands.
"So what are you going to do with us Captain Scythe?" Rilien frowns, grasping the net as tight as he can.
"You all," he says looking about the mass of prisoners, "will be delivered to the highest bidder. Well, almost all." Scythe looks down at the child, no more than twelve years old. "Our intel tells us that you could build us another one of these aerial beauties. We'll have a profitable alliance between the two of us. Heck, I may quit pirating and become a businessman. Where I come from and in these days, there's not much of a difference." His laughter reveals multiple silver teeth shined to perfection. The other teeth, however, are not that lucky.
His crew laughs heartily along with him. He then holds up a hand, signaling them to stop. They do so on command and grab our nets. A tall, pale blue, almost alien-looking creature with four sword-possessing arms slices the rope that suspends us in the air. Our nets, still tied at the top, fall to the floor with a thud. Two burly reptiloids, bipedal lizard creatures with thick green scales, pick up our webbed sacks and take us to the outside deck.
"What are you doing? I thought ye said ye were gon' sell us?!" I cry out, afraid that the next thing to happen to us will be being thrown overboard.
Captain Silver Scythe gives out another jolting laugh. "Do you think I'm going to trust you in y'ar own ship? Y'all are going to be guests in me own ship, the Black Battalion." His ship comes into view on our port side. It's not much bigger than ours, but it's heavily armed and well worn by the years of pillaging it's seen.
I choke on the wad of spit that is trying to force itself down. The silvery sails are frayed at the ends and have scorch marks all about. A dwarf skull with a scythe between its jaws is waving as the ship's pennant. The detail that decorates this ship is most disturbing: naked cherubim flutter across the banisters and the framework of the ship, sea serpents wrap their frames around the masts and their spines form bollards to tie down ropes, and let's not forget the the large, intimidating black chains scattered around and coiled up across the deck.
More mangy pirates creep out of the holes they hide in to come and get a good look at their new prisoners. Most need a good, long visit to the dentists and all need to bathe. I shrink back next to my group as they get closer with their long pirate swords. They step back though, when we are forced onward.
"Enjoy y'ar stay at our lovely bed an' breakfast inn, also called the brig." The pirate audience sniggers in the background as we are all shoved in the deck below into a large cell.
It's dark, damp, and musty. The only lighting being the terribly dim bulb in the hanging ceiling lamp and the light from the barred hatch that is closed above us. The floor is littered with garbage and food particles. A rat even scurries by. A rat.
'How cliche,' I think to myself.
"Don't even think about escaping," the pirate that locks us in says, giving the stink eye to Hotaru.
"I wouldn't dream of it," Hotaru snarls as he leaves us, shutting the only door in the room behind him.
The pirates all leave us to our silence, wondering what we could possibly do to escape. I sigh, drifting back to the thoughts of my last imprisonment. The idea gives me the shivers. Last time we were captured, the Mist was behind it. They had wanted my journal that I had been working on. It had just about every specimen known to the gryphon society.
Gryphons, being a species of great knowledge, have books upon books written by their greatest minds, making my journal a mere child's bedtime story. The League of Mist soon found out about their large exclusive library dedicated to the knowledge of the entire species and raped it of all its content. This raid killed hundreds, including my mother.
"So, how are we getting out of here?" Hotaru asks, looking at the five of us for answers. We are all silent, watching each other, hoping that someone has an idea.
"Wait until they have to reset the generator?" Tinco suggests with a hint of insecurity.
I squint, trying to think real hard about what he means. Rilien sees my confusion and aids in his robot companion's explanation.
"This is a Class III Warmonger airship. Class III ships have an old fashioned generator, unlike Class IV and up who's generators no longer work on pure steam power. Our ship works with a plasma core that can generate enough artificial steam to work with the old fashioned mechanics- which I do plan to upgrade in the future. Anyways, the-"
"Just get to the point, boy." Hotaru grumbles, irritated with the lengthy lecture.
"As I was saying," Rilien says annoyed at the interruption and the jab at his age, "the Class III airships have to constantly change out their heat supply that creates the steam. Most ships coordinate these routine switches with janitorial services. Those most normally happen past midnight, well, that is if they're following the standard procedures."
Sendaar looks at the digital clock that is implanted above the doorway in front of us. "It's only seven-thirty now. What do we do in the meantime?"
Adlanniel looks off into the barred skies above us. "We plan, we sort, and we wait."
Welp, that's all I've got f'er now. If ye really liked it and wish to continue reading and receive notifications of new chapters, click the book cover and find m'profile! Just hit the follow button and I'll be happy to send out notifications (which will in-turn be also sent to y'er email's inbox as a r'minder.) and progress reports on the book!
More chapters are in the comments section! I ran out of space in here, so I thought 'twould be best to just put the rest in the comments. I hope ye don't mind searching. ;D
Also, don't hesitate to leave a comment b'low, pick an option on the poll, and tell me what ye think! I love to hear feedback.
Many a thank ye,
~Eno
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wIGGLES IN EXCITEMENT
i approve of this enobab
do dah desert proud
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wIGGLES IN EXCITEMENT
i approve of this enobab
do dah desert proud
THANK YE, I SHALL.
DESERT FOAREVAH!
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Completely speechless o:
Love this ~!
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Completely speechless o:
Love this ~!
Thank ye Hakumi! I'm so glad ye like it. ^u^
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Are you sure you're not an author? Because this deserves to be on the shelves of bookstores right about now! The way you expressed every character's action and response, the details with every word that kept me pulled in and reading over and over... You are a god with a pen and paper my friend!
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Are you sure you're not an author? Because this deserves to be on the shelves of bookstores right about now! The way you expressed every character's action and response, the details with every word that kept me pulled in and reading over and over... You are a god with a pen and paper my friend!
Holy- wow. That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said 'bout m'writing. Thank ye so much! This made m'day. :D <3 *huggles*
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Are you sure you're not an author? Because this deserves to be on the shelves of bookstores right about now! The way you expressed every character's action and response, the details with every word that kept me pulled in and reading over and over... You are a god with a pen and paper my friend!
Holy- wow. That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said 'bout m'writing. Thank ye so much! This made m'day. :D <3 *huggles*
You're welcome! -Is huggled, pats.- You deserve the praise. <3
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'Allo dearies! I seem to 'ave run out of space in the main thread once again, so instead of making yet another thread, I'll just post the rest in the comments section! I do hope ye don't mind searching f'er the chapters in the comments section. (#>v<#)
Day Four ~ Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall
"Ugh, it's already one o'clock. When will we know they've started the changing process?" Sendaar moans, looking up at the sky. "And how close are you to picking that clock, robot?"
"We'll know when the lights go out, and I'm just about done, sir." Tinco responds humbly, working diligently with his lock pick tool that is handily concealed in one of his digits.
"We must be patient if we are to get out of here in one piece," Adlanniel advises us with a reprimanding tone and returns to playing with her scabbard.
I sigh and reluctantly wait for the time to come where we can escape. Escaping is something I've gotten rather well at over the past few months. Captured by the Mist twice and then caught by a surprise attack of a hired hand of the Mist, we can say we've been through a lot.
I look over at the clock and moan quietly to myself, my furred cheek pressing up against the cage wall. It feels like I'll never have one of those normal lives: being able to work on my antique refurbishing business, reading books, writing, and the like. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy writing my adventurous tales down for my mysterious audience, which is you by the way, but I do miss the life of an ordinary Yugurian.
My mind drifts for another half hour as I hum the tune of one of those catchy songs you sing when you're patiently waiting for something. If my ears don't deceive me, I can hear Hotaru humming along with me. Soon, it sounds like the whole company is humming the song. I try not to giggle, but I think of the option of starting a road band after this ordeal is done and over with.
Suddenly, on our fifty-seventh bottle of beer, the lights flicker and fade into darkness. "Well, that's our cue," Rilien says with a skip in his step. Tinco immediately pops the door open as Rilien walks over.
"What if we're spotted?" Sendaar asks, shifting his body nervously.
Tinco makes an enthusiastic expression and pops open his secret compartment on his torso to reveal the pistol he had stashed there just before we were captured. He gives it a twirl to show off his skills but drops the gun with his fumbling finger chasing after it. The robot snatches it out of the air and holds it casually as if the incident never happened.
"Well done Tinco!" Rilien praises him as he opens the door, waving for us to leave our oh-so-beloved cage.
I hurry on to Rilien and quietly pad over to the door. I look both ways before exiting into the hallway. The hall is completely dark and hard to see where it leads. I remember now with a sense of relief that I'm still wearing my bi-night-cular goggles, which with a name like that, happen to have night vision installed in the lenses. I'm not a fan of fumbling in the dark, and I'd like to see what, or who, is at the other end of the long, dark, creepy hall.
"Which way?" I whisper to Rilien, who happens to be studying the walls.
He looks at me and points to the right. Our band of friends let him take the lead. With utmost scrutiny, Rilien surveys the choice of directions in front of us and we follow without hesitation. Soon, we can see the stairs to the top of the deck.
Rilien warns us with a hand to be patient. We watch anxiously as he silently creeps to the stairs and peeks out the top. The boy waves his arms to us frantically. "Hurry up!" he mouths to us as he pulls the air toward him with all his might, as if he were to pull us with it.
I scramble over to him, following the rest of the gang. My heart is pounding with adrenaline, as if it might explode at any minute. My mind is in a million places, trying to return its full concentration at the task at hand. I'm asking myself multiple questions that, to be honest, I don't want the answers to.
"Quit shaking, you'll rattle the timbers of the ship!" Hotaru hisses out of the corner of his mouth. I didn't even notice I was shaking. I lower my head embarrassed and hold my legs as still as possible. Now instead of hearing creaking floorboards you hear my heavy breathing.
If you haven't noticed already, I suffer from a bit of anxiety. Well, who wouldn't after going through all this hullabaloo? I mean, really. Who?
Before Hotaru can give me the evil eye again, I lower my breathing. We are creeping up to the top of the deck. I, scared out of my wits, hide my tail underneath myself. I can see shadows wafting about on the deck floor. One is bound to see us. We're doomed!
"Go, go now!" Rilien whispers to me, shoving me forward. I run as quietly as possible in the direction that he pushed. Adlanniel grabs me by my scarf and pulls me over a bridge that connects the two ships. I'm then shoved by another member of the party behind a large stack of crates.
"Would ye all stop it?" I growl, feeling absolutely worthless on this mission. "I can walk by m'self ye know."
"Fine," Hotaru mumbles with a snort.
"Where to now?" Sendaar squawks in a hushed tone, peeking out from behind our cover. Pirates have invaded our deck. They're mostly snoozing, others are walking above us in the crow's nest, and one is at the wheel, carefully keeping an eye on it.
"Below deck, we can turn off the generator from there." Adlanniel says, as she returns to us with blades in hand.
We all look frightened and confused, well, all except Rilien and Tinco. "Oh, excellent idea! Come on now, we don't have time to lose. They'll see that were gone soon."
The three of elven origins dart off to the door that leads downstairs. The rest of us, not wanting to be left behind, quickly follow suit. It doesn't take us long to reach the generator. No one is guarding the lower decks of the ship, so we pass by the halls less than cautiously to the generator room.
"Hurry we've got to reset the generator!" Rilien quickly hops up on the generator, which is twin his size, and begins to fiddle around with who-knows-what. Tinco and I assist the service bots, who are all tied up together in a group. They immediately go to help their maker, Rilien, in resetting the generator.
"Almost done," Adlanniel muffles from underneath a section of the generator.
I assist Tinco in retrieving and delivering tools to the two elves, who are focused on their task. My hands shake as I go to pick up a wrench and deliver it to Adlanniel. She takes it from me without even looking up from her work and continues to unscrew a panel off of the generator.
"Got it!" she exclaims. I sigh, finally feeling that this all may be over.
"What in blue blazes do ya think you're doing?!" We jump in surprise to see Captain Scythe standing in the doorway. He unsheathes his scythe-like axe and charges toward us. My feathers fluff up in fright and scramble back a ways toward the generator.
Pang!
The captain falls to the floor, splinters flying everywhere. Adlanniel leaps on top of the dwarf and subdued him to the floor, making sure he doesn't try to escape. A service bot aids her and retrieves some rope from the far corner of the room. She ties Scythe up firmly in a hogtie.
"Nice shot," I say, turning to Rilien, who holds the smoking gun. He shot the pirate captain right in the center of the wooden part of the peg leg, causing the wood to shatter.
"Turn off the generator, Rilien!" Adlanniel calls, rushing him to continue his work.
"Oh, right!" He jumps to the open side of the generator and begins to tug at wires.
"What are you all thinking?! You're mad! You-" The pirate is silenced by our she-elf, who takes the leftover rope and shoves it inside his mouth.
The sound of energy draining from the ship is truly frightening. The lights fade to black, and we all sit in darkness. Confused, I try to comprehend what the point of this is.
"You might want to hold onto something." Tinco says sheepishly. I scramble over to the wall that has railings, for who knows what reason. Perhaps it's here for this exact reason.
I start to feel a sinking feeling in my stomach. No, really, we're falling out of the sky. I can hear the cries of the pirate crew that are flying off the deck as we plummet to the ground.
"Get us back online!" Adlanniel cries, grasping her rail as tight as she can. I sort of feel bad for Scythe, who isn't able to hold onto anything, and is now resting his face on the ceiling.
"I'm trying!" Rilien shouts, working in the dark. My green lenses from the goggles show him using his own pair of the night vision goggles to plug the wires back in. I chatter my teeth, wondering how far we are to splattering across the Nether Region's earth.
The last wire is plugged in, and we jolt to a halting stop. Captain Scythe drops from the ceiling with a thud. Serves him right, I guess. It's his fault, after all, for trying to steal our ship.
"We're all good. Addie, mind taking the wheel for a bit? Tinco and I are going to get to work on the generator- patch up the open sections."
Adlanniel smiles and nods to Rilien. She walks by, exiting to tend to the wheel. Hotaru follows her and turns his head to us, "I'll stand guard. In case any pirates remain on the ship, although I doubt with the sheer force of the drop any survived on the top deck."
"Enoki, mind taking our guest to his quarters in the holding deck on level three?" Rilien asks, placing a welding gun on the generator's top.
"S-sure. Anything else after that?" I ask, with a yawn. After all, we've been up all night.
"Nope, nothing comes to mind. You can head back to your quarters if you want to get some rest. We'll all be taking turns at the wheel today so everyone can get the adequate amount of sleep."
I nod without another word. Grabbing the rope that's tied around Captain Scythe's limbs, I drag him out into the hall. He looks at me with a most heated gaze.
"Don't look at me like that. Y'er the one that caused all this trouble. 'Tis y'er own fault. Anyhow, we're trying to save this world some trouble and we don't 'ave time f'er marauders like y'erself. Y'er lucky Rilien doesn't toss ye overboard. He doesn't like when people mess with his ships." The dwarf clenches his jaw down upon the rope and it seems like he's trying to make some obscene gesture. Oh, this is going to be a long expedition.
Day Five-ish ~ It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
Crash! Ka-pow!
"Gyah!" Jumping out of the large cot I have been slumbering in, I land on the floor shaken. Could it be another attack from the pirates?
I immediately sling my satchel around my waist and equip my goggles atop of my forehead, preparing myself for an assailant to pop out of my closet or emerge from under the bed at any moment. Shakily, I open the door of the sleeping quarters and creep along the hallway to the outside deck. Slowly, I peer out the door to be smacked in the face with something cold and wet. Rain. The wind bursts through the door and swings me aside.
"What a rush!" I exclaim with shock. The villainous wind throws its billows of damp punches at the door, causing it to repeatedly bang against the wall. Like an iconic horror story, I make my way through the door into the outside world full of stormy monsters, awaiting their turn to strike.
Ka-crack!
The lightning strikes once more as I protect my face with my wing from the battering winds and tormenting rain. I turn my head to behind me, atop the captain's deck, where the wheel resides. By the wheel is Adlanniel and next to her is my brother.
"Still at the wheel?" I inquire of the two. I would've thought by now that their shift would have ended. Poor Hotaru, troubled by his arch nemesis, water, staggers behind the she-elf drenched in every possible volcanic nook and cranny. He's quite the good sport.
"Tinco cannot be at the wheel in such conditions, so instead of short intervals, we're taking longer shifts. I just hope this rain lets up." Adlanniel explains. Her posture is lacking; she's slouched slightly over the wheel and her eyes are darkened.
"Would ye mind me taking her f'er a spin? I'm sure Rilien wouldn't mind being m'spotter." I ask, hoping that they will accept my offer and allow me to give them a break. I had been up earlier to take a turn at the wheel, but I feel rested enough to take another go.
Adlanniel sighs with relief and nods, full of exhaustion. Hotaru mumbles a word of thanks and he escorts our friend below deck. A few moments later, Rilien appears. He lets out a yawn and stretches his arms. Standing next to me, Rilien barely passes my elbow. I've never actually noticed how short he was until now.
"It's almost midnight. We should be about there in a few." Rilien walks over to the railing and scans the bleak horizon.
Clouds consume my vision. My only way of knowing I'm heading in the right direction is the compass that is pointing me in the right direction. "Where are we, exactly?" Lightning cracks the dark sky in two pieces. I jump, startled at the sudden clap of thunder.
"We're over the Toropikaru Ocean in the Volcanic Isles. Oashisu isn't too far off now!" Rilien says with excitement. I, too, am glad to hear that we will be able to escape this tropical storm soon.
"Nothing can stop us-"
Pa-pow!
"Pirates!" I screech with horror. A cannon ball flies past our ship with terrifying speeds. I hurry to turn the ship to avoid the cannon fire, but I'm not skilled at steering.
"Let me! Get downstairs and ready the cannons?"
"We 'ave cannons?" I mumble within my dazed world. The shock of the pirates' return has overwhelmed my thought process.
"Yes, now go!" Rilien slaps my side to get me moving. I yelp and scamper in a hurry to the decks below.
"Pirates! Pirates!" I cry, running through the halls looking for the others. The sound of the cannons firing from the pirate ship explode like fireworks around my ears.
"This way, sir!" Tinco waves at the cross section ahead and jogs down the right hallway. My body fumbles vigorously through the hallway, knocking over crates and barrels of supplies.
He shows me to a room blocked my a metal door. We crank the circular handle round and round to unlock the door and pull it open. Inside is a bunch of tech and what appears to be the controls to a heavy-firing plasma cannon.
Tinco lifts a large, glowing orb and shoves it into a unit beside the controls. He shuts the door to the unit and locks it. The machine makes a click sound and the familiar start-up noise that lets us know it's booting up. "You think you can pilot this cannon?" He inquires as he sets another orb next to the machinery.
The cockpit of the controls is its own room, very small and confined might I add, and the controls are only accessible by sitting in the chair. The chair being about as big as my arm. I examine this cockpit with a pinch of worry.
"I can't even fit m'head in there!" I exclaim at last. "Let alone the controls! They're joystick controls. My hands don't 'ave 'nuff finesse to work that thing." My feathers ruffle and my chest moans with grief. I plant myself next to a lonely potted plant that sits on a desk.
Wait. A plant.
"I've got an idea." I say with a hint of hope. I dash some of my so-called pollen on the plant and squeeze my arm inside the cockpit to place the pot in the pilot chair.
"Oh dear, you must be joking," Tinco whispers frightened. "That's the master's bromeliad. You're not seriously thinking of turning it into some sort of plant minion, are you?"
"Do ye 'ave any other ideas? M'hands can't fit in there and ye don't seem to be fit f'er battle. B'sides, what could go wrong?" I try to think positive as I send neural command signals to the pollen that is covering the common household plant. The pollen does its work and seeps into the cell structure of the plant, creating its own network inside the plant body.
With my eyes closed, I hear Tinco mumbling a list of outcomes in the background, most of which aren't very pleasant. I've only just discovered the power to evolve - for the lack of a better word - plants and create an almost sentient being.
I open my eyes to see the plant situated at the controls. It now has to long stem arms, one grasping the joystick and the other flipping switches. My smile broadens to show my pearly white fangs as it aims the cannon at the approaching vessel and fires.
Bang!
It skims the side of the airship and blows a hole near the back of the frame. "Excellent!" I praise the plant with a hoot. The plant seems to throw a fist in the air with triumph.
The ship looks like it's losing altitude and I feel like we may actually lose them. They start to vanish out of site, but before they are enveloped by fog completely one last shot fires from their cannons.
A sound of exploding air rumbles through our ship walls. "Oh dear," Tinco wails, throwing his arms up in the air. "We're doomed! One of the balloons has burst."
"Everyone hold on!" The voice of Rilien is emitted through a speaker in the corner of the room. "I'm going for the desert portal; we can still make it!"
The sound of explosions intensifies. Whatever is exploding on the ship spells certain doom for the Thunder Transport and us. I start screaming as the feeling of falling out of the sky starts to develop in my body. Tinco joins in and my potted friend jumps out of its soil and into my arms emitting a high pitched squeal.
We're doomed! Is the last thing that comes into my mind as I black out, yet again, from all the horror.
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this story sounds really good! : ) im definantly gonna keep reading them
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Thanks Chkn! :D
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Day Six ~ The Sun is in My Eyes
The burning sensation of granules coating my body brings me back to life. I pop my head up out of the sand dune that has formed around me. Coughing out sand, I choke on my cry for assistance; no one seems to be nearby.
I look to the sky to see a blazing trail of smoke leading far off into the distant waves of sand. Sweat trickles down my sides as I think of the possibility of flying. The heat slowly drains my energy while I dig myself out of the dune. You can imagine the alarm that crosses my face when I hear the faint squeals of a small pile of sand speaking to me.
Shuddering off the remaining particles, I begin to work on the small dune. The squeaking gets louder with each scoop full of sand that I remove. Squeaks turn to cries for help as a leaf-like head appears.
"Hey you!" I exclaim with delight, feeling less lonely with my plant companion at my side. The frightened creature slinks out of the dune with its tentacle-esque roots it uses for walking. It certainly has evolved since we crashed. Oh, right, I almost forgot about that pertinent detail. I guess I best go find the others then.
"I suppose the rest of our gang is in that direction," I say to the plant, pointing off in the direction where the trail of smoke meets the sandy horizon. It squeals with delight and starts trailing that way. I smile at its determination and follow.
"I guess I should give ye a name," I call out to the plant, who seems to be humming gleefully as it scurries across the floor. It jumps at the idea and gives a happy squeal. "Hmm, how about Leif?" The little bundle of greenery bounces about at the sound of the proposed name. I laugh and smile as the sun bakes me alive. "Very well, Leif 'tis." I wipe my brow of sweat and move onward.
The scorching heat soon isn't the only thing terrorizing me. My nemesis, the wind, begins throwing sand at me. Pelted with granules of tropical dirt, I pull my goggles over my eyes. I thank Rilien in my head countless times for creating these for me.
We trudge on, facing the wind head on at an attempt to climb over the hilly dunes that stand before us and our friends. The harsh wind gives her best shot at forcing us back down the sandy mountain. My new plant friend tumbles down the hill after one large blast of sand and wind.
With a shriek of concern, I gallop down after him. I scoop him up in a motherly fashion and place him on to my back. From there, I carry us up the steep dune, hoping that flat surfaces await us. To my dismay, when I reach the top there is nothing but hills and peaks.
"Oh boy," I mutter in a dry voice. My throat is parched from the hot wind and scorching sand that has blown its way into my mouth and crevices I didn't know we're on my body. Leif fans me with his leaves, which is most considerate of him to do.
Carefully, we slide down the sandy dune onto another slightly shorter dune peak. Out of the corner of my eye I see a frame run by. "Wait!" I cry out, assuming it's one of my friends. Who else would be out in this horrendous heat? Unfortunately, the person doesn't hear me and disappears into the sand. I try to follow them, but soon lose track of where they went and head back toward the smokey trail.
"Must 'ave been a mirage," I tell myself as I clamber up onto another dune peak. The time seems to pass by in a strange trancelike state. I feel like time has stopped in the desert, yet at the same time I feel like it has been hours since we first started off.
I choke on the lack of moisture in my throat and mouth and collapse on the dune. Deciding to take a small break, I allow myself to sit there for a moment until the sand decides to break away underneath me and causes me to tumble downward to the valley of sand below. I expect to hit the hot sand, but instead I land on feathers.
"Hey!" A shrill voice cuts the air like a knife. I roll off the body of feathers muttering apologies, but the creature comes down on me like a ferocious beast, taloned hand on my throat. "What do y- Enoki?" The familiar head of my dear friend Shadequill looks at me in shock.
"Shade!" I cry with joy to see a familiar face, "and Professor Blacktalon! What are ye two doing out here?" I ask with curiosity.
The Professor laughs, "What do you mean? We had planned to meet you all in this realm, remember?" Blacktalon assists me up out of the sand.
"Oh, right," I say.
"I told you we should have went with them. We would have gotten here a lot faster," Shade teases her beloved mentor and friend.
Blacktalon waves the remark off with his talons. "Bah, my airship works just as fast as that elven boy's. Besides, we wanted to pick a few supplies up."
"Ye 'ave supplies? And where's y'er airship?" I gasp, relieved that I won't have to walk much longer. The idea of cool air and transportation sounds so lovely in this arid environment.
Shadequill pats the backpack she's wearing with her beak. "Well, we have the supplies, but I'm afraid we're out of fuel. We didn't have enough space to hold the extra fuel, so we gave it to Rilien to keep in the Thunder Transport. We were actually trying to radio him when you landed on me."
"Our ship was attacked by pirates. We almost didn't make it here. Our ship crashed over there," I pointed to where the sand and the smoke met. Both the gryphons gasp at the news.
"Oh no! Is everyone alright?" Shade questions me, worried about our friends. The Professor strokes his feathers, thinking.
"I- I'm not sure. I was separated from the crash site. I was headed over there with Leif now."
"Who is Leif?" Blacktalon asks, looking around to find who I am speaking of. The plant being hops up from my back onto the top of my head. The two scientists jump back in surprise but quickly come over to investigate.
"Oh, he's adorable!" Shade says as she strokes his head.
"It seems as though your powers are growing. We should study this progress later when we have the time," Achilles Blacktalon speaks as he inspects the creature. Leif chirps happily, enjoying all the attention.
"Well, if the ship crashed and is heavily damaged, we may not be able to contact them via radio. We might want to head there on foot. If Enoki is right, they'll be over there at the crash site," Shadequill states, packing the radio equipment up and hoisting it into the Professor's bag.
Achilles agrees with a nod of his head and begins to climb the sand dune that I fell off of. Shadequill follows him immediately and I follow her.
"A while ago, I saw a figure running by through the dunes. I'd say it was a mile or two from here, of course 'tis hard to tell since everything looks the same. Could that 'ave been ye?" I ask Shade as we reach the top.
"No, it wasn't us. We got here only twenty minutes ago. What do you think it was, Eno?"
I shrug as we walk on. "I don't know. Maybe a mirage, but do mirages move like that? I've never seen a mirage b'fore, but it seemed far too real."
"There are many creatures living in the desert, some very dangerous" Blacktalon says, looking up at the sky, "Most stay hidden throughout the day, but let's just hope we reach the crash by nightfall."
"Why? Is that when they come out?" I ask curious.
"No, no, my boy, it isn't the creatures you should be worried about. It's how cold it gets in the dark."
Day Seven ~ It Always Feels Like Somebody's Watching Me
"What was that?" A noise echoes through the small, rocky canyon we're walking in. It's really too small to be considered an actual canyon, but it has the same properties as one, so that's what I'm going to call it.
"It was nothing Eno. I don't hear anything," Shade sighs after me asking them that for the fifth time this hour.
We've been waking all day and night and now the moon was high in the sky and passing over us to rest behind the western horizon. Morning will soon arrive, yet it is still dark which worries me. I can't help but think of all the horrendous creatures that are following us. I know someone is following us, I can hear their whispers.
The cold has done nothing compared to the horrors lurking in the back of my mind. Are there monsters creeping up behind me, waiting to eat me? I shudder at the thought and am brought back to reality by the voice of Blacktalon.
"Don't let your childish fears get the best of you. The desert may be a dangerous place, but I can guarantee you that the citizens of this realm are far less savage than you think." He turns his head to look at me behind him. The Professor blinks slowly and returns to watching where he is going.
Leif let's out a yawn and stretches on my back. He reclines back into a curled up position and falls back asleep. I sigh and look at the long journey ahead of us. "I need to rest soon- I can barely keep m'eyes open."
"I agree," says Shade, letting herself yawn along with the sleeping Leif.
"We're almost there, just a little further," Blacktalon replies, practically unwavering at the sleepiness that surrounds him. I'm simply amazed sometimes at my teacher. Although he cares about people and things, he very rarely shows emotion. Tinco, an automaton, shows more emotion than Blacktalon. But I guess that is a bit misleading because Tinco really is one of a kind.
"Oh my," Shade breathes with shock. She immediately charges past Blacktalon and heads over to what I now see to be the crash site.
The Thunder Transport lies almost vertical up against one of the sides of the mini-canyon. Electrical sparks can be seen jumping through the cracked hull. The balloons are sprawled out on all ends of the crash site. Not a single person can be seen.
"Addy? Rilien? Hot? Where are you!? Tinco?" Shadequill beckons, running around the crash looking for our friends.
I scamper over to the crash site in a hurry and examine it. Shade flies to the top deck and starts searching on board. I scan the perimeter for any signs of exit, but the wind has blown any evidence of footprints away.
"Be careful!" Blacktalon calls out to us both as I land on the deck to helps Shadequill search, "The ship may not be stable." I nod to him, keeping that in mind as I creep along the platform into the lower decks.
The walls and flooring creak as I walk around. Whispering like the whole thing may avalanche on top of me, I call for my friends. No one replies, which both relieves me and terrifies me. Deck after deck, Shade and I explore the belly of the beast but find absolutely nothing.
"Eno!" Shade cries out to me and my heart flutters with anxiety. I rush over as fast as I can go where she stands. She's in the holding deck where we were keeping Captain Scythe. The metal barred door we were keeping him behind is broken and there's no sign of him or Sendaar, who was keeping watch over him in case he tried to escape.
"I- I'm sure he's okay. Maybe Sendaar broke open the door to take Scythe with them?" I place a hand on Shade's shoulder, using my other one to balance myself on the floor. It's sometimes difficult to use your hands when they also are used as feet, especially when you are walking up on an angle.
Shade gives me a worried look with tears in her eyes. I felt the same way; they were our friends, and I didn't want anything bad to happen to them. What would I tell Vahra if her husband didn't return home?
"Miss Melantha," the Professor calls to Shade, "would you be a dear and come here."
Something's not right. The Professor never uses a last name basis on either of us. Could it be Scythe, or worse? I mouth my thoughts and concerned to Shade, who has also picked up on this fishy situation. Blacktalon sounded like he is still on the ground, which isn't too far away from us since we're on one of the levels closest to the bottom.
"Coming Professor!" she answers him casually. As we are slowly walking up through the decks, I look for something to defend us with. Unfortunately, we didn't seem to rely on weapons for this trip and didn't pack any.
That's kind of odd, actually. Why didn't we pack weapons for this trip when we knew what we were getting ourselves into? "The place is picked clean of anything valuable," Shade confirms my observation as we head up the steps to the final level before the main deck. "Whoever took our weapons and supplies must be who is with Blacktalon. They must have been waiting for someone else to pass by; they knew we were coming."
I slap the step with anger and keep walking. I knew I felt as if we were being watched. I felt like I've been watched since I first got here. Whoever they are, they better not have hurt my friends.
We exit the last door to the main deck and cautiously look around, awaiting an ambush. "Professor?" I call out, frightened that something may pop out from behind me and hit me in the head. I am blacking out on a very unhealthy level.
"Down here if you would, Mr. Gryphoclaw," Achilles Blacktalon insists. Now I know for certain something is up.
I look at Shade and point below us to the ground. We communicate with charades to plan an attack if things go south. Finally agreeing on our plan, we dive down in ferocious speeds to Blacktalon. We form a triangle of defense, with the Professor looking very confused.
"What's wrong?" I whisper in a rushed tone.
"Miss Melantha, how is your Langkrat?" the Professor asks, looking around nervously.
"Fairly rusty, why?" Shade and I look in the directions he keeps glancing at.
"Because I think we're going to need it," he says as a frame runs by on the canyon wall. More begin to pour in on the ledges and crevices of the canyon and I now see face to face what has been stalking me this whole time.
The arid langkrat, also known as the desert langkrat, is a stealthy felid that lives in canyons and other rock formations which explains why they are here. Tall and somewhat lanky, they stand on two legs rather than all four. From far away, it appears like they have Siamese markings, but up close you can see that it isn't quite markings that make them that color. Natural body armor, is more like it. It also is used as a fancy way to cool down by absorbing the radiation from the sun. Quite clever, yes?
"I believe we have encroached on their territory, and I don't believe they're quite happy about it. Can you ask them what happened to our friends and that we are just looking for them?" The Professor backs up as the tallest of the bunch jumps down from their perch on the canyon wall and approaches us.
The creature babbles in some odd language that I have no way of interpreting. I look to Shade nervously as sweat begins to form on my body. She quickly begins chattering in the same odd language. Soon, the two are in a long discussion that seems to fly by very fast.
"The langkrat culture revolves around quick movements and precision, so a speedy language is best for them so they can get things done in a hurry like hunting, scavenging, or running away." Blacktalon explains to me as Shade and the langkrat discuss the situation we're in.
Finally, they finish they're chat and Shadequill fills us in on the details. "They said they took Addy and the rest of them to their village as prisoners for violating their territory and claimed all our supplies as loot."
"Will they release them?" Professor Blacktalon asks, looking over Shade's shoulder at the langkrat she had spoken to.
"She said they will take us to them and will hold us for questioning. Once they deem us not a threat, they will release us. I'm sorry, I would have protested, but I don't know that many words of their language." Shade's wings droop in embarrassment.
"Not to worry my dear. You did the best you could. I am proud of you," the Professor lays a taloned hand on her and comforts her. "Tell her we are ready to depart to their village."
A little more speed talking later, Shade tells us the new development, "She says they will have to cover our faces, so we do not know the way to their home."
I moan a little and the Professor heaves a sigh. "Very well, let's get this over with. We must abide by their rules of we are to get any trust out of them," Blacktalon says and he offers his head for the sack that the female langkrat is holding.
"Ladies first," I say sarcastically and curtsy at Shade. She laughs and smirks at me.
"It's good to see that you don't lose your humor in tough situations," Shade says before the bag is placed over her head.
"Tough? Compared to everything else I've been through, this is a walk in the park!"
Day Eight ~ Down the Rabbit Hole
All I see is darkness, well, that and specks of light through the holes in the weaving, but let's not get technical. Finally, the sackcloth is removed and all I see is a big hole. The lot of us look around at each other trying to see if anyone gathers what we're supposed to do now.
Shade interprets the lady langkrat, "I believe they want us to head inside."
"Inside? Ye mean that giant, gaping hole to which we know not where it leads?" I quietly protest between the three of us. Leif, still sleeping, pays no part in the argument.
"Oh, come now, where's your sense of adventure, boy? Take a plunge into the unknown," Blacktalon tries to persuade me as he follows the langkrats inside the hole.
"Yeah, been there done that and I ended up gone f'er over a month," I reply as Shadequill laughs at me and follows the Professor inside. I heave a sigh and walk into the hole, doubting my life choices. "F'er once, I'd like to not take chances and just enj-gyaaah!" Three steps in and I slip and fall down a steep cliff. I slide on surprisingly soft, moist earth, not slowing for anything.
The winding and muddy tunnel carries me through darkness and into a bright cavern. A short scream emits from my maw as I plunge through the end of the slippery tunnel and into a large body of warm water. Twinkling lights rest on the ceiling of the cavern. The pool reflects these lights from what appears to be many glowing maggots upon closer inspection.
Struggling to keep myself afloat, Leif awakens. His cries of fear fill the cave with countless echoes. I try to console him as he wraps his rooted legs around my neck. It's only the voice of my dear friends that eventually calm the plant creature.
"Over here, lad!" Blacktalon calls out on solid ground. He, Shade, and the other langkrats are all wet and slightly muddy from the travel. I happily swim over to them, relieved I won't be alone traveling this underground world.
"I was afraid I had taken a wrong turn," I laugh, assuming my clumsy mud slide had been a terrible mistake.
Shade and Blacktalon laugh along with me. "As did we. It was only after we took the plunge into the spring that we realized that this was the way the langkrats get to their secluded home," Shade says with a chipper tone. "It's all so wonderful! Look at all the carvings," she scampers over to one of the cavern walls and examines the carvings in detail, "and the glowing worms! I bet you they are a derivation from the Elateridae family. If only we had time to study them," the gryphon stares at the worms with wonder and I nearly laugh thinking of how similar we are. About a month ago, I'd be wanting to do the same, but now I realize there are matters more pressing than zoology at the moment that we must indulge in.
"Come now, or we'll be left behind!" Blacktalon nudges Shade with his head and we move on into the tunnel that the langkrats have started on.
The walk is mostly silent, besides the anxious chatter of the langkrats. They continue to speak amongst themselves as we travel but a few feet behind. My curiosity gets the best of me and I ask Shade to translate. She merely shrugs after listening in for a couple minutes. I guess she too cannot keep up with their chitchat.
"Look," I breathe quietly. The light at the end of the tunnel is bright and promising. Hoots of joy come from the langkrats as they run and jump to meet their kin on the other side. As we emerge, I can't help feeling those overwhelming emotions that I had when I first laid eyes on the great city of the sky elves, wonder and amazement.
As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but cliff side. Waterfalls trickle out of the cracks in some places which fill aqueducts, taking the water to who-knows-where. Elegant carvings of ancient langkrats reach out of the walls and look down upon us. Where there aren't carvings or waterfalls there are the natural beauties of rock formations jutting out to create a glorious but dangerous view.
"Welcome to our home," an elder langkrat approaches us, garbed in red cloth and turquoise beads. His head is covered by an elegant crown of woven grass and earth tones feathers.
The leader of the scout team that had found us approaches the elder and kneels respectfully. "My daughter," he smiles and takers her one paw-like hand and lifts her from her lower position. From then on their conversation is in the form of the langkrats and hand motions.
"Sign language, how resourceful!" I say in a whispered tone to my friend and professor. They both nod in agreement and then look at the langkrats conversing.
The elder turns from his daughter and looks at us to speak, "I'm sorry for all the secrecy, but we must be careful of who knows our location. The Mist have made themselves a home in this realm and we must be cautious. I am Zuvan and this is my daughter, Shanira."
Shanira takes a bow and smiles. "It... is a pleasure... to meet you," she stutters out in the common Yugurian language.
"I must apologize, we are not fluent in your language. Very few of us can speak it, and even fewer can speak it fluently," Zuvan apologizes and performs a small bow. "Now come, we have a few questions we must ask you and the rest of your company."
We travel on a road that has been etched into the canyon walls. The canyons are very deep and go down a long ways as well as above us. The sun barely reaches us from where we are positioned. The echoes of the waterfalls fill my ears and rattle my body with its thunderous pounding.
"Ye mentioned the Mist, do ye know what they're up to?" I ask very curious to hear what they know. Perhaps they can give us much needed information on our mission.
"I'm afraid... we stay... away... from Mist. Don't know much," Shanira mutters unconfidently to us.
Her father elaborates, "she's right. We try our very best not to get involved with anything the Mist does. I'd advise you to do the same." That is when I decide not to further venture in the topic. They may not appreciate the fact that we are about to meddle with the League of Mist like a kid with a magnifying glass messing with an anthill.
We arrive shortly at a large dome. The dome is immense, taking up about as much space as a shop in the square at the Yugurian Guard headquarters. It is like a beautiful patchwork quilt covering a tent frame. The mismatching style follows through to the inside of the dome. Scavenged parts make up the housed town making it look like a stylish garage sale.
The entire city is made up into sections. Each place is separated by fabric and more scavenged junk from who-knows-where. It's a rather crafty way of using what you can find and make the best of it. You'd expect a town like this to be boisterous, but many of the wandering langkrats are conversing by using their sign language. I spy many stores set up by wandering merchants and it quickly reminds me of my merchant friend, Suna. Oh, how I've missed trading with the caravans.
"It's beautiful here," Shadequill admires the colorful patchwork sky. Turquoise blues, magentas, oranges, and countless shades of red fill the area with a surreal feeling of being inside a stained glass window.
Blacktalon laughs and pulls us along. "Come now, children. We didn't come here to gawk like tourists. There's no time for that now," he chides us and we both moan with disappointment. Professor Achilles Blacktalon, always there to bring you back to reality.
"Come," Shanira says and pulls back a curtain door to one of the sectioned off areas of the dome town. We all pour inside the room and are delighted at the very moment we spot our friends.
"Hey!" Rilien says with excitement as he jumps from his chair and runs to hug us. We all laugh and return the hugs given to us. "We were worried you might not find us," he adds with a sense of relief seeing us.
"What took you so long, nerd?" Hotaru smirks and swats me in the backside. I growl playfully and give him a joking smack to his shoulder. Addy and Shade hug it out like two sisters and Tinco awkwardly shakes hands with the Professor.
"Well, if you don't mind, now that you've all been reunited would you please sit down for our questions?" Zuvan asks politely, showing us to our seats.
"Oh, of course. Let's all have a seat," Blacktalon agrees and sits in one of the unoccupied chairs the best way he can in his quadrupedal body. Everyone follows the Professor's lead and sits.
The young miss Shanira sits down in front of us and speaks, "this... will... not take long." A langkrat steps forward and hands Shanira cards with items listed. "Now, shall we... begin?"
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Hey all! I 'ave a huge favor to ask. I entered both my novels into a fantasy novel competition on Wattpad and I need some of m'readers to vote f'er me! I now realize that some of these other competitors 'ave a bunch of Wattpad followers to tag, and sadly I'm fresh out of anyone to tag (at least anyone I think that would actually look at it and vote). So, please, if ye've been reading, give ol' Eno some love and vote f'er either one of her books, 'twould mean a lot to me. (Ye'll need an account on Wattpad to vote though. ;3;) Just be sure to post y'er vote in the format that the judges 'ave provided or else 'twon't count. I'd be f'erever in y'er debt and m'gratitude would be everlasting.
Vote Here! (http://my.w.tt/UiNb/9whHj2SJMv)
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Dang, I 'aven't updated this in f'erever! Here's one of the more recent chapters of Oashisu's Scorn! Don't f'erget to give me a follow on Wattpad @Dreaming_Fantasies and give a like to the chapter!
Day Fourteen ~ I Faint at the Sight of Blood
We have been traveling down the many paths provided to us by the Emperor Vuil Draak. Barely have rested for three hours, we're exhausted- or at least I am.
"Can you please keep up?" Hotaru hisses once again as I lag behind him for the fifth time today. "We have barely a day left to find an kill this creature, and we haven't even taken into considerable the time it will take to travel back out of the caves," he reminds me, again, for the fifth time.
I moan, troubled at the idea of killing the poor thing. I've never considered hunting a fun sport, just something out of necessity when your out in the wilderness. Also, I happen to be a bit squeamish at the sight of blood, or any bodily fluid for that matter. Fighting for my life is all fine and dandy until someone is spilling guts on the battlefield. That's usually when I spill my lunch, which is already pre-digested for everyone's convenience.
"I'd like to know how we're going to get this horn off its head!" I scowl at him, seeing that he is so eager to complete this mission. He doesn't look back at me to reply, but just continues down the monotonous path of dirt and rock. I can smell the scent of a most horrid odor; almost one of rotting flesh. "Oh, what is that ghastly smell?" Dry heaving, I kneel over like a dying horse onto the side of the tunnel.
"We're close," Hotaru grumbles, not even phased by the awful stench.
"Can ye not smell that, or is m'brother part machine?" I ask, giving him an irritated shove. It drives me nuts when he gets into these indifferent episodes. He wants to look like he's "all that" and hides any emotions he may have in an impenetrable fortress deep within his soul; it's rather unnerving to be around him when he's like this. I can't ever keep my thoughts and feelings to myself. If I did, I'd most likely go insane.
"I can, it's just that I don't announce it. Now shut up, it probably already senses us here and having you gabbing isn't helping our situation." With that, he flaps his wings twice and takes off to glide the rest of the way. I follow his lead, not wanting to be left behind.
The tunnel begins to echo with the sound of howling wind. Once fresh air, now stale and forever gaining in putrid fetor, begins to rise in temperature. The cool color palette of the tunnels turn from gray to bleeding red. Ceilings begin to rise and the end of the path grows ever more bright. My heart pace quickens as thoughts flush into my mind and my senses awaken. Details I don't normally perceive drown me in their wake.
"Wait," I whisper to Hotaru, stopping mid-flight. My head gets dizzy as I can somehow feel something around the corner. I can see the beast. I motion for Hotaru to land. "'Tis around the corner, and, and 'tis sleeping."
"And how do you know this?" Hotaru asks, questioning my intuition.
"I- I don't know. I just, know."
"Alright then, let's go and kill the thing," he says.
I stop him quickly. "Woah, woah, woah! Why do we 'ave to kill it?" He looks at me as if I'm stupid as I blurt out my question.
"If we don't, we don't get the horn, and if we don't get the horn we die. Get it?" His sarcasm strikes once again and he slowly creeps up to the turn, where the sleeping beast hides behind.
"But there's another way!" I yell in a whispered hush.
He stops in his tracks, whips around and rolls his eyes. "Please, do explain."
A smile escapes my muzzle, knowing that I have him right where I want him. "We can give him a small anesthetic to keep him asleep while we simply cut off his horn. Cindel won't know the difference!"
"I beg to differ. What if the beast shows its face? Cindel isn't Skooks; she will notice," he retorts, plopping on the ground like a lazy lion awaiting the lionesses to return from their hunt.
"We could block the entrance."
"They dig through the ground using their face. Do you really think blocking the entrance will do anything?"
"Can we at least try it?" I frown, getting irritated. I am trying my best to get myself out of this terrible situation and he is managing to keep putting me right back in it.
"Sure. It will be a much more believable victory if you get eaten anyway," he laughs.
I gasp in horror, "Y'er a terrible brother."
"And you're a terrible soldier. What do you think the Mist is going to have us doing? Interior decorating?"
I follow him slowly as he rises from where he lays and heads down the tunnel. "Well, tunnel 6B could certainly use it."
"Don't be such a pansy," my brother snorts.
I hiss, "Pansies are a beautiful flower and should not be used as a degrading insult!"
Hotaru snickers, "You are absolutely right. What an insult to the pansies!" I growl and give him a playful shove as we round the turn. He sways me hard and shushes me, reminding me of the enormous dragon worm that resides just feet away from us. "Well, what are you waiting for, an invitation?" My brother pushes me forward, urging me to do whatever he expects me to do with the beast.
I nervously gulp my spittle that I feel dripping from my tongue as I pant, fearing for my life. This humongous pale red monstrosity lingers in the pathway, completely blocking the way forward with its body. Its head, much larger than the other vuil draak we had encountered, has a short snout instead of a flat face that I had expected to see on the dragon. Unlike the plain side of species, the Emperor Vuil Draak has decorative horns growing on its cheek bones as well as its jaw. The nasal horn, the prize to be won on this beast, is thick and scarred after much wear. Its small eyes are shut right, but I worry they might open at any minute.
I inch closer, trying to look at the rest of its body but with little success. The dragon fits snugly inside the tunnel with just a few inches of wiggle room. Hotaru throws a pebble at me to grab my attention. I nearly yelp as it hits me and clacks when it hits the floor. Turning around swiftly, I glare at him wondering what his deal is. My brother makes an angry gesture at the creature and a whole bunch of quick hand movements as he sits on his hind legs. After trying to guess his charades for a few moments, he simply points at me, then the creature, and pounds his fist into his palm.
"Alright already! Patience!" I mouth, almost forgetting to not yell at the top of my lungs.
My shaking body creeps closer, concentrating very hard on making a natural anesthetic using my plant summoning abilities. Each plant plays its part as it blossoms or withers, depending on what part of the plant I need to create the concoction. The beast snores heavily, opening and closing its mouth. With the plant substance in hand, I go to time the dosing.
"One, two, three," I whisper counting the seconds of its breathing pattern. All I have to do is toss this in and...
The vuil draak's eyes shoot open as I toss the herbal blend onto the creature's tongue. It rumbles a deep growl and inhales deeply through its nose. Pupils dilated, the dragon let's out a deafening roar, spitting all the plant matter on me.
"Now that's just nasty," I mutter to myself, looking at the slime that now coats me.
"Enoki, run!" Hotaru bellows and charges toward me. Dazed and disgusted, I run without much thought to my brother. Hotaru whizzes me by and continues to charge toward the Emperor Vuil Draak. One large gust of wind is forced through my brother's lungs as he shoots molten lava from his magma cavity inside his burly frame. Like a sizzling cauldron, the magma cavity acts like a second stomach, allowing Hotaru to eat rocks and melt them down to a painful, skin-melting brew.
The dragon screams and hits its head on the ceiling. Hotaru passes me by as rocks begin to tumble down from the sky. He urges me to hurry, but my body seems to be freezing up; I may have ingested some of that anesthetic, which is gross to think about since it was first inside that worm's mouth. My eyesight blurs and my hands start to stick to the floor with each new step. I can't tell if it's the saliva that is causing the stickiness or the side effects of the anesthesia.
"Look out!" Hotaru's muffled voice yells out, but it is too late. A rock smashes right in front of me, causing me to tumble through the air and land on my side. My satchel catches my fall, causing a great deal of pain. A sharp item slices through the bag into my side, which I assume to be the broken jar of glowing mushrooms I had saved.
The worm dragon slinks toward me with utmost ferocity. I can't help but laugh, watching the creature angrily flop towards me like a mad sea lion. It roars once again, threatening me with its awful breath. The vuil draak is not but a foot away from me now. It's all over with- I'm dead, and I faint for what I feel to be the third time this month. This fainting business is really getting out of hand and I should probably get it looked at. That's if I survive, of course.
~
"Get up," Hotaru nudges me with a foreclaw. I groan as the pain dances throughout my body. My vision slowly clears up to see the face of my brother seem almost concerned. He's actually showing emotion? How odd.
"What happened?" I mumble, rubbing my face with my green, scaly dragon hands.
"You did it."
"Did what?"
"Killed it."
"What!!?" I get up in shock. I turn around to look at the beast and I'm given the surprise of my life. The vuil draak is suspended by multiple roots that impale the creature at all ends. Like a legion of spears, the roots bombard the dragon worm from the ceiling and hold it up a few inches from the ground.
"I didn't do this!" I cry in dismay, looking at the poor beast.
"Uh, you're the only one with the hippie plant powers," Hotaru replied, going over to the head of the creature. With his wing, he begins to chop at the nasal horn.
"But I didn't do this. I never released m'pollen!" I argue, cringing at the sound of the horn cracking under pressure.
Hotaru sighs, "Then what? The plants just decided to save you?"
"Maybe. I just, I could never kill something like this. This is brute violence," I whimper, feeling sick to my stomach thinking about the horrific details of my supposed murder.
"It's better this way," he says sympathetically as we stare at the beaten up carcass of the bloody creature.
"F'er us at least. I'm not so sure about the creature, however," I mumble quietly, staring at the oozing reddish purple liquid that slowly drips from its mouth. "I just wish we could've done this another way."
"I know. But come on, we need to get this back to Cindel," he reminds me as he yanks it from the corpse.
"Ugh," I moan, "right." I aid him in carrying the horn and we both do a sloppy take off. Flying back to the entrance doesn't take nearly as long as it did to get down there by walking. The sun is nearly setting by the time we arrive at the large hole that leads to the open air.
"And only minutes to spare," Cindel amuses herself in a sarcastic tone. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if I was told she had sat there the entire time waiting for us to return, or not return. "I was starting to think you two may have been eaten, but no! You two actually brought back the nasal horn of an Emperor Vuil Draak. You didn't get it off an already dead body, did you?"
"No ma'am. As a matter of fact, the body still lays in the depths of the caverns- fresh and still bleeding," Hotaru replies, puffing out his chest.
"Good, very good," Cindel says, admiring her long claws.
"Does this mean they're in the group now, Officer Cindel?" Skooks appears out from behind a boulder, jumping up and down with excitement.
"Shut it, you moron," Cindel snaps at the large reptiloid. "Yes, you are welcomed into the brotherhood of the Mist, for now. Whether you stay or not will be decided by our Commander." Cindel frowns, looking at our disappointment. "Don't get discouraged. Come! We shall celebrate your success!" The white reptiloid embraced both of us under her arm and leads us away from the tomb of the Emperor Vuil Draak. "Tonight is the night that you become one of us."
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/claps hands excitedly
this is beautiful thank you for giving me something to read on these rainy days
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/claps hands excitedly
this is beautiful thank you for giving me something to read on these rainy days
*wiggles arms in excitement* Aa, why y'er most welcome! Glad ye enjoy it. ^u^
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These are some beautiful pieces of writing, can't wait to see more from you!
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These are some beautiful pieces of writing, can't wait to see more from you!
*joyful Eno noises* Yay! I'm so glad you like m'work! It definitely takes a long time to write all this and it makes me so happy to know you're enjoying it. :D
Thank ye so much!!