|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 5:23 pm
________________________PackingProgolo hastily returned the jar to its place and picked up a brochure instead, thumbing through it. Along with gleefully inviting him to the project, the small, neat text listed items to bring and described the accomodations avaliable on the Island. He sighed.
This was not going to be fun.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Progolo dragged a large suitcase out from behind his bed and began tossing his neatly folded clothes unceremoniously inside. As he did so, he scanned his bedroom for ideas as to what else he should pack. He sighed when he saw all of Yaraif's little toys and knick-knacks. There was no way he'd be able to pack them all.
After packing his entire wardrobe, as it was a rather small one, he turned on the kun-kun's brightly colored collection of egg shells, snowglobes, crayons, music boxes, and plushies.
"Yaraif, come here for a moment, please," he called in broken kunkunese. He heard a tinkle and a buzz in the next room, where Yaraif had been painting egg shells.
"Yes?" she chirped in kunkunese, fluttering in and alighting on his shoulder. She was a tiny creature--all of five inches tall. A fey, she resembled a small child with pale plue skin, gossamer wings, golden hooves, and unruly dark violet hair. She'd seemingly forgotten about the little episode that morning."What?"
He smiled vaguely at her sweet little voice, but then turned seriously to her collection. "Alright Yaraif...what do you want to take?"
She looked questioningly at him. "Take...? We be go somewhere?" she asked, again in the foreign tongue. Though she understood English, she was a stubborn creature and only spoke it when she felt so inclined.
"Uh...um, yes. We have to leave for awhile. And you can only take some of your things," Progolo mumbled, already seeing the horror rising in her face.
Yaraif regarded her collection frantically. At a loss, she lept from his shoulder, landing on one of her squishy rabbit plushies, and looked up at him pleadingly. "We NEED to go?"
Progolo made a sympathetic gesture. "Sorry, Yaraif. You can take..."--he examined the pile carefully--"ten things, alright? You remember how to count, don't you?"
Yaraif looked at her hands silently for a moment. In alarm, her eyes snapped back up to him. "Only ten?! Only two hands?"
"Only two hands," Progolo replied softly, sinking into his bed and begining to assemble his personal items.
Yaraif screwed up her face in frustration, her wings beating so hard they buzzed. Progolo quirked an eyebrow at her, just waiting for her to burst into a temper-tantrum.
After what must of been a huge internal struggle, she composed herself. "Alright...only two hands."
Progolo smiled tiredly, relieved. "Good, Yaraif. Thanks for not getting mad."
Yaraif grumbled, turning away.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:15 pm
_____________________Continued....
Taal padded into Progolo's workroom, his head slung low and his ears limp. Progolo, who was seated on the floor packing his whittling tools, didn't notice him until the Griff rubbed up against his back. As always, Taal was warmer than one would have thought possible.
"Hello, Ta," Progolo said distractedly, wondering just how many of his tools he'd be able to take. Woodworking was something he was quite partial to, when he could find the time, but he doubted there would be tools or the proper wood at his disposal on the island.
Taal sidled more fully into Progolo's line of vision, lifting his head resolutely and fluffing his wings. It was his dignified way of begging to be pet. Progolo stroked the Griff's back absently.
"I'm getting ready to move," he explained to Taal, even though he knew Taal couldn't understand him. "We're all going to Ar' Idil Island. Doesn't that sound like fun?" he added, the sarcasm obvious. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the neatly folded map, showing it to Taal, who eyed it as though wondering if he could eat it.
"Right there. Setone Village. We're going to live there for a while," Progolo rambled on. He'd read somewhere that talking to animals intelligently made them smarter and more friendly. This was worth a try; it certainly worked with children.
With one hand he continued to caress Taal's alarmingly warm back, and with the other he sifted through his many pages of notes on whittling past experiments and projects. He wouldn't need these...
Taal regarded Progolo with interest, his ears swiveling. A hoarse, weak bird call came from somewhere else in the house. Taal and Progolo glanced over their shoulders in unison.
"That's Myrrh," Progolo muttered, returning to what he was doing. "Probably lonely."
Taal, who seemed to be thinking along the same lines, trotted out of the workroom and returned shortly after, a very small, blue gryphon dangling from his golden beak. He nudged the bundle of kitten-soft fur and down into Progolo's lap, made a gentle huff through his beak, and flopped down beside them.
Progolo patted Taal rewardingly, before turning his affection on Myrrh.
"Hello, Alvea..." his deep voice purred. She twisted her body awkwardly, her lame legs limp, and nuzzled his belly. At once, the man felt a wave of comfort slide over him in the form of a warm, tingling sensation. More and more, he was beginning to suspect Myrrh had an empathetic bond with him, which would explain the random emotions he felt when ever he touched her, and this instance only further confirmed his thought--he certainly wasn't in the mood to comfort himself.
"If our gryphon-in-a-jar is anything like you, I'd be all too happy to move to some Island hell--" he began sweetly, but he was cut off.
Deeng...DONG...Deeng...DONG! Deeng, deeng, deeng, DONG!
For the second time in twelve hours, Progolo found himself mentally running through every possible device this tinny melody could be coming from. The echoes reverberated around the halls, impatiently awaiting his recognition.
"That must be the door-bell..." he concluded, slowly, rolling over onto his knees and clambering to his feet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 4:43 pm
_______________________Took
An obnoxious rapping sound chided Progolo from the other side of the door for his lack of haste. Curious, and a little annoyed, he drifted towards the door and peered through the peep hole.
On his doorstep stood a strange figure, the image of which was wierdly distorted in the concave glass; a tall, thin boy, swathed in a magnificent robe of blue-green, which seemed to ripple and shimmer in the Barton sunshine. Beneath his red brows, his dark, ponderous eyes swept over the house in disdain.
"May I help you...?" Progolo asked when he'd opened the door. His eyebrows were drawn slightly, as he'd never seen this youth before.
"Hey, I'm Took A'vahn," the odd character said abruptly. "You're Progolo Dgagn, right? Good. 'Scuse me."
After briefly pumping Progolo's hand, the strange youth billowed right past the bewildered man without awaiting an invitation...or even so much as a reply. But Progolo wouldn't have been able to answer even if he wanted to, so taken aback was he. He simply stepped back to admit the youth's startling entrance, stunned.
"What a shabby house! I really thought they paid you researchers better than this...But, then, I suppose anything would look cheap compared to my place...Where's all of your stuff? Tell me you've..." the boy's voice broke off as his eyes alighted on Myrrh, who was tucked happily beneath Progolo's arm. "You keep them in your house?! Geez...that's low class...well, he's cute anywayz, isn't 'e?" Took finished with a slightly condescending tone, reaching out and lightly stroking Myrrh's head.
Progolo, dumbfounded, could only say weakly, "She."
"She, huh? Sorry 'bout that." With this, he flashed Progolo an unnerving leer.
The words Progolo had been summoning quailed once more as he quickly scrutinized the strange young man. He was a few inches shorter than Progolo but tall by most standards, lean of build, and a bit lanky. His youthful face was marred by freckles and the raw red of acne, and his dark orange hair was mussed up with gel in a rather juvenile style. This was contradicted by his deep blue eyes--they seemed to gleam with a sort of sadistic, matured intelligence.
"Excuse me," Progolo attempted softly, "but...what are you doing here?"
Took's brow lifted cynically, his lips twisting in a smile. "I was sent t' help," Took responded, his voice indicating that this was most obvious. "An' no wonder about it, too...you seem like you could use all th' help you could get...not the brightest, are ya...?"
Leaving Progolo to comprehend his words, Took stalked off, further into the house, and began circling around the sofa, poking at it as if to see if he could bruise the upholstery. Progolo stared after him, hardly able to believe he was being insulted by an unfamiliar kid who didn't look a day older than seventeen, but didn't interject.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2006 3:55 pm
________________________Continued.
"...Right," Progolo managed, regarding Took with strained but saintly patience. "Who sent you, exactly?"
Took pursed his lips, glaring at him from his position behind the couch. "The Society, stupid. What else would I be doing here? I'm supposed to be helping you."
Progolo cocked his head, wordlessly, and closed the door Took had left ajar. He'd forgotten that Mindy had said she'd be sending an assistant. But...the kid hardly struck him as a person used to giving a helping hand. He practicaly emenated haughtiness. Still, there was no sense getting agitated. Calmly, Progolo adjusted Myrrh more comfortably against his side.
"Forgive me for my...stupidity," he responded dryly. "I seem to be causing you distress. I do think I'll be better off if I just handle this myself, as, if I'm judging your impatience correctly, you seem to have something better to do."
Took was momentarily stalled by Progolo's textbook English, his brow knitting in a disgusted frown. "Ya think so, huh? Well, Mister, from what I understand, you're supposed to be at th' Island by t'night. I'n't that right? Well, That's what I'm here for. I'm a sorcerer."
Progolo opened his mouth to ask what the significance of that was, when the couch vanished at Took's touch in a shower of sparks.
Slyly, the sorcerer held up a small bag. "I'm shrinking all of your dumb stuff so you can move it easier. You can thank me later."
Though Progolo was sincerely impressed, he couldn't decide if he should mention this as Took's pride certainly didn't need any more stoking.
"C'mon, hurry up and tell me what stuff you wanna bring so we can get this over with," Took grumbled like a spoiled child. "I've got WAY better things to do than hang 'round here with th' likes of you." He shifted his weight to one leg and glanced witheringly around the living room. "See, I don' usually mess wit' things like this, but my servant's busy. Been worn to the ground lately with all this work Mindy keeps heapin' on us...Ugh, why are you just standin' there?! HURRY UP!"
"Of course, at once..." Progolo said, rubbing his forehead. He was beginning to feel quite aggravated. He'd been right about Took being the elitist type...how many kids his age had personal servants?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 1:59 pm
"Two hands!" Yaraif smiled, holding up her two small arms and splaying her fingers. She was standing on a pile of ten objects that she had carefully chosen to take with her--A thick plush bunny, a small stickerbook of rabbit pictures, A large mason jar full of broken eggshells, two paintbrushes, and five bottles of paint.
"Great, thank you," Progolo nodded, pleased. "Since you did as I told without throwing a tantrum, you can pick two more things, alright Yaraif?"
She bubbled with glee, as did the two chubby creatures sitting on either side of her; Kuntu and Kununo. One resembled a blue, fat chick, while Kununo looked like a plush rabbit.
"Whut are those?" queried Took, who was looking curiously over Progolo's shoulder. The small sack, now full of all of Progolo's things, bulged at his belt.
Progolo pointed to Yaraif and her minions each in turn as they scurried off to the cabinet where her things were stored. "Well...that one is a kun-kun, but I haven't any idea what these are. I found their eggs in the park."
"Are they papered?" the boy asked stiffly.
"...Meaning?"
"Meaning, have you reported them to the society?" Took asked in exasperation. "Ain't that your JOB, researcher?"
Progolo flinched at the venom with which he said the word 'researcher,' but could think of no way to retaliate. After all, it was true...as a researcher for the SOS, he was supposed to report on the types of creatures living in Gaia for census and regulation purposes. He'd never actually gotten around to filing the information on Kununo and Kuntu though, being so absorbed with his other reports on gryphons, which were his primary occupation.
"Kun-kuns are already...papered...I believe," Progolo murmurred. Took waved his hand dissmissively.
"Yeah, I know--I authorized that myself. Trafficking o' those has been dead for a while, ever since the owner disappeared," Took said vaguely. "but that's neither here nor there. I's those fat guys I wanna know about. Sounds suspicious, finding their eggs in th' park..."
Again, Progolo found himself sincerely interested. He looked around at Took in doubtful awe. "You're an official, then?" he asked, sizing the boy up again. That was quite a prestigious rank, for such a young-looking character...
"Yes," Took snapped. "I probably make three times the gold you do. An' don' sound' so stupified. Look, before you ask, I'm twenty-two. I'm not a kid."
Progolo stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Still," he said, "that's quite...impressive." He'd done it. He'd actually complimented swollen-headed boy -- man -- despite his better judgement.
Took smirked coolly. "Never heard of prodigies, Mister D'gagn?" he sneered. "If you like that, you oughta see the stuff I can do with my spell-weavin'...when I REALLY get going. This here-" he gestured to the bag at his hip- "this is child's play."
Progolo's brow knit, and he tsk'd under his breath. His better judgement hadn't failed...
He was saved the need to respond by the return of the small enterouge. A small paper lantern was clutched in Kuntu's beak, while Kununo carried a second Mason Jar, which was empty. Yaraif fluttered overhead, chirping Kunkunese phrases at them.
Progolo nodded in approval and stood from where he'd been kneeling. "Mr. A'vahn, if you would..." he said quietly, indicating the pile of objects. Took grumbled and bent over the heap briefly. The next instant, it was gone, and the sorcerer was securing the bag again.
"Ready, yet?" he demanded sourly.
"Almost," said Progolo patiently. He ducked into the office and, after taking a moment to sigh, he picked up the Aerandir's box. It seemed somehow heavier than before...but maybe that was Progolo's embittered imagination at work. He gazed at the two spongy corks topping the jars. After a contemplative pause, his eyes shifted upward to examine the room. Stark, barren...
Empty...
And behind him, the door stood open.
"Here I go..." Progolo muttered softly to himself.
Slowly, he turned and stepped from the room, closing the door behind him with a quiet click.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 12:48 pm
Progolo's quiet, thoughtful moment was brought to an abrupt end at the sight of the young sorcerer's cross face.
"About blinkin' time!" groaned Took. "What's that, there? That Ae-somethin'? Hmpf. THAT'S what Mindy was goin' all nuts about? A pair of jars?"
Progolo's eyebrow twitched, ever so slightly. He flicked his hair over his shoulder, adjusting the box beneath his arm. For having hated this box mere hours ago, a part of him had decided it couldn't be worse than Took. "Yes, as it is."
The boy--man--scoffed. "Whatever. Listen, just get all your little bird-mutts together in one place, awright? I'm gonna be teleporting you down to the docks, then you're going across by ferry. You've got a ticket or something, right?"
Progolo nodded as he dragged Taal out of the closet where he'd been hiding from Took. The griffin growled deep in his chest in protest, digging his talons and claws stubbornly into the carpet. Fortunately, Taal was still quite small, only a little larger than a labrodor, and could not compete with the large man's brute strength. With a pitiful yowl, he allowed himself to be collared and leashed.
"Behold the power and majesty of th' great griffin'," Took smirked. Progolo shot him a glare.
"I should think you would hardly like being restrained yourself, Mr. A'vahn," he murmurred, unable to keep the coldness from his voice.
Took's cocky smile vanished immediately, replaced by an unexpected look of venom. "You have no idea," he whispered, his voice harsh. At his side, his hand, the only one that wore a glove, clenched into a fist.
Progolo watched wordlessly, stunned by this cryptic reaction.
"....HOW MUCH YOU'RE 'RESTRAINING' ME BY TAKING SO LONG! HURRY UP!" Took raged, his face reddening with anger.
Progolo frowned and turned away in disgust, trying to locate where his other 'bird-mutts' had gotten to. As he beckoned to Yaraif and her little minions, he vaguely wondered to himself what he'd been expecting when Took had growled those words--some kind of dramatic revelation about the sorcerer's miserable past?
Progolo shook his head, chiding himself. He could have quite an imagination sometimes...
"Come along, Myrrh," he muttered, shifting the box so that he could cradle the chick against his chest after he retrieved her from where he'd placed her on a non-magicked couch. There...now, as the brat had ordered, all of his charges were in one place, crowded around him in a rather comical manner--Taal, cowering between his legs, Kuntu and Kununo hiding behind each ankle, Yaraif daintily perched atop his shoulder, Myrrh in one arm, and, finally, The Box sandwiched between his torso and forearm.
He raised his eyebrows at Took, wearing a rather annoyed expression. "Carry on, then."
The sorcerer pursed his lips, examining the multicolored group of feathers and fur adorning the researcher, before waving his arms in a magnifficent and overly dramatic gesture.
The room faded from view.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:17 pm
Progolo had rather expected Took's Transportation Spell to be dazzling, and he wasn't disappointed. For a full minute and a half after his feet had come in contact with the cobblestoned path leading to the dock he was blinking the negative images of brilliant flashes, sparks and colors out of his vision. Took, meanwhile, brushed invisible specks of dust from his luxurious robe, sneering proudly.
Progolo's entire little clique of assorted creatures also blinked disorientedly and each began jabbering, chirping, squeaking or cawing in fear, fidgeting as they tried to understand what had happened. He was drawing a lot of attention from passerbys, to say the least.
"Can't you make 'em shuttup?" Took asked, annoyed. Progolo, smelling burning leather, had already began calming Taal. He crouched down, cooing gently to the griffin, but Kuntu's and Kununo's insistent, repetitive cries were impeding.
"Yaraif, make them stop!" Progolo ordered, setting the box and Myrrh down in order to throw both of his arms around Taal's neck to keep him from bolting away down the street. By then, about half a dozen people were actually stopping to watch this odd scene.
He heard Yaraif shout something in kunkunese, and her two charges immediately fell quiet. He sighed in relief, stroking Myrrh and Taal reassuringly.
Took scowled. "Look, I'll take that dumb box so that you can keep ahold of your stupid beasts, awright? We don' need them causing a freaking scene..." he added irritably, casting a look at the on-lookers. Progolo said nothing.
Took, however, was not awaiting a response. He stooped and gathered the box into his arms. As he straightened, a tinny alert sounded from somewhere within his robe. Progolo gazed curiously at him.
The sorcerer wore a similar expression. Adjusting the box, he reached into his pocket momentarily, and then withdrew his hand again, the noise silenced. "Hang on," he said, cocking an eyebrow. With his teeth he peeled the intricately-patterned glove from his left hand and held it over The Box like one would warm their fingers before a flame.
The reaction was immediate. A stream of fiery blue light shot from within the box right into the startled young man's palm. He yelped loudly and dropped it, clutching his arm to his body in surprise and pain.
Progolo started, but it was to late. The package hit the ground loudly, its contents flying forth. The two jars tumbled out in a flurry of pamphlets and literature.
One landed with a clatter and rolled off down the street.
The other shattered, the single feather inside trapped under a large shard of glass. It wavered slightly in the breeze, before being snatched up by a gust and carried away on the wind.
Taal, flightly as ever, was terrified by the noise of the breaking glass. His feathers seemed to melt together and burst into flame as his temperature soared. Progolo quickly released him with a gasp of pain, and the Griff bolted out of sight.
All that Took could do was stare, dumbfounded.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:44 pm
Progolo leapt up, uttering random syllables in his frustration.
"Yaraif, the feather--!" he managed urgently. She didn't need to be told twice. She zipped off after it, shouting something over her shoulder as she went. Kuntu, as if it had been given a command, followed her. Kununo bounced off of Progolo's foot and scampered in the opposite direction, where the giraffe ossicone had rolled. Progolo glanced after it, at Took, back at Kununo's receding form, then dashed off in persuit of the pyrokinetic griffin.
Taal could be difficult to keep a hold of, but he was definetly not hard to follow. In his wake he'd left a trail of alarmed citizens, splotches of molten rock, and scorched plants. Progolo followed at full tilt, barely managing to dodge the scattered pedestrians and just praying Taal wouldn't run into someone or something in his frenzy.
The feather, on the other hand, was not so easy to follow. As always, Isle de Gambino was windy and drenched in sunlight. The reddish wisp was almost impossible to see in the blindingly blue sky, and gusts kept forcing Yaraif to screw up her little eyes while tears were wrenched from them. Blinded and fluttering awkwardly in the breeze, she could only fly in the general direction of the flamingo feather, which was dancing tauntingly out of reach.
She had no way of seeing the flock of gulls above her.
Yaraif felt a sharp beak clamp on her little body. She screamed and tried to wriggle free, but the bird only bit down harder. She gasped, breathless, and began beating it with tiny fists. This didn't weaken the gull in the slightest. Yaraif's frantic curses mingled with her sobs of terror.
"KUUUUUNTUU!" she wailed.
There was a lurch as Kuntu's chubby body collided with the sea bird. Yaraif shot out of the fray amid shocked, high-pitched cries from the assaulted bird.
Seeing a large tree, Yaraif scrambled into it, checking her wings for damage. They were rumpled up badly, and her torso was rather cut up. She grimaced, but quickly turned her gaze back towards the sky. "Go Kuntu! Go! YAAAY!" Yaraif cheered encouragingly, as the fat little bird dove aggressively into the gull. "Yauf will give you lotsa candy, yes! You very good birdy!"
The gull swung its head in her direction, and she quickly hid behind a leaf, clapping a tiny hand over her mouth. Giggling with excitement at the thrill, she peeked out again and peered around for the bird.
Her attention, however, was caught by the sight of a red gleam amongst the branches above her.
"Feavur!" she squealed, clapping her hands in childish delight. She toddled out onto the narrow part of the branch and delicately disentangled it from the leaves and twigs surrounding it. "Prolo be happy, Yauf found feavur..."
Kuntu, having finally driven the bird away, collapsed tiredly into the tree, making the branch Yaraif was balancing on quiver. It was very bruised all over.
"Did you win?" Yaraif chirped innocently, twirling the feather like a baton.
Kuntu glowered wearily at her, and stated simply, "kweeet."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:04 pm
Progolo stumbled to a halt, panting. He...couldn't keep...running...He was beginning to feel dizzy, and his chest stung with fatigue. "Taal..." he croaked pathetically, though Taal had long since disappeared over a nearby rise. He thought he could hear startled oaths and shouts in the distance.
"Where'd that stupid hell-hound go?!" demanded the most unwelcome voice of Took from behind the doubled over researcher. Progolo tried to compose himself, before reproahcfully pointing out the obvious blackened trail Taal had left.
Took hissed angrily. "You idiot! Why did you let go of him?! How can you have the stupidity t' bring a creature that dangerous into th' city?!"
Progolo huffed, overwhelmed with a sudden swoon. This was madness, this whole stupid thing! he steadied himself, before turning his fury on Took.
Fury, however, was not something that came naturally to the generally calm man. No amount of raging and cussing would solve this problem, he knew. "The only way I know to stop him is to pour water on him," he seethed, reining in his temper. "How do you propose we do that?"
"There's more than one way to fry fish," Took shot back.
He beckoned impatiently to Progolo and dashed off over the bluff, pulling something sleek and glittery from an interior pocket. Progolo stared blearily after him before he managed to heave himself up and persue the youth.
"What are you going to do?" he questioned, his voice coming out as a rough snarl in his breathlessness as he drew nigh with the young sorcerer. Took had come to a sudden halt, his eyes closed.
"Shut up, I'm concentrating! You, watch t'see where tha bird goes," he said. Then, to himself it seemed, he muttered, "where are you, you stupid....?"
Progolo glanced between Took and the distant thoroughfare, where he could make out Taal's glowing red form disappearing behind a corner. Took's eyes were closed, and he was reciting something under his breath. His pale hand moved cryptically over the golden object he held. The researcher hesitated, and finally decided he didn't care what Took was up to. He could wave his arms and do all the mumbo-jumbo he wanted to, but if something didn't happen NOW Taal was going to hurt somebody.
"I'm going after him," Progolo said shortly, and set off once more.
He had not even managed to take two running steps before he heard Took shout an incantation and something whizzed past Progolo with remarkable speed. Progolo skidded to a stop and stared at the firey blur moving swiftly through the air, making a beeline in the direction Taal had gone.
"What was that?!" he asked at once, turning on Took.
Took smiled viciously.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:33 pm
Taal scuttled into an open lot, nothing more than a vaguely griffin-shaped gleam of red-hot syrupy magma, and found himself facing a solid brick wall. He screeched anxiously and trotted in a circle, his heart still thrumming in panic. Must escape, must escape, must escape...These were the only thoughts running through the rather bird-brained creature's head.
That animalistic fear sharpened suddenly at the sound of a warning hiss behind him. Taal's feathers crackled and popped like a flame as he wheeled around to face the new danger.
Had Taal's heart been any weaker, he might have dropped dead on the spot at the sight of the massive black beast that loomed over him. At first glance it appeared to be some sort of dramatically over-sized dog, but it's blank white eyes and snake-like jaws suggested otherwise.
Without warning, it dived at Taal's throat. Taal screeched, his temperature soaring so high that the mortar in the wall behind him cracked, but the beast was unpreturbed. With relentless, frantic energy it tore into him, right through the Griff's volcanic defenses.
"What is it doing?!" Progolo shouted as he and Took reached the scene. "It's going to kill him!"
Took moved away quickly, as if afraid Progolo might actually attack him. "Would you get ahold of yourself?! Look, a beast that dangerous can't be allowed to just run wild, you MORON!"
"What are you saying?" The researcher demanded. "Destroying him is your intention?!"
"I--" Took started. But after coming to the conclusion that Progolo was a much larger man than was he, he gritted his teeth angrily and reluctantly barked a command to the hulking beast.
The entity dropped Taal at once and stepped back, chest heaving. In one smooth movement, in reared up onto its hind legs and transformed into what appeared to be an elfin man.
At the moment, however, Progolo could not have cared what it looked like. He darted past it, accidentally knocking the smaller man aside in his haste, and dropped down beside the bedragled, very frightened Taal, who'd at last returned to his normal self. Other than missing quite a few feathers and having wet himself in terror, he was--amazingly--unharmed. Progolo exhaled loudly, repeating random oaths again and again under his breath.
Took slowly crossed his arms. "You're going to miss your boat," he stated with pursed lips, as Progolo climbed to his feet.
"You're mad," Progolo snarled, by way of answering.
Took looked slightly taken aback at the insult, as if he'd never had one directed at him before. Progolo, trembling, turned away, and his eyes alighted on the lithe form of the man he'd unconciously bull-dozed. He was still deliberately picking himself up, his face down.
The researcher pushed past the still startled sorcerer to examine the man Took had summoned. Summons had always held particular interest with Progolo, and, at the moment, he could use any form of distraction to calm him. "What is this, anyway?" he murmurred, crouching beside it. He'd never seen a Summon that looked so human...
The Summon turned its face toward him abruptly. Progolo's breath caught.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 6:29 pm
It wasn't the blank white eyes that caught his attention. Nor the hideous mutations, nor even the freakish additional appendages, nor the sorceric runes covering the Summon's face that made Progolo stare...
...But the lack thereof.
Instead of meeting the trademark white eyes of a Summon, Progolo found himself gazing perplexedly into exotic, almond-shaped eyes, a dusty golden brown in color. And instead of bearing hideous, monster-like qualities, the man's face was defined by clear, sharp features.
"HE is a djinni," Took crooned proudly, as if displaying some kind of trophy of great merit. "A spirit...that does whatever I tell him to." He allowed Progolo to absorb this as he came around to the small man's other side and glared down at him coldly. "This one, however, is rather worthless."
Progolo glanced disgustedly at the sorcerer before returning his attention to the djinni. He'd never heard of such a thing before... "I'm sorry I knocked you over," he said softly, choosing not to respond to Took. He didn't normally speak to Summons, but, then again, Summons were defined by having no free will, no awareness...they were just spells that could take on animal forms. Spirits, on the other hand, were like people, at least as far as Progolo was concerned. The conundrum of a 'Spirit Summon' was striking. "Are you hurt? Let me help you up."
He stood and offered his hand to the djinni, who's fierce eyes darted uncertainly between Progolo's face and the long-fingered hand he proffered. His lips parted, revealing pointed canines, but no words could be mustered.
"Don't bother," Took huffed broadly. "He's a bit of an idiot."
The djinni lowered his eyes with a silent scowl, and deliberately rose to his feet on his own. Progolo's brow knit. His unnaccepted hand retreated.
"C'mon, you..." growled the sorcerer, after shooting a derisive look at the djinni. "We'd better go find out what happened t'yer blasted jars."
Progolo gritted his teeth in horror. The jars!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:21 pm
"Myrrh! You be here all alone?" Yaraif gasped in awe at the sight of the helpless chick abandoned beside the empty cardboard box. Progolo really hadn't been thinking straight to leave her all by herself! The Kun-kun waddled towards her, followed by the beaten up Kuntu. "Look-look! Yauf good Kun, find feaver! Where 'Nuno? And Prolo? And Taal? And spotty-face meanie boy?"
Myrrh, of course, could not answer in kunkunese. Disappointed, Yaraif glanced around. Ah! There he was...
An irritable looking Progolo came over the rise, with Taal, shockingly, slung over his shoulder. Behind him, Took and an unfamiliar being followed. Yaraif flew up into the air and waved wildly, making her wings sparkle to catch their attention. "LOOOOOK! Yauf got feavur!"
Progolo sighed wearily as he reached them. "Excellent. One less problem to worry about...Where's Kununo? Did she--he--it-- oh, whatever-it-is find the other jar?" He asked through gritted teeth as he lowered the very shaken Taal to the ground beside Myrrh. Then he stretched, pained by Taal's weight, and there was an audible crack in one of his shoulders.
"Um...I dunno..." Yaraif admitted. Progolo groaned in exhaustion, running a hand over his face. "What a mess..." he breathed, gazing hopelessly over the papers that had been spread pell-mell by the wind. Suddenly, he cussed. "Ah! Where did that ticket go?!" He dropped to his knees and began to sift through the scattered pamphlets, most of which were damp from yesterday's rain.
"I don't think it matters where it went..." Took said off-handedly, gazing out over the dock. "There goes the boat."
Progolo seethed. "Lovely. Gah...I'll be laid off at once as soon as Miss Mindy finds out I lost those jars..."
At this thought, he turned a glare on Took. "What were you doing to those jars anyway?" he asked darkly, hardly able to keep himself from pointing out that this whole mess was, in fact, Took's fault. "What caused that blue light?"
"Servant, c'mere," Took said suddenly, looking away from Progolo abruptly and beckoning to the quiet Djinni. "Listen...I order you ta go find the big jar..it's about this big...an' it's got a white bone or somethin' inside. Got it? Don't come back until ya find it. Bring the blue rabbit thingy, too."
The Djinni made an incredulous face, but disappeared at once.
Progolo looked up at Took in disbelief. "How is he supposed to find it with that little information? He's never even seen it before..."
Took stretched, as if bored. "You'll be surprised. See, the reason most people can't find stuff very fast is 'cause they get distracted. With a djinni, it's different. Until he can figure out how to fulfill my order, it's all he'll be able to think about. Sort of possesses him, you could say. Right now, the only thing running through his thick head is jars and bunnies."
Progolo's brow knit in disgust. How could you do that to a person? To strip them of their free will...? "Have you no shame?" he asked softly, staring intently into Took's face.
Took countered with a dark glower of his own. "As far as that wretch is concerned?" His lip twisted into a hideous smirk, though the humor did not reach his eyes. "Feh."
The researcher's eyes narrowed at this haughty reply. But there was nothing he could say. Instead, he returned to his previous line of inquiry. "You never answered my question, young man," he reminded coldly. "The blue light. What did you do?"
Took wrinkled his nose at the label by which he'd been called, but he again wormed out of answering--at that moment, the djinni reappeared at Took's shoulder, holding the jar in one hand and a very shocked-looking Kununo under the other arm. Took snatched them impatiently. "Finally," he hissed, as if the spirit had taken an eternity. "Here, D'gagn. Careful, the bottle's all wet. It must have fallen off the boardwalk...is that what took you so long you dumb djinni? Afraid of the water?"
The djinni looked away stiffly.
"Speaking of which..." Took continued, unable to drop his tormenting air. "Where were you earlier?! Why didn't you come right when I called you?! And why don't you look at me when I'm talking to you?!" He roughly jerked the man's pointed chin towards him. You've got a lot of nerve, you worthless--"
"Enough!" Progolo interjected suddenly. "Leave him alone."
Both Took and the djinni froze, and both their gazes slowly turned to meet Progolo's. Took's blue eyes smoldered warningly. The Djinn's gold eyes betrayed no emotion.
"I need to get to Ar'idil," Progolo pressed on. "And soon. I don't know what will happen now that one jar is broken. Shouting isn't going to help at all."
Took sized him up for a moment, then scoffed between his teeth. "Whatever." He pulled his hand away from the djinni's face with a sudden, sharp movement, purposefully wrenching the smaller man's neck. "Begone!"
The Djinn stepped back from Took, massaging his neck. As a cloud of smoke passed rapidly over the Djinni's form, his dusty eyes caught Progolo's for a brief moment. Then he vanished, leaving a sultry scent of cinnamon and some very impressed bystanders.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:25 am
Trembling with fatigue and anger at Took, Progolo crouched down and released Kununo onto the ground, took the feather from Yaraif, and examined it. It wasn't sleek and perfect any more. Many of the barbs had come unhooked, giving it a ratty appearance.
"Well," Took said finally, recovering from Progolo's latest scolding. "We're gonna hafta find another boat."
"Can't you just teleport there?" Progolo muttered, not looking at him.
"Pfft. No, stupid. I used up most of my magic just getting you HERE."
"Hm," Progolo mumbled, running the feather through his fingers to smooth it out. "Yaraif, can I borrow one of your jars?"
"Jars?" Yaraif chirped, looking up. She'd been helping Kununo to preen its wings. "Um...Yes! Prolo can borrow jar!"
With this, Progolo turned and expectantly held his hand out to Took, who was somehow storing all of his shrunken possessions. Took sourly rumaged around in the odd little bag that was clipped to his belt, and finally produced the large jar. It looked too big to realistically fit into such a small bag, but Progolo didn't linger on that.
The jar was about the same size of the original Aerandir artifact jar...the difference was that it had a screw-on lid and it had been painted with colorful, rabbits, chicks, eggs, and flowers. Dry amusement tugged at Progolo's face as he dropped the feather into the jar.
As he stood again, he heard a very deep, gravelly voice behind him. " 'Scuse me...but I couldn't help overhearin' you two gennulmen...you say you need a boat?"
Progolo glanced over his shoulder, to see a squat, square-shaped man with dark skin and thick facial hair. Progolo was about to respond, when Took suddenly said, "Yeah! We could use a boat. Ya got one, mister?"
"Yeah," the man grunted. "Yeah, I got a little yacht. I'll give you a ride...for a bit of dough. If you know what I mean."
"Of course. Let's see it."
Progolo, flustered by this change of events, quickly gathered the two jars and Myrrh into his arms, then followed the shady looking man and Took down to the dock. Taal persued at his heels, subdued by the spell the Djinni had cast on him.
What the squat man had described as a yacht was hardly more than a little speed boat. There was no way they'd survive all the way to Ar'idil in that...Opening his mouth to politely refuse the man's offer, Progolo was once again cut short by Took.
"We'll take it." Took shoved a small bag, heavy with Gaian gold, into the man's hands.
"But-" Progolo began. He was more than a little surprised when Took roughly shoved him into the boat. Staggering, he tried to regain his balance while the boat rocked forebodingly. Took, Taal, Yaraif, Kuntu, and Kununo followed. All of Progolo's charages piled around him, looking curious but frightened.
"Where to?" the sailor grunted, fiddling with the motor.
Took dug into the magic storage bag, pulling out the map to Ar'idil that had been sitting on Progolo's desk. He held it out to the sailor and pointed.
"Right here."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:59 am
The sailor nodded thoughtfully, emitting another deep grunt. Progolo nervously stroked Taal's head. Taal growled deep in his chest, eyeing Took, but his temperature didn't waver like it usually did when he was distressed.
"Shh...you'll be fine, Taal...don't fret..." Progolo soothed, his mind wandering back to the Djinni. A spirit, with no will of its own...he frowned to himself.
The boat was sliding smoothly beyond the dock now, narrowly avoiding the other, much larger boats. Progolo felt a flutter in his chest. Ar'Idil wasn't far off the coast, but...
"So...Took..." Progolo mused, settling into a relaxed position. His true apprehension was neatly concealed.
"That's Mr. A'vahn, to you," Took spat, looking uncomfortable.
"A'vahn, then. You've piqued my curiosity. How did you manage to enslave a spirit, pray tell? Despite the fact that slavery is illegal here..." Progolo asked calmly, gray eyes boring into the young sorcerer. Myrrh rolled over in his lap, indicating that she wanted a belly rub, and Progolo complied. But his gaze never faltered.
Took opened his mouth, as if trying to think of the best, rudest comeback he could. It seemed, however, that he could not choose. At a loss, he instead changed the subject. "You've got worse things to worry about, researcher" he responded acidly, pointing to the jars. "Those artifacts may have been connected to those jars somehow, and since you broke one of them--"
Progolo's eyes flashed as a surge of emotions shot through him.
Concern. What if Took was right? What if breaking the jar had damaged the unborn creature for ever? Or...killed it? What then? Losing his job was the LEAST of his worries, in that case...Sure, he wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the prospect of raising an Aerandir, but the thought that it could be hurt before it even took its first breath--
Fury. "I broke one of them?" Progolo responded heatedly, his voice rising. "Need I remind that it was you, sir, who dropped it?" He hated the childish 'no-it's-you-fault' tone in his voice, but it was true. It was Took who'd gotten so startled by the blue blue light (whatever that was) that he'd let go of the box. "And you have yet to offer me so much as a GLIMMER of explanation!"
By then, the shores of Gambino were quite distant, and the boat moved on with a relaxing thrum. But the melody of the sea landed on ears deafened by the sound of his own frustration. Progolo sat up from his complacent pose, the better to intimidate an answer out of the youthful man.
Took's eyes darted between Progolo's face and the form of the stocky seaman, who was turned away from them. "Shh! Would you shut up?! You don't need to go hollering about that here, got it?"
"And why not?" Progolo seethed.
He was abruptly blinded by a flurry of violet hair, waving blue limps, and buzzing golden wings. "Prolo! Prolo! Guess what! Yaraif forgot to tell Prolo, but guess what?! Kuntu had fight with a biiiiiiiiirdy!"
"What?" Progolo asked, dizzied by the suddenness of Yaraif's colorful display and the onslaught of kunkunese, uttered so rapidly it was almost unintelligible.
"A bird! Kuntu fight wif a bird!"
"Wha...Kuntu fought with a bird?" Progolo translated, arching an eyebrow.
Across from him, Took smirked in relief. He stood, and silently left Progolo to his conversation with Yaraif, once again avoiding giving Progolo an answer.
Progolo huffed dejectedly as Yaraif launched into a long stream of kunkunese describing an epic battle--duly blown out of proportion, of course. Between Took, the mess with the Djinni, and the Aerandir...this day couldn't get any worse.
Or could it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 7:32 am
Progolo burst from the surface of the ocean, coughing and spluttering. His eyes were stung by the salt, and his chest felt as though it was going to explode. "Myrrh?!" Progolo called, frantic. She couldn't walk, and it was more so impossible that she could swim. "Where--?!"
Another wave, much like the one that had sunk the sailor's boat, crashed over him. Resurfacing, he spewed a fountain of salt water from his mouth. Kicking furiously to keep himself from sinking below the choppy waves, he looked hurriedly around. Yaraif was hovering over the water, crying out in fear for Kununo and Kuntu. A large cloud of hissing steam rising into the squall-darkened sky indicated that Taal was paddling for his life nearby. A short distance off, he could see one of the jars floating in the water.
"Myrrh!" he called again, his voice cracking.
Took's head broke the surface a few feet from Progolo, his carefully gelled hair now slicked to his head. He was dragging the sailor by the arm with great difficulty, as the latter apparently couldn't swim.
"Ya idiot! What kinda sailor can't SWIM?!" he roared. The man spluttered helplessly.
"Prolo!" Yaraif wailed. Progolo could hardly hear her over the roar of the crashing waves, she was gesturing animatedly towards the horizon. It looked as if she was screaming in desperation. Progolo quickly dove in the indicated direction, almost afraid of what he would see.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" he shouted to Yaraif. She was very pale.
"Myyyyyyyrrrrrh!" Yaraif hollered, her voice finally audible. Progolo's heart lurched sickeningly.
Kununo, possibly on Yaraif's orders, was trying to keep a floundering Myrrh afloat, with little success. Progolo swam over, panicked. The water was too deep for him to be able to take both Myrrh and Kununo and still be able to support himself...Taking Myrrh and slinging her over his shoulder, he tried to hold Kununo, but quickly sank. He needed both arms to tread.
"Yaraif! Yaraif, tell Kununo to flap its-" he accidently gulped a mouthful of seawater. "-Wings!" he coughed. There was a kunkunese shout and Kununo's little wings flapped furiously. Taking a hold of its soft, squishy body, he hurled it into the air. The momentum gave it enough power to fly on its own.
Soothing Myrrh, who was cheeping in terror, he side-stroked back to Took, who was still yelling at the sailor as the two bobbed in the waves.
"Now's not the time to argue!" Progolo growled. Did he really need to point this out?!
Took scowled. "Look, Misteh Dgagn; I gotta take this pathetic weaklin' back to Gambino. Yer gonna hafta swim the resta the way!"
"What?!" Progolo almost choked on the salty water that flooded into his mouth as soon as he opened it. "SWIM?!"
"Here, take yer stuff--" Took forced the wet magic storage bag into Progolo's arms. "The shore to that--" he was overtaken by the next wave, but quickly broke the surface again. "--Stupid island is that way, got it? It ain't far, even someone like you can make it!"
Progolo was stupified, and it wasn't because of Took's brilliant Disappearing Spell.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
