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 Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:41 am
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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:18 am
A Trip to the Doctor's Office
“Say ‘ah’ Kiba.”
“Aaaaaaaah,” Kiba opened his mouth wide as the doctor shone a flashlight inside to have a look around. It had been two weeks since Gyp’s suggestion to Bantu that she should take him to see the doctor. At first, the hyena woman had been rather against the idea. She didn’t like to expose Kiba to anything that would potentially be a bad experience. Shots had never been her favourite thing, and she could only assume that that ratling would feel the same about them. As far as she was concerned, he could just wait until he was old enough to know the difference between good pain and bad pain that then get his shots. But Gyp had been persistent, and she had finally given in.
The doctor was a nice enough fellow, and had been practicing on Gaia for many years now. He claimed to know a great deal about the many kind of magical children that seemed to keep popping up on this strange planet, which was why Gyp had chosen him over some of the newer doctors in the area. Bantu was withholding judgement. The fact that the words “expect the unexpected” were written on the sign outside his door made her wonder just a little bit. Kiba, however, seemed to like the man well enough. He did exactly as he was told, and so far hadn’t put up a fuss over anything. It was times like this that she was glad she had such an amiable little boy.
“Very good!” The doctor praised as he removed the Popsicle stick from the ratling’s mouth. “Now, can you bend over and touch your toes?” He nodded and wrote something down on his little notepad when Kiba did as he was asked. “Right, now, what about this little tail of yours?”
“Strong!” He replied, remonstrating by wrapping it around the edge of the table. “An’ bendy.”
“Flexible,” Bantu said automatically, used to supplying the correct word for him.
“Flexibal,” Kiba repeated dutifully, still staring up at the doctor. Personally, he thought the man looked a little funny, but he had learned that funny looking people were always the easiest to get along with. It was the normal looking ones that you had to watch out for. Take Gyp for example. She didn’t look half as dangerous as some of the other thieves but all the other thieves avoided her when she was angry. He had decided that it was probably safest for him to do the same.
The doctor asked Kiba to do several other things, which the ratling did the best of his ability, before he was brought over the weight and height scale. He squirmed a little at the cold metal under his feet and against his back but tried not to wiggle too much. Kiba had a feeling this was like when Gyp was cutting his hair. If he moved too much bad things would happen to his ears, or maybe even his tail, and he would like to keep both of them in tact thank you very much. His ears especially, since they were very delicate and sensitive. Speaking of ears, the sound of the height bar coming down above his head made them perk, brown eyes looking up as high as they could go to see the bar.
“Look straight ahead for me Kiba. We don’t want to give you any extra height.”
The ratling did as he was told, though every so often his eyes would dart back up. Finally, the doctor scribbled down a few more numbers on his sheet and Kiba was allowed to get off the scale. “A little small, but these days it’s hard to tell of anyone is too small for their age. And I think he looks quite healthy.” The doctor settled down at his desk and proceeded to start his charting. “As to the allergic reaction you say, he’s probably allergic to a chemical or something that was in the paint and the silver spoon. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. If you’ll bring him back in a few weeks I can set him up for his shots?”
Kiba fidgeted at the word. He didn’t like the sound of that, and judging by the frown on Bantu’s face, she didn’t like it either. Gyp had explained to him that shots prevented him from getting sick with anything dangerous, but why they did that he had no idea. He had asked her if there was a way that he could stop getting sick without getting a poke in the arm. She had just chuckled and told him that really nasty sicknesses couldn’t be prevented any other way. He still wasn’t sure where he stood on the issue.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll call the desk to book it.” Bantu excused herself and Kiba from the room. “Time to go home, kid.”
“Need shots?” He asked as his guardian scooped him up.
“We’ll see,” she replied. "Don't worry about it."
And Kiba didn't.
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Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 12:44 pm
Dear Mama,
Thank you for your letter. I'm very happy to hear that everyone is doing well. Whenever Chagina and her husband decide that they're ready to move out just give me a ring and I'll come over and help. You can never have too many women helping out, after all. Besides, Katiti will be useless anyways. I'm not surprised he hasn't taken very much interest in the baby. I suppose that's a good thing though. Make him think twice about having a baby of his own at that age since I know for sure you'd make him bring the girl home and marry her. It makes me thankful that the ratling is still so little. I'm definitely not going to enjoy the time when he suddenly realize that girls exist. Be prepared for lots of letters and phone calls when that stage of his life starts.
As far as my life, nothing's really too exciting over here. Business is as usual, though we did have one of our members caught last week. Was one of the newcomers, so I'm not surprised. Bit off more than he could chew. Twitch and Spark managed to bail him out but they gave him a stern talking to. It was kind of funny to see the twins in the role of disciplinarian. Sometimes I forget how good they really are, especially when they're messing around where there nose doesn't belong. But that's life. Some days I wanna promote 'em, some days I just wanna kill him.
Kiba's doing very well. He lost his first tooth yesterday and got to experience the myth and lore that is the tooth fairy. Though he wasn't too sure about giving his tooth away, he decided that he liked what he got in exchange for it and is willing to cooperate with the mysterious Tooth Fairy. I've never seen any kid's teeth grow that fast though. I swear he's like a little baby dog. If he doesn't chew on stuff they grow really long and then he nearly stabs himself with them trying to eat. I've half a mind to take him to the dentist and get them filed down every couple of months. Might help him out a bit. His claws grow really quickly too. Gyp and I have had to trim them pretty much more often than we trim out own! Strange little ratling I have.
Anyways, always glad to here from you. Give my best wishes to the family!
~Bantu
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:56 pm
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 4:47 pm
Dear Mama,
Sorry for the delay in the letters! Things have been extremely hectic over here. As you well know, this business is somewhat risky, and the last few months have been a perfect example of why it is so. One of our boys went out on one of the runs and got caught. Now, you're probably thinking that it happens all the time, and it does. But the captor decided to try and get his boss's name and our headquarters out of him. I've always told my boys (and girls) that they're welcome to snitch if they can get out of it. Hell I don't mind dealing with people, and there's a lot more of us here than anyone could bring with them. Nobody steps into Bramble Manor and expects to win whatever fight they're picking. But for some reason this boy was trying to be noble – a noble thief huh – and wouldn't say boo. We only just found him last week, and we're lucky we found him when we did. So, as you can well imagine, I've been dealing with that messy business and haven't had much time to write. My apologies, however, since I should have at least had Beatz send you some sort of message to let you know what was going down.
Anyways, I'm sure you don't want to read a whole letter about my work – we can talk about it in person later, I'll come over and visit. I've got lots to tell you about Kiba. He's been working very hard on his writing these days, and with Gyp's help he's getting pretty good. They do about an hour or two a day with the fridge magnets to help with his reading and spelling and then he's allowed to write one page about some topic that Gyp gives him. Once he finds out I've been writing these letters to you he'll probably want in on it, so expect some Kiba stories along with my next letter. He's quite proud of himself whenever he finishes his writing.
I swear he's getting bigger ever day, though that could just be the mother in me. I never thought I'd have a kid, but you can't really say no to keeping a kid like Kibarango. No trouble at all, minds his own business and can keep himself occupied for hours. Well, that's to say that several things can keep him occupied for hours. I know what you're thinking, and no I don't sit him in front of the television during the day. He's got picture books and a couple of puzzles that he just sits and does all day until he can get it right. I don't know whether to call him persistent or just a little slow. But back to the big thing. We're currently looking for a new bed for him, since he's definitely too old for his crib. Something not too big but lower to the ground so he can get up on it. He's still small enough to roll out of bed and seriously hurt himself. If you've know of something that would fit the bill please let me know. He's definitely getting too old for the baby bed.
Take care,
Bantu
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:41 pm
Kid Quest I - A Small Sniffle
"ACHOO!"
Kiba sniffled loudly, wiping his nose on the back of his sleeve. Being sick was not very fun. His guardian had informed him that he had a "cold", apparently from spending time in the basement with Puck. The ratling wasn't exactly sure what part of the basement had given him the cold – he knew better than to take things from strangers after all – but he was rather saddened by the fact that nobody seemed to be able to take his cold back. All they did was make him drink icky cold medicine and offer him tissues (which were supposed to blow your nose into, not eat, surprisingly). Neither of these remedies made him feel much better, and they certainly didn't make his cold go away. The only part he'd enjoyed was Beatz's chicken noodle soup. Even if it hadn't cured him, it had still tasted delicious.
The ratling tried to carry out his day as usual. He followed Puck around in the morning, but since he wasn't allowed in the basement his yellow friend very quickly got bored of exploring the usual spots. They tried to play hide and seek for a little while, however that ended up in Puck being scolded for encouraging him to run around when he was sick, and after that she wouldn't play with him anymore. He'd offered to play blocks with her, but apparently Jivvins didn't play blocks. Or so she said anyways. So Kiba had been forced to build block towers on his own. He'd even build a block castle with a popsicle stick drawbridge, but nobody came close enough to play with him. He didn't seem to realize it was because Bantu was hovering in the doorway to make sure her "no running" instructions were followed.
When he had built all the block structures he could think of and had started tossing blocks across the room to see how far they would go, his guardian decided it was "nap in front of the TV" time. He allowed her to bundle him up on the squishy sofa, and got comfortable as she picked the movie. Kiba did his best to keep his eyes open, but he drifted off just after the opening credits. It seemed this sick thing took more out of him than he thought! When he woke, he found himself in his own bed. If the darkness was anything to go by, it was night time. He had slept all the way through dinner! Kiba gave a small wheezy huff, which ended up turning into a series of sneezes. Cold or no cold, this was one ratling who never missed a meal!
As he sat up, he noticed something odd at the end of his best. In the dim light cast by his night light, it was hard to make out the exact shape, but it looked like some kind of plushie. Curious, he reached out a hand towards it. The plushie, however, darted away, leaping off the edge of his bed and disappearing into the shadows. Kiba blinked. "Shee?" He asked, ears twitching as he strained to hear the rogue plushie. None of them had ever jumped off his bed before! There was a small scrabbling sound from the bottom of his bed, before a large black rat clambered over the edge and back up onto the mattress. It blinked at Kiba. Kiba blinked back. Then, he grinned, and reached out a hand towards the rat. A rat just like him! He'd never seen one in the flesh before!
Without a moment's hesitation the rat lunged forward and bit Kiba squarely on the finger. The boy squealed in pain, yanking his hand back as the rat bounded away. He barely had time to look at his wounded finger before he collapsed back on the bed, out cold.
From a crack in the wall, a pair of beady red eyes peeked out at the still form on the bed. The rat chattered softly, and then disappeared.
We have been waiting for you.
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 5:19 pm
Kid Quest II - A Meeting with Rat
He was hot, hotter than he had ever felt. It was worse than the time he'd accidentally put his fingers on the stove top and burned them. The pain had been white hot but brief. This heat was different. It was inside of him, almost as if his blood had turned to fire. With every beat of his heart, the heat surged through his veins. He must be sweating, his fur soaked from the sheer heat that he was housing in his body but he did not feel it. All he could feel was the deep burning. Twice he opened his eyes to find Bantu hovering over his bed, a cloth pressed against his face, but almost as soon as he tried to talk he was pulled back under. He was drowning, drowning in lava that twisted and burned at his insides. There was no hope. He was lost. Kiba took a single, shuddering breath, and he was lost to the darkness inside of him.
In the beginning, there was only Umbra. Darkness. Shadows. It is a place where all but those gifted by Gaia fear to travel. But I do not believe you are interested in a history lesson. Not now, anyways. But you have much to learn, my young pup.
The ratling struggled to open his eyes, fighting weakly against the darkness that was threatening to overcome him. He was burning, his insides ached, and he barely had the strength to twitch his tail. What did this voice want from him? There was no time for learning. He just wanted to be back home, with his mother and the rest of his family. He could learn later. Bantu never made him learn when he didn't want to.
Come now, you can do much better than that. You are young and strong. Open your eyes and come with me. There is little time. The voice was more insistent this time, and Kiba felt the brush of something furry against his legs. He shivered, and slowly opened his eyes. The world around him seemed strange, somehow, as though the very essence of it had been changed and he was in some sort of new world. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. Kiba had to blink several times to get his bearings, before he realized there was something touching him. It was the black rat from his bedroom, sitting on his knee sand staring up at him with the same red eyes he has only glimpsed in the darkness. Not willing to be bitten a second time, Kiba kept his hands to himself. The rat chuckled.
I will not bite you again. But you must come with me. Quickly now!
"Who are you?" Kiba asked, even as he rose to follow the rat. Mother had said never follow strangers, but this was a rat. Surely that meant they had something in common with each other, right?
The rat paused, looking over his shoulder. I am Rat. He gave Kiba a toothy, cheshire grin, before the world around him spun, its colours merging and twirling until Kiba could not tell the ground from the sky. He was falling again, but his insides did not ache and his blood did not burn. Was this what the rat had meant by following him? The world seemed to rush past him, like he was falling off some high counter, and Kiba felt natural fear replace his curiousity. Not wanting to get hurt, he curled himself up into a little ball, and shut his eyes tightly. It was just a dream, he told himself firmly. It would all go away in the morning and he would be okay.
Even as he fell, he could feel something changing about him. He felt smaller all over, save his ears and his tail. They felt bigger, and they wiggled much better. When he wiggled his ears his nose wiggled as well, something tickling his face as he did so. He reached up to scratch his face, but his hands felt funny. As he opened his eyes to stare at them, he realized that he was no longer falling. Kiba carefully rolled out of his little ball, allowing his eyes to adjust to the scenery. Rat seemed to have disappeared, but that was probably because the world had changed again. He must be underground, because these archways and stone passageways looked exactly like those he'd seen on television. Though they were no lights he found that he could see almost perfectly. But he wasn't concerned about his eyesight. There were so many things to smell! He sat up tall, tail curled around his legs as he sniffed loudly. Somewhere in the distance, a rat squeaked.
"Where am I?" Kiba asked to the air, and the answer came to him almost as though it were whispered in his ear.
Welcome home.
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 5:53 pm
Kid Quest III - The Naming Day
Before Kiba could react, footsteps echoed in the tunnel behind him. There were voices too, whispering hurriedly to each other as the steps got quicker. He spun around, not sure what he was going to say. Home or not, he hadn't exactly been invited down here. His mother would be very sad if she found out he'd invited himself into someone else's home! But he need not have worried. The two humans – and what giants they were! – passed him by without so much as a sideways glance. They continued to whisper in what Kiba recognized as excitement, and hurried off down the passageway that he'd been staring down. Curiousity got the better of the ratling, and he scurried off on all fours after them. For some reason, this way of walking felt more natural, though he was sure it had been quite awkward back home. But nothing was making sense here, and if running on all fours meant staying with people then Kiba wouldn't complain. He was certainly not sitting in those tunnels by himself!
Keeping up with the humans was hard on his little legs, but he managed. He'd tried talking to them several times, but they appeared to be unable to hear him. That, or they were ignoring him, but Kiba did not like that option very much. It implied he'd done something wrong, and he was pretty sure that he hadn't done anything bad enough to warrant being ignored. He didn't have much time to dwell on such thoughts, as the couple had picked up their pace and made a sudden dart left through a narrow passageway in the wall. Kiba dived after them, and not a moment too soon. The wall closed behind him, nearly snagging his tail. Inside, there were more voices, though they were perhaps even more hushed than they had been outside. Only a few individuals remained in the centre near the small candle, the only light source. Any other individuals were choosing to remain unseen. The room itself was circular, with no windows and archways that seemed to lead down to the deepest dark. Whatever questions he had been waiting to ask died before they made it to his mouth. Something about the air in here told him that he shouldn't interrupt.
A sudden hush fell over the gathering as an old man stepped forward into the centre of the room. He settled down on his haunches, and made a beckoning gesture with his hand. "Come, my children. It is time for us to welcome new members into our family." The room seemed to explode into chitters, as though thousands of rats were whispering excitedly to each other. Surprisingly, Kiba could make out snatches of their conversation. "--- about time Mother Marswrapper's children picked their names, but I suppose –" "—should be good names, like their mother—" "--- can't believe only these three made it, but it's to be expected---" The conversations died down instantly when two giants stepped towards the central candle. From his place on the floor, Kiba could also make out a small brown rat, who also stepped up to join the giants. The ratling wondered why he wasn't afraid of standing near such large individuals. He recognized them as the ones he had followed here, and strained to get a better look.
The old man was smiling, a rather frightening grin that reminded Kiba of the grin that Rat had given him. He nodded first to one of the giants, a girl he decided after a second look, and extended his palm to her. She reached into her pocket and produced some kind of item, handing it over with an expression of great pride. Kiba craned his neck to see what she had given the old man, but he did not have to look for long. He only studied it for a moment before he held the item out for all to see. "See and witness what has been chosen! It is the will of Rat! The Horde welcomes Poststamp, daughter of Coffeegrinds to this Plague!"
From within the walls, the squeaks and cheers seemed to fill the whole chamber with noise. Before he knew it, Kiba too had joined in, squeaking as loudly as the rest of them. The old man allowed the rats to cheer for several minutes, before he held up his hand once again. Instantly, the room quieted. Poststamp moved to sit neatly next to the old man, looking extremely pleased with herself. The next in line was the second giant, though he was much scrawnier than the girl. Still, he seemed as proud as she had been as he handed over a package of what Kiba recognized to be Reese Peanut Butter Cups. The old man studied the item, before it was also held out to their audience. "See and witness! The Horde welcomes Reese, son of Marswrapper to this Plague!"
Again, the walls broke out in cheers. When Reese took a seat next to Poststamp, the old man extended his hand to the brown rat. It too approached the old man and gave to him a single round candy. The man looked at it, gave a soft chuckle, and then held it neatly between his index finger and thumb. "See and witness! The Horde welcomes Skittles, son of Marswrapper, to this Plague!"
"Skittles...." Kiba whispered, as the cheers broke out, but before he could move the world was swirling again and he was falling into the shadows once again.
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:39 pm
Kid Quest IV - Lost in the Dark
"Skittles! Hurry! Hurry!"
When Kiba opened his eyes again he was in a different tunnel, the previous gathering gone completely. Disoriented, he didn't realize there were rats beside him until they started moving. It was a good gathering of rats – all his size too! – and they all appeared to be running in the same direction. As he made to run with them, he realized that the one in front of him had stopped and was looking over his shoulder. Suddenly nervous, Kiba wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. When he opened his mouth to speak, however, he realized that the rat wasn't looking at him. Rather, he was looking at something behind him.
"Skittles!" The rat said again, this time even more insistent. "You're going to be left behind!"
Kiba looked over his shoulder too, and found himself almost face to face with the brown rat from the last vision. The rat – Skittles, he corrected himself – barreled past him and continued to run towards the rat that had called his name. Not wanting to be left behind, Kiba trotted eagerly after them, wondering where they were all going in such a big hurry. Nobody seemed to be distressed or worried, but he'd never seen so many rats run together like this unless they were running for something. When he, Skittles, and the other rat rounded the bend, he caught sight of the leader of the pack. A large black wharf rat seemed to be leading the group, though to where he hadn't the foggiest idea. Best not to be left behind, however. He didn't want to get lost in these tunnels.
"Do you have any idea where we're going, Reese? I don't want to go down too close to the sewers," Skittles whispered from Kiba's right, apparently addressing the rat he was running with. The rat who Kiba now knew to call Reese gave his brother a small rat-shrug. "Dunno. Nobody knows where we go. It's part of the test." Kiba made a small sad noise at that. He knew all about tests. Gyp liked to give them to him when he wasn't ready. She had always said that life never told you about the tests so why should she? He'd had to write out his spelling words ten times each because he hadn't been ready for her test. But how was a group of rats going to write a spelling test?
He didn't have much time to consider this thought, however, as the group had come to a sudden stop. They were in a section of tunnel that – for some reason – Kiba thought was unfamiliar. Why he would be unfamiliar with this portion but familiar with the others he didn't know, but his gut told him that this tunnel was for sure one he had never been in. Judging by the nervous shifting of the other rats, they had never been here either. What part of this was a test? There were a couple of whispered words, before the group fell silent. The black wharf rat stared at his charges for a moment, as if to heighten the suspense, before he gave them a small nod.
"You may begin. Return to the den within one Earth hour and you will have passed the test. We will come looking for you if you do not make it back within that time limit. I would say good luck, but luck will not save you. So I will simply say, until we meet again, my brothers and sisters." Before any of them could move, the rat darted sideways and disappeared. In the chaos that resulted, Kiba was forced to scurry away, and was surprised to find that his earlier travelling companions were doing the same. Reese was already leading Skittles away, whispering instructions to him that Kiba could barely make out. For some reason he felt compelled to stay with them, and so when they broke off from the group and scurried down another tunnel, Kiba remained hot on their heels.
Through their conversation he began to understand that this was some sort of common test, where little rats were taken away from their den and told to find their way home. "A real Ratkin," Reese had said to his brother, "can find their way home no matter where they are. And it has nothing to do with your nose." Kiba wasn't entirely sure what Reese was talking about, but he seemed to know where he was going. Every so often they would hit a fork in the road, or a small crack that seemed to lead in a different direction. And every time they approached a difficulty, Reese and Skittles would pause. They appeared to be feeling for something, and after the third fork he began to get a sense for what. It was almost like there was some sort of magnet in his gut, drawing him in one direction.
Before he knew it, they were slipping through a small hole in the wall and into the central chamber again. The old man from the naming ceremony looked up when they arrived, and fixed them with his familiar, toothy grin. "Welcome home."
'This isn't my home,' Kiba wanted to protest, but the world slanted, and it was dark once again.
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:05 pm
Kid Quest V - The Birthing Plague
Ah, I see you're back already. You have already learned much, my young pup.
Kiba blinked and found himself face to face with Rat. The world hadn't stopped swirling yet, and the feeling was rather disorienting. He didn't dare take his eyes off the black rat, fearing that if he did he would see there was no floor and fall once again. He didn't like the falling, even if it did lead him down to the tunnels below. The tunnels had felt safe, almost safer than his own bed, but he did not know why. Still, anything was better than being here. He did not like hanging in this... space with Rat. The large black rat was scary.
Seemingly unaware of his young charge's fears, the creatures moved in closer to speak to him. Now is the hardest part of the test. But do not fret. You will see things beyond your wildest dreams. Things that may come to pass, if you will allow them to be so. Rat churred softly next to his ear, even as he stroked Kiba's head with one of his paws. You must endure all that you will see in order to truly become one Blood with is. One Blood, One Plague. It is in your blood to become one with us, now show me your determination!
Rat's previously very solid form seemed to explode and encompass Kiba, his final words ringing in his ears. Show him his determination? He did not get long to think about what had been said. As if the disappearance of Rat removed some sort of protective barrier, his heart burned once again deep in his chest. The fire spread quickly through is blood, burning him and making him cry out. "Bad fire! Bad!" He squeaked, rubbing his arms in a vain attempt to put the fire out. It hurt! He didn’t want to hurt! He wanted it to go away! "Rat! Rat come back!" But the rat did not answer his calls, and his body twisted and contorted without his control. Why wouldn't Rat come back? He wanted to go home! Home with his mother and all her friends! He would even take the tunnels to this!
As the fire burned, visions and images swam before his eyes. His bedroom, but the walls were different and his bed was bigger. Did someone else live there now? Had he been replaced? Bantu's room, stacked so high with papers that they were taking over the floor like some form of creeping ivy. A dark basement. A shiny chest. Three bone earrings given to him as gifts. Pushing one through his ear, and one through his nose, but it didn't hurt. His tail getting caught in the door. Twitch and Spark stuck in a dark alleyway. Running, running longer and farther than he had ever run in this life.
Then there were tunnels. Tunnels that stretched on for hours, perhaps even days. Tunnels deep below the city, where no one had been for centuries. They were not the ones he had seen before. He would recognize them if he saw them again. But these were different, empty, and dark in ways that they shouldn't be. Where had the Ratkin gone? Why had they left their homes here? Where was Reese and the old man? Why were they not living where they should be living? He had to find them! He had to make sure they were-
And then, it was over.
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:25 pm
Kid Quest VI - An Unfortunate Misunderstanding
When Kiba opened his eyes he felt oddly... small.
Or maybe it was his bed that had gotten big. But whichever reason was the truth for his circumstances, he certainly didn't remember going to bed with a pillow this big. Slowly rolling onto his feet – all four of them he noted without really thinking about it – he took a moment to look around. His room was as he remembered it. The bed was in the right place, as were his toys and his books. His nightlight cast the same shadows it normally did, but the light coming from the window was brighter than he remembered it. Had it really been just a dream? It had seemed so vivid. He remembered the rat bite as clearly as he remembered waking up with the cold the day before. Or had it been longer than that? How long had he been asleep? Kiba reached up and rubbed one of his eyes, wincing in surprise when one of his fingers was tender. So it had been real! He had been bitten by the rat and had all those crazy dreams!
Pulling himself together, he turned on his pillow to look for Bantu. If he remembered correctly, she'd been sitting next to his bed before he'd felt the horrible fire. Was she still there? Though she wasn't next to his bed, the chair was occupied by a snoring Beatz. Funny, she too looked bigger than he remembered her. What had happened to him? His stomach grumbled loudly, indicating that there were better things to do than stand around contemplating his maybe-dreams. He had missed dinner! And Beatz was right here! He would just tell her and she would bring him some more of that chicken noodle soup, if he was lucky.
Kiba grinned brightly to himself, and opened his mouth to speak. However, instead of what he wanted to say, the only thing he heard was a soft "squeak!" Surprised by the noise, he toppled off the pillow, rolling down into the bed covered. Since when did he squeak? He could talk! He had spent many, many hours learning how to talk so that he could be understood. Why couldn't he do it now? Severely frustrated, the ratling tried, without success, several times to get his voice to work, but he found that he could not get out anything more than his rat noises. What was happening to him?
Suddenly, there were hands on either side of the sheet covering him, effectively trapping him there.
"I'll teach you to come up as far as Kiba's room, you little vermin! You'll be sorry you ever came into this room and bit the little one on the finger!"
'Beatz!' Kiba tried, but it only came out as a frightened squeak. He tried to find a way out of the blanket but Beatz was faster than he was. She scooped him up in the blankets and sealed the top before he could scurry back out. "Oh no you don't! I got you fair and square and you're going to pay for making the kid sick! You just wait until Bantu gets back! She'll make the mousetraps look like fun and games!" Apparently his mother was in one of her bad moods. Normally, that would have made Kiba run for the hills, but not this time. He needed to get out! But, more importantly, he needed to be human again! Or at least, as close to human as he had ever been.
Closing his eyes tightly, Kiba curled himself up into a ball and willed his body to change back. He needed to be human again! He needed it!
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:40 pm
Kid Quest VII - A True Ratkin is Born
All of a sudden the bundle in Beatz's hands got extremely heavy, as though the body of a boy had replaced the body of a rat that she'd captured in the sheets. The badger woman almost dropped the bundle in surprise when a voice came from within the depths. "Beatz! Beatz! It's me! Kiba!"
"Holy Thief Lord on a cracker!" Beatz exclaimed when she recognized the voice. She hefted her burden back onto the bed and dropped the sheets, as surprised to see Kiba as Kiba was to see her. "Kiba! By the gods, where have you been? We were worried sick about you! Bantu's been chasing people around, trying to figure out who let the rat in to bite you! She thought you'd gotten rabies or something! You made this noise and then you were out cold for three days, sweating and muttering under your breath." Realizing she hadn't asked him a vital question, she ploughed on, "But enough of that. How do you feel? Are you okay? You don't look great but it looks like your fever's broken." The badger woman reached up to feel Kiba's forehead. Kiba's stomach growled loudly before she could ask him any more questions. Fixing him with her best smile, she ruffled his hair affectionately and turned to leave. "Let me go get you some soup, okay? I'll tell Bantu you've on your way to recovering. No funny business while I'm gone, you here?"
Kiba nodded eagerly, giving her his word, before attempting to get settled on the bed. Now that he was human again – or at least, as human as he had ever been – he was more aware of the aches the fire had left behind. His limbs felt weak and his soft fur was almost soaked with sweat, but what was important was that he was alive. He gave a soft giggle, reaching up to stroke his face with a shaky hand. There was no more fire! No more burning deep inside him! But he felt a slight pang of loss when he thought of the tunnels. He had felt... almost happy to be down there with the other rats. Even though they hadn't spoken to him, they had let him run with them. He almost wanted to go back.
But he was home now, wasn't he? He had fought very hard to come back here and he was going to enjoy for as long as he could. Maybe later, he and Puck could go find more about these tunnel rats that Kiba had run with. Perhaps they could even be his friends. With a small sigh, the ratling shuffled down in his bed and tried to get comfortable. Had his feet always been that close to the end of the bed? It was his final thought before he closed his eyes and fell into a well-deserved sleep.
From the whole in the wall, the red eyes were back again, watching silently. Once he was sure that the newly born Ratkin was settles, Rat flashed Kiba one of his Cheshire grins, and disappeared.
Your time will come, my young pup.
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