Author's Note: Dang it! I keep forgetting. Since I have so many stories from my three main genres (Bretheren, Mega Man, and Star Fox) going on right now, I have decided to start working on them in a pattern. Please check my profile for more information. Oh, and 5 more chapters to go! (I know, I'm evil)
Chapter 13: The Search
“He was right next to me a minute ago,” said Val, looking worried. “I know he was.” Dregan smiled reassuringly.
“Savander has a knack for just vanishing like that. I know there’s been times when I’ve been dead sure he was holding my hand, and he’d really wandered off some time before. It’s not your fault.”
“He could be anywhere,” sighed Layrina in a tone of one used to having to express such sentiment.
“The guards will help search for him,” Zentor offered. “It’s not uncommon for children to wander away from their parents or get separated during the Festival, so they’re well practiced in locating them.”
“At least he’ll be easy to spot,” Adam mentioned. “No offence, Dregan, but you don’t exactly blend right in around here.”
“Be easy to spot, yes… if he’s out in the open. Savander can squeeze into nearly any space just like a cat - no offense to any felines present. But maybe someone’s at least seen him.” Edgar called over a couple of younger-looking guards, cadets - called Daggers in Kylado (the Gaia company got a chuckle at that) - and informed them of the situation and gave them Savander’s description. They ran off the spread the word.
“Perhaps some creature help is in order,” Quatrill suggested, indicating Cringer, Shamzar, and fingering her star pendant she wore around her neck. “Shanti,” she called softly, and all made room as a mist formed first at the pendant, then on the ground in front of her, and a silvery-white wolf materialized. Shanti yipped in greeting.
“Shanti girl!” Kest greeted back, and Shanti performed an acrobatic flip from a sitting position to pounce Kest flat. “Oof!” She yipped and licked his face.
Dregan, meanwhile, had knelt and was setting his backpack down. He opened the flap and reached in, causing a volley of meows to escape.
“C’mon, Nimpits - Ow!” He flinched and pulled his hand back out to reveal a black pup, mouth clamped around his finger. “Bartholomeow!” With a mewling laugh, the ‘viscous Nimpit pup’ let go and darted to Evarion to sit on his shoulder, looking superior.
“Nimpits?” Rycharde queried nervously, as if he’d had an encounter with Nimpits before, and hadn’t liked it.
“Goodly ones,” Dregan assured. “Even Cedras can pet them.” He pulled out a purple pup this time. “Mewpalon, wrong Nimpit.” This one perched on said paladin’s shoulder. Again, he reached in, only to pull out a small white female.
“Mew mew,” she mewled daintily, waving a paw at everyone.
“Princess, not the white I was looking for.” Layrina took charge of this one, and she mewled at every male there as if flirting. Dregan huffed. “Elfalon! Quit being stubborn!” Laughter was the only response. “Fine!” Dregan upended the pack and, after a couple of shakes, dumped all the remaining Nimpits onto the grass. They meowed at him, clearly annoyed.
“How did all those creatures fit in there?” Adam wondered.
“It’s a dimensional pocket,” explained Kest, “one big enough for all the Nimpits to romp around in their own little private realm… until Dregan literally turned their world upside down!” He laughed. The largest white sat regally on the grass, fluffed her tail around her front paws, turned her head away from Dregan, and tipped her head up with a resentful “Mew!” clearly voicing her displeasure.
“For once I have a good reason, Lady,” Dregan informed her. “Your ‘surrogate pup’ has wandered off again.” That got Lady’s attention, as she looked over with clear motherly concern.
“Mew?”
“You’re the best at finding him.”
“Mew mew puurrrrrrr meyew!” With that dainty noise, Lady sniffed the air, then the ground, then began leading with way with Shamzar, Cringer, and Shanti following, noses to the ground.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Author’s Post Note: Ok, I know I didn’t get to introduce the Nimpit Pups (yes, pups, even though they look like cats), but here’s who they all are, in order of age, along with their color and the ‘buddy’ they like to hang around:
Black - Bartholomeow - Evarion (the biggest of the litter, and the most arrogant, he’s a perfect match for Ev. Would’ve been called Bartholomew, but ‘mew’ is a feminine ending in Nimpit, and that would’ve been an insult)
Red - Oofalon - Kest (Got his name from the fact that he nearly matched Kest’s hair color, and Kest always says ‘Oof’ whenever Shanti knocks him flat.
Green - Meowalon - Elfalon (daddy’s little copy-cat… I know, bad pun)
Purple - Mewpalon - Cedras (a holy terror whenever peanuts are around… Nimpits LOVE peanuts, also, he‘s a compulsive mewper, which in Nimpit means he loves to leap at people, cling to their pants/skirts at the waist, shout “Mewp!” and pull said clothing to the ground. He hates tight belts, thus he loves teaming up with Princess)
Blue - Clingalon - Quatrill (he loves to cling to people, and Quatrill loves to cuddle little Nimpits that cling to her)
Rainbow Polka-Dot - Oopsalon - Camus Spenderkent (You’ll meet him later, but anyone who knows what “Wild Mage’ means will get the name, think Harkell Harpell from Forgotten Realms, only much, much worse.)
White - Princess - Layrina (the only girl, she enjoys using her pretty face to get her way, and is the reason why dangling tails - or especially belts - are at risk in the Syndisian Sword… her hammock/belt collection is quite large now)
Yellow - Pingalon - Dregan (the smallest and youngest, he somewhat looks like one of Dregan’s Ping spheres, which he used on Evarion in Bretheren Arcanum I, when he curls up. Oddly enough, Bartholomeow sometimes seems to pick on him, but is rather protective of him….)
Lady - white - no buddy (she’s not a pup, but their mother and Elfalon’s mate)