Feru had three pots ready on the table. One was filled with the most toxic, potent, tar like coffee she could manage without a curse of some sort, the second was a strong herbal tea, and the third was a dainty pot full of a green tea, Ferus favorite.
Wolfwood was currently nursing a cup of the coffee, partially hunched over. Gourry had fallen asleep in front of the fire. Feru had her cup and was coiled patiently, waiting for the coffee to kick in and for him to start asking questions. It didn�t take long.
�What the hell was that place?� he asked finally.
�It was a test. To be a knight for the queen was an honor, but she had a quirky sense of humor. She figured anyone willing to go through all that must really want to be one of her knights.� Feru said. She�d started up a fire and blocked all the cracks, so right now it was toasty warm inside.
�Why do all the green paths lead to you?�
�You forget I�m a priestess. When this world was made, it was laid out like that, so that the mortal here could always find their way here for guidance. Not many came even then though, the goddesses are fickle, and sometimes like to make sure things get worse before they get better. It�s to much a trial for some.�
�Oh. You said this world was laid out?�
�Once, this world was like yours. There were not set rules on the metaphysical plane, or even the spiritual plane. When people died, they died. The very fabrics of the place began to decay and as the world ended two powers were born out of it. Order on one side, and chaos on the other. There can�t be one without the other, so they formed an alliance. They created from scratch this world designed to stay balance. Each race on the planet has a natural predator. I�m the doppelgangers, Trilla eats the nighthawks, ect. These predators are generally referred to as guardian spirits. Then there are the dragons. The dragons,,, are. They must not be destroyed. They don�t eat, they don�t breed often, their rare, they simply are.�
�Where are the mortals?�
�They�ve disappeared. They�ve been gone for over two hundred years. No one knows what happened.� Feru shrugged. �Everything in the towns has stayed the some. Nothing decays, nothings gets to dusty, until you came. I think some bad started to happen, and there forces stopped it. But they couldn�t reverse it. Stopping something like that was a drain, or at least that�s what I think, so they decided that they had to do something. They brought you people through the looking glass, so to speak. They say they have some sort of plan for the rest of their power. I think they�re going to resurrect someone new, but I�m not sure. They�re very upset because theirs so few people left to bring.�
�What do you mean, left to bring?�
�I�d like to say that you six were very carefully chosen, but from your three worlds, you were the only heroes there. Somehow whatever we�re fighting got everyone else. And I mean everyone else, good and evil alike.� Feru set her cup down carefully. �Your friends will be here soon.�
�How soon?�
�Ten, eleven minutes.�
�Okay. The short version is that we're the leftovers that have to save the world.�
�Yes.� Feru sighed. �It�s a lot to ask. I realize that but it�s our only chance. If you refuse I can�t make you help, but at the very least someone has to free one of the other guardians.�
�Well, you tell everyone else that. I�ll help if I can, I owe you that much.�
�You owe them that much.� Feru corrected.
�You�re the on who peeled me off the wall.� He said without missing a beat.
�Thank you.� She looked pleased. �Oh, did you test the wings yet?�
�I tried to. I jumped into the dragons� pit from on the wall and�-Feru winced. �Yeah. I think I could have flown, but I got pummeled.�
�That�s actually there to protect observers.� Feru said. �It hurts a lot, but I suppose they though it was better than getting eaten.�
�Makes sense. My head still hurts though.�
�That�s only temporary. It�ll be gone by tomorrow. Did you get a chance to use the other thing?�
�What other thing?�
�I�ll take that as a no. Um, the gauntlets I gave you?�
�Thank you for those too, incidentally. I hope you didn�t get in to much trouble for that.�
�Ohh, they can�t fire me I�m the only one who can stand them,,, but they should have manifested.� She resettled her coils. �They didn�t do anything?�
�Should they have?�
�They�re called the Gauntlets of Shirana. Shirana was the only guardian spirit who was ever killed by his prey.� Feru said. �His power was flight, he was a type of angel, I suppose. He could control the winds with his power, and imbibed the gauntlets he wore with the power of the northern wind so that he could give them to those mortals he favored in his realm.�
�You make him sound like he�s a god of sorts.�
�The Guardian spirits are close to gods. Each one has a realm they survey, the mortals in the realm are under their protection and control. Within the center of their realm, or the hearts, they�re virtually invincible. Shirana lived in a white marble temple in the sky.� Feru was staring into her cup, speaking quietly. �His prey were the Thraks. Their rodent like creatures, weasels are their cousins, poisonous. In our realms, we can�t die. In our Hearts, we are invincible, but in the heart of other realms,,,� She stopped quietly and squeezed her eyes shut.
�You cared for him.�
�Yes.� She nodded. �The Thraks over ran this place, the doppelgangers attacked the village at the same time.. He was too weak to fly back and I wasn�t here to heal the toxin.� She stopped. �I apologize. I meant to only explain their power, not their previous owner.�
�It�s alright. I don�t mind.�
She shook herself, the ripple going down her long spine. �The thraks are dead now. You see, when the guardian spirit dies, the souls of the thraks are recycled into different beings. As the last thraks died, no more were created.�
�So that�s why they�re so many doppelgangers?�
�No. Theirs just more souls. The balance controls the number of actually bodies. Ever since he died, none of the guardian spirits would leave their realms. If you got invaded by someone else�s prey it was your problem.�
�How do I use these?�
�They�ll become instinctual, like the wings. With him gone, they aren�t as powerful, but if your ever in his old territory then they should been very potent. They work best�- She stopped, her head whipping over he shoulder.
�What?�
�Nothing. Your friends simply arrived a little sooner than I though. Hello there, Vash the Stampede. Ditch the others?�
Vash stood stunned in the door for a moment, absorbing everything.
�Sit down and have something to drink.� Feru added. �Oh, shut the door behind you, okay? I hate drafts.�
Vash shut the door and sat down at the table.
�How�d you get past the dragon?� Wolfwood asked, pouring him a cup of coffee.
�It asked why we hadn�t just left, and I told it we�d tried that, and it showed us the door.� Vash said, snapping to himself. �What the hell happened to you?�
�A doppelganger nailed me to the wall. Feru saved me.�
�You�re Feru?� Vash asked, extending his hand to her.
�Yes. Pleased to meet you.�
�You healed fast.� Vash told Wolfwood. �Perk of rebirth?�
�Perk of this temple, more like it.�
�Time travels faster inside here when they want it to.� Feru added. �It�s was actually more like a week for him, and he was unconscious the whole time.�
�Oh. We found this place and split up to look for a door. They should find it soon. Umm, not to be rude, but why do you have those?� He pointed at the wings.
�Because I gave them to him.� Feru said. �I�m fresh out of wings now, but if you�d like a tail-� Wolfwood snickered.
Vash though about it for a second. �I�m good. Now how much of what�s going on can you-�
�Vash?! Where are you?� It was Zelgadis. He wandered in, barely batted an eye at the fourty five foot lower body Feru was sporting, and held out his hand. �My names Zelgadis.�
�I�m Feru. Would you like some tea?�
Soon they all sat around her table with different cups. Feru finished her explanation and waited for them to fill each other in on whatever else they had picked up.
Human were funny sometimes. Feru thought, swirling her tea. It was cold now, she muttered a quickie spell to heat if back up. Marron was sitting next to her, and noticed the sudden plume of steam.
�You�re a mage?� He asked quietly, letting the other speak.
�It�s part of being a Priestess and guardian.� She said, heating up his tea as well.
�Thank you. How does magic work here?�
�It has rules, but their vastly complicated. First off, the type of magic you have matches your spirit. Secondly, most magic is channeled through something. A staff, a rod, leaves, feathers. This isn�t always true. And last of all for the big three, magic users can communicate with magical creatures. Only true magical creature though. Dragons, Phoenixes, Griffins and so forth.�
�Why don�t I have my magic then?�
�Well, you see, something happened to you and Zel. Someone else separated your magic from you. They tried to retain it, managed to keep it from being stolen, but they couldn�t return it to the rightful owners. I know, I know your thinking that your power comes from the god that�s reincarnate in you. Your right, of course. But your god got, err, how to put this,,, split in half. You kept the warrior swordsman,, but the spiritual mage left the building.� She shrugged. �We tried to fix it, but since we can�t merge them back together without their approval and they don�t get along while their separated. I�m sorry.�
Marron looked confused. �They don�t get along?�
�Opposite sides of the same coin almost never get along, even when they�re the same person.� Feru said, rolling her eyes upward at the ceiling. There was a soft humming noise for a moment. �Yes, I�m talking about you two!� She growled upwards.
�Why can Vash talk to dragons?�
�He�s probably a Mage. Vash is a specialty case, though. He might just be able to talk to dragons anyway it�s be a interesting twist.� Feru sipped her tea quietly. Marron was easy to talk to.
�Is there anyway to tell for sure?�
Feru finished her tea, then tapped the table as she thought. �I suppose. There�s always a way, but it�s rather painful. Vash might be damaged in the process.�
Vash looked up, hearing �pain� and �Vash� in the same sentence. �I might be what now?�
�Damaged if I force you to use any magic you may have. It�d hurt, make a lot of noise, and you�d really be screwed if it turns out you don�t have magic, just a knack with languages.�
Vash blinked. �What�s the other choice?� He shifted his chair and joined Feru and Marrons little conversation (Zelgadis and Wolfwood were sharing dumb-blonde jokes).
�I could seal it away, but I won�t. That means your other choice is to hope you figure it out before you meet up with anything nasty.� She said. �Magic is a wonderful, terrible thing, and it�s not for everyone.�
�Why won�t you seal it then, if it�s not for me?�
�Because, now matter how hard it is for you, I-.. Oh, how can I put this?� She leaned forward, looking his straight in the eyes. �Because, no matter how much it hurt for you to have magic, not matter how you feel about it, if I seal it away, it�s forever. Do you understand?� Vash nodded. �You�re a very kind person Vash. Magic reflects us on our deepest levels, and you have a good heart. What I would be, am afraid of, is that if you seal away whatever you may have in there, you�ll take personal responsibility anytime anyone gets hurt.�
Vash though about it. �What does it take to find out? To make it work?�
�Well, pick something to channel through� Err, not your gun. Put that down so you aren�t tempted to use it.. I don�t know what raw magic would do to the inner workings of that gun, but I rather like our moon the way it is.�
Vash nodded. Then he stopped and looked at her, something between fear and curiosity in his eyes. �How do you know us? I mean really, how do you know us? How did you know my name?�
Feru smiled lopsidedly. �You don�t think the Bitch and the princess upstairs hire heroes without a ref., do you? They found out everything about you when they pulled you through. I don�t know how, but it�s all typed out, you life stories. Everything. Oh, don�t look so uncomfortable. I keep the real big secrets to myself.�
�You know all of our pasts? Everyone�s?� Vash glanced at everyone else without thinking, pausing at Wolfwood.
�You want to know about him, I suggest you ask, our I�ll tell everyone about your uncanny fear of granola.� Feru said coolly. Vash blushed.
�Have you ever tried to eat a bowl of that stuff only to find it crawling with bugs? You�d freak out to.�
�Actually, I�d eat the bugs first. I am a highly carnivorous creature, and if I was desperate enough to eat granola�.� Feru sighed. �But we digress. Do you want to unlock you magic now, the hard way, or do you want to let it unlock its self eventually?�
�Since you know so much about me, don�t you already know the answer?� Vash said wryly. �What do I have to do?�
Feru smiled, a little sadly this time. �I only know what has happened, not what will. The choices we make are always our own. What you have to do is simple,, umm, come here.� She backed up, looking at the ceiling and seeming to measure the distance to the walls. Moving back down to his level, she locked eyes with him. �No, closer..� He had the blowgun in one hand, he held it easily down by his side.
�Your not even going to warn me, are you?� Vash asked, realizing he couldn�t break the stare, couldn�t even blink.
<Sorry, it�s not easily explained.> Her voice sounded slightly sad again, but her lips weren�t moving. <It�s a mental block that keeps you from tapping any magic you may have, but instinct can overcome it.>
He felt more than saw the edges of his vision fade over. <It has to be forced, doesn�t it?> He sent back.
She smiled. <It takes most being years to learn to respond like that. Maybe this will be easier than I thought.>
She blinked, and he realized her could look away. He could see the others, vaguely, their outlines smoky and slow.
<All they can see of us are two brilliant streams of light. They can get near us either. They won�t be hurt.> Feru said, slithering smoothly over to them. <See? Now, don�t worry about them.> She was next to him, one hand on his chest. <Tell me if this hurts, alright?>
He looked puzzled. <I don�t feel anything- ahh.> He took a sharp gasping intake.
<I have to attack you, I need to aim it right. If I can channel it properly,,,,> She continued, explaining as Vashes eyes went wide. He went rigid. <Of course, the real pain part happens when you attack me and this link is shattered.>
To Vash it felt like he was being drained, forcibly. Her hand on his chest was the center of a violent internal whirlwind that was clouding his head over. He tried to speak to her again, but realized he lacked the proper focus. There was a roar in his ears, deep thunder invading him. Ferus eyes seemed to shimmer, deep in them he could seen a pair of rippling, angry vortexes.
Through this he could feel it, a sort of deep-seated bubbling, something in him tearing to break free. He automatically forced it down, it felt violent, dark, whatever it was. It felt like, fire or some hateful clawing worm. It surged up again, and he felt his hold on it slipping.
<You can�t hold it down!> Her voice cut through the chaos to find him.
He tried to tell her, tell her he had to, he couldn�t let whatever it was go, didn�t she know? Hadn�t she said she knew about him? This thing was bad! He had to stop it, tried to tell her, but couldn�t stop concentrating on containing it long enough to explain.
The whirlpool in his ribcage expanded, he felt his control on the black fire loosen, then fall away as it tore upwards, turning his vision to white. It forced the swirling away, filled his skin completely and with an intense jerk he felt Ferus hand fall away. For a second he tottered, then fell as the blurry outlines of the room around him shattered to pure, white light.
It took a moment, but the light faded. Outlines took their rightful shape again, the prominent ones being the people standing over him.
Their voiced sounded low, but that was shaping up to. They were talking to him, asking questions.. Yeah, like he knew. Why didn�t they ask Feru and leave him alone?
Feru� Where was she? He groaned and sat up, or tried to. It felt like a weight was pressing down on him. With a grunt, he forced himself to a sitting position, and realized that the weight had been Feru.
She wasn�t moving, and for a heart stopping moment he though he�d killed her, that she was now dead in his arms, but she was breathing. Long, slow deep breaths.
�Feru?� He asked, shaking her. <Feru?>
She made a protesting noise and turned toward him more, burying her face in his shoulder.
�What the hell did you do to her you broom headed idiot?!� Wolfwood snapped.
�I don�t know!� Vash protested. �Get her off me!� Her tail crossed over his legs twice, she�d coiled around him somehow.
�She looks happy there. Besides she might be mad if you wake her up.� Gourry said.
�She�s asleep?� Vash checked her. Huh. She was asleep. She was also covered in rose petals, and she smelled like, like,
He leaned forward and sniffed, then grinned. �Hey, she smells like doughnuts!�
Wolfwoods eyes rolled back automatically so fast for a second he thought he�d gone blind. �Tongari,, what did you do to her?�
�I don�t know.� Vash lied, smiling. �But doesn�t she smell good?� it wasn�t really that bad of a lie, really, he wasn�t sure what he had done, technically, but he knew that it was dark, something bad.
Feru made another noise� this one was more of a moan.
�Is she okay?� Wolfwood asked.
�Sure doesn�t look not okay.� Gourry said again, earning a death glare from all the conscience people in the room.
�Look, can you guys lift up part of her tail or something? So I can at least move my legs? My feet are getting numb!!� Vash complained, falling back on whining as the standby for having a clue. Feru gasped and her coils pulled in closer. �Err, what is she doing now?�
�Apparently,,,� Marron said, quietly and wishing someone else had gotten to this conclusion before him so he didn�t have to say it,,, �She�s having a dream.�
�About what?� Gourry asked.
�More.. more more.� Feru muttered one hand opened and closing. She tensed again, then relaxed, nuzzling Vash.
�Heh heh. You her personal pillow, needle noggin.�
�You know, since my hairs been limp for like, two days now can you think of a better nickname?�
�How bout Blondie?�
�It�s a little more appropriate.�
�Or pillow-boy.�
�Blondie was good. You can stop now.� Chocolate said, starting to push Ferus coils off his legs. �Want to help here?�
�No, because I think it�s funny, but I will anyway.� Wolfwood said, grinning.
�Who do you think she thinks you are?� Zel asked, having to help. Gourry joined in too, and with a shove the four freed Vashs legs.
�Someone she likes.� Gourry said.
�Thanks.� He shifted, being careful not to drop her. She murmured and clung, her voice was muffled by the soft green cloak. �Feru? Feru?� He shook her gently, pulling her up from around his waist. Her head lolled back along with the rest of her, and he had to grab her so she didn�t fall. She came back forward, her arms round his neck now, nose somewhere by his ear.
She muttered something that the rest of the group couldn�t hear, but with her new position Vash seemed to hear her just fine, judging by the chartreuse color of his cheeks.
�What do I do with her?�
�She probably sleeps coiled up.� Marron said, looking around. �There aren�t any beds within her reach.�
�We can�t leave her. We don�t know if she�ll wake up.� Vash said, turning redder at something else she was saying in her sleep. �And we don�t know where we�re going next- ah!� He jumped slightly, turning even redder if that was possible.
�What?� Gourry asked.
�She.. she bit me!� He was now trying to hold her at arms length without make her uncomfortable. She moaned. He settled for spinning her, so she leaned backwards. It didn�t quite work though, because with her head stretched back she could still nestle into the hollow of his neck. She made a sudden, sharp gasp and went still, relaxing into him.
�Must be a good dream.� Chocolate said, raising an eyebrow.
With a sudden stretching yawn, Feru raised her arms above her head. She rubbed her eyes groggily, then grinned and gave Vash a fairly heated kiss. �Morning Vash.� She mumbled.. After then seconds her eyes went wide so she could blink in surprise. �V-Vash? Dah!! I�m sorry I thought, I mean, I though,, errr,,�
�Have a good rest?� Wolfwood asked.
�Any interesting dreams?� Chocolate added smiling.
She looked at the floor intently. �None that you�d be interested in.� She mumbled, scales near her waist turning red.. �Sorry about that.�
�I don�t mind. It makes up for the bite. Are you okay?�
�I bit you?!� She sounded horrified. �Ohh, let me see, I can fix it!�
�It�s alright. You didn�t break the skin, and I don�t bruise that easily.� Vash said, grinning for her benefit. �Are you alright?�
�I feel great. That�s was really good nap.� Feru said, grinning.
�You didn�t tell me it was going to be like that.� Vash said.
Feru stopped smiling. �You�re so used to repressing yourself.� She sighed. �If you try to hold it back, it�ll fight it�s way out later, and then you�ll really be sorry. This valley used to be a mountain, until a man name Jezza lost control of what he�d been squashing for his whole life.� She shook her head. �It�s part of your survival instinct now, same as the gun. You can forcibly ignore it, but it�ll just get stronger.�
Vashs shoulders slumped slightly. �There�s no way to reseal it now, is there?�
�Nope. Don�t worry. You�ll be as good with it as you are with your gun.� Feru gestured.
�That�s a gun?� Zelgadis asked, looking at it. It looked better constructed than the ones he had seen before. Vash gave him a funny look and nodded. �Interesting.�
Feru continued, trying to cheer Vash up. �Besides, I really do feel great. That was the best rest I�ve had since.� She stopped and grinned. �You don�t need to know. Umm, do you have that map I told you to get, Wolfwood?�
�Yeah. You gonna tell us the instructions on it now?� he asked, handing her the box.
�Sorta. You see, this is an adventurers map. The person who made it was a magic user too. He could locate anything, but hated to use it because he liked mystery and knowing made it boring for him. So he made this map, that starts you off, gets you in the right area, and gets fuzzy on the details. Oh, and it doesn�t locate things you don�t know the name for.� Feru explained, spreading the map out on the table. �Just ask nicely. Show me the way to the Valley of Mysts please.�
The lines blurred and ran as if underwater, flowing into new images.
�Show me where Vash the Stampede is, please.� She said. The map faded again, showing a sort of blurry circle.
�What is that?�
�It means that the object/place/person is nearby. Or you�ve already arrived. It can be kinda cryptic at times.� She folded it back up. �If you go west from here, you�ll find the Tear Deep River. To the north is the Crystal Caves. South lands you at the Cavernous Forests.�
�What�s to the north?�
�The ruins of the fallen castle.� Feru said. �Farther past that, the Fusion Fire Volcano, the Field of Ice Knives, the Lost Jungle, the sea.�
�What was the fallen castle?�
�Shiranas home.� Feru said. �This place is called the Soul-Rift, by the way. If you need to use the map to stagger back.�
�Where do you recommend we go first?� Marron asked.
�Ohh, anywhere but north. It�s be a good idea for you to find the lost Guardians of the balance, and you can�t do that in the ruins. Yaihida�s in the river, she�s a nice, sweet person. Hopefully, If you get enough guardians back the balance will stabilized enough for them to attack.�
�Attack what?� Zel asked. �Do we even know what we�re fighting.�
�Well, if you could figure that out, it�d make it easier for them.� Feru said, grinning sheepishly. �We�re clueless.�
�That�s reassuring.� Chocolate said.
�Oh, like you�ve never gone off half cocked before.� She twisted, and started emptying the cupboards that lined the wall. She pulled out blankets, packs, and dried goods until they were in a pile. �I don�t know if all the foods still good, but anything you want you can take from here, alright? If you ever need me all you have to do is follow the green paths. Well, as long as they work.�
�Are their any other paths? Besides the green ones?�
�Oh, theres a whole rainbow of them. The magic that lets them work is unraveling fast now though. The greens will fade last though, I promise. And the white ones are just regular roads. If they start to fade, just wait for the moon to become full and-� She stopped, looking puzzled.
�And then what?� Gourry asked.
�And then..� She blinked hard, looking at a point in the distance. �And then�� Her hair began to stand out, little bit at a time, until is formed a halo. �Ahhhh.�
�Are you alright?� Wolfwood asked, reaching to tap her. A tiny shock jumped up his arm and he pulled back.
The swirling ceiling was fluctuating madly. �NOW? Your going to do it NOW?� Her voice boomed, but her lips didn�t move. She shook her self, and looked at them. �I�m sorry, you have to leave, NOW. This is going to be dangerous for, err, bystanders.� Energy began to swirl like smoke around them, the invisible currents tingling on their skin.
�What are they doing?�
�Reincarnating someone.� She said, leaning her head back.
�Who?� Vash asked automatically.
She didn�t answer, her eyes glazing over. Light streamed from the ceiling, the current getting stronger, pulling at their clothes and rasping over their exposed skin. It stung now, and they backed away from the light, that was steadily filling the room.
The next few moments were rushed, and blurry, but somehow then ended up outside the building, the large doors shut, with the pile of things that Feru had given to them. The sky was cloudy and dismal looking, with the last remnants of the sunsets melting into gray.
They looked at the rumbling sky, and began to shift through the pile. There were several tightly rolled sleeping pads, some thick, soft blankets, jars of seasonings and preserved things (some jerky), fire starting things, some packs, and around twenty utility knives.
�Well, she said to take what we though we would need.� Marron said, picking up a knife. He went visibly paler and dropped it as his sword belt tried to squeeze his waist into a size two. �Almost forgot.� He said ruefully. �I suppose I�m carrying food then.
�It worked against the dragon.� Chocolate said, trying to console him. �It�s not a bad sword.�
�Come one, let�s go now!!� Zel said, walking.
Only to arrive back at the temple.
�Told you it�s lead us back here.� Zel grumbled.
�Well, if you�re so smart why don�t you pick a direction?� Chocolate retorted.
�West then.� Zel said after a moment. Pointing; �That�s still that way, right?�
�Wasn�t there a compass in the box?� Chocolate asked.
�No. Just a bunch of funny little rocks.� Wolfwood said, fiddling with the sheath of the sword. He finally gave up, tying the pack to the end and bracing the whole thing across his shoulder.
�Let�s try to cover some ground before we set up camp for the night.� Chocolate said.
�Well, Feru said there was a river to the west. So if we find a river, we know we�re going in the right direction.� Gourry said, starting off.
Vash shrugged, looked at Wolfwood, and the two started off after him. Zel took a few strained moments to try to find a chink in Gourrys logic, failed, and with a tremendous sigh followed.
As soon as they were out the door, the forces had sped up the personal time inside her temple considerably. To her, it was taking them forever to pack.
�Dahhh!�
Feru looked at the little blob in her arms again, and stuck her tongue out at him.
The child (who was slightly cross-eyed), imitated her, blowing a rather messy raspberry in the process. Feru blinked and tried hastily to wipe the spit off her face.
�Ewww�. Don�t do that, you little werido!!!� She scolded. �Or I�ll put those dogs out.�
Now, she wasn�t sure how old he was (not year, maybe five months,) but he was smart enough to understand what she was saying. First his eyes went really big, he took a deep breath, then his face impacted. His eyes squinched (is so a word) shut, his nose wrinkled and all his features gravitated inwards. Then, after a moment, he screamed.
Feru resisted the urge to drop him and cover her ears. She also resisted the urge to squeeze him into a bloody pulp.
Then the puppies started to howl.
Ow, the kid, she could understand. But the dogs (who had HUGE FEET! And would therefore be HUGE DOGS) didn�t make sense. Why the forces had used any of the critical energy on dogs she just didn�t get.
�Arrgh!� She wailed, loudly, screaming. �AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!�
The child stopped, looking at her with interest. She was now entertaining, being louder than him. She let herself wail for a while longer, hurling a few choice words at the ceiling. The child giggled. Feru stopped yelling and glared at it, and the baby rewarded her with a big, toothless grin.
�Ohh, you think that�s funny, do you?� She asked, frowning. �You won�t think it�s funny when I snap for real and eat your little reincarnated tush-, what are you doing? Hey!! I don�t have any food there!!! Dah! Do I look like a mammal to you?�
Feru held the kid at arms length, grimacing. �I liked this shirt! You and your drool just ruined it!� She now had a rather large damp spot on her chest. �Mammals are weird�.� She slithered over to the table, and poured a cup of cream. �Ughh� Snakes don�t give milk.� She informed him. �Snaked abandon their young at birth, if they even hang around until hatching. Cows give milk. Donkeys give milk. Humans give milk�. Dolphins,, Whales give milk. Snakes don�t give anything. You better pay attention-�
She�d been pouring a steady trickle of milk down his throat, and to her surprise most of it was going down. Wide eyed, the kid looked around while he ate quietly, his little hands gripping the looser material of her sleeves. Feru sighed, coiling herself up and sitting back.
�I guess you need a name then.� She told him, thinking. �I can�t give you your old name. For one, the reincarnated don�t need to start out with the burden of their olds lives. It�s not fair, it�s not right and while you�ll have to deal with it later, I think we can wait until, say puberty or something. Second off, I don�t want a lot of people knowing who you were- ohh, are you done? You want some more? Okay, here. Gee, your a greedy little thing, aren�t you? Maybe that�s what we�ll call you,, Greedy Gus.. Never mind. That�s lame.�
The puppies whined in unison. Feru looked at them. One was black the other was white. She wasn�t sure, but the white one looked like the sleeker of the two, while the black one had broader shoulders. She sighed, shifted the kid, and poured a saucer of milk for the dogs too. �I hear you!� She snapped, as they began to slurp up the liquid.
The kid finished the second cup. Feru shifted him so she could get a good look. �Hey you,,, don�t worry. We�ll think of a name for you yet.�
He spit up.
�Or not.� She glared at him. He laughed and went cross-eyed. �Little,, mammal..�
Tada!! If this is late in coming up, sorry, blame the beta reader!! (Just kidding Feru, you know I love ya!) Ohh, here�s the epilogue..
Epilogue (part two);
Err, yeah. More of this. Umm�. It amuses me. Knives is such a creep,, I just like the idea of someone creepier than him (but in a good way) giving him issues. Heheh.
Knives was unconscious. This was understandable, considering the energy it had to have taken to create the massive crater he was in the center of. He looked like crap too, his clothes in near shreds, and a nasty looking black eye forming.
Xellos, on the other hand, looked fine. Spiffy even. Somehow he had gotten a cup of tea, and was sipping it quietly, one handed. The rope that had them tied together looked fine as well, in the murky like coming through the dust cloud it glittered slightly.
The trickster priest congratulated himself again. Dodging the (whatever the hell it was) hadn�t been easy, but the sudden surge of confusion from his travel companion had been very filling. In fact, he was near stuffed.
The man beside him was interesting to boot. Really, what exactly had he done to make this crater? Xellos didn�t remember hearing any incantations, but he had felt the power surge and chosen (wisely) to worry about keeping his skin intact instead of where the power came from.
Now that there was no rush though,, he carefully went back, tracing the remnants of the blast to their point of origin, all the way back to-
The blonde. Xellos blinked, opening his eyes to look at the man better. Yep. That�s where the power trail stopped. Right there. Somehow this, creature (no way a human had that much inside them, even Lina) had done that himself.
Now all he had to do was wait until he woke up. Good, he had time. Then he could go to work on him. Xellos shut his eyes again, feeling whatever Mazuko feel as an alternative to being at peace with the world. Sure, this place was strange. Sure, he wasn�t sure how he�d gotten here, but as long as he had such a continual source of food.. well, he could wait to figure it out. After all,,
He had all the time he needed.