"This is April O´neal, Channel six, reporting from Cancun. We are standing in the beach where workers are removing the remanants of a very popular local pub. The medical aid services are ready, expecting to dig out at least 35 people possible badly injured, as the roof fell over them"-The camera moves to show a few locals moving between debris andremoving them from what used to be "Peaches in the Beach Pub"-Underneath the thick logs and hay, a few moans of pain can be heard.
Booom!!!!
"What was that?!! The camera man exclaims.
"Oh my God!, some thing within the hut just exploded!! We dont know what could that be. A small explosion sent more debris into the air and the rescuers and us to hit the sand. The air is clearing, the explosion made a tunnel!"
Cough! Cough!
The rescuers ran to get the helpless people out the tunnel....
"There is people coming out, by their own foot! We will get near them and hear their impressions, come Vernon!!"
The camera follows April near some victims, too shaken to make a statement. Then she notices a small group still near what is left of the pub. They come closer to hear a blond and young woman talk to a furry small creature, while another one stands near other woman dressed in black.
"Do you need any help?" asks the reporter
"I told you it was not necesary!" said the blond woman, her hair in quite disarray.
"What do you mean it was not necessary? We HAD to get out!" the furry creature.
"Excuse me, could you tell us what happened?"
"I could have done it without all that, Fuzzball!" points to tunnel.
The camera zooms the tunnel as it collapses.
"Look it this way Peachyra, nobody got hurt!" tells to the woman.
"You blew up my tree!" her body tensed.
"Are you saying that this little fellow here, caused that explosion?" the reporter asks stamping the microphone very near his furry face.
"What the (notices the camera focused on him)...well, umm, yes I did. (turns to Peachyra again) but the tree will grow back and we are out!"
"I could have made it grow and lift all that stuff from us!!!"
"You mean, you could hypotethically?"
"I mean literally!!"
Tatiana massaged her temples with her hands, barely listening to the discussion. She was talking to Fluffy, Fuzzball´s fiancée, in whispers. In a few ocassions, members of the medical staff got near them to make sure they were ok, but the girls sended them away.
"Ok, these guys cracked their heads too strong! Lets go back with the paramedicals, Vernon!"
The rescuers left the place, taking the injured with them. Tatiana was worried. She had tried to cast spells again to set them free and all was useless. Yet Peachyra had managed to use her botanical
habilities with ease, what was happening to her?
"Excuse me..."
Tatiana raised her head and saw beside her a tall and very attractive old gentleman, white skin complexion and grey hair and beard. With an impecable taste in clothing he was... sexy.
"Could you tell me, perhaps, where can I locate Ms Peachy? Ms Peachy Galore?" he asked with a scotish accent while smiling.
**********************************************************
Big trees fell around Team Tiger cats and they crouched, ears flat against their heads, eyes wide open. The cacofony of the birds launching themselves to the air, monkeys crying in top of their lungs was not sufficient to diminish the sound of the earth moving, rumbling and rolling.
Ayanna and Tygris looked around ready to jump out of the way of any falling tree, away from any fissure in the ground when Ayanna remembered. The river.
"Kahn! TT!"
Cheetah and tigress saw their team-mates struggling to swim and reach the ground while the river intended to swallow them. They were fighting to float, to remain on top of the water as the current grew stronger and great uprooted trees menaced to turn their flesh into bloody pulp.
A big log rammed into the riverbend near to Tygris and Ayanna yelled a warning.
"¡Look out!"
With a great snarl the enormous alligator jumped out of the water opening its big traplike jaws.
Tygris snarled at it, ready to jump over the reptile when she remembered the main reason to sneak in that airplane´s cargo bay. She had plenty of grenades loaded in her bandoliers and had refused to leave those behind!
Quickly she attempted to throw the explosive at that menacing mouth but the mouth moved faster. With great precision, born only from a thousand times practice, Ayanna runned against TygrisHawk and pushed both of them out of the way of the alligator, whose only interest was to get out of the water.
Still dazed by the subsiding earthquake, both cats watched the alligator crawl in to the
jungle, gruntling with fear, its drum like voice challenging every one and every thing
in its path.
CRRACKKK!!!!and then.. silence.
In the underbrush Ayanna and Tygris sighed with relief. The tremors finally ceased. The ground halted its moving and the trees had stoped their dance. Few sounds could be heard in the perimeter. Patches of light touched the ground where some tall and slender trees had fallen over their smallest siblings and some of them prevented their fall sustained only by the cobweb of jungle vines. The only sound was the river in turmoil. Its strenght had increased and dragged away
logs and branches. Even stones rolled several yards before the mud slowed them, forming temporary obstructions before getting swept again by the current.
TeeTeeee!!!! Kaaahn!!!!!
The young tigress stressed her voice. She jumped and bounced all over in search of the missing tigers. Ayanna seated for a moment, astonished. She looked at the belt that she once wore against her waist. The alligator had reached it with his teeth and the cheetah had a large bruise in her flank where
its hide had touched her fur. It did not hurt, oh no, not yet. But her catnip flask was gone...
**************************************************************
Spark paced around the backstage of "Who are we cooking tonight" set, inside Mummranna´s pyramid. Her silvery earrings tinkled at each step she took. Around her, personnel worked setting things ready for the broadcast. Wollos checked the illumination systems while bolkians arranged rows of seats, beast-men moved big cases with rejected decorations out of the set. She slowed a bit the rythm to talk to an assistant.
"Caramba!!" exclaimed Spark "Where is he?
"No one knows for sure, he did not report after last show" said Pumyra
"You mean he never returned?" Spark stoped her pacing and looked to the young thunderan "why I was not informed of this? You looked inside the cleansing room? Last time he got lost, he was in there, searching for fungae or something like that..."
Pumyra bit her lips nervously, uncertain in her answer. She liked working on TV but the posibility of a starring role as a main dish was not part of her plans.
"well, we had bigger problems to settle at that time" she said slowly " remember where the tiger twins are? The asylum? And the channel needed to clean the mess with that Lucifer Daimaou... no one cared to check on Kamanchee Skah after that."
The thunderan girl held her breath, awaiting the end of the phrase that never arrived. Spark stoped the pacing looking a thin figure standing near. Pumyra turned to see what had caught her boss attention. A thin humanoid aproached, taking advantage of being noticed. A weird and white hairdo got the puma`s sight, while Spark watched the blue eye marks over silvery skin, much like Cheetara`s, and blue pupils, so clear that resembled the white of an electrical bolt. Thin eyeglasses framed those eyes.
"Excuse me" the voice denoted a feminine origin "my name is Silvercat"
There was silence.
"I understand that you are hiring" Silvercat continued "I brought my Curriculum Vitae" she held out her hand, showing a neat black folder with silver trims "My resume" she added noticing Pumyra`s frowning.
Spark took it and unfolded it, reading the information. Her eyes moved swiftly from side to side of the papers and once jumped to the girl in front of her. Pumyra recovered her natural color, and smiled to the new comer, gratefull for the diversion she provided.
Spark finally closed the folder giving it then to Pumyra, who held it against her chest, her arms folded over it, and then looked to Silvercat, standing there, quietly in front of them.
"Here says you are a lingüist..." began the aztec.
"I am a pshycho language maker and also I am fluent in over six million forms of communication, ranging from common dialects to obscure, forgotten languages..."said Silvercat with a smile.
"A simple "yes" will suffice" exclaimed Spark while raising one hand "it also states that you are able to design wardrobe. I find it hard to believe, though, that you are only 19 years old. You look younger."
Silvercat spoke. Her mouth moved and Pumyra noded from time to time. But Spark´s full atention was not with them. She was listening, but something else had cought her eye.
"OK" she said. Silvercat tried to speak, but Spark raised her hand again. "We can use a person of your skills in this team. Basically, our live audience (and a few not living ones) differ highly in origin. You will help Pumyra with the public..." this time, both girls opened their mouths. Spark tinkled her silvery, turning them to silence. "now, what are you waiting for, Pumyra? Show her what she is expected to do!" whith an imperious wave of hand both girls were dismissed. Silvercat followed her new work mate.
Spark watched them until she was sure they were gone. Then she walked toward an unlighted part of the set, behind the scenario. She had seen a thing, a creature lurking in there!
"Lost something?" a steely and cold voice asked.
From the high parts of the stage a tall man descended, suspended on leathery wings. Long hair in a lilac shade floated above him until he reached the floor. Lilac eyes met brown eyes.
"I think I found something" she said. :Hello, nurse: she thought to herself
****
Tatiana looked at that gentleman and noted she could not remember the moment she standed up.
"mm... surely you mean.. Peachyra?" she asked a bit nervous.
Fluffy remained silent, observing.
The man laughed. "Precisely!" the man bowed to Tatiana "could you please, be so gentle to lead me to her?"
Tatiana could not resist that. She smiled at him and guided him a few steps to where Peachyra argued with Fuzzball.
"Of course I have an insurance!!"
"There you go.."
"But while it do covers earthquakes it does not cover fire power attacks!
"It was not an attack!"
"Explain that to the insurance company!!"
Tatiana stoped afraid to get any nearer. But the man did not. He just kept walking with a gracious "thank you" for her. She watched him as he interrupted the squabble.
"Perhaps, I can be of some assistance..." he said with his deep scottish accent.
Peachyra looked at him and smiled. "You made it!!" she said to him, all the rest forgotten
"Yes, I did " the man answered "but I see you are busy, dear..."
Fuzzball looked at him and frowned."What the..." he just got to say that when Peachyra grabbed the stranger´s arm and squezzed it tightly. Peachyra looked back to Fuzzball, then to Tatiana, and later to Fluffy still close to the sorceress, who came to meet her fiancee.
"Ahem!, this is my friend, Dr. Jones, Dr. Henry Jones..." she managed to say while her usually gold pink skin shifted into more pinkish than gold hue "these are my friends, Tatiana undead sorceress, Fuzzball and his fiancee, Fluffy"
Dr. Jones noded "Pleased to meet you," he said to the snarves with a nod. "Delighted indeed" he turned to Tatiana and smiled.
Tatiana smiled back and, coyly lowered her eyes to her sandals.
"Did I hear a hint of an argument in here?" Dr Jones inquired.
"Oh, no, just some friendly debate. We will finish it later, Fuzzball"
The snarf passed one arm over Fluffy`s shoulders. "Any time, Peachyra...any time" he answered the avatar. They all watched as Peachyra and her friend turned around and walked away.
"Peachy, there is some one I would like you to meet..." they heard him say.
"Really? He is here?" she giggeled.
"Now, I wonder what was all that about" muttered Fuzzy.
His fiancee and the sorceress could only shrug.
- - - - - - -
The jungle inhabitants returned to their activities prior the tremor. Creatures from air and earth arranged their damaged homes or looked for new ones. Their routine was normal again.
The search for Thundera Tiger and Sher Kahn continued. Tygris Hawk kept looking everywhere, calling them and feeling desolated, not in that particular order. Her eyes found no signal, her callings were answered by silence and her desolation augmented her anger. She wanted to use her grenades, to place explosives everywhere if that increased the chance to find TT and Kahn. They were alone in a country far a way from home, not knowing where they were heading or why. Ayanna, the hyperactive cheetah, felt hyper no more. While in other situation would easily outbounce Tygris in their desperate search, she was losing the energy necessary to keep her up. Without her catnip to help, she needed to rest more often and her burst of activity became shorter and less powerfull each time.
They kept moving, following the river, expecting to find their teammates.
"Tygris, wait" Ayanna called ahead.
The tigress bounced back to where her friend had stoped.
"What, what?" she asked anxiously "found something?"
"Tygris, we need to stop" the cheetah folded her hind legs.
"What!!, no way, TT and Kahn..."
"It is for a moment only, Tygris. We are tired, yes, you are as tired as I am. We need to rest and we need to feed. You must hunt"
Tygris folded her ears. Her impetuous self wanted to keep on searching. Her explosive nature wanted to seat Ayanna in a C-4 charge and blast her for what Tygris felt was wrong, giving up, even for a short time. But she was growing up and recognized the truth in what Ayanna had said.
"But Aya" said Tygris. "I am still learning how to hunt, I might need you to help me."
Ayanna shaked her head slowly. "Can't do, Tygris" she said "too tired. You will have to do it. Alone" the cheetah lowered her body completely
She observed Ayanna and right now, to be honest, she did not look in good shape. The bruise at her side had swollen and could get infected. Tygris ears flatened against her head even more just to raise them swiftly
"I will not fail you. Nor will I fail Thundera Tiger and Sher Kahn. Upon my honor as a tiger and as a member of this team".
Suddenly Ayanna pivoted her ahead up, listening. Tygris had heard that too. Something... someone... approached.
"You think..." muttered Tygris
"hush"
A bass voice could be heard. Both cats crouched, awaiting. Tygris crawled a bit more, covering herself behind a big fallen tree. It came closer. It was singing!!!
"Fly the wings of an eagle
Glide along with the wind
No matter how high, I'll be thinking of you the whole time
Fly the wings of an eagle
Glide along with the wind
No matter how high, I'll be thinking of you the whole time
I'm carrying this heavy load, I don't know what to do
The only thing I know is I'm in love with you
Fly with wings of an eagle, no matter how high
I'll be thinking of you"
Tygris, surprised, looked back to the cheetah. Their pupils were dilated, in the hunter sight manner. Then, as both recognized the song."The Hansons?" Ayanna asked in silence, and recovered the normal sight. Tygris nodded back in agreement.
The voice got nearer each second. Tygris prepared her body to be launched, ready to defend Ayanna if necesary.
But they were caught off guard.
"Day-O Day-o, Day-o
Daylight come and me want go home
Day, is a day, is a day, is a day, is a day, is a day-o
Daylight come, and me want go . . .
Work all night on a drink of panni
Daylight come and me want go home
Stack the meat til the morning come
Daylight come and me want go home"
Tygris could not stand it, not any more. Before Ayanna could guess what the tiger cub was going to do, TygrisHawk sprinted.
"unnh! "
A thuding sound informed Ayanna that the tigress had striked first and had succeded. She approached in a light half run, jumped over the tree and saw the white fur of the tigress over a gold-brown one. Near, a small branch had three rabbits and a duck attached to it by thread.
"Tygris?"
"Hey Aya!" the tigress said " look! poofywooff!" her tail lashed her flanks.
Beneath the big female cat, was a not too small cat like frame. Her ears flicked a moment.
"Chanur"?
****
"Oh, come on, Zhyan!" exclaimed Spark, her eyes shining "you know you want to do it!"
Spark had cornered the newly arrived who had identified himself as Zhyan Dekodorian, an archangel. And quite a sight he was, with his lilac eyes and hair, dressed in black with silver plate mail, contrasting with his also black and wide leathery wings.
He looked a bit distressed, yet responded to the smile of the smaller woman in front of him. He had arrived there hunting down a specially shirky pixie. The pixie eluded him but now, the archangel had other things in mind.
"But I dont know if that is correct, that guy you mention..." he said.
"He is missing" said Spark with a wave of her hand "and you will do it just fine, actually much better than him, don´t be afraid"
With this, the aztec grabed the archangel by the arm and dragged him upstairs.
****
At sunset in Cancun some people were still working, moving debris away and repairing structures, damaged by the tremors. With Peachyra gone, Tatiana and the snarves decided to check their rooms at their hotels and meet later to talk.
While walking to her hotel, Tatiana thought it a good idea to check on the Poddle and her spouse, to inform them on the plans to join the snarves.
"and LD too" she added with a shrug.
****
Peachyra could not remember having such a nicer time. After she refreshened herself, she was having dinner in Dr. Jones` suite.
It was a very cozy suite, decorated in a rustic way, with pastel tones and dim lights...They had talked of a variety of themes before a delicious dinner was served, and then, they danced.
With soft music as background and the earthquake already forgotten, Peachyra felt safe and happy in the strong and warm arms of Dr. Jones, as he held her very close to him while swaying together. She could not think of a better thing to happen to her.
::Well:: she thought to herself ::perhaps two things would be better...::
In that precise moment, Dr. Jones grabed the avatar by the shoulders and she watched his face descending to meet hers. Peachyra closed her eyes and lifted her face encouraging him, eagerly waiting.
::Make that one thing better than this:: she thought.
Then the suite door opened.
"Dad!, Dad?" A male voice could be heard in the suites living room,Peachyra tried to get away from Dr. Jones but he moved his hands around her waist, keeping her close to him.
"Is that you, Junior?" Doctor Jones asked.
A man approached them. He was a very dusty young man in a ragged leather jacket, a fedora hat and a whip attached to his belt.
Dr. Jones smiled at this sight and released the avatar to lead her to the new comer.
"Junior!" he said with pride "meet Ms Peachyra, Peachyra this is my son, Junior"
"Father, please! I asked you to not call me that!" the newcomer aprochaed them.
Dr. Jones was surprised "But Junior! That is your name!"
Junior rolled his eyes and smiled when he took Peachyra`s hand and held it while appreciating her... and her headress.
"Pleased to meet you, Ms. Peachyra... I am Dr. Jones..."
"Dr. Jones.. Jr" added Jones Sr steping closer to them, slightly frowning.
"mm, yes" Jones Jr said, releasing her hand and winked at her "you may call me Indiana"
"...and you may call me Peachy" the avatar felt as in a dream.
"ahem, Junior, what are you doing here dressed like that? I told you about the dinner ..."
"Dad!" Indiana exclaimed grabbing Dr. Jones Sr by the arm "I found it! We are almost ready! You have to come!"
"You did?" exclaimed Dr. Jones "that`s my boy! We have to get there..." and then remembering suddenly "But Junior!!! What about the lady?"
Both turned to face Peachyra who, puzzled, watched them both...
****
"Where is he?" asked TW. He had waited, hours now, for Shark to meet him in the hotel gym but the ichthyoid never appeared.
<..Just will have some lunch, I will be back soon> he had told TW. The irate lion, searched in the eyes of the natives, struggling to make them comprehend his need of information before he scared them so that they ran away.
Then he remembered "Fianna. And the poodle. Here. Shaark!!"
****
Tygris sniffed the body beneath her, the tail still lashing her flanks. Ayanna aproached, then she bounced back, startled. The tiger cub was... jumping? Had the tremors return?
"Get,hmmphf, off me!" with the face in the ground, Chanur was shaking Tygris away.
"Geesh!" said Tygris leaping from his back.
She walked toward Ayanna, where she sat and watched the hani lift himself up.
With a powerful and fluid motion, Chanur standed up and faced both females. His wide chest and his blue breeches were stained with dirt and grass, a holster straped to his right thigh where his AP waited, ready for use.
"What was that for?" he said bristled "I was coming out to greet you!"
"huh?" said Ayanna
Chanur smiled, not a good thing to see in a hani face.
"I knew you were here since a while" he said raising to his full 6'9" height
Tygris rolled her eyes "riiight" she said "then tell me why I jumped at you so easily?
Chanur blinked and unbristled.
"I was... distracted" he said finally.
"Distracted? You were singing!" said Tygris lifting her ears as Ayanna did.
"Chanur" said Ayanna "what are you doing here? Last time I saw you, you were at your camp, near the Berbil village"
He grabed the rabbits and duck and looked away. "Did you feel those tremors?" His ears were flat against his skull.
"Did we feel..?" said Tygris, flatening hers too "we were in the middle of it!"
"I felt them, but I was up there..." he said pointing to a hill. "And I saw it too..."
"Saw it? Saw what?" Tygris could not follow what the hani male was saying.
Chanur turned to face them again, grumbling. "I saw the tremor!" he roared. With a calmer voice, he closed his eyes and tilted his head.
"See the turtle of enourmous girth,
on his shell he holds the Earth,
His thought is slow, but always kind;
He holds us all within his mind..."
Tygris looked at Ayanna "He is crazy" said convinced.
Ayanna shook her head, her eyes half closed, as if she remembered something.
"Where did you learn that?" she asked
With a deep sigh of relief, Chanur lifted his ears. "I dont know!" he said "it began recently! I... I just feel like I am looking for something here and this, this rhyme keeps poping up in my head!"
Chanur shook his head "That is why I was singing... but I know that it wont stop until I find it"
"Find.. what?" Ayannas tail was twitching
"The tower!" said Chanur "That tower I keep seeing in my dreams".
****
Thundera Tiger slowly opened her eyes. She felt drained and weary. So weary that she closed her eyes again, concentrating in her breathing... one, two deep breaths, trying to gather her senses and strenght. She felt cold and moist, thick air around engulfed her nose. Her closed eyelids allowed very little light, but she could hear...another one in the room, breathing heavily.
Still...she felt so tired. Heavy feet were heard and got near steping slowly and with care, trying to make the less possible noise.
The adrenalin in the tigress surged allowing her to forget her weariness; her experience told her to wait...and TT waited, moving only the necessary to make the visitor believe she was still unconscious... As the sounds continued in other direction, she risked to open one eye just a little. The room was small, rectangular with walls of stone. She was in a cage, a wooden one with scattered hay on the floor. Thundera Tiger adjusted her sight and could see across the room another cage...and Sher Kahn unconscious, drugged or injured, she could not say. Both cages faced each other, creating a narrow corridor that continued to the walls. Each side of the room had a thin threshold. One of them allowed some light to enter and it had a few stairsteps leading up... up to the outside light. The other one leaded to another corridor. A dark one, where the sounds of steps still could be heard walking away.
Thundera Tiger attempted to rise, but could not. She had to wait a few moments before she was able to seat. She felt dizzy and breathed deep again until she could see things without a blurring image.
Then she observed the lock and decided she could take care of the cage with ease... at any other time but now.
"I need to get us out of here" she thought "damn weariness...." She collapsed again at the cage floor exhausted.
* * *
Zhyan sipped more of the tea the staff had prepared for him. It was not very tasty, but they told him it would help him to warm up his voice. He cleared his throat and started.
"Welcome to "Who are we cooking tonight" show! live from Munranna’s Pyramid!!!...."
The dark archangel was seated at one side of the set, never to be seen by the cameras. At his desk, several cards Spark provided to him contained the order in which the show would be presented and it was his responsability to read them, announcing the prizes to be given by the show sponsors with their commercial messages. He hoped he could do a good job.
The audience start to clap satisfied when the lights iluminate the set, while the cameras focus on the people from different angles. Between the rows of seats, Pumyra smiled at Silvercat. They had become friends in very short time. She even asked Pumyra if she would attend to a party she was going to have next sunday. Pumyra was considering to go. Perhaps by then, Bengalli would be out of the asylum, and he could have some fun at that party.
"By Jaga!! We really need to get more of it!" she thought.
Fianna had news from Tatiana... he was expected to meet her and Fuzzball and Fluffy at the Hotels lobby for an emergency conference. After consulting to his beloved poodle, he had accepted but his missus, however, was not interested in going with him.
After the shock of the tremors her hubby had comforted her with a slow and tender massage. Later she arranged an appointment with the hair stylist. She wanted the blue out of her fur as soon as possible and she went to the beauty parlor for a while.
Fianna walked his way to the elevator and called it by pressing the button. When it opened he saw his friend LD standing there, dressed in a pink bathing suit.
"Woof!" said the caninoid. and entered the elevator with a friendly grin.
"Fianna!" exclaimed the hormonal teen.
The doors closed and the elevator descended. Suddenly, the lights turned off and both passengers were in the dark. They heard the engine cables protesting and squeaking as the elevator stopped its movement.
"ummm" said Fianna "you know if someone checked this thing after the eartquake to see if it was...safe and operational?"
LD did not answer, but Fianna heard him shaking his head.
"I guess that means >no<" he thought.
The squeaking sound returned with a weak shake of the cabin. The lights turned on and off a few times, and finally stayed on. Fianna pressed a button, while LD swayed nervously. The elevator resumed its way but stoped once more when they reached the next floor. Its doors opened slowly, with effort.
A great and powerfull roar reverberated the corridor and Fianna had barely time to see a body running toward him, studded mace in hand, just seconds before a weight fell against him and get pain blinded.
LD saw even less...he was still watching the twinkling lights while the doors separated from each other. He started to follow the green mass of the german shepherd when the nincompoop fell over him and they were back into the elevator, 300 pounds of dog, crushing LD on the wall and against the elevator chute . The teen just got a glimpse of a foaming and grim Fianna, the left side of his chest a bloody pulp, part flesh part lung. The pikes of a mace tortured the wound and the caninoid was trying to divert the brownish and clawed hand that attempted to grab his neck. LD´s ribs where crushed by the weight of the dog and the force of his attacker. He could do no more than wheeze, echoing the Fianna´s bleeding pleural cavity. That was the last thing LD heard.
Fianna struggled Thunderwolf bravely but was losing ground slowly. His wound was serious and it was draining his strenght.
"Why?" he asked, groaning and wheezing in pain "we practiced at the gym...and you won. Why? What have I ever do to you?"
"This is not about me" snarled the lion "it is about him..." his hand finally grabbing Fianna´s throat.
"Him? Him, who?" panted the dog "oh... him" added lifting his lids.
"Where is he?" said Thunderwolf, his voice deep and gutural, his eyes ablaze, contemplating the wide open eyes of his victim "what have you done to him?"
****
The poodle arrived at the Melia`s Beauty Parlor, where a dark and thin human male, dressed in soft pastel clothes met her.
"Ah! Madame Fianna I am sure!" he said with a heavy european accent, so heavy it was really hard to pinpoit accurately... Sweden perhaps.
"barrrf!"
"We were expecting you, this way, please" He led her into the parlor and towards a semiprivate room.
"What will it be?" he asked, touching the poodle`s blue hair. "Some fur clipping perhaps? May I be so bold? I suggest a fur dye. Black comes pretty strong this season, you would be ready to attend to any type of ceremony and be sure! you will look really ravaging" all this chit chat was accompanied by smiles and fast hand movements, including some giggles.
The poodle watched her image in the mirror and thought about it for a moment.
"ggbraff!"
"You won`t regret it!" he smiled at his customer`s image in the mirror, and then leaned down to undo her spiked necklace and take off the earrings. "I´ll see this is kept safe for you..."
***
Thunderwolf grasped sternly at Fianna`s broken neck, as if the pressure could give him the answers. Slowly, he standed, there, over his victims, his need unfulfilled. His fury unsatisfied, he beated over, and over again, letting his anger free and adding a new color to the elevator walls.
"Hey Fianna, puppy, pal, Buddy!!!" a voice was heard near "I know you are around here! Remember that big package you made me sent? A funny thing happened to it..."
Thunderwolf instantly swirled fast, fast enough to get a grip of the one talking.
"Hey!!" it squeaked "let go, let go, let gooo, can't stay an pet you now! need to find the naincompuppy! We had a deel!! There was this big, big case and then... " the creature looked past the lion, into the elevator. "oopsie!"
It was a yellow chipmunk with red spots and a long, fluffy tail she was flapping to keep up in the air and continued doing it within Thunderwolf`s grip.
She was wearing a black beanie with white writing stenciled on it saying 'Super Skunk Says Yo!',little white socks printed with yellow ducks, red markings in the shape of a happy face across her back, and was carrying a small vacuum cleaner.
Thunderwolf looked at her, puzzled, before approaching her to his maw and grinned, showing her his fangs.
"What deal?"
***
As a smiling Spark entered the stage, a lot of TV sets were turned on. One of the viewers, in the kitchen of its establishment waited for his partner to join him. They both liked this show. Good recipes, good prizes too. And some times, like in the previous show, lots of fun.
"Cracked plates!" He thought chuckling "that people from Third Earth county are insane! Wonder where the normal parameters have gone!"
"Al! hurry up, will ya? It is starting...!" he yelled
"whaaaat?" came the answer.
"Come on, Al! You can check that case later!"
"whaaat?"
****
"Thank you! And now, the recipes for today!" Spark took an apron from an assistant´s hands. It was black with a colorful embroidered theme. A feathered snake.
"as you might remember,"she started "we mentioned haggis in our previous show. As we received many letters, mails and calls from you, kind viewers, regarding that dish," Spark adjusted the apron and crossed her fingers while knoting it
"we have prepared a couple of delicious recipes from those regions..." From within the cabinets and cupboards Spark retrieved several bowls while the screen scrolls a resume of the ingredients.
Pixie Pie
3 pds ground pixie; 1/2 cup water; 4 medium onions,chopped
1 teaspoon ground cloves; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon allspice; salt and pepper
"This tasty pie is prepared like this, cook the pixie meat in boiling water and later pour off the fat. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook it for 10 min and then let it cool. Mean while, we will make the crusts.
In your screen is a display of the required ingredients, we will need: 2 cups flour; 1/2 cup shortening ice water; now, mix this flour and shortening with ice water until the dough is formed. Roll out top and bottom crusts. Place the meat mixture on the lower crust in a pie shell, then put crust over top. We will bake it for 20 minutes at 400 degrees."
With expertise, Spark did as she explained and placed the pie inside the oven. From within she retrieved a finished one and displayed it for the cameras.
"It looks delicious, Spark" said Zhyan hungrily "We will return with you, after these messages."
"Remember to call our number 1-800-WAWCT... or 1-800-92928. Vote for one of the following recipes:
Leprechaun Cake With Grasshopper Filling,
Steak And Kidney Pie, or
Irish Rover's Green Shepherd's Pie.
If you vote for the winner recipe, you will get the chance to obtain one of these three classic films: "Thunderballs the Travesty"! "The Emperor is gonna get grooved"! and "Slumber Party" and as a plus you will also participate in the raffle of... the whole collection of "Tales by RD" 1317 hrs worth of videotapes!!! Call now, our operators are waiting"
"Fianna had a case to send and asked me to send it, so I did!" the chipmunk told Thunderwolf once he squeezed her a little
"what...who was in it? Where is it now?"asked TW tightening his grasp.
"ggggh! Dont know!! He shaid it was a gift zor a friend!now, let go, let go!!! Am late for school!" the furry little creature tried to break Tw`s grip, who grabed her even harder "I can send you to where it is, if you let me go!!"
Tw, blinked in surprise. Loosening her a bit, he looked at the creature.
"If you do that, I will let you go... who are you anyway?" he said.
"I am Dirka" she said stretching to her full height "I am a he/she muzzimaaaaa from zhe Planet Muzimaaaaando and I am attending academy of muzimaaaaas! I have a veicuum cleener and am not afraid to use it!! Soo...lets do some magic!!!"
With reserve, Thunderwolf set the muzimmaaaaa free. She glided over him and activated her vacuum cleaner.
A fine dust covered Thunderwolf, making him sneeze three times. Then he disappeared.
"ahahahahahaha" sang the he/she, still gliding over the place "All Float Down There!!!"
****
Thunderwolf felt as if he had been numbed. He could not feel his paws, nor his arms. As if some one had cutted them off.
He did feel several presences around him, making him notice his surroundings for first time. He walked on in a dim lighted, color swirling tunnel, but looking down, he noticed he was in error. He wasnt walking and it was not entirely a tunnel. Multiple portals swirled around him, and while gazing around, suddenly, he descended. As if he was a balloon, attached to a string, something pulling him down. Into the light.
When the light cleared, he found himself in the middle of a street.
W. Virginia Street. A big neon sign showed the legend "Conejito's Place".
Thunderwolf whimpers. In the windows of that Conejito`s Place, he saw it. He was wearing a ballet suit.... and his fur was pink.
"Diiiirkaaaaa!" his mighty roar was heard a long distance away.
****
"Al!!!! Will you come to watch the TV or not?"
"whaaat?" came the muffled answer.
Rolling his eyes the chef left the tv set and went to see what was keeping his partner so busy.
A big wooden case and several cardboard boxes had been unloaded. Al already signed the forms, and the courier had left.
While his partner opened the big case Al`s partner opened one of the boxes. It contained the menues for a new project they had in mind. He took one of the menues and unfolded it for examination.
"WHAT!!!!" exclaimed Al.
His partner turned and approached. The case was open and as it was refrigerated a cold fog raised from it. Among the mists of its interior they could see a gray-blue thing and....multicolor swimming trunks. The case´s lid, placed aside had the legend "Cazon, fresco/Young shark, fresh" printed on it.
"Craked plates!!" said dropping the menu. It fell near the case lid and stayed there, momentarily forgotten.
American Serb Memorial Hall
Fish and Fries Friday
Shark Parmesan
Poached Shark
Curried Shark Salad
Chinese Baked Shark
Grilled Shark Steaks
Grilled Shark Mexicana
Sandwich variation
Leftover Shark spicy salad
Grilled Shark To Die For
Inside the case, frozen, was a merman.
*****TBC