It all but silent in the Metal smith's corner in the Constrictai tomb. General Skalidor lumbered through the seemingly deserted tunnel, grumbling to himself how there should be someone working and not fooling around.
He groaned as he ran his hand over the short hair stubble on his chin. Ever since Pythor -Mr. Chumsworth, respectively- released his tribe from their tomb in the center of the Mountain of a Million steps, his people have been slacking in their work and it has been driving him nuts the last couple of weeks. If he didn't see or hear anyone chattering or tinkering in this tunnel, he was going to roar his lungs out.
Tink.
Clank.
Bang...CRASH!
Skalidor nearly jumped out of his skin from the sudden crash. As he speed his way down the tunnel, he swore he heard thick accented mumbling echoing rebounding off the stone walls.
The grumbling grew louder as he drew nearer to the entrance of the Mechanic department. He paused then he slowly poked his head around, and much to the Constrictai general's surprise, someone WAS tinkering under a spare Rattle-Car that the Fangpyre had so graciously given to them.
He focused his yellow eyes at the pair of feet that were sticking out from underneath the vehicle. He nearly jumped out of his skin again as the person's voice bombed through the deserted room.
"...durn thang, why did'ja hav'ta do that? Ya craza buck't of BOLTS!"
Skalidor jerked his head back in surprise; a little too fast and nicked the corner of his neck on the stone wall. He let loose a short aggravated growl before rubbing his sore neck muscle.
As he did so, he listened very carefully to the oblivious person's voice and after a few minutes recognized as a female!
"By golly...a female mechanic of all things... " he thought as he once again, made his way into the room to confront the still busy, grumbling mechanic. "Wow...a female mechanic of all things...that's certainly new. Or...wait, maybe for the past hundred years there have been female mechanics, yet I didn't even pay attention. He cursed softly. He may not be the smartest or quick thinking as a the other generals, however, he prided himself on one thing and that was: Manners.
He coughed a couples of times to get the female's attention, however that didn't work after a few minutes. Finally, he resorted to crouching down and waving his hand in front of the woman's face; which...quickly became one of his worst ideas yet.
The woman screamed in surprise, causing Skalidor tumble overhis staff in the process. Then she banged her head hard against the metal pipe that she had been working on earlier as she scrambled out from under the jeep.
The woman, who couldn't possibly be in her early to mid thirties, cover her forhead with her hand as she grumbled under her breathe.
"Marlin...I sware, if this is one of yours crackpot pranks...I'm gonna..." She looked up and gasped at the one person in front of her, that she would have NEVER, in her lifetime, talk to that way: General Skalidor. She bit her lip and swallowed as an odd whine escaped her throat. "Yeep..."
Skalidor rubbed his head as he made eye contact with warmest eyes he has ever seen. He crouched there for a few more seconds before snapping out of it and began -or tried to- apologize.
"I am...so sorry, miss. I didn't mean for you hit your head against the metal pipe-"
"I-it's all right, G-General Skalidor." The young woman spoke nervously. "I should've been payin' more attention to my surroundin's than working on the-" she puffed her cheeks out in a very cute manner, and growled "THAT contraption!"
Skalidor once more shook his head as he tried not get lost in the woman's eyes and features. He chuckled "Ahh...I see. Vehicles are a NASTY piece of machinery to work around with." He winked, surprising himself and the woman in the process. "If you know what I mean, of course."
The mechanic giggled behind her hand for a moment before calming herself down to speak. "I know what you mean, sir. Those things are a nasty bunch, yet...they're worth it all the same." Her honey toned eyes twinkled and danced with laughter and a warmth that Skalidor thought would have never been possible to embrace.
Skalidor coughed softly "May I ask what is your name, please, ma'am?"
"Courtney. Courtney Constri, sir" came the bubbly yet calm reply.
Skalidor smiled a real smile as Courtney began to reveal her own dimpled smile at the same time.
It wasn't long after the incident that the he and Courtney got to talking and laughing while Courtney dove back into her work and tried her best to fix the motor. She called it quits after two hours later; causing the robust general crack up laughing and filling the entire tomb with his deep laugh.
Courtney flipped her hair back and gave a saucy grin.
"Oh, hush..."