So, once again, I don't actually own anybody except the British guy. And some other concepts, I suppose.
Count to three, make a wish:
Chapter 4
"I feel stupid in this dress," Momentai grumbled. She stepped awkwardly in the shoes she was wearing, and Spryous caught her before she fell. Thanking him, she stood back up. Her dress was white, black, and pink, with a pattern of small sparkles running along the side and front. She looked incredibly self-conscious, James thought. Of course – he didn't really approve of what she was wearing, anyway.
"That's why I didn't wear one," Chloe said smugly. Her clothes were much less in the vein of 'champagne and cocktails' than they were along the lines of 'night on the town'. She stepped up the stairs perfectly confidently – although by her posture she was used to Asumon's weight in her arms.
"You didn't have to dress up so much," Spryous said slowly, looking at Momentai – while clearly trying not to look at her. He was wearing a red suit, that had attracted several looks so far.
"I know, but I felt like it," she said, shrugging, the muscles moving under the skin of her bare shoulders. "I mean, ever since yesterday, I haven't been able to get my mind off the idea of going to a fancy dinner someplace."
"Well, I wasn't so sure that we needed this fancy," HT muttered, his hand on the sleek guard rail. His suit was tasteful, but not extravagant.
"When James mentioned it last night," Slop said defensively, "I immediately thought of this place. I haven't been here in forever, and I'm sure you guys'll like it." He had shed his traditional cape and sword for a dinner cloak – draped across his right shoulder – and a dark suit underneath. He bore the look that James would only have associated with a man of privilege – he wondered what type of upbringing Slop had had, or what type of parents he'd had.
"So you've told us... several times," Spryous said, staring at the carpeted steps above them instead of Momentai beside him.
James kept quiet. He was too busy looking at the strange, futuristic grandeur all around him. He had decided to try one of the more modern suits, like HT was wearing. It felt odd – so much lighter and less complicated then the dress uniforms he normally wore. He almost felt naked.
They walked out of the carpeted stairwell, and entered into the lobby. James' breath caught, although he tried to pass it off as a cough.
The room was in an enormous half-circle shape, the stairs opening out near the bottom of one of the corners. The entire curved wall of the lobby was occupied by an enormous window looking out onto space. The stars spread across the view like droplets of rain – the most James had ever seen. A floating swirl of light and color drifted silently in the lower right, and a sun shone outside as well; Slop had stated earlier that it was dimmed artificially by the glass to keep from baking them in their suits.
Preoccupied, James bumped into Spryous, who had stopped several steps away from the stairs. He was looking up, and for a moment James couldn't figure out why, when the incredible view was through the window. Then, he followed his gaze and stopped as well.
Near the top of the three or four story room, a chandelier hung in midair. It had certainly been shaped by the mind of an insane man, because the intricacies of it James knew could not have possibly been produced by a sane one.
The golden and crystallized frame itself was enormous, possibly as large as several rooms in the penthouse put together. However, along the frame was positioned a maze of interlocking crystal pieces, so formed that they shaped an enormous, gorgeous puzzle floating above the ground. James was sure that the workmanship itself must have surpassed that of any of the classical masterpieces. The way the crystal was shaped, formed, and contoured reflected the light from the sun and stars, scattering rainbows of light along the painted and gilded walls and elaborately carpeted floors.
"God, who made this place?" Momentai asked, looking around at everything in awe. "Angels?"
"No, just incredibly advanced technology," Slop said simply, walking over to the concierge on the other side of the room.
The rest of the group looked around at each other.
"Do we really have enough money to cover all this?" Momentai asked.
"Look at your dress," Chloe said. Then, she gestured to the other's suits. "Look at their clothes. Somehow, I don't think money is that much of an issue with Slop." She walked off to catch up with their leader, who was only half-way across the enormous room.
"She's got a point," Momentai said. "I mean, where he even found this dress is beyond me." She looked down at herself for perhaps the eighth time that night, adjusting the dress here and there.
"I'm not sure if I like the idea of Slop giving us all this stuff," HT grumbled. He shifted uncomfortably, looking up at the immense, painted walls.
"Well, he did say that it was just for tonight," Spryous said. "Who knows. I don't. I'm just going to try and enjoy myself."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Momentai agreed. "Let's see what they have on the menu, anyway."
With silent agreement, the group turned after Slop and Chloe, crossing the room past other scattered groups standing around the enormous floor, or sitting in one of the gambling areas: ring-shaped tables placed around the lobby with people of all kinds sitting at them, enjoying themselves.
The entrance to the actual restaurant opened near the other corner of the half-circle, a large gold and crystal desk standing beside it. Slop was already talking to the concierge, who bore a striking and elegant tattoo along his face. James looked around curiously, and glimpsed others – waiters and waitresses – who bore similar markings.
"Yes, sir," the concierge was saying when they walked up. "Certainly sir." He turned to one of the attendants behind the desk, and the other man nodded to their group.
"Please, follow me," he said. He had a black and red suit with gold filigree: it seemed to be the uniform. Without looking to see if they were following, he pushed open the enormous and elaborate doors besides them, and walked through.
Slop followed immediately, but Momentai hung onto his sleeve. "How'd you get us in so fast?" she asked. "There are still people waiting out here." She gestured to the benches placed along the wall, where several groups were sitting and conversing. James caught one group that was giving theirs dirty looks.
"Does it really matter?" Slop asked surprisedly, turning.
"He's got a point," HT said, pushing past the two of them and following the attendant. The others followed.
The next room was even more mind-bogglingly enormous then the first, fully circular this time. The entire outer wall was glass, with black marble and gold pillars ringing the edges. The ceiling, when James craned his neck up, seemed to keep on going and going – a giant dome, completely painted with scenes of stellar beauty.
Even more fascinating chandeliers floated around the room over the scattered tables that covered the floor. Each one was composed of separate, independent layers – curved strips of metal with lights of some kind on the bottom, all rotating around a central axis. The effect was like an ever-changing puzzle, constantly floating and rotating. It almost made James dizzy to look at them.
The attendant led them fearlessly deep into the sea of tables, each one occupied with contented patrons; one of the tables they walked past was incredibly large, perhaps seating forty people.
They followed as best they could, dodging the tables and army of waiters weaving their way along. Looking around, James could see that it appeared that at certain points in the floor, there were openings that the waiters kept walking in and out of – clearly, the kitchen was below the floor.
The view outside boggled the mind – a panoramic view of the ocean of stars, and floating nebulae glowing with a golden light. The sun that was visible in the last room shown in this one as well, throwing an austere, stark yellow light.
"Well, I didn't think that I'd be seeing this when I woke up this morning," Spryous muttered, walking along next to James.
"Amen," he agreed. He looked out to where the attendant was walking ahead of them, but he showed no signs of stopping. The number of tables on the floor seemed endless – James was willing to bet that a large part of the island of Singapore would fit inside the dining room.
Occasionally, they walked close to a dance floor, various pairs spread out in impassioned step. It seemed that these dance areas were spread randomly across the room, some bigger than others. James spotted several couples with attire that he certainly did not approve of – even if there was no mistaking them as high-class, the fashions on display would have certainly locked away several men and women in the places James was familiar with.
After several more minutes of maneuvering around tables and waiters, the attendant finally arrived at a table. He stopped at one that was just being cleaned off by a small squad of waiters. They brought in a completely new, deep red tablecloth, and draped it over the metal table with a flourish.
"You are... how many?" the attendant asked, looking back at us. "Six," he said to the other waiters, without waiting for an answer.
Immediately, the waiters swarmed around the table, placing plates napkins, and other dinner necessities. With another flourish, the attendant gestured to their table.
"Please," he said, waving his hand out, "have a seat."
"Thank-you," Slop said, nodding to the attendant. He sat down at a chair on the opposite side of the circular table; when he did, it seemed to be a signal – the other waiters and attendants moved away, off to somewhere James couldn't possibly guess. The only one who stayed handed out menus as they all followed Slop's example, and sat down.
James sat down in-between Chloe and Spryous – opposite Slop. Momentai sat on his right, Chloe beside her, and HT sat on his left. As he took a menu and glanced down at his place settings, James felt oddly comforted. He had had dinner parties such as this – it was simply a different environment. He could do this.
"Would you like me to give you several minutes to decide?" the waitress asked, tall and dark-skinned with a white and elaborate tattoo pattern covering just her lip and chin. She was incredibly attractive, her raven hair falling about her head in lustrous waves, and with an alluring dress that – while not as elaborate as Momentai's, was certainly as effective. James noticed Spryous once again tried to avoid looking at either women, instead examining his menu with perhaps too much interest.
"Yes, that would will be fine, thank-you again," Slop said politely. The waitress bowed her head politely and dodged back through the tables.
"How can they possibly keep track of all the people in here?" HT asked in wonderment, looking around at all the other tables. James noticed that there was one of the dance floors only a couple tables away, an especially large chandelier hovering over it.
"Bet you the service takes forever," Chloe said skeptically. "I voted for In-n-out, but no..."
"Alright," Slop said, ignoring her. He opened his menu, looking at it. "Don't order anything from the left columns," he advised suddenly, looking up. "The human digestive system can't deal with most of it."
"Slop, I beg your pardon," James said, uncertainly, "but it seemed like you were implying that there are patrons here other than humans."
"Yep," Slop nodded. "That's right. Breis occupy the level of the restaurant around the inside of the dome-"
The entire group looked up. James couldn't spot anything, as high up as the ceiling was, other than gorgeous painting.
"You're making that up," Spryous said, squinting upwards as well.
"They're a very minute race," Slop explained. "About as tall as your thigh."
"... then why do they have their level way up high?" Momentai asked, curiously.
Slop shrugged. "Beats me. They must like it up there, though."
"That is the single most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," Chloe sighed, looking at her menu again. "So, the left column is for midgets. Got it."
"Not just them," Slop said. "Also for the Qijoor."
"I give up," Spryous said. "Who are the Qijoor?"
"An aquatic race," Slop said, with a small smile on his face. James had the feeling he enjoyed the groups exasperation. "They occupy the level beneath us."
"There's a level beneath us?" Momentai asked.
"I was under the impression that those openings led to a kitchen," James said.
"Well, there is a kitchen beneath us – it's the layer that separates us from the Qijoor restaurant."
"So..." Spryous visibly tried to get his mind around the concept. "There's us, then the kitchen, then the Qijoor level underneath that?"
"Yes," Slop nodded. "It's basically an aquarium level – completely filled with water, looking out onto space, just like this one. The Qijoor have evolved, though, on a world where the gravity is the opposite of ours – basically, they live out their lives upside-down."
"Please stop," Chloe said, disgustedly. "I'm trying to figure out what's edible. Upside down-fish people will not help my appetite."
"I think I'll start with the marras and giant shrimp," HT said, who had been looking at his menu the entire time. "How about it? You guys want to split it with me? It says it'll serve four people."
"That's an appetizer?" Spryous asked, searching the menu where HT had been looking. "Since when does an appetizer serve four people?"
"They're really, really big shrimp," Slop said, without looking up from his menu.
"Do you frequent this... restaurant often?" James asked, honestly curious. "You seem to know everything about it."
"Yeah, I was wondering that too," Momentai said, looking back toward the table. She had been turned around in her chair, watching the dancers glide over the wooden floor several tables away.
Slop shrugged again, the same smile playing across his lips. "I've been here a couple times. Not that many, though – honest," he said, seeing the group's looks. "It's just a... memorable place."
James looked out the window at a dark, sleek ship that was floating in front of one of the nebulae. It's dark underbelly was interspersed with pinpoints of soft green and blue lights, the smooth and hulking object gliding effortlessly through space. "One could certainly say that much," he agreed. He wondered offhandedly whether he would ever be able to tell anyone about his experiences when he got back home.
If... he thought for a moment, but he dispelled the thought as quickly as it had come. He had confidence in the group now. He'd get home. It simply would take some time.
"It sounds acceptable to me," he said, speaking to HT. "I am feeling... adventurous tonight, I suppose."
"Alright, I've got one vote," HT said, smiling. He looked expectantly at the others.
"Don't look at me," Chloe said. "Fish equals gross. And they give you cancer."
"I'll take a try," Spryous said, sighing. "I mean, what can it hurt?"
"Good," HT said. "Momentai? Slop?"
"I'm... actually.... not a fish fan either," Slop almost mumbled. "Bad experience with fish once."
"Why? You almost choke on it?" Momentai asked.
"Well, I was lucky that it choked on me," Slop said, completely serious. "Took me ages to get rid of the smell."
"Alright, once again – I don't want to hear this," Chloe said, putting up a hand. "I could've gone my entire life without knowing that."
"I guess I'll have some," Momentai said hesitantly. She looked down at the menu. "I mean, do we really need an appetizer, and then an entree too?"
"Yeah, sure, why not?" Spryous said.
"It's been ages since we've had an actual meal like this," HT defended. "I say we deserve it."
"Maybe we do..." Momentai said, "... but can we stomach it?"
"I think you guys should be fine to get both," Slop said. "Should be fine. We can always take stuff back to the penthouse, if we have extra."
"Sweet!" Chloe said. "You have no idea what I could do with the 'mashed Aurelian onions'."
"On second thought..."
"Oh, come on! Aequus will want some," Momentai said.
"Alright," Slop said. "But Chloe can't take home anything volatile."
In response, Chloe pouted, sitting low in her chair and looking down at the table.
A waiter with a deep silver tattoo walked up to them. "Good evening."
"Is it?" HT asked. "Evening, I mean? We're in space."
"It's always evening aboard this station," the waiter smiled politely, as if he had answered the question endless times before. "Would you like to order now? Or would you prefer more time to decide?"
"Well, we can start with drinks and appetizers," Slop said, looking up.
"Certainly, sir."
"HT, would you like to go first?" Slop asked, turning to the grizzled man. "Drink?"
"Uh... yeah, what do you have?" HT asked, flipping the menu over to the back.
"We have a selection of rare Sefnosm Wines, imported from the fertile planet. We get the finest vintages, hand picked by our experts," the waiter began, again with the air of extreme practice. He went through a list of all the various liquors and drinks available.
"How about that last one?" HT asked, interrupting him.
"The Termisian Twist?" the waiter asked, putting a finger to the glowing crystal pad in his hands.
"Yeah, that sounds like fun."
"Very good sir," the man said. He turned to Spryous. "And for you, sir?"
"Just water, thanks," Spryous said, nodding.
"Of course."
Next, James ordered a wine of apparently incredibly fine vintage, from a far-flung planet. At this point, James had simply suspended his ability to be shocked by any of the more increasingly strange things that seemed to hang around his adopted group.
"Sprite. Sprite. Sprite," Chloe said impatiently, as the waiter turned to her.
"Uh, pardon me, miss-"
"Sprite. Sprite. Sprite."
"-we don't... have-"
"Sprite. Sprite. Sprite."
"She'll have a Shjeden Fizzler – sans the alcohol," Slop interjected. Looking relieved, the waiter nodded gratefully, and turned to Momentai.
"And, for you, miss?"
Momentai bit her lip, looking at the list of drinks on the menu. "Can I have... a Termisian Twist, like HT?"
"Certainly, miss," the waiter said, nodding and pressing a finger to his crystal pad. He turned to Slop.
"Just a water, thanks – add some Grolian candy-fruit, though," Slop said. The waiter nodded.
"Will that be all?" he asked, looking around the table.
"Actually, we'd also like to order an appetizer," HT said. "The marras?"
"With hypershrimp?" the waiter asked. HT nodded. "Yes, sir. Of course."
"And, I'd like the..." Chloe checked her menu, "... the potato rings, or whatever."
"The spendrel ties?" the waiter asked. "With cocktail sauce?"
Chloe looked at Momentai, who nodded. "Yeah," Chloe said, "cocktail sauce." The waiter entered the order in the pad.
"And, finally, if you could tell a friend of mine that we're here, that would be great," Slop said.
"Sir, I'm not sure-"
"Sure you're sure," Slop said, reaching over and tapping several places on the crystal pad in the waiter's hands. The man's eyes went wide, and he smiled slightly. "He's sitting over in section 28. Should be table 77."
"Certainly sir," the waiter said, enthusiastic now. "I will make sure those orders come through right away, and then I'll be back to take anymore orders you may have." He walked away, a slight more bounce in his step than when he came.
"Did you bribe that man?" James asked.
Slop nodded. "Yeah, sure. An extra tip never hurt anybody."
"Who's your friend?" HT asked, looking at Slop.
"Oh, you'll see, I'm sure," their leader said looking back down to his menu.
"Momentai..." Spryous began, looking curiously over at the young woman. "Aren't you only, like fourteen? Why'd you order an alcoholic drink?"
Momentai held up three fingers. "One, I just turned fifteen today. So, I deserve something, right?" she explained, counting down the fingers. "Two, I wanted to see if I could get away with it. Three, why not?"
Spryous opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, then closed it again. Instead, he turned to HT, and then to James, looking for support.
HT shrugged. "Hey, it's one drink. And it's not like she's got to drive us back or anything."
"I have no opinion," James said, sensing dangerous ground. Spryous gave him a withering look. "I suppose I can only say that women in my time begin drinking around her age, if not Chloe's-"
"Wait, I can drink?" Chloe asked, sitting straight up in her chair. "For-cereal?"
"NO!" every member of the group responded. Slop had stood up, his hands on the table. There was a brief silence, as Chloe's lip moved back into the pouting position, and she slipped back low in her seat.
The others all looked at each other, and began laughing. Several groups at other tables had looked over, and were staring at them curiously.
"Look, Chloe," Slop began with a grin, sitting back down in his chair, "It's not all it's made up to be. Really. And besides, you're getting the drink you wanted – sort of."
Chloe gave him a look, and then sighed. "Alright," she said. "Totally not fair, but alright."
"Alright, well... at least that's settled," HT sighed, looking around them. "How long will the drinks take?"
"Oh, they should be here pretty soon," Slop said.
James looked around at the other tables. The myriad groups in the restaurant were all clearly and distinctly upper class – James was used to the type. They made small talk as if it were enthralling, and had nothing better to do than gossip or complain. Of all the perks that came with being one of the highest-ranked officers in Singapore, mingling with the nobility, important businessmen, and politicians had never truly appealed to him.
"I wonder how thick the glass is," Spryous said absentmindedly, staring out the windows. "I mean, it's got to be thick, thick, right?"
"What, the windows?" HT asked. "I don't think it's real glass. There's no glare or flare from them. It's more like there's nothing there."
"But that's impossible," Spryous dismissed. "I mean, if that's the case – then what've they got there?"
"Well, I went to a place – Laurentia..." HT said, his voice getting distant. James could see his eyes gaze outwards and beyond reality, clearly looking into memories of times past. "They had these windows – they weren't actual glass... They had a type of field, or fluid, or something – that was completely thermal: no heat got in or out. However, it put up resistance to objects based on how hard they pushed – so if you tried to walk through it, it would just be like walking through thin air; but if you tried to throw something at it, it just bounced off the barrier. The windows in this place might be something like that."
"They didn't use glass?"
"No, they did – but more as a building material than a window, if that makes any sense."
Spryous posed another opposition to the possibility of the glass-less windows. As he and HT began to get deep in an argument, James decided to read the menu again; out of the corner of his eye, he could see Chloe and Momentai conversing in low voices, and occasionally giggling girlishly. Also, James could see Slop looking out the window – again, like HT, very distant. He wondered what their leader could be thinking about.
Come to think of it, James realized he didn't really know any of the people sitting at the table. It was true that he knew them in the manner of colleagues: he knew their basic personalities, he had picked up some hints of their backgrounds, especially HT's. But he didn't really know them.
Taking him out of his reverie, a handsome young man who looked to be about Slop or Spryous' age – perhaps not quite in his twenties – came over to their table, and stood in front of Momentai. It took her a moment to notice him, but when she did, she cut off her conversation with Chloe and looked up at him slightly uncertainly.
"Yes?" she asked, in an attempt at a sweet tone. To James' ears, it came out as sounding a bit nervous.
"Excuse me, miss. I did not mean to intrude," the young man spoke, in a very thick accent that James could not place. He gestured to the dance floor. "Might I have this dance?"
Momentai stared at him for half a moment, and then looked at the dance floor, and then looked back. "The... dance? I mean... in this-" she stumbled, and James could see that she was blushing slightly. She took a small breath, and then looked up at him more confidently. "Yes, certainly. I'd love to," she said.
"Excellent. I was hoping you'd say so," the man said, grinning a slightly boyish grin, offering to help Momentai up. She smiled back, and with a surprised look at the rest of the table, stood up. The group, silent now, watched as the young man took her through the tables and out onto the floor.
They all watched as he began to take her through the steps – it was a fairly well-paced dance, and Momentai looked incredibly nervous, even from a distance.
"Where's the music?" Spryous asked. "How are they dancing without music?"
"It's an option," Slop said, without taking his eyes off of Momentai and the boy sweeping around on the well-lit floor. "The sounds localized. If you want it on, press the button in the candle."
Spryous leaned over the table, looking at the large candle placed in the center. James noticed that there seemed to be a small panel of some kind set into it, which Spryous now swiped his thumb across. Instantly, the chords of what sounded like a full orchestra came singing to them from all sides. It was very much in James' taste – yet another thing to like about this strange-yet-similar restaurant.
They listened and watched for a moment in near silence.
"Wow," Chloe said, sitting up slightly in her chair so that she could see the pair better. "He's really good."
"He's not that great. It's a simple step," Spryous grumbled.
"I don't know, Spry," HT said, grinning. "She looks like she's having a pretty good time."
"I can't believe she's dancing with him in that dress," Chloe said, audibly in awe. "And those shoes. She's doing really well."
"A little bit envious?" HT asked, sounding amused.
Chloe shrugged. "He's hot. And it looks like he's pretty nice, too. Finding guys like that in this sort of place-" she paused. "Yeah, actually, you know what? I'm jealous."
As they could hear the song begin to end, Spryous stood up suddenly, and began to make his way toward the dance floor.
"It would seem you're not the only one who's jealous," James said, raising an eyebrow. Chloe giggled.
"Spryous?" she laughed again, covering her mouth before it turned into a slight snort. "Oh, man. This is almost as good as that time we tied your feet to the desk in your room, HT."
"You never told me about that," Slop said distractedly, turning slightly to HT.
"Yeah, well, he wouldn't have," Chloe grinned. "We'd set out pans of paint all over the floor of his room, too."
"Do you know how long that pink paint took to get out of my stuff?" HT asked, pretending to be furious.
"Pink?" Slop grinned, actually looking away from the dance floor. "You got covered in-"
"-Pink paint, yeah," HT nodded grimly. "It wasn't pretty. I had just managed to get it all out when you came back – that was the time you were gone for three days."
"Ah, right," Slop said, turning back to the dancers. "Wish they got a picture."
"We did," Chloe laughed again.
"What?" HT asked, clearly unpleasantly surprised. "You never told me that!"
"Yep, you're in your boxers, and everything."
"Where did you put that photo?" HT asked, serious.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Chloe asked mischievously. She looked back over to the dance floor, clearly trying to change the subject. "Oh, look at that – Spryous is moving in."
They watched as Spryous walked over to Momentai and the young man, and tapped her dance partner on the shoulder. The stranger looked up, smiled, and graciously offered Spryous Momentai's gloved hand. Even from the distance they were at, James could see that Momentai wasn't sure what to make of this change – but after a brief moment of indecision, she switched partners; the man she had been dancing with moved off to the side of the floor, sitting on a chair at the edge.
"I'm not sure she's really old enough to be dancing with those guys," Slop said slowly, his fingers tapping against the tablecloth.
"Why not?" James asked, honestly curious. He had seen girls Momentai's age married, and to much older men. "Is she not enjoying herself?"
James saw a muscle twitch in Slop's neck. "No..." their leader said uncertainly. "It looks... I mean, I guess she is. But-"
"Overprotective much?" Chloe muttered. Slop ignored her.
Eventually, their waiter came over with the drinks, and a large plate with a shrimp the size of a large cat. It was on a bed of what looked like a cross between pasta and crab. It certainly smelled delicious, even if the shrimp had three heads.
"Oh, god, it smells like fish. Ick," Chloe hissed, taking her hands off the table in disgust.
"Come on, Chloe," HT said, reaching over and cutting a piece of the shrimp onto his plate. "It smells like fish because it is fish. But it's good. You should try some."
"Right. Sure thing. I'll get right on that," Chloe said, still looking in alarm at the giant shrimp.
"Are you ready to order anything else?" the waiter asked.
"Actually, we'll wait a little bit," Slop said, prying himself away from watching the dance floor. "If you could come back in several minutes, that'd be great."
"Of course," the waiter said. "And also, sir, the guest you asked me to contact is not available."
"What do you mean he's not available?" Slop asked, suddenly alert.
"He's not there, sir," the waiter said, apologetically. "Section 28 is currently reserved by a third party. Nobody is sitting in it, since the party is not due to arrive for several minutes."
Slop was silent for several moments, looking down at his fingers still tapping on the table. "Alright. Thank-you. I'm sure we'll be able to sort it out," he finally said, looking up and nodding his head at the waiter solemnly.
"Could I get a straw?" Chloe asked, looking at her drink. The waiter pulled one seemingly out of thin air and handed it to her.
"I'm sorry sir," the waiter said again; he bowed out and moved off to another table.
"What was that all about?" HT asked, mouth full of shrimp.
James grabbed a plate of the giant crustacean, and forked over a bed of the marras as well. His first bite tasted exactly as he'd expected it to – almost like normal shrimp. The marras, on the other hand, had an incredibly sweet aftertaste, almost like blueberries. "This is incredible," he said, after he swallowed. "Chloe, you really must try it. Slop, you as well."
"Hm?" Slop looked up. "Oh, right. Yeah – the food." He took his plate and dumped some of the appetizer onto it. He ate quickly and hungrily, without any of what James might have described manners.
"No thanks," Chloe smiled, sucking on the straw of her drink. She smacked her lips. "Huh. It actually does taste a lot like Sprite. Go figure."
"Somebody should call Momentai and Spryous back over," HT mentioned, between mouthfuls. "They're missing out."
"Spryous did mention that he would like to try it," James agreed.
"Thanks for volunteering, James," HT said. "If you could go and get them?"
James opened his mouth once, and then closed it again, wondering slightly what had just happened. Sadly leaving the pile of delicious, hot food, he got up from his chair and walked out toward the dance floor.
As he got closer, he saw that Momentai was dancing again with the handsome young man; Spryous was standing on the sidelines, holding a drink and tapping his foot with the music.
Inside the actual area of the dance floor, the music was incredibly loud. James felt strangely like an entire orchestra surrounded them, even though there was none. Outside of the music areas, the sounds were largely the tinkling of glasses, the bubble of conversation, and brief peals of laughter. Inside the dance area, the music was everything.
James walked up behind Spryous, and put his hand on his shoulder. The masked young man turned in surprise, as if jerked from sleep. "What?" he asked.
"The dinner has arrived, Spryous. I am collecting you and Momentai. I'm certain you can come back to the dancing later."
Spryous smiled wanly. "Thanks, James, but I don't think that's gonna happen."
"What? Why not?"
"Look over there," Spryous gestured to Momentai dancing across the floor. She noticed James and grinned broadly over at them. "She's having a lot of fun with him. She can come back to dance, but I don't think I'm interested."
"Nonsense," James said. "That's a load of bullocks. She was enjoying dancing with you immensely."
"How could you tell?" Spryous asked, slightly amused. "You were way over at the other table."
James leaned in close, fixing Spryous with his eye. "Trust me, Spryous. When you have been to as many of these ridiculous parties as I have, you begin to notice things."
Spryous shook his head, although he was smiling.
"Come on," James said nodding to their table, "have some food. You can worry about all this later."
"Right," Spryous said, looking a deal more pleased. With a final look over at Momentai, he went over back to the table.
Nodding in satisfaction, James walked out onto the dance floor, over to where the pair was dancing. The music around them was reaching a crescendo, and James could tell it had only a minute or more until the dance was ended.
As he moved up to them, Momentai noticed him, raising an eyebrow. The young man was too busy dancing, his eyes half-closed, focusing on Momentai, enjoying the dance. James moved up and interrupted them, tapping the young man on the shoulder.
"Pardon me," he said smoothly. "If I might borrow your partner for a few moments?"
"The song is almost over, Sir," the youth said, sounding slightly miffed. "It would be fi-"
"I'm not certain we understand each other," James said, smiling politely. "If you do not leave now I shall inform the staff of the fine silver you have been stealing. With good cause, I'm sure."
The young man opened his mouth once, and then closed it again. He looked vaguely impressed, and respectful. With a nod to Momentai, and an incredibly mean-spirited look at James, he back out of the dance, moving off towards the other end of the restaurant.
James offered his hand, and, as the song neared its end, they danced. James, of course, had had much more practice in this instance then he might have wished – he knew the steps by instinct, nearly.
"Wow," Momentai said, as he guided her across the floor. It was a bit awkward, as she did not quite reach his neck, but as comfortable as some other dance partners James had had. "You're really good."
"You are quite graceful yourself, mademoiselle."
Momentai grinned nervously. "Thanks." Then, she turned serious. "How did you know that guy was-"
"As I told Spryous, when you've been to as many of these functions as I, you notice things," James shrugged simply. "It was rather obvious."
"Well, he wasn't that great of a dancer, anyway," Momentai sighed.
"It certainly looked like you were enjoying yourself," James said, looking down into her face seriously.
"Well, yeah, I was," Momentai admitted. They paused as James swung her out at a swell in the music. Then, the concerto was over, and they stood frozen for several moments, both slightly sweating, as several of the tables clapped loudly.
With that, they straightened themselves, James offering Momentai his arm as they walked back toward the table.
"He was really nice," Momentai said wistfully.
"Nicety is nearly as common as indecency," James said, shaking his head. "Nicety alone is not enough of a judge of character. I knew many men who were nice, when they wanted to be – one of them beat his wife regularly."
Momentai didn't say anything for a moment as they skirted around several tables, and around a waiter bearing several large dishes.
"Well, thanks for helping out, anyway," she said finally. "I guess."
He smiled good-naturedly. "Certainly. It was perhaps wrong of me to assume that you needed help, but I could tell you were – what's the expression – 'way out of your league'."
Momentai grinned slightly at that. "Yeah, maybe I was. No more dancing tonight, I guess."
"Perhaps," James said.
They reached the table, and James pulled out Momentai's chair for her, allowing her to sit down. Then, he went over to his own seat, looking forward to more of the delicious shrimp.
The others had already finished a good amount of the giant crustacean. HT was polishing off what looked like the remains of its head, and Spryous was digging into what appeared to be second helpings. Slop was sipping at his drink politely, still looking slightly worried. Chloe, at least, looked happier then when James had left.
She munched happily on one of the rings that she had ordered, dipping it into the crimson depths of a bowl of cocktail sauce.
"You know, this really was a good idea," she said pleasantly, in-between bites. "But I still think we should go to a McDonald's or something sometime. Or In-n-Out. Something fun."
"This isn't fun?" HT asked. "Come on! We're in a giant space restaurant! This is awesome!"
Chloe tilted her head from side to side. "Well, yeah, that's cool. But, I mean, it would be funner if we didn't have to get all dressed up or anything. Just hang out."
"Hang on what?" James asked, curious.
Chloe looked at him oddly for several long seconds; then, she ignored his comment, and turned back to HT.
"Don't you think that would be hella awesome?" she asked eagerly.
"I'm in the middle of eating the most delicious thing I've ever had in my entire life," Spryous said, mouth full. "Don't talk to me about eating somewhere else right now."
"Maybe some other time, Chloe," Slop said suddenly. He looked at her. "But not for awhile, alright? I chose this place partly because we need to not be found. I mean, you do know they could find us if they were really looking all over the place. Luckily, they don't rank us that high on their threat list quite yet. Ketsuek wasn't that big of a guy – I have a feeling we don't rank as high on their priority list as some things."
"Like what?" HT asked.
"And what does that have to do with delicious double-double cheeseburgers?" Chloe demanded.
"Well, HT first," Slop said, looking to the other man. "First of all, they have to maintain the empire they already have. It's a hell of a job to keep demon generals from fracturing – turning into factions. It drains a lot of their energy just to keep their army together.
"Then, of course," Slop continued, "there's other armies. I mean, yes – Kuroouja's army is enormous. But there are some other armies that are pretty hard for him to stamp out. I know that recently he's been having some problems with a space-faring people. Conquering them is proving to be more difficult than he thought – his navy really isn't all that large. If anything, it's his weak-point. I mean, he's gonna win, probably. But it'll take a while. He'll have to focus all of his troops available – which is why we can partly go unnoticed right now."
"Alright, and what about In-n-Out?" Chloe asked, slightly impatiently.
"I was getting to that," Slop said, turning to her. "As much as Kuroouja's focused on a lot of things right now, he still has hunters everywhere. I want to take as few risks as possible. That's why I took us to this place, partly. I know it. I know there are no spies here. Other places," he shrugged, "I'm not so sure about."
The waiter arrived at that moment with the next course.
"We ordered for you while you were away, Momentai and James," HT said. "Hope you don't mind."
"No, it's O.K," Momentai said, eying her pasta-looking dish eagerly.
"Yes, it's fine," James agreed. He wasn't so sure he liked the look of what was in front of him – it was almost akin to a giant mushroom made of blue meat – but it certainly smelled delicious.
"Well, dig in!" Spryous said eagerly.
"As good a blessing as any," James muttered, cutting a small corner off of the edge of his mushroom.
Around the table, everyone attacked their entree with great gusto. It was almost as if they hadn't eaten for a month – which, in a manner of speaking, some of them hadn't. James personally didn't find anything wrong with the cereal – which was delicious – but a break for a true and hearty meal was certainly wonderful. He couldn't complain.
The meat, if that's what it was, tasted exquisite. James looked around the table, and everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. HT had what looked like a kind of rib dish, and was tearing at hit ravenously. Momentai seemingly couldn't get in fork-fulls fast enough. It seemed that the Coalition might also have been slightly lacking in table decorum; however, James wouldn't worry about it. They were no longer in his time. Perhaps in this one, the manners they displayed were acceptable.
As he looked up again, however, his eyes were drawn to a figure, walking up to their table. He was dressed in a tasteful and slightly extravagant coat – bronze with black embroidery. As he approached, Slop looked up – even though the man approached from behind him.
Slop turned around in his chair, smiling, as the man reached them. "Well, you had me worried for a bit there, Taiyo."
The man, his wizened face weathered and ragged, nodded apologetically. "It took me longer to arrive then I thought. I had to take the long way around."
"Ah," Slop said, nodding. "Yeah, that would hold you up."
Everyone had stopped eating now, and was looking at the newcomer. Slop turned back to them, standing up.
"Everyone," he began, gesturing to the bronze-cloaked man, "this is Taiyououja. He is – or, was – one of Kuroouja's generals."
"Just call me Taiyo," the old-looking man said.
Chloe, HT and Spryous stood up, HT's hand in his jacket – clearly reaching for a pistol.
"He's one of Kuroouja's servants?" HT demanded. "What is he doing here? Slop, you better explain this right now."
"Relax, HT," Slop said. "He's a good guy."
"I've seen him before, HT," Momentai said, still sitting down. "Chill. He's a buddy of Slop's."
James looked around and the other tables. "Yes, please sit, HT. We're garnering too much attention." Some of the people at other tables were looking over curiously.
Looking around as well, HT grumbled under his breath and sat down; however, he didn't quite lower his hand from reaching distance of his gun – he stuck it in a coat pocket nearby.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all, I'm certain," Taiyo said. "I know all of you already of course-" he turned to each of them in turn as he spoke, "- you're HT, Spryous, Miles, Fujiaki, and last but not least, miss Momentai."
"How do you know us already?" Spryous asked, his expression guarded.
"Well," the man said, shrugging benignly, "I've made it my business to know. I have... an investment in the downfall of our common enemy. Ergo, it was natural for me to align myself with you all, and help you wherever possible."
"Help us whenever possible?" Chloe asked. "Some help. None of us have ever seen it."
"Being obvious... isn't how I do things," Taiyo said, still smiling. It seemed that he had a pleasant grin permanently affixed to his face. "But, rest assured, I have been helping you all every way I can."
"Which is one of the reasons I arranged this," Slop interjected. "I wanted you all to meet one of our benefactors."
"One?" HT asked.
James wasn't surprised. Every campaign needed friends in high places to support it. It was a matter of course.
"Yes, one," Slop nodded. "Besides that, I had – have – some business to talk with-"
"But that can wait until later," Taiyo interrupted, pulling up a chair seemingly out of thin air, and sitting down in-between Momentai and Slop."Right now, let's all enjoy our meal."
"Well, at least somebody's got their priorities straight," Chloe muttered, digging into her food again.
Still a bit perturbed, HT turned back to his meal, while keeping one eye on the newcomer. Following his lead, Spryous began eating again. Slowly, everything seemed to go back to normal.
Taiyo tried to start several conversations, acting perfectly as if their was nothing unusual about their situation. James ended up telling him about the naval defenses around Singapore, and Chloe told him about living in some place called 'Hawaii'.
"The Sandwich Islands," Taiyo said to him, noticing his confusion. James nodded in recognition.
Even HT participated. It seemed that this Taiyo could be comfortable in any situation, and certainly acted like the life of the party, laughing uproariously at a joke, or offering Momentai some of his extra dinner.
"Take it. I couldn't possibly eat anymore. I can guarantee it," he said, scooping the rest of his onto Momentai's plate.
"So, what do you do, exactly?" Spryous asked. "I mean-"
"I know what you mean," Taiyo said. "No, it's a fair question." He sat back in his chair, clearly mulling it over in his head. "Well, before I left – it was a question of professional integrity, really – I occupied the position of Sun King in Kuroouja's army."
"That doesn't answer the question."
"You're absolutely right," the man nodded. "If you would allow me to continue, I suppose you could say now I am focused on one thing: turning my not inconsiderable resources toward bringing down Kuroouja. My colleagues – you might call them servants – and I collect information, sabotage, and generally attempt to wreak havoc."
"If that is, indeed, the case," James began curiously, "then why have you not simply joined forces with us, instead of 'helping' sporadically?"
"Alas, a very good question," Taiyo said gravely. "You see, my powers are not so great as when I left Kuroouja's army. My forces are not strong at all, and we've been forced to keep a very low profile, merely doing damage in the shadows, while we can. Besides that, I wouldn't want to attract unwanted attention to your group. Kuroouja knows about me. How much he knows about your little rebellion is unknown."
"Icksnay on the ittlelay alktay," Momentai muttered, casting a furtive glance over at Chloe, who was concentrating on tearing her dinner limb from limb.
Slop folded up the napkin that had been on his lap, and stood up. "Taiyo – our window's closing..."
"Your right of course," the man sighed, standing up as well. He bowed to the group in general. "It's been wonderful to meet you all."
"The pleasure was ours," James assured. The others nodded.
"Good. If we could talk over this way?" Slop began walking out through the tables, Taiyo close behind. They soon lost sight of them in the maze of waiters and patrons.
"I wonder what they're talking about?" Spryous sighed. "I mean, how come we can't hear it?"
"Go figure. It's not like it's that important, anyway," Momentai shrugged. "I mean, we know the basic plan. The specifics – well, we'll get there when we get there. You know?"
"I guess..." Spryous said uncertainly. "I'd still like to know what they're talking about."
"My guess is they're discussing strategy," HT said, his voice low. "I mean, that's got to be one of the reasons we're in two groups, right? So that they can coordinate attacks and take down multiple targets. Gotta be; besides, Taiyo's explanation of why he didn't combine his group with ours was kind of weak. I've got a feeling that he doesn't exactly put a lot of stock in us – or maybe he just wants to keep us manageable."
"I don't like the sound of that," Momentai said, a bit worriedly. "Are you saying Slop's withholding... valuable information from us?"
"But you just said-" Spryous started to complain. Momentai cut him off.
"I said he didn't always tell us his plans. That's different from keeping things from us intentionally," she said, looking a bit frightening. James did not want to see Momentai truly angry.
All of them were slightly cowed by this outburst, and they went back to eating their meal awkwardly. James had almost finished the last chunk of his blue mushroom meat when Momentai spoke again.
"I don't know," she sighed, as if releasing tension she had been holding in for some time. "I'm going to talk to him. We need to talk."
The others nodded, although James wondered for a moment who had appointed Momentai the ambassador to their leader. It didn't bother him as much as he thought it would – after all, she had been in contact with Slop the longest. It just struck him as odd for a moment: so unlike any kind of command he had ever been in.
But perhaps that wasn't true. In many battalions, or regiments, there were second-in-commands who always had the ear of the commander; with it came certain responsibilities – including suggesting better plans when the lead officer didn't have any. It was only this time that it wasn't a regiment – in fact, if James had to put his finger on it, he would have said they operated more closely to a family group. And, of course, there was the fact that Momentai was a woman; however, James had to admit that that fact had ceased to phase him. It was simply the way things were.
"Well, you might get a chance-" HT said, looking back over his shoulder. "Here they come back."
Slop and Taiyo were worming their way back, the latter laughing loudly at some joke Slop had just made; their leader was walking almost as if he'd had one too many Termisian Twists. He almost tripped over a waiter's boots, and Taiyo had to catch him, laughing at Slop's mishap.
"Are you guys drunk?" Momentai asked, her eyebrows furrowed, as the two walked up to the table, Slop leaning on Taiyo's shoulder.
"Hm?" Taiyo asked turning his ear toward the young woman. She repeated herself, and he and Slop grinned stupidly. "Yes, completely smashed. You may have him back now." Taiyo leaned over, easing Slop back into his chair. However, he overshot, and Slop rolled out of the chair and onto the floor. Giggling now, their leader pushed himself back up into his chair.
"This," Slop gurgled happily, "is why I don't drink."
"How could you be drunk?" Chloe demanded. "You guys were gone for like, ten minutes!"
"I'm impressed," HT said, slightly in awe.
"Yes, well, we had a very good chat at least," Taiyo said. He didn't appear nearly as drunk as Slop was. James wasn't sure if he'd ever seen someone who was worse at holding their liquor. "Got lots of business done."
"Yeah, looks like it," Chloe quipped, sipping at the last of her Fizzler.
"Well," Taiyo said broadly, stretching. "Now that I've delivered him back to you all, I'll take my leave. I'm sure you'll hear from me again. Again, it's been wonderful meeting you all."
"Yeah..." HT muttered, feeling Slop's pulse and looking into his eyes. "Been great. Drop by again sometime."
"If you need to contact us again-" Momentai began, but Taiyo cut her off with a wave.
"Oh, I'm sure I'll simply contact Slop, don't worry. You'll all know when I need to talk to you."
"Will we?" Spryous asked, skeptically. "That's funny, because we had no idea-"
"Thank-you," James cut in, keeping Spryous from committing a faux-pas. "And if we should need to contact you?"
"I'll be around if you need me, you can trust to that," Taiyo nodded solemnly. At that moment, he backed away from the table, and a waiter passed in front of him. When the waiter passed, the old man was gone.
"Ah, Christ. I hate it when people do that," Chloe complained. "Gives me the creeps."
"Is Slop... okay?" Momentai asked worriedly, leaning over their leader with HT.
"I think so..." HT said distractedly. "I don't think the old guy drugged him or anything. Like he said, he just got really, really drunk – really, really fast."
"I can hear what you guys are saying, you know," Slop slurred. "HT, did you know that your adam's apple is really big? Seriously, it's huuuuge." He gurgled again as he tried to laugh.
"Somebody get a cell phone," Chloe said evilly. "We're so putting this on YouTube."
Suddenly, Slop straightened, his eyes wide: it was almost like somebody had poked him with a pin. But he didn't look hurt: simply alert. He pushed away from HT and Momentai looking over him, and stood up.
"We've got to go," he said quickly, looking around at them, but also looking slightly distant.
"Now."
"What?" Spryous asked, who hadn't quite finished his dinner. "Did you even see the dessert menu?"
"Wait, Slop – what is it? What's going on?" Momentai asked. But Slop had already started walking toward the direction of the exit, looking much more steady on his feet that he had only moments before.
"Dammit," HT muttered. Then, to the others: "Well, come on. We might as well follow him."
They all got up, and started to weave their way through the tables after him. Jogging slightly, Momentai caught up with their leader first.
"What's going on?" she asked, putting her hand on his shoulder.
Slop stopped, momentarily. He turned around. "It's... it's a feeling. I – I can't really explain-"
"Just tell us," Momentai said, holding onto Slop tightly. "Try, for once, to let us know what's going on."
He put both of his hands on her shoulders, and looked into her face with the look of someone who knew the future. "Trust me, alright? Please – just trust me."
They stood their for several moments, seemingly at an impasse. James and the others waited, several steps back; Chloe had taken what was left of Momentai's drink and was sipping at it. Spryous saw this, and took it from her; he placed it the empty plate of one of the passing waiters. Chloe sighed in defeat.
"Alright," Momentai said finally. "But after this, we need to talk."
Slop nodded, and then without another word turned back on the path he had been going.
They all followed at a pace reminiscent of a fast jog. James narrowly dodged a group of waiters bearing an enormous cake that cut in front of him.
However, instead of going all the way back toward the exit, the way they had come, Slop veered off in a different direction.
"Wait, Slop-" HT tried, but they soon saw what their leader was planning as he went over to one of the waiter entrance stairs, and hopped down it.
Momentai shared a glance with Chloe before following, taking the white – slightly luminescent steps two at a time. James and the others followed not far behind.
Below the main floor, the hallways were long and crowded, glowing white with some kind of internal light. The noise above them died out unnaturally fast, until all they could hear was the clattering of pots and the yelling of orders.
Streams of waiters and waitresses – all tattooed in ridiculously intricate patterns on their faces, down one side of their necks, and beyond sight – pushed by, some giving the group odd glances, but mostly ignoring them.
Slop walked ahead of them, taking an odd turn down a different hallway, but otherwise taking no discernible care to where they were going.
James looked through some of the open doorways that led off the hallways, viewing a strange world of seemingly endless kitchens, and related rooms. He could see men and women in white smocks committing every food-preparing activity possible.
However, after what seemed like several long minutes of bustling through the densely-crowded hallways, Slop turned off into a room that no waiters came out of.
They followed him in, to find they were in what seemed to be a large storage room. There were several tables stacked up on one side, and towers of boxes throughout. They clustered in, and Slop closed the door behind them.
"Alright guys," he said, flexing his fingers, "let's get out of here." They stepped back, giving Slop some room in the center of the chamber. However, Slop gestured to HT. "Help me out here," he said, beckoning. HT nodded silently, and walked over to where Slop was standing.
Together, in the center of the room, they focused – the intensity in the air almost tangible. After several moments, the both of them sliced across their hands in an awkward motion, and a tear opened up in the middle of the room.
"Here we go again..." Chloe muttered.
HT stepped through first, and the rest followed, Slop wordlessly bringing up the rear. As James walked through, he wondered if they were truly in the best situation for all of this – Momentai was still in her dress, although it looked like she had brought better (actual) shoes: she had slipped into them while they were waiting for the portal, putting the others in a stylish bag.
The trip was as disorienting as usual; this time, it felt like being pushed through a series of hanging, wet sheets. However, when he had exited the portal, James was surprised at what he found.
It wasn't that it was highly unusual; in fact, it was certainly more normal than the giant restaurant in space. What surprised James was how dramatic a change it was from their previous location.
They were in a small dirt clearing, surrounded on all sides by endless plains of four-foot tall grass, stretching out to the horizon; the tall stalks swayed and whispered in the slight breeze.
The moon was high, shining down on the flat world, giving everything a ghostly tint. The light reflected off the grass all around them gave the impression of an ocean, waves rolling slowly back and forth along the surface.
HT was on the edge of the clearing, his pistols – which he had apparently brought with him – raised, and clearly listening for any sign of danger. Momentai was helping Chloe up, who looked like she had just tripped on a stone in the ground. After she got up, she turned around and stomped on the rock several times.
Spryous came through next, and tossed a pair of pistols to James. "Here. You use them again," he said.
"You brought them?"
"Well, not exactly," Spryous said. " I had them in the form of a phone and a wallet sitting in my front pocket."
"Ah," James said, nodding. "Well, in that case, thank-you."
"So that's what that was," Momentai mumbled.
"What?" Spryous said, looking over to her.
"Nothing," the young woman said quickly, brushing off her dress. "I can't believe I'm wearing this out here. Couldn't you have given us time to change?" she asked, looking over to Slop, who had just come through the portal.
"No," Slop said, closing the tear in space behind him. "Wasn't enough time." Immediately after this, he turned and strode off through the grass, taking out a hidden blade, and slashing in front of him, making a path.
"How far is it?" Momentai asked.
"Don't know. Not too far."
Momentai sighed, and then followed after their leader. She put a hand on his shoulder, and stopped him from cutting the grass in front of them. After he had stopped, she simply waved her hand, and the sea parted – revealing a path. "Try doing things the easy way," she said, taking the lead.
The others followed, Spryous last this time. He looked slightly nervous, and James was pretty sure why – his powers were quite possibly catastrophic in this terrain. James had seen fires in India go through this type of brush and completely rage out of control.
They beat on through the path in silence, the only sound what might have been a katydid and a grasshopper far in the distance.
Momentai kept pushing back the grass, sometimes changing directions as Slop directed.
"Are we close yet?" Chloe asked, looking around. "Because I still don't see anything."
But Slop had stopped, and put a finger up to his lips. The group silenced itself immediately, HT swiveling his head from side to side, scanning. James made sure his pistols were set to fire.
After several tense moments, Slop stepped forward, and knelt down, wading off into the grass.
"Slop!" Momentai hissed. "Where are you going?"
He turned around, still crouched, and gestured for Momentai and Spryous to go around, until they came to a clearing. HT, Chloe, and James were supposed to walk the other way. James got the impression that they were trying to encircle something very close by.
That was when he heard it: a shout, possibly human. Afterward, a snarl echoed through the air. The group walked there separate ways, Slop wading off through the grass. James followed HT around, pushing forward into the grass while they tried to make the least noise possible. It wasn't that hard, as the sound of the wind through the grass all but covered their footsteps.
HT suddenly crouched down, and the other two followed his lead. He gestured for them to come forward, and they crept up to where he was.
Putting a finger to his lips unnecessarily, he pointed out through the grass to what appeared to be a large clearing.
James looked out, and wasn't pleased by what he saw. It appeared to be a lone figure, surrounded by large, dark lizard-like creatures on two legs, covered in strangely glowing patterns and tattoos.
"Holy-" Chloe breathed. "Are those velociraptors?"
HT nodded. Chloe clearly tried very hard not to laugh.
"Okay, two thoughts," she whispered. "Number one, this fight is gonna be fucking awesome. Two: we are so screwed."
"Only one way to find out," HT said.
James sighed. "I don't suppose we have a plan?"
There was a cry, and Momentai and Spryous jumped out of the grass on the far side of the clearing.
"That'd be a no," Chloe grinned.
So, that's another one done. Methinks I'm gonna wait until more of you have written more of your own, (at least your intros) before I do another. I've just got to say that I've been enjoying everything everyone's been doing - it's awesome.
And, yes, that guy at the end being attacked is supposed to be Razen.