Zorry woke in a warm, earthen room in a soft, downy bed, she lingered a few moments, still half-dreaming, then she opened her fully, letting them adjust and taking stock of her surroundings. There were two two more, bed, like hers, one next to hers and one across the room, next to latter was a fridge, and between Zorry's bed and the opposite bed was the door, framed with oak. The earth was a dull red-orange and the room smelt faintly of dried lavender, the beds had soft, clean sheets and pillows plumped up and comfortable, the room could easily be described as 'cosy'.
She got up and changed out of a suitcase beside her bed, not paying more than a little attention to the clothes she was putting on, or her outward appearance. Tripping on the rug in her eagerness to explore, she got up and paced herself. She remembered, before she left, to grab her knapsack and check it's contents. She found the doorhandle and the door swung inwards.
Stepping out, Zorry found herself on a wooden landing, overlooking another red-orange room full of cheery people. The landing, a staircase on the right and several tables dotted about were all made of oak, again. On some tables a bright flame flicked and danced playfully on a white candle. There was a desk on the landing, again, oak, with a rosy-cheeked woman beaming at her from behind her.
"Sleep well?"
"Yes, thankyou, miss?"
"Sweeney." she chuckled "You were all tuckered out like a baby by the time you got here. Oh, and your mam said you can do what you like today, but she has a surprise for you tonight so be sure to be back early."
"Thanks, I will."
She half-skipped down the stairs and peered out of the door, then stepped through for a better view.
And what a view? She saw that the room, and all adjoining rooms, that she had just exited had been cut straight from the cliffside. There were other rooms too, and houses and huts made from bamboo, built half-way up the cliff with ladders to reach them. To the left, and stright on was the entrance to the village, if that's what it could be called. A little behind, steps were leading up to what seemed like a complex of more caves, maybe containing more homes, or shops. Directly ahead, the floor raised slightly, almost like a platform, and in the centre a big bonfire raged and flicked, with a magical, and mysterious feel to it.
"Wow..." she breathed
"It's really somethin' isn't it?"
She started at the man she hadn't heard approach her from behind.
"Yeah, you never get used to it, never."
"It's, it's so beautifull." She turned to him, "Oh! I'm Zorry, by the way."
He shook her hand, gripping it firmly."Ungar, I come here every year, it's great."
She smiled at him, "I think I'm gonna like it here."
"Well then," he said, raising his voice, "I better get to to it! See you later."
He edged past her and climbed one of the nearby ladders. She walked towards the flame, wanting a closer look, and was nearly toppled over by two red animals tearing past her, one called out to the other, "I'm gonna getcha O! I'm gonna catcha!" to which the other replied "No you aren't! I'm faster than you!" the first pounced on the second and bit it's ear playfully, they wrestled around for a few minutes and then seperated, panting. Zorry approached them,
"Hi, I'm Zorry."
She examined them, they were a light reddish colour with fur all over their bodies, they had long brown manes and bright red eyes, they were muscular like dogs, but elegant like cats, they turned to her, still out of breath.
"Hi, my name's Jequel, and this," he indicated towards the other, "Is my sister, Ombari, she's a nitwit."
"I am not!" she protested
"Yes you are! Nitwit, nitwit, nit-"
A deep, throaty voice sounded from behind Zorry, she jumped,
"Jequel, what have I told you about calling your sister names?"
Zorry turned to face the creature behind her, he was obviously the same species as Jequel and Ombari, but there were some noticable differences between them, his fur was of a darker colour, and at the end of his tail a bright fire burned, one eyes was scarred over and she noticed several other scars, as well as a "XIII" tatoo on his left foreleg. Around each ankle was a bronze bangle and his mane was braided and had feathers and thread woven into it to form a kind of headdress, his remaining eye was amber and he was much larger than either Ombari or Jequel.
Jequel shuffled his feet about and looked at the larger animal,
"Ummmm, don't say it if it is less than three syllables?"
Zorry admired his cheek, she would never have worked up the guts to backchat a creature of majesty such as this, he growled,
"I said NOT to call your sister names nomatter how many syllables they have, is that clear?"
"Yes."
"Good."
He turned to leave and Jequel muttered something under his breath,
"Don't know how he does that, like he has some sort of radar, so annoying, grrr."
Zorry called out to the larger creature,
"W-wait!"
He turned to her,
"What is it?"
"W-well, I have a few questions I want to ask, and I was thinking, maybe you could help me, or tell me who could help-my name is Zoramati Hart."
"I am Nanaki, Protector of Cosmo Canyon, and I think I can help you, come with me."
She got up and changed out of a suitcase beside her bed, not paying more than a little attention to the clothes she was putting on, or her outward appearance. Tripping on the rug in her eagerness to explore, she got up and paced herself. She remembered, before she left, to grab her knapsack and check it's contents. She found the doorhandle and the door swung inwards.
Stepping out, Zorry found herself on a wooden landing, overlooking another red-orange room full of cheery people. The landing, a staircase on the right and several tables dotted about were all made of oak, again. On some tables a bright flame flicked and danced playfully on a white candle. There was a desk on the landing, again, oak, with a rosy-cheeked woman beaming at her from behind her.
"Sleep well?"
"Yes, thankyou, miss?"
"Sweeney." she chuckled "You were all tuckered out like a baby by the time you got here. Oh, and your mam said you can do what you like today, but she has a surprise for you tonight so be sure to be back early."
"Thanks, I will."
She half-skipped down the stairs and peered out of the door, then stepped through for a better view.
And what a view? She saw that the room, and all adjoining rooms, that she had just exited had been cut straight from the cliffside. There were other rooms too, and houses and huts made from bamboo, built half-way up the cliff with ladders to reach them. To the left, and stright on was the entrance to the village, if that's what it could be called. A little behind, steps were leading up to what seemed like a complex of more caves, maybe containing more homes, or shops. Directly ahead, the floor raised slightly, almost like a platform, and in the centre a big bonfire raged and flicked, with a magical, and mysterious feel to it.
"Wow..." she breathed
"It's really somethin' isn't it?"
She started at the man she hadn't heard approach her from behind.
"Yeah, you never get used to it, never."
"It's, it's so beautifull." She turned to him, "Oh! I'm Zorry, by the way."
He shook her hand, gripping it firmly."Ungar, I come here every year, it's great."
She smiled at him, "I think I'm gonna like it here."
"Well then," he said, raising his voice, "I better get to to it! See you later."
He edged past her and climbed one of the nearby ladders. She walked towards the flame, wanting a closer look, and was nearly toppled over by two red animals tearing past her, one called out to the other, "I'm gonna getcha O! I'm gonna catcha!" to which the other replied "No you aren't! I'm faster than you!" the first pounced on the second and bit it's ear playfully, they wrestled around for a few minutes and then seperated, panting. Zorry approached them,
"Hi, I'm Zorry."
She examined them, they were a light reddish colour with fur all over their bodies, they had long brown manes and bright red eyes, they were muscular like dogs, but elegant like cats, they turned to her, still out of breath.
"Hi, my name's Jequel, and this," he indicated towards the other, "Is my sister, Ombari, she's a nitwit."
"I am not!" she protested
"Yes you are! Nitwit, nitwit, nit-"
A deep, throaty voice sounded from behind Zorry, she jumped,
"Jequel, what have I told you about calling your sister names?"
Zorry turned to face the creature behind her, he was obviously the same species as Jequel and Ombari, but there were some noticable differences between them, his fur was of a darker colour, and at the end of his tail a bright fire burned, one eyes was scarred over and she noticed several other scars, as well as a "XIII" tatoo on his left foreleg. Around each ankle was a bronze bangle and his mane was braided and had feathers and thread woven into it to form a kind of headdress, his remaining eye was amber and he was much larger than either Ombari or Jequel.
Jequel shuffled his feet about and looked at the larger animal,
"Ummmm, don't say it if it is less than three syllables?"
Zorry admired his cheek, she would never have worked up the guts to backchat a creature of majesty such as this, he growled,
"I said NOT to call your sister names nomatter how many syllables they have, is that clear?"
"Yes."
"Good."
He turned to leave and Jequel muttered something under his breath,
"Don't know how he does that, like he has some sort of radar, so annoying, grrr."
Zorry called out to the larger creature,
"W-wait!"
He turned to her,
"What is it?"
"W-well, I have a few questions I want to ask, and I was thinking, maybe you could help me, or tell me who could help-my name is Zoramati Hart."
"I am Nanaki, Protector of Cosmo Canyon, and I think I can help you, come with me."