Sergeant Colon sat at his desk, notebook in hand.
"So...you say there's an intruder in the college, do you, Miss Gertrude?" He asked, jotting down notes in the pad. Miss Gertrude nodded.
"Saw 'im with me own eyes, sir", she replied, fidgeting wit her hands nervously. Colon sighed.
"Alright, we'll send Lance Constable Angua to sort him out. Don't you worry, Miss Gertrude, we'll get rid of that intruder for you." Miss Gertrude thanked him and hurried away. Colon called over Captain Carrot, and handed him the notepad.
"Give this to Angua," he instructed. "Tell her to find the criminal now." Carrot saluted, and walked off.
Susan sat on a wooden chair, staring out of the window. She had grown increasingly nervous as the night went by, and felt as thought something was wrong. Imp hadn't contacted her for over an hour now. She was dozing off to sleep, when she heard a snorting outside. Looking up, she gasped.
"Binky?!?" she hissed, and Binky tossed his head, whinnying at her. "You should be with Imp!" She exclaimed, then stopped. "Wait," she said, realization dawning over her. "What happened? Is he alright?" Binky whinnied again, and stamped his hoof impatiently. Susan ran outside, and jumped onto Binky's back. She grasped the reins, and felt a prickling sensation on her shoulder. She looked around, and saw the Death of Rats perched on her shoulder. "Get off," she said sternly, then relented. She could do with the company. "Alright," she sighed. "You can come too." She turned back around, and Binky galloped into the sky, leaving blazing hoof prints in the grass.
Ponder Stibbons peered down at a small box, carefully hooking wires into various holes in the side of the box. He dropped a blood red stone into it, and shut the lid carefully. He turned to Miss Butts.
"It's ready," he said, and Miss Butts smiled her cold smile again.
"Shall we test it?"
"Are you sure it's safe?"
"Stop being such a baby, and try it out already!" Ponder attached a length of string to the lid of the box, then ran and hid behind a table. Once he was safely out of the way, he pulled the string, opening the lid. Noise burst out of the box, throwing Ponder against the wall with its sheer force. Slowly, the noise developed rhythm, and transformed into something terrible and amazing, not just noise, but a being in its own right. It was more than just sound. It was alive.
Angua padded down the street in her wolf form. She stopped for a moment, gazing up at the full moon. The sky was so beautiful tonight. She hardly ever had the time to just look around and appreciate things for what they were, but now she couldn't help looking up at the stars and the moon. Still, she had work to do, she reminded herself. That woman from the college had reported an intruder, and it was her job to check it out. She trotted on, and eventually approached the college. She reared up onto her hind legs and clawed at the door. Miss Gertrude answered, looking around until her eyes fell upon the wolf sitting on the doorstep.
"Uh, hi. I'm from the Watch...I heard you have an intruder here..." Miss Gertrude stood in silent shock for a moment before answering.
"Oh. Er, yes. He's right this way, so please follow me." Angua followed the woman to the broom closet, curious to find out why someone would want to break into a college. Miss Gertrude unlocked the door carefully, then stepped back.
"I'd better leave you to sort him out," she said, walking off hurriedly, and Angua reached up and opened the door with her paws. Imp walked out of the closet, stretching, and froze as he saw the large wolf snarling at him.
"Uh, good doggy," he said quietly, trying to edge away from her, but she grabbed him around the wrist with her strong jaws, hurting him a lot without actually breaking the skin. "Lemme go!!" He yelled, his fear replace by anger, and flung his arm outwards. The force of it threw Angua across the room, and before she could rise to her feet, he was on top of her, pinning her down by the scruff of the neck.
"Get off!" She barked, and Imp stared at her, but shook himself and tightened his grip on her.
"Listen," he said, realising that if the wolf could talk, it could probably understand him. "I need to get out of here now. Someone I lo - someone I know is in danger, and if I don't hurry and sort things out, she might not survive." He slowly released his grip on her, and she backed up, looking up at him.
"I'm from the watch," Angua explained. " My name's Angua, and I'm supposed to be taking you under arrest for trespassing, and if I disobey orders, I'll be thrown out for sure." Angua turned to walk away, but Imp ran in front of her, blocking her path.
"Listen to me!" He snapped, and Angua glared at him, showing her massive fangs. Imp glared back at her, and continued. "A girl I know is dying, and I have to help her before the headmistress here destroys her! You think you can stop me? Try me." Angua's eyes flashed, and she crouched, the muscles in her legs bunched up like thick ropes restraining a catapult, but instead of launching herself at Imp, she lay there, and looked back up at him.
"Climb on my back," she instructed, but Imp eyed her suspiciously. "It's okay," she said in a calmer tone. "As much as I hate disobeying orders, I can't stand to see someone die. Now, if you want I'll help you." Imp relented at last, and climbed on Angua's back, holding onto the soft, long fur around her neck.
"I need to find a woman called Miss Butts," he said. "She's the headmistress here, and she wants to kill my friend, Susan. I'm Imp, by the way," he added. He took a few deep breaths, and felt wolf muscles under his legs tighten, then they launched. Imp felt wind rush against his face, whipping back his hair. The sensation was as if he was flying, and under him he could feel the steady movement of Angua's strong legs as she raced forward, leaving the land behind them as a blur. Buildings rushed past them, and Angua stared at the steps they were approaching. Her muscles bunched up underneath her smooth fur, and she leapt. There was a rushing feeling, followed by nothing. Imp felt as if he was floating, before they began to fall. She landed with a heavy thud, and continued her sprint onwards.
"I think I've tracked Miss Butts," Angua shouted. "I smelled someone else on Miss Gertrude's clothes," Angua explained. "It smelled female, so I assume that's Miss Butts. I'm following her scent." Imp nodded and flattened himself against Angua's back, allowing her to speed up. She sped up, keeping her nose low, the came to a halt.
"I've lost her!" She whined, then finally looked up. She saw why; she had stopped by the river Ankh, and the scent seemed to disappear into the river. Imp looked around in despair, then gasped.
"Angua - look!!" He exclaimed, and Angua turned around to see a hooded figure riding a massive white horse. Susan half climbed, half fell off Binky, and Imp rushed over to catch her, just in time to stop the flickering that was surging over her unconscious body. "Susan!?!?" He gasped, staring down at her in horror. Suddenly, a loud crash of noise burst from behind him, forcing Susan out of his hands. Startled, Imp looked behind him, and saw Miss Butts standing there, with a small box in her hands. She said no words, just stood there, grinning maliciously.
"Better look behind you," she laughed, and Imp spun around, to see Susan flickering wildly. Imp rushed forward, diving into the river. He fought against the current, and grabbed Susan, but it was too late. Her helpless body vanished from sight, and Imp fund himself grasping thin air. He turned around slowly, and stared into the eyes of Miss Butts, who smiled and walked away. He clenched his hands in fists, his soul burning with rage.
"I'LL GET YOU!!!" He roared, and fell to his knees, letting tears fall freely down his cheek onto the cold mud below him.
"So...you say there's an intruder in the college, do you, Miss Gertrude?" He asked, jotting down notes in the pad. Miss Gertrude nodded.
"Saw 'im with me own eyes, sir", she replied, fidgeting wit her hands nervously. Colon sighed.
"Alright, we'll send Lance Constable Angua to sort him out. Don't you worry, Miss Gertrude, we'll get rid of that intruder for you." Miss Gertrude thanked him and hurried away. Colon called over Captain Carrot, and handed him the notepad.
"Give this to Angua," he instructed. "Tell her to find the criminal now." Carrot saluted, and walked off.
Susan sat on a wooden chair, staring out of the window. She had grown increasingly nervous as the night went by, and felt as thought something was wrong. Imp hadn't contacted her for over an hour now. She was dozing off to sleep, when she heard a snorting outside. Looking up, she gasped.
"Binky?!?" she hissed, and Binky tossed his head, whinnying at her. "You should be with Imp!" She exclaimed, then stopped. "Wait," she said, realization dawning over her. "What happened? Is he alright?" Binky whinnied again, and stamped his hoof impatiently. Susan ran outside, and jumped onto Binky's back. She grasped the reins, and felt a prickling sensation on her shoulder. She looked around, and saw the Death of Rats perched on her shoulder. "Get off," she said sternly, then relented. She could do with the company. "Alright," she sighed. "You can come too." She turned back around, and Binky galloped into the sky, leaving blazing hoof prints in the grass.
Ponder Stibbons peered down at a small box, carefully hooking wires into various holes in the side of the box. He dropped a blood red stone into it, and shut the lid carefully. He turned to Miss Butts.
"It's ready," he said, and Miss Butts smiled her cold smile again.
"Shall we test it?"
"Are you sure it's safe?"
"Stop being such a baby, and try it out already!" Ponder attached a length of string to the lid of the box, then ran and hid behind a table. Once he was safely out of the way, he pulled the string, opening the lid. Noise burst out of the box, throwing Ponder against the wall with its sheer force. Slowly, the noise developed rhythm, and transformed into something terrible and amazing, not just noise, but a being in its own right. It was more than just sound. It was alive.
Angua padded down the street in her wolf form. She stopped for a moment, gazing up at the full moon. The sky was so beautiful tonight. She hardly ever had the time to just look around and appreciate things for what they were, but now she couldn't help looking up at the stars and the moon. Still, she had work to do, she reminded herself. That woman from the college had reported an intruder, and it was her job to check it out. She trotted on, and eventually approached the college. She reared up onto her hind legs and clawed at the door. Miss Gertrude answered, looking around until her eyes fell upon the wolf sitting on the doorstep.
"Uh, hi. I'm from the Watch...I heard you have an intruder here..." Miss Gertrude stood in silent shock for a moment before answering.
"Oh. Er, yes. He's right this way, so please follow me." Angua followed the woman to the broom closet, curious to find out why someone would want to break into a college. Miss Gertrude unlocked the door carefully, then stepped back.
"I'd better leave you to sort him out," she said, walking off hurriedly, and Angua reached up and opened the door with her paws. Imp walked out of the closet, stretching, and froze as he saw the large wolf snarling at him.
"Uh, good doggy," he said quietly, trying to edge away from her, but she grabbed him around the wrist with her strong jaws, hurting him a lot without actually breaking the skin. "Lemme go!!" He yelled, his fear replace by anger, and flung his arm outwards. The force of it threw Angua across the room, and before she could rise to her feet, he was on top of her, pinning her down by the scruff of the neck.
"Get off!" She barked, and Imp stared at her, but shook himself and tightened his grip on her.
"Listen," he said, realising that if the wolf could talk, it could probably understand him. "I need to get out of here now. Someone I lo - someone I know is in danger, and if I don't hurry and sort things out, she might not survive." He slowly released his grip on her, and she backed up, looking up at him.
"I'm from the watch," Angua explained. " My name's Angua, and I'm supposed to be taking you under arrest for trespassing, and if I disobey orders, I'll be thrown out for sure." Angua turned to walk away, but Imp ran in front of her, blocking her path.
"Listen to me!" He snapped, and Angua glared at him, showing her massive fangs. Imp glared back at her, and continued. "A girl I know is dying, and I have to help her before the headmistress here destroys her! You think you can stop me? Try me." Angua's eyes flashed, and she crouched, the muscles in her legs bunched up like thick ropes restraining a catapult, but instead of launching herself at Imp, she lay there, and looked back up at him.
"Climb on my back," she instructed, but Imp eyed her suspiciously. "It's okay," she said in a calmer tone. "As much as I hate disobeying orders, I can't stand to see someone die. Now, if you want I'll help you." Imp relented at last, and climbed on Angua's back, holding onto the soft, long fur around her neck.
"I need to find a woman called Miss Butts," he said. "She's the headmistress here, and she wants to kill my friend, Susan. I'm Imp, by the way," he added. He took a few deep breaths, and felt wolf muscles under his legs tighten, then they launched. Imp felt wind rush against his face, whipping back his hair. The sensation was as if he was flying, and under him he could feel the steady movement of Angua's strong legs as she raced forward, leaving the land behind them as a blur. Buildings rushed past them, and Angua stared at the steps they were approaching. Her muscles bunched up underneath her smooth fur, and she leapt. There was a rushing feeling, followed by nothing. Imp felt as if he was floating, before they began to fall. She landed with a heavy thud, and continued her sprint onwards.
"I think I've tracked Miss Butts," Angua shouted. "I smelled someone else on Miss Gertrude's clothes," Angua explained. "It smelled female, so I assume that's Miss Butts. I'm following her scent." Imp nodded and flattened himself against Angua's back, allowing her to speed up. She sped up, keeping her nose low, the came to a halt.
"I've lost her!" She whined, then finally looked up. She saw why; she had stopped by the river Ankh, and the scent seemed to disappear into the river. Imp looked around in despair, then gasped.
"Angua - look!!" He exclaimed, and Angua turned around to see a hooded figure riding a massive white horse. Susan half climbed, half fell off Binky, and Imp rushed over to catch her, just in time to stop the flickering that was surging over her unconscious body. "Susan!?!?" He gasped, staring down at her in horror. Suddenly, a loud crash of noise burst from behind him, forcing Susan out of his hands. Startled, Imp looked behind him, and saw Miss Butts standing there, with a small box in her hands. She said no words, just stood there, grinning maliciously.
"Better look behind you," she laughed, and Imp spun around, to see Susan flickering wildly. Imp rushed forward, diving into the river. He fought against the current, and grabbed Susan, but it was too late. Her helpless body vanished from sight, and Imp fund himself grasping thin air. He turned around slowly, and stared into the eyes of Miss Butts, who smiled and walked away. He clenched his hands in fists, his soul burning with rage.
"I'LL GET YOU!!!" He roared, and fell to his knees, letting tears fall freely down his cheek onto the cold mud below him.