The Canine Caper
By: ChocolateEclar
Disclaimer: Some characters belong to the magnificent authoress, Diana Wynne Jones. I just borrowed them for a while. She also owns the entire world she created (i.e. Ingary, Zanzib, etc.)
Claimer: I only own Wyn, Aidan, Nate, Nesta, Stephen, Oliver, Kamania and Chris Aprilian, Mr. Calypso, Professor Weph, Life, Death, Apocalypse, Rhys, Mackenzie, Vihari and Mayuri Clavis, Damian and Damodar Reskin. I also own the 'dog' and the country of 'Filar.'
Claimer 2: All characters mentioned at the bottom of this chapter in my story "A Break in the Worlds" are owned by me!
Lady Artemis: Hehe… Let me just point out a few things. A) Cliffy's are fun! B) I love dogs too! My grandma has a blue merle sheltie and I used her as a guide for what Rhys's looked like as a dog. The dog's name is Heather. ^_- C) You twisted your ankle?! Ouch! Hope it gets better soon.
By the way, thanks for giving me a final review on "Between Hope and Death!" I'm glad you liked it! I read a lot so I like thinking about what happened after each book. Sometimes I come up with the strangest things and use them for my own stories. Also, when I read reviews I tend to get ideas. As for time, I usually think up something at school (go figure :P) and get home as soon as possible to type up the idea! (Sometimes I'm glued to the clock at school because of that!) Truthfully, my days revolve around the computer, T.V, family, friends, books, and school. Thanks again and please review!
A/N: And now on to chapter 5!
Chapter 5: In Which the 'Dog' Returns Home
Rhys… That was who I was…
I growled at Damian. His brother had been my best friend for crying out loud! The jerk took one look at me and said, "This is definitely the Maoki we're looking for. I can't wait to tell Damodar I found his little friend wondering around Midio of all places!"
My fur bristling, I thought, 'So Damodar just released me into his home country after he erased my memory for sport!!!'
'Calm down,' said Mayuri to me.
'I can't. Damodar was the one who had this done to me!' I retorted.
Mayuri gazed at me uncertainly before making up her mind on something and turning back to Damian. "What are you going to do with us?" she asked him.
"Throw you both into Keela's tomb of course."
'Ah, Mayuri, what's Keela's tomb?'
'Oh, just a place were criminals are thrown into this labyrinth and there's all sorts of beasts inside like sphinx and dragons. Its called Keela's tomb because there's a supposedly a huge wolf named Keela who only awakens when someone's in the labyrinth.'
'Great.'
'Isn't it?' replied Mayuri dryly.
'Dragons, I might be able to handle,' I thought, 'Other beasts I might have problems with… Then again I did help stop Apocalypse and I was only six years old then too…'
Mayuri and I were grabbed roughly by the guards and dragged into a nearby room. About two feet away from the door, there was no floor. It just dropped off into a cold, dark nothing that left me feeling ill. I could just make out the stone bottom below in the dim light and it was a good thing I hadn't developed quite as strong a fear of heights as the rest of my immediate family. Wyn probably would have nearly passed out by now and my parents would most likely have been practically clawing their way away from the edge of the pit. I, on the other hand, decided I had had enough. No one treats the Dragon Enchanter like dirt!
I arched my back and mumbled a spell. It took effect immediately and a whirlwind of bluish lightning surrounded me. I could feel the enchantment twisting my body gently and then I found myself kneeling on the ground in my true form. My dark locks were disheveled and my eyes were glinted with a fierce jade light. I gave Damian a bitter scowl before standing up. The guards' weapons were already locked on me, waiting for the signal from their leader, and Mayuri was looking a little beleaguered. She gave me a weak nod and asked silently, 'What are you going to do now?'
"Just watch," I replied out loud. I cracked my knuckles for good measure and muttered a string of words that were half lost in a roll of thunder. My dad's words of power were always a great tool to use in these situations. A streak of lighting like light burned a trail through the roof and to my hand. I grasped the power and formed a colorless sword with it that rippled with energy. This was my version of the words.
I advanced on the guards with my sword clasped in my hands. Several of them backed away. Damian was one of the idiots that stayed put. I smirked in a way that was like a hostile replica of Morgan's 'I'm going to win' grin he tended to use in duels against Wyn. In my adaptation however, I was going to win after doing this.
'Morgan never beats Wyn no matter what edition of 'the grin' he uses,' I thought laughingly. Then, in a clean arc I slashed the sword at Damian; I didn't hit him though for as soon as I'd come close, his confidence had been lost and he ran. I laughed. Now if only Damodar would do that… (A/N: Rhys sounds a little too overconfident. Oh well. -_-)
I sighed and opened my right palm. The sword sort of 'slid' into it and the power went back were it belonged. Mayuri was gazing at me curiously; I could 'feel' her indigo eyes on me. "Wow!" she finally managed to say.
"Let's go," I said turning to her, "Vihari was pretty upset about your kidnapping."
"Oh. OH! Vihari! I completely forgot!" Mayuri shrieked.
"What a wonderful big sister you are," I remarked. For my comment I got a sharp whack on my right arm. "Geez," I mumbled rubbing my new 'injury.'
Mayuri practically ran out of the palace yelling at me to hurry up. I swear the woman was dragging me along by the time we were halfway back to her and Vihari's house because I wouldn't go faster.
We rushed inside to find Vihari lying on the bed in the dim room asleep. He was snoring loudly and clutching a pillow tightly. Mayuri woke him up and began talking soothingly with him. When the boy saw me he smiled. "Doggy!" he shouted running over to me.
I was sitting on a chair near the door looking calm and pleased. "The name's Rhys, Vihari," I said.
"Rhys?" asked the siblings as if my name was strange.
"Yep. It's a Welsh name. Not that you guys would know where Wales is actually," I answered.
"Right…" mumbled Mayuri.
She was acting weird so I inquired, "Anything wrong?"
"No! Its nothing really!" muttered Mayuri hurriedly. She had a faint pinkish twinge to her tan cheeks and was evading my gaze. What was wrong with her?
"Okay then. I really should be seeing my family. You two can come with if you want though. It isn't exactly safe here…" I continued.
Mayuri nodded and said, "We'd love to meet your family! Right, Vihari?"
Vihari grinned and mumbled something in the native language of Filar to Mayuri. His sister turned bright red and quickly denied whatever her little sibling had said in the same tongue.
I smiled. I was going home…
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Back in Ingary, I would be lying if I said everything was going smoothly. Wyn was fretting, my dad and mom were either arguing (no surprise) or running about half the time, and Morgan was negotiating with Damodar. No one knew Damodar no longer had me and if they had known, believe me, he would have gotten his butt kicked by two angry wizards and two peeved witches faster than you can say 'chicia chornia' or 'kick butt' in Welsh. (A/N: ^_- Hehe. I just had to use Rhys's teenage charm… Oh and I hope I translated that correctly!)
"Urgh! I can't take this!" shrieked Wyn togging at her red gold tresses.
Aidan sighed. Nesta and Nate were fighting about something nearby; there insults weren't improving their father's anxious/frustrated mood. He glowered and snapped, "This isn't the time you two."
Nesta looked up and, brushing her ginger hair over her shoulder asked, "Any luck on finding Uncle Rhys, dad?"
"I'm afraid not," replied Aidan glumly. He turned back to the fireplace where his wife and Calcifer where discussing Damodar fiercely. Wyn flopped down on the armchair after awhile and whispered, "I just get the feeling Rhys's isn't with that jerk anymore."
"And why is that?" inquired my mom. On her lap rested Morgan and Mac's youngest and third child, Evan. He was only one and a half years old with coffee colored hair and green eyes. His thumb was wedged in his mouth at the moment, smiling at his grandmother and completely oblivious to what was going on.
Wyn sighed and replied, "I just can feel it."
It was my mother's turn to sigh. She ran her fingers through her red gold hair, which was gradually turning white with age. My dad, who was sitting beside her at the workbench, refused to even glimpse what color his hair was becoming. His hair was still covering in blonde hair spells.
"You always had a great instinct, Bronwyn," I remarked appearing in the main room, Mayuri and Vihari at my side.
The next few minutes were a blur. Wyn, my mom, and the twins practically ran me over, I introduced the Clavis siblings, and Morgan promptly threatened to ring Damodar 's neck.
Where was that jerk anyway?
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A/N: Sorry this took so long but I was working on another story at first, then I was somewhere where there was no computer, and I also was being a lazy bum!
A/N 2: If anyone's interested I might post the original story I've been working on. It's called "A Break in the Worlds" and is about a girl who finds herself in another world. In Hafit (the world she ends up in) she meets angels, a huge talking dog, and a strange bunch of other people. One particular angel named Amarend is an outcast among his own family and becomes the slave of a man named Lord Whinton. Because of this, he's given the nickname "the Fallen Angel." Angie (the main character) befriends Amarend and a talking dog and pet of Lord Whinton named Libanon and attempts to free Amarend from slavery. If you want me to post it on fictionpress.net I might consider it…
A/N 3: Anyway, don't forget to review!
Libanon: Or the girlie author's gonna git mad!
Me: *whispering* Yes, that's the dog in my new story… 'Lib': Hey!Me: Sit, boy! *laughing*
A/N 4: Before 'Lib' gets too mad at me I'll say 'bye!' Bye! ^_-
Libanon: Don't call me 'Lib!'
Me: O:)