A Suikoden III Short. Usual disclaimers apply.
Main Characters: Hugo, Lucia, Luce, Aila, and Fubar
Pairings Warning: None
Chapters Read: Set before the events of Suikoden III, but probably a good idea to play through Hugo 1 and Geddoe 1 just to know the characters.
Explanation: Again, inspired by one of Kidd's profiles: specifically, the first inquiry. Also an excuse to play with a chibi-Hugo, Aila and Fubar.
~ * Speed Griffon * ~
"No!"
Lucia scowled. She simply couldn't understand it. She was a feared warrior, chief of the Karaya Clan, respected and beloved. Everyone in the village followed her orders without question – all save one.
"Young man, do as I say…"
"No! I don't wanna!"
Why? Why couldn't she get this one person to do as she wished without a struggle?
"Listen to your…"
"Don't hafta, don't wanna! Nyaaah!"
The stubborn brat pulled on one eyelid and stuck out his tongue. Lucia's left eye twitched.
Apparently, her blood ran too thick through this one's veins.
"Hugo, you are going to take your nap if I have to tie you to your bed with my whip again," she threatened, unfolding her arms and reaching for her weapon even as she spoke.
"No! No, no, no, no, NO!"
Hugo turned and scampered off as fast as his four-year-old legs would take him. Lucia's eye twitched again, twice.
"Hugo, come back here--!" she roared, taking off after him.
Yes, her bloodline was very strong in this little one. Lucia could think of no other explanation for how the stubborn brat was able to evade her. Said blood currently burned in her own veins as she thought of how ridiculous she must look, chasing her only son around the village as she was currently doing.
(Imagine, the Karayan Chief running around like an amateur hunter. The Zexen ironheads would surely laugh if they could see me now.)
Certainly her own tribemates were enjoying a good chuckle at her expense right now. The ripples of laughter coursing through the scattered onlookers only increased when she made a diving leap for Hugo, failed (when had the boy gotten so FAST?!), and ended up skidding several inches face first in the muddy path that wound through the center of the village.
Grunting, Lucia pushed herself up and glared at all in the immediate vicinity. Only one of those who fell under her blazing gaze did not instantly recoil and retreat. Instead, the large woman merely laughed all the louder. Lucia narrowed her eyes: had it been anyone other than Luce, she would have been both surprised and enraged. As it was, she merely accepted her friend's offered hand with a grumbled curse and a terse "Thanks…"
"Lucia, Lucia," Luce clucked her tongue and shook her head in mock disapproval, dark eyes gleaming mischievously. "Still can't get the sprat to sleep, hmm?"
"You would think after four years of this I'd have gotten better at this mothering thing," the Karayan Chief replied curtly.
"Patience, child, patience," soothed Luce. "That one's got your fire burning inside, that's for sure! I expect he'll always be a tough one to rein in."
"There's a comforting thought," deadpanned Lucia.
There was a certain gleam in her violet eyes, however, that belied her own fierce pride in her only son. Luce smiled knowingly and looked down at the small bundle she coddled protectively against her chest. A patch of fiery crimson locks crowned the babe's small head, and she idly wondered what this one would put her through, as he grew into a fine young man…
Meanwhile, sensing his mother was not hot on his trail for now, little Hugo had come to a halt behind a huge boulder at the edge of the village. The boy crouched on the ground, huffing and wheezing. His dark-tipped bangs fell into his sweaty face, refusing to stay put when he shoved them away.
He hated to admit it, but his mom was fast! This was a very bad thing, seeing as how she was so much bigger and stronger than Hugo was. If she also became faster than him, she could make him do whatever she wanted – like, for example, taking a nap when he wasn't sleepy at all!
Nope, not the least bit sleepy. His eyes were just droopy. So was his head…
The little boy's chin dropped down to rest lightly against his chest, his ragged breathing easing into a slower pattern. Just as his turquoise eyes were about to completely shut, however…
"Surrounded by ironheads!"
Hugo's eyes shot open and his small body tensed just as another, slightly larger body slammed into him at full speed. Pouncer and pouncee went rolling end over end until finally coming to a halt, leaving the young chief's son flat on his back and staring up at his grinning attacker. Their hands pushed down on his shoulders, their chest pressed against his chest, their long, curly hair tickled his face.
"Pinned ya," laughed Aila gaily, a lopsided grin on her face.
The satisfied five-year-old then got up and strutted away, head held high pridefully. Behind her, Hugo sat up and glared.
"S'not fair," he griped, folding his arms and pouting.
"Aw, you're just saying that 'cause I won," Aila pointed out, turning back to her playmate and smiling widely.
"Nuh-uh! Just 'cause you're bigger than me doesn't mean you're better!" Hugo sprang to his feet and insisted.
"Shh! I thought you didn't wanna get caught by your mommy!"
Hugo responded to Aila's mocking warning with an exaggerated pout. The older girl giggled merrily, ignoring his angry face. Soon, seeing his pouting was having no effect, the chief's son thought of something else he could do instead. He turned and hurried off, Aila right on his heels the second she realized something was up.
"Hey, Hugo! Where are you off to?"
"I wanna go see Fubar again!"
The two Karayan youngsters hurried to the makeshift nest at the edge of the village. Upon reaching it, the friends stared in awe at the majestic creature curled up inside, and Hugo reached out to stroke the downy feathers crowning its head.
Aila winced involuntarily at the sight of her playmate's hand so dangerously near the animal's sharp beak. Even though she knew Fubar was a gentle young griffon, and seemed to share an especially close bond with young Hugo… He was still a lot bigger than even the both of them combined.
Aila wasn't really sure why that was. The griffon was actually younger than her, roughly the same age as Hugo: he had been born during the same season as the chief's son. Fubar was the only griffon in the village, so she didn't have any adults to base her concept of what size one his age should be… But she was certain he was bigger than any of the other children in Karaya Village.
The fact that he was so much bigger didn't seem to faze Hugo any, however. The boy continued to stroke the fluffy white feathers covering Fubar's neck, while the young griffon screeched and craned lazily. Hugo smiled happily, then suddenly paused in his ministrations, a thoughtful glint in his turquoise eyes.
…Uh-oh. Aila had seen that sort of gleam in Hugo's eyes before, and it never meant anything good.
"What are you thinking, Hugo?" she asked, giving her friend a wary look.
"How fast do you think Fubar is?"
"Um… I dunno. Pretty fast, I guess."
"Hmm…"
Hugo smiled slowly. Aila definitely didn't like that smile: it usually signaled trouble even more often than that glint in his eyes did. She opened her mouth to say something again, then choked, eyes bulging as the boy latched onto the griffon's side and began to pull himself up.
"What are you doing?!" she demanded incredulously, taking a fearful step back.
"Lookit, Fubar's kinda built like one of our horses, right?" Hugo said, swinging one leg over the griffon's back and scrambling to pull himself into a seated position.
"Wha?" Aila shook her head. "You'd better not be thinking what I think you're thinking…"
Hugo ignored her. The chief's son managed to right himself and looked around, mightily pleased with himself. Fubar cooed curiously and stood up, causing the boy to gasp and grab onto those downy neck feathers to keep from toppling right off. The griffon's wings flexed slightly, but Hugo didn't feel the body beneath him grow tense in any way. Stroking Fubar's neck, he looked at Aila and smirked.
"See? It's just like one of our horses," he declared proudly. "Nothing to it!"
"Oh, sure. Just like a horse, if you don't mind the fur and paws and wings and feathers and beak…"
"You're just jealous 'cause he likes me more than you," smugly replied Hugo, crossing his arms.
"Am not!"
"Am too!"
"Am not!"
"Am too, am too, am TOO!"
"Am not, am not, am NOT!"
Aila stamped her foot hard to punctuate her last protest. Unfortunately, she failed to notice that her foot was a little too close to Fubar's docilely swaying tail…
"KUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEE!!"
The griffon took off like a shot, blowing Aila off her feet as the tail she had just treaded on was yanked out from underneath her. Hugo cried out and latched onto Fubar's neck with both little arms, turquoise eyes huge with shock.
Meanwhile, back in the main part of the village, Lucia stomped her foot in disgust.
"Where is that no-good son of mine?!" she shouted irritably.
"KUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEE!!"
The Karayan Chief blinked at the shrill screeching sound. Something huge and tan and loud went rushing past her at full speed, and her clothes billowed in the current of disrupted wind. Then there was a tremendous crash, and Lucia turned and sprinted in the direction of the clamor.
She blinked again at the sight she found: a neat griffon-shaped hole had been made in the side of her hut. Peering inside, Lucia stared briefly at her little son lying upside-down against the back of a griffon. All of their legs were pointed up in midair, and both griffon and boy were spiral-eyed.
Lucia's eye twitched once again. Then a rueful smile pursed her lips.
"Now will you take your nap?" she asked sarcastically.
"…No," was the woozy reply.
