The sun tried valiantly to break through the clouds that were shielding it
from the earth, but to little or no avail. The final effect being that it
wasn't entirely gloomy for which Cassie and Ashley were very thankful. Far
off in a distant field, they could make out two figured talking together.
These people were who they were headed for. Little Aiden skipping ahead of
them looking quite carefree.
It didn't take nearly as long as they expected to reach the field, and when they got their first close look at their instructors, their mouths fell open. This was going to be a most satisfactory situation. One was tall and slightly tanned with dark brown hair. Cassie couldn't help noticing that he had enormous hands. She bit her lip to keep from smiling. The other was tall too, but he was slightly leaner than the other. And far more fair with very blonde hair and perfect, unblemished skin. Next to the other man, he looked exceptionally well groomed and very young. But a look in his eyes told them that he had seen far more than the other. Cassie smiled uncertainly at the two men. The dark haired one returned the friendly gesture. The other was staring into the horizon, a look of deep concentration on his face.
"This is my colleague. His name is Leal Gannon Ailill. He doesn't talk much, but he's a very skilled fighter, and a very good friend of mine." That seemed to be the end of introduction, and he fell silent. Cassie, however, was intrigued by this mysterious, rather scruffy stranger.
"And you sir? Who are you." The darker man looked at her for a moment.
"Saber," he answered after a pause.
"And do I have to call you Leal Gannon Ailill?" Ashley asked of the blonde man, who had come back to Earth. "It's a bit of a mouthful." And so it was for a girl who was accustomed to names like Tom, ZACH, and Dan. He looked at her quickly.
"You can call me Kyler," he asnswered at last. 'Why so many weird names!?' She thought furiously. 'And Saber! Where does he get off calling himself that!" Cassie on the other hand didn't seem to be too bothered. Ashley grinned. It was painfully obvious, to her at least, that her friend was completely smitten with that particular trainer guy. And she did have to admit,(as she grinned guiltily) that he was not without his charms. The other one was very good too, although he was a bit.....yeah. He and Abbe would probably get along quite well.
"I have news for all of you!" Mrs. Conrad called to her students. "The St. Patricks Day parade is back on!" She beamed around at all of 'her children". Noticing as they tried and failed to look delighted. This sparked her anger a bit, but she didn't show it. After all, it wouldn't matter much one way or the other. It was she, after all who possessed the whistle AND the baton. She refused to make note of the fact that the band would sound like death without the percussion. However, she simply couldn't risk them getting out of control. She would have Tank watch over them while she led the band in the festivities. Having said her bit, she left her class to return to her homeland. It was getting late after all, and she didn't want any of her band to see her as Darnoc. As the door closed behind her, she could clearly hear the beginnings of complaints. She ground her teeth, trying to get a rein on her irritation. Just as she was entering the parking lot, an car screeched to halt in front of her. As she recovered from the shock of nearly being hit, two very angry people got out and slammed their doors. One was an elderly man with a kindly face. The other was a pretty, younger woman who looked ready to kill.
Koil sat up on his pallet eagerly. Luke had just come in to tell him the news. Conrad was gone for the moment! Their only obstacle was Knat. But he was such a sniveling moron, he would be easy to get past. All Luke needed now was a properly formed plan. Just as soon as Knat was not a threat, he would call a meeting.
It was almost too easy. Knat was just standing there, watching the sun set. Paying no attention to anything else. The ground was littered with loose stones from their building. Tank didn't know what hit him, as he slumped to the ground, now in his happy place. Luke dropped the rock, and began to hum their street beat into the night. That was the signal that all could progress. He knew he had to hurry though. Darnoc was due just after dusk.
"What do you mean they're gone?!" Darnoc screeched.
"I don't know!" Miss N screamed yanking at her hair. "I mean, their bodies are there. Sort of. They're kinda transparent, and I can't touch them. My hand goes right through. I can definitely see them. But they're just lying there! They won't move or speak! I want my money back!"
"Is it the same with you Annod?" Darnoc asked worried. Annod nodded grimly.
"I do hope they're alright though," he said. "Lovely children. Remind me of my dear daughter..." Julia N rolled her eyes.
"Listen, I did not pay you guys for two half visible children who won't do shit! Do you understand me Darnoc?'
"Silence!" Darnoc yelled whipping out her baton. Immdediately, both of those who had been complaining were unable to move or speak. "I will not be spoken to like that!" She unfroze Annod. "Is Ping-Pong having similar problems?"
"No," Annod replied. "Both his girls are being brainwashed quite nicely." Darnoc nodded.
"Good." Then a thought crossed her mind. A bad thought. Just today, she had felt a part of her soul rip free from her body. Now four of the six slaves were ghostly comatosed beings. It was starting.................................................................... ..........................................................
"But Conrad musn't know we've stolen back our drumsticks until the right moment!" Luke declared in near despair. "And we have no idea when that will be, and even if we did, we'll have trouble getting past both Darnoc and Tank......" He trailed off. To his surprise, somebody actually had some useful information.
"I heard tell that the parade is going to be held," piped Marco LeighMon. He was a very short boy with brown hair. "We'll be left alone with Knat again. We can get rid of him, get our drumsticks, crash the parade, and start the war!"
"Brilliant Marco!" Luke said reaching over Koil to pat his shoulder. Koil winced as Luke's sun warmed skin brushed his blistering arm.
It didn't take nearly as long as they expected to reach the field, and when they got their first close look at their instructors, their mouths fell open. This was going to be a most satisfactory situation. One was tall and slightly tanned with dark brown hair. Cassie couldn't help noticing that he had enormous hands. She bit her lip to keep from smiling. The other was tall too, but he was slightly leaner than the other. And far more fair with very blonde hair and perfect, unblemished skin. Next to the other man, he looked exceptionally well groomed and very young. But a look in his eyes told them that he had seen far more than the other. Cassie smiled uncertainly at the two men. The dark haired one returned the friendly gesture. The other was staring into the horizon, a look of deep concentration on his face.
"This is my colleague. His name is Leal Gannon Ailill. He doesn't talk much, but he's a very skilled fighter, and a very good friend of mine." That seemed to be the end of introduction, and he fell silent. Cassie, however, was intrigued by this mysterious, rather scruffy stranger.
"And you sir? Who are you." The darker man looked at her for a moment.
"Saber," he answered after a pause.
"And do I have to call you Leal Gannon Ailill?" Ashley asked of the blonde man, who had come back to Earth. "It's a bit of a mouthful." And so it was for a girl who was accustomed to names like Tom, ZACH, and Dan. He looked at her quickly.
"You can call me Kyler," he asnswered at last. 'Why so many weird names!?' She thought furiously. 'And Saber! Where does he get off calling himself that!" Cassie on the other hand didn't seem to be too bothered. Ashley grinned. It was painfully obvious, to her at least, that her friend was completely smitten with that particular trainer guy. And she did have to admit,(as she grinned guiltily) that he was not without his charms. The other one was very good too, although he was a bit.....yeah. He and Abbe would probably get along quite well.
"I have news for all of you!" Mrs. Conrad called to her students. "The St. Patricks Day parade is back on!" She beamed around at all of 'her children". Noticing as they tried and failed to look delighted. This sparked her anger a bit, but she didn't show it. After all, it wouldn't matter much one way or the other. It was she, after all who possessed the whistle AND the baton. She refused to make note of the fact that the band would sound like death without the percussion. However, she simply couldn't risk them getting out of control. She would have Tank watch over them while she led the band in the festivities. Having said her bit, she left her class to return to her homeland. It was getting late after all, and she didn't want any of her band to see her as Darnoc. As the door closed behind her, she could clearly hear the beginnings of complaints. She ground her teeth, trying to get a rein on her irritation. Just as she was entering the parking lot, an car screeched to halt in front of her. As she recovered from the shock of nearly being hit, two very angry people got out and slammed their doors. One was an elderly man with a kindly face. The other was a pretty, younger woman who looked ready to kill.
Koil sat up on his pallet eagerly. Luke had just come in to tell him the news. Conrad was gone for the moment! Their only obstacle was Knat. But he was such a sniveling moron, he would be easy to get past. All Luke needed now was a properly formed plan. Just as soon as Knat was not a threat, he would call a meeting.
It was almost too easy. Knat was just standing there, watching the sun set. Paying no attention to anything else. The ground was littered with loose stones from their building. Tank didn't know what hit him, as he slumped to the ground, now in his happy place. Luke dropped the rock, and began to hum their street beat into the night. That was the signal that all could progress. He knew he had to hurry though. Darnoc was due just after dusk.
"What do you mean they're gone?!" Darnoc screeched.
"I don't know!" Miss N screamed yanking at her hair. "I mean, their bodies are there. Sort of. They're kinda transparent, and I can't touch them. My hand goes right through. I can definitely see them. But they're just lying there! They won't move or speak! I want my money back!"
"Is it the same with you Annod?" Darnoc asked worried. Annod nodded grimly.
"I do hope they're alright though," he said. "Lovely children. Remind me of my dear daughter..." Julia N rolled her eyes.
"Listen, I did not pay you guys for two half visible children who won't do shit! Do you understand me Darnoc?'
"Silence!" Darnoc yelled whipping out her baton. Immdediately, both of those who had been complaining were unable to move or speak. "I will not be spoken to like that!" She unfroze Annod. "Is Ping-Pong having similar problems?"
"No," Annod replied. "Both his girls are being brainwashed quite nicely." Darnoc nodded.
"Good." Then a thought crossed her mind. A bad thought. Just today, she had felt a part of her soul rip free from her body. Now four of the six slaves were ghostly comatosed beings. It was starting.................................................................... ..........................................................
"But Conrad musn't know we've stolen back our drumsticks until the right moment!" Luke declared in near despair. "And we have no idea when that will be, and even if we did, we'll have trouble getting past both Darnoc and Tank......" He trailed off. To his surprise, somebody actually had some useful information.
"I heard tell that the parade is going to be held," piped Marco LeighMon. He was a very short boy with brown hair. "We'll be left alone with Knat again. We can get rid of him, get our drumsticks, crash the parade, and start the war!"
"Brilliant Marco!" Luke said reaching over Koil to pat his shoulder. Koil winced as Luke's sun warmed skin brushed his blistering arm.