A true adventure

by TheSilverTopHat

When Tayali's older sister and her monster are attacked and the farm's main sorce of income destroyed, Tayali goes out in search of her own monster, and discovers some new friends, a new quest, and an ability she herself is afraid of. Warning: Long first

Based on the game monster rancher by Tecmo and Nintendo.

Chapter 1: The light is dark

Tayali watched the fly buzz around the small bowel of sugar she had placed on the ground. She wondered briefly why the fly did not heed the smashed remains of its fellow flies littering the mound of dirt the bowel rested on.

It landed on the white suger its proboscis mouth licking at the sweet grain.

Tayali raised the blowdart to her mouth and blew sharply. A metal ball shot out at the fly and hit the side of the bowel tipping it over and spilling it's contents.

"Filthy insect!" Tayali shouted at the insect as it zipped off and she shot another ball at it even though she had no hope of hitting it now.

She crawled out from behind the weeds she had been hiding in and scooped as much sugar as she could back into the bowel.

She picked up the small metal ball that had tipped over the bowel and put it into her pocket and began to crawl through the grass to find the other one.

She crawled along combing the grass for the glint of the metal but could see nothing.

She stopped in her crawling when she found two large brown boots standing in her path. She looked a little higher and saw that there were legs in the boots. And a few more feet up she saw the owner of the legs.

Her sister Tayala had long shiney blond hair that was pulled into a pony tail. She was dressed in white pants and blouse with a brown vest draped over it. Attached to the hem of the vest were the four gold rings that marked her as a high ranking beast tamer.

Tayali had always enveyed her sister of her moon light complexion and shiney hair. Her hair was always mussed up and she was darkly tanned with bright green eyes watching from behind her bangs (which were always too long).

"Is this what your looking for?" She said dropping the small metal ball.

Tiyali grabbed for the ball but it fell to the ground anyway so she picked it up and put it into her pocket with the other one.

"I thought I would find you here little sister. The fire is hungry and will not cook the stew unless it's keeper feeds it. And I ask little sister, who is the fires keeper?"

Tayali looked down infuriated at her sister's question. She knew very well her sister knew the answer.

"I am," She said to her sisters boots.

"Well then you better go feed it before it goes out and we need to light it again. People and beasts should not have to go hungry because you were lazy."

Tayala turned around and walked off toward the main house leaving Tayali alone in the grass.

Tayali picked up the bowel of sugar and leapt up and ran to the house to try and beat her sister there.

The farm in which her family and their servants lived was a very beatiful place at this time of year with the white flowers starting to bloom on the trees. Those flowers would become ripe oranges and apples that would provide even more seeds for the next year.

The largest oak tree spread out like an umbrella over the barn in which dried meat and other foods were stored along with some of the animals when it rained. The house was a dome with a red roof and white stone circular walls. The dome was lifted off the ground by stilts as protection against the sudden floods that this area was known for.

"Also," She said quietly to herself, "To keep wild monsters from climbing in open windows, even though mom never says that."

She reached the steps that lead up to thr front door and gathering a few small logs of wood she climbed the stairs carefully as not to drop the heavy load.

When she got to the door she reached out her foot and tapped at the door with it.

The door was opened by a grey three clawed hand and a pointed beady eyed face looked out from inside making a high pitched noise of greeting in it's throat.

"Good morning Shaide," She said as she squeezed through the door pushing the Zan back into the house.

The Zan was a creature that stood on two legs aslo with three claws like it's hands, one claw pointing out from the back of it's heel. It's legs and arms were jointed to a three sectioned body like an insect through it moved more like a bird then an insect and it did not give Tayali the primordial terror which she got whenever she looked at an insect. From the back of it's shoulders came another pair of legs that were pointed behind it instead of in front, at the end of which were curved blades that it polished regularly with it's barbed tounge.

Shaide was not her monster (though everyday she wished she had one like him) and she could not feel the presense of his mind as her sister could, and this was the reason he belonged to Tayala.

She dropped her load of firewood beside the brick hearth and picking up one and examining it's size she tossed it into the fire and jumped back to avoid the sparks that leapt up and dissapeared.

She looked at the stew in the pot above the fire. Yes it was still boiling. She was thankful that she had run here. A few more minutes and it might had stopped which meant more work until she would be alowed her own monster.

To go to one of the old shrines where ancient stone tablets lay half baried in the sand and earth. To have permission to find one and by repeating the word enscribed on it, and to release the monster that lay improsoned in the stone. The privilage to tame the monster and to fight beside it in the arena. And maybe, just maybe, the honor of winning the championship. The ultimate simble of the masters and monsters bond.

She suddenly realised she had been emersed in her own thoughts for she just realized that Shaide was staring into her face with a half worried half curiouse look.

Tayali reached out and stroked the scaley head of the creature and smiled at the chirp/pirr that he answered her with.

Dinner had been eaten and Tayali and Tayala were cleaning the dishes in the sink. Tayala having to keep pulling the small chain that sent more water down into the basin because she was tall enough.

She reached up and suddenly her body jerked and she pulled the chain so hard it broke off. The water gave one strong burst and then stopped.

"What are you doing Tayala?Are you okay?" Tayali looked up into her sisters face and saw the look of horror on her sisters face.

"Shaide...he's in trouble.." Her face was pure white and sweat dribbled off of it.

By now the family had gathered around, called by the loud snap of the chain. They all heard Tayala's words and suddenly everyone dashed from the kitched into the living room, all looked at the rug in front of the house where he usually slept, and then everyone was out the door.

Tayala burst out first and missed the confusion at the door with everyone trying to get out. By now mother, father, the cook, and three servants were folowing her but Tayali bent down and squirmed through the forest of legs and out onto the porch.

She got up and stumbled, the stairs coming toward her.

She remembered when she had been only a tiny girl and her sister younger, but still the unconquerable girl she was now, somersaulting down the stairs as a game.

Tayali pulled her legs up to her chest and soon she too was rolling down the stairs.

She guessed that about now was the end of the stairs and it was time to stand up and stop her forward momentum as her sister always did when doing this. She stood up but realized too late she was only about halfway down the stairs.

She then went tumbling down them, no longer sheltered by her tight curl. She landed at the bottom on a large poof of dust and she lay there for a few moments collecting her senses before she got up and not bothering to dust herself off ran after her sister.

They found Shaide behind the barn, his blade tipped arms bent forward againts the equally deadly claws of a Zuu.

Zuu were vishouse dinosoars, that walked on two legs, their two small forclaws were daily honed for tearing and gripping. It had three spikes at the back of it's head like a frill that at the moment was a brighter green then the rest of it's body at it's high emotions.

Both it and Shaide were locked together, Shaide's two sets of upper arms locked in holding off the Zuu's forclaws and rightleg. The zuu did not mind it's right leg being held, for it's whip like tail provided all the balance it needed. It was said to be almost impossible to tip a Zuu off it's balance.

The stailmate might have gone on forever if Tayala hadn't reached into a pocket of her pants and pulled out a small, yellow, glowing, jewel about the size of her finger nail.

"SPEED!" She shouted and clasped her hand around it. It flared for a moment and it's light shown through her fingers for a moment and then died down and became dim.

But the magical stone had done it's job. Bolts of lightning lashed up and down Shaide's legs and suddenly he ducked down and flipped the Zuu onto it's back.

The Zuu slowly got up and opened it's golden eyes. It roared at Shaide and leapt at him but Shaide, moving with the speed of lightning, dashed around him in circles, cackling in high pitched laughter.

The Zuu tried to follow Shaide's movements but Shadie was too fast.

Suddenly Shaide stopped in front of the green dinosaur and leapting into the air and somersaulted at the Zuu, his bladed arms tearing into it's chest.

The Zuu stumbled back and Tayali saw that the slashes on it's chest were not extreamly deep but from what little she knew about medicine those cuts would leave long scars on it's chest forever.

This seamed to cross the Zuu's mind too for it looked down at the wounds with disgust. He looked up at Shaide who was again laughing his high pitched laughter.

Tayala was also laughing Shaide's emotions overlapping into her's. Their connection was strong enough to allow one to feel the others emotions.

The Zuu screamed and charged at Shaide who barely dodged the beast. Stone magic was not known for long lasting, and it took a long time for the stones to gather more energy.

Both Shadie and the Zuu saw this and the Zuu charged again this time it's claws scratching Shaid's side.

This must be an especially strong zuu though Tayali as she watched it come again for another strike. It's chest wounds don't seem to be doing anything.

Suddenly Shaide kicked out at it and the zuu was sent off of the ground and landed a few feet away from the two girls. It looked at them for only a moment but then looked again at it's oponant. Tatali saw then that the wounds were glowing a translucent white like milk. It was definatly the work of a magic stone.

"I see it too sister," Said Tayala though her eyes still appeared to be on the battle."The question is, who has cast the stone."

Tayali looked around and saw high in the largest Oak tree a man. A thin scrawney one by the look of it. The upper half of his body was hidden in the shadows of the leaves but there was a white glow in his hands. Definatly health magic. And a powerful one by the looks of it. It's glow was still strong even though the man must have been using it for a long time.

Tayali looked up at the man in fear and desperation.

What could she do? Her sister was busy with the battle. If she lost concentration Shaide would lose his also and then the battle would be lost. But her parents and the servants had still not arrived.

Scared and fightened she curled into a ball and uncurled as a sharp pain stabbed at her elbo. Something in her pocket had poked her.

Suddenly memory flooding back to her and washing away all the panick she reached into her left pants pocket and found her blowgun.

She reached into her other pocket.

YES! There were the two metal balls. She jammed one into the blowgun and holding it to her mouth she blew at the man in the tree. At first it looked like she had missed. The man did not even look up. Then he gave a yelp and he fell out of the tree.

The mans yelp was echoed by the Zuu's cry as it's concentration wavered and Shaide slashed at it's already bloody chest.

The man got up but she could still not see his face or what rank his gold rings told him to be, although it was obviouse he must be an apprentice monster tamer at least.

"Finish it!!" Said the man in a voice that did not sound terrifying or scary in the least. In fact it sounded whiney.

The Zuu's eyes glimmered and a red light shown from the mans hand elluminating the mans face for one instant but too short of an instant to memorise the features. But she knew if she could just see the face again she would know it. But the magic of a power stone never fails. Flames licked up the body of the Zuu and it's golden eyes shifted to blood red.

It's teeth were unsheathed from it's lips and they clenched around the throat of Shaide and it shook it's head. It looked almost like Shaide's neck would be torn off it's body but before that could happen Tayali had loaded her second metal bullet and blew.

The shot could not have been better. It found it's mark in the open chest wound of the Zuu which was no longer protected by healing magic. The Zuu let out a scream and it's pupils shrank in crazed pain. It dropped it's current victim and Shaide fell lifelessly to the ground, the grass around him slowly turned from healthy green to deep red.

The Zuu charged toward Tayali but before it's claws could dig into her flesh it looked up. It had received a thought from its master.

It's legs coiled it to leap at her but again it stopped it's head bowing down.

It's master was trying to get it out of there and it was resisting the pain in it's chest and anger in it's heart. It wanted to be satsfied with equal pain from the one who caused it.

But then she heard the shouts of the adults. She could see them, the higher servants who had beasts had brought them and her father was shouting along side his beast Revelan.

"Get out of there you stinking beast!" Shouted the whiney voice again.

The Zuu turned around, it's golden eyes glaring at Tayali all the time. It would have at least some apeasment to it's bloodthirsty desiers.

It's tail whipped around and slammed into Tayali's chest sending her down to the ground.

Then it was gone. It leapt toward it's master who leapt onto it's back and they were gone.

Her rage and hate for that beast was so great it was a wile before she heard her fathers shouts to the servants to call the doctor. Her mother crying behind her. As she turned her head she saw a few servant lifting Shaide onto a stretcher to take back into the house. Then she saw what her mom was crying about.

That night Tayali realized that the bond between a master and monster was not always a good thing. Her sister lay on the ground feeling in her mind, every claw and bite into Shaids body. Curled up on the ground. Still as death.

Chapter 2: The light is sought out

Age was a small island a few miles away from the mainland but still only about half the population was native to the small speck of dirt on the ocean.

The islands economy was supported by the arena and the battles that took place there between monsters.The mainlanders would often come bringing their own monsters with them for the famous battles that took place.

Tayali had heard of the amazing battles that took place on the mainland of Agima but people said that the battles here were some of the most competative.Only the best were allowed into the stadium of Age and battles were fierce and challenging.

Shaide and Tayala had been champions before the accident. They were the farms main source of money and their reputation was one that almost no one could beat.

When the medics arrived Tayala and Shaide had boarded a cart pulled by two white horses and were driven off into the small town of Silveran.

All through the week the family waited with baited breath for the message that would tell them weather the two would recover or die.

Most of the family was out the day the call came. Tayali was laying on the cushy couch reading a book on the history of the island for school.

The living room was round like the house itself. The redish brown rug in front of the hearth glowed merily in the light of the flames.

Beside the window through witch a cool breeze blew stood a suit of armor, white with sword and shield still in the knight's hands.

From the window came a strangled squack and through the round opening came the oddest bird one had ever seen.

It had an oval shaped body with a ruff of feathers around it's skinny neck. It's wings looked far to flimsy to support such a heavy bird, and it's feet like a ducks tried to hold onto the window sill but lost their hold and they fell into the room. When it landed it's body flew apart, it's head and ruff flying over next to Tayali on the couch, it's midsection hitting the night and knocking it over, and the legs sprawling on the carpet.

The head looked up at Tayali and she saw it had a letter in it's beak. It placed this next to her and squaked at it's feet which hopped up and waddled over to the heap of metal in which the midsection lay.

Amazingly the armor stood up the gaps in it's armour showing the wall behind it and placed the midsection on the legs. The legs then hopped over to the head which riggled itself on. The bird then bowed, it's head and body slipping a bit on it's legs and then it hopped to the window and then giving a couragous quack leapt out the window.

The knight then walked over to Tayali and pointed with it's sword to the letter. She was not scared by the armour at all for it was mearly her fathers monster. A rare breed called Durahan. The rusted armour was very old and it's battling days were over but it still stood by his masters side and would watch over his children if he was ever away.

Tayali picked up the letter and after struggling with it for a minute and having the knight slice it open neatly with it's sword she read it to herslef.

"It's about Tayala! She's coming home today!" In pure joy she leapt up and hugged the knight which was making rusty squeeky noises to show it's elation.

It picked her up swifly, it's sword sliding into it's sheath and the shield attatching to it's back and soon they were out the door running toward the fields where her parents were working. When they heard the news they dropped their work and emidiatly went to the house to clean it up for their daughters return home.

The servants imidiatly began to cook like they had never done before and their monsters were chirruping and singing and barking in the happiness they received from their owners. The quiet house was suddenly filled with chatter amd everyone had a smile on their face.

Suddenly the noise seased as a knock at the door announced their daughters arrival.

They opened the door and began a cheer, but when they shouted the cheer was only half hearted.

Tayala and Shaide walked in, both looking weary and tired but happy to be home.

They saw that Shaide's leg was in a splint and his neck was rapped tightly as if it was the only thing keeping it on. Her sister was undented and not a drop of blood was on her but every throb of pain that Shaide felt she felt also, and even through her leg was hole, she still limped on it as if it could not support her weight.

The same thought went through all their minds before the doctor told father a few minutes later. Niether would ever be champions again.

It had been three days since Tayala returned home.

Tayali was sitting on the roof of the house looking out at the clouds on the horizon.

She ignored her parents saying that even though Tayala couldn't fight anymore it was nothing to them. They would get along fine even if she couldn't fight.

None of it was true and they knew it.

Their's was a monster farm, their harvest that they sold to the town was only to earn a little extra money. All their real funds came from the arena and the awards given to the winners of tournaments. Even the gambling gave profit to them. And everyday their money bags grew lighter and lighter. It was Spring and the harvest would not be ready until Autumn. Even then it would not provide enough money for the next year.

She had seen her father training his Durahaun like she had seen them do when they were young, but even though they were amzing fighters in their youth they were now too old.

Revelen's joints squeaked and dust billowed from his hollow chest as he went through his drills. There was no chance he could fight in battle.

The servants too were training their monsters and even through they were still young enough to fight they had been brough up and raised as servants monsters. Trained in household chores and tending to crops, or just being pets.

She slid off the roof and went down the steps and stepped up to the road that passed their farm. Beside her like a mailbox was a cube on a pole in which sat small rockets. The took one out, pulled the cap on the bottom off and threw it into the air. Wings came out of it's side and like a bird it zipped off North and dissapeared in an instant.

She waited for a few minutes intil a loud clattering was heard. Coming up the road was a cart that rattled and jumped on the stones that littered the road.

The man driving the cart was long and lanky and was wooping and hollering to the Zuu that pulled the cart.

Seing the dinosour brought back the owful memory of Shaide being jerked around by his neck, but this was a different Zuu. It's scales were a golden brown and it's eyes were green and it's expression goofy and wildy like it's masters.

They began to slow down and by the time they were next to Tayali they had reached a stop.

The Zuu's tounge hung out of it's mouth like a dogs and it began to slirp up water from a puddle left there by the last rainfall.

"C'mon board little lady." Said the man tipping his straw cap to Tayali as she climbed onto the cart.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the little rocket which fluttered back to the box with it's fellows.

"Where ye' off to today?"

"Take me to Silveran please. And here are five claps and two more for your trouble."

"Well thank you mam'!"

The turned his attention to the Zuu and shouted , "Yeehaaw! Lets get the kind lady to Silveran Tygerr!"

The Zuu's head went up and it's legs kicked out at the ground and they were off down the bumpy road the trees flying by them.

It took Tayali a few minutes to get used to the bumpy progress of the cart but the man up front didn't seem to notice the rocky motion, or if he did he didn't care about it.

"So what's yer name?" He said turning back to her and narrowly missing a pothole that would have probably tipped the cart over.

"I'me Tayali. I think you might want to keep your eyes on the road!"

The man turned around and saw a large log right in the middle of the road.

He whistled to his Zuu and the cart began to pick up speed careening toward the log.

Suddenly the Zuu leapt up and the cart followed it in a short moment of weightlessness and then they landed, the back of the cart bumping on the log.

Tayali looked behind them at the large dent in the log where they had hit.

She was both amazed and worried at the manuever and was beginning to wish she had gotten another cart driver.

"So Tayali," Said the man turning back to her as if nothing had happened.

"My names, Tugger. Friends call me Tug, strangers call me clumsy...why they do I have no idea."

The cart gave a lurch as the Zuu swerved to avoid a cart coming the opposite way. The screams of the couple riding in the cart followed them until they were out of sight.

"Anyway what's yer buisness in Silvera? It's a pertty big town and there's lots to do. You could be doin anythin."

"I'me off to get my own monster. My ranch needs one and my sister and her monster won't be fighting ever again. It's my job as the second oldest sister to find a monster and train it to be a champion. I don't know what our ranch will do if we don't get a monster soon."

"Well little gal, I don't blame you for what your doin' and I don't mean to steer you off yer corse, but don't you think you're a little young for that? They probably won't let you get a monster tablet. Even if you do get a monster there are many adults and older teenagers out there. Me and Tygerr are young for monster fighters. Oh and here we are at Silvera."

"I don't care what you or anybody else says Tug. I'me gonna do it," Tayala and Shaide had a reputation that's been tarnished, and their ranch was feeling the loss.

She took a second look at the man who drove the cart. He looked to be about 17. His skin had a golden sheen to it, and his accent game him away as a mainlander. Tayali had seen many like him, either in the arena or in the gutters. Many mainlanders spent their money to come to Age and fight in the tornaments and escape from their life on Agima. Some made it and led a life of wealth. But if they weren't experienced and they lost their fights too often, the often ran out of money and any way back home. Was Tugger one of these?

"Thank you very much Tug but I have to say goodbye now. I'll call another cart when I finish my business here." She pulled out a few coins from her pocket, dismally noting that she didn't have much left for the ride back home.

"Don't sweat it Tayali. Me and Tygerr got nowhere to be today. We'll wait for you right here."

"Thank you Tug but I don't need a ride to wait for me here. I can't pay you anymore for your wait so-"

"You think I'me gonna stay here for money? No way! I've been waiting my hole life for a quest and here comes one that bites me on the seat! I can't help but at least help you on your mission. Now I'll wait right here for you when you finish your buisness."

Tayali got off the cart and wandered into town. She could not leave Tug here after he had basically sworn aligance to her. And she was glad of help too.

But she just wasn't looking forward to the trip home on that cart.

But she realized now she did have a problem. Tug was right. Even though she was tall for her age she was pertty young to be a monster rancher.

Most of the monsters were bigger then she was. And no one would let her into the ruins to find a monster disk to revive at her age.

The situation seamed hopeless as she paced the streets watching a group of very tall teenage boys talking about their monsters at a restutant and the many battles they had won.

Among these champions of the arena Tayali felt nervous.

How was she ever going to do this? She knew that most of the monster ranchers were five years older then her. She only came up to about their chest.

Again she silently raged about her shortness and her homelyness and how dark and tanned she was, when all the pretty girls were as white as the moon and even the tanned ones were a light cocoa color, not like her dark color, which resembled burned bread.

She walked unseeing on the streets, walking with the crowds, not minding as they thinned to leave her eventually all alone walking silently.

At one point she walked past the shrine in which people summoned the monsters from their stone prisons. She could not go in there. Even if she did have a disk, they'd probably turn her down for beeing too young.

A horrible though came to her. They said that monsters reflected the deepest personality of their master. What if they were right and she was too much of a child. What if when she did get a monster it would be a childish pet, it's only ambitions to sleep, eat, and be petted by her, like the servant's monsters. And after that no other monster could she tame. If she resurrected another one it would not connect with her. It would mearly wait there at the shrine for someone who hadn't connected.

She had always wondered what happened to the monsters that did not connect. The old ladies told stories of how they became wandering ghosts that would come and steal away any child who did not come home at night. But she was too old for that stuff now. She had heard her sister and her friends talking of rumors that the monsters were suddenly frozen in an icey death and were sentenced for all enternity to wait for masters that would come at the end of the world. Though all these rumors had been passed on for a long time and they usually were very garbled by the time they got to their house.

Through her musings she suddenly woke up to silence. Only a few people dressed in large trenchcoats or dirty rags wandered the streets, most of them sitting in closed store's doorways watching her with eyes that shone white. A few of these people had monsters. Scrawney monsters, whose ribs showed through their skin, and they bore many scares fromo fights with stray monsters and each other.

The buildings were skeletons of broken glass and cracking stone, and the clink of discarded ale bottles was the only sound.

She had heard of this part of Silvera town but had never seen it, being banned to go anywhere near it.

She instantly turned around and went walking back with a quickening pace, not wanting to run, but to afraid to stay in this place any longer. How could she have gotten in here? She cursed her silent day dreams and went into a full out run.

Suddenly she collided with a form and they both went tumbling over each other. When she looked up there was a late teenage boy who's once blond hair had been streaked with green. His eyes were white except for his pupils which were so large they almost took up his hole eye sockets. This and his breath were signs of a weed addict.

She got up quickly and bumped into the mans snarling monster, a ragged cat like creature who looked like a stuffed animal that had rolled in something greenish brown.

"Hey! Watch where your goin' rancher." Said the boy slowly getting up. His eyes seeming to swell with their deep blackness.

"Jak you know these goody goody ranchers. They never care for anybody but hemselves." Said another teenager who was much more bulky in shoulder and waist then the first boy who was perferated with earing and scars. His eyes were also very large, his monster was a giant lobster like creature, with a dragonish head, two large pincer like claws, and four stubby claws that it stood on, one of whitch was only half the size of the other three, leaving a half healed stump.

"She probably came down to see if she could swipe one of the disks seeing as she doesn't have a monster." Said a girl who looked slightly younger then the two boys, her hair died horrid pink, and her waist pinched sharpy and skinny. Her pierced navel was obvious for she wore very little clothing. Her eyes were not weeded like her friends but they held an evil maliciousness to them that was almost worse. Her monster, looked almost exactly like her except for two small bat wings, a forked tail, and two stubby horns from it's head all the same pink as her masters hair, and just as scantly covered as her master though her clothing was scales.

All three monsters were growling and pawing the ground.

"I think she's a spy for them. They'r commin to take all our weed away, and she's the one that says who's got the stuff."

"Thank's a lot Joe for blowing our cover. Now of course she knows we have it." Said the girl her Pixie monster, hissing like a cat and then giggling maliciously to herself.

"Well we can't let her go tell them can we?" Said the scrawney boy named Jak stroking his Mew monster like some villan in a bond movie.

"Finish her off, Mr.Tubbins."

Mr.Tubbins..thought Tayali as she saw the monster get up and it's legs coil.

If it wasn't about to rip my face off I'd pity the pore thing for having a name like that.

But this and all other thoughts quickly faded into a whirlpool of raw terror as she was now running down the streets even deeper into this grungy heap called downtown Silvera, chased by a demonic Pixie, a smelly stuffed cat, and a five legged lobster.

She hoped that the end of downtown Silvera was not far off.

Chapter 3: The light is glimpsed

Breath burst out of Tayali's chest, her hands clutched the stitch tearing up her side. She did not dare stop now, for she heard the patpatpat of the mew's paws behind her and the snapping pincer claws of the other one.

The dirty, sun blackened faces of people lying in the streets glanced up at her as she ran past, and actually lifted their heads and watched her go down the street when they saw the pack of monsters following her.

None of them could or would help her.

The street did not seem to end. The breath came more painful now, most of it seeming to flow out the hole in her ribcage.

Suddenly she was pushed onto the ground. The mew had leapt onto her back. It rolled her over and she got a face full of it's filthy smell.

Coughing from the stench and lack of air she lay there recovering but terrified of what the monsters would do next.

She opened her eyes in time to see the scorpion crab creature lift it's claw up above her head and bring it smashing onto her side.

She flew into the wall of a building only to meet the claws of the Pixie, giggling hysterically at the pain it inflicted and pushing her back at the mew, who with strength you wouldn't guess such a small creature could have it tossed her over it's head and into a puddle in the cobblestones.

Tayali weakly got up, gasping for air, the stitch now replaced by what she guessed was a cracked rib or two. Lucky. Usually a blow from a Scoratan would granulate her hole ribcage. Must not be a very powerful monster.

Powerful enough to trounce me. She though. It sure didn't take a lot to trounce her.

She heard the footsteps of the three teenagers coming up behind her.

Probably to watch her last moments as the monsters played mash the hot potato.

But suddenly the footsteps changed. They sounded like not three kids but a dozen adults running at full tilt. The expressions on the monsters faces changed from sadistic glee to horror and suddenly the leapt to the side, into alleys, or through the broken glass of closed shops.

Suddenly the rumbling stopped for a moment and a shadow passed over her head and coming down like a meteor from heaven or hell came a cart, pulled by a firey red Zuu with the driver wooping and hollering and waving his straw hat above his head.

The cart landed with a smash and maraculously the wheels stayed intact though that was more then you could say about Tayali's nerves.

Tug whistled a low note to Tygerr who suddenly moved backward out of his harness and stood on front of his harness and cart, panting and looking ecstatic.

"You okay?" Said Tug looking behind the cart at Tayali.

"Fine," Said Tayali feeling all but fine.

Tug jumped off the cart his hat flying off his head for a moment, his hand lashing out and catching it again.

"I though you were at least gonna go to monster headquaters and schedule a trip to the ruins to look for tablets. Maybe even go to the shrine or something. But this! What are you doing in this part of town?"

"I don't know. I just walked here. I was thinking and,"

"Never mind that, lets get a movin!"

He suddenly swooped her ip into his arms and practically threw her into the cart with a loud oof! Then he himself jumped in and whistled to Tygerr who slipped back into his harness and made an extreamly sharp turn and then trotted off back to the main part of town.

"Couldn't you maybe slow down a bit for once?" Tayali struggled to be heard above the clattering of chipped wheels on stone. Her chest felt like it would collapse at any second and the jarring didn't help.

"No, we can't or else they'll catch up with us." Said Tug pointing back over his shoulder.

Behind them were the three monsters gaining swiftly up on the cart.

"On the count of three, jump. Onetwothree!"

"What? OOF!"

Tug said everything so fast Tayali at first didn't understand it so when he grabbed her around the waist and they both jumped off the cart she cried out at the ground suddenly rushing up toward her.

The rolled once they hit the ground but they were instantly up again on their feet. Or at least Tug was, Tayali was being dragged on the ground accasionally pushing herself up onto her feet, before Tug's speed brought her down again.

She glanced behind and saw that Tygerr was running up beside them, the cart far behind, smashed to pieces in the middle of the road, the pursuing monsters trying to clamber through the heap of wood and wheels.

"That was your cart!" gasped Tayali through the pain. "That was your job!" But Tug either didn't hear her or didn't want to answer.

They paused long enough to get her to her feet but as soon as she had that, they were off again, not as fast as before, but fast enough to bring another stitch to her side.

Suddenly Tug whipped around into a doorway followed by Tygerr and they shut the door with a snap. The bell at the top of the door jinggled as they entered and they heard heavy footsteps coming from the back.
"Who is it?" Came a quiet, gentle voice and it's owner walked in through a small doorway.

The woman was large and round, with a cheerful welcoming smile on her face. Her head was covered in brown curly hair, and she wore earthtoned clothes with a white apron. She was carrying what looked like a giant sushie roll under her arm. This she placed on the counter as she approached them and made a small bow.

"Welcome to my home and shop. What buisness brings you to my shop, on this sad dismal part of town?"

"We're sorry for barging in mam," Said Tug bowing back to her.

"But there's these three monsters that want our blood mam and we just want to hide from them. Mam."

The womans face changed instantly from a happy cheerful look to sudden seriousness.

"You can hide in the back there. It's a bit chilly cause of all the freezers but it should hide you for the time being."

She scooted them through the door she just came through and drew a curtain over the doorway.

A few minutes of waiting and the jingling of the bell was heard. Tayali peeked slowly out from the bottom of the curtain to see the three teenagers accompanied by their monsters. The large crab one barely made it through the door.

"What buisness have you here good peop-"

"Listen freezer. We don't want you turnin' our monsters into blocks of ice or nothin'. We just want to pound those two that just came in here, and if you get in our way, we'll pound you too."

The larger boy and his friends sniggered hysterically at his words.

"I'me sorry but there's no one here but myself and the dust."

"Listen ice witch we saw them come in here. And I guess by your words that you want a smashing in their place right?"

The three monsters were slowly encircling the poor lady but her face and stance remained firm.

"Grant her request."

The three monsters pounced on the woman. She raised a fist and brought it smashing into the side of the Scoratan's head and it gave a crackling hiss as it fell to the ground.

The Pixie leapt onto her back and began pulling at her hair as the cat clawed at her chest.

"Get in here Dust!" Said the woman in a commanding tone.

Suddenly from the corner came movement and something grey came out from it.

The creature looked soft and squishy like cookie dough except for the polly bug like armour on it's back and it had large yellow lips that looked like a short, wide, beak.The monster was grey and had blended in perfectly with the dust covered counter on which it had been placed.

It curled up into a ball and the ball whirled through the air at the attacking monsters who had to duck to avoid it. The grey ball turned around and charged back at them, kicking the legs out from under some of the kids.

"A mochi," whispered Tayali. You didn't see one of those everyday.

But even with this extra help, there was little hope. The Scoratan had gotten up again and had clubbed Dust like a baseball sending him into the arms of the Pixie who began to tear and bite at the poor monster, unable to uncurl in the tight grip.

"Get out of here youngins!" The woman called back kicking out at the Pixie, but she was held back by one of the teenagers.

"Get out before it's too late! Out the back door!"

Tayali and Tug looked and saw the small door at the back of the dark room they were in. Tugger got up and ran toward it but Tayali stayed where she was.

"C'mon Tayali we have ta leg it'!"

"No!" She got up and put her hand on the curtain to draw it back.

"I'me not going to leave her here at the mercy of these filthy monsters!"

She pulled back the curtain and charged out at Mr.Tubbins screaming in rage her fists shooting out wildly.

Her hand was grabbed by the mew and they stood there for a few minutes before she heard a voice in her head.

Filthy town pet. I shall enjoy tearing you apart!

"What the?" Said Tayali staring at the fury contorted face.

Suddenly the paws holding her dropped.

Mr. Tubbins stood there his mouth opened shaking violently staring at her.

She talks?

Another voice broke in.

What are you waiting for Mr.Tubby? Let me show you how it's done you fool!

Tayali turned around and saw the Scoratan raise a large claw and bring it down on her before she could say or think anything else.

Chains wrapped around her. White chains, horribley white chains.

Chains raising up like snakes and binding her, hissing and rattling. The blood from her forhead staining the white chains. The mew's words coming again and again like a steady drum beat.

She talks. She talks. She talks.

Riasing her hands to her head she sobbed and wished for it to all stop.

Then a light. Far away. A golden light. A warm joyful, happy light.

Chapter 4: Whispers and sobs

Tayali's eyes slowly opened. At first she didn't know where she was. Then she saw the rounded form of the lady approaching with a large cup of something steamy. It smelled delisouse and Tayali guessed it was hot chocolate.

"How are you doin' my dear?" Said the lady placing the drink on a table next to the bed Tayali was layed out apon.

"I feel like a cart ran me over followed by several bulls."

"Well that's close to what really did happen to you. About the time you were clubbed over the head the monsters suddenly stopped and ran out of the place, trampling you in the process. Their masters were cowards and without their monsters to defend them, they ran out too."

Tayali sat there as slowly the memory of what happened blew out uppon her as if she was reliving it again.

Running out from behind the curtain to save the woman. The monster speaking to her, and startling as she spoke back. The club across the head. With that memory came the dull throbbing at the back of her head.

She rubbed it and winced at the pain.

"How bad am I? How many more months do I have to live?"

The lady laughed.

"Your doing well actually. Your head will be soar for a wile and you might be prone to head aches, but you should be okay. Coming out from behind the curtain screaming like that. No wonder the monsters ran off. I don't know what me and Dusty would have done without you."

She reached down and patted the small armoured forhead of the Mocci, Dust.

Dust purred appreciativly.

Tayali's mind wondered back to what the street kids had said.

"Why did they call you icewitch?"

"Oh that's not my real name of corse. Winterweed's my name, but you may call me just Weed. But they call me ice witch because of my job."

Tayali was about to ask what her job was but she looked around.

There were rows and rows of large tall tanks all frozen over with fog and ice.

But as Tayali looked at the tanks she began to see shaped inside them. They were monsters. Monsters of all sizes frozen in time. Their eyes closed in dreamfull sleep.

Tayali had wondered what happened to monsters who didn't connect. This was it.

"Poor dears." Said Weed getting up and placing her hand on a tank.

"I'me always getting messages from the shrine. About how this monster didn't connect with this monster. Occasionally someone comes down here searching for the right monster and one of them is set free. Just enough people find them to make room for the new ones." She sounded as if she was about to cry.

"Oh well, silly I suppose. Me keeping these monsters around, But it just breaks my heart to see a monster go stray. The look of meaningless life in their eyes."

Suddenly her voice became louder and angrier.

"It's not fair! For them to be summoned into life, their purpose in life to serve a master they love! And then for the master to refuse them! How cruel it is! To leave them not caring what happens to them!!" She turned around and slammed her fist into a wall, the stone cracking under her blow.

Tayali felt both scared and in awe of this woman in front of her. She really seemed to care about these monsters in their frozen dreams. Either that or the many weeks alone had driven her insane. Then again. Tayali might be insane her self, thinking she was talking to monsters.

The scary thing was that she still believed that she had heard them. Did crazy people really belive that what they believed was true?

She decided to dismiss it for a wile and watch Weed pace across the room, checking some odd screens on the front fo the tanks, or making something in a large pot, that spat grease and sparks like her own temper.

Tayali nervously began to sip the chocolate and found that it was the most delicouse she had ever tasted. She began to gulp it down, rejoicing in the wonderfully warm drink, for she had become rather cold in this room of ice.

A small knock on the wall, called Tayali's attention and peeking over the cup she saw Tug peeking in and tapping again on the wall nervously, seeing the temper Weed was in.

"Mam, can I com'n an' see my friend? We've been waiting here along time and I'd like to know if she's okay."

"Yes come in but make sure you don't touch any thing!" Weed shouted tossing a large hunk of meat into the pot with a satisfying exsplosion of grease that snapped as it hit the cold floor.

Tug quietly came through the door, Tygerr following him.

"Are you okay Tayali?" Said Tug taking his hat of and holding it in his hands.

"I'me fine I guess. It still hurts though." She said placing the large empty mug back onto the table."Are you okay?"

"Sure. Me and Tygerr chased them fools off. Gave their hind quarters a good thraching too, so they won't be coming back for a wile."

Tayali laughed quietly and sat up to look at Tug better.

He had a small cut on his face and she winced as she saw his hand, which was torn up badly, and was missing a finger. Tug saw her looking at his hands and put it behind his back.

"Those are just some scratches. Don't worry about the finger either. That was taken off years ago and lies in the belly of a dragon to this very day. If it hasn't given him digestion, which it might have considering where my hands have been.

"I ended up better then my parents though. They didn't make it."

Tug tried to maintain his usual grin but Tayali could see that inside he was pained by the memory.

"So,...carting is one of the best jobs in the world, di'you know that? Fresh air, plenty of action. You meet the nicest people too."

Tayali nodded slightly not really listening to Tug's attempt at a change of subject.

Shrugging he walked off mumbling to himself, wandering around the frozen monsters and pretending to watch them with unnatural interest.

Tayali layed back down and sighed. So far this was the most exciting day of her life. Now that was pathetic.

She looked down at her feet when she felt a soft weight upon it.

Tygerr's head was resting upon her legs. His eyes staring at the wall and showing no sighn she was there. She rubbed him behind the eye and closed her eyes to go to sleep.

As things around her began to fade into sleep she heard this back ground noise in her head. It was a quiet staticy noise. At first she didn't take notice of it. Then it became annoying. Then she began to clutch her head, all noises were drowed out by it's volume.

And then it stopped.

She got up and looked around but all she could hear were Tug and Weed talking to each other. Weed's must have still been in a tizzy for her voice sounded shriller then it had before and she was talking quicker.

She looked over to the large pot and was startled to see Weed alone by the pot looking up at some herbs on a rack and fingering them. Her mouth was not moving, though the voices carried on.

" She'll calm down in a wile. She does this everynow and then but it never lasts long. She usually makes the best recipies when she's in one of her tempers."

That was the high pitched voice that sounded so much like Weed's.

Then another voice joined it, this one almost the perfect image of Tugger's except that it lacked his accent.

" People seem to do the oddest things in the oddest ways. My master is convinced that his driving is the best in the world. Frankly I could drive better."

"Don't forget you're the one pulling the cart."

Tayali looked over to Tygerr who was looking at Dust. Tayali heard them talking to each other in growls and chirps as any monster would do, but she heard in her head those voices, like a translation being spoken over their voices.

She leaned back in bed, feeling the emotions churning around inside her stomach like a whirlpool.

All her life she had known her sister was prettier, smarter, and generally more talented then herself and she had tried every possible way to improve, but her sister was always one step ahead of her. And here she was. Here was something she could not do.

Her sister had told her many times that monsters never couldn't and never would talk to humans. Even connected monsters and masters could only sense each others emotions. Some of them were able to send pictures to each other, but no one had ever been able to talk to them. And yet, it was almost terrifying. Would all the monsters be frightened like the Mew was? Would they attack her?

Would people attack her, thinking her some witch for talking to other peoples monsters.

She curled up and closed her eyes promising herself, that she would not tell anybody or talk to any monsters unless she was sure that they were trustworthy.