A/N
Well….At least it didn't take almost two weeks like last time. Still sorry about how long it took. I worked hard to get it done as soon as possible. I'll work on shortening the time down.
"Okay, does anyone have a map?"
"No, for the fourth time."
"Why don't we play a game?"
"I don't think so."
"Cheer up guys!"
"Shut up, Kitty." Rahne and Ray said with aggravation obvious in their voices.
"Just trying to lighten the mood." Kitty said sulkily. I gently brushed off the third morpho off my shoulder today as it rested for a few minutes before heading back towards the shadowed valley. I guess that they must be drawn to the power that the innkeeper mentioned, if it exists.
"We just have to keep walking, and try to find a city of some sort. Danny, can you sense anything or ask someone if there's someplace near by?" Jean asked, stopping to rest against some large boulders.
I kept my contrary thoughts to myself as I listened in to animal conversation at her request.
As far as I let my range go, there was nothing but angry spats, foraging, working animals. No grumbles about society or laughter about some unfortunate two legger or otherwise, barring the obvious group I was part, and barring the village we had just left.
"Nothing yet." I said to let them know I was trying.
"I cannot believe we got stuck in the middle of nowhere." Jubilee started to complain loudly.
I extended my reach a little farther listening in, but it was starting to make my head hurt, being spread several miles in all directions. There, far north, there was an itchy chatter, a muttering of discontent that seemed to filter through until it was voiced by the animals just inside my range. I don't know how I knew that little bit of information, but I knew it.
"There's something farther north that may be worth checking out."
"How far?"
"Don't know. More than a few miles." I said, stretching while I stopped listening slowly. Shutting out voices all at once could throw me off balance.
"Then we'd better start going. Lead the way!" She said, cheered now that we had a destination.
"So what's over there?" Kitty asked.
"Don't know. It's just different." I said, stifling a yawn. I think lack of sleep is beginning to catch up with me.
"Well, we won't find out if we stay around talking. " Mr. McCoy said good naturedly. "Let's gets started."
We all stared up at the massive stone building. We couldn't see it any other way, as it was FLOATING.
"Whoa…that's cool. I wanna have a floating castle." Jubilee whispered.
The castle floated on a pedestal of intertwining vines, as if it were a giant plant and the castle was a bud.
"How are we gonna get up there?" Ray pointed up at it. "It has to be a hundred feet up!"
"Do we really want to? I mean, we don't, like, know what's up there. For all we know, there's some really big monster or something." Kitty pointed out.
"Perhaps, but there is nowhere else." Crepuscule commented. "And I should be able to carry everyone up, though I will have to make a couple of trips."
"He's right. Let's go." Jean ordered.
It took an hour to get everyone up to the castle. When we were all standing on the ruined rocks of a ruined walkway, Crepuscule was panting and standing a little unsteadily on his four legs. I guess the stress of carrying all of us, including Jean who wanted to conserve her energy just in case, was a little rough on him.
"Are you alright?" Jean was concerned.
"I will be fine." He composed himself and shifted into a steadier position, flexing his claws. "I was just a bit out of breath, that is all."
"Are you sure?" She asked, crossing her arms. "You're one of the main powerhouses here, we may need you. Do you need to rest?"
"I am fine." He said with a snort, picking up his head proudly.
I frowned faintly at that. But I shook it off. Everyone has pride, and it always seems to show itself at odd and usually unfortunate times.
We walked down the walkway and I had a nasty memory of a temple floating in the back of my mind.
"I wonder who lives in this dump?" Kitty whispered.
"Quiet! Don't make anyone that's listening in angry." Rahne warned. "You never know when you come across a really sensitive person."
"Like who? This place is, like, totally deserted!"
"Will you keep it down?! You'll wake up the spirits!"
"What spirits?"
"Old castles are always haunted!" Ray said urgently.
"Really?!" Kitty let her jaw drop.
"I can't believe this. Ghosts aren't real, guys!" Jubilee snapped.
I blinked at the statement and let it pass.
Crepuscule examined some crumbling pillars a few feet from the entrance to the large building. He seemed to be doing all he could to ignore the conversation. Probably was getting a headache from the shrill voices.
Dahile goshma golia…
I looked up to the top of one of the pillars still standing.
"Will you guys shut-up!" Jean snapped. "If there's anything dangerous around here, we don't want to attract it."
"Too late for that." I said calmly, keeping my eyes on the beast.
They all looked up slowly.
It…was complex. Something between a dog and a monkey, and muttering to itself in a language I couldn't understand. That confused me to no end, because never before have I ever not been able to under stand an anima, barring the usual transformed humans.
It was obviously some sort of made creature, how I have no idea. The back legs were too short to properly run. The tail was too long, and not whippy or prehensile enough to be of any real use. The arms were strong looking, long, but thin looking, and looked strained at holding up the upper body weight of the creature. The chest was incredibly wide, and the long muzzle of the creature was filled with large teeth. Its coloring was a patchy black and brown, with a large white blaze down its face.
"Is that a friend of yours, Danny?" Mr. McCoy muttered.
"Not one I've met yet." I said, pushing a little bit of cheerfulness into my tone. I wasn't hearing any other murmurs, but dogs and monkeys, at least the fairly large ones, usually travel in groups.
"Not a friend you've met yet? What's that supposed to mean?" Rahne asked.
"Well, you always hear that strangers are friends you haven't met yet, right?" I said cheerfully, keeping an eye on the big animal while casting a glance her way.
"Okay, never shall we understand what is going on in your thick skull." Jubilee hissed. "Make it go away!"
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"I don't think it speaks my language." I said, watching as drool began to drop from its mouth.
"What do you mean? How can it not?" Jubilee waved her arms, attracting the creatures attention. "All animals are the same right? When they think?"
"Jubes, stop waving your arms. You're making it single you out."
Her hands froze halfway up and she looked at the creature, which now had its tongue lolling out. The tongue was almost two feet long.
And pink. Very pink.
Haliosh nevarsh golia…The tone was curious, and not all that aggressive.
Jean whispered something I couldn't really hear.
"What was that?"
"Is it dangerous?" She asked, stopping in mid whisper.
"I don't know, I barely met it." I looked at him.
"Well, try to talk to it! Are you?"
"I'll try." I said, vaguely annoyed. "Just don't do anything stupid while I'm talking, like run."
The animal snorted and drooled some more.
/Hey. Look at me, I'm right here./
I raised my arm, and the big dog monkey looked at me. I don't know if it was from the talking or from the movement.
/You have a name?/
It looked at me uncomprehendingly. It gripped the sides of the pillar and leaned forward, looking at me closer.
"Danny…"
"I don't think he understands." I walked forward, hand still raised. It began to go down the pillar, watching me curiously. Its grip on the pillar prevented it from falling to the ground, but it climbed a little jerkily, too much weight on the top.
It breathed in my scent once it got about a foot above my arm. Its tongue lolled out again, almost down to my neck.
Then it grinned at me and playfully swatted my hand.
A bolt of electricity buzzed nastily over my shoulder and left a large black mark in the pillar where the creature's paw had been.
The animal froze in place and looked wide eyed behind me, I assume at Ray.
"You shouldn't have done that."
"What are you talking about, it attacked you!" Jean protested.
The animal began to growl and raise hackles. Then it began to howl.
"KRRRREEEEEEEOOOOOOOWOWOWOWOWW!"
"That's bad." I informed them as I tried to placate the animal. But it was too late, it had scrambled back up the pillar and was hissing and howling.
"Why is it bad?" Kitty asked, looking at the animal in fascination.
"KREEEOEEEOEEEOWOWOWOWOWWOWWOWOWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO!" More howls filled the air from somewhere we couldn't see.
"That's why." I said as patchy brown animals began to show up all around us.
PrincessOfWildfire: Hmmm…I really should stop eating chocolate, I'll lose the figure I don't have. Anyway, thank you so much, you always have the nicest things to say. I'm glad I got re-interested as well, I would have hated to leave this story hanging. I'm glad you liked the last chapter and Dex!
AnonGirl88: I hope that satisfied your curiosity. I'll try to update more often!
Herman will take the reviews!
