Flights of fancy
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warriors, I only own every OC in this story and that is quite enough thank you.
Chapter fifteen – Challenges.
Leo decided to use the opportunity, while they were waiting any ways, to get in some practice after all once this mission started they might not get many chances to spar, though they would most likely see plenty of battles. Still Leo preferred to keep his skills well honed and ready for use at a moment's notice, that plus he never missed a chance to fit in extra practice.
" Why don't we do a work out?" he suggested quickly to his brothers.
" I'm for it" Raph agreed practically jumping at the chance. He was always ready to blow off steam and the added misgivings about the coming mission meant he was in an antsy mood, and he liked the chance to whip Leo's butt when ever he could, if only to prove the perfect son wasn't so perfect after all.
Don shook his head " I would Leo, but it might take some time to convince Marina to join us so I think I better start working on her now" he apologized.
Leo looked at Don, he was aware that Don normally missed out on occasional practices at home, especially when he became involved with some project that he would get wrapped up in, but he also knew that Don was very efficient with his bo staff, and would often practice for a few minutes here or there on his own, that plus he had a better knowledge of Marina's fickle behaviour meant that he was quite willing to excuse his brother.
" Knowing Marina you have quite a challenge just getting her to come, no one makes cats do anything they don't want to." Leo admitted.
Don grinned, " For he will do what he do, do and there is nothing you can do about that."
" Precisely only Marina is a female." Leo corrected.
" It is a line from T.S Elliot's book Old Possum's book of cats. I think it was about the rum tum tugger." Don informed his brother. With that Don turned and headed into the meadow in search of one particular cat.
Leo turned to Mike " Come on Mike."
" Aw but Leo, do I hafta?" Mike moaned sounding far more like a two year old who didn't want to take a nap. " I'd rather get to know more about the inhabitants of Necron."
" We have plenty of time for that later Mike, we will be traveling for a while on this world." Leo reminded him, " Come on what do you say of two against one with me being the one" Leo coaxed.
" We can take him Mikey" Raph urged liking the odds all ready.
The toshe growled agreement.
Mike grinned, " All right" he gave in pulling his weapons from his belt " lets get it started!" he whooped.
The toshe growled further tails wagging and eyes shining in anticipation, if only because the toshe loved battles of any kind, even if they were mock battles they were still worth watching by their standard.
Raph and Mike never one for the preliminaries charged Leo but their brother was ready for their combined attack.
While they started slow at first the boys soon stepped up the tempo they began moving at faster speeds darting in slashing for quick sudden attacks, leaping or flipping out of the way of counter attacks. Striking hard and fading into the long grass around them. The only sound that could be heard was the faint sound of metal up against metal, no other noise could be heard, it was as if everything else had stilled for this match alone. They fought in silence and their moves were made faster then a striking snake.
At first few creatures, other then the toshe who were obviously enjoying the match by their pleased yips and growls of pleasure, paid much attention to the sparring match, but slowly one after another a few would wander over and watch only to be mesmerized by what they saw. Soon there was a large circle around the brothers who seemed oblivious to the spectators and their comments.
In fact a strong current of electricity seemed to ripple through the spectators, they all seemed to come alive their eyes glowing with alertness suddenly they saw before them was that possibly the grim dark impossibility of saving their world might not be as difficult as they once assumed.
The match ended with Leo disarming first Mike then Raph, in such a relaxed way it almost seemed to the spectators that he had only been waiting for the right time to offer up the coup de gras.
Leo stood balanced in a graceful nekoashi dachi, or cat stance, his katana raised and at the ready, his chest heaving ever so slightly from the exertion.
Only then did the creatures surrounding the three brothers give voice to wild cheers expressed in what ever way was acceptable for their species. In other words the toshe howled, the unicorns, pegasians, centaurs all stomped their hooves and neighed loudly, Gimod bugled and the fairies flitted, swirled and danced about Leo.
A dwarf came forward bowing to Leonardo " You know the handling of swords I can tell by the way you worked in this match. My people would be privileged, if you would take with you on your quest, the finest sword that we have ever crafted." He spoke in the gruff roughened way that all dwarves seemed to have and yet, it was clear that he was serious about his offer.
Leo returned the dwarf's bow " I am afraid I must decline your most gracious offer. I am used to handling many assorted weapons and can use any that was at hand worse comes to worse, but I am sure you are also aware that one does not go into battle while taking weapons they are unfamiliar with" Leo replied politely, he didn't wish to offend the dwarf so he was keeping to the best manners that Splinter had instilled into all of them in their youth, " Considering the circumstances we may be facing soon I might not have time to get used to the sword you have crafted and it may throw me off in battle."
Gimod rumbled ever so softly ' You do have a valid point, but much as you tried to avoid it you have still offended the dwarf, for he feels that you consider their craftsmanship unworthy.'
I don't mean any offense, Leo replied to the dragon in his thoughts.
' I know but dwarves can be so touchy when it comes to their skills.' Gimod said.
Maybe I ought to change my mind and accept the offer after all. Leo considered.
' No that will cause further offense' Gimod informed Leo telepathically, the last thing he wanted was for the turtle to make matters worse by his good intentions. ' The dwarf knows you are not from Necron and will excuse your first offense, as long as you don't mention it or go back on what you have said. You do either and he will feel you were aware of the fact and said such a thing to insult him making the offense twice as bad, and this time unpardonable.'
Leo sighed heavily realizing how much they had to get used to by just being in this strange world. From now on he best check with Gimod before opening his mouth and that way he wouldn't offend any one.
Why didn't you speak up sooner? He accused the dragon.
'I thought you would know enough to accept what is offered by a well meaning friend. I can only do so much, I can't protect you from putting your foot in your mouth all the time. Besides I told you that it is forgiven.' Gimod retorted abruptly.
A unicorn stallion stepped into the ring standing slightly behind and to the right of the dwarf, the stallion had a fine features set into his face, a long white beard dangled from off his chin, and while he didn't have that daintiness the mares all seemed to have, he did have powerful chest and hindquarters the muscles rippling under the ivory hair as he moved with graceful ease, the stallion had eyes such a light blue in colour that they seemed pale.
' I Zar offer you a challenge swordsman. If I win the challenge you must carry the dwarves' sword on the quest. If I lose to you, then you may carry whatever weapon you desire.' Zar blew out sharply and raised his head slightly before lowering it, there was a long two meter length spiral horn on his forehead ' Be warned we unicorns are born knowing the art of swordplay.'
Leo wondered silently about the challenge, true the unicorn might be very effective with the horn, it had to know how to use such a weapon, Leo reasoned, but he was smaller and could move far quicker then a unicorn who might not be able to do much damage to him. Still there was something about the stallion's looks and bravado that made Leo reflect that looks could be deceiving.
Gimod what do you suggest? Leo asked.
' I suggest you accept the offer Leonardo. I personally hope that you put that horned mule into his place. However win or lose the dwarf will feel justified as the horned idiot has taken up his cause' Gimod smiled ' No matter which sword you end up using I promise you that you won't lose anything. So accepting is your best course of action' Gimod blew a puff of smoke and thumped his tail ' Decline and you will look like a coward, and I refuse to be stuck with a coward!'
Leo turned back to Zar " I assume this match is to be one where no harm comes to the other? And I suppose we go until one is put into a killing position?"
Zar bobbed his head 'Quite so.'
" Then" Leo declared, " I accept your challenge and the conditions of our match."
Gimod gave a secretive smile as the two squared off against one another, he was fairly sure of how the match was going to end. He noted that some of the inhabitants who loved gambling on such sports were all ready taking wagers on the outcome and the dragon couldn't resist offering a bet of his own.
xxx
Don found Marina lying in the meadow in a warm sunny spot, the catafly was sprawled out enjoying the warm rays but as she saw Don she sat up and stretched slowly, fluttering her wings slightly.
" This is a truly beautiful place you know. I think I will stay here. No other catafly could ever find such an exceptional home, best of all with the unicorns around here I wouldn't have to worry about enemies." She sneezed a bit " Even better there is a large patch of catnip in this meadow that I have found and no other cat can use it because it is all mine!" she gloated.
Don knew that Mike's cat Klunk always had a thing for catnip and it was clear that the effects of the plant on cataflys were much the same as they were on the average cat. In other words Marina was utterly relaxed and calm after her brief stint of euphoria from inhaling or rolling in her catnip patch.
" Do cataflys usually go this far from home? Don asked curiously as he sat down a few feet away from Marina.
" It isn't normal, a lot of danger you know" Marina confessed the cat drug making her far more willing to talk then under normal circumstances. " But some really brave cataflys will venture out quite far, though I don't believe any have made it to the corn meadows, at least not from our catacombs" Marina stated as she licked her front paw in a lazy fashion.
" Well I all ready know how extremely brave and courageous you are Marina, when you go home all the other cataflys will envy you because you have knowledge they don't" Don said casually as he propped his hands on the ground slightly behind him and leaned back shutting his eyes.
" I do?" Marina wondered her eyes growing wide at the thought.
" Well of course you do. Travel is one of the best experiences you can find because you can learn more about people and places after you have been there and seen it for your self." Don explained simply, " Though I am sure an animal as smart as you are, is already aware of that."
" Well of course I know I just wanted to make sure we were of the same mind you know." Marina declared pertly.
" I understand intelligent conversation is hard to find at times. My brother's really don't understand me I feel that you might though" Don paused and gazed at the small cat she had moved closer to him and now rubbed against his leg affectionately. " I suppose though if you are staying here we will never find out how alike we truly are."
" Well why not aren't you staying here?" Marina demanded.
" No" Don sighed, " We have to go off and help find Shanza's son. I don't mind so much I know I can handle it, I know my brother's might need my help but" He pulled some air in through gritted teeth " It is all the fights we might run into between here and there so to speak. I don't care to fight and I really don't want to. I just want to be left alone."
" Aren't you independent can't you do what you want?" Marina asked.
" I suppose I could stay here Marina it would be a nice place to learn things, but I happen to know if I go with my brothers I will learn so much more then I could learn by staying here." Don shook his head, " the thought of all the stuff I could be learning but turning my back on that is just, I just can't do it" Don confessed and shrugged, " I know I am heading into danger but to think I could learn about the life of an alicorn, and what sort of magic an alicorn really has. According to Shanza her son is the first of his kind, there has never been another like him. There might be a place better then the unicorn meadows that is safe and suitable for living, or wonders and sights I've never seen" Don beamed as he let his imagination and the possibility take him away for a moment or two " After all before I came here I never knew creatures such as dragons, unicorns and beings like you Marina the brave catafly ever existed, now that I do know well I want to know more." Don declared.
Marina jumped onto Don's plastron and went over to smell his breath and rub under his chin, or the closest thing Don had to a chin at any rate. She purred loudly at his words, Don was not a native of Necron for most of them would never lump a catafly in with dragons, or unicorns but the fact he had accorded her almost the same respect made her feel incredibly wonderful. Most important he hadn't bothered to mention the pesky dogs.
" I think we have a great deal in common it sounds that way to me…um, what is your name again?"
" My name is Don Marina" Don replied simply. " You won't know though because I doubt you want to venture even further from your home and join us."
" Maybe I do and maybe I don't. Who else is going on the search?" Marina wondered, the effects of the catnip were finally wearing off and she was getting extremely curious about Don and all the things he might see and learn that she wouldn't!
The very nerve that he might actually learn something about Necron when he didn't live there was far too much for her to accept. But she wasn't about to jump into anything either.
" Well my brothers, Shanza, her mate, a centaur, and Gimod." Don began listing the others off. " You know with Shanza and Gimod I really don't think we will have much to worry about battle wise that is. This could be a very enjoyable and educational trip." Don brightened at that thought " Oh and the toshe pack."
" Those dogs?" Marina wrinkled her nose and laid back her ears.
" I don't care for the fact they are so aggressive and bloodthirsty but they might come in useful if we do run into any trouble, which I doubt" Don remarked gently as he removed Marina and stood up " I don't know when we will be leaving but it was nice knowing you Marina too bad you won't be coming with us." With that Don started to walk away.
Marina sat there before she took off flying after him she landed on his shoulders and patted his cheek with one paw " Now an intelligent fellow like you can't possibly be trusting his life to a pack of uncouth dogs, they are highly irresponsible you know."
" I am sure they are" Don agreed smiling inwardly, the idea was to get her curiosity working so that the desire to go was far stronger then the delight of staying.
Marina pranced on his shoulders purring loudly in his ears "Well if I go you know even the most independent of cataflys would have to respect me because I would be smarter then all the rest."
Don nodded " That very well could be true" he said sincerely.
" Not only that but I would get to learn about you and so many other creatures. I have a feeling that I could like you Don, far better then I like any other catafly but I'm not quite sure about that yet" she babbled on.
" I thought you wanted to stay here though Marina?" Don exclaimed suddenly.
" No it is far more important to go with you. I have made up my mind on that count and when a catafly makes up their mind there is no changing it. Some one has to look out for you while I gather information for us to discuss."
" I don't know if the others will want you" Don mumbled.
" I don't care what others think I do what I want" Marina declared.
Don had to swallow his laughter, she might do what she want but a little ego stroking and working her curiosity up then to ignore her or deny her the right to learn had made Marina part of the team.
Don silently made a note to find the cat nip patch to collect some of the herb before they left it might help them when Marina learned how dangerous things might get.
TBC