1.1 Stray Whiskers
Good morning! Welcome to the world of Glowreed. I will be your guide. You can call me Lampelo. The journey you are about to embark on is rife with fantasy and danger and only the most cautious individuals will be able to keep their feet on the road. Without further ado, I will illuminate the path before us.
The fairie lady Lampelo, as spoken to man on his first step into this world.
"Slow down, Cherry, I can't keep up!" Lupe cried.
"You're so slow, Lupe, I could outrun you going backward!"
"Don't be a showoff!"
"Don't me a hedgehog," Cherry retorted.
Cherry tripped over a log and fell in a puddle with a great splash.
Lupe stopped to catch her breath, "Serves… you… right."
"Ha ha, funny. Let's go home, My hair's all full of dirt and muck."
"Okay, but let's walk."
"Hey! What's that? A horse?"
"It's a monequestr!" Lupe shouted excitedly.
"In the garden? Certainly not!"
"See! It's got a horn!"
"I don't believe it."
There was rather a lot to believe. Monequestr are rare mammals that feed on lucia oats and live mainly in the area of the Soiret Downs on the northwestern peninsula of Galia. A rare sight in the forests of Felein to be sure. The poor thing had gotten its horn stuck fast in the holly tree in the corner of the garden.
"Do you think she'll let me pet her?" Lupe asked enthusiastically.
"How should I know? And besides, it's a boy."
"How can you tell?"
"It, well, it— Don't!"
Lupe set her paw on the monequestr's mane and began to stoke it.
"He's so cute!"
"Just don't impale yourself on that horn," Cherry cautioned. "I'm going to stand over here, where it's safe."
"You wouldn't hurt a fly, would you boy?" Lupe purred.
"I think it would be a good idea if we told Sapphire about this."
"Why?"
"Monequestr don't live around here. It could be lost or confused."
"Do you think he'll let me ride him?"
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Huh?"
"Would you get down?" Cherry almost shouted.
Lupe slid off the monequestr's back and landed on her bottom with a thud.
"Isn't there some saying that we always land on our feet?" Lupe asked, brushing dirt off her tail.
"Apparently not."
"Should we take her with us?"
"How can we? His horn is stuck. We should get Sapphire to help."
Cherry and Lupe ran back to the house, passing Ferrous on the way.
"Hey there, Cherry, Lupe!"
"Hello, Ferrous," Cherry replied over her shoulder.
"Can't talk, see you later."
Ferrous walked away, still scratching his head over the energy of youth. He was on his way to his garden patch when, looking at his neighbor's, he spotted the monequestr. He gave a start and gaped in shock. A grin slowly crept across his face. He crept close to it. The monequestr tried to shy away from him. Ferrous's black coat looked a bit like a wolf's to the monequestr.
"I'm not going to hurt you. Good horsey," crooned Ferrous.
This was not a good idea. If Ferrous had known anything about monequestr, he wouldn't have called it 'horsey.' Monequestr do not like to be called that. Sometimes they even kick people for saying it.
Ferrous crawled away and rose up on his haunches, rubbing his stomach. Monequestr have strong legs.
"That hurt. You didn't have to kick me, you know."
"Ferrous, what are you up to now?"
Saimon had shown up. His orange tail swishing back and forth in annoyance, he advanced on Ferrous.
"Saimon, how good to see you! Go away."
"I know you're up to something devious and I'm not leaving until I find out what," Saimon said.
"Could you use your eyes for once? What's this thing behind me?"
"I say!" exclaimed Saimon. "It's a monequestr! I had no idea they lived around here!"
"They don't. This one's lost. I was just going to… help it get home."
"That's not like you, Ferrous. Usually you try to sell anything you find… Wait a minute! You were lying, weren't you?"
"Your understanding of sarcasm is astounding," Ferrous said sarcastically.
"I have been studying, yes. You've gone too far this time. I will not permit you to sell this creature."
"What? What're you doing?"
"I'm taking you to the magistrate."
"Unhand me! This is ridiculous! I haven't even done anything!"
"Yet," Saimon finished.
A few minutes later, Lupe and Cherry came back with Sapphire.
"What do you think, Sapphire, huh? What do you think?" Lupe asked.
"Calm down, Lupe," Cherry said.
"I don't know yet. We'll see," was Sapphire's response.
Sapphire inspected the monequester's horn, then checked its hooves. She sniffed the monequestr's mane and ran it through her fingers.
"So? Is she alright?" Lupe asked excitedly.
"Actually, Lupe, this is a male monequestr," corrected Sapphire, "And it seems healthy. We just need to pull its horn out of the trunk and it should be fine."
"Can we keep it, please?" Lupe begged.
"A monequestr is not a pet. It is an animal of the downs. We can't keep it here."
"How do you think it got here, anyway?" Cherry asked.
"From the smell of its mane, and its lack of proper hygiene, I'd say that humans brought it here."
"Humans?" Lupe rolled the word around on her tongue.
"Beings that can think like us, but they have no tails and long, thin fingers. They have only a little hair, most of it on their head, and cover themselves with other things to keep warm."
"They sound disgusting," Cherry said disgustedly.
"Indeed. Now we should find a way to get the horn out of the wood. Ah, here come Ferrous and Saimon."
"-So you can see, it was all for the benefit of the monequestr."
"I guess I had you pegged wrong the whole time," said Saimon.
"Saimon, Ferrous!"
"Lady Sapphire! How are you today? Ah, and your little sisters, too. Miss Lupe, miss Cherry."
"Saimon! We found a monequestr!" Lupe said excitedly.
"Did you now? That's strange. Ferrous and I found one also. It was somewhere around here."
"Is it this one?"
"Why yes it is!" exclaimed Saimon.
"We've been thinking of a way to get the monequestr's horn free of the tree and it only just occurred to me. You and Ferrous and both fine, strapping young cu sith, Saimon."
"Indeed we are," replied Saimon, puffing out his chest as Ferrous groaned.
"Then why don't you each grab hold of the horn and pull on it."
"A splendid idea, miss Sapphire! Come, Ferrous! Let us free this monequestr!"
Saimon and Ferrous took hold of the horn and pulled. A moment later, there was a little pop and the monequestr was free. It made a little bow on one knee, then took off running, perhaps a little slower than it had before, so that it did not hit another tree.
"That was amazing!" gasped Lupe.
"Thank you," Saimon said, rubbing a paw on the corner of his mouth.
"Don't gloat so much, Saimon," Cherry mock-scolded.
"I'll race you home, Cherry!" Lupe shouted, taking off.
"Lupe! Get back here!" Cherry called, running after her.
"Oh, my! Slow down, you could trip!" Saimon cried, giving chase.
"Ngya," ngyaed Ferrous.
"Up here, Ferrous," Sapphire said.
"S- Sorry, Sapphire. They're… distracting."
"Is that a compliment? That's unusual."
"I only ever speak of you with the utmost respect," Ferrous said indignantly.
"Does that respect extend to a discount?" Sapphire asked sweetly.
"Not at this point."