Ambrosia Software Web Board: The Wolflizard - Ambrosia Software Web Board

(continued from The Crab)

Back at the campfire, Selena wrapped up a portion of the evening’s meal with a cloth from her pack, then set it aside for Helena. Farmer Wilamos chatted with her a little: the twins were daughters of hunters from near Odemia and had left home a couple of weeks ago with a bow and a cart, living off the land. By day, Selena had slept in the cart while Helena pushed it; at night, they switched places. They had left the cart at the base of the mountain the previous morning.
    “So why are you climbing the mountain? Are you looking for your goat too?”
    “Uh, what? I don’t have a…?”
    “A goat.”
    “No. I don’t really know what’s at the top, but I know that the closer we get, the less connected I feel to Helena.”
    “And that’s… good?” Wilamos didn't have any siblings, but he thought that feeling connected to them was generally supposed to be a good thing.
    “Well, I know she wants to get rid of me. And if breaking our bond means I get to live during the day, like a normal person, that wouldn't be too bad either,” she said, looking up at the sky. “Even if I have to put up with her,” she added.
    Wilamos yawned.
    “You should get some sleep,” Selena said. “You know. Like a normal person.”

—

    In the morning, Selena fell asleep again. Tauros picked her up and cradled her with his left arm as a smaller person might hold a baby.
    “You really don’t mind?” Helena asked.
    “No,” Tauros said.
    “It’s really no trouble for me to carry Selena. I’m used to taking care of her.”
    “No,” Tauros repeated.
    “Well, then, shall we head out?”
    “No,” Tauros said again.
    Helena furrowed her brow and looked at Wilamos, who returned her confused look. Tauros pointed to the bushes, as five wolflizards emerged, on the scent of Helena’s rabbitlizard breakfast.
    Helena cursed and grabbed her bow, firing arrows at the approaching wolflizards as fast as she could. Three found their marks, but at least twice as many missed. The two remaining wolflizards quickly closed the distance, one charging Tauros and the other Wilamos. Tauros wound up for a kick, and shot his foot into an attacking wolflizard with a bone-crunching sound. It flew into the air, landing back in the bushes, where the sound of its whimpering quickly faded into the distance.
    The last wolflizard lunged at Wilamos, when suddenly, a bolt of lightning flew out of the clear sky, knocking it dead at Wilamos’s feet.

(continued in The Magess)

This post has been edited by Pallas Athene: 30 December 2016 - 11:32 PM

Author’s note: it's been about a millenium since anyone in Cythera has seen a lion, so it shouldn’t be any surprise that a few of the constellations in the Zodiac have switched to more familiar referents. There will be a couple more modifications.

“So why are you climbing the mountain? Are you looking for your goat too?” I love Wilamos so much :D

Helena & Selena's story is kinda sad :\ I wonder if Tauros has a thing for Selena.

Where'd that bolt of lightning come from? :o

Poor wolflizards, they were just hungry

Pallas Athene, on 29 December 2016 - 11:02 PM, said:

Author’s rebuttal: if the moons are different, the stars probably are too, so treating the Earth Zodiac as meaningful at all probably doesn’t make sense.

iKaterei, on 30 December 2016 - 08:25 AM, said:

Yeah. If I revised this, I’d treat them a little more sympathetically. No revision until I’m finished, though.

Pallas Athene, on 30 December 2016 - 05:14 PM, said:

I lack your willpower >_>