HtH133 – A Rare Encounter
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The girls arrive at Ethelgarde.
Ablam and Lumi sit in their cabin aboard the Marshcruiser, the only companion between them the sound of the train speeding through water. A little brown case sits in the place where Eclair would have sat; half-open and hastily stuffed with a returned script.
(A quiet chime, almost hesitant)
"Do you think Eclair is coming back soon? The train is going to reach the station..."
Ablam 'harrumphs' at Lumi's question, and Lumi falls quiet too.
The train chugs along for a half-moment longer in silence, before the sliding of the cabin door answers the two girls' worries---
"Sorry for the wait! You won't believe how many people are using the restroom now that we're near the end..." Eclair plops down, and puts the case onto the floor to make space for herself. This small change did not escape Ablam's eyes,
"Eclair, you got water on your glasses." Ablam points out.
"Is that so? Well, I don't have a cleaning cloth handy, it's not like the first time that this has happened anyway, let's let it be! Putting that aside, let's look forward to the trip out, and forget about other things!"
"What about yourself, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine! I don't want to be a downer before we even begin, let's put our mind on the trip, please."
Eclair's tone is rather upbeat, which causes Lumi to fidget with the brooch around her collar. When Lumi wanted to reach out a hand for Eclair, soft purring can be heard over the train's announcement system. The blue conductor bunny was speaking, reminding passengers alighting at the next station to bring their belongings with them.
In the distance, the Ethelgarde train station draws closer.
At Ethelgarde station, there were more supplies offloaded than people. From the back cabins, large wooden crates are being pulled off open carriages by entire teams of blue bunnies in conductor's outfits. On the blackstone platform, one of the local bunnies had pushed a large cart to receive the cargo, while another team sought to push, heave, and shove the crates along with great difficulty and effort! One particularly large crate had three bunnies pushing with their backs, while a particularly rotund one is perched on top, waving a pair of red lightsticks.
"Have you ever seen such a sight..." Ablam's laugh stops just before it reaches her nose, and the girls take stock of their new surroundings.
The train station is built similarly to the one back home, blackstone tiling and pillars decorate the place. If anything, the familiarity is comfortable, even the ticketing office is built the same, an open booth that is currently taking a query from a shelled visitor.
The surroundings however, were not. Ethelgarde Station is surrounded by tall mountains and hills, it was a wonder how the waterways even make it down in this place. In contrast to the forests of Bitsborough, the terrain here rises and dips, making it difficult to see what is in the distance. It was not like the place is completely barren though, there is still plenty of greenery about, though of a different variety from the tall pines and oaks back home.
"Hey you all, you should come and check this out!"
Ablam had moved on ahead, and is now standing at the station exit, pointing to an oddity in the landscape.
Just outside the station, there is a small fenced grove occupied by fern trees. What made the little grove odd are the little stone tablets that seem to grow amongst the ferns and square rock pillars.
"Is that... a graveyard?" Eclair asks, having never seen such a thing. On a second look, her instincts told her otherwise. Little lanterns hang upon the rock pillars, and the place seems well cared for, but she did not retract her statement.
It had felt true to her then.
"No, silly, this is clearly a monument of some sort!" Ablam looks around the fencing until she find a point low enough to flip over! From the station exit, there doesn't seem to be a road in, yet Ablam's curiosity will not be sated!
"...! Hey! I don't think you should go in that far!"
The silver-haired girl waves back, indicating that it is okay! "You know what's weird about all these tablets? There's absolutely nothing on them! Doesn't look like any graveyard to me! You are all scaring yourselves!"
"Still, its dangerous to go out into the... what is that?!"
There!
In the direction that Eclair is pointing at!
An ominous furred beast had emerged from deeper within the monument! It could easily have been mistaken for a dog, but no dog grew dark blue fur the way it did! What looks like a furry growth grows down from the top of its head to cover a single eye, the other red eye glowing in the darkness. All claws and honed edge, a wing-like growth that ends on a reddish clawed shape protrudes from the small of its back.
And right now...
That monstrous creature...
Is taking steady, small steps towards Ablam!
Lumi cups her mouth, too horrified to make a sound,
For a moment, Ablam's cat-like red eyes meet the single red eye of that demonic-looking beast.
They stare at each other, mesmerized and frozen in place by each other.
The beast stands straight up, proud and four-legged, it lets out a monstrous cry, clawed protrusion lightly beating the air.
Then, something incredible happens---
Ablam claps her hands twice.
"Hey--- Good boy--- Can you understand me?"
(A worried chime, almost a whisper)
"Ablam, what are you doing?"
Even though the four-legged beast does not quite reach Ablam's torso, the long horn that protrudes from the top of its head is certainly not too far off Ablam's neck! What's more, it looks more and more likely that the claw-like protrusion on its back was not usually used for friendly purposes!
Still, Ablam persisted, now getting on one knee and clapping twice with even more affection!
"Heeeey--- Don't worry, I won't hurt you! Come on over---"
For a split second, the beast does not move.
But then... Inexplicably...
It started to take steps in Ablam's direction, swaying the furred mane-like front with each proud step---
"That's it... That's it... Oh! You're quite warm!"
The big dog rubs the side of its head against Ablam's upper body, and Ablam gives it gentle headpats in purring response. A bright looks comes over the beast's face, clearly enjoying the affection with a :3 face!
Was it a cat? A dog? An entirely new species of a thing?
The girls did not know for sure, Eclair and Lumi can only watch as Ablam pulls out a half-melted bar of chocolate, undo its wrapper, and offer it to the grateful beast, who chomps down the entire thing in one dark bite!
Satisfied, it wags its tail lined with three sharp protrusions in the air, taking one last nuzzle on Ablam's face--- then leaping onto a stone pillar and into the monument's darkness!
The evening air stills, Ablam waving into the back of the monument for a while before turning back to her companions, both looking at her with their mouths hanging open!
"What...? You guys allergic to fur or something?"
We are trying something different! This is a simul-posting at the same time as the Scribblehub release! Go check out the entire series at this link!
