Board Thread:Fun and Games/@comment-31986068-20160429231407/@comment-31986068-20161222235507

“Over this way,” Deser called.

He turned and went down one of the numerous smaller hallways, out of the main entrance. “That big, main room is called the Grand Tavern,” Deser told them.

“How many animals live here?” Sparrow asked curiously.

“’Bout a million, in the state of ‘Laska alone,” Deser replied, smirking.

Sparrow rolled her eyes. It was obviously not the answer she was looking for. Sparrow felt the walls, and jumped back in surprise. “They’re made of clay!”

“Terracotta, to be exact,” said Deser. “It was quite abundant down here, so the original Delteans decided to keep it that way. It’s real easy to work with.”

They continued down in silence. Rain curiously studied the etchings on the wall.

“Nearly there,” Deser told them.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">Eventually, they came to a large, dark tavern, lit only by several torches.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">An owl was visible inside (Sparrow identified it as a Barred Owl), and in one talon it clutched a hammer. A seal was next to the owl, murmuring something.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">The seal looked up in surprise, and then scooted out the door.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">“Here,” said Deser, pointing to a door next to the one closest to the tavern. “That other one’s mine and I’m roommates with...”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">The door to Deser’s room opened.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">A creature stood below the frame. It looked like a cross between a wolf and a hyena.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">“...Alex,” Deser finished briskly.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">“Had a fun time, sneaking out?” he asked cheerfully.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">“...While you were sitting in here, sulking because El Nino took away our hunting privileges. He’s never any fun.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">“Oh, come off it, he’s just sad because La Nina was shot last reflect-sun...”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">“La Nina... That’s the blue fox, en’t it?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">Rain and Sparrow froze.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">“Did you say... blue fox?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">Deser nodded. “She was out near the campsite that—“

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">He stopped. “Your campsite, was it not?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">Sparrow hid behind Rain as if Deser was about to hit them. Alex laughed at Sparrow’s fear. “Relax, I don’t mind if you killed ‘er, she was always a pain in the neck,” he said lightly.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">“Alex.” Deser shot a warning glance at him.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">“Joking, joking...”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">“We didn’t shoot her,” said Rain. “My father, Brendan, was out and he heard a gunshot behind him, and then he saw the fox... La Nina.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">Alex sighed. “We’re in big trouble, now. Who will stir up the water after El Nino’s through?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">Sparrow came out from behind Rain. “So you’re saying, those two cause the El Nino and La Nina to happen?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">Alex grinned in response. “El Nino’s gonna be fiercer than ever next time. La Nina was his sister. They were close.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">“I’m hungry,” said Sparrow suddenly.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">Alex beckoned inside. “I got food.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">Rain then noticed the thick gloves on his paws, with steel-tipped claws.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">“What are those for?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">“Slicing the food.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">They followed him inside.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">The room was medium-sized, and consisted of two beds across from each other, with soft, extra bedding at the foot.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:#222222">peese make more applications for deltas