OKAY I GOT ONE FINALLY
The Susu's story, I've written it X3 You can read if you want to
Hur hur.
Tahj and Tanjio belong to Renee.
Masurao and other characters belong to MEEEEE *tackle-glomp-hug-suffocate*
Masurao: DX ;;
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“Tanjio, sir. Are you sure we shouldn’t consult Niji on this matter first? I mean, won’t it be a little odd when she finds out about this? Not to mention startling.”
The man spoken to had his head tilted towards the sky, apparently admiring the foliage of the unusual trees. He did not respond immediately, but when he did, he uttered a soft, long sigh first.
“Tahj, my boy, I understand your concerns. And I agree on them. But just like me, you know Niji better than anyone, which means you also know how she would react should we tell her of our decision before we would act. She would—“
“Keep refusing and find some way to talk us out of it.” Tahj finished, his fringe bouncing softly as he walked on the earthy pathway. He uttered a soft sigh, which ended in a few chuckles.
“A likely scenario.” The Origamian king said with a nod, an amused smile playing on his gray features as he reminisced of his daughter and her rather persistent nature. “As much as I would prefer to tell her in person, Tahj, I believe we are doing the right thing. It will make everything go by much quicker and she’ll have it easier to grow on the idea once the guard is in her presence. It will save us the ordeal of getting her to agree on the idea. I only have her best interests in mind. She knows this.”
The colourful boy at the liege’s side nodded, finding nothing to counter or add to Tanjio’s explanation since he knew his king was right in what he said.
“I apologize for the long walk, sir.” A voice said, making both Origamians’s attention shift away from the planet’s nature. At the head of the cue they formed, separated by a pair of royal Origamian guards, a person turned to face them. His wolfish face displayed an apologetic smile and his brown mane twitched slightly. “I’m afraid out facilities are a little bit too ... overgrown to make your spaceship fit.”
Tanjio nodded, returning the youngman a kind smile. “Please, there is no need to apologize. It lends us the opportunity to enjoy more of your planet’s lush nature.”
The Egriadanian seemed content at the given response and he inclined his head politely. “Thank you, sir. We are nearly there, it is just around the bend.”
The royal man nodded once more, “Splendid.”
The rater colourful party continued their way, the group being led by an Egriadanian, a duo of royal guards following in his wake, protecting the king and his guest from the front, while another set of them ended the line, ensuring their ruler’s safety from behind.
“Here we are.” the guide revealed once the group had rounded a corner. He turned his head, facing the group of Origamians, whom all observed the area with curiosity. “Welcome to Egriada’s Natyre Academy for Local Martial Arts Training and Education.” A toothy grin appeared on his fuzzy brown face and he inclined his head once more. “I shall take you to our master. Please, follow me.”
The wolfish alien turned on his heel and continued his path, followed by the six others. “So this is it?” Tahj inquired, seeming a little surprised as he followed the guards through what seemed to be some kind of large archway constructed out of several large boulders. Fresh, green vines curled elegantly around it, making their way to the top of the arch, where large words were carved in the rocks, consisting out of runes neither of them could read, but which probably announced the name of the peculiar school. “Could have fooled me.”
Whereas the academy had been described as some kind of school, it didn’t look like your basic idea of a school at all. While one could have expected a large building or a campus site, this school’s grounds showed nothing of the sort. It seemed the Natyre’s founders had chosen a natural clearing in the middle of a forest. Some defiant trees were standing, scattered in the large open space here and there, but -Tahj noticed to his astonishment- houses had been built in their crowns, and had sometimes even been carved in the bark itself. Wooden houses stood around the area here and there, all of them different in size, but therefore not less welcoming. Everything seemed to be constructed out of natural materials, and vines in different colours climbed and curled around them happily. The domestic scene versus wild nature seemed to be completely harmonious, since the Egriadanians here had seemed to adapt their housing to this nature, rather than the other way around. It was quite pleasant to look at.
Lush grass brushed against their shoes as the lot trotted after the guide and several furry heads in different colours poked out of houses, trees or bushes, each of them watching curiously as the unusual group passed through.
Eventually, the timber wolf came to a stop in front of one of the houses, of which the door stood open. In a single elegant gesture, the Origamians’s guide spun around and took a step back, freeing the entrance for the visitors. “Our academy’s mentor, Juro Athro, is expecting you.” He stooped down into another bow, his tail curling out behind him as he did. “Please, go right through.”
Tanjio nodded graciously at the youth, sending him a smile. “Thank you very much for your assistance.” He made an elegant gesture to his frontal guards, which went inside and immediately stepped to either side of the door to let their leader access.
Tahj followed after him and studied the interiors with interest. It was airy and light and it smelled faintly of grass after a downpour. The floor seemed to be covered in some kind of flax-woven carpet and an assortment of handcrafted furniture stood in the room’s corners. One wall was covered in paintings, which captured the young boy’s attention, until he startled out of his daze when somebody spoke up.
“Ah, king Tanjio. Please, be welcome to our Natyre.”
The figure seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He was shorter than the guide they had been appointed to and obviously a lot older. His fur, which once must’ve been a full, sandy colour, was covered in greying patches and had grown longer in certain places than those of his younger congeners. But whereas he looked more aged than the others, the vibrant chocolate-brown eyes did not look a day older than those of his fellows. His step was surprisingly brisk as he came forth and his movements were agile, which clashed immensely with his outer appearance.
The man came to a stop in front of the king and smiled warmly, twitching his mane, before he curved down into a graceful bow.
Tanjio returned the smile and bent down into a bow himself, making his ponytail fall across his shoulder. “You must be Juro Athro.” He spoke, tossing his hair back across his shoulder again. “I have heard many things of you and your school. It is a pleasure to meet you at last.”
“The pleasure is all mine, king Tanjio.” Juro replied, inclining his head politely. “It is not every day we welcome a king to our grounds.”
“I consider it an honour.” Niji’s father endorsed, smiling down at the elderly man.
“Thank you, sir. I trust Fiyess has brought you to our facilities safely?” the gray wolf spoke, gesturing over to a nearby sofa where they could be seated.
“Oh, absolutely. He did an excellent job, thank you.” Origami’s king confirmed, settling himself upon the furniture, where Tahj joined him. The quartet of guards, however, stayed put near the door. Barely had they sat down or Fiyess, their guide, appeared out of an adjoining room, carrying a tray with ceramic cups which seemed to contain a smoking liquid.
“Thank you, Fiyess.” Juro said once the younger Egriadanian had placed the drinks upon the wooden table. The addressed youth smiled at his mentor and then turned on his heel to offer the refreshments to the guards near the door, who seemed a little surprised at the offer.
“It contains extracts from our herbal garden.” Juro explained, taking one of the cups from the table and making the liquid stir lightly in the cup.
Both Origamians followed his example and took a sip from the drink, nodding their approval shortly after, which made the elderly Egriadanian smile kindly in appreciation. “Lord Tanjio, from what I have learned from our written conversation, you are seeking a protector for your daughter?”
Tanjio nodded as he put his cup back on the table. “That is correct, Juro. As I have relayed in my letters, more often than not she finds herself in rather precarious situations. As her father, this concerns me.”
The old wolf nodded sympathetically. “Of course.”
“And there remains the fact that she is royalty and therefore not an uninteresting target for quite a few wrongdoers.” A grave expression crossed the regal man’s gray face, as if he was considering the possible dangers his daughter could be in this very minute. He picked up his cup from the table again and sipped it thoughtfully. “So I believe I have reason to worry.”
Juro nodded once more, leaning back in the sofa with a contemplative look on his graying features, stirring the drink in his hand. “Yes, I understand your reason of concern. I would not deem them unnecessary.”
A few silent moments passed, in which Natyre’s teacher seemed to focus on something through the window.
“And, you say, her possible guardian should be one of similar age?” he inquired, breaking the silence and resting his warm gaze back upon the colourful duo in front of him.
Tanjio confirmed this with a nod, subconsciously starting to swirl the liquid in the cup around as well. “Preferably so. When she had just begun making trips to the Galactic Kids Next Door Space station, I had tried to send one of my own guards along with her for her protection. But since they are a children’s organisation, they didn’t allow him inside their headquarters. They are quite strict when it comes to such matters. Which I understand, but none of my palace guards was or is young enough to be at her side.” The liege stared at his cup pensively. “So I let her be on her own for a period of time. But in this time, my concern has not eased in the slightest. It grew even more, especially after the failed attempt at taking the royal sector hostage for ransom.”
Tanjio seemed to pale a little as he voiced this to the elderly man in front of him, the latter beholding the king with an aura of peace and comprehension.
“So, several weeks back I received word of your unique academy. It captured my interest instantly and that is how our correspondence initiated.”
Juro nodded once again and took a sip from the herbal beverage. “So it did. Well, Natyre is currently hosting four students of the age category you seek. I would say you are fortunate, as all four of them are extremely keen on learning and performing at their best. But of course, you must understand that I’ll need personal guarantee that, once a guard has been found, they will come short of nothing. Plenty of food, sleeping facilities and regular contact with their relatives at home.” A certain sternness and seriousness glinted in the elderly Egriadanian’s bright eyes as he looked the Origamian king straight in the eye. It was not hard to tell this man was genuinely concerned about his students. “Their well-being does not only concern myself, but their family and friends as well.”
“Of course, I understand.” Tanjio said with a sincere nod. “I will make sure to get feedback each month. And they will lack no comfort at Base, I have seen so myself. Their facilities are more than suitable, sometimes even better than my own palace, I’d say,” The liege said with a little smile. “Of course, there are also the missions, on which I elaborated in my letters...”
The furry man in front of him smiled kindly, shaking his head softly. “The missions I do not worry about. They are each more than capable. Very well, I think we will be able to settle an agreement. I gave them word of your arrival and they each seemed interested in your offer, but the part to ultimately convince them I have to, I’m afraid, rest upon your shoulders. They will have to decide for themselves.” Juro folded his hands, regarding Tanjio politely. Tanjio inclined his head, smiling charitably. “Of course.”
“Splendid. Then I can run over the possible candidates along with you. In the meantime your apprentice might, perhaps, enjoy a brief exploration of our grounds?”
Tahj jumped lightly when he was addressed this suddenly and he eyed the man in front of him in mild shock, who smiled at him, seeming amused. The young teen blushed a little and glanced down at the cup in his hand. He hadn’t meant to let his focus shift from the conversation. It was just that he had heard all of this formal stuff plenty of times and –truth be told- it could get a little boring after a while. The king had invited him in order to choose a suitable guard for Niji, given the close bond they shared and Tahj was more then happy to, but the formality he could certainly do without. He wasn’t the king here after all. Apparently this Juro had noticed his mental state of idleness.
“I, uhh... Yes... I mean, umm...” he stuttered, feeling a little embarrassed. “That would be ... nice... Umm, if my liege, umm...”
“Certainly Tahj, go right ahead.” Tanjio replied, patting the younger boy benevolently on the shoulder.
“Thank you, sir. Uhh... sirs.” he said, hastily putting his cup on the table and standing up. He bent over in a polite bow. “I will return shortly.” With this, he turned on his heel and headed for the door, passing the guards of which a few were also sipping their given drinks.
Once outside, the boy let his colourful gaze wander around the area. He felt certain relief at being able to get outdoors. Not because he didn’t appreciate the company, but he wasn’t really one to sit still for long periods of time. And this would also lend him the opportunity to see more of Egriada’s nature, which was –in any case- very attendant. And thus the teenager began his wanderings, curiously observing anything unusual he came across. Which was a lot, seeing how this was a different planet and its flora was quite different from Origami’s. There were flowers in every imaginable colour and Egriadanians, also in different colours. Natyre’s grounds didn’t seem to be very crowded, which gave a certain air of peacefulness hanging around the area.
Perking his ears as he walked, Tahj could hear the distant sound of water, which made him to believe there had to be some kind of river nearby. Seeing how he was in the middle of exploring the territory anyway, he figured he could might as well go find it. He changed direction and headed for an area which was a bit more dense in nature, but with still plenty of light and giving off a sense of friendliness. Since most of the activity was centered in the heart of the grounds, this place seemed to be a little more secluded.
Feeling more content with every step he took, the youth continued his way between the trees, admiring the flora around him and sometimes just in time to catch a glimpse of an animal fleeing. Trying to maintain as much of the tranquility as he could, Tahj lifted himself off the ground and floated on, trying to make as less sound as possible. The sunlight that filtered through the trees threw a spectrum of dancing lights on the trees and grass, and Tahj used the opportunity to observe the flowers growing between the grass as he drifted over it. Yes, this certainly was a calm and serene place.
That was until all of a sudden everything was upside down.
Incredibly startled, the boy let out a roar in fear as he felt something latch tightly around his foot. His locked limb flew into the air, dragging the rest of the Origamian along with it a few feet away from the ground. Utterly bemused and confused, Tahj started to flail his arms about in panic, completely clueless as to what had just happened in the mere second he had stopped to examine a flower and why suddenly the whole world was upside down. He was so thrown off guard that he even forgot to shout for help, but just hung there, completely and utterly baffled, and swaying lightly.
Suddenly, there was a thud and something in Tahj’s upside-down vision altered. Sure enough, he was now looking at a set of feet. Dark blue feet, standing right in front of him.
“Vayn’-hahn tun, Masurao?”
A voice suddenly spoke up, coming from somewhere behind Tahj, who was so utterly perplexed he still seemed to have forgotten how to speak. Suddenly another foot appeared in sight, this one light-ocher coloured.
“Wig’kun.” The other replied dryly.
Blinking at the feet in befuddlement, the Origamian seemed to come to his senses a little. Or maybe that was because his blood was starting to run towards his head. In any case, he felt a little offended, and deserving of an explanation at least. “Excu—“
“Hahn dani lit?” a third voice suddenly called out, coming from somewhere on his side. Other than the two other voices, this one sounded a little higher, which made Tahj guess it was female.
“Masurao wig-kun sin li.” the second voice replied.
There was the faint noise of shuffling in the grass and the ocher coloured foot disappeared, making room for another one, this one a grayish-brown. The other set of feet remained rigid and unmoving. Then, a face appeared. It was not unlike the other Egriadanians he had seen here, only this one’s fur was short and sleek and had darker spots here and there, and had a more streamlined look to it. Also, it was female. The face regarded him with curiosity as it tilted to the side to get a better view of him. “Lit hahn? Drigni-in?”
“Misin mit achni-lin.” Yet a fourth voice spoke up.
The face disappeared and the four creatures began a hurried conversation, in which the owner of the blue feet only engaged with a few words. His feet kept standing there, as if he did not feel the need to shift his weight to another leg. Tahj was getting a little annoyed. Not just because he had been hanging here like someone’s hunt for the past few minutes, but also because he couldn’t understand a word of the conversation, which most likely involved him. “Excuse me!” he shouted, struggling a little, his cheeks dark. He tried to float up, but somehow his foot had been tied up in a way he was physically unable to go anywhere. “Could you get me down from here please?!”
Upon the sound of the Origamian’s voice, the conversation immediately fell silent. Tahj guessed he must have startled them, since none of them spoke up for a few seconds.
“... Zih’n tahal-lit.” the female said after a minute.
“Gyjast-lit misin?” another spoke, sounding a little nervous.
They began talking again, but now the set of blue feet moved. Tahj trailed them with his eyes, but couldn’t, as before long they had appeared out of his visual range. Uttering an annoyed sigh, he inhaled deeply to raise his voice once again, but was held against it when he suddenly felt the grip on his foot loosen and -before he had time to react- he felt himself tumbling towards the ground. The impact, however, wasn’t as bad as he had expected, as his fall was broken by a few sets of arms, which pulled him to his feet in almost an instant.
Bewildered, the colourful boy hurried to be released from the grasp and stumbled a few feet ahead when the hands let go of him voluntarily. Once he had steadied himself, he quickly turned around.
It was quite an unusual collection.
He found the female, who was eying him with a doubtful, but curious expression. Then there was the ocher coloured one, whose hair was considerably more spiky than those of the others. There was also a white one, whose fur was so thick he must appear an inch larger than he actually was, and then there was the owner of the dark blue feet, who was staring right at him with a pair of piercing green eyes, which seemed to stand out most of all. The rest of his demeanor was, however, impossible to read. The foursome was shorter than Tahj himself. Obviously still children. Also, from each of their backs protruded a long wooden rod.
“... Are you from Origami?” The blue one spoke up suddenly, startling Tahj. His voice was hoarse, as if he he didn’t use it very often, but not threatening. It was more like he was stating a business. The other three looked at Tahj expectantly, two of them crossing their arms and tilting their heads.
“I ... Yes.” Tahj replied, though it came out more like a blurt than anything else.
The four children exchanged glances, the white one lifting an eyebrow at the revelation. Silence fell, in which the tallest person was still looking as if he had seen no less than a ghost.
“Sorry for trapping you.” The boy spoke up again, inclining his head in an apologetic nod.
“Maybe you should try not to tie up guests in the future.” The female said as matter-of-factly, like she was explaining a two year old why it couldn’t draw on the walls.
The blue one was quiet for a minute, in which he did not respond to the girl and kept his focus on the foreigner. “You are an unfamiliar face. I took my precautions. I apologize.”
“I ... guess...” Tahj said slowly, lifting an eyebrow, still quite astounded, no less because of this boy's odd personality. He eyed the quartet for another second, before he looked up. He saw the remains of a rope dangling from a branch and assumed that is where his foot had gone. “ ... How did I even walk into that thing? I mean ... I wasn’t even walking.” he continued, tilting his head at the leftovers of the trap, as if he would find the answer there. But he knew he wouldn’t, so he looked back down at the four Egriadanians in front of him. A few of them glanced at the blue one, but didn’t speak. This blue boy didn’t speak either, but eyed him intently, as if he was estimating him and choosing his words carefully. “You didn’t.” he said eventually. He made the tiniest of nods, gesturing to the branch where the rope hung. “I flung it around your foot. No offense, but I could hear you coming from a lis’hun away.”
The gray boy’s mouth dropped a little, gazing at the figure in front of him, bemused, while the other creature gazed right back, apparently not afraid to do so. He didn’t seem to need to blink as often as other people did. It was quite a peculiar character.
“Either one of us probably would have done it.” the white one added, flicking his fuzzy tail from side to side. “We need to keep our grounds safe from possible intruders.”
Tahj was about to elaborate on the fact that he was not an intruder, when someone suddenly spoke up. “Estni’yahs!”
The brown alien whom had escorted Tahj and Tanjio earlier, Fiyess, appeared out of the bushes, catching Tahj off guard. The teen wondered if it was a common habit of these people to just pop out of nowhere and startling their visitors. The four students in front of him, however, didn’t seem surprised in the slightest and –almost simultaneously- turned to face him.
“Oh, goodday sir.” Fiyess said as he noticed Tahj standing there, quickly adding a bow, “I see you have met our four candidates already.”
Tahj glanced at the four children and they glanced back. A subtle air of embarrassment seemed to waft over them for just a second, but neither of them seemed to acknowledge it very profoundly.
“Juro asks for your presence.” Fiyess continued, addressing the younger students. “It is time for you to meet Origami’s leader.”
The four wolfish children nodded once and –almost at the exact same time- started to walk after Fiyess, who led the way back to the central area. Tahj quickly followed after them, still a little bit overwhelmed due the recent happenings.
“Too bad we cannot finish our game.” the white one spoke up as they followed after the guide. It was remarkable how, even though there were plants and trees everywhere, neither of these creatures seemed to bump into anything while they still managed to walk side by side.
“Maybe we could have, if Rao hadn’t decided to hunt for our guests.” the ocher one said with a snicker, playfully nudging the blue one’s shoulder.
“Hey, technically you’re out of the game,” the female spoke up, gesturing somewhere to the area they had just come from. “You were down on the ground for over fifteen kuyunnis, that means you’re out.” She grinned triumphantly, her short, thick tail wagging a bit. The blue one, however, shook his head. “No I wasn’t,” he said, also gesturing over the same area. “I was within a seven yahush radius of your camp, so I was in the safe zone.”
“How did you know where our camp was??” the ocher one exclaimed, turning his head to watch his friend. “No way, you’re calling a bluff.”
The blue one shifted his gaze to the side, eying the other one. “I followed you when you changed shifts with Malynu.” he said, nodding over to the female, a little grin appearing on his face. The white one started chuckling.
“Just because you were up in the trees.” the ocher one said with a snort, lifting his chin a bit. “If you’d been down on the ground you wouldn’t have gotten that far.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” the blue boy said, nudging his comrade back, who muttered something.
As the foursome continued their conversation, Tahj beheld them in mild astonishment. He hadn’t known what to expect, but this hadn’t been it. He shook his head a bit and a small smile appeared on his face. He had to admit, Tanjio had chosen a good place to seek assistance.
The boy put his hands in his pockets and continued to trot after them, believing that his suggestion for a suitable candidate would be a good one.
THE END (or is it really? !D)
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It's not the best story I've ever written, but it'll do for now I guess XD; I liked the opportunity to write something about Egriada and sketch its outer appearance a bit. So LUSH
