Riff slept soundly in his luxurious room in the Air Island castle, the steampunk aesthetic fit well, of course, his bed was large and soft, contrasting the solid, shiny steel frame surrounding the bed.
It was a perfect lazy Sunday, or, that's what Riff thought. His sentient green guitar peeked its singular eye to look at the gimmicky gear-shaped clock hung on the wall, and its eye went wide.
It shot up, bouncing over in short quick bursts with light thuds to the Air Quad's bedside table; which was a chuck of metal.
It couldn't stand, but this was a close enough distance. It let out the most wicked (and loudest!) guitar solo by itself right next to Riff's supposed ear.
"WOAH!!!" Riff jolted and sprung up, whipping his head to his guitar. "RIFF JR…!!!! COME ON DUDE, IT'S SUNDAY AT 7AM!"
"More like MONDAY at 10:40!" Its guitar let out a screech, whilst Riff groaned.
The orange monster paused, and realized "...Aw, CRUD! IT'S A QUAD MEETING TODAAAYYY!!!"
He screamed, rolling off the bed and hitting the floor with a thud.
He quickly got up, scrambling to get a briefcase he luckily pre-packed with documents the day before, a clear case to pack his guitar, and briefly combing his messy hair sloppily with his claw.
"YIKES! DON'T SLAM THE CASE!" The guitar squeaked, as Riff shoved it into the guitar case, it had holes so that his guitar could breathe.
"COMING THROUGH!!!!!! " Riff grabbed his keys and dashed into the monster flooded hallways of the castle.
"EVERYMONSTER OUTTA THE WAY!!!" Riff recklessly barrelled through a wave of monsters, jumping off the indoor balcony and fluttering down to safety using his wings.
He landed in the lobby and saw a snack cart. He dashed over and grabbed a handful of trail mix for breakfast, a briefcase and case in one hand.
"Ewwww, did you wash your hands?" The guitar questioned with disgust.
"GOT HAIR, 'DON'T CARE!" He yelled, then rushed outside. The cool wind immediately hit him, oh, how he wished it was Sunday.
He separated the two objects into each hand, lifted up, and started zooming through the clouds.
His comparatively small wings to his body ached like a sprained knee, he shoved a fistful of trail mix into his mouth for breakfast, he was rushing so much he didn't even have time to eat with his feet!!! (jk lol)
"STUPID ALAAAAAARM!!!" He shouted into nowhere, purely from frustration and mentally beating himself up.
"Maybe if you used, call me crazy; an actual ALARM CLOCK?! And not your freakin' Airphone?"
"Didn't ask, don’t sass me you INSTRUMENT!”
The orange monster rolled his eyes, and strained himself to keep flying, passing over the ragged, ashy mountains of Earth Island. He spotted a few monsters waving at him down on Earth Island.
"Ayyyy! Heyyy! Selfies later dudes!"
"You're not a celebrity, mon. HUMBLE YOURSELF!!!"
"Can I not have a second to appreciate myself?!"
He passed over Earth Island, and now over the Living Ocean too. He had no idea what the conditions of the weather are today, but he doesn't care.
If he arrives at this meeting no minute later than 11, he'll get paid! His hair was in tangled knots, split ends evident, even for his standards. He basically woke up and sprinted out of bed.
"COME ON RIFF JR. IF WE MAKE IT ON TIME, WE'LL GET PAID!" He shouted into his sentient guitar.
'Riff Jr.' just rolled its singular eye, looking outside the clear case and enjoying the view of soft glimmering waves.
Schmoochle was leisurely flying while Riff was finishing a world record for Fastest Flyer be done.
The pink-haired Schmoochle head giggled at the little pecks and kisses the other head would give
"Ohhh, stop booboo bear! <3"
"Only if you stop being so freakin' cute, my little smunkin pie!"
The soft-horned Schmoochle head continued its public display of affection on their sweetheart.
"MOVE OUT OF THE WAAAAAAAYYYY!!!!" Riff was rapidly approaching the duo-headed monster, and it couldn't stop in time.
"USE THE BRAKES!"
"THAT MAKES ZERO SENS-"
“AHHHHHH!!!!! " Everymonster screamed upon impact.
Riff smashed into Schmoochle, but luckily kept flying anyway. Schmoochle fell rapidly and screamed together.
Riff could hear a faint splash while getting farther from the scene of the crime, but he didn't care. MONEY, BABY!
"So what was that shtick about "USE THE BRAKES"? That literally makes, like, ZERO SENSE DUDE. I'm not even in a hot air balloon, and hot air balloons don't have brakes!"
Riff scoffed and rolled his eyes. He started getting closer to Plant Island, steering left and right, avoiding Tweedles to not cause another mid-air accident, but still slammed into a few anyway.
Why were Tweedles even near Plant Island? Riff thought, but shook off the thought.
As he approached Plant Island, the beautiful green landscape distracted Riff.
"Dang, my island looks dead compared to this haven ... I might actually use hiking trails!"
"Oh please, you only go outside to run errands."
"QUIET! You have guts for something that doesn't have any guts!"
Riff sneered, but continued on his journey. He gazed down at the luscious greenery below, not noticing ahead that...
"LOOK OUT!" The guitar tried to shout, but Riff was too distracted.
"Woah ... kinda jealous of EntbraAAAAAAAOOOOOWWWWW !!!!!!!!!!
CRASH!!!!!!!!
He didn't realize he was flying too low, and crashed into a large yellow Piney Tree. Upon impact, the tree shook, and Riff swore he saw a Him-shaped dent in the tree, the needle-like leaves sticking to his fur, but it didn't hurt. This is so uncool!
He landed on his side, destroying a patch of native smunkins, adding insult to injury and getting covered in smunkin goop.
He hugged his briefcase instead of his guitar to protect it. "I TAKE IT BAAACKK!!! THIS PLACE SUUUCKSS!!! " He screamed, crawling out of the now-smushed smunkin patch , frustrated and angry at his state. He shook off as much gunk off his body as possible, but most of it stuck anyway.
"Don't drink and fly! I warned you, and this is how you repay me?! DROPPING ME FOR A BRIEFCASE ?!!??!?!" His guitar shouted, muffled by the case.
"Shut up with your dumb one-liners!" Riff snapped, getting up and storming towards Riff Jr.
Riff started getting angry as he got closer. "AND ALSO, YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME, LITTLE DUDE! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE SUCH A LOUD MOUTH, FOR WHAT ?! TO-- AHHH!" Riff tripped on a stone, falling ahead of Jr. the guitar and landing in a regular thorn bush.
"Hahahah, karma, baby!"
"UGHHHHH! WHATEVER!"
He grabbed the briefcase he dropped and Jr., and started to fly again, determined to get to the safe, clean, and dry place that was the Plant Islandcastle.
He was at breakneck speed, destroying a few small trees from the speed he was going, thus the twigs and leaves in his hair. A combination of smunkin slop, piney needles, and thorns were already unpleasant, but it was about to get even worse.
Riff sped over a sudden change in terrain, from soft green grass to opaque, gritty mud, not noticing the difference yet from the speed he was going. His muscles were getting so sore and limp, just a few more minutes... just a few... more... minu... te... s...
"Mrrrrh ... so ... tired ... must ... " Riff was getting exhausted, he let his eyelids close for just a second. Just a second. Just one second.
~
"Ugh, finally, some ME time ... " Bowgart muttered, he shifted around to get comfortable, and when he sat just right, he sighed blissfully, closing his eyes as he relaxed in the mud.
It was nice and cold, perfect for a warm sunny day. "Mmmm, perfect for the horns ... " It was like a spa day, except he didn't burn a hole into his wallet.
"Must ... " Riff peeked open his eyes just enough to see him falling. FAST.
“REEEEEEEEEEE-”
SPLAT!!!
Riff faceplanted and was dragged through the mud from the speed he landed. Every inch of him was absolutely drenched in mud. The briefcase and Jr. skidded across the mud, Jr. screaming via high pitched guitar.
"OH, GREAT HEAVENS!" Bowgart squealed, failing to cover his face as a huge wave of mud splattered across his body from the impact of the other monster. Not like he minded, it's not a mud bath if you're not fully covered!
"RIFF?! "
Riff lifted his face from the mud, hacking and spitting out mud.
"AAHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!! WHAT THE FUNK !?!?? 1 ?! OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, I'M DONE. IT'S OVER. WE'RE SO OVER! IT'S OVERRRR!"
The Air Quad rolled around as he cried out in defeat. He then turned to see a familiar face.
"...Uh." A word Riff let out.
His face suddenly went warm, Riff was REALLY embarrassed of being in this muddy state, especially in front of a fellow monster. His reputation is so done!
"What a surprise to see you ...Ruined my moment." Bowgart murmured through his closed lips while saying that last part.
Riff paused, he looked down at himself one more time, and realized how absolutely AWFUL he looked.
"... OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, NOT COOL, NOT COOL DUDE!!!!!!!! "
The orange quad began to hyperventilate and panic, trying his best to wipe some mud off his face, but only smearing it further.
"Calm down, Nirvana! It's just mud! Look at me, am I panicking over some mess? Showers DO exist, shocker." Bowgart added sarcastic jazz hands at the end of his word.
"DUDE! I HAVE A MEETING AT THE CASTLE IN LIKE, WHAT? 5 MINUTES?! I CAN'T LOOK LIKE THIS!"
"Oh, then you're screwed dah-ling. Not like that's my problem~" Bowgart cooed, putting two arms out of four behind his head smugly as he scooted forwards a little, to have some space to lie down and wallow in the mud.
"WHATEVER, MUD FREAK! ENJOY YOUR STUPID MUD BATH!!! " Riff grunted, he started to wade through the mud. It was a struggle, he constantly fell, even faceplanted again.
"BUHHH- I HATE- HATE THIS FRICKIN' DANG- STUPID STUPID- STUPID PLAACEE!" He screamed, pulling his face out of the mud, reaching over to grab Jr. first, the clear case stained by the mud.
"Oh no, the consequences of your actions ... " Jr. quipped.
"DO YOU WANNA BE SMASHED AGAINST A HARD CONCERT FLOOR?!"
"...👀😨"
"Exactly, shuddup!"
"I don't shut up, I grow up, and when I look at you, I throw up-"
Riff silently opened the case to let Jr. be mere inches away from mud. It squeaked, rattling around for Riff to close the case and back to safety.
"EWWW, WHAT THE HELL?!"
"Do you want me to dump you here?!"
"NO!"
"SO SHUT YOUR SASSY LITTLE MOUTH!"
Bowgart overheard the dilemma, and chuckled softly. Oh, it's quite funny.
Riff waded over to fetch his briefcase too, before clambering out of the mud, absolutely humbled by this situation.
He got up, then stomped on the ground angrily. Covered head-to-toe in mud and a totally not cool mess, he just decided to run for it, these wings are useless!
"SEE YA NEVER BUNGORT! IF YOU TELL ANYMONSTER ABOUT THIS I'M KILLIN' YOUUUU!"
"I wasn't going to, Riff!"
Riff dismissed Bowgart, and decided to sprint to the castle, his wings keep betraying him. After 10 minutes of only adrenaline fueled running, he arrived at the castle door.
He pushed the doors open inwards, and then dashed inside. He was pushing innocent local monsters out of the way, he ran up the large grand staircase, making a sharp left to Entbrat's meeting room. Once he reached there, he slammed the doors open, finally, he's here ... at 11:45 AM.
"BUHHH- MuUuHHHHH- I'M HERE! I ARRIVED!"
Shellbeat eyed the tissue box nervously.
"...Need a... tissue... Riff...?"
Deedge furrowed his eyebrows, and pointed back to the door.
"...Get out."
‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
ART BY MY BESTIE @frixtizy !!!!! GIVE HER SOME LOVE!!!
summary: Strange things are afoot in the shattered world of Cantilyra, and a mysterious pair of siblings have appeared out of nowhere with no memories of their past. Tawkerr and Parlsona awoke on Plant Island together, but the distress of their situation is getting to them, and uncontrollable oddities seem to fellow the two wherever they go. Without explanation, Parly has fled Plant Island, and Tawkerr sets off to a wintry land across the sea in search of his sister.
snowflakes are gently falling,
each one on a journey.
~•~ ~•~ ~•~ ~•~ ~•~ ~•~ ~•~
Tawkerr • Jan. 1st
Tawkerr awoke with a start to the bite of bitter cold on his skin. Drowsy and disoriented, he drew his cloak tighter around his shoulders, fingers aquiver in the chilling wind.
For a moment he remained still, trying to collect coherent thoughts from the stirring slew in his aching head, and then he finally remembered just what he was perched atop and why he heard the roaring of waves all around him.
He lifted his weary eyes to meet the back of Bessie’s long, azure neck and sighed, leaning back against the saddle strapped to her shell. “Aye, sorry, Bess…must’ve dozed off.”
The lamphrie craned her neck back to peer at her rider and crooned softly, slapping her fins against the water. Tawkerr sighed sleepily. “I know, I know, ‘s not safe…hey, where are we?” With a rub at his eyes, he suddenly realized the dichotomy between the freezing sting of the air around him and the warm, floral winds he was familiar with. “…Good Galvana, we must be a long way from Plant Island. How long have we been moving?”
Bessie trilled once more and tilted her head to glare at him.
“You’re the one who agreed to take me!” Tawkerr shot back.
Bessie snorted in a manner more reminiscent of a bull than an amphibious sea steed.
“Okay, okay, my bad…” Tawkerr yielded. “Are we at least near land, ya’think? With civilization, I pray…?”
Just as he said that, squinting his eyes at the horizon, he noticed the faintest, blurriest shape on the distance, peering right back at him from the fog. For what he could make of its size relative to its distance, it had to be big enough to be a proper island. “Speak of the devil!” He said breathlessly, fixing his frost-glazed hair and gathering up Bessie’s reins in his hands. “Pick up the pace, Bess! This may be where Parly’s run off to.”
Perhaps Tawkerr’s entire form was shivering and fangs chattering as he reached the shore, but however freezing he felt, the heat of his determination kept him moving forward. Bessie finally came to a steady halt, the swishing of her fins on the waves evolving into repetitive impacts against wet, icy rock. Tawkerr swung his legs off the side of the saddle and let himself slide down. An icy slush of frozen mud and gravel crunched beneath his boots as he hit the ground, stumbling at the sudden weight on his feet. “AH! Geez! H-Haven’t actually used my legs in a while, huh?” He laughed shakily, leaning on Bessie’s slick shell for support. “I’d better find some kind of building before I become a bleedin’ ramsicle…you alright here?”
Bessie gave a quiet trill of confirmation. Tawkerr patted her on the fin, then immediately regretted getting his hand damp, as the cold now bit at it harder than ever. “See you…wait for me here, okay? If I dont come back in a day or two, then… I-I don’t know. Gosh, I’ve probably got the king worried sick, huh?”
The lamphrie blinked at him sadly with her dark, wise eyes, as if to say “yes, you do.”
Without another word, Tawkerr tugged his bag from the saddle and started off, stepping over rocks and chunks of ice jutting from the ground as he headed toward the center of the island, where mountainous structures of rock towered above the sparse wintry wasteland and converged in a peak.
It didn’t look too terrible a climb, especially for someone as agile as himself, so he supposed it would be worth taking a look…
The world around him was now cloaked in a cold, murky gray, as if it had been dredged in a fine layer of bleakness and shadow. He couldn’t tell if it was day or night, as the sky was dark and cloudy all the same. He only spotted the occasional tree, and even those were bare and blackened, looking as though they must have been long dead. The further he walked, the more uneasy he began to feel…the chill settling into his bones and singeing his skin didn’t help. Suddenly he wished he knew pyromancy.
He kept walking.
Had it been only minutes? It felt like hours.
Still walking.
He didn’t feel any closer to the mountains.
And still he walked. He walked until he felt like he couldn’t anymore.
And then he reminded himself of his sister, and it kept him walking.
~•~ ~•~ ~•~ ~•~ ~•~ ~•~ ~•~
Maggpi • earlier that day…
All evening, Maggie had been counting. She counted each swing of the axe, each loud, crisp crack of the logs splitting in two beneath its blade. She had split 47 logs, now, and made 94 pieces of firewood.
Keeping track of numbers usually kept her mind anchored and stopped it from wandering, but nothing could pry her thoughts away from the worries in the back of her head.
Crack. 48 logs, 96 pieces.
She only now noticed how badly her arms ached, the subtle shaking each time she lifted the axe again, but she didn’t allow herself to pause. She couldn’t afford to think about anything else. But here she was, mind still racing.
CRACK. 49, 98.
Maybe it was just the atmosphere getting to her. Everyone had been acting strange lately. Practically all of Cantilyra knew about it; Irrational decisions, casters’ magic acting up, ferality at an all time high…Everyone she had spoken to about it agreed that they had been affected by it too. But what was it? Some sort of arcane anomaly? And it wasn’t like it was a select thing— Elves, humans, centaurs and tabaxi alike felt this inexplicable off feeling. Something stirring deep inside their instincts, causing them to just act…strange, overall.
CRACK. 50, 100.
Maggie paused. Her trembling arms let the axe fall to the ground without further prompting, and she plopped down clumsily against the side of the toolshed. Sweat trickled down her face, despite standing amongst snow and ice.
…Or maybe she was just sad and scared. Maybe she just wanted to know who she was, why she was here and where the hell Stoowarb was.
“Maggie?” A quiet voice piped up, piercing her thoughts. She lifted her head to see a familiar four-armed, blue-coated figure standing in the gateway of the yard. Bowgart gave her a nervous wave with three of their arms, using the fourth to fidget with their coat button. “Uh, hey. I…saw something?”
Maggie squinted at them, wiping her forehead with her sleeve and rising back to her feet. “What is it? You sound worried.”
“Well, I was just collecting berries for dye over by the edge of the woods, and I spotted somebody coming up the mountain from the east side. They didn’t look familiar…I know they may just be a traveler, but we never get travelers up here!”
Maggie furrowed her brow. “Odd. What did they look like?”
“They were a small fellow, with horns— sort of like you and your brother, but more thick and curly like a ram’s— with silvery hair. They were far off, so I didn’t see much, but they looked awfully young…”
Maggie felt a painful pang at the mention of her brother, but didn’t let her expression betray it. “Ah. I-I’ll go check it out, it’s probably nothing to worry about.” She picked up her axe and stuck it into the thick stump beside her, moving to step past Bowgart and out of the yard.
She stared ahead at the snowy landscape with hesitance, and for a moment the anger and fear crept back into her mind. She hated this. She hated everything about the present.
But once again, she told herself it would be alright, and it was just this weird phenomenon affecting her mind. She set off toward the edge of the thicket.
~•~ ~•~ ~•~ ~•~ ~•~ ~•~ ~•~
Tawkerr
Tawkerr had been told many times before that he was too stubborn, but now he was starting to see it himself. As he threw himself against a wall of rock with an exhausted groan, nestling into his cloak that seemed to provide no warmth, he finally realized he had probably bitten off more than he could chew.
…probably.
His numb fingers found their way up to the brooch around his neck, circling the insignia pressed into the gold plating, and he felt his throat tighten. He had to keep going. He was so close to the top.
But before he could rise, he went still, ears twitching at the sound of something, or someone, approaching. He didn’t know whether to be hopeful or terrified, so he just shuffled back against the rocks and stayed quiet.
“…I see you, you know.” A gruff woman’s voice sighed from out of Tawkerr’s view. An accent he didn’t recognize roughened the edges of her words, making them sound somehow coarser and growlier.
Tawkerr squeaked and stiffened, peeking out from behind the crags. Standing cross-armed before him was a stocky woman with a serious expression laid across her fierce green eyes. She had mahogany horns and fuzzy ears like him, but other than that, it felt like staring straight at his polar opposite.
She had warm dark skin and wild, silvery-mint hair that fell over her face messily, swaying slightly in the wind. She was dressed far more warmly than Tawkerr, probably because she actually knew what she was doing in this environment. She looked over the tiny boy before her and clicked her tongue. “You lost?”
“Maybe,” Tawkerr answered curtly.
“Care to explain how you got here? Hardly anyone visits this place willingly.”
“…Uhhhh. Is “big turtle thing” a valid answer?”
The woman sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Do you want help or not? You’ve got snow in your hair and look like you’re about to collapse. Look, I’m in a bad mood. Tell me your name and why you’re here or I’m leaving.”
“Fine, fine!” He scrambled to his feet and scrubbed his hands through his hair to find that there was indeed a fine film of frost coating it. How much could he even say about his situation…? He decided to keep it simple. “Name’s Tawkerr O’Charo. I’m looking for my sister.”
“Really?” The woman quirked her brow and looked to the side briefly. For a moment she looked genuinely surprised, but it faded into a scowl just as quickly. “You seem to be far from home.”
“…I’m…not all that sure where my home is.”
She was silent for a moment, then her head bobbed just barely in a short nod. “…Me neither, Tawkerr. Me neither.”
Tawkerr shifted uncomfortably. What was that supposed to mean? He rubbed his forearms anxiously and decided to throw in another snide comment to wave away the tension. “…You gonna tell me your name? Or was that just a one sided thing?”
“Maggpi.” She said briskly, then added “…call me Maggie. If you want. I don’t care. Now, as much as I’d like to leave you here, I’m shackled by sympathy. Follow me to the castle. We’ve got warmth and food, at least…or freeze to death, if you’d prefer.”
Tawkerr perked up. A castle! Maybe this place wasn’t all that different from Plant Island, after all? “The former sounds…mighty favorable!”
“Then keep up.” Maggie spun on her heels and started off into the crop of spindly trees that speckled the mountaintop.
• • •
Neither Tawkerr nor Maggpi spoke a word for the entire walk. Tawkerr’s throat was burning even more than usual with the cold, and Maggie simply didn’t seem like much of a talker.
Soon, though, Tawkerr spotted icy, crystalline spires shooting out above the treetops. The two broke out of the thicket and into an open space of pure white snow, riddled with footprints and shoveled pathways snaking between buildings. The bright expanse was mottled with many small cabins made from dark mahogany wood that stood out starkly like an arctic fox’s eyes amongst the white, along with a few larger buildings boasting colorful string lights and soft, warm glows pouring from their windows.
But most prominent, front and center of the town, was the castle— a breathtaking mass of sparkling, spiky sky-blue spires that appeared as though they were made from pure ice.
While not even a quarter of the size of Plant Island’s castle, It was a centerpiece that stuck out strongly amongst the more quaint cottages that surrounded it. Tawkerr stood for a moment, admiring the strange structure, before scrambling to catch up with Maggie. He felt a tug of hope somewhere inside him.
As they approached the castle, a four-armed figure in a blue knit coat came into view, standing stiffly by the central door and fidgeting with ten of their twenty fingers.
“Bowie!” Maggie called ahead to them, gesturing to Tawkerr. “This the guy you saw?”
“That’s him,” the Bowie person squeaked in a soft voice. They regarded Tawkerr with worried brown eyes and a small frown. “Is he alright? What’s he here for?”
“Told me he’s looking for his sister. We’ll get to the details later. Either way, he’s freezing out here. Let’s get him inside, okay?”
“Ah, yes!” Bowie agreed, pushing open the castle doors and scurrying inside. “You two, sit down in the lobby. I’ll get you some tea.”
“Oh. Thank you,” Tawkerr murmured, feeling a little safer already at the stranger’s kindness. Maggie led him inside as Bowie set off to another room.
The castle lobby was, again, rather small compared to Plant Island’s, but still a lovely sight. Gazing up at the center of the lobby allowed a view all the way up to the dome at the roof’s peak, with crystalline chandeliers hanging from either side of the ceilings formed by the second floor. At the back wall, a pair of symmetrical stairways overarched a massive hearth and met at the second level, where he could see many doors lined up— presumably guest rooms.
Along the sides of the lobby were carpeted areas filled with chairs, couches and coffee tables, a cozy sort of contrast to the striking and sharp beauty of the rest of the castle’s interior.
Maggie sat him down at one of the couches closest to the fireplace and handed him a thick, bundled-up blanket that had been sitting on a nearby ottoman, then plopped down with a sigh on an armchair across from him.
He muttered another thanks and buried himself in the blanket hastily. The inside of the castle was already much warmer than the outside, with the heat of the nearby hearth steadily seeping the chill from his bones, but the blanket was like a warm hug. The chunky knit material felt thick and fluffy on his pawpads, and the subtle flaws but visible care in the knitting led him to suspect that it was handmade. How charming.
Tawkerr leaned against the arm of the couch and let his weary eyes fall shut for a moment, comforted, even if it was just for the time being. He only shifted again when he had to restrain a purr from forming in his throat.
Maggie just stared off into the hearth’s flames distantly as Tawkerr basked in the newfound warmth, eventually turning to him. “Any better?”
“Yeah…god, ‘s cold out there.” Tawkerr rasped.
“Well, we are on Cold Island.”
“…this place is just called…Cold Island?”
“It’s an island that’s cold.”
“Ah. I suppose you’re right. I can’t say anything when I’m coming here from Plant Island.”
“…Let me guess, it has plants?”
Tawkerr chuckled quietly. “How’d you guess?”
“Hm. Just had a feeling.” The corner of Maggie’s mouth turned up just a tiny bit. Tawkerr feigned a gasp. “What? You have a sense of humor? Never woulda guessed that!”
“Are you usually this irritating?”
“Mhm.”
Maggie grumbled and crossed her arms behind her head, her fluffy, mint-tufted tail curling up beside her. “Well…welcome to our little town, I guess. I haven’t…been here that long, but as secluded as the island is, it’s a fairly nice community. Small, but close. And better than being stranded in an icy wasteland by a longshot.”
It was then that Bowie reappeared and set down a couple of ceramic cups filled with steaming, golden-brown liquid. “Here, that should warm you up. Let me know if you need more.”
“Thank you,” Tawkerr said again, but didn’t touch the glass. He eyed it cautiously as Bowie slipped back into the room beyond the seating areas. As much as he felt it would help warm him up, he couldn’t bring himself to take a sip for some odd reason. Why…?
“Hmm.” Maggie lifted the cup to her lips and closed her eyes, seeming to relax slightly for the first time. Slightly, but not completely. She sat back up and set the cup on the table with a soft clunk. “You said you were looking for somebody?”
“My sister,” Tawkerr affirmed. “We were on Plant Island before, but things have been…weird. Tense. Got into a big fight, she didn’t want to talk to me, and after I went looking for her the next day I found nothing but the fact that there was a hot air balloon missing…so, y’know. I took a lamphrie from the docks and decided to search, because the king couldn’t send out an immediate search party.” He didn’t mention the…other things. He couldn’t mention that.
“Jeez.” Maggie furrowed her brow, visibly concerned. “Does she even know how to fly a hot air balloon?”
“Probably not. She’s only 16. That’s most of the reason I’m terrified.” Tawkerr clenched the edge of the blanket to stop his hands from shaking. “…I’m really, really worried. I don’t want to think about what could be of her right now.”
Maggie nodded silently. “Well, we haven’t seen anybody new in town in the past few days except you. Especially not anyone in a balloon.”
Tawkerr felt his heart sink. “Oh. Okay…”
“…But we can ask the chief here to contact the other councilmen and see if she’s been spotted on any other islands.”
He sprung up again. “Really? You’ve got a quad council member here?”
“Sure do. Not the most influential, but he’s got connections. I imagine king Entbrat has started a formal search by now, huh? …why did you even go yourself if you know he’d send people looking anyways?”
“Because I knew it wouldn’t be immediate…? I guess. Ugh, my…my reasoning sounds stupid now that I think about it.” Tawkerr hid his head in his hands. “I-I sort of freaked out, okay? I was in a rush and it was all I could think to do. I’ve just been feeling—“
“Off?” Maggie finished for him.
“Yeah,” Tawkerr said slowly, giving her a bemused gaze. “…Off. How did you…?”
“Making quick decisions without thinking, being suddenly more short tempered and aggressive, bouts of confusion and distress…” Maggie went on, listing each point on her fingers. “…everybody in Cantilyra has been feeling it. There’s something out there that’s disturbing everybody’s instincts, but nobody knows what. It just started a few months ago, apparently. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of it.”
Tawkerr leaned back on the cushions. “That explains a lot. God, I…what’s going on?”
“We don’t know. Nobody knows.” Maggie folded her hands in her lap with a small shake of her head. “But it can’t be good.”
“Ah.”
“…Anyways, we’ll talk to Deedge. He’s the councilman around here. Since we’re such a small community, he’s fairly easy to contact and is close with the people, so it shouldn’t be too much trouble.” Maggie said. Tawkerr managed a small smile, glancing at his untouched tea. Something was off. “…Maggie?”
“Hm?”
“What did you mean earlier? When you said you didn’t know where your home was either?”
He noticed her tense slightly, gripping the arm of the chair a little tighter. “What did you mean by it in the first place?”
They locked eyes for a moment, both of their gazes skeptical…but slowly fading into recognition. Something about them both felt too similar. Different, but the same, like two sides of a coin. They both seemed to realize it— so many things that were far too alike. The plating on their horns, the gold undertones in their eyes, all their specific features that they didn’t seem to notice on any other creature in Cantilyra except one another— and most of all, their apparent situations.
Somehow, it felt like they were one in the same. A moment of mutual understanding dawned on the two, beyond words.
Maggie let her hands relax again. “How long have you…been here?”
Tawkerr’s eyes widened. There was no way she was referring to anything else. There was no way that was a coincidence. “You’re like me.”
Maggie straightened in her seat as well. “…You woke up a few months ago somewhere with hardly any recollection of where you were. With nothing but—“
“My sister.” Tawkerr finished.
“And for me, my brother.” Maggie murmured.
“…Wait, did your sibling—?”
“Go missing too? Yes. They— They’re on the lookout for him right now. His name is Stoowarb.” For a second, Maggpi looked as though she might cry, but she blinked it away quickly and pursed her lips. “I nearly did the same as you and ran off myself to find him, but the townsfolk have been monitoring me since I appeared here. Can’t blame them.”
“…What the hell, Maggie.” Tawkerr said blankly. Not a question, just an expression of pure bewilderment. How were they so similar? What was this? “…Who are we? Why is this happening?”
Maggie’s eyes told Tawkerr that she was equally baffled. She chugged down the last of her tea in one gulp before speaking again, and when the cup left her face, her eyes became cold, determined and steely again. “I don’t know, but it seems like we’re in this together. I don’t know if that’s comforting or disturbing.”
“Comforting, I think.”
“…I guess so.”
Silence.
“Alright.” Maggie started to get to her feet. “Let’s go talk to Deedge. Maybe then we can find out what’s going on.”
to be continued.
Glossary
Aurochian- a race of horned humanoids, which Tawkerr, Maggpi, Stoowarb and Parlsona belong to. Not many Aurochians still exist after the Worldwipe. Aurochians are split into two main groups, the Eldos and the Illmi. Eldos carry bovine and canine aspects and are known for their larger and sturdier builds, strong senses of smell, physical prowess and adaptability. Illmi are smaller in comparison, appear more ovine and feline, and possess high agility along with keen senses of sight and hearing.
Bessie- one of Plant Island’s transport Lamphries— Tawkerr and Parly’s favorite. Loyal, but has an attitude. Can be bribed with lettuce.
Cantilyra- the world that the Cantilyric Saga takes place in, currently in a state of repair due to an catastrophic incident that occurred 25 years before the events of Chorus.
Cold Island- a small island nation, aptly named for its chilly climate. While seemingly a hostile environment, Cold Island’s small but close-knit community is very warm and welcoming, watched over by Chief Deedge.
Feral- a term used for when certain inhuman species of Cantilyra, such as satyrs, tabaxi, aurochians and the like revert into a temporary state where they behave more animalistic and instinctively, sometimes to the extent of becoming completely confused and nonverbal. This can be caused by stressful situations, overexertion or person-specific triggers. The frequency, intensity and effects of ferality differ from person to person, some not experiencing it at all.
Lamphrie- a large species of aquatic reptilians characterized by their long necks and thick shells, commonly domesticated and used as water transportation.
Maggpi Hermeas- one of the mysterious aurochians who appeared in late 24-post. A no-nonsense woman with a versatile skillset, sharp of mind and tongue. She’s tough to crack, but is soft-hearted and caring deep down…though she’d knock you flat sooner than she’d show that.
Plant Island- A large island nation known for its temperate climate and fertile land, ruled by King Entbrat. Despite its size, it’s towns are scattered and large portions of it are uninhabited, making it the second most populous nation next to Earth Island.
Quad Council- (Not to be confused with: Quarrister Council) also referred to as the Council of Quads, informally as “The Bosses” or simply as The Council, the Quad Council is a group of prominent island leaders— referred to as Quads or Councilmen— who banded together around the start of post with the goal of unifying their nations and rendering the rule of Cantilyra more coordinated and peaceful. The primary members of the Council currently consist of King Entbrat, Chief Deedge, General Riff, Princess Shelby and representatives from the Quarrister Council (yes, a council within a council.), with several lesser-involved members from the fire islands.
Tawkerr O’Charo- one of the mysterious aurochians who appeared in late 24-post. A charming and princely yet rather roguish fellow with a knack for getting up to no good and little tolerance for being bossed around. Has some sort of chronic illness affecting his respiratory system and voice, but still manages to never stop talking.
In his house where he and his siblings are staying, Humbert wrote his postcard to Wilbur when he started to rub his right eye. It was a dead night. A few monsters are asleep and some are and still doing their job. Humbert felt a little bit tired after taking care of his siblings when they got home. But his gut just told him to visit Berlioz and another Wubbox Xe knew.
Wait! I have to check my siblings tho, thought Hum. Stood up from his office chair and scrambled to his siblings’ rooms, Xe peered into Xe's triplets’ room. It was a mess! Toys and books and stationery are scattered everywhere. The clothes next to the wall are piling up. It looks like a montain. Hum then skulked to Skia, who is the youngest out of her two other brothers. She has brown hair like her mother with a pink-tinted red on one of her strands. She is sleeping soundly, with a Furcorn plush, made of dyed Woolabee fur and a twig they found at Plantera as a visit. He planted a kiss on Ski’s cheek and said goodnight to the triplets before going out to visit the Rare Wubbox and Berlioz.
After a few minutes or so, Humbert finally arrived at the apartment where they live. He knocked on the door and asked,” Hey, it’s me, Humbert. Can I come in please?”. The door creaked, and with a blink, a rare Wubbox appeared from the inside. They’re a guy who has messy flaming red hair and the eyebags have come to make his appearance look a bit sad. “Oh, it’s you, come in, Berli wants you to comfort him,” Like the triplets’ room, it was messy, but it was just a tiny tad. Humbert felt something and skulked to Berli’s room. And there he was, sitting at the edge of his bed.
His appearance looks like his father’s (Lucazia “Luca” the Galvana), with a sunset orange hair and horns that bent downwards. However, he still has his other father (Vincent) looks, as a teal wavy strand made its appearance. His right arm and right leg are rusting, causing him to cough and clench his chest hard. Very hard. “...Hey,” he greeted with his clenched teeth. His mouth has retainer bars on his teeth. Braces. His gentle golden eyes meet Humbert’s lime green eyes. He smiled, but it was a sad, soft smile that made Humbert almost have a breakdown.
Xe sat with Berlioz with a smile that made him assured. “Hey,” xe greeted back.
“Waltz called you here?” Questioned Berli.
“Yea,”
“What brings you here?”
“Well, I was writing a letter to Wilbur, your brother, about how I was feeling. But then I thought about you so,” he paused to sniffle his runny nose.
“I-I-I visit you to know how you feel about it.”
Sadness has clouded his face. He put his palm onto his sadden face. Shivering. Quivering.
Berli patted his back. Pat-pat.
“Hey stop crying, it’s not your fault that your best friend slapped his sister and ran away,”
“YES, IT IS!”
Berli flinched. He never saw a Humbug lashing out his angriness before, but they did.
More will come when Hum is growling his madness towards Wilbur.
“HE DID NOTHING BUT-BU-BUT YELLED AT US FOR NOT SAVING OUR PARENTS A-A-AND GUARDIANS ALL BECAUSE OF THIS STUPID GREEN BIRD THAT STOLE OUR FU**ING GUARDIANS DREAM AND DAMN, I’VE WANT TO KILL THIS BIRD!!”
“Hum, calm down!” quipped Walter, nervously. “They got killed by our guardians so it’s fine,”
“FINE?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN FINE?! THEY JUST AN ASSHOLE WHO WANTS REVENGE!” Screamed Humbert. They are tears streaming down to their cheeks.
“Well, they got defeated, so just breathe,”
Realising that he’s been yelling at both of them, Hum slowly inhales and exhales. Feeling calm right now, Xe asked,”Are there any chocolates in here?” ───※ ·❆· ※──────※ ·❆· ※──────※ ·❆· ※───.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆.
Back at their house, Humbert was lying down to his bed. He finally wrote down the letter and let the Meeb send it to Wilbur just for a reply. Lying on his side, he admired Gossamery at the window. It was night here, but to Gossamery, no matter what day it is, it’s always night, even in dark, calm nights. The moonlight shone to the crystals, causing Hum to block the bright light by squinting his eyes.
What is wrong with me? Why out of all the responses I could give to him, I yelled at Berli? Question swirling his head like a tornado.
