When the Moon Lies ✓

Ch.11: Ancient Squiggles

Edited: Sept, 17, 2020

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Pinti eyed the Halfhuman called Lalina with suspicion as they sat around a coffee table on light gray sofas and sofa chairs. Lalina was a Haundai type Halfhuman with a dog's head and a Human body but with dog feet. She kept adjusting her red-rimmed glasses that somehow rested on her face without falling off.

"Blue to the roots," she muttered, staring at Pinti's fur. Galag brought a tray with tea and pastries. Deel grabbed a pastry before the tray was on the table, stuffing it into his mouth and making crumbs fall on the rug. He sat cross-legged on the sofa, of course, still in his Human form.

How can he enjoy being Huamanoa? Pinti frowned and when she flicked her tail it slapped Lalina in the face because she was leaning in, inspecting Pinti's fur.

"Whoa, fluffy floof!" Lalina said with a smirk. Pinti ignored her and tried to control her irritated flick, but sometimes a tail had a mind of its own.

Galag shrugged off his cloak. "Is it just me or is it hot in here?"

Lalina laughed. "Just you. But you have been by the oven."

"Help yourselves as Deel has already. Puff pastries, my own making."

"Consider me a part of it," Lalina chimed, "I kept watch while you were gone." Galag tipped an invisible hat to her and she gave a satisfied nod with a smile playing on her lips.

If Deel's eating it, it's probably fine, Pinti reasoned and helped herself to a chocolate puff pastry. They came in five flavors—fish, custard, chicken, chocolate, and plain. While Pinti ate the fish and chocolate, though not together, Deel stuffed everything in his mouth at once and ended up gagging at one point. The pie crusts were buttery and flaky and bits of it crumbled onto her napkin and onto the floor, but she didn't have to worry about the mess. Galag had small broom creatures, the size of her paw, that came over and opened their bristle mouths to eat up any crumbs that fell.

"I call them the Sweeper Creepers," He chuckled, "or just Creepers. Moves and lives on magick. Occasionally have to charge them up with strawberry leaves and oak bark, but other than that, you just let them do their stuff."

She flicked crumbs from her chin and watched the Creepers feast. Unlike Kathula magick that could only be used to heal both mentally and physically, Sorcerer magick could do all kinds of things including projecting their magick and using it to attack. If only she could use her magick like that, Pinti knew she would have fought to the death for her clan.

And then I wouldn't be here, surrounded by Sorcerers and an idiot. She licked her chops and cleaned her whiskers of crumbs using her paw. She caught Lalina staring at her with an open mouth and bristled a little. Other races always stared at her mannerisms to see how much alike or not Kathula and cats were.

"So, now that you've all filled your bellies a bit," Galag set his cup down with a clank, "let me just say, how nice to have you all h—"

Lalina let out a soft bark. "Oh, cut the sentiments, Galag. I didn't just ditch my vacation home in the Second Ring to hear you being all sentimental." She popped half a pastry in her mouth and licked her fingers. "Get to the main topic."

"Galag!" Deel said. "Look, chocolate fingers!" He grinned with chocolate cream all over his fingers that he licked one by one until just a pinkie was left. "Wanna lick?" He held his hand out and when Galag made a move, he quickly stuck it in his mouth with a grin. "Not sharing!" He laughed.

Pinti twitched her whiskers at his childishness but remained silent. He was their problem, not her problem, and she hoped that after this, she would be on her own.