A Story Of Magic and Monsters

Machines

The background noise of chugging machinery was very calming. As soon as she said yes she was swooped into that empty room below Lalna's bedroom and was encouraged to do her own thing.

And right now. She was cleaning up the dust, filling in holes. And trying to get the smell of wet wood out from every surface.

This took a long while. And when she was satisfied she looked around the empty cylindrical room and sighed. Stepping on a tele-porter and going to the storeroom to make some furniture, and maybe steal some books.

As she was knitting woolen blankets, she noticed that the Castle was never quiet, the humming of power and industrialization took over the place. Even in her room there was a quiet buzzing.

She finished the white blanket and dipped it in a bucket of red dye. Red was her favorite color after all. She hung it to dry on a windowsill, and looked up.

Lalna was by a huge glass sphere, inside was purple tendrils of light and massive red arches of lightning.

He seemed to be taking notes, if anyone could believe it, to her it seemed otherworldly, this man seemed... so strange, to his episode where it seemed like he was chocking, to his laughter, to his erratic behavior.

But before she knew it he was gone. And apparently had went to do something else.

She returned to her work and by the end of the day, she had a nice electrical heater, shelves to line some of the wall, a large bookshelf, a two person red bed, and a circular red rug she had found in the storage.

The only problem was that she didn't know how the heater worked. She had plugged it into the main power and turned it on, but it still didn't seem to be functioning.

So she went on a search for her teacher, going every which way, up, down, even in a large man sized pipe in the storeroom. Until she reached the long stairwell to the cellar, that was directly beside her room in the tower.

It was damp and dark, as her eyes adjusted, she saw a flickering candle held by a stooped figure, it looked nothing like Lalna, it's face was bloodied and bruised and it's teeth looked sharpened to inhuman levels, and it's eyes... were a horrible blood red...

"Nano?" Someone called to her, and she looked back to see Lalna holding a ball of light in his hand, he flicked his wrist and the ball stuck to the ceiling like it had always been there.

She looked back and the figure was gone, and the candle was sitting on a large barrel.

"There you are. Where were you?" She tried to contain the fear that had run through her, it must have been a trick of the light. Yeah... that was it.

"I went outside the walls to check on my quarry. "Are you okay? You're a little pale." He stepped up to her carefully, feeling her head with his hand.

"You don't have a fever...." She felt her heart skip a beat, and then he clapped his hands in revelation.

"We haven't eaten! That's probably why." He chuckled and sighed and then motioned her to follow him.

They went through the castle walls and out the massive door, outside there was a dirt road down to the valley.

"There's a town down the way a bit. I usually get food from the Factory but...." He looked at her for a moment and chuckled.

"You're not ready for them."

They started to walk down the road, Lalna could fly, but Nano was a bit wary of jet packs so he decided to get some exercise.

The town was small, with a little wooden wall and a bell tower in the town hall, it could defend itself from monsters but anyone else, probably not.

So it was good that they served good food and pretty much let everyone do whatever they wanted.

His castle could still be seen in the distance, and as he looked he became aware how large and foreboding it was, looming over this town, even if it was far in the horizon.

He knocked on the large wooden gate fixed astutely in the wall and a short, brown headed man peered over the top of the wooden railing.

He looked at Lalna, then at Nano, and then the door opened outward, greeting them to the village.

The village was swarming with people, even with the sun going down rather quickly, they had quite a bit to say, but the only thing Nano could hear was incoherent babbling.

"Errm... What are they saying...?" She asked Lalna as they strolled down the well lit, cobbled street.

"No idea, they understand us though, so it really doesn't matter." There was a little building that seemed to stick out, as it has a giant chimney with smoke billowing out of the top.

"We're here. Don't talk to anyone though, they might try and sell you something." He gripped her hand and pushed open the small door that Lalna had to duck through, though Nano was just fine.

"Hey Cain!" He exclaimed as he went up to the bar, there was a bald man with a beard and a long nose, and a mouth that had a few teeth missing.

"Lalna! What can I get you?" The man jibed, and Lalna chuckled.

"Your English is getting better friend." Cain gave a toothy smile.

"Yes, there have been more trade with your people. I have had to learn." Cain laughed a little and then stared at Nano.

"What can I get you two? We have food and drink."

Lalna looked up at the menu (That was just a painted sign) and picked out a roast chicken. And Nano went next Getting a mushroom soup.

"Have a good time you two." They had a seat and Nano looked around.

This place was packed, and loud, almost every seat was full, and every seat was filled with a short, stubby body that was speaking quickly in what sounded like gibberish.

"Here is food." The man returned and slid two plates of steaming food onto the table, the portions were massive for such a small race of people. The bowl was half Nano's length, and the chicken was the size of Lalna's head.

"Is that chicken or is that a dinosaur?" She piped up, and Lalna laughed heartily.

"Trust me Nano, I've seen them. And I'm still not sure."