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Untitled Document
"I can’t believe I’m doing this," Killerflurry mumbled
as he waded through the waist deep marshes of Meridell bog, searching for an
elusive Mortad. (A baby Mortog). The Lupe finally caught sight of one, and jumped.
With a sharp squeal, the toad-like Petpet leapt into a clump of grass and disappeared.
Killerflurry hit the muddy water with a loud splash; his handsome starry coat
caked in a thick coat of slime. The Lupe groaned as he stared over his mud-covered
body, spitting out sludge and rubbing the much from his eyes. He glared at his
lab partner, Zarrelian. The Halloween Ixi was lounging on the lush bank, chewing
on a Voidberry that he had snatched from a bush in the berry farmer’s crops.
"Why aren’t YOU helping, Zarrel?" the Lupe growled.
The Ixi sighed exasperatedly. "I am! I’m the
encouragement. Oh! There’s one, grab him, grab him!"
Killerflurry whirled around and spotted a large
Mortad, resting passively on a large lillypad. The Lupe lapsed into a hunter’s
stance, crouching low to the surface of the bog, not caring about the mud now
that he was already completely slathered with it. With a low growl, Killerflurry
narrowed his eyes and launched himself on the Petpet and grabbing it around
the middle before it could escape.
Grasping the wriggling Mortad in his paws, Killerflurry
trudged proudly back to the shore, grinning despite the horrible smell that
was emanating from his sludge-coated body. Zarrelian groaned and held a hoof
up to his nose, glaring at his lab partner.
"Yeesh, you’ve got to take a bath, or jump in
Illusen’s springs or something, because you smell awful!" the Ixi spat. Killerflurry
stuck his snout up in the air.
"You’re welcome. Catching this wily little beast
was no problem at all, Zarrel," the Lupe replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Whatever," Zarrelian replied, gathering up
his things and clip-clopping off. Killerflurry barked and hurried after him,
placing the Mortad carefully in a large, water filled jar.
"Hey, wait up!" he yelped. The Lupe quickly
overtook the Ixi, his legs being much longer and stronger. Killerflurry slowed
to a trot and continued to jog alongside Zarrelian.
"Can we meet at your NeoHome to do the project?
Mine’s being repainted," he asked, his voice slightly muffled and distorted
as he was carrying the Mortad’s jar in his jaws. The Ixi nodded, picking up
speed so that he could launch himself into the air and fly the rest of the way
home.
"Sure. Be carefully, though. My sister a tad
apprehensive of strangers." And with that, Zarrelian took to the air, flapping
his tiny wings at about ten thousand beats a second in order to keep himself
aloft. Killerflurry sat down on his haunches in the moist ground and just watched,
in amazement, as Zarrelian sped off through the air. It truly was amazing to
watch such a large creature being propelled through the air on such tiny, tiny
wings…
***
Killerflurry gulped as a very skeptical looking shadowed Gelert glared at him
from within Zarrelian’s NeoHome. The Gelert narrowed her eyes, pawing the sleek
handle of her fiery Attack Fork as she eyed the starry Lupe suspiciously.
"And how do I KNOW that you’re Zarrelian’s science
partner and not a door to door salespet?" she snarled. Killerflurry whimpered.
"Please, miss. I just want to come in so that
I work on my science project…"
The Gelert regarded the Lupe for what seemed
like an hour before finally nodding and stepping aside so that Killerflurry
could quickly scurry in. The Lupe exhaled in relief and took a moment to take
in his surroundings.
He was in a nicely furnished NeoHome. It was
modest, yet quite cozy. Suddenly, Killerflurry’s ears picked up the sound of
a fellow Lupe. He turned around and saw the strangest looking Lupe bounding
down the stairs with a huge grin on his face. Eyes sparkling, the Lupe pounced
on Killerflurry, laughing.
"Flurry! Zarrel’s told me all about you!" he
said, smiling warmly. Killerflurry grinned weakly back.
"Uh, hi. Err, how are you?"
The Lupe stood up and dusted himself off, sticking
out a paw. "I’m Mordegan! Of course, everyone calls me Morty. I’m a forest Lupe!"
he replied proudly. Killerflurry chuckled thinly and edged slowly away.
"No kidding! Well, anyway, I’m off to go help
Zarrel with our Science Project."
Grateful for the excuse, Killerflurry galloped
away from the strange Lupe and rocketed up the stairs, following the signs that
Zarrelian had posted all along the NeoHome with arrows pointing to the Ixi’s
room. The starry Lupe gingerly pushed the door open with a paw and grinned.
Zarrelian had a huge desk. It would be perfect for the Science Project. Killerflurry
grabbed his knapsack and pulled out the glass jar containing the Mortad, who
looked quite grumpy. The Lupe placed the jar on the desk and slid into the cushy
padded swivel chair. His sensitive ears caught a distinct stomping sound coming
from the hallways outside the room. Killerflurry whirled around in his swivel
chair and watched as Zarrelian, his face obscured by a large pile of papers
that he was carrying, swaggered into the room. The Lupe leapt up to lend the
tottering Ixi a paw with the vast multitude of paper, and then returned to the
desk. Zarrelian grinned as he dropped the papers on the vast wooden surface.
"Okay, I got all the stuff we need for our project,"
he said.
Killerflurry raised a brow. "You’re working hard…
Why the change of heart?"
Zarrelian leaned against his desk. "Because Battlesunn
says that if I don’t get at least a C plus on this project, we won’t get to
go to the Haunted Fairground for our holiday." He shuddered. "We’ll probably
have to go somewhere horrible, instead. She said that she’d let Mordegan choose…"
Killerflurry snorted. Whatever motivated his
Science partner was fine in his books. The Lupe spread the papers out, selecting
a pencil from the empty Borovan tin on Zarrelian’s desk and twirling it between
his starry-furred paws.
"Okay, I think we should start by making a chart.
We can separate it into three sections, Mortad, Mortog, and… After the ‘Kiss
Of Death," he chuckled at his own mild joke and began to draw a large circle
on the paper. Zarrelian watched with distaste.
"Well, while you do that, I’ll err, ‘observe’
the Mortad." The Ixi propped his face up on his hooves and make scary faces
at the mortified Mortad, who looked ready to faint from sheer terror.
Killerflurry grinned as he put the finishing
touches on the poster. He stood back to admire his handsome job.
"There! Now that’s a nice poster, eh Zarrel?"
he glanced around. "Zarrel? ZARREL!" The Lupe caught sight of Zarrelian, who
was currently immersed in scaring the poor Mortad to death. Killerflurry grabbed
the jar from the Halloween Ixi, glaring daggers at him.
"Zarrel! That’s our science project, QUIT WREAKING
THE PROJECT!" The Lupe slammed the jar back onto the desk, its contents swaying
precariously.
"You want to do the practical part of the project?
Fine. You keep the Mortad at your house, and you take care of it. I’ll do the
written work at school, all you have to do is watch the Mortad and tell me what
he does during the three stages of his life." Killerflurry thrust the jar back
into Zarrelian’s hooves. "Take good care of it, or you end up going on Mordegan’s
dream vacation." The Lupe turned on his heel and stomped out of the NeoHome,
taking the chart with him. Zarrelian grinned and winked at the petrified Mortad
in the jar.
"Heehee, I sure got the better end of that deal,
huh?" The Ixi seemed to consider the Mortad for a moment.
"If I’m going to be taking care of you, then
you need a name," he thought about it for a second, and then snapped his hooves.
(Not an easy thing to do!)
"I know! I’ll call you Morton."
To be continued...
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