[Mkguild] MK- "Dreams" (6/7)

[Hallan Mirayas]

  It was five minutes after Misha left before Drift realized he had no idea where to go to buy flowers.  Fortunately, he had a way around that problem, thanks to where he lived.  He stepped out into the hallway, closed the door behind him, focused his mind on the image of a bouquet of flowers, and started walking.  Two corners later, he was outside and at the greenhouse.  Drift paused at the doorway, smiled, and kissed the stone archway.  "Thank you, milady," he whispered.  He paused to sniff the air for the scent of flowers, and then considered the hedge that stood in that direction, blocking his view.  There was a hole chopped in it, apparently not yet regrown after some lutin hacked through it last winter, and he stepped through.  "The shortest distance between two points is a straight line," he concluded, and started humming cheerily to himself as he continued on his way, having no idea what he'd just stepped into.

  Not far away, Xavier scowled.  "I knew a person could get lost in the Keep itself, but not -outside- it, too!" he muttered, turning yet another hedge-bounded corner.  He just wanted someplace quiet to meditate, but his quick stroll down a hedge-lined path had turned into an exercise in frustration as turn after dead end after turn presented itself, getting the black-furred leopard very thoroughly lost.  "Never had anything like this back in Lorland," he grumbled to himself.

  Rickkter and Kayla walked slowly down the path, arm in arm, the raccoon mage enjoying the chance to get away from the stress of his duties for a while and spend time with his lady love.  Kayla was still admiring the bouquet of spring roses Rickkter had bought for her, having talked Rickkter into the challenge when D'Alimonte suggested they try out the hedge maze he had grown.  "Now, Rick, you have to admit that this is pleasant... if a bit disorienting."

  "Yes, I'll give you that," the raccoon admitted as he looked around, squinting as if trying to see through the foliage.  "You realize, though, that it'll be all your fault if we end up stuck in here, don't you?"

  "All -my- fault?"  She laughed, and gave his arm a quick squeeze and a prick with her claws where she held onto it.  "This coming from the man who can spend hours sitting and fussing over one of those Eurand magic puzzle boxes?"
 
  "Well, you see, that's the thing," he explained, gesturing with a sweep of his hand to indicate the maze around them.  "It's always so much easier when you're not stuck -inside- the puzzle."

  As the four converged on a single blind intersection, Rickkter suddenly stopped and pulled Kayla back.  Even before she could ask why, Drift and Xavier collided right in front of them with a thud, a loud snap, and a yelp!

  "Ow!  That hurt!"

  "Hey, you clumsy moron!  Watch where you're going!"

  "What the hell did you do to my fur?!"

  Drift's fur stood ridiculously on end, hiding his raised hackles as he made a grab for Xavier's shirt.  The black leopard intercepted the grab with a swat of the metal rod in his left hand.  It struck the back of Drift's right with another loud snap, and Drift jerked his hand back with another yelp.  He clutched it to his chest, massaging it and swearing loudly, the muscles twitching and spasming for several seconds afterward.

  "The first time was an accident," the leopard growled, ears half back and tailtip twitching, tapping the rod warningly against his open palm.  "-That- was on purpose."

  Both of them looked over when Rickkter started laughing.  "Nice use of lightning magic, there."

  Kayla elbowed Rickkter in the ribs.  "That's not funny, Rickkter," she said, and walked over to Drift.  "Are you alright?  Let me see your hand."

  Rickkter, still laughing, walked toward Xavier and looked the leopard over with an appraising glance.  "Interesting spell you've constructed there.  How exactly does it work?  It didn't seem to draw on any external mana when it activated."
    
  "That's correct," Xavier replied.  "It's a spell of my own design... as are nearly all of my spells.  Lord Loriod forbade my family moving to Metamor, so I'm pretty much self-taught."

  "That explains the unconventional approach," Rickkter replied with a nod, and the leopard's pride notched up visibly.

  "I've actually found it a very efficient means of magic," Xavier said, giving the metal rod a quick twirl through his fingers.  "It takes only a fraction of the effort of a normal lightning spell to set up, and I can control when it discharges.  The only drawback is time."  He glanced over at a scowling Drift and returned a hostile frown of his own. "It's normally a stable process, unless some -idiot- blunders right into the storing metal when I'm not expecting them.  With this rod, and given enough time, I can build up and hold enough of a charge for a full score of lightning bolts, though Fluffy over there cost me at least two hours."

  "Why, you arrogant son of a-" Drift started to yell.

  Xavier cut him off.  "Wouldn't that be -you-, doggy?"

  "Go hawk a hairball, cat!"

  "Ha!  Looks like somebody beat me to it."

  "Alright, you two, that's enough," Kayla said, stepping between the two and holding each at arm's length while Rickkter quaked with laughter.  "Rick, you are -no- help at all."  She frowned.  "Even though everyone here seems well enough acquainted to fight and talk shop, first meetings generally warrant introductions.  My name is Kayla, and Mister Giggles over there," she said, gesturing toward the raccoon with her chin and shooting him a dirty look, "is Rickkter.  And you gentlemen are?"

  The leopard affected an aloof expression as if he found the samoyed suddenly not worth his time, and turned his attention to Kayla.  "Xavier Marcus, formerly of Lorland.  Weather mage..."  He glanced over at Rickkter, then back to Kayla, and added through grit teeth, "…in training."  The last two words were grudging, as if the admission had to be dragged out of the cat.

  "Drift Snow," the samoyed said, looking around at the intersection with a baffled expression.  "Look, can somebody tell me the way out of these hedges?  I'm going to be late."

  Rickkter caught Kayla's eye and smiled slightly before shaking his head.  "No, I think we're both as lost as you two.  Drift, I've heard of you.  Misha says you like using a taur form.  If you shifted, I'd bet Xavier could stand on your back and see over the hedges.  Between the two of you, we could all get out of here."

  "I could just rear up, myself... no, then I'd need someone to brace me while I tried to figure out the route, and I don't think any of you could handle that weight.  I can't balance that long."

  "If you get as big as Misha does, no."

  "Bigger."

  Rickkter snorted a laugh.  "Definitely not.  I like my spine unsquished, thank you."

  Xavier, who had been looking back and forth between the two, an ear back in confusion, butted in.  "Excuse me... but what are you two talking about?  What's a taur form?"

  Drift shrugged his backpack off and held it out to Kayla.  "Would you please hold this, ma'am?"  She took it.  "Thank you.  As for what a taur form is," he continued, still frowning slightly at the black leopard, "it's better if I show you.  If you'll all excuse me for a minute..."  He ducked back around the corner he'd just come from.

  Xavier started to follow, but Rickkter stopped him with a hand on his chest.  "Give the man a moment's privacy, alright?"  His enigmatic smile stifled the leopard's question, and Xavier waited with the rest until Drift stepped out from behind the hedge again.

  The cat's eyes widened and his ears went back when he had to look -up- to match gazes.  He'd been the tallest in his family, and almost always the tallest in any crowd, but the creature that stepped from behind the hedge was at -least- a head taller than he!  Powerful muscles shifted under that white pelt, which extended back from where the samoyed's waist had been, over a massive dog's body whose back came up to Xavier's lower ribs.  "Oh, my..."

  Drift retrieved his backpack from Kayla and tucked his pants away inside before stepping forward, leaning down to look Xavier squarely in the eye.  "Put your claws into my back and all the magic in the world won't save you.  Got it?"

  Xavier nodded, ears half back in caution.  "I'll be careful."  After a pause, he sighed and added apologetically, "Hey, look, Drift...  I'm sorry for shocking you.  It's just been a lousy morning, alright?"

  To the cat's surprise, Drift nodded and gave a slight smile.  "I can understand that.  I've had some pretty lousy mornings myself."  He offered a hand, which the black leopard shook, and then hooked a foreleg as a step up onto his back.  "Now, how about we make a bad morning into a good afternoon and get out of here, okay?  I've got a girl to go see."

  Rickkter and Kayla walked along behind as the pair scouted the maze, arm in arm once more.  "That was pretty clever, Rick," Kayla said quietly, "getting them to work together like that to smooth over their differences.  Are you -really- lost, or was that all planned?"

  The raccoon mage chuckled and shook his head.  He gave her hand a pat with his own.  "Now that, my dear… would be telling."


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