Patchwork Universe

Astraeus · Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:20 pm Post subject: Inconstant Companions

Lagos woke, and cast around sleepily for her friend and master Astraeus. She couldn't see him anywhere nearby, but that didn't mean a great deal. Her ears twitched, but she couldn't hear him either. Lastly she turned to her sensitive nose and wrinkled it as she sampled the air.

He hadn't been here for some time she decided. She yawned lightly, and rose to her feet. Knowing Astraeus, she decided he would probably have gone running off somewhere pretty much as soon as he awoke, most likely to the temple, she decided and set off that way herself.

As she loped through the undergrowth, her nose occasionally to the ground, she cconcluded that her guess was right. There were faint traces of Astraeus' distinctive musk along the pathway that lead to the temple. Then, by a shrine, a stronger scent of him. Had he paused here? She looked around, and some thing downhill made her rise on her large hind feet to get a better view.

Now that was something you don't see every day. A smooth wall of mist. Interesting. Very interesting. All a twitch; nose, ears and whiskers, she tried to sense any possible danger. Some way off she could hear music being played, a shepherd she decided from the tune. No other distinguishable sounds. She could smell the normal smells of the wood. Nothing else. Nothing dangerous.

She ran down to the mist.

It didn't smell of anything. It didn't sound of anything. It didn't taste of anything, and in the course of that experiment, she discovered that it wasn't solid. Through the mist she thought she could almost make out what looked like man buildings. She wasn't sure she liked that. She decided to return to her hunt of Astraeus. Or Gaidaros might do at a push. She loped away from the intimidating, shimmering wall.