“This is truly amazing. I haven’t had an apple like this ever.” He was engrossed with the rosy fruit.
Chase laughed, “It’s just a red delicious apple. They’re extremely common.”
“Not where I’m from. We have loads of fruits, but nothing like these.”
“What is your favorite fruit?”
“Honey Bark,” He said without hesitation.
“Bark?”
“Yeah, it’s this special type of tree that the bark grows a thick layer of sticky sap on the inside that gets really thick around fall when we harvest it. It is almost exactly like honey, perhaps a little thicker and less sweet, but it is exceptional.”
“Sounds wonderful. I’d love to try some.”
“I wish I could take you back to my world and show you some. But that would be forbidden.”
Chase asked, “Why can’t you just grow some here? You were growing a lot of vines and other plants.”
“That’s because I’m a nature mage. All Satyrs are nature mages. But, our magical plants are just like the trees grown by Wood Elves, not real. They cannot bear fruit or seed. And they will evaporate eventually. So, even the wood itself is useless. Temporarily, it is very useful, but in the long run, it’s worthless.”
“Too bad, that honey bark sounded delicious.”
He took another bite of the apple. “This is just as good, maybe a little more tart, but...here, you gotta try some.” He pulled out a knife and sliced some off for her. He reached over and put it between her teeth.
Not far from Chase and Torrik, a seething little bunny hid behind a tree, which he was gnawing on as he growled. His green eyes were witness to the flirty scene between Chase and Torrik.
“Dude, you’re tearing all the bark off the bottom of that tree,” Arx said.
EB let go and spit out chunks of bark. “That naked furry piece of goat-cheese is making moves on Chase!”
Arx huffed, “So? It’s not like she’s your girl.”
“She is my girl, well maybe not my girl like a total girlfriend situation. I’m working on that. But, they hardly know each other and he’s feeding her apples, and she’s giggling at him. It’s disgusting!”
“She’s just try to make him feel welcome.”
EB snorted, “Welcome, my lucky foot! That jerk is all over her. Right now, they should be working! Not sitting there, giggling and eating apples!”
“I agree.” Justin surprised both of them.
Justin walked toward the Chase and Torrik. Arx and EB sheepishly followed behind him, both caught spying.
Chase greeted Justin with a casual, “Hello.”
Torrik held up the apple core and was about to announce the glory of this fruit when Justin started in. “I sent you here to work. I questioned the idea of coming into this place to get anything done, but I thought better of it. Looks like I should have gone with my gut.”
“Hold on there, Master Justin, we have something.” Torrik said.
“Director Justin, not Master. And just what do you have? Plans for a picnic.”
Torrik stood up, tossed the apple core aside, and came dangerously close to Justin. “I’m here to help you. I have been a military leader for over a hundred years, which I have learned is a long time for your kind. Now, either you stop with the attitude or I can take my findings and go this alone. Got it?”
Justin glared at Torrik, not backing down. “What did you discover?”
Torrik said, “Looking at the information we dug through, there are several possibilities of creatures that she once tried to summon in our world that she could have replicated here. There is this...” Chase handed him a book. “This creature your people call Scylla is described very similarly to a monster she once summoned.”
Justin looked at the open book. “Great, a myth from a legend that has no basis in real geography. Do you have any idea where that monster’s location would be?”
“No. I hoped that you, being from this planet, might have a better grasp of the map.” Torriks’ tone was purposefully rude, almost to a challenging point.
Chase hopped up. “Considering the location of the legends, we can narrow it down considerably.”
Justin spent a moment looking at the artist's rendition of the legendary monster. “Are you sure about this?”
“No. But it’s the best we have.”
“Fine. I’ll have the computer start working on sorting through historical data and see if we can find anything to give us a lead on a location.” He turned and left, not giving them any sort of parting statement.
Torrik waited a moment and then asked, “Why is he so brusque? I know I arrived ready to fight, but we understand each other now.”
“It’s not you.” Chase said.
EB agreed. “Justin has been real rude and strict for a while now. Don’t know why. I tried giving him some really good chocolate and all, but he refused it. I mean, he refused MY best chocolate. You haven’t had anything like that. It’s just the best, and... what was I saying?”
Arx said, “Director Justin was acting this way before you arrived. I’m considering moving the TALOS initiative to the United Nations, or at least a BADGE location off this station.”
“You’d leave?” EB asked.
Chase said, “He’s not the only one. Have you seen Strange Quark around recently? Even Krystal and Chaz have stopped coming for news info. They just pick up the standard media wire from the computer. Justin has been rubbing everyone wrong for weeks. I’ve even thought about going home to my father for a while and working for BADGE on Earth.”
EB yelled, “Don’t leave!” then realized he shouldn’t have yelled that and said, “sorry.”
Torrik asked, “What is BADGE exactly? Is it just a global defense guild? A military force working for your kingdom? I don’t know much about your world and even less about BADGE. I just knew it was the security force keeping the Eye of the Hydra.”
EB said, “It’s a military organization, a reeeealy strict one. You know, you gotta wear pants... unless you’re a little cute bunny... and no fraternizing, and...”
“EB, shut up,” Chase said with a dismissive tone. She smiled at Torrik and took his arm, “Come with me, I’ll show you around and tell you about BADGE. It is an interesting place. I doubt you have anything like it where you come from.”
Arx and EB watched them leave, both a little green eyed at the sight of the pair. EB far more jealous than Arx.
“I’m going with them.” EB stated.
Arx said, “No, why don’t you go help them research locations for this next monster? I gotta go check on TALOS and make sure things are quiet.”
“But, I wanna...”
“Spy on them. Sure, I want to know what they are doing and I don’t want her and him being a couple, either. But she is not interested in me, and by now you should know she doesn’t like your advances.”
“Nothing of the sort. She likes me flirting. I mean, that’s why she is after that hunky goat. She likes furry, cute, magical people. Well, I’m all that and a bag of carrots. She’ll come around. But, I suppose nosing in on them isn’t the best thing. I’ll go help Justin... no, wait, he’ll just yell at me again. I’ll go and...ugh...read more myth books.”
0 Comments