The Ballad of the Bygone Drifters - The Forgotten

╔═════════ The Forgotten - Chapter One ═════════╗

831 Words

The air hangs heavy and pungent, not an unpleasant smell but an oddly oppressive one. Like the smell of a centuries old terrarium that had finally been opened to the sun; green and fresh, yet stale and unfamiliar. Otho wrinkled his nose, fighting against the sudden urge to sneeze. Oh what an abhorrent sensation, and one that would likely continue to plague him on this musty journey.

“So if we are to gain favour with this clan, we must steal from the others?” Otho’s ears twitched as he was pulled back to the matter at hand. Cailu was padding ahead, with Mari at his side. The albino Vayron cocked her head slightly in query, looking up towards their new companion, “Doesn’t that seem rather… counter-intuitive?”

Cailu gave a small half-shrug, “Well, you don’t necessarily have to steal, you could always help the younglings with some pranks.” He gave an awkward half-smile as he surveyed the group. “That’s ah, a bit less malicious?” 

Even in the dim light, Otho can see the furrows adorning Mari’s snout. He glances to his side where his last companion matches his step, gently bumping his side to catch his ear with a whisper. “Cailu doesn’t know his audience.” 

Otho gives Grizz a small smile in return, “No, I think he does,” he breathes, “He’s positively sweating bullets.”

The two paused in their trot to regale the pair in front of them: Cailu who was desperately trying to come up with a fool-proof justification, and Mari who was becoming more and more exasperated with his feeble attempts to rationalise his plan.

“Come Pothos,” Grizz nudged him playfully, “I think this is where we take the lead.” and with that she lunged forward, easily catching up to Mari and Cailu, “Tag, you’re it!” she purred, barely giving time for Mari to register her presence before she shot off deeper into the caves.

Mari let out an indignant cry, whipping her head around to face Otho as he joined the leaders. The glare she gave him would give any Reosean pause, Otho knew however, that these were always empty threats. 

“Come on Mari, just some harmless pranks and we’ll have some friends for life!” and with that he bounded on. He couldn’t help but smirk as he heard Mari’s steps behind him, each footfall punctuated with a verbal protest. Cailu followed the group gleefully, chattering away without a pause to breathe. 

By the time the three caught up to Grizz she was already surrounded by a group of Haedian younglings, two of which were eagerly showing her what could only be described as… bombs? Otho snuck a glance at Mari who was caught between catching her breath and hyperventilating at the sight of children handling volatile explosives.

“-paint powder bombs!” piped up one,

“And tripwires!” the largest of the children twirled a length of string between his claws, pulling it taut.

“So we have a plan,” Grizz looked down at the younglings with a mischievous grin, “You two,” she gestured to the two with the paint powder bombs, “Let’s get those set up over the main thoroughfare the Brutes use, you,” she turned her attention to the third, “you get that tripwire planted, if we do this quick enough we can catch them on their next patrol.”

She whipped her head round to her two Vayron companions, “Mari!” Her abrupt bark caused Mari to clamp her jaws shut, stopping her lecture before it began, “You’re our lookout. Cailu, we’ll need you to help reach the ceiling. Otho, you’re with Tripwire.” Otho nodded and looked down at the eager Haedian,

“Come on, come on! Just up ahead there’s a crossroads, we can run the tripwire across the stalagmites!” With that the group sprinted off down the passage, emerging into an open cavern. The cavern was decorated with glowing crystals of various colours, each expertly surrounding a passage entrance, of which there were numerous. 

“One, two… six… twelve… I-I thought you said this was a crossroads lolnot a maze!” Tripwire looked up at the Vayron with a hint of confusion,

“It is a crossroads, each of those passages goes somewhere! Some come right back here, but most go somewhere; that’s what a crossroads is!” he grinned and tossed one end of the tripwire to Otho, “Yellow crystals.” he stated, and scampered into his chosen tunnel, expertly slinging and looping his end of the tripwire around a crooked stalagmite.

Otho trotted after him, mimicking the younglings method on the opposing stalagmite as the rest of the group set about their designated tasks behind them. It wasn’t long before Mari was corralling them all with hushed whispers, ushering them back into the cavern and behind the cover of rocks and rubble.

“This is a terrible idea, they’re going to kill us!” seethed Mari as Grizz bumped her side,

“Calm Mare, it’s only harmless fun.”

Her sentence was punctuated with the sounds of a muted explosion followed by a cacophony of coughs and splutters.

╔═════════ The Forgotten - Chapter TWO ═════════╗

811 Words

It didn’t take long for the patrol to zero in on their location, with the Forgotten children rolling over in peals of laughter at the Vayron trio’s paws. “I think it’s time to abscond.” Grizz huffed under her breath, “Come-” Mari felt a tug at her collar as her partner gently clasped her scruff in her teeth, “We should go.” 

Mari swung her head to meet her partners’, Otho’s panicked emerald eyes and Grizz’s filled with resolve. Her gaze drifted downwards, regaling the three ecstatic Haedian pups who were paying absolutely no heed to the impending danger prowling towards them.

“Grab the pups!” She didn't have to tell them twice; Grizz was already trying her best to herd the children back to standing, and Otho was having a heated argument with his Haedian compatriot.

“Kid, we have to go! They're gonna string us up for dinner!” The chubby pup sat back on his haunches and folded his arms.

“Nuh uh! What's the point of a master prank like that if they don't even know it was us? We gotta get them to remember the Forgotten!” Otho stood in front of the pup, legs placed wide in an effort to stop the pup from passing,

“Now's not the time for that fight kid!”

“Says who? You don't know what it's like down here!” 

The argument continued, but at this point Mari’s mind drifted, the raised voices becoming background noise for her racing thoughts. Of course they don't know what it's like down here, the Vayrons had the command of earth and sky, the friendships of other humanoids and beasts alike. 

These Haedians lived in deep caverns, without sunlight, trees or birds. Her eyes wandered across the cave walls, slick with damp and moss, such a welcoming sight, especially for those without the warmth of a proper clan. 

She watched the children protesting with her companions, so adamant to hold their ground. To these children these weren't just fun pranks, it was a protest.

She took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Please,” several pairs of eyes swung around the meet hers; some wearing an expression of pure disgust, and some looking utterly bewildered.

“Please, the children mean no harm. They simply want what you have, friendship and recognition.” The gathered brutish Haedians shared a confused glance; Mari took this as a sign to continue. “These children are growing up in your shadows - unloved and forgotten - watching your own children live the life they crave! Of course they're going to cause havoc -pull pranks and trip you up - your clan’s mere existence is a slight to their suffering!”

The air hung thick and silent as the brutish Haedians considered her words. What a strange interaction indeed! What was meant to be a routine patrol, interrupted by the clanless children's insufferable pranks, only to be followed by this strange, stunted Haedian barking her support of these intolerable children.

Otho and Grizz stood side by side, every muscle in their body poised to leap and finish the fight - should it start. The pair was tense, but their hearts were filled with pride as stubborn Mari stood her ground in the wake of these towering beasts.

“That's our girl,” breathed Otho to his companion, “Speak first, consequences later.”

“Please,” Mari whispered to her audience, “Do not punish these children. Instead understand their plight, acknowledge their misfortune. They simply want attention and love.” 

Grizz bumped shoulders gently with Otho, their unspoken signal to each other to pay attention. He felt the tenseness in his muscles ebb away as he saw Mari’s hind legs shaking ever so slightly with adrenaline. He padded over to stand by her side, nudging her neck with his snout. I'm here.

On her opposite side, Grizz stood, leaning into Mari’s flank. We’re here. With the support of her partners, Mari stood taller and steadfast.  “They're just kids.” She whispered.

The adult Haedians stared down at the Vayrons in front of them. So easily could they swipe them aside, yet despite their small stature they were tenacious and stubborn, something the Brutes admired. The leader took a tentative step forward, curling her claws as Grizz mirrored her step, pulling back her lips to reveal sharp teeth.

“Easy,” commented the Haedian, “We mean no harm. Your words have swayed us.” She bowed her head to regale the three children who now cowered behind the three Vayrons, tails between their legs. “These Forgotten children have graced our vision-”

The Haedian beside her stepped forward, lashing his tail against the stony ground as he bared his teeth, “And our scales!” He hissed, his scales still bearing the telltale colours of the paint powder bombs. The lead female held up her claws, pushing her compatriot back behind the unspoken line. 

“We will forgive,” she grinned, a smile with no hint of warmth, “Should these children rectify their wrongs.”

╔═════════ The Forgotten - Chapter THREe ═════════╗

824 Words

The lead Haedian extended her ‘wing’ in a grand sweeping gesture, “We will forgive, should these children clear their mess.” She snapped her ‘wing’ back to her side, sending up a puff of blue paint, “Both us and the caverns.”

The three children loudly groaned their complaints as Otho gave them an apologetic smile, “We’ll help, it's only fair.” 

The adult Haedians shared a smug grin. “You can start with our hides.” And with the grace of a cat she stretched her arms out in front of her and gently lowered her rump to the ground. Her gang laid down with far less grace and a lot more huffing.

“Right,” breathed Grizz, “Let's split up, Otho and Pipsqueak you go get some cleaning stuff, me, Tripwire and Cailu will get water. Mari you should stay here with Paintbomb,” she awkwardly glanced towards the Brutes, “So they know we'll be back.” She gently nudged Mari’s nose with her own, “We'll be quick.”

Mari gave her a sad smile, “Please,” she whispered, “You know I worry without my partners by my side.” Otho gave her neck fur a playful nuzzle, 

“Breathe easy worrywart, we'll work fast.”

And with that the three Vayrons parted ways, two of them led by their small Haedian companions.

Grizz, Cailu and Tripwire walked several minutes before Cailu finally broke the silence, “I have to admit,” he said, “That was a pretty good prank.” Tripwire could barely contain his grin as he bounced forward to take the lead, trotting backwards to face the adult Haedian.

“I know right!! We've been practicing for months! Paintbomb makes the bombs herself and the tripwires are all me!” He beamed with pride, “The Brutes finally noticed us!” His ears drooped, “Even if we are in trouble…” He perked up again, “But that's good!! Maybe they'll actually look at us when they patrol the borders now, maybe bring us some treats or tell us stories.”

He continued yammering away to his two new friends as Cailu shared a knowing smile with Grizz, “See, we've made some friends.”

Grizz couldn't help but smile back as the trio made their way through the caverns to retrieve their quarry. 

The walk felt like an age but it only took ten minutes to reach the watering hole and return to the group with skins filled with water. Otho and his Haedian ward were already making awkward small talk with Mari and the third pup, aware that they were always being watched by the Brutes.

Mari visibly relaxed when she saw Grizz return. The group quickly got to work gently sloshing water over the backs of the adult Haedians, avoiding occasional nips and quips as unwieldy claws got to close to delicate membranes.

Soon the Haedians were relatively clean, and the group's attention turned to the cavern walls. Cailu cocked his head to the side as he studied the mess painting the rock. Reds, blues, purples and yellows, all adorning the stone in vibrant and fantastic colours. “You know,” he murmured, “I quite like the colours. They bring some beautiful vibrancy to these dark and dreary tunnels.” 

Otho padded up beside him, “I agree.” He paused and glanced back at the Brutes patrol, the majority of which were now getting to their feet, ready to continue with their rounds. 

The lead Brute approached them, “You have proved to be trustworthy,” she gave the bright walls a furtive glance, “We will leave you to continue your clean-up. We will be back round this way in just over an hour, and we expect to see results.” she lashed her tail against the wall, sending out a resounding boom - a lightly veiled threat.

Otho gulped and nodded, “We'll sort it! Promise!” 

And with that the Brutes snakes off down the empty passageway, leaving the group alone in the barely lit tunnel. “So,” said Cailu, eyes twinkling with mischief as they watched the Haedian tails retreat, “Anyone else thinking what I'm thinking?” 

He took one claw and traced a line in the paint, followed by another and another, creating a crude depiction of himself in bright pink paint. He stepped back proud, and the children squealed with glee, quickly dipping their claws into the powder on the walls and joining in the artistry.

“Is this really a smart idea?” Grizz mumbled apprehensively,

“I mean, probably not, especially since we're visiting the Brutes next,” he shrugged one shoulder, twisting his neck to one side to better see the Vayron at his feet, “But they're all sticks in the mud anyway and need to lighten up!” 

Grizz frowned slightly, and she could see Mari mirroring her concerned expression. Otho however had already joined in painting the walls with the children, and now next to Cailu’s depiction of himself was one of the three Vayrons and the Haedian children beneath them.

“It's all in good fun,” Cailu smiled softly, “If the Brutes don't forgive at least they won't forget.”