*SCCCRRRRRRREEEEEEEECCCCCCCHHHHHHHH !!!*
For the uninitiated, this was the sound of the cheetahmobile making one of its trademark last-second stops. The car's doors opened to make way for its owner, the werecheetah Brittany Diggers, and her husband Strype. The latter had his arms full with the results of his wife's latest shopping spree "Erm... Brittany darling... A little help, please ?"
Brittany turned to her husband, smiling sunnily "Of course, muffin !" She picked up a few bags from him but that left still too many for him in his humble opinion. Oh well, they were almost home anyway...
The couple entered the Diggers mansion and noticed right away that something was wrong. It was... silent. With all the people living here and their various activities (many of which could and did end in explosions), silence was a disturbing thing to experience.
"Hey, everybody ! We're home !" loudly proclaimed the now nervous werecheetah.
Her mother's voice resonated in the entry hall "We are all in the living room, Brittany ! You'd better join us, we seem to have a big problem"
Brittany and Strype looked at each other, worry and curiosity painted on their faces. If Julia Brigand-Diggers, armsmaster of Jade, said a problem was big then it was BIG with capital letters. Brittany sighed, she had hoped to have some quality time with her muffin. It was as if the Universe conspired against her.
They entered the living room "Hello, everyone ! So, mom, what's the sitch ? I mean..." Her words died out when she saw who was sitting on the sofa. She rubbed her eyes but the vision of the wererat trio that kept making her life miserable wouldn't leave her sight. Romeo had even the gall of making a weak sign of welcome. And they were having some kind of tea party to boot ! "Uh... Mom ? Dad ? Are they who I think they are ?" Her voice was strained, sounding more like a growl than human talk.
Theo nodded "Yes. You're not mistaken, Brittany. Now..." Before he could start to explain, his adoptive daughter exploded "WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE THEN !?!" Strype backed up his wife, she had told him about the many instances where she and the wererats had crossed paths, all of them bad.
The wererats in question were cringing at the anger in Brittany's voice "%$£@, I told you it was a $%&#@£ idea !"
"Miss MacKraken ! I won't have this kind of language in my House !" Julia declared with a glare, her fingers twitching over a wicked-looking silvered bowie knife she had at her belt.
"Eeeep ! Sorry !" The wererat leader squeaked. The Diggers matriarch was the one of the scariest of the bunch. Add to this a silver weapon...
Theo coughed a little to attract everyone's attention. When he had it, he began to explain "Lydia, Moisha and Romeo asked for sanctuary here, Brittany. There's something out there, something dark, who wants their blood and will hunt them relentlessly"
Strype whistled "What would be so terrible that they would seek shelter among their worst enemies ?" Everyone turned to look at the wererats.
Under the combined pressure, Romeo decided to speak "The last mission elder Gothwrain gave us... We had to steal something called the Orb of Felbast. We managed to do it but... We lost it on the way back and... Judging by elder Gothwrain's reaction, someone activated it fully and it's bad, really bad, for us wererats"
"How bad ?" asked Seance. He hadn't heard of any magical artefact by that name.
Moisha added her two cents "Well, the boss told us it would, like, transform the one who makes it work into, like, the meanest werecat in the world"
"A new werecat ? That's what you're so afraid of ? This is pathetic !" Brittany snorted. What kind of scam had they in mind this time ?
"Not the kind of werecat you're used to... Gothwrain told us it was Iceron's last work, the... weresmilodon !" Lydia blinked, only Theodore Diggers seemed to get it "A were-Sabertooth Tiger ! Got it ?"
Julia and Seance's eyes widened in fear for one or two seconds. Since they were natives of Jade, they had been raised with this particular boogeyman over their heads during their early childhood. Some childish terrors die hard "You're joking, right ?"
"I don't think they would be here if the situation wasn't deadly serious, Seance. Their tale matches the vision I got not long ago. No, they tell the truth and he is coming for them" Theo looked at his daughter and husband gravely "We'll give them sanctuary" The wererats whooped in joy and relief. Brittany, on the other hand...
"WHAT !? Daddy, you can't be serious !?! Why should we protect them !? They've been nothing but trouble for me, Gina, Brianna and our friends !"
"Oh, I am quite serious, Brittany" Theodore Diggers's face was full of resolve.
Brittany looked at her mother, Seance and Genn. They were silent and that meant they approved the whole thing "Fine ! But they better stay out of my way as long as they stay here or else...!" She showed her clenched fist to the wererats and shook it in a threatening manner. Then she turned and left in a huff for the sanctity of her room. Strype shrugged and went after her, their shopping bags forgotten on the carpet.
Moisha resumed the exchange in her own inimitable way "That went, like, well... I think"
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by Jamil Nate
(Posted Mon, 24 Mar 2003 22:37)
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