A Study of the Fauna of Termina [For kasumu_sekai]

[feathered_mages]

The next time the younger Rydia sees the little Black Mages, they may seem a bit more prepared for a trip. At least judging from the new little grade-school-type backpacks they're sporting. Blaze had picked those up for them at the Nexus Mall, being of the opinion that visiting other worlds was a great opportunity to pick up Shiny Things and that it might help to have something to carry them in. He couldn't use a backpack himself, what with the wings, but he has no doubts about their usefulness.

Comments

[feathered_mages]

"Okay," says Mistral, who's making more hollow ice cube containers and another sled for gathering up the Boes the Magelets have managed to find. He's prompted the Hiploop to search the area and headbutt any trees to shake down Boes that might be hiding up in them.

Rydia's Boe just snuggles into the snow and closes its eyes, perfectly concealed.

[feathered_mages]

The Boes snuggle into piles in the ice boxes, making it look like the boxes are half full of snow. Mistral's taking the boxes to the Ice Cavern as they're filled up.

There had been quite a lot of Boes still hiding in the remaining snow - more Boes than snow, really, it seems. But soon it seems they've found them all, though the Magelets keep searching for a few more minutes just to be sure. They're so hard to spot, after all. And Mistral has learned that the Hiploop really likes to headbutt things, and is still running into any trees.

[feathered_mages]

Mistral's trying not to giggle himself. "I'm not sure... get away from the trees?" He knows he could use his Bell to get the Hiploop's attention, but he's a little reluctant to do so right away. It just looks like it's having fun.

Lono waddles up with one last Boe that the Hiploop knocked out of a tree, and Mistral decides to let the pet play until he's back from dropping the load off. Then he'll give in and use his Bell to get the Hiploop to stop attacking trees so they can continue up the mountain.

[feathered_mages]

The Magelets find lots of interesting things to look at, mostly spring flowers, but monsters are nowhere to be seen. Finally they'll get to the open area and the house that contains the Mountain Smithy.

Mistral pokes at some melting slush, and doesn't care much about the house. One doesn't usually find interesting monsters in houses, after all.

The Magelets have noticed there is a stream, and are soon splashing in it.

[feathered_mages]

"I'm not sure," Mistral says. "I think it might be some kind of weapon shop, but they were closed the last time I was here."

"Weapons hurt people," says Galen, giving the building an uneasy look.

[feathered_mages]

Someone actually knocked? It's a very puzzled Zubora that comes to the door, apparently more used to people who just barge in while he's napping on the couch. "Hello?"

[feathered_mages]

"This is the Mountain Smithy, where we take our time to make a good point. I am Zubora, the owner. Pleased to meet you." He'll open the door a little wider to let them in, though not without uneasy looks at the Magelets and Mistral. From what he's heard, a lot of recent trouble has had to do with a pointy-hatted kid... and here's a whole flock of them.

[feathered_mages]

Zubora and his gigantic masked companion Gabora have been quite busy catching up on work since the forge thawed out.

The Magelets are still a little uncomfortable at the thought of weapons, though Mistral isn't, but they're trying to keep it under control. They know Rydia and Mistral won't hurt anyone...

And if Rydia thought the looks he gave the Magelets were odd, just catch the look on poor Zubora's face when the Hiploop starts to follow Mistral in. "What the..."

[feathered_mages]

The Magelets regroup around the Hiploop and give it cuddles, Kaze even going so far as to climb up on it again. The Hiploop just tolerates this, which seems to help reassure Zubora that it's probably not dangerous.

The giant Gabora makes an inarticulate but curious-sounding growl at the sight until Zubora snaps at him to get back to work.

[feathered_mages]

"Sure, no problem," says Zubora. "You can come back in an hour and it will be done, or you could hang around - not that there's much to see here, even now that it's spring again."

The Magelets, meanwhile, are trying to get over finding Gabora unintentionally intimidating. They're creeping closer and closer to him, while Mistral is watching the Hiploop.

[feathered_mages]

Zubora chuckles at that. "Not the whole mountain, just the ice and snow. It should have been Spring long before this, but..." he gives another uneasy glance towards the Magelets, "I heard some weird-looking kid with a pointy hat put some kind of curse on the place. You've missed the worst of it. Even our forge was frozen in a solid chunk of ice."

[feathered_mages]

"I didn't say that," protests Zubora, holding his hands up as if in surrender. "It's just... how many pointy-hatted weird looking kids can there be?"

"Hmph. More than us," grumbles Mistral, petting the Hiploop.

The Magelets, meanwhile, seem oblivious to this as they creep up on Gabora. But he's spotted them, and once they're in range he'll just scoop up the closest Magelet - Luca - for a closer look.

[mage_hatchlings]

Zubora's looking a little embarrassed as he starts sharpening that knife. He might have said something else, but that's when he spots Gabora with the Magelets. "Gabora, be careful with those!"

"Gruuu?" Gabora just pets Luca some more, occasionally lifting the chubby Magelet up to face height to get a better look or rocking Luca like a baby doll. He'll grumble something unintelligible.

Which, somehow, Zubora seems to understand. "They're not toys. And you can't keep it." This is followed with a muttered "Idiot." from Zubora.

"I think the bigger Mages would be sad if someone kept us," says Juro.