(no subject)
It's been a week since Mom died.
Lucas didn't know anything so strong could fall apart so fast.
His fears about what would happen to Claus were essentially right. Dad and Grandpa Alec came back later that day with nothing to show for their efforts but one of his brother's shoes. Seeing what remained of Claus felt like someone ripped open a barely healed wound in Lucas.
"He's not dead," Dad said that night. "I know he's not. I'm going to find him."
Flint left again in the night and Lucas has been alone since...
Their house, which once felt so small, was now uncomfortably big and lonely. Lucas found he liked staying outside more, even when it started getting cold. At least he could be with Boney and the warm sheep. He would even sleep bundled with the sheep in the stable sometimes. Anything was better than being alone.
Teaching himself to cook was odd. No matter how good bread, nut cookies, and cheese are, you get tired of the same stuff all the time. He has yet to master the omelet but he can at least do a decent scramble.
Keeping the house clean was unexpected, too. He didn't think he'd care so much but life was just easier when things were tidy. Fortunately, he didn't make too much of a mess by himself.
Perhaps the most surprising thing was doing everything Dad did to take care of the sheep. Boney and the sheep knew the feeding route; Lucas was only there to guide and to keep the sheep clean. At least he had a winter to go before he had to figure out shearing.
Life was starting to find a new 'normal' for Lucas.
He never saw the mecha-drago again. The other dragos were around and were still as kind and gentle as he remembered them. He would spend what little free time he had play-fighting with them, the little escape he could afford to have in this new way of life. He was out with them one night when he heard an altercation:
"Now then, Princess Kumatora. May I ask that you behave and do as we say?"
Lucas saw as a tank, a bunch of people in odd, porcine masks and a man in white, flowing clothes that has been around in the village (advertising something called "Happy Boxes" if he remembers it) closed in on a monkey, a girl, and Mr. Wess.
He gestured to the dragos to wait for his signal and walked down to join them.
"Who're you?!" the man in white clothes said, startled. "Get outta here, you stupid kid!"
The men in the Pigmasks started shouting the same things to Lucas.
"Get lost!"
"Stupid kid!"
Lucas then whistled for the dragos to join him. The baby drago came up first.
"OH MY PORK!!" the man in white shouted. "What's a baby drago doing here?! You! Baby drago! Get outta here!"
The Pigmasks kept shouting while the baby drago roared for his mother to come. The mother drago swiped two of the Pigmasks away with her massive tail while everyone backed up. Wess, the girl, and the monkey all joined Lucas on his side and he whistled again. The mother drago tossed aside two more Pigmasks and the rest of them ran away, including the one driving the tank, leaving only the man in white.
"Hey!" the man said. "Get back here, you!"
He then turned back to the mother drago and pleaded, "No... Stop... Stop! Don't! Please!"
"Hahaha!" the girl laughed. "Feeling better now, monkey?"
The monkey then stood on his hind legs and gave the same whistle signal Lucas had given to the dragos before.
The mother drago roared in the man's face and rammed into him, tossing him out of sight as he cried, "Whaaaaaaaaaa!"
The baby drago then jumped on top of his mother before the mother smashed the tank. After that, the mother drago hopped away with her baby.
"Lucas," Wess said when everything had calmed down. "I heard that you've done nothing but cry since the day your mother passed away, but what you did just now was wonderful."
Lucas felt a little strange hearing that. Why does it sound so odd to Wess that he would do nothing but cry since Mom died? It's only been a week. Everyone in Milliways seemed to think this was normal.
"You saved our lives," Wess continued. "Thank you, Lucas."
"Oh right," the girl added. "Gotta say hi. Hi! Nice to meetcha! And thanks! You didn't even know what was goin' on but you saved our lives. It's probably a little late for it now but you should ask this geezer about what's goin' on."
Lucas turned to the girl, curious.
Wess piped up again with, "Sure, I can fill you in on everything. Will you listen, Lucas?"
Lucas nodded and listened as Wess talked about sending Duster to Osohe Castle, his failure in obtaining what Wess sent him out for in the first place, meeting the girl Princess Kumatora of Osohe Castle, finding what Wess wanted Duster to get only for it and Duster to get lost, the man in white apparently named Fassad and his constant electric torture of the monkey, Fassad's connection with the Pigmask Army, and their search for the now-missing item that brought all of them to this confrontation.
"...And that's everything that's happened," Wess finished.
"Should I come with you to help?" Lucas asked. "What if Claus gets mixed up in this?"
"No, Lucas," Wess answered. "You stay here in Tazmily. I'm certain Claus will come back sooner or later. I'd like you and Flint and the others to work together to protect our village."
"Mister Wess?"
"Oh, I intend to help, too, of course. What little I can, at least. Princess!" Wess said, turning to Kumatora. "I leave the monkey in your hands. Oh...and the search for that moron, too."
"That moron" being Duster.
Kumatora nodded and stepped up to both the monkey and Lucas.
"Lucas," she said, "Dunno why but I somehow get the feeling I'll be seein' you again. Take care of yourself!"
Lucas nodded to her.
Kumatora then said, "Okay, monkey! Let's go!"
The monkey did a backflip and he and Kumatora left, Lucas watching as they did.
As he walked home that night, he felt something new. Something that wasn't the sadness he has been and is still mired in. This wasn't even fear for what's to come. This was something that was closer to hope but a little rougher in shape, something whispering about how Wess is right and how he wants to protect Tazmily.
This was determination.
Lucas didn't know anything so strong could fall apart so fast.
His fears about what would happen to Claus were essentially right. Dad and Grandpa Alec came back later that day with nothing to show for their efforts but one of his brother's shoes. Seeing what remained of Claus felt like someone ripped open a barely healed wound in Lucas.
"He's not dead," Dad said that night. "I know he's not. I'm going to find him."
Flint left again in the night and Lucas has been alone since...
Their house, which once felt so small, was now uncomfortably big and lonely. Lucas found he liked staying outside more, even when it started getting cold. At least he could be with Boney and the warm sheep. He would even sleep bundled with the sheep in the stable sometimes. Anything was better than being alone.
Teaching himself to cook was odd. No matter how good bread, nut cookies, and cheese are, you get tired of the same stuff all the time. He has yet to master the omelet but he can at least do a decent scramble.
Keeping the house clean was unexpected, too. He didn't think he'd care so much but life was just easier when things were tidy. Fortunately, he didn't make too much of a mess by himself.
Perhaps the most surprising thing was doing everything Dad did to take care of the sheep. Boney and the sheep knew the feeding route; Lucas was only there to guide and to keep the sheep clean. At least he had a winter to go before he had to figure out shearing.
Life was starting to find a new 'normal' for Lucas.
He never saw the mecha-drago again. The other dragos were around and were still as kind and gentle as he remembered them. He would spend what little free time he had play-fighting with them, the little escape he could afford to have in this new way of life. He was out with them one night when he heard an altercation:
"Now then, Princess Kumatora. May I ask that you behave and do as we say?"
Lucas saw as a tank, a bunch of people in odd, porcine masks and a man in white, flowing clothes that has been around in the village (advertising something called "Happy Boxes" if he remembers it) closed in on a monkey, a girl, and Mr. Wess.
He gestured to the dragos to wait for his signal and walked down to join them.
"Who're you?!" the man in white clothes said, startled. "Get outta here, you stupid kid!"
The men in the Pigmasks started shouting the same things to Lucas.
"Get lost!"
"Stupid kid!"
Lucas then whistled for the dragos to join him. The baby drago came up first.
"OH MY PORK!!" the man in white shouted. "What's a baby drago doing here?! You! Baby drago! Get outta here!"
The Pigmasks kept shouting while the baby drago roared for his mother to come. The mother drago swiped two of the Pigmasks away with her massive tail while everyone backed up. Wess, the girl, and the monkey all joined Lucas on his side and he whistled again. The mother drago tossed aside two more Pigmasks and the rest of them ran away, including the one driving the tank, leaving only the man in white.
"Hey!" the man said. "Get back here, you!"
He then turned back to the mother drago and pleaded, "No... Stop... Stop! Don't! Please!"
"Hahaha!" the girl laughed. "Feeling better now, monkey?"
The monkey then stood on his hind legs and gave the same whistle signal Lucas had given to the dragos before.
The mother drago roared in the man's face and rammed into him, tossing him out of sight as he cried, "Whaaaaaaaaaa!"
The baby drago then jumped on top of his mother before the mother smashed the tank. After that, the mother drago hopped away with her baby.
"Lucas," Wess said when everything had calmed down. "I heard that you've done nothing but cry since the day your mother passed away, but what you did just now was wonderful."
Lucas felt a little strange hearing that. Why does it sound so odd to Wess that he would do nothing but cry since Mom died? It's only been a week. Everyone in Milliways seemed to think this was normal.
"You saved our lives," Wess continued. "Thank you, Lucas."
"Oh right," the girl added. "Gotta say hi. Hi! Nice to meetcha! And thanks! You didn't even know what was goin' on but you saved our lives. It's probably a little late for it now but you should ask this geezer about what's goin' on."
Lucas turned to the girl, curious.
Wess piped up again with, "Sure, I can fill you in on everything. Will you listen, Lucas?"
Lucas nodded and listened as Wess talked about sending Duster to Osohe Castle, his failure in obtaining what Wess sent him out for in the first place, meeting the girl Princess Kumatora of Osohe Castle, finding what Wess wanted Duster to get only for it and Duster to get lost, the man in white apparently named Fassad and his constant electric torture of the monkey, Fassad's connection with the Pigmask Army, and their search for the now-missing item that brought all of them to this confrontation.
"...And that's everything that's happened," Wess finished.
"Should I come with you to help?" Lucas asked. "What if Claus gets mixed up in this?"
"No, Lucas," Wess answered. "You stay here in Tazmily. I'm certain Claus will come back sooner or later. I'd like you and Flint and the others to work together to protect our village."
"Mister Wess?"
"Oh, I intend to help, too, of course. What little I can, at least. Princess!" Wess said, turning to Kumatora. "I leave the monkey in your hands. Oh...and the search for that moron, too."
"That moron" being Duster.
Kumatora nodded and stepped up to both the monkey and Lucas.
"Lucas," she said, "Dunno why but I somehow get the feeling I'll be seein' you again. Take care of yourself!"
Lucas nodded to her.
Kumatora then said, "Okay, monkey! Let's go!"
The monkey did a backflip and he and Kumatora left, Lucas watching as they did.
As he walked home that night, he felt something new. Something that wasn't the sadness he has been and is still mired in. This wasn't even fear for what's to come. This was something that was closer to hope but a little rougher in shape, something whispering about how Wess is right and how he wants to protect Tazmily.
This was determination.