Before the day was over, Celeste and her crew arrived at what could only be assumed was The ThwapHouse.
It was a shabby and yet massive house in the middle of the ruins of the city. There were broken gnome statues scattered about the lawn along with what appeared to be burnt cookies and bags of flour. It seemed like this property had seen its own sort of war outside of the trouble already surrounding it; Though, it was unclear what that war was about.
Ramger turned up his nose at such a place, thinking it hardly worthy of his royal company but held his peace knowing they had no other choice. He walked up to the door with Lore Wain a Celeste.
The front door of the house was clinging to its frame by its fragile hinges; Celeste was anxious to give it a knock in case it would fall inwards.
Seeing Celeste was hesitant, Ramger knocked on the door for her.
At first there was no answer, the company looking at each other in confusion for a moment. However, when Ramger went to knock on the door again, a loud explosion was heard from somewhere either behind the house or inside.
"Googly moogly!" Zarabean yelped in surprised.
Nibble was stunned for a moment before turning and teasing his ridgerunner friend, "'Googly moogly'? Really, Bean?" He snickered.
"It startled me..." Bean replied in a mutter.
"No need to fear!" Alagatha hobbled up the path to join Celeste and Ramger. "Me sister is always getting into weird things. This is pro'ly normal for her."
"Probably?-" Ramger remarked with concern as the front door swung open to reveal its resident.
"Hello?" A lady around Alagatha's age answered the door. It was assumed this was Rita.
The woman had long red hair and eyes so blue they were practically silver. Her skin was a little less wrinkly than Alagatha's and she was a little skinnier than her sister. To put it frank, Rita appeared a little less hag-ish when compared with Alagatha. She wore a dress that looked to be creative patchwork like that of a decorative quilt. The patches had various animals on them.
Before anyone could say anything, Rita locked eyes with Ramger and giggled. "Oh, why hello, handsome."
Ramger felt a shiver go up his spine upon hearing her voice and he gritted his teeth at the compliment. "Hello." He cleared his throat and turned to Alagatha for help because he felt very comfortable. "Your sister..." Ramger muttered. Celeste couldn't help but quietly giggle.
"Rita!" Alagatha suddenly gave Rita a big hug.
"Laggy!" Rita exclaimed and embraced her sister tightly. "You salty dog! I still smell the sea on your hair!"
Alagatha pulled away to explain. "We were at sea for the past few months, running from a mad man."
Rita looked at her sister with concern and as if her eyes were opened, she realized the large company that was with Alagatha. "Oh dear... All of you?"
"Yes, Miss Rita..." Celeste replied, bringing Rita's attention back to the Lore Wain who hadn't said a word to her yet. "My Kingdom was attacked and we've come seeking shelter until we can take back our land."
"Kingdom? Where are you from?" Rita asked, seeming clueless to any news regarding Anniera's sorrow.
"Anniera... Rita, this is one of the two survivors of the Wingfeather family- Lore Wain Celeste." Alagatha explained solemnly.
Rita gasped. "Where is the other?"
"The other is my nephew, High King Echo." Celeste sighed. "My older siblings and his parents have passed." She forced back tears as she looked at Rita. "When we heard about how accepting you are, we came. We were wondering if we could seek lodging with you."
Rita frowned at this sorrowful news as she looked at Celeste, her sister, and then at the rest of the crew who were standing further away. She was quick to spot Echo and Cynthia, the only two children in the group and her heart filled with compassion for them. Rita looked back at Celeste and Ramger. "Come in. I have plenty of space for all of you... I just ask that you don't mind the mess... There's no doubt in my mind you've heard that explosion in the back..."
"By the way, what was that? Is it safe to enter?" Ramger inquired, a little nervous to enter a home where an explosion had gone off.
Rita batted her eyes at him and replied. "Nothing to worry about, handsome... That was just my close friend- Hubert. He's a scientist and he makes excellent scones. I found him off the street nearly starving one day. Isn't that sad?"
Ramger cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Seemingly..."
Rita clapped her hands after a long solemn pause. "Well, I think I've talked long enough. Allow me to show you all your rooms." Rita replied, moving out of the way so everyone could join her in her rickety old house.
As everyone in Celeste's party ushered inside, they discovered that the interior of The ThwapHouse was just as chaotic as the exterior.
They found many free-roaming thwaps and squeeblins all over the lobby along with suspicious crates full of who-knows-what lying about in the corners and around the couches. When they looked at the walls and ceilings, they were quick to find custom made tracks for the forementioned creatures that led up into the rafters and around the house.
While nearly everyone was stunned, Ramger nearly fainted at the sight and thought of what disease could be harbored in a place like this. The only thing that kept him from passing out was Kinabrick, who kept pushing him along and reassuring him it was temporary.
Each of them being grouped to be able to fit into the rooms available for them. Celeste, Echo, and Alagatha chose lodge together. Ramger, Clef, and Kinabrick lodged in a room beside the Wingfeather's to be close by. Zarabean, Nibble, and Cynthia lodged on the opposite side of the Wingfeather's for the same reason. Everyone else chose their bunkies before being introduced to their rooms.
When everyone was settling into their temporary lodgings, some of them found unlikely visitors in their rooms.
As Celeste was getting her bed ready, she discovered a lump under the covers and naturally lifted it up to investigate.
The blanket being lifted revealed a sleeping squeeblin of whom wore a tiny crown on his head. Unfortunately, he did not sleep through the disturbance and was quick to awaken and hiss at Celeste.
"GAH!" Celeste jumped back, startled.
"What was that, Auntie?" Echo asked nervously with his eyes on the now moving lump on Celeste's bed.
"Ah, a wee squeeblin with an attitude." Alagatha hobbled over and prepared to whack the creature with a broom she had found in the corner. "I'll take care of it."
Rita was quick to enter the room to stop her sister by catching the broom. "Oh no, Laggy! Don't hurt my Kingly Jamie! He's a long way from home, you know, and he's taken a liking to my pampering. Don't be mad at him, I'm the one who spoiled him."
"Well, me dear sister, remove Sir James so our Lore Wain can rest in peace. She is also a long way from home." Alagatha said with a flavor of annoyance in her voice but she kept it pleasant.
Rita quickly nodded as she lifted the covers and gathered the sassy squeeblin into her arms. "Ohhh, my Jamie..."
James the squeeblin developed puppy eyes and pretended to be innocent. He quickly gave Alagatha a sassy side-eye before returning to his adorable appearance.
Alagatha gritted her teeth.
"He won't bother you anymore. I promise. Squeeblins promise. They're very trustworthy." Rita reassured Celeste and her sister. "Hubert was helping me build him a little castle in the back. Hopefully he'll finish it some time this week."
"Thank you, Rita..." Celeste couldn't help but start to laugh a little bit as Rita exited the room.
Meanwhile, in Zarabean's room, the three of his group were also getting settled in but in a different fashion.
Nibble had brought his sling from the ship and was trying to install it into the fragile and high ceiling.
While the other rooms had closed ceilings, for some reason theirs didn't; One could look up straight into the next floor from where they laid their head. They only thing they saw of any signicance was the low hanging ceiling beams where the ceiling should have been. It was these beams that Nibble was trying to tie his hammock up on.
"Nibble, I don't mean to be rude, but are you sure those beams will hold you?" Zarabean questioned cautiously, already on edge of his surroundings.
"Relaaaax. I've hooked thisss up dozens of timesss." Nibble cackled. "You're just nervous because you heard another ridgerunner was here."
"Zarabean is not!" Zarabean protested before huffing at himself for his nervous tick that revealed his true thoughts.
Nibble laughed like he was choking on a sock. "You aaaaare!"
"I don't think we should tease Bean... You know how that ended last time..." Cynthia spoke up shyly. "I don't know how I feel about this place either."
"It's fine, it'sss fine! Bean and I always banter like this." Nibble reassured Cynthia before he went back to tying his rope around one of the support beams. "Besidesss, you gotta loosen in placesss like th-"
Nibble cut himself short when he saw a shadow up in the rafters.
"What is it?" Zarabean asked upon seeing Nibble freeze.
"I thought I saw sssomething." Nibble replied before shrugging and looking down at Cynthia and Bean. "I guess it was n-"
Out of seemingly nowhere, did another ridgerunner jump on Nibble from above and knocked the fang to the floor.
That was great! Loved the references! 😂