Thwap Talk

@GentleNickel look! I did it! @Mr. Banana [FR, HK, HORC, ST, SA (of SIA and CIA.)] @Batwhacker the Freedom Fighter ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ @Ellie Mee @Seth the MuffinMan (HS Captain) @Fab (HS)

first chapter previous chapter -yay! she's awake! The Carriage Comes, The Carriage Black As I open my eyes, the pain in my head comes back. Worse. I hear people talking somewhere above me and I look over, squinting through the dark. “-got us all into this mess.” I can’t tell who says, it, but I’d guess Leeli. “What happened back there anyway?” Janner? “While you were watching the . . . I was throwing a stick to Nugget near the lawn, behind the crowd,” definitely Leeli, “A thwap plopped out of a tree . . . and Nugget ran after it. I followed them and before I knew it I was . . . on Main Street. I saw Nugget chase the thwap into an alley . . . he tripped that Fang.” “Slarb?” I ask, and I can hear the word slurring as I push myself up on my arm. “Yes. I think so.” I watch her mouth, making sure I don’t miss something else, “And that thing-Slarb-picked up Nugget and was about to bite him, so, I kicked it in the shin.” “You kicked a Fang?” the rest of us ask together. Janner and Tink sound shocked, pretty sure I just sound tired. “Well, what was I supposed to do?” I half-shrug, though I doubt they can see it. “I don’t know, but that’s about the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Janner voices something similar to my thoughts. “And the bravest,” I add, my voice clearer now. “And the bravest,” the boys agree after a pause. I push myself against the wall to sit up. “Come ‘ere,” I say, reaching over for Leeli. As she crawls over, Tink attempts to lighten the mood, “Hush. It wasn’t your fault, anyways. It was that dog of yours.” Leeli puts her face in my shirt, letting out another sob. “It’s not like him to run away like that. What if one of those awful things kicked him over the cliff?” They would make you watch, I think, careful not to voice it. Janner says something first, “listen, be glad that Nugget isn’t in here with us. We’re the ones who are in trouble. Either we’re about to have the snot beaten out of us, or we’re going to get shipped to Dang. I’d rather not see Dang or Castle Throg or Gnag the Nameless this week, so let’s hope it’s torture.” As he finishes, the gate opens and two Fangs are outlined in the harsh firelight. Slarb and a round one I take as Commander Gnorm. “Yes, Commander,” Slarb says, “these are the ones.” Gnorm studies us before speaking, “And these children somehow left you unconscious in the alley. They must be valiant warriors indeed to best three armed Fangs of Dang.” “Well, sir-” Slarb tries to say. “It would seem that you are curiously incompetent if it takes five of you to bring in four children. I sit on my green rump all day long, growing fatter with every rat I gobble, and I believe I could whip this rabble with my eyes closed.”  Then try, I think, Try and see why your warriors struggled against a lame girl, a small dog, two boys who’ve only known to fear you, and a girl with a stick. Try to fight and see how well you manage. “You do have fangs,” he continues, “don’t you, Slarb, you tadpole? And you say these stones came from nowhere, do you? A little rock hits your skull and you sleep like babies in the dirt? Did some old mammy come tuck you in?” “I beg your pardon, Commander,” Slarb injects before Gnorm can continue, “My incompetence is inexcusable. What about the children, sir?” Gnorm looks Slarb up and down slowly, like he’s measuring him, “What would you like to do with them?” Slarb’s eyes flash our way, not even pretending to hide a toothy smile, “Commander, if it would please you, I’d like to torture them. The whips, perhaps?” Leeli squeezes my hand, shuffling closer. “Would you now?” Gnorm asks, his voice like ice, ”In that case, don’t touch them. If you tried to whip them, they’d probably best you anyway. We’ll have them sent to Dang tonight. Send a crow for the carriage.” No, is the only thing I can think, the other voice agreeing for once, No, I can’t go back. And they won’t go once. I feel Janner push up to me and we sit in a huddle, falling asleep half laying on one another. Everyone except me. I watch Slarb as he paces in front of our cell, randomly pausing to check if Gnorm has stepped away from the door. Suddenly, Slarb lunges for the bars, baring his teeth in a hiss like a dying cat. He strides over to the key ring hanging on the wall. I adjust slightly so I can stand up easier. Unarmed, I know it’s useless. But never go down without a fight. That’s why you're in this mess in the first place. Why you can’t always control yourself. Always too concerned about getting the last word, so concerned about now that you can’t see the later.