Origin and Aerwiar Part 2, Spoiler alert for first book

~Gracie

Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli are returning from Peet's treehouse. Pardon any strangeness, I copied part of it from the book itself, but paraphrased, so some of it might be a little funky. Enjoy!

The Igiby children returned to Glipwood without speaking, but something was wrong. Commander Gnorm wasn't reclining on the jail stoop, and the town was eerily empty. They turned northeast and saw something that knotted their insides. A plume of dark smoke rose from where their home was. "Tink!" Janner cried aloud, and then the two of them tore off after Leeli, who was hopping as fast as she could up the lane. Janner's mind flooded with terrible thoughts, had the black carriage come? did Slarb return? Did Gnorm not like the maggotloaf? As he passed the gate, he saw a whole company of Fangs swarming about, and some even attacking his grandfather who lay motionless on the ground. He heard an angry yell and turned to see Tink run at the Fangs standing over Podo. "Tink, NO!!" he screamed, but it was too late, Tink had been captured, as well as Leeli. Nugget attacked Gnorm but was run through by a spear, and went limp. The Fang that had done so brutally jerked his spear out, leaving Nugget still on the ground. Janner prayed Leeli hadn't seen this. Right after this, Nia was dragged by two Fangs to the front of the house, and she shook her head slightly at him, clearly signaling not to run off. It didn't matter anyway, he had been spotted. Allowing himself to be taken without a fight, he was marched over to where the rest of his family was. The Igiby's were tied up kneeling in a line on the grass, Podo was delirious but still taunted the Fangs in a slurred tone. "Ye'd better tie ol' Podo better than that if ye want to save yer rotten snakeskins!" Nia hushed him, and then calmly asked Gnorm, "Was my maggotloaf not satisfactory, Commander?" Gnorm smiled with a hideous grin, stepped closer, and gloomfed "Actually, that's all that keeps you alive! I need something elsse. You sseee, Gnag wantss something you have... Where are the Jewels of Anniera?" Janner glanced at Tink, this had to have something to do with the mysterious weaponry chamber they had found at Anklejelly, but why did Gnag want them? The exchange between Nia and Gnorm went on while Leeli sat quietly, staring at the unmoving furry pile at Gnorms feet, Podo glowered, and Tink huffed at the Fangs. The Fangs ransacked the house and then walked the Igibys into town, where they were flung into the town jail, where Podo threatened to skin him with his teeth. Gnorm laughed ominously and shut the door. Nia comforted Leeli, and Podo paced, but Tink let out a satisfied grunt and held his untied hands in front of him. He had been working on them with his dextrous hands and had just now freed himself. He untied the others, and they all relaxed. Janner asked Nia, "What's this about a treasure? Do you know what he was talking about?" and Nia responded abruptly after looking at Podo, "I gave him all the gold and jewelry I had. There's nothing in that house he wants." Podo nodded, and then said, "let's focus on a plan to get ourselves outta here."

A shadowy figure uttered a startled shriek at the site of the arrest. Seeing Nugget, the figure hopped over, scooped him up with his socks, and carried him off. Leeliby would want him to live.

~Gracie

Hope you enjoyed! It diverges a lot from the book next chapter, but not so far that you can't recognize the storyline. Also, I went with the book's version of how Tink freed himself because I feel it is more in keeping with his THAGS. Rebekah told me to tell it to her a bit at a time so I would be compelled to write down more, and not stop. Enjoy!

~Rebekah

The story is getting exciting! I bet you can't wait to see how we come into the story and how the kids find out who they are! Hope you enjoy it! I still don't know how we will get to the ice prairies, but Gracie is making the story in her head, then tells me a little at a time so I can write my half and keep her on track! Pretty cool huh?