He Calls Himself Roar? (1-2)

Reggie stayed close to Orn as they walked toward the ice cream shop near the Keepers of Balance castle.  He wasn't going to let anything happen to Orn.  Besides, when meeting a strange male for the first time you had to look strong.

Roar.  That's what Orn said this male's name was.  Roar.  Maybe he thought himself strong like a bear to have that name.  Reggie could show him what strong was.

Reggie looked over to Orn as they neared the shop.  He spoke to Orn through thought.  'This Roar is an intruder.  A stranger coming into your father's territory.'

Orn looked to the bear, replying aloud, 'Reggie... Mom just wants me to meet him.'

'It's truth brother.  And he is trying to take your father's mate. Your dad should show him who's stronger, make him leave.'

Orn sighed, 'You know... I almost wish he could but my dad's not well. He doesn't even remember us... or my mom.'

Reggie snorted in disgust.  'No matter.  Your dad still claimed her as his mate.  If he can't drive him off, maybe you should.  Or I can.'

The bear looked over at Orn with a semblance of a grin, showing large teeth.

'No Reggie.  Let's just meet him first.  Maybe he can leave with words.'

'People and your words.  Words are much weaker than actions.'

They arrived at the door and Reggie waited for Orn to open it.

'Reggie, maybe you should wait out here.  You know my mom's not going to like you coming in.'

Reggie shook his large bear head, 'No Orn.  I come with you.  I want to meet this man who calls himself Roar.'

Orn gave a small sigh.  'Ok, but, just... behave yourself, ok?'

'Of course, I always do.'  Reggie grinned again.

Reggie followed closely behing Orn into the ice cream shop.  They had come in here many times before, Reggie especially liked the strawberry ice cream.  Normally Reggie's note would immediately get to twitching but this time they were here for a very different reason.  Reggie was focused.

He saw Orn's mother sitting at a table with an elf, eating ice cream. Reggie immediately felt his heart rate quicken and his hackles raise slightly.  He had to focus to calm himself, he had promised Orn.

Reggie walked with Orn over to the table.  While the people made their introductions, Reggie watched Roar intently.  This one was large, for an elf, but they could still drive him off.  Reggie was sure of it.

'This elf is no match for your father, Orn.  Why is your mother even putting up with his advances?' Reggie thought to Orn.

Orn ignored Reggie, instead continuing to exchange meaningless words with his mother and the intruder.  Reggie sat near the table, his stare unwavering from the elf.

Their conversation drifted to how Roar happened to meet Orn's mom. Sanria said that the elf was collecting herbs near her home.

'Right... more likely he smelled the scent of an unattended female and thought he could charge in and get his manhood wet.'

Orn ignored Reggie again, just shifting in his chair.

Then, the intruder, Roar, actually had the bravery to nudge Reggie. 'Reggie's his name?'

'Orn, if he touches me again he's going to lose the part that does. I can take care of this elf right now.'

Orn looked over to Reggie, giving a quick shake of his head before returning to the conversation.

'Fine... but he better not touch me again...'

The people talked some more.  Roar claimed he had a bear too before. Reggie doubted it.  Words were tricky but Reggie didn't smell any bear on this elf.  Reggie only smelled books and dust and outsider. Reggie trusted his nose.

Orn got worried for a moment that Roar could hear Reggie but it turned out the elf couldn't.  Reggie didn't care, he didn't need words to tell Roar he needed to go away.

The people seemed to talk forever, Roar trying to say he cared about Orn's dad and wanted him to get better.  They talked about strange things like their feelings and love.  Reggie grew very tired of all this talking.  It wasn't making the intruder go away.  Still he sat and stared at Roar.

Finally, Orn's mom got up and left.  Reggie could smell she was angry. She should be, at what this intruder was doing.  Then the elf left. Reggie looked at Orn.

'So, is he going to go away?'

'No... I don't think so Reggie.  Things are all mixed up.'

Orn headed for the door and Reggie followed him, shaking his large head.  'You should have let me bite him.'

Deathscythe Hell

"Steady, steady," said Ror to himself as the skeleton of the Deathscythe Hell's hull very slowly turned and entered a large silo. They had just flown many miles in the dark, without light and Ror felt weary. 

Fortunately the ship was still hardly a ship and besides the seat, everything was just a giant porthole without glass in front.  As the 'ship' glided into the TriPower silo, the large doors behind it were closed and locked.  Landing on the floor, Ror pulled the keys from the ignition and got up from the pilot's chair, keeping his balance on the metal beam before him. "Been a while I did that," he said to the engineer that had been accompanied him and basically stood a small piece of metal plating directly behind the chair.  The man just nodded and replied, "We're taking her down now, sir."  And indeed Ror could feel the downward movement as the platform descended into the deep by one of the largest elevators in the TriPower. "Very well," said Ror, "I'll leave the towing up to you." Ror disembarked and recalled.

He went looking for Astafas to share the news. The skeleton of the hull was there now: pieced together from seven parts ordered at different TriPower builders and outfitted with just a single drive and a single lift engine. The coming years hard work, lots of money and research would compelete the vessel, at least so Ror expected. Nonetheless, the first steps were taken to build a warship never  seen before. One that would hopefully have the upper hand over Vector and would help the TriPower crush it in the future.