The Battle Majestic (Round 4 - Magpie Skies)

Originally posted on MSPA by Schazer.

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Sen loped up the stairs and peered into the half-lit gloom, inhaling deeply. The room stunk of dry; a state intrinsically tied in Sen's head to lifelessness. There was nothing alive in this mausoleum, and the Tender turned to depart to keep searching for its ailing kin when it heard a crash from the rear of the building. Sen deliberated for a moment before following to investigate.

Wolf was working his jaws around the long 'e' sound when a scratching started at the oaken double doors. Rising with slow fluidity from his curled position on the rug, the beast slunk behind the large desk occupying the windowed side of the room. Hackles rising, Wolf's lips curled up in a snarl as the scratching intensified into a more insistent scrabbling; when it stopped. His senses were not fooled, and he could smell the earthen musk of the Tender still behind the door. It seemed to be having difficulty opening it, though Wolf would've been unable to offer much assistance even if he'd wanted to.

The wood groaned quietly, though nothing had impacted against it. Wolf pinned his ears back as the aged grain seemed to writhe a little, and little white hairs appeared at its base. The double doors were spontaneously dotted with buds, bright as spring. Wolf backtracked until he bumped against the wall, wondering what strange power the larger beast was exercising. The doors' moans intensified as shoots grew in the gap between them, forcing it slowly apart. The pale roots inched across the rug Wolf had been resting on only moments earlier. Finally a critical stress occurred in the barricade, and a much louder crack emnated from it, followed by more shoots frantically wriggling out of the stress fracture, widening it.

The whole process had taken a considerable while, during which Wolf chose to stay and watch. Finally, the shoots were followed by slender, pointed fingers; more like smooth twigs than fingers. A snub head in which two blank, black eyes glittered forced its way through. The shoots' frenzied growth seemed to speed up imperceptibly in the green glow of Sen's skin, or was it Wolf's imagination?

Sen stared down at Wolf, who in turn glared balefully up.

Chrrrerp-click-chrurk-click-chlick.

Wolf wasn't sure how to respond. Sen concluded Wolf was probably a non-intelligent member of this planet's ecosystem, and was prepared to leave him be if he didn't get in the Tender's way. Still, something was off. Sen figured it must've been Wolf who made the noise, as the window was broken and Sen could already feel the cool, slightly damper air streaming in. No Tender here. Sen extricated himself from the gap in the now-verdant mayoral office's door and set off.

"Wrur-wait!"

Sen stopped, blinked, and returned to the doors. The leaves were already starting to fall limp, though the scars of the sudden growth remained. Turning to the side to appraise Wolf with one eye through the gap in the door, Sen's brain started working furiously.

It was doubtless the furred creature, the way it was looking at Sen, possessed intelligence. Of what kind Sen wasn't sure; perhaps this planet had intelligent creatures as well as the one sentient race? This place was certainly a construct of the latter; the materials and apparent phobia of unexpected life was uncannily similar to the research ships which had landed on Sen's homeworld. It seemed rather foolish to build things without personal use, though. Though it was completely different in appearance to Sen's kidnappers, Wolf was obviously of some importance.

Sen retreated for a moment, then rammed the door in the region of the handle. Buckling the mechanism, the door swung lopsidedly open. The Tender purr-clicked at Wolf, wondering what the purported native would do.