"It's plain!" Garth announced."It's plain!" Garth announced. "What did you expect?" "I've just seen a few weird ones recently." Kiza nodded. "Well, we don't go for anything fancy out here. It's just a plain old SDisk, like any other." She smiled. "Come on. Off the horse. They know how to get by on their own, and I don't think they'll be very welcome in the halls of Shardik Castle." Garth dismounted, awkwardly, and Kiza waved to Parynn. "G'bye! Thanks for the talk!" "My pleasure, Kiza. Call me earlier the next time you're around!" "I will, I promise!" The world vanished. To be replaced with the familiar hallway of Shardik Castle. "You know, Garth, your tour ends in only two more days. Garth nodded. "That was one of the risks of jumping the Hall." They reached Nickolai and Jofuran's room and threw the door open to find her and Nickolai sitting on the floor, playing chess. "Hi, guys!" "Garth!" Nickolai said, rising. "You made it!" "Yeah, I guess I did." Garth stepped forward and walked into Nickolai's offered hug. He then stepped back and smiled awkwardly. "Homo felinxus pendorii numero uno." He laughed. "Doesn't do me much good to be the only one." "No, it doesn't." Nickolai laughed. "But there will be others soon enough. I don't know if Kiza told you, but today's cerenya, and according to Ken they have that picnic every week here. I assume you want to go." "Sure, why shouldn't I?" "I don't know," Nickolai said. "Why shouldn't you?" "Is that, like, going to become the theme of my life?" "'Garth, according to his own Id,' by Garth." Nickolai laughed. "I can think of worse rules to live by." "I guess," Garth said, shrugging. Shardik looked up, squinting into the fading daylight. "Hello... Garth!" Ken rose up and gave the Katckin a welcome hug. "You made it!" "I thought you would all know by now." Ken nodded. "Well, I did, but that shouldn't stop me from being pleased to see you again. |