Chapter 18: cochon de lait -------------------------- Kurago can be a pain sometimes. But he's my cousin, so I forgive him his brashness. He is so sure of himself. Even when he is wrong, kupo! My mom says I don't have three legs to stand on though...something like that. She says my grandma was like that -- adventurous. I remember grandma. She was the only one who could keep up with all three of us. She was special. My mom says I'm like that, too. She says I'm spunky! Kupo! But then she says a lot of things. She says not to go up to Fallen Angel -- she thinks I might fall off. She says not to go down near the Kupoppo River because there are dangerous monsters on the other side. She also tells me not to hang around with Kuralov, but I already knew that -- that moogle is trouble, kupo. She has a whole list of moogles I should avoid: Kuralov, Kudor, Kupano... Some of them live in the Narshe mines, so I don't even see them a whole lot. My mom tells me not to do a lot of things, but she means well. But of all the moogles she warns me away from, she somehow always neglects to mention Kurago -- probably because he's kin. Kurago and I do lots of stuff together. Kurune, too. But today, I'm mad at Kurago...sort of. Not really, not any more, but it'll get me a free cookie...kupo! Kurune already made me a snow cone -- crushed strawberries -- yum. She must've climbed to the very tops of the Dragoon-Dragoon Peaks just for the snow! But I'm still pushing for a cookie, and Kurago will go a long way around to say he's sorry without actually saying it. It's hard to stay mad at Kurago long. He's pretty cool. Of course, if my foot weren't in a cast, I'd whump him one! The Elder said two weeks. Kupo. He's the one who set my cast. He also sent me home with a ton herbs and stuff -- I know it'll do wonders for my mom's vegetable garden, kupoppo! But the really fun part was when Sierra put her hands over my ankle. It sorta tickled...inside. I'd seen her do it before, but I had never imagined it would tickle. It was Magic, kupo...po...like in those dusty books the library keeps. Sierra's a sylph, so I guess it comes natural to her. She can also fly, and I guess that's what encourages Kurago so. When he's not talking about fighting dragons or rescuing babes, Kurago's always talking about flying. They sorta go hand in hand for him. His enthusiasm is catchy sometimes. I can't really blame him though. It's nice to think you can fly. And it wasn't even a very tall tree though, kupo. I should have been able flutter down safely. I'd done so before from higher branches. Higher and higher still. I should have watched my landing, but I guess it's too late now, kupo. So instead of splashing around with everyone else, I have to sit back and watch life slowly pass me by -- as though it could. And Lake Wolf is nice and cool this time of year. Perfect for splashing, kupoppo! Perfect. At least, I have Kurago to keep me company... sorta. He never swims, and baths don't count. Not even when it's scorching hot out like it is today. He insists that if moogles were meant to swim, they'd have webbed feet and gills. But that's just his excuse. He also insists that moogles should fly since we all have wings. He makes sense sometimes. "Kupo, whatcha doing?" I ask. Starting up a conversation with Kurago isn't something I favor, but the silence is killing me. And my kicking foot is in no shape to kick. Sigh. "Lali, just writing," Kurago says. He doesn't even bother to look up from his journal -- a present from our local sylph. So I can only nod. I don't want to point out that he's actually writing a diary -- and it *is* a diary. It would be fun if he weren't so awful serious about it. He sure writes a lot. And in the middle of the day. He becomes all quiet and reflective when he opens that book. It's very strange, kupo. I don't really want to bother him when he gets like this, so I don't. But I'm not about to complain either. Anything is better than laying around at home all day. Kupo. Maybe later, Kurune will take us out to eat. Supper won't be for a while, but I'm already starving. "Lali, I'm hungry," quoth Kurago. It's like he can read my mind or something. But then Kurago's always hungry. He waves to Kurune. She is wading out of the water and looks over our way with a smile. Maybe she's hungry, too. I can only hope. I wave to her also as she skips her way towards us. As she stops, she looks at me questioningly. "Kupo, what?" I return her stare. "You really ought to wake up," she tells me. "You can't dream your life away, kupoppo. Wake up!" **** Kulock woke with a shudder. It was cold in the tent. And dark. He pulled the covers back over himself and shivered. He almost fell back asleep, but he didn't. What a strange dream, he thought to himself. But aren't they all? This was the first time he had dreamt in the first person and in the present tense. It was awkward, stilted, and he didn't like it at all. "Kupo, that's what I get for eating all those cookies," he sighed and turned himself over. He moaned, and he groaned, but not from a belly ache. Not from having eaten a week's supply of choco-bo(tm) cookies. If anything, his tummy was rumbling again. Cookies can fill you up, but not for long. And apparently they can give you difficult-to-write dreams if you try to worship them too much. Kulock yawned. It was still too early. He didn't want to get up. He didn't have to get up. Kurago and Kurune were still asleep -- he had gotten used to their soft and not-so-soft snoring. He couldn't really hear Relm or Interceptor, but maybe they were just quiet sleepers. Maybe Relm had taken Interceptor out for an early morning walk. He couldn't be sure. He didn't need to know. He didn't want to know. He kept himself ensconced within his fluffed up blanket. Where it was warm. He hugged his brand new pig and... "Kupo? Kupo!" The covers flew off of Kulock, and he began scrambling about his beddings, then through his belongings, then through Kurago's, then through Kurago and Kurune, stepping over them, gingerly and not so gingerly, tossing their blankets and pillows aside, and generally overturning the entire tent. His pig was gone! Slipped away in the middle of the night. Kupo! "Pup is gone!" he yelled. He ran in circles inside the tent, screaming "Pup is gone! Pup is gone!" like an air raid siren over the city of Vector. And he wouldn't stop even as his cousins reluctantly pulled themselves out of their slumber and waved him down. "Pup?" Kurago asked, drowsily rubbing sleep from his eyes. Kurune looked about the tent from tent pole to tent flaps to where Relm's supplies lay disheveled. A soft glow permeated one slant of their humble home, marking out details of Kulock's rampage. Kurune looked disbelievingly from Relm's tossled belongings to Kulock himself. "Kupo, what's the matter with you?" she asked. "Interceptor's probably with Relm. No need to summon an Esper, kupo!" "No! Not Interceptor!" Kulock exclaimed. "Pup! My pig! Kupo, he's gone!" "Pup?" Kurago repeated himself. Kurago repeated himself. "Pup! Puppy! P-chan! He's gone! Kupo, he's gone!" Kulock couldn't calm himself down. Someone had stolen his pig! Kurune looked at Kurago. Kurago blinked. They both blinked. Kurago yawned. He thought to return to slumber. Kurune yawned. She watched as her cousin quickly sifted through his blanket. She watched as he bolted out of the tent. "Kupo, wake me when he gets back," she told Kurago. She imitated her brother and snuck back under her covers. Kurago pretended to hear his sister say something to him. He didn't know what she said though for he was only pretending. Instead, he pretended to sleep. He wasn't very good at it though, and it eluded him. So he pretended to stare at the tent top instead. Up where the two halves of the canvas roof met. He was quite good at it. He thought he could just lay there and stare upwards for the better part of the day. He pretended to be proud of himself, but then his thoughts erred. "Pup?" he asked to no one in particular. Kurune nodded without conviction, for in that little dream world of her's, there was a sign emblazoned in blue and green neon. It said, "No Convictions Allowed." She murmured something as though she were only talking in her sleep. Something which could have passed for an answer had Kurago been seeking one. But he wasn't, so Kurune scolded him and pushed him out of her dreams. Pup. What a silly name for a pig... **** Interceptor paused beside a bush. He sniffed it as though it would hide a bone or a biscuit. There were no other dog scents, though he did recognize the reek of a rabbit. He didn't know why, but rabbits stank something awful He also picked up twenty other scents, none of them threatening. A few were interesting -- lingering snippets of two humans in heat, both female. He thought to move on to the next bush and then over into the town. He had heard it was called Maranda. Maranda. It sounded nice, especially when Relm said it. The local dogs had their own name for the quaint town: "Three Times Stampede." It was also a tale occasionally heard at the twilight howling. Interceptor enjoyed the story immensely, but he still thought Maranda was a more pleasant name. When Relm finally caught up to him, he obediantly marked the bush for her. He gave her a knowing look then trotted off. His next target was no different. Nothing to alert him of trespassers. No sign of danger. Only a few stray scents. It seemed as if the local canine population didn't venture out of town very often. It was probably a good idea, but Interceptor didn't care for good ideas. He was the meanest dog this side of the the Serpent Trench, and he didn't back down from anyone. Well, almost... Relm caught up to him once more. This time she bent down, and he let her give him a hug. He gave her a lick in return then a sniff. She had an unusual odor about her, so he sniffed her again. He sniffed her again as though she were a bone tossed to him by some stranger. Then as she rose and beckoned him towards the town below, he sniffed the open air. "Woof!" One short bark. Relm stopped mid-stride, turning her head then her feet. She knew Interceptor well enough to differentiate between his 'Danger!' bark and his 'What's for supper?' bark. She walked back to where he sat in silent anticipation. She looked where he looked. She performed a civilian salute, scanning the somber gray distance, looking to her left then to her right. She saw nothing deserving of a bark, and the cold morning air swirled about them. "What is it, Interceptor?" she asked, fearing some unseen menace. Interceptor didn't answer. He stood completely motionless. It was in the air. The wind spoke to him, and he listened. Then he saw it. A puff of white fur appeared over the rise. It darted about haphazardly, stopping here and there for no apparent reason. "It's Kulock," Relm beamed. "I don't think he sees us." She waved her hand as though to hail a chocobo carriage, then she issued a piercing whistle to complete the effect. Interceptor accompanied her with a bark and a triumphant wagging of his tail. Kulock looked up in surprise but quickly hurried to them. Interceptor barked again, and Relm offered a greeting: "G'morning, Kulock. What's up?" "Kupo!" Kulock blurted out, then stopped. A lost look fell upon his face. Interceptor tilted his head quizzically, hoping to draw Kulock out of his abrupt silence. He liked moogles. They smelled nice, even Kulock. Maybe he was just associating moogles in general with Mog in particular. He wasn't quite as mean when Mog was around. In fact, he had been quite docile lately, losing his edge. He thought to snarl angrily at Kulock just for practice but started sniffing the moogle instead. "Kupo, watch it!" Kulock waved Interceptor away then gave him a hand to sniff at instead. "Your dog has a cold," he told Relm. "He just likes you," Relm smiled. "You smell like a steak." "Do not, kupo!" "Calm down. I was just kidding. Isn't that right, Interceptor?" She distracted her puppy away from Kulock with another hug. Interceptor sighed. It wasn't easy being bad-to-the-bones and huggable at the same time, but he tried. He nuzzled then rested himself in Relm's lap, letting sleep invade his thoughts. Kulock could only slump to the ground, envious of the companionship Relm and Interceptor shared. He had never had a pet when he was growing up. But then he wasn't done growing up yet, and he did have his pig...er, had. Where had his pig gone? Kulock sighed. "What's wrong, Kul?" Kulock sighed again. "Have you seen my pig?" "Which one?" "The black one, kupo." "Oh, I thought you might have meant the white one," Relm shrugged. "I don't have a white one." "Do you have a black one then?" "No." "Then I haven't seen your pig, Kulock. Maybe he ran away. Pig's do that sometimes." "Kupo, really?" "No. At least I don't think so. But dogs run off by themselves sometimes. Even Interceptor here." "Hmm... I named my pig 'Puppy.' Do you think that's why he ran away?" "Only if your pig preferred to be called 'Kitty.' "Kupo, that would be silly." "Maybe. Maybe you should go look for him. He probably wandered back into town. I hear it's Pig's Night Out at one of the local bars. First drink is free...50% thereafter." "I don't know. I don't feel up to it. I feel lost and abandoned. Kupo. Kupoppo." "Here." Relm lifted Interceptor into Kulock's hands. "Hug him 'til you feel better!"