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MUSE // TYPHON

There were two figures, huddled against the cold winter winds, making their way behind the massive walls of Lamenolai. One figure lifted his head to the massive rock statues and grinned roguishly; the other's gaze was fixed upon the ground, glancing up once or twice to memorize the image of the stone creations.

"Lookit, Mu," the grinning creature said. "They're s-o-o-o-o big."  

"I know, Typhon," was the soft, indifferent response.

Muse, a Sygriff, turned sharply onto a street and began to trot off toward the nearest tavern, wishing to rid himself of the cold, biting chill. Typhon, a Chombones, yelped, racing after him with his short, stubby legs. Muse smiled a little as he saw his chubby short-legged sidekick gallop after him, tongue lolling out of his grayish mouth. Typhon was definitely not the smartest creature out there, but Muse would never abandon him. He loved him, with all his heart, though would never acknowledge it aloud out of pride.

"Do we have any more food left?"

"Erm, lemme check..."

The Chombones swung his tiny knapsack off his back and unfastened the top and shook out the contents on the cobbles - there were only large, moldy breadcrumbs that were quickly swept off by the wind. Typhon laughed nervously. "I - ah - got hungry," he said, grinning. Muse rolled his eyes. "Why didn't you take that Vow of Abstinence when you had the chance?" he sighed exasperatedly.

"Ick! Vow of Abstinence? That'd make me very un'appy, Mu. I luv to eat, y' know."

"When I took the Vow of Peace it was the best decision in my life."

"Well, y' know what t' do with yer life. Y' wanna be a man o' medicine, I know. But I...I got no clue. Once I'm dun travelin' with you, I've got nowhere else t' go."

"You have lots of choices, Typhon. Your fate isn't decided yet."

"I s'ppose..."

"Ah, a tavern. Come, Typhon. I've got some money - we can order some drinks and food and some shelter for the night."

"Why're we 'ere, anyhows?"

"I've got some very important business, Typhon, very important..."

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The two comrades seated themselves at a small wood table in the tavern. Muse called for two glasses of tea, despite Typhon's craving for something alcoholic (Muse lectured him for half an hour on the bad faults of any alcoholic beverage, during which Typhon spaced out and daydreamed about butterflies and kittens) and two slices of ham.

From a pocket in his coat Muse produced a thick leather book, a small quill and a tightly stoppered ink bottle (consisting of a large acorn shell and a thick wine cork). He ripped the cork from the acorn, careful not to spill any of the ink inside, dipped his quill in the black liquid and scrawled letters across the pale yellow parchment.

"What're you writin' now, Mu?"

"Just what I saw when we came in. The statues, the people..."

Typhon grinned. He was proud of his comrade - Muse had a photographic memory, and could recall almost everything. He wrote everything down, though, in case that he did forget anything. Muse continued to write, ignoring his drink of tea until it had turned lukewarm, blew on the damp ink, shut it and tucked it back into his pocket. "Can you stopper this for me, please?" Muse asked, pushing the acorn and cork to Typhon. The Chombones put the cork loosely into the acorn and used his jaw to smash the cork into place, handing it back to Muse. "Thank you," Muse said, putting everything into his pocket.

There was a bit of stirring in the corner. Muse ignored it, drinking silently from the glass of tea, until a shout attracted his attention.

"Ey! You! Yeah, you! The Sygriff!"

Muse turned to see a large Albie standing there, grinning menacingly down at him.

"Yes? Do you want something, sir?"

This created a loud roar of laughter from the Albie, who turned to his comrades.

"Lookit that! A real gen'leman, boys! Askin' what I want, callin' me 'sir'!"

His comrades - two other Albies, a Batti, and Rexxel - roared and chortled, spitting out beer from their muzzles and pounding rowdily on the tabletops.

"Well, if ye gotta know, I've gotta thin' against Sygriff. Me ole mate, me apple o' me eye, she got killed by one right afore we were expectin' a litter of pups. An', well, I'm feeling outright angry 'cause o' that."

Muse listened numbly, keeping eye contact with the Albie, while Typhon gnashed his teeth together, narrowing his eyes.

"An', well, I just feel like justice's gotta be served."

A cruel, bitter grin spread across the Albie's features. He licked his claws and prepared to strike.

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Everything happened at once.

Muse ducked under the claws, feeling a few of his feathers getting clipped short. Typhon roared and launched himself at the Albie, latching his jaws upon the Albie's claw. Pale scarlet droplets oozed from the bite marks, and the Albie screeched in pain, trying to tear himself from Typhon's jaws. He shook the paw savagely like a dog would to a rawhide bone. Muse slammed down a few coins on the tabletop and grabbed Typhon. "Lets go!" he yelled, dashing out the door.

They could hear the thudding of paws behind them and anguished groans, most likely from the injured Albie. They rounded several corners, leaped into an alleyway, and crouched behind some sacks of meal.

"I think they came o'er here!"

"Lets go!"

"Aye!"

Muse sighed and rubbed his brow with one claw, the metal trinkets embedded into his skin gleaming and clinking in the sun. "I wish you hadn't bitten him," he murmured, setting Typhon on the ground.

"He attacked ye! Fer no good reason, too!" Typhon hissed, a look of astonishment on his face.

"His mate died, Typhon. He has a right to be angry."

"But ye had nothin' to do with it!"

"Yes, but we could've resolved things with words."

"Ye know, not e'erything can be resolved with words, Mu."

Muse rubbed his temples now, sighing. He felt the shortened feathers on the back of his neck, wincing at their stiff scruffiness and comparing it to the soft, fluffy, full-grown ones that surrounded them. "I know..." he sighed, pulling a bit of cloth from his pocket and dabbing at his beak. Typhon cocked his head and looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry," Typhon sighed.

"I need to go to the library, to look up something in the volumes there," Muse said, coughing lightly in his claw and standing. He shook meal off his wings and emerged from his makeshift shelter. Typhon, after ripping open one of the meal bags and consuming everything inside, followed.  

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The library was a massive structure, everything made of bright white marble. It was all designed like a Greek temple, with huge slabs of creamy rock that led up to the library doors. "Repperire, Amare,  Futurus Illustrator" was written above them. Muse translated the Latin words with ease. They read - "To Learn, To Love, To Be Enlightened". Typhon, meanwhile, was quite ignorant to all the magical splendors, instead reveling in the library's "shininess".

They had all forgotten the incident with the Albie.

Muse seated himself at a bench and filed through the massive boxes of filing papers until he found a slip of paper, scribbled what it said on another piece of parchment, and hurried off. Typhon followed, though when Muse was excited it was hard to follow him anywhere.

There was a large ironwood shelf nearby, and there thousands of books, scrolls and documents were stored in a disorderly fashion on the shelves. Muse pried a book from the shelf, careful not to send the whole stack toppling, and thumbed through the thin pages. "Aha!" Muse murmured, grabbing his journal. He tossed the acorn to Typhon, who caught it expertly in his jaws. "Open that for me please, Typhon," Muse murmured, licking the tip of his quill.

Typhon yanked out the cork and handed it swiftly to Muse. Muse responded by dipping the quill in the acorn and writing rapidly in his journal. Typhon found that Muse's words were illegible - even a passerby who could read wouldn't be able to read his scribbled notes. He shut the book, took a deep breath and inhaled the scents of knowledge flowing into his nostrils. He was in a world of bliss. "Mu, d'you want me to take the book back?" Typhon asked, snapping him out of his stupor. "Ah, yes, please. Stopper the ink, too." Muse said, crumpling the bit of parchment in his claw.

As Typhon and Muse began to exit the library, Typhon cocked his head at Muse. "What were you lookin' up anyhow, Mu?"

"Oh, the common types of native Neobatrachia."

"What're those?"

"Tree frogs."

"Ah."

"Ey! Buddy!" a familiar voice yelled at them.

"RUN!" Muse yelped, just as an equally familiar Albie jumped at him.

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And so the chase began.

Muse snatched up Typhon and set him firmly between his shoulders. Unfortunately, the little creature was so heavy that he could not even become airborne - he instead galloped through the busy bazaar, hurtling over large wood crates and smashing through fruit, vegetable and jewelry stands, shouting a hurried, "Sorry!" as he left a trail of devastation in his wake.

This time the Albie's buddies were involved much more - as Muse leaped into an alley, he was surprised to find a Batti hanging from an archway of marble. He spun on his heels and raced off in the opposite direction, just escaping the beast's wings.

"Mu, lemme down!" Typhon yelled above the carnage, glancing over his shoulder.

Muse obligingly stopped and set Typhon on the ground; he snarled, his short rusty-colored fur on end. A Rexxel leaped down from a nearby ledge of creamy marble, licking her whiskers, a cunning smile spread across her muzzle. She leaped at them - Typhon immediately responded by latching his jaws on the Rexxel's neck. She released a loud, pained scream and swiped at him. Three long, red scars appeared on Typhon's side, dripping blood on the cobbles. Muse roared and flapped his wings furiously at her - the distraction caused her to stand dumbfounded for a little while. Typhon kicked her away and leaped onto Muse's back. "Go, go!" he roared.

The two friends leaped over the Rexxel, who was nursing a throbbing wound on her collarbone. Typhon kicked aside the Batti who flew furiously at them. Muse sidestepped an Albie and caused it to slam into the wall - he then galloped off toward the city gates.

Freedom - it was so close - he could feel it, just calling to him -

Something slammed into his chest.

He released a gasp and went skidding into a wall of a white, marble building. Typhon winced as he was pinned between Muse's heavy body and the hard wall. Muse struggled to his feet and licked a bruise that formed at the corner of his beak. The Albie that tackled him smirked, licking his muzzle happily. "I won't fight you," Muse growled, eyes narrowing.

"Guess that'll make my job easier," the Albie chuckled.

"But...I won't go down easy!" Muse roared, grabbing Typhon and awkwardly running on three legs, one claw grasped around Typhon's round stomach. Typhon snapped at the Albie's face, keeping him at bay - at last Muse swung Typhon onto his back and raced off, past the gates, and to freedom.

"Well...that was...fun," Muse said, catching his breath.

"Yeh it was, Mu, yeh it was."