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Post by Kiryu on Oct 3, 2019 21:17:42 GMT -8
Perfect.
Bass and Cade did exactly as Kiryu had requested. He could not have hoped for better allies in this venture, as the pair performed exactly as needed. Bass had had a little trouble closing in at first, but he displayed some strange maneuver and was suddenly, somehow, in an entirely different spot than he was before. Kiryu blinked, not quite certain he understood what had just happened, but noting the maneuver for future reference.
The massive dinosaur yowled in anger and pain, scales shattered by the force of Bass's strike. Cade did not let the opportunity got to waste and offered up his best impression of a cowboy. He mounted the rampaging dinosaur as adroitly as any old cowhand would take control of a bucking bronco. Kiryu dashed forward, looking for a vantage point from which to make his shot. On the ground, the angle was wrong, and Kiryu was worried that no batter how powerful his blast it would be deflected. The scales of the dinosaur were like mirrored armor. Spotting a nearby ledge that jutted out, Kiryu sprang into action. He leaped from spot to spot, finding purchase wherever he could and physically digging into the canyon wall when he had to, making his way up to the ledge.
Kiryu crouched there, and took careful aim. Bass's shot seemed to have dislodged a several scales in the center of it's torso, leaving a greyish hide visible. Orange ki pooled at Kiryu's right index finger, and he used his left hand to brace his right at the wrist. Despite his pounding heart and the adrenaline thundering through his veins, Kiryu forced himself to breathe evenly, in and out, in and out. Kiryu watched as Cade continued to harass the dinosaur, and the titanic creature thrashed and bucked. Kiryu waited and watched as, in an attempt to dislodge Cade, the dinosaur contorted oddly, stumbled, and crashed into the canyon wall. the ledge Kiryu was on shook from the impact, but he held himself steady, and for just a moment, the dinosaur had to pause to right itself. For just a second, it was still.
And Kiryu was ready.
As quickly as he possibly could, the Earthling put as much of his ki as he could muster into the attack. The sound of the ki bullet cracked like a cannon shot, pealing and echoing throughout the canyon. The "bullet" that Kiryu fired was as large as his fist, and it streaked towards the dinosaur's exposed skin at lightning speed. The creature let out a penetrating wail, and, incredibly, the ki bullet actually exited out the back of the dinosaur and buried itself in the canyon wall. Dark crimson blood began to pour out of the creature, and the acrid smell of burnt flesh filled the air. The dinosaur staggered, then fell to it's knees, swaying for a moment before collapsing, the stones cracking under it's weight as it fell. It breathed one last time, almost a sigh of relaxation...
And then, it lay still.
Kiryu panted, arm shaking from the strain, then turned to Bass.
"The herd! Go!"
[WC=518]
[TWC=3,384]
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Post by Bass on Oct 4, 2019 0:43:05 GMT -8
Thinking for a moment, Bass would simply give a quick nod. He wanted to collect a few trophies, but that would certainly have to wait until after. He'd be wasting more time; valuable time, to do that now. Right now what needed to be handled was the herd, at least as Kiryu would have it. Looking over that way he'd note the herd in a frenzy, with the chaos before this and the nonstop rumbling not only were they all freaking out and panicking but the pen they were being contained in had also crumbled in a couple sections. They were just running wild, and it was completely possible that they could run right off the canyon and slowly flap to their dooms; flap as best a chicken or ostrich could that is.
Tensing his body, a newfound tap of Ki rushed from his form and revitalized his tired state if only some. While he could've made do with being exhausted, he saw no reason to make this harder than it needed to be. Now much restored compared to before, he burst from the ground with a crater-forming amount of force and launched himself across the room to catch up with the farm animals. The fight was great and all, but this was simply not how Bass saw the date ending when it had begun. Though if he 'lead' the world, how were the chickens supposed to farm without their farm animals? Catching up lightning quick to the most displaced animal he'd very very carefully grab it. Naturally it wasn't in a mood to get grabbed, and immediately he'd start to get frantically pecked. Pecking to which... Literally made no marks on him, his body was simply too tough for a chicken to break skin.
Bringing them back to the pen, he started rushing back and forth to get the most at-risk chickens that were running around back to where they needed to be to at least stay safe in the current moment. Though gathering them all was out of the question if he didn't want the ones he'd already grabbed to get out. And so, after the most in danger fowl were placed back properly, he'd rush over to the pen and extend his arms horizontally over the openings to basically form a temporary makeshift repair. Shouting over to the other two, he'd leave the rest of the recovery in their hands.
"I need one of you two to get something to fix these gaps in the pen a little better! Whoever doesn't do that needs to round up the rest of the chickens, until the gap is closed over I'll stay here to keep them in. This is not how I saw my day going..." He said with a light grumble, looking at the frantically clucking chickens in the pen that were to his slight satisfaction, somewhat calming down now that the situation was calming down and they realized they were pretty stuck anyways. Though the ones that were still out of the pen couldn't help but still be freaking out. While none of them were in dangerous spots yet, that couldn't be spoken for the same way in even five or so seconds. Time was of the essence.
WC: 541 | TWC: 4551
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Post by darthlunchbox on Oct 4, 2019 11:59:06 GMT -8
Cade held on for dear life and felt like his stomach was gonna fly out of his mouth as he rode the creature down to the earth, splattered with blood. The impact rattled him as he felt the force ripple throug his body, causing him to go limp and lose his grip for a moment as he almost black out. The body grinding to a stop threw him from the creatures back, but he managed to twist his body about and land in a fairly smooth roll as he partly came back to himself, coming up covered in dust and feeling a bit dazed. He managed to call out, "Nice shot!" In a dazed voice towards Keeryou before he shook his head and climbed to his feet, brushing some of the dust off of him and looking around. He heard Bass call out was able to focus on the problem at hand... rampaging chickens and ostriches. He looked around and grabbed one of the huge scales from the dinosaur and eyed one of the gaps in the fence. Should work well enough.
He ran to where Bass was trying to keep the animals penned up and plugged one of the gaps with the dinosaur scale explaining, "They won't want to come near to this thing, and it closes the gap good enough. Let me grab a couple more to plug up the last two holes, then we can catch them slippery suckers that got out." Cade sprinted back and grabbed another scale and then levered another on top of it, grunting with effort as he ran back. He dropped them both by the first hole, then blocked it with the top one before quickly blocking the last gap with the final scale.
Taking a second to catch his breath he started searching through the tents and found what he was looking for He came out holding a large canvas bag and ran out to the middle of where the fowls were running about, tossing a feed mix onto the ground and giving a sharp whistle, then clucking at them, "Come now, come and get it. We'll put you back in the pen after you eat, come get it. You're safe now..." He started leading the birds to the pen, leaving a trail of food behind him. He motioned for the others to open the gate to the pen as he neared, feeling a bit like the pied piper. He watched them starting to just walk into the pens as they calmed down and got some feed in their belly. He kept talking to them and smiling as he tossed more feed out behind him to lure some outliers in; more approached as he neared the pen and started throwing the food inside, "Good birds, Uncle Cade ain't gonna hurt ya. These two is just gonna let you real nice like into your pen. Come on. Good birds."
He looked to the others and waited for the last few birds to wander in so they could shut the pen and they could summon the ranchers and farmers. "I think we done a good job fellas. We made a heck of a team."
[531/3111]
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Post by Kiryu on Oct 7, 2019 11:29:06 GMT -8
With Bass's quick thinking and Cade's surprising skill rounding up the scattered fowl, the herd was quickly gathered into the makeshift pen, and they began settling down.
Thank heaven for competent allies, Kiryu thought. He nodded towards Cade and Bass.
"Well done," said Kiryu, "I think we're about done here. At least, we're about done as far as rescuing the animals go. Which leaves us with..."
Kiryu trailed off, turning to look at the members of PETOF that were now coming back from the hiding places they had managed to find. Many of them looked a bit the worse for wear; while there were no visible wounds or other major injuries, several of them had a few scrapes and bruises, or some torn or dirtied clothing, legacies of their panicked flight from the dinosaurs. Most of them were looking a bit sheepish... most, except for one young man. He had a long, obviously waxed mustache that he had styled to curl upward. He was wearing a red and black button down flannel open over a white t-shirt that exclaimed in large black letters, "LOVE THE EARTH". No, on his (patchily, and probably conditioned) bearded face was a look of defiance, and he marched towards Kiryu, shoulders set. As he drew near, Kiryu's eyes watered. His nostrils were being assaulted by the smell of...
Was that patchouli oil?
"Hey!", the man said, obviously angry, "I know why you must be here! Trying to get take these birds back? That's a death sentence, man! We're all children of the planet, and we all deserve to have our lives and existences, respected, and-"
The young man continued on, but Kiryu would not have been able to tell you what was being said. His eyes glazed over as the 'eco warrior' in front of him began devolving into tangents about how we needed to save more bees and how you could get all the protein and iron you needed from protein substitutes and vitamin supplements.
Kiryu's ears had damn near started bleeding when, instead of flexing his power, or yelling, or leaving, he simply yawned. He yawned long, and loud, and big, stretching his arms up over his head and then moving them back, loosening up his muscles. It was such an obvious, grandiose gesture that it could not be ignored, and the hipster trying to be helpful was stopped in his tracks.
Kiryu didn't want to give this guy any more opportunities to speak, or he might lose his mind, so Kiryu took that opportunity to jump in.
"Yeah, sorry about that, it's just that literally everything you said made me want to fall asleep. Here's the thing, man, it's not that I think you're wrong about everything. But just looking at you, I can tell you're one of those. One of the ones that joins up with causes and parrots whatever talking points you are indoctrinated in without ever actually thinking too much about it. See, here's the thing. You can't force people to share your values, and the vast majority of the world doesn't want to be vegetarian or vegan or whatever the trendy thing to be is when you want people to think that you're deep and care about the world.
If you actually cared, then you wouldn't be here, stealing chickens and ostriches from modest, rural farmers that are just trying to live their lives, and are probably a lot more in balance with nature than you or I ever will be. No, you'd be at the factories and the slaughterhouses of the huge corporations that make microwavable dinners out of chicken, or writing letters and requesting meetings with your local representative lawmakers to try to get the law to change. But you're not doing that. You're out in the boonies stealing livestock.
You're not noble. You're not really helping. You just want to seem like you are and your talking points are probably just enough to sway some others into thinking this half baked plan was a good idea.
If you really wanted to help the world and animals and change things, PETOF wouldn't have a kill rate of ninety percent."
At that, the man stiffened, and opened his mouth to reply, but Kiryu barreled ahead.
"According to the numbers that I found, which were, by the way, really easy to find, since they are on your own website, PETOF claimed to have 'rescued' ten thousand ostriches and chickens last year. According to a press release from your own organization, you were able to find homes for about a thousand of them with various rescue and rehabilitation organizations.
But from what I could find, PETOF doesn't have the resources or facilities to house and care for those animals, and according to official reports, if you can't re-home the animals, you destroy them."
The man began to respond and bluster, something about how those numbers were inflated or incorrect, or somehow spin what Kiryu had said, but Kiryu could see his words had already had the desired effect. The other members of PETOF looked downcast, and Kiryu spoke.
"Look, most of you probably have your hearts in the right place. But the next time you want to do something... think about it. Think about who and what your deeds will actually impact. Get local. Volunteer at an animal shelter, foster some cats, protest at a cosmetics factory.
Don't steal from other people, especially those who mostly actually practice that sustainability that you all seem to crave."
Kiryu's words had the desired effect, and the crowd dispersed. Their apparent leader glared at Kiryu, but, deflated, he also turned and left, seeing that his colleagues had abandoned him.
Kiryu then turned to Bass and Cade.
"Well, I guess it's not every day you get to tell off a whole bunch of naive eco-terrorists! Get to check that one off my bucket list, at least. All right, then, let's get this wrapped up! I can follow the herd from behind and round up any stragglers; why don't you guys get in front and focus on getting the herd moving? We should be able to get back before nightfall"
[WC=1,026]
[TWC=4,410]
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Post by Bass on Oct 7, 2019 20:08:03 GMT -8
Practically zoning out the entirety of the conversation, it was clear that Bass was in just about the same boat as Kiryu for reasons of his own. He'd actually voice those to add to Kiryu's condemning list of infractions. "I find it ironic that you chose to tell the people who in your mind are putting these animals in danger information that could lead them back to the animals and get them in danger once more. Just a thought." He'd say, shrugging and allowing them to disperse, something that Kiryu had caused. Letting out a sigh he simply closed his eyes and allowed his Ki to slowly return to it's natural state and not one of fatigue. Letting out a sigh as his eyes opened once more he listened to the suggestion and looked towards the herd of poultry.
"Corralling animals isn't something I'm interested in doing. Besides, I think Cade here has the expertise to handle that just fine. So long as he has some seeds or something they should follow him well enough? I literally don't know how it works. Though if you need two more hands I suppose I'll help if it's really necessary." Bass would say while walking up and towards the mouth of the canyon. Shielding his eyes he simply squinted up towards the sun above. It really had been one incredibly strange day so far. Glancing over his shoulder he'd speak. It was just about the most normal thing Bass has ever said save for office talk.
"So then, Cade was it? You like a hero of the people around here or something? I know Kiryu well enough, but I'm trying to get familiar with people around the world. Make connections, that kind of thing. I doubt I'll ever be around these particular parts again, but maybe some day it will come in hand. Though if you're serious about becoming stronger I can guarantee you we'll run into each other time and time again. That's the great thing about committing your life to battle. You will always be surrounded by familiar faces of those who seek the same thing in your generation. We're especially lucky since all things considered, fighting isn't really that popular compared to normal things. Like working at the office." He said, tapping his watch lightly.
"Anyways, like Kiryu said it's time to get moving. If you want to guide the herd I'll make sure no one tries to intervene on the way back. If something like that was just relaxing in this canyon I can only imagine some of the other hidden threats around the world that might come running into the open for a shot at sinking their teeth into some cluckers. All this talk of food makes me want to get a burrito, but I'm so far away from my favourite shop." He said, looking down at his watch. "Though if we get back to the village quick, I could be back in South City by midnight I'd guess. Sort of reinvented my style of travel since I came here. Crossed the ocean on a raft I built. Now I'll be going back in the sky, hard work can make anything possible."
With that he started to march onward, letting out a yawn.
WC: 545 | TWC: 5096
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Post by darthlunchbox on Oct 8, 2019 12:34:23 GMT -8
Cade smiled and nodded at Keeryou's compliment. He was going to tip his hat at him... but he realized it had flown off sometime when he was on the dinosaur ride, most likely. He raked his hair back from his forehead and wandered over to where the enormous dust covered corpse nearly blocked a portion of the canyon. It still looked big... but death seemed to have shrunken the huge beast somewhat. It had been scary... but at the same time kind of magnificent. It was a shame it had to die. He walked around the dead dinosaur, looking for any sign of the hat. Halfway around the giant head, he saw the brim of his hat sticking out, three-quarters of the way under the lizard's giant head. Well, dangit. Figures it'd end up under the giant lizard. Cade knelt down and cupped his hands together, starting to dig a trench under the hat to drag it out. After a few minutes of sending hot sands and rocks flying, he managed to dig the hat out from under it's prison and drug it out with a triumphant, "HA!" He shook the sand off of it and popped his hand inside to unflatten it. He replaced the somewhat battered hat on his head and returned to where he had left his companions, head now much more comfortably shaded.
As he returned, he caught the last half of the conversations between Keeryou and the hippy boy leader. Cade nodded at Keeryou's points and was almost shuffling with glee as the hippy boy was dismantled in the argument. The crowd dispersed and turned to leave and Cade called out, "Ya'll come back if you need any fresh produce or fowl, they have good stuff here. Make you a good veggie stir fry if you're into that." Couldn't hurt to give the village a good plug, most of these hippy types seemed to be vegetarians, or vee-gans, whatever that was. After a fw mre moments, he couldn't contain his mirth any longer. He did a little jig that kicked up quite a bit of dust as he cackled in delight, "Woooo, weee Mr. Keeryou. I can't do all that fancy talkin' like you did, but I sure agree with ya. Those college educated hippy fellers don't really know what it means to live in harmony with the land. If farmers took more than the land could give, their farms wouldn't be around that long, I can tell ya, and these folks have been here for generations." He let his laughing subside and walked over to Keeryou, "I can definitely do most of the work to guide the chickens and ostriches back. If you and can walk on on the left side of this here congregation of fowl, we'll get these poor birds back to where they go. I'm sure the ranchers and farmers will be overjoyed to have them back."
At Bass' questions, he considered for a moment, "Yessir, name's Cade. I don't know as I'm a hero yet.. but I'm working on it. These people don't have any folks that will step up and help them when someone or something powerful tries to come in and impose on their way of life. I grew up as one of them, facing the same things they face. Since I made the decision to and have begun acquiring power I use it to be the shield between them and those as would crush them down. Does that make me a hero? Maybe to some. Mostly, I am just a more powerful one of them, one who took a bit of a different path. As for connections, It was good to meet you, Mister Bass. You're sure a strong fella and I learned some by seeing you face off against the dinosaur. I tell ya, I ain't seen nothin' like that before. I am very serious about becoming stronger, so I'm sure we will meet again. I look forward to running into you and Mister Keeryou again. If'n you don't mind, would you mind taking the right side of the herd an' keeping any stragglers in line? I'll take care of the lion's share of the herding if you can just kinda keep them in line on that side."
Cade started pillaging the tents again until he found another couple of bags of feed, a shepherd's staff, and a chicken whistle. He waited until the two flankers were in position then started laying a sparse trail of food before he nodded at mister Keeryou to open the gate and blew the whistle. A shrill "BAACGAW" rent the air from the whistle and echoed in the canyon, catching the attention of the fowl in the pen immediately. The more adventurous ones started right out of the gate towards the sound of the whistle, then found the trail of food waiting. Cade started a strutting chicken walk, keeping the chicken whistle stuck between his teeth and using it to emit a lout, "BAGAWk...BAGAWKA-GAAWK!" every so often to keep their attention as he strung out the feed every so often to keep them rewarded for following him. One of the ostriches got impatient, he was probably the alpha of his flock, and tried to take the food bag from his hands. Cade blew the whistle in a disapproving "GAGAGAWK!" and launched a swift series of three kicks whipping back and forth across its head making it woozy. He waved back at the others before he continued, "S'allright, had to establish I was the alpha. Ostriches can be bull headed that way. He'll fall into line now. I just kicked him in the head, nowhere important for an ostrich."
It was a fair ways, but between the three companions working in tandem, they managed to herd the fowl back into town. The grateful villagers started sorting the fowl, and they even look to have agreed which chicken belonged to whom and settled the birds back in an equitable fashion. Cade felt a warm glow of pride at a job well done. He shook hands with Rancher Balding, "There you go sir. I reckon we got all of them, we just had to deal with those PETOF folks. And some dinosaurs. We'll tell ya'll about it over a beer or something. You have any good local beer?"
Rancher Balding slapped him on the shoulder, "You done good work, boys. We have some purty good beer hereabouts. If you fellers want to hang arround for a few, I think the town has something to present to each of you, a little token of our thanks. And I can arrange that beer for ya." He ended with a nod at Cade before stepping away to talk to the village mayor.
Cade turned to the Bass and Keeryou smiling and asked them, "Hey, you fellers going to stick around for a bit? I think they had something they wanted to give to us as a reward. I told'em they didn't have to, but they are insisting."
[1172/4283]
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Post by Kiryu on Oct 9, 2019 13:06:05 GMT -8
Kiryu had been relatively quiet during their return journey to the village. He had spent the time listening to music, playing his favorite songs as he rode behind the herd. A few times, one of the multitude of ostriches and chickens decided to wander off, but they were easy enough to direct back into the mass of the larger group, and Bass and Kiryu followed Cade's lead. Their journey must have been visible from far off, for as they returned to the village, it seemed like every man, woman and child was gathered to watch their triumphant return. As the livestock were sorted and reclaimed, people approached the trio of warriors, offering their deep gratitude. Kiryu graciously accepted it, shaking every hand and exchanging every pleasantry that anyone present wanted.
At the end of the process, as the last of the ostriches was placed into their pens, the gathered ranchers let out a jubilant cheer. They began to temporarily disperse, but a celebration was clearly in the works. Kiryu grinned over at Cade when the man asked whether of not they would be staying.
"You know, Bass and I shared a beer when I first met. So yeah, it's safe to say I'm a fan. I'm not planning on going anywhere just yet!"
The thought of a reward, as well, was tantalizing to Kiryu. He was far from motivated by material gains, but Kiryu was a mortal man and not immune to the lure of gifts, especially when freely offered by grateful folk for a job well done.
Kiryu watched as the townsfolk set about preparing a proper celebratory feast in the modest town square. Long wooden tables and benches were brought out, as were several barrels of what Kiryu assumed were ale. Stoves and ovens flared to life as the people worked on baking bread and cooking meat, preparing cheeses and fruits and vegetables. The smell of the food made Kiryu’s mouth water; he hadn’t realized how hungry he was until that very moment.
The night passed pleasantly. The beer that they offered Kiryu and the rest was not only strong, it was excellent. It possessed an earthy, floral nose and just enough hop bitterness to tease his palate with citrusy flavors and enough aftertaste to pleasantly linger before souring. Asking around a bit led Kiryu to discover that the beer was locally made, and exclusively utilized local ingredients.
Good beer was a passion of Kiryu’s. He was young, true, but he had started early and with quality brews. Given the intense metabolism that most ki users seemed to possess, it was hard for him to become so inebriated that he lost control of himself to a dangerous degree, so he mostly drank just for the taste.
As the evening continued on, Kiryu took efforts to get to know Cade a bit better. How he had grown up. When he realized he had abilities that others did not possess. The training he was doing. What he wanted to accomplish.
For his part, Kiryu was an open book. If either of his companions asked, he would talk of growing up as a member of the Path of Joy. The more he explained his sect to others, the more he found himself having to explain that they were not, in fact, a cult. But if any were interested, he would explain his philosophy, his reasons for traveling, his desire for strength and fellowship, his concerns of the future, and his hopes that no matter what would happen, the brave and strong and valorous denizens of the world would stand together against it.
[WC=604]
[TWC=5,014]
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Post by Bass on Oct 9, 2019 13:40:50 GMT -8
Bass would cut the celebration short, so to speak. When offered to join he'd simply shake his head before speaking.
"I should get back to training, I have a lot of lost time I have to make up for. It was nice meeting you Cade." He said, glancing towards Kiryu for a moment. "If there's anything you need, I'll be in South City shortly. It's about time that I wrapped this little trip up and went back to my day job. I have a lot of renovations that I have to carry out on the place." He'd say, taking a step back. Raising a hand in a wave, Bass would be on with his own day.
First however he moved in towards the villagers to collect the supposed reward they were offering. He wasn't one to ask, but something voluntarily presented was a tribute he wouldn't really turn away from. Even if it came in the form of an egg. Looking it over in his right palm, he figured worst case scenario he'd have an awesome omelette or best case scenario he'd use it's fragility to train his balance, trying not to break it as he soared through the sky at rapid speeds.
He figured he would go with the later option, not even for a moment considering what could spring forth from the egg. That would be a surprise he'd bear witness to at a later point in time. Leaping from the ground he disappeared into the sky, bounding to wherever his next destination was. Always one searching for a way to become stronger, and never allowing himself to grow weak when presented with temptation. Though he did have his moments where he relaxed. Planned out ahead of time, a moment of relaxation is just as beneficial as training. The body must have a break, sometimes.
WC: 307 | TWC: 5403
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Post by darthlunchbox on Oct 9, 2019 17:53:24 GMT -8
Cade hooted in delight at Keeryou's acceptance of his invitation to share a beer. "Allright, sounds good my man. Rancher Balding is going to round us up some brew and we can take a load off and tell the tale of the day!" He turned to face Bass, who had declined his invitation and gave him a respectful nod and a handshake, "Thanks again on behalf of these folks for helping. Both they and I appreciate it big fella. Maybe we'll see each other around." He watched the big blue man walk down and inquire about his reward and his inspection of the ostrich egg. Cade didn't know if Bass realized how valuable of a gift he was receiving from these folk; these ostriches had been bred for generations to get big enough and smart enough (though no one would accuse one of them of being a Briefs) for an ostrich to be able to learn simple commands and actually remember them.
About that time, Rancher Balding came back and handed them stoneware mugs, cool condensation on the outside forming already. Cade gratefully accepted the mug of dark home brewed beer from Rancher Balding, and clinked glasses with the Keeryou and the rancher before taking a large drink of the brew. It was cool and bitter with a nice tang… with a distinct citrus finish. Grapefruit he though.. it really was a very nice beer. He lowered the mug and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, letting a satisfied, “Ahhh” sound escape his lips. He turned and saw Bass crouching down near the edge of the village getting ready to take off. Lightly elbowing Rancher Balding, he called out, "Hey, you all, watch this!" as the big blue Namekian leaped into the air and took odd towards... his business or whatever. He still wasn't too clear on what that part was all about, but that guy was a heck of a fighter. The crowd ooohed and awwwed in appropriate awe at seeing Bass flying through the air.
Soon enough, they had dragged a bunch of long wooden tables out and set food out. There was roast chicken, ostrich egg frittatas, fresh buttered corn, green beans, bean soup, and corn bread. That wasn't even mentioning the home brewed beer flowing like water and the desserts table piled high with sugary delights. Some of the villager pulled fiddles, guitars, and other instruments out from somewhere and lively music soon wove through the air, lending an even more festive atmosphere to the night. Cade sat by mister Keeryou, laughing and talking with him and anyone who decided to come and visit with them. He put a pretty good dent in the food and was finishing off a apple fritter when the crowd started gathering around them. By popular demand, they had to stand on the table and give a full telling of the story, leaving no detail un-exaggerated and accentuating every high point with a cheer and a drink.
Once the beer took a hold of him a little, he even got up and danced some with the young... and not so young ladies in the village. Lively reels, do si dos and square dances were the order of the day, and he had great fun doing all of them. After a while, he excused himself, laughing and sweating and found a quiet place to let the night air cool the sweat from his brow for a few minutes while he looked at the moon. He'd only managed a few minutes by himself before he heard footsteps approaching from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Rancher Balding holding something wrapped up in a blanket. "There ya are, Cade my lad. I was looking for ya. I have something I want ya to have."
Farmer Balding unwrapped the blanketed bundle and presented Cade with a large egg, “This here was layed by Choco, my best ridin’ ostrich and Bungo, my biggest ostrich. I was hoping they’d make a bigger and faster mount by breeding them. You’ll have to let me know next time you swing through these part. Thanks again Cade, you and your companions saved our livelihoods. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about your adventures.”
Cade took the blanketed egg, looking down at its blue spotted white shell and smiled at the man, "Thanks, I know what this means. I'll take real good care of this here ostrich. I promise. Now let's go back and finish drinking that last keg of beer with Mister Keeryou..."
[759/5042]
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