It was well into lunch by the time Lem was able to see his home on his walk back from Pancreedy. He was starting to sweat lightly under the fur on his head and the top of his shoulders were slightly getting damp from the glare of Paek and Mentor.

He spotted Polly milling about just beside the path as he got closer to home. She was eating the long grass that grew unattended in the hay fields that sat just in front of the ranch.

Why haven’t the boys started the scything yet? They’re probably playing around again those silly kids, he mused as he headed for the Monster. Polly was nonchalantly feeding and paid him no heed as he approached.

“Hey there again Polly,” Lem greeted as he walked right up beside it’s large thorny legs.

“Come on let’s get you home,” he coaxed the beast as he grabbed onto its reins. He then gently lead it towards the ranch. Polly only hissed in reply at having been interrupted, but complied and started to follow the Capyban.

Lem lead Polly past the house and to the back, towards the stables. Looking to the right he was not able to see any of his sons in the Kaholin fields.

“Boys! Where’re you’s about?... Kano?! Nosal?!” His voice rung out as he entered the back courtyard. Hrmm, they must be messing about in the orchard or at the Chitpulka coop, he thought to himself as he lead Polly to the mounting stables.

The courtyard-facing door of the stables was already open and Lem lead her into the relatively cooler interior.

Inside he lead Polly up to the two way paddock. She was able to smell the rest of her herd in the field just beyond and wanted to reunite with them. The large insectoid chirped with impatience and started to pace about listlessly before entering the paddock.

“Aye aye gimme a second,” Lem spoke to the monster as he entered alongside it. Once inside, he closed the back gate behind himself as he began the process of undressing the Kaholin of its riding gear.

He first begun by unlatching the stirrups from the sides of the saddle and resting them on the metal bars of the paddock. Then reaching under the thorax, he unbuckled the two leather belts holding the saddle fast to her back. Then he unclasped the reins below her large insectoid head and looped it over her head and leaving it to rest on the saddle. Finally he slid the heavy leather mount off from her as she waited patiently, having done this many times before.

The Kaholin then began to chirp once the equipment came off her.

“Ok there girl, just gimme a sec and you can go back to the rest of the girls and tell them all about your day alright?” Lem replied with a musk of joy as he easily hefted the heavy saddle onto the side of the paddock. Once done he opened the back gate with the Kaholin in tow as they headed towards the back end of the stables.

He unlatched the large doors and pushed it open to let the eager Kaholin free to re-join her herd.

Polly did not need any prompting as she ran off at a soft cantor towards the Kaholins feeding in the field with the riding blanket slipping off her back.

Ah fruitflys, forgot the blanket again, Lem cursed to himself as he retrieved the cloth before heading back inside.

The Kaholin paid him no heed as she chirped loudly to announce her return and received some in greeting. A few of the Kaholins peeled off from the grazing herd and towards her, as they greeted each other with chirping and the waving of their antennae.

Lem closed the door to the stables and retrieved the riding gear from the paddock. He then mounted it on the wooden mounts hanging by the front doors, along with other sets of riding gear. He checked the equipment again for any scuffs and the general condition of the leather. Finding nothing out of order, he left with a satisfied grunt.

After leaving the stables Lem headed to the back of the house in search of his sons. He leaned in the back door, not wanting to track dirt in the kitchen as he looked on in.

Lem didn’t see any of his sons, but he did notice the mud all over the floor and Yesterhay strewn about under the dining table.

“Damn kids, making a mess all over the place and skiving about somewhere,” he fussed as he kicked off his boots. Lem then entered and grabbed himself a helping of Yesterhay and a pair of peeled Groundfrit that he placed in a wooden bowl before sitting down to lunch.

He went over his morning as he sat alone with the sound of him chewing on the Yesterhay.

The Tars will be able to help, if just to make sure to keep an eye out for Nosal when he’s about in the village, He thought to himself with a musk of safety.

It was touching that Lok-Tars swore on his tusks like that, the big oaf, He remembered with a soft chuckle.

Telling the Headman was probably unnecessary, he added as an afterthought as he bit into the Grountfrit. As he chewed the crunchy and sweet tuber, he mulled over telling the Headman his son’s class.

On one hand it he will eventually find out… one way or another, but now there’s the issue of the Leporian refugees coming to work on the farm and the whole census next year, he thought with a sigh and a musk of fear.

I should be able to handle the refugee family, but there’s no avoiding the census. He thought with a slight frown.

Maybe if I send Nosal away with father when the census is to take place? Then that way I can use it as an excuse and avoid it for a time. Either way, I’m going to have to wait to hear back from father and find out when he visits. Lem concluded his train of thought, having not gotten anywhere.

Looking down, he was surprised to find that he had finished his meal whilst pondering.

Well guess I should go find the boys and get the scything done, gotta lay out the grass to dry out before the summer is over. He thought to himself as he dropped off the bowl into the washing bucket.

Oh and get them to clean up all this divine kissed mud, he noted as he bent down to tie up his boots.

“Now where in the Realms did those two get off to?” He asked himself as he stood in the back courtyard. Damnit I better go change out of these nice cloths first! He cursed to himself as he once again began taking off his boots.

……...

“So how about we go and see if your skill works on other monsters?” Kano asked his gobsmacked brother with a smile.

I didn’t even stop to think about how great the green light was before! I can talk to anything now, Da’Nittan, the Chitpulkas, Monsters or even that Gildronfly if it lets me touch it! Nosal thought to himself as he released his musk of joy.

“Hey! You listening little Nose?” Asked Kano with a frown at his daydreaming brother.

“Yeah, yeah I heard you Kano, we can go talk to all the monsters and beasts in the whole world!” Nosal eagerly replied as he spilt his Yesterhay everywhere.

“Ok but let’s have some food first, I’m all hungry after actually having done some work today, unlike some..” Kano spoke with a leer at his brother as he grabbed a Groundfrit.

“Hey I was collecting the dung! You would be distracted too if you can talk with the Kaholins!” Nosal complained with a musk of anger at the accusation.

“You’re right about that,” Kano answered as he bit into the tuber in his hand. The juices trickled down his chin as he messily ate. “All I get is to talk with Ditta…. speaking of which, where is the little scamp?” Kano asked as he spat the tuber everywhere, having spoken with his mouth full.

“I dunno, last time I saw him was in the morning, why don’t you ask him where he is and I can try see if I can talk to him too?” Nosal asked as he began eating his Yesterhay once again. He too ate messily, spilling many strands onto the floor under the table.

“Kay,” Kano replied before his eyes slightly lost focus and his mouth slightly hung open.

He looks a bit like Sloth with that silly look on his face, Nosal thought to the image of a mishappen human. He didn’t even question the random thoughts anymore as he chuckled at his brother. They came along with his amazing class and the young boy chose to accept it rather than dig into the issue.

“Aight got it, he says he’s just in the woods and going to look for something to beat up in the marsh,” Kano answered with a smile before frowning at his chuckling brother.

“What’s so funny?” He asked with a musk of joy.

“Nothing Kano nothing, let’s just grab our lunch and eat it whilst we go find him?” Nosal quickly denied as he changed the subject.

“Alright that’s a good idea little Nose,” said Kano as he loaded up his front pocket with two more tubers.

Nosal got up whilst feeling relieved and quickly grabbed a bundle of Yesterhay on his way out with his brother right behind him.

“So whats it like?” Kano asked as they crossed the back courtyard.

“What’s what like?” replied Nosal as he chewed away at some straws that jutted out the corners of his mouth.

“The skill you silly butt,” joked Kano with his musk of joy at his brother.

“Oh, well there’s this green light, and your know how you think in your head?” Nosal began explaining as he grabbed the loose straw and shoved it into his mouth.

“Well the Kaholins talk to me in there, and I talk to them in their head too I guess,” Nosal concluded as they neared the hay barn.

“Hrmmm, that does sound exactly like my telepathy with Ditta, but you say you have to touch them yeah?” Kano asked as he placed an arm out to block his brother.

Nosal walked into the sudden barrier but only frowned.

“What?” He asked Kano with a musk of annoyance.

“Let’s not go that way, the Owlmites already beat one of us up today,” Kano answered with a embarrassed grin and a musk of fear.

“Oh yeah… hahaha” Nosal agreed with a musk of joy. The boy was once again reminded of the sweet pranked he played earlier. But he heeded the warning from his brother, for he too didn’t particularly fancy running into the bronze ranked Owlmite.

So they skirted the back of the storage building and on the far edges of the bronze ranked garden with many a furtive glace at the orchard. They approached the copse of trees that snaked along the western and northern borders of the ranch and entered.

The shade of the thick canopy cast a cool gloom in the woodland. It was a welcomed contrast by the boys from the heat out in the fields. Here and there was the sound of buzzing insects and the rustle the lazy wind through the highest branches. With the trees creaking and bending to their own slow tempo.

Normally villagers would only venture into the woods with an armed escort, for the Whisperwoods contained many a dangerous creatures. This was especially true the deeper you went into the woods and closer you got to the shadow cast by the Melikar range.

The boys walked through this small copse of trees without a care, floundering through low hanging brush and making a ruckus as the trampled through the undergrowth.

The carefree attitude of the boys was because the tiny grove that clung onto the edges of the river on the Ranch’s side was home to a gold ranked monster. It was Da’Nittan whom easily deterred away most creatures from the edges of the Whisperwoods just beyond the river.

If the boys had to guess, they would assume that the large creature was currently sleeping in her den as she was prone to during the day.

Nosal couldn’t help wondering at the differences in the Kaholins and Da’Nittan as he walked through the woods. They were both insectoid Monsters but that was where the similarities ended. The Kaholins were large and cricket-like with their gangly legs and timid in nature. Da’Nittan was squat and powerfully built with huge crushing claws that she regularly used to hunt with at night. The leftovers around the roots of the tree that sat above her den being the only indication of her successful hunts.

“Should we go check in on her?” Nosal asked his brother with a nod towards the Ashawould tree’s clearing where Da’Nittan lived.

“Nah, we can just wait till tomorrow when father brings the farmpie,” Kano replied as he broke off a branch in his path. The base of the branch was home to a small Flynemon whom flinched back in fear at the intrusion. The small purple mass retracted its thin sticky feelers that it laid out to catch small flies, in fear at Kano’s intrusion.

Ignoring the small beast Nosal went back to comparing Da’Nittan.

The Kaholins have a tough shell but I’m sure Da’Nittans is a lot harder, plus I’ve never seen her moult like the Kaholins do, Nosal thought to himself as he thought back to Da’Nittan’s humungous pincers. Father says they moult to grow bigger, so does that mean Da’Nittan’s shell just grows along with her? To him she always just looked huge, with more of a massive quality to her with the Kaholins even considered lithe in comparison.

He wondered what she looked like when she was younger, having himself been born when she was already quite the behemoth. Mother said paired with her when Da’nittan was just a baby, So that would mean… she’s a lot older than me, Nosal concluded after his failed attempt at mental arithmetic’s.

“Alright we’re through,” Kano declared with a small musk of joy as they broke through the trees. The two boys stood upon a slight slop that gently lead down into a carpet of mossy grass. The two boys knew that the grass was deceptive in nature and covered over some wet patches that you could easily sink down into your waist. The reeds that shot through the carpet here and there also alluded to the true nature of the marshland.

The boys were both capable swimmers, having the talent naturally from their Capyban heritage. But it always was quite unpleasant to randomly sink down into the quagmire and get their suspenders and fur all wet. So the boys both took off their boots and grabbed themselves a long dead branch as a small measure of precaution.

“Where is Ditta?” Nasal asked.

“Look he’s just down there on the left, you see just next to that big bit off water reeds?” Kano point out as he began his descent. Nosal was close behind his heels as he strained to see the mottled green scallywag amongst all the equally green vegetation.

Kano reached the bottom but stopped in his tracks as he concentrated on a message. Nosal waited beside his brother patiently as he prodded the moss to check on his footing.

“He says go around, he doesn’t want us falling through and scaring his prey away,” Kano spoke with a slight frown after he concluded his communications. He then turned left and skirted the edge of the moss towards his partner.

“What’s he beating up this time?” Nosal asked as trailed behind his brother.

“I’m not too sure, you know he does like to make up stuff, but he says it’s a huge yellow thing?” Kano relayed the descriptions to Nosal.

“A big yellow thing? There isn’t anything big around here, all I can think of is Babaslinks,” Nosal replied with a musk of confusion.

“Yeah that’s what I thought, but how’s he going to catch one of them little fast lizards?” Kano wondered.

“Wait I see it!” Nosal whispered loudly as he pointed with his stick over his brother’s shoulder. Kano sighted along the stick and saw the yellow lizard resting among some reeds just a stone’s throw away, as it languidly sunbathed.

“Where’s Dittat?” Nosal asked.

Kano quickly sent a message to his partner before answering. “He’s in the moss below him!”

The Babaslink opened a suspicious eye towards the two Capybans that were whispering loudly and disturbing its nap. Below it, the moss slowly surged upwards as if an leviathan was rising from the fathoms of the sea.

With little beads of moss and water sliding off his dome, Dittat slowly lifted himself up with his feelers flat upon his back. The Babaslink cocked its head as it’s primitive senses detected danger. But it was distracted by the kerfuffle that the brother’s displayed, unwary to the enemy below.

With a mighty flicked of his feelers, Dittat slapped both upwards and used the whiplash from the action to curled them around the reed to attack the lash the Babaslink.

And with that the melon sized green monster easily subdued the finger sized yellow lizard that was limply wriggling in its grasp. Dittat flicked both its feelers down, and with a few thrashing motions in the mossy carpet the Babaskink was swiftly devoured.

“Not bad,” noted Kano at his partner with a musk of joy.

“Haha not bad? He said it was huge and -hahaha- that slink was tiny compared to him!” Nosal laughed with a musk of joy at the proud pair.

……

Earlier in the morning.

Chopeck waited in his prison for the usual ritual that played out. He kicked and tore at the hole in his prison with frustration and was actually making some progress through the night. But then the egg thieves came at dawn.

Today there was only the small and the not-so-small egg thieves he noted. The largest egg thief that cowed Chopeck with its monstrous presence was absent today. It was an opportunity for Chopeck to grow as he bide his time. Even with blunted claws, Chopeck knew that he was slowly growing from each victory.

They lured away his females with the promise of food and the false freedom of the courtyard. It was a cheap trick that made Chopeck feel a dull fury in his mind before he smothered those thoughts.

It was unacceptable to ruin his chances because of rage. He needed to win his battles against the thieves. But what if another male attempted to usurp his rightful place? Came a traitorous thought in his mind.

Chopeck became annoyed at the impudence of it all. He had defeated his father and many of his sons in his past. The egg thieves would then take the conquered away.

He currently had no sons, but there could be other males out there in the world!

The small egg thief started to steal his unborn young whilst the not-so-small one came to his prison.

Chopeck tried to hide his anger as he was freed by the despicable creature. He turned around for one last look and was absolutely livid. The not-so-small egg thief was mending the hole he painstakingly enlarged with kicks over many moons! He was foiled once again.

But Chopeck was smart, if he was to lose in his endeavors then he would defeat the thief in battle!

Chopeck ran back up towards the fiend and gave him his strongest kick. Then he retreated before the not-so-small egg thief could retaliate.

My win again foul creature! He thought with glorious triumph as he escaped the prison to tend to his females. Outside spotted the small egg thief and his females feeding. He quickly surveyed the surrounds and fussed over his females whilst vocalizing his distress.

Finding no usurpers, Chopeck was able to rest his mind. Then he remember that his gluttonous females were all cleaning up the feed! He muscled pass the greedy females before lapping up his share. He needed to be strong to defend the flock after all.

He quickly had his fill before he started to check his females, to see if any were receptive to his mighty seed. At the corner of his eye Chopeck spotted the small egg thief rejoining the not-so-small one inside the prison.

He needed to catch the small egg thief on its own. The thieves were cowards, but they were also strong. Chopeck remembered a day in the past when he suffered a blow in battle against the small egg thief. He was worried sick that one of his sons would capitalize on his weakened state and usurp his place for days as he recovered.

Chopeck prowled about whilst keeping an eye for the small egg thief. His moment came soon with the small egg thief leaving the prison alone.

The foul creature then made its way towards the gate to the outer kingdom and struggled with its load of Chopeck’s stolen children.

He would not let this chance slip by. With a burst of speed he sprinted across the yard and delivered a mighty kick at the unwary creature before he made his quick retreat.

Chopeck never felt so alive compared to having bested the thieves. He was vocalizing his joy as he felt the world empower him for his victories. He paid no heed to the weird guttural noises the thief made as it lamented in its defeat. His gains were small, for he never killed the thieves. But at the back of his tiny mind, Chopeck knew that the big egg thief would not stand for him to kill its smaller kin.

A small silly Mentorsparrow flitted down near him and started pecking up some of the left over feed.

A swift kick from Chopeck ended the stupid creature’s life that dared to steal from his flock.

As he resumed lording over his females, he slowly grew in power with each passing day.

…..