The Profane Dog

Westhaven Part 5

The village had been eerily quiet all day and Kaz was now starting to worry that it wasn't due to the arrival of the werewolves, but the result of something more sinister - but what could possibly cause everyone to vanish?

Kaz · Unscroll

As if on cue a giant, 40-story tall Margaret Thatcher appears on the horizon, walking steadily towards the town's center. Letting out a Godzilla-like scream, she looked around as if expecting something or someone to interview her. Horab, who was previously doing something or other, walked out and yelled up at her, "Hey man, shutter off dude!" which was replied to by another Godzilla-like scream.
She then stepped on horab.
A passerby might've heard Horab mutter something to the effect of "fuck this noise" from under her foot, just moments before the insanely-tall, Mega-Thatcher was suddenly propelled out of eyeshot into the wild blue yonder.
Horab stood in the rather largish-size, 20k-footprint, lit a smoke and smiled to himself, satisfied that his hangover remained uninterrupted, before turning towards the suddenly renovated pub.

Horab Fibslager · Unscroll

Kaz had spent the last few days helping the werewolves settle in and then between the three of them, they had readied the bar. The beer delivery had finally arrived, all repairs had been done. A food delivery was due this evening. Then preparation could properly start for the official opening of 'The Lair'.
Mia and Lycan had settled into their quarters and had gotten into a 'normal' routine for changing and hunting. Their duties and position had been fully explained to them;

they were to handle the general running of the pub,
deal with any problem customers,
handle any other problems should they occur.

Kaz had explained to them the purpose behind the college and the sort of trouble it could well attract, and had already started to. They were still willing to take the job after that, so that was fine. One less thing to worry about.

There had been constant sounds of construction coming from every corner of WestHaven and from the reports Kaz had gotten from Mia after each hunting session, the college was almost fully up and ready to run. Kaz thought it about time she went and had a look to see just how near to completion everything was, starting with a visit to 'Dora - something she'd been meaning to do for a few days but had never found the time for.

She told Mia she was going to the college, grabbed a bottle of vodka from behind the bar and headed off to the main college building.

...

The last time Kaz had seen 'Dora, she was accompanied by the wizard Ffarg, who had moved into the college and already started basic classes with the few students who had arrived early. She wasn't quite sure wich area of magic Ffarg covered but, from the haunting image that had stayed with Kaz from their first encounter, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

There was no sign of 'Dora within the college. Kaz asked a student if she knew where 'Dora could be found.
"She's out at one of the new buildings," replied the lass hurrying towards the stairs, "But I don't know wich one!" she added looking back over her shoulder.

Well I'd planned on having a look, perfect excuse. thought Kaz.

Heading outside, she stopped on the steps and sat down to skin up. Sitting there, it took her offguard when a noticeboard began to form in front of her. Why be suprised? silly cow! she thought, reminding herself of where she was sat.

When the noticeboard had finished forming, there was a map of the new college buildings. Each building seemed to be in newly made clearings just inside the forest that almost fully surrounded WestHaven. The buildings seemed to be in a protective circle with the main college building being at the centre. Bet thats dead-centre! thought Kaz as she stood up to look at the map closer. As she did, she could see another building starting to etch itself on the map. Ah! Thats where 'Dora is then. she thought, watching with interest as the image grew and developed.

...

Kaz studied the map carefully, checking there was no vital building missing. She carefully read;

Ten training areas and two arenas. It's gonna take a lot of people to fill these bloody things! she thought as she headed off down the college steps. And thats just with lecturers!!

Kaz · Unscroll

A man walked through the door, wearing black ballon pants red sash and a tank top. Exposed flesh betrayed a life spent honing his body to physical perfection. He moved with an economy of movement that implied the ability to disable and dispatch any foe. the expression on his face was flat but would nonetheless impale any cowardly wrongdoer with fear, his eyes were hard but held a soft kindness that was in contrast to the rest of his appearance.

Eldorado stood in the central landing watching the visitor impassively.
"Welcome stranger to the College of Combat and magic. Do you seek training in the martial and arcane arts?"
The man who some said was from the flower of heaven, would anyone ask, who others would say was the son of Hell spilled upon the earth regarded the dean of learning a few moments,and then in slow heavily accented speach stated,
"I have no need of training in arts martial, nor arts arcane. I am called Tagashi.
I am looking for sometyhing that I do not know. My journeys have brought me here at this time. it is a pleasure to have your aquaintance."
"Hmm well if you're not here for training I'm not sure how I can help you, but you are cdertainly welcome to look around.
"Yes thank-you, you are too gracious. I welcome your hospitality, may I be able to repay it in kind"
And with a slight bow of his head turned slightly, just as the doors flew off their hinges with a large human shaped more or less beast behind.
the beast was strange looking in that it had curling horns and a snout with a human like mouth and eyes, and tusks that protruded from under lips. Clad in black chain mail. Had anyone took a moment to notice these things that is, as it flew across teh room and into the wall behind.
Horab strolled in and casually stated, "If you can defend yourselves, I heartily suggest preparing yourselves to do so, an entire legion of trollocs are outside and they obviously don't know the first thing about manners."
As if on cue another of the beastly trollocs, this one with a beak for nose and mouth and feathers for hair, and it's shins replaced by bird's feet, brought down a rather large wickedly curved and blackened sword where horab had seemed to stand, apparently missing him entirely. with a nimble but seemingly excruciatingly slow movemnt, horab reached out and seemed to push at the trolloc. Upon contact however the inhuman beast flew backwards as if hit by a giant invisble piston. the trolloc toppled over two more of the ghastly creatures running up the steps, however these were followed by two or three dozen more, and a flood of the grotesque abberations were visible.
Pausing to light a smoke horab muttered, "Man, incorporeal or not, I'm really gonna need a shower after this."

Horab Fibslager · Unscroll

As Kaz set off to view the progress of the college and, indeed, WestHaven itself, she couldn't help but feel a little pleased with herself;
From the start, it had been the plan to arrange the colleges outer-laying buildings in a combat, magic, dual skill formation and that, according to the map, was how 'Dora was creating it.
I've really got to catch hold of her and ask her what the hell is going on! thought Kaz as she approached the first building, close to the natural boundary of WestHaven.

Instinctively, Kaz glanced across the town square towards the pub. She could see Mia returning from hunting/scouting, and Lycan waiting, restlessly, outside 'The Lair' for her return. S'pose he wants a bit of time out too! she thought. Hardly suprising, really!!

She turned to look at the college building in front of her. It was a combat building, Archery.
Handy to have on the edge of the road in! she thought.

As she started up the steps to the entranceway of the school of archery, Kaz heard a short, sharp bark. It was wolflike but with a hint of voice to it. "WRKAZZ"

She turned to see Mia hurtling towards her and Lycan hurrying into the pub, hesitantly glancing first towards Mia then in the direction she'd come from (with fury not unlike a Tasmanian Devil), the woods beyond the furthest boundary of WestHaven, behind the pub.

Kaz glanced back towards the college of archery. Dismissing it, she turned and headed back down the steps, motioning for Mia to head back to the pub and change, that she would meet her there.
She didn't like the look of this, at all!!!

Kaz · Unscroll

Angus accepted this as he accepted most things, badly. Smiling at the local yokel he tramped off into what seemed the dead centre of this Westhaven. With his feet just barely removed from the vicinity the local yokel carefully replaced the Westhaven sign with one saying. New York. Everyone has some form of employment in Westhaven it's just that the idea of meaningful had been forgotten somewhere around the pub.

Strolling past the local grave robbers gave Angus an idea of the idyllic way of life preserved and loved in these parts. Transit vans full of holes were ferrying their precious nothings away, while the former residents of the holes were left to bask in the sunlight.

There was obviously a big demand for graves and if it wasn't for their obvious multiple uses Angus might just have suspected the suspicious. Luckily he didn't need to know what Pendfold did with his hole to view him as suspicious.

He smiled deeming himself well prepared for this haven of the west.

AngusThermopile · Unscroll

After many an ardous month checking the tequila cacti he had planted in the desert Penfold wandered back into town "Hmmm wonder what that big new arena thing is". He pushed his way though the bustling crowds and read the sign pinned to the entrance.

Slowly he took another bite of juicy cactus before yelling "Ahdkaw! Mouldy cabbages at 50 paces! C'mon man!"

penfold · Unscroll