kept her knees together. She was relearning the living mode. Then, armed with knapsacks full of knickknacks, they departed the castle. “I hope you have a forthright notion how to begin,” Zosi said.
“I was hoping you did.”
She smiled ruefully. “It has been some time since I was alive, and I’ve never been on a Quest. But I understand there’s always a Protagonist and several Companions, plus lots of challenging Adventures. So maybe we should start by seeking some Companions. Maybe they’ll have better ideas how to proceed.”
“Why do we need Companions? Won’t they just slow things down?”
“I think it’s mostly Tradition. But there must be a reason. I suppose Quests are more likely to be favorably resolved if there are more people along.”
Kody shrugged. “We can keep an eye out for some.”
At that moment, as if summoned, two dark unicorns trotted into view, heading toward the castle. They saw Kody and Zosi in the path, and paused.
“Hello, unicorns,” Kody said.
Suddenly he saw a little picture of the two people meeting the two unicorns. A speech balloon appeared over the head of one unicorn. “Hello, humans.”
Kody was taken aback. “Did you just answer me? Or was I imagining it?”
The picture reappeared. Now the speech balloon said, “Yes.”
Then Zosi caught on. “They are projecting dreamlets! Because they can’t talk with their regular mouths.”
“True, human female,” the balloon said. “We are Moonshine and Moonshadow, unicorn/night mare crossbreeds, and we inherit some abilities from each parent. We can phase out in darkness, heal injuries, purify springs, and yes, project little dreams.”
“Thank you for that explanation,” Kody said. “I am Kody, and my companion is Zosi.” He did not add either Mundane or Zombie, uncertain what impression such terms would make. “We have just been to see the Good Magician, and are now on a Quest.” Should he ask the unicorns to join them? He wasn’t sure how Zosi would feel about it, or whether unicorns would make good Companions. He had really been thinking of human Companions.
“We are going there now,” Moonshine said. “Not to see the Good Magician; we are friends of Dara Demoness.”
“We wish you well,” the balloon by Moonshadow said. Then the two unicorns trotted forward to the moat, ran across the water, and through the castle wall.
Kody exchanged a glance with Zosi. “I don’t think they would have wanted to become Companions,” he said.
“No,” she agreed.
Another person was approaching the castle. Kody was coming to appreciate how busy it was. No wonder the Good Magician tried to set limits.
This one was a medium-age woman. “Hello,” Kody said.
The woman bleated. Then she paused, looking embarrassed. “Sorry. I forgot what form I was in. I’m Annie Mal. I can become any animal.” She demonstrated by becoming a sheep, then reappeared as human, clothes and all.
“Kody Mundane.” He was concluding that it was best after all to establish his alien origin, so that people would know why he made social mistakes.
“Zosi Zombie.” She was evidently coming to a similar conclusion about her nature. If that turned people off, well, it was best done at the outset.
“Verynicetomeetyouboth,” Annie said rapidly. “I’llbeonmy way.” She became a rabbit and bounded away.
Kody shook his head. “I guess a Mundane and a Zombie made her nervous.”
“Yes. But if we want Companions, they will have to know.”
“I agree. So maybe we had better continue to be open about our dark origins. So as to scare away folk before we get into things like Quests, if they’re going to scare.”
“Yes,” she agreed unhappily.
She needed cheering. “But just so you know, I think you’re a pretty girl and a nice person, Zosi. I’m even getting to like gray hair.”
“Oh!” she said faintly. “I wish…”
“If it’s anything I can help with, let me know.”
“You’re so nice to me,” she said.
“I was hoping you did.”
She smiled ruefully. “It has been some time since I was alive, and I’ve never been on a Quest. But I understand there’s always a Protagonist and several Companions, plus lots of challenging Adventures. So maybe we should start by seeking some Companions. Maybe they’ll have better ideas how to proceed.”
“Why do we need Companions? Won’t they just slow things down?”
“I think it’s mostly Tradition. But there must be a reason. I suppose Quests are more likely to be favorably resolved if there are more people along.”
Kody shrugged. “We can keep an eye out for some.”
At that moment, as if summoned, two dark unicorns trotted into view, heading toward the castle. They saw Kody and Zosi in the path, and paused.
“Hello, unicorns,” Kody said.
Suddenly he saw a little picture of the two people meeting the two unicorns. A speech balloon appeared over the head of one unicorn. “Hello, humans.”
Kody was taken aback. “Did you just answer me? Or was I imagining it?”
The picture reappeared. Now the speech balloon said, “Yes.”
Then Zosi caught on. “They are projecting dreamlets! Because they can’t talk with their regular mouths.”
“True, human female,” the balloon said. “We are Moonshine and Moonshadow, unicorn/night mare crossbreeds, and we inherit some abilities from each parent. We can phase out in darkness, heal injuries, purify springs, and yes, project little dreams.”
“Thank you for that explanation,” Kody said. “I am Kody, and my companion is Zosi.” He did not add either Mundane or Zombie, uncertain what impression such terms would make. “We have just been to see the Good Magician, and are now on a Quest.” Should he ask the unicorns to join them? He wasn’t sure how Zosi would feel about it, or whether unicorns would make good Companions. He had really been thinking of human Companions.
“We are going there now,” Moonshine said. “Not to see the Good Magician; we are friends of Dara Demoness.”
“We wish you well,” the balloon by Moonshadow said. Then the two unicorns trotted forward to the moat, ran across the water, and through the castle wall.
Kody exchanged a glance with Zosi. “I don’t think they would have wanted to become Companions,” he said.
“No,” she agreed.
Another person was approaching the castle. Kody was coming to appreciate how busy it was. No wonder the Good Magician tried to set limits.
This one was a medium-age woman. “Hello,” Kody said.
The woman bleated. Then she paused, looking embarrassed. “Sorry. I forgot what form I was in. I’m Annie Mal. I can become any animal.” She demonstrated by becoming a sheep, then reappeared as human, clothes and all.
“Kody Mundane.” He was concluding that it was best after all to establish his alien origin, so that people would know why he made social mistakes.
“Zosi Zombie.” She was evidently coming to a similar conclusion about her nature. If that turned people off, well, it was best done at the outset.
“Verynicetomeetyouboth,” Annie said rapidly. “I’llbeonmy way.” She became a rabbit and bounded away.
Kody shook his head. “I guess a Mundane and a Zombie made her nervous.”
“Yes. But if we want Companions, they will have to know.”
“I agree. So maybe we had better continue to be open about our dark origins. So as to scare away folk before we get into things like Quests, if they’re going to scare.”
“Yes,” she agreed unhappily.
She needed cheering. “But just so you know, I think you’re a pretty girl and a nice person, Zosi. I’m even getting to like gray hair.”
“Oh!” she said faintly. “I wish…”
“If it’s anything I can help with, let me know.”
“You’re so nice to me,” she said.
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