Chapter 602: Calm before the Storm (1/2)
”That's pretty good, right? It looks good to me...” Morti sunned himself near the large pond behind the Turtle house. Nix leaned back against him, dozing off and on while Ducky and Soup played games in the water. The small jade figure with a round face had both hands extended as she stood motionless on the surface of the water. Three columns of spinning water rotated around her, causing the pond to drop by several inches. She smiled at Ducky while the beginning of a fourth and fifth column formed.
Duck clapped excitedly; as a water elemental, she knew how Soup was doing it, but water manipulation wasn't the Water Witch's strong point. ”Soupy!”
Suddenly, all the columns collapsed with a huge splash that drenched Nix and Morti. Soup's green quills drooped slightly when Nix frowned at her; with her head held low, she approached the pair.
Morti huffed loudly, not wanting to get up since he found the optimal spot for sunning himself. ”I like the water things. Maybe I'll become an elemental when I'm older.”
Nix shook his head slightly. ”More like a natural disaster.” He turned his yellowed-eyed gaze on the culprit; her round face and wide smile made it impossible to be cross with her. ”Going to eat you, Soup.”
”Nom, nom?”
”Yes. Nix eat Soup.”
Soup pointed to the napping Titan cub. ”Moti...”
The sleeping bear opened one eye, she pronounced it without an 'R, but it was a good effort. ”You learned my name?”
”Morti is too fat to eat.” Nix patted her green-quilled head when she sat next to him. To his knowledge, Soup's impressive vocabulary consisted of Nix, Soup, Ducky, and now Moti. Unless, of course, you counted 'nom, nom.'
”No, I'm not...” Morti turned his head slightly so that he could see Nix.
Nix scratched the Titan cub's ears. ”I'll prove it.” He accessed his inventory and pulled out a round object.
Soup lay a small jade-colored hand on his shoulder as she leaned closer to view the object. She then fixed Nix with a curious stare.
”You ask it questions, and it answers. Its name is Enigma.” Neither Morti nor Soup seemed to understand, so Nix rubbed it with one hand. ”Who is the biggest Titan cub in Everspire?”
[Mortimer, the Bone Emperor.]
Both of Morti's ears pricked forward in interest. ”Let me ask something, Nix.”
Nix nodded and rubbed the smooth surface again. ”Go ahead.”
”Momma said she has a special treat for me. What is it?”
[Honey]
Morti moved until he was sitting up. ”My helmet disappeared for several days. Where did it go?”
[Snow Lilly hid it]
Morti leaned forward until his nose was touching the ball. ”Did she really?”
[Of course, she thinks it's too small for your enormous head.]
Nix laughed loudly and decided to let Morti fire questions at Enigma. Ducky joined the group as they continued to listen to the Titan cub's ridiculous questions.
”If a spider and an ant were both my size, which one would win in a fight?”
[The Ant. Unless it wandered into the spider's webbing.]
”What tastes better, frozen honey or warm honey?”
[Frozen honey when it's hot outside and warm honey when it's chilly.]
”Who is the best sword fighter among the Dhassi?”
[At present, it would be Raine Xai's Master, Delyn Xai.]
”Why did you say, 'at present'? Is someone going to pass him up?”
[Before the accident in Ever Flame, Del Tali was the best blade among the Dhassi.]
Nix raised an eyebrow, suddenly curious if Enigma was just making shit up.
Morti was about to ask another but stopped when the ball flashed slightly.
[You have exceeded the daily limit of questions an individual is permitted to ask.]
”No, I didn't.”
[Yes, you did.]
”No... I didn't.”
[Yes, you did.]
”Nope. That was only a couple.” Morti glanced at his family, who was using him as a backrest. All three nodded in agreement with the cub.
[...]
[...]
[Fine. I will make an exception to the daily limit if you can answer one of my questions.]
Morti nodded his big head. ”Ask away. Bears are very smart.”
[Do bears shit in the woods?]
”You used a bad word...” Morti considered the question for a moment. ”Yep, we do.”
[Incorrect. Bears do not.]
”Yes, we do.”
[Sorry. Incorrect answer]
Morti stood up suddenly, upending the three people leaning against him. Without speaking further, he started waddling toward a stand of trees.
[That's a small stand of trees, it isn't considered woods.]
Morti stopped and turned. ”What about by Pon and Semmi's house? That's woods.”
[No. The only suitable woods in Haven is north of Deidra's Flame Temple.]