"Indiana, you saved me!" Griffin said. He picked up the Lupe's crude club,
raised a brow and tossed it to the dust. He rushed over to his cousin and hugged
her with both arms. Indiana smiled and giggled. There was a groan from somewhere
all of a sudden...
"Excuse you! You just burped," Indiana said to Griffin. He shook his head.
"No...I didn't," he said, "You just did."
"No, you--" Indiana paused and gasped. "UNCLE GRIFFIN LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!!"
Griffin turned around and saw the Lupe coming in again. Griffin snarled and
hit him in the head with his attack fork, sending him unconscious. He smiled.
"Let's get out of here..." Griffin said, mounting Larie. "Who knows how many
more guys like him there'll be out there. He helped Indiana up again and signaled
Larie to start heading home.
Larie trotted on the desert-like dirt, sending dust behind where she stepped.
Neat claw-prints showed where they were, that is, if the dust didn't cover it
up. Suddenly, there was another scream. Larie stopped, beady eyes glaring this
way and that, jolting her head in different directions. Griffin froze. Indiana
Froze.
They just sat there for a while. Indiana started shaking again in fear. "Is
this place haunted or something??" Indiana asked. "That's the second scream
I heard the whole time I was with you."
Griffin raised an eyebrow. "You mean...the first one wasn't from you?"
"What are you talking about?" Indiana asked. "I never screamed. I was trying
to stay very quiet so no monsters came to eat me up."
"Let's investigate. The scream came from...somewhere in that direction." Griffin
said, pointing northwest. He turned Larie around in the direction and signaled
her to cautiously walk.
As they walked, more screams came. Every one of them sent a chill down his
spine for some reason...and even though it was warm out, he felt somewhat cold.
He stopped Larie when he heard shouts, noises like clanking, moaning and cracks
up whips...more screams. Silent as a cat, Griffin got off of Larie's back and
picked up Indiana and set her down near Larie. "Stay here. I don't know what's
out there...but it could be dangerous. I don't want you getting hurt."
"Oh, all right," Indiana said, folding her arms and putting on a sour face
as she leaned against one of Larie's legs. She watched as Griffin started making
it over a sand dune and downwards, and smiled. She got up and padded in the
same direction that Griffin went, silent as a cat....
Griffin looked out through the landscape. An enormous dirt field, torn as if
trying to make it farm land. Chias of all shapes and sizes dotted the field...but
with no protection from the sun. No hats, no bandanas, nothing. All of them
with picks in their blistered paws, hammering away at the ground. Many Lupes
with whips and uniforms on patrolled the area, watching any Chia's every move.
In the back of the field was a large, musty white building with few windows.
Griffin gasped. It wasn't right for this to happen! He growled under his breath
and snatched his Grand Lighting beam, loaded it with several rounds of lightning
bolts, cocked it back to be ready and stuffed it in his rawhide pouch. He sniffed
the air a few times...a Lupe's sense of smell is extremely great, and can sense
things with their noses that humans can't, like weather patterns and can even
scent danger or happiness on a pet. Griffin looked around warily and padded
down the cliffside, staying close to the boulders to keep hidden.
Griffin took a sip of water from his canteen after walking down a while, gasping
for a break. He sighed deeply and turned around to go on, but bumped head first
into a huge cloud Lupe He took a few steps back in fear... this Lupe was HUGE!
It could squash Griffin in one swing!
The Lupe growled and picked Griffin up by his bandana. Griffin could see the
fire in the mighty Lupe's eyes... full of evil and hate. Griffin smiled meekly
and poked his fingers together. "Heh heh... maybe we can work things out maybe?"
The Lupe's growl turned into a roar as he slammed Griffin against the cliff's
ledge. He yelped in pain. The Lupe swung him against the cliffside again. This
time, he heard rumbling noises... the rumbling got louder at every swing. An
avalanche! Finally the Lupe got it through its thick skull that the cliffside
would collapse. He whimpered and dropped Griffin on the ground with a plop.
Rocks started tumbling down from all directions, from pebbles to boulders.
Griffin panicked... would he get out alive? He looked off the cliff's edge,
and it was quite a mighty drop! He had no choice. It was either get smushed
or take the chance of jumping. He backed up a bit and darted forwards at full
speed, jumping off the ledge!
All four legs outspread, stretched in midair as he jumped. Down, down, down...
worry engulfed Griffin as he fell. THONK! Griffin fell on top
of a heavily armored Lupe guard... and 134 pounds of Lupe isn't a good thing
to be hit in the head with. The guard collapsed, and Griffin got up, putting
a smile on his face as he looked at the unconscious guard. He could go under
disguise if he wore the Lupe's uniform....
Meanwhile...
Indiana strutted down the edge of the musty building, staying close to the
shadows to be hidden. She checked herself over for her weapons... Sword of Domar,
plastic knife (of any use...?), battle muffin (Hey, she could have breakfast
here with her knife!), her Small Metal Shield (a plate for the muffin...), and
her Stone Fire body basher. All good to go! She was very pleased with herself
as she confidently continued on.
All of a sudden she bashed into a tall Lupe! The heavy armor on his body shone
in the light as he raised his attack fork, ready for action. Indiana rose her
Sword of Domar, not fully confident now, more like shaking like crazy again.
The Lupe abruptly put away his attack fork and stood into the light. "Indiana...what
are you doing here??" the Lupe said in a harsh voice.
"Uncle Griffin?" Indiana said. "Uh... heh... well I, uh..."
"I told you that this was dangerous... did you even see the cliff collapse?
You could've been smushed!" Griffin said, shuddering. "I don't want anything
to happen to you, Indy!"
Indiana rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah..."
"What am I going to do with you..." Griffin said, shaking his head. "I can't
bring you with me...I need to set these Chias free, and these Lupes are strong.
I have to get to the bottom of this..." Griffin sighed in anger and handed Indiana
his fire sword. "Keep this...I have no use of it anymore. I'm not rewarding
you, I'm giving it to you for your own protection. Just...stay close, all right?"
He sighed and give her the helmet from the uniform he had on. "This'll make
you look like one of them. Keep quiet, please...?" Griffin shook his head, rolled
his eyes and turned back around.
A sense of triumph came upon Indiana as she found out she could tread beside
her most loved 'uncle'. Griffin looked both ways and padded silently and cautiously
into the building, Indiana following close behind. He kept his ears perked for
even the slightest hint of danger, his muscles tense and ready for anything.
Indiana, however, seemed overly confident with her Sword
of Domar in her jaws.
Griffin swallowed hard as he crept past the guards, Indiana treading close
behind. Luckily, the guards didn't care when they got in--thier disguises kept
them well hidden.
To be continued... | 
