Works in Progress

[Auro Syrdash]

When Lysire departed without another word, Auro gave a bemused shrug and turned his attention back to Unna. "I'd still like to join you for dinner," he told her. "Mind giving me a hand putting Nines away first, though?" he asked.

He knelt beside the fusion lantern again, gesturing to the array of components laid out in a semicircle before him. One by one, he gathered up the parts, carefully placing them back in the plasteel bin in which Nines had been turned over to him.

Just then, Pablo-Jill popped out of the shrubbery, sniffing the air and swishing his long, spiny tail back and forth. Recognizing a familiar scent, he bounded over to greet Unna. His snout was covered in topsoil and he was still chewing on a wriggling grub. Pablo-Jill's black button eyes sparkled as he sat up on his hind legs and placed his front paws on her knees adoringly.

"I'm not the only one who missed you," Auro observed. Suddenly aware that Unna was hugging the books in her arms protectively as she backed away from his eager albek, Auro took a fistful of dried fish treats from a pouch on his belt and whistled. "Here, boy!" he called.

Pablo-Jill wheeled around and raced toward Auro, leaping to joyously catch each treat he was thrown with an audible snap of his toothy jaws. "Okay, so it's the meat treats he really missed," Auro confessed, scooping up Pablo-Jill and holding him on his back like a green lizard-baby. The albek burped, licked his chops, and grunted contentedly.

"Don't worry, I've got him," Auro assured her apologetically. "Now, what secrets have you got for me in those books you're carrying, and how does the mighty Graff factor in?" he asked Unna, keeping his volume lower than the noisy chatter and laughter of the other students now making their way across the quad to the mess hall.