Without Wings (Solo) [Finished]

[Krypt]

Paragraph Count: 9

"It's been days. How big is this desert?" Krypt complained. He'd been following the flying otter and it's herd of winged pigs for at least two days; possibly more. They hadn't come across another oasis since leaving, and Krypt's mouth became dryer at the thought of water.

"Sorry partner," Tagg apologized. "Normly we'd be furter on. But seein' as yur a bit lackin' in the win's department..." Krypt groaned and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. He took out his water skin and allowed enough liquid to wet his lips to pass the neck of the skin. Wistfully, he shoved it back into his belt. "We're 'ere." Krypt looked up from his belt to see a sheer cliff face reaching high above them.

"How are we going to get up the..." Krypt stopped short as Tagg flapped at him, "Oh yeah." Krypt let his eyes soak in the thirsty pigs that were all in the process of stretching their wings, ready to ascend the cliff. "Fine. How am I supposed to get up there!"

"'Less ya ken grow win's I s'pose ya'll have ta climb," Tagg stated matter-of-factly. Krypt gave him a disbelievingly hurt look. The otter sighed, "Look. I can't right well take me her' an' leave em at the top o' the cliff now can I? I wish I coul' 'elp, but yur too big fer me ta carry or nuthin'."

Krypt narrowed his eyes at the creature, "How do I know that you won't just leave me behind?" As he spoke, Krypt slowly moved his hand to a pocket in his utility belt. He focused all his attention on the otter to distract it from the movement. "I may be human, but I'm not stupid." With that, he whipped out his twine in one hand and his other zipped out to grab one of Tagg's wings.

"WHAT IN TARNATION DO YA THINK YUR DOIN'!" Tagg shrieked. The pigs reared up at the sound of their master's high pitched squeal. A few of them even took off and hovered nervously above the ground. "NOW LOOK WAT YA DUN!" Tagg stuck out his two front teeth and gave the third whistle Krypt had heard from him. The bovines settled down. Tagg settled slightly in Krypt's grasp, "Whadda ya want from me Kid?"

Krypt skillfully wrapped the otter with the twine, making sure to tie his wings and muzzle. With a knowledge built from years of practice he tied a complicated knot on Tagg's back where Krypt knew his paws couldn't reach. "You're going with me up the cliff," he stated. He settled the otter on the sandy ground and looked at it. "And I'm not taking no for an answer."

Tagg strained against the twine tying down his wings, to no avail. With a snort he experimented with the twine around his muzzle. It was loose enough for him to talk, but he couldn't open his mouth wide enough to get it around the binds. "Fairs fair. But ya gotta 'elp me wit me herd. Otherwise, there ain' no poin' in gettin' up the cliff at all."

"Deal." Krypt held out his hand and the otter took it. They gave each other calculating looks before exchanging a curt shake. Krypt attached the very end of the twine to his belt, leaving enough maneuverability between the two of them that it wouldn't affect climbing. With a look of mutual suspicion, they began their ascent.

[Krypt]

Paragraph Count: 6

Krypt ran his hand over the rough rock wall. How are we gonna get up this thing? He and Tagg were camped on a ledge roughly one fourth up the cliff face. The teen cautiously edged his eyes over the ledge at the herd of pigs below them. The two traveling acquaintances had reached an impasse. Why won't that stupid otter just wait for awhile? wondered Krypt. He looked at the small mammal taking a cat-nap next to him. Void of something to do, Krypt let his mind wander back to the argument they'd had earlier.

[Earlier That Day]

A tug increased the pressure around Krypt's waist. "Will you quit falling off the stupid cliff?!" he howled in Tagg's direction. They'd been climbing for almost half a day and still hadn't made it 25% up the cliff face. The pressure persisted. Krypt chanced a look down. Tagg was dangling away from the rock, hopelessly trying to swing his way back to the climb. Krypt sighed and checked his hands and feet. Steadying himself against the rocks, he took the twine in his left hand and pulled Tagg back to the cliff.

"Thanks partner," the gratitude in Tagg's voice was obvious. Krypt could tell that the otter wasn't used to using his paws for things like this. Of course, any sympathy he had was murdered venomously when Tagg next opened his mouth. "What'r we gonna do 'bout me pigs? They can't be left dow' there al'lone fer very lon'," Tagg fretted. The otter gazed down worriedly at his pigs, almost falling off again.

"Will you quit worrying about your stupid pigs?" Krypt growled through clenched teeth. "We'll get them following us about halfway or so," he pushed off with his right foot only to feel loose rock crumble beneath it, "So quit you whining and let's focus on getting up this thing without dying." Tagg snorted at him. Ignoring the obnoxious otter, Krypt continued his solo ascent. He heard grumbling from behind as the twine tightened again. "Come on!" he shouted. With a cruel yank he ripped Tagg off the cliff and slammed his small body into the hard rock.

"YOW!" Tagg screamed outlandishly. Krypt heard a squelch from below. He held his breath, waiting for confirmation as to the vital state of the otter. "What in the name of scuba-diving swordfish did ya do that fer?!" Tagg bellowed. Krypt gave a sigh of relief. "Aw, ya care 'bout liddle ol' me. Well then stop bangin' me inta the god damn cliff!" Krypt sneered at him and placed him back on the wall.

"Listen you," he told Tagg, "I may not be from around here, but you're going to help me get around this place until I say otherwise."

"Or what?" Tagg asked mockingly.

"Or I will take your skull, crush it between my index and pinky fingers, and use your body for nutrition in this god forsaken desert." Krypt turned his attention back to the nigh-unconquerable cliff and kept climbing. Tagg volleyed a look between the heard of pigs braying below and the violent thief above. With a swallow that did nothing to clear his heart out of his throat, the otter followed the thief up the cliff.

[Krypt]

Paragraph Count: 10

Krypt's arm ached from holding his weight on the overhang. He let out a quick pant and hauled himself the rest of the way up and over the lip. He rolled onto his back, limbs trembling with exertion. A yanking sensation brought him out of his respite. "Will ya quit yur lolly-gaggin' an' 'elp me up the cliff!" howled Tagg from below. Krypt couldn't even muster the strength to cover his ears and ignore the otter.

"Don't get your feathers in a twist," he moaned. Krypt felt around with his left hand for the twine that dangled over the precipice. Grasping it, he used the rest of his might to give it a good haul. He heard the otter whistle through the air. A thud ended the sound. Groaning at the realization that the lip of the overhang would require him to actually get up, Krypt decided to let Tagg hang there for awhile.

Tagg, however, was quick to remind Krypt that he couldn't rest. "Get yur pansy kiester up and 'elp me ya no gud, durty, whiper-snappin' teenager!" he yowled. "Just look at me pigs! They're all in a right tizzy what with me bein' up here a hoopin' an' a hollerin' just ta get yur attenchin!" The twine began twisting and turning as the fed up otter began to strain his wings against the binds.

"Hold your horses," Krypt shouted at him. The boy paused to amend his statement, "Or in your case, hold your pigs!" He stood and gripped the rope with both hands. He tugged the twine over the lip, bringing the outraged otter with it. Tagg crossed his arms as his body was scraped by the jagged stone. Thank goodness I stole the good twine! Krypt thought as the yanked the last of Tagg over the lip. The two of them tumbled back against the cliff.

"It's gettin' dark," Tagg stated curtly. He stood and brushed himself off as best as he could while still being bound. He gave Krypt a venomous glare, "Now. "Ow do ya figure we'r gonna get the other 'alf o' this cliff an' still get me pigs up 'ere!" he bellowed with a force that denied his size. Krypt looked around at the ledge they'd finally overcome. There was a small outcropping in the cliff wall where they sat. The ledge was big enough for the herd to sleep on, but the two of them would have to move.

"Call your pigs up here and we'll get to another ledge," Krypt suggested with as much level-headedness as he could muster at the moment. His arms and legs screamed at him in protest; all they wanted to do was rest. Ignoring them, he peered at the wall in the gathering dusk. "Look," he pointed, "There's another ledge right there. We can spend the night there and finish climbing in the morning."

"Fine," Tagg grumbled. Giving Krypt a suspicious look, he moved to the edge of the precipice and leaned out. All of the otter's weight rested on the twine and Krypt to hold it. Tagg gave his signature shrill whistle. Oinks from below signified the rise of the pigs. Within ten minutes, the herd of pigs had risen to the outcropping where Tagg and Krypt were settled. Krypt edged his way out of the area and along the cliff wall.

"Hurry up," he grunted. His arms were already trembling uncontrollably. He watched as the otter soothed his bovines and settled them in for the night on the ledge. Krypt gave a sharp yank with his waist and the otter snapped out of his fatherly trance. With a worried look, Tagg followed Krypt back onto the wall. The two of them managed to make their way to the nearby ledge and lay still.

As the night finished rolling in and the sounds of pigs oinking dropped one by one, Krypt felt himself falling off to sleep. Just as he was on the brink of unconsciousness however, a voice interrupted his attempted slumber. "Look, Partner," Tagg started nervously, "I reckon this 'ere place ain't like yur 'ome at all. An' I reckon yur not quite shur what ta do now that yur 'ere an' all, but I was a wantin' ya ta know that I'll 'elp ya out best I can. I'm just worried 'bout me pigs is all. Once we get 'em ta the forest, then we keen focus on gettin' ya 'ome." Krypt kept perfectly still in case Tagg realized he wasn't asleep.

The otter took a deep breath and continued, "What I'm a tryin' ta say is... well... we'r both up the creek without a paddle ifin ya catch me drift. I don' like spendin' winter alone so's 'ow 'bout I 'elp ya an' we stick together? An' I'm kinda grateful that ya didn' wanna split, but now I'ma ramblin' so's I'll let ya finish yur sleep." Krypt felt the otter lie down so that their backs were pressed together. It provided a comforting warmth in the cold night. Tagg whispered one more things before drifting off to sleep, "Night Krypt."

Krypt lay there for hours before falling asleep to the rising dawn.

[Krypt]

Paragraph Count: 14

The squeals of pain from the pigs wrenched Krypt out of his fitful slumber. He blinked his eyes open to see Tagg raising the twine to his mouth. "What are you doing?!" Krypt shouted over the pigs. He rose quickly and snatched the twine out of the otter's mouth.

"ME PIGS!" Tagg snarled. With strength that Krypt hadn't experienced from him before, Tagg lunged towards the pigs. Krypt felt his feet slip out from under him and the two of them went tumbling over the edge. Not again, Krypt thought. His hand shot out and grabbed the ledge. Tagg struggled underneath him, straining to get to his precious pigs.

"You're going to get us both killed!" scolded Krypt. The otter continued to wiggle and wrestle with his bonds. Krypt looked back up at his hand that was slowly slipping on the rock face despite the tough glove covering it. "Look calm down. We'll handle this!" he pleaded.

Tagg didn't even hear him, "Me pigs. Me pigs!" The pigs seemed to squeal louder in response, which only proved to encourage Tagg's frantic wriggling. With a massive sigh and grunt of exertion, Krypt yanked Tagg towards him with his free hand. Clamping the otter between his feet, he squeezed until the body went limp with unconsciousness. The pigs yelped louder.

"SHUT UP!" he yelled at them. They paid him no heed. The fingers on the hand anchoring him to life began to itch. Looking up at it, he saw tiny insectoid looking things quickly crawling over and towards it. A sharp pain lanced through him. "OW!" he yelped. Monkey butts, he thought as it dawned on him what the pigs had been complaining about for the last ten minutes. These things are worse than army ants. Snatching Tagg's limp body from below him, he threw the otter over his shoulder and switched his hands.

He shook off the insects on his hand and pulled himself back onto the ledge. He angled his head back over to look down the cliff. A massive wave of the black insectoid things was rapidly ascending the sheer rock face. Krypt spun around, otter still over his shoulder, and began hauling himself up the massive rock. Without Tagg's conflicting opinion to slow him down, Krypt was able to barely stay ahead of the insectiods. A voice that sounded like Tagg's floated in his ears, "Me pigs..." it murmured. Krypt cast a glance back to where he'd left the pigs. The poor bovines were floundering, some of them completely covered by the black masses.

Think Krypt. Think! he told himself. With a wish and a prayer to anyone that was listening, Krypt wrenched a hand from the cliff and stuck it in his mouth. His breath blew wetly around his hand. "Come on," he muttered aloud. Wiping off his hand, he tried again. The pigs' screams were starting to become unbearable and the horde of black creatures was fast approaching his position. Closing his eyes, he blew with all his might. A clear, shrill whistle blasted past his eardrums; becoming the only sound in the entire landscape. The pigs quieted. They rose from where they'd been left and fluttered over to Krypt.

Another whistle answered his. Opening his eyes, Krypt spied a thick, red haired, tree-trunk of an arm was beside him. Checking the progress of the black things, he grabbed the arm gratefully. With a strong tug he was pulled up the rest of the cliff face. The pigs followed suit. They landed on the top of the cliff next to Krypt who gazed upon his savior with amazement.

Standing before him, holding a giant metal contraption of some sort, was what he could only describe as a cyclops. The enormous biped flipped a lever on the contraption he carried and flame blasted the edge of the cliff where Krypt could just make out the black horde was advancing. The two of them stood there, one killing the insectiod creatures with fire, one just staring at the other open-mouthed, for hours until the last of the swarm had subsided.

When it was all over the cyclops turned to Krypt and indicated the still unconscious otter with a raised eyebrow. He pointed to himself, "Norm." His finger moved to point at Tagg, "Late. Pigs need gone already." Norm gave a two quick whistle blasts and the pigs took flight. They headed towards what Krypt could only assume was their winter residence. At the same time, the weight on his shoulder began to stir.

"Wha...?" Tagg sat up and rubbed his eyes, "Last thin' I knew I waz hangin' offa a..." his voice cut of. "ME PIGS! WHERE'RE ME PIGS!"

"Calm Tagg," Norm cautioned. He took the otter in his hands as if Tagg were a delicate flower. With care, he set down his massive flamethrower and untied the binds around Tagg's wings and muzzle. "Pigs safe. Winter home now."

Tagg breathed a sigh of a relief, "Thanks Norm. I owes ya one." Krypt finished re-wrapping his twine and placed it back into his utility belt. "Well Kid," Tagg turned to Krypt sheepishly, "Seems me an' ya 'ave cometa a poin' where we ken 'seprate. Norm ken take ya ta the oth'r 'umans." He raised his head and gave Krypt a begging look, "'Less o' 'course, ya want me ta cum witcha?" Tagg flapped his wings softly and hovered over to Krypt. His small paw trembled as he held it out and his eyes softened to an almost wet status.

"Well..." Krypt started. Tagg's expression dropped. His paw and altitude plummeted. Before he could hit the ground however, Krypt caught him. "Look," he stated slowly, "You helped me when there was no one else around," Krypt cast his gaze to where the pigs had flown off. "And hey, someone's gotta make sure those insect things don't get you."

"Plog gone now," Norm cut in. "We go Busa. Yuko explain. I need tell Yuko party Hope." The cyclops turned and picked up his flamethrower with a grunt. Norm threw the contraption over his shoulder and trudged off through a wood that Krypt hadn't noticed before. With a look with a much friendlier undertone than the one they had started their adventure with, Tagg and Krypt set out after Norm towards the other humans he had called 'Busa' and 'Hope'.

[Maebh]

Total paragraphs = 39 ^^

Exp: 39
Coins: 39

I'll edit your profile with these.

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