The attack on
Sylvia began as the sun was lowering in the sky. She figured the
situation was going to take care of itself back where the children
were ridding the world of their slavers, the snowmen. Even the
blaring of Bring Me The Horizon on her Ipod was not enough to drown
out the noise. She turned to her right to see the actual horizon was
filled with snowmen. Every last one of them must have been there.
She had spent the
greater part of an hour knocking down snowmen and crushing their
heads. Still they came on, ever the mindless minions that they were.
What Sylvia didn't know was that the snow giant, Lord of the single
Avalanche that ran the span of the world, and King of the World
itself, was closing in behind her.
Glittercheeks Snowfrost emerged from behind having knocked over trees to make his
path to the victory he was certain of. He looked on the carnage of
snow and made note to better arm his snowmen. They were such weak,
and stupid subjects. Why, a thaw was good enough to make puddles of
them. This wouldn't stand if he were to rule the World forever.
He had no love for
his subjects, but for every one that fell fear would grow amongst
them. It was time to strike and show them all that he was here to
save them. His large tree trunk hands began rolling boulder sized
snowballs. The pile beside him grew taller than the trees.
Sylvia had just
waylaid a circle of snowmen about her with a spinning Converse kick.
She took a moment to catch her breadth, her hands resting on her
knees when the first snowball took her. It sent her crashing forward
into the snow. There was so much of it on top of her, but Sylvia knew
that she had to push herself up or die. Push she did, stretching out
her thin arms with all the force she could. When she broke through to
the surface she looked around to see that the snowmen had stopped
advancing towards her. Looking behind she saw the largest snowman she
had ever seen.
Glittercheeks was
cocking his arm to throw a second snowball at her. He flung, and
though it moved slowly arcing in the air, Sylvia had no time to roll
out of the way. It was surreal, and she wasn't sure that she was
seeing things right. The snowball thumped atop her turning the world
around her pitch black. For the second time she found herself buried
under snow searching for the energy to get up. She planted her hands
down on the ground and pushed up. She broke through and saw another
snowball closing in on her. Thump!
Sylvia needed a
plan, but it was all happening so fast. What was she to do? She took
a few deep breaths and decided she'd have to run for it. Pushing
herself up again, she rolled to her side when she broke through the
surface and began to sprint. She saw the forest first, so she made
her way to the treeline.
Glittercheeks was
surprised that she was up and moving. In anger, he grabbed balls in
both hands and launched, quickly filling his hands again and
launching. The sky grew darker with all the snowballs crashing around
Sylvia. Two hit her at the same time, sending her flying to her right
head over heels. The thumps kept coming as Sylvia lay in the dark
waiting for her head to stop spinning.
It was hard to move
and breathe, but Sylvia knew that she had to get out. Which way was
up? She thought back to something she learned about being buried in
an avalanche. To find out which way was up, you had to spit. Gravity
would send your saliva down. The hocking noise she made was loud as
it bounced around the snow she was encased in. When she spit she felt
the wet splat as it landed back in her face dripping into her left
eye. Ewww, she thought, but at least she knew which way was up.
Extending the
forefinger of her right hand, Sylvia reached up and whispered,
“Poke.” The heat that grew from her finger began to melt the snow
until it was as easy to sit up as in bed from under a blanket. She
shook her head to get the water off and looked around.
Glittercheeks had
been sneering while barking orders to the snowmen to get back in line
and go after the children. Nathaniel Wilburn was the first to see
Sylvia. He couldn't speak from fear, but he reached up and touched
the bottom ball of Glittercheeks's body. Glittercheeks looked down
and yelled, “What?!”
He followed
Nathaniel's left hand and looked out to see where Sylvia was
standing. “Bring me the Callithumpian!!!!” he yelled.
A group of ten
snowman were required to move the large box. Each side had a suit of
cards symbol painted on it. On the top, the box had a Joker card. A
crank handle stuck out from the center of the Spades symbol.
Glittercheeks started turning the crank. “Christmas is Creepy” by Fred Figglehorn started to play.
Sylvia glanced at
the trees that were so far away still, and then looked back. She had
no idea what was in the box, but she knew better than to wait. She
took off like a bolt heading for the woods. She heard the music stop
and looked to her left while she ran.
Something black had
shot up out of the box and the giant snowman swatted it out of the
sky. He took aim, and threw.
A quick look
forward told Sylvia she was almost behind the safety of the trees.
When she looked back to find the projectile it was too late. With a
crashing thud Sylvia went down to her right. Her left side hurt, but
she knew that the treeline was close. If she was going to survive,
she'd better get there.
When she turned
back to look at what hit her, she saw a black figure that looked like
a horse. It was covered all over by black, shiny leather, with
zippers sewn all about it. She saw the dark eyes at once, and saw
sadness in them. She didn't have much time, but she noticed the giant
snowman laughing.
Glittercheeks was
laughing so hard pointing at Sylvia and screaming, “I hit her with
a horse! HAHAHAHAHAHA! A horse! I finally did it! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!”
Nathaniel Wilburn
saw that the girl was up and dragging the Callithumpian with her to
the trees. He looked down at the snow and couldn't help but feel like
it was all so wrong. Nathaniel was too small to do anything on his
own, but he decided to keep his mouth shut. He started laughing too,
and giving Glittercheeks high fives when the giant branch hand
stretched out for one.
Behind the
treeline, Sylvia let go of the horse in leather and zippers. She fell
back against a tree and sat down. Looking over at the horse, she
reached out and unzipped the zipper at it's mouth. “Are you ok?”
asked Sylvia.
The horse drew in a
deep breath and sighed. “No.” A tear started to trickle down from
an eye.
“Why are you
dressed like that?” asked Sylvia.
The horse sighed
again and answered, “He thinks it's funny.”
“It's not. You're
covered in leather. That's so mean.” Sylvia was a vegan, and
leather was a no-no in her world. “It's ok,” started the horse, “
there's nothing to be done about it. He's too big and strong.
Glittercheeks does whatever he wants.”
“Wait, did you
say his name is Glittercheeks?”
“Yeah.” Sylvia
started laughing. “That's a funny name” she said. The horse
started laughing too and said, “Yeah, it is.”
“What's your
name?” asked Sylvia.
“Calliope, but
you can call me Cal.”
Sylvia smiled, “I
like that. It's a pretty name.”
“Thanks. What's
your name?”
Sylvia cleared her
throat with two quick, quiet coughs. “My name's Sylvia.”
“That's a pretty
name. I like it, too”
“Thanks.” At
that Calliope reached out a hoof and said, “Hoof bump.” Sylvia
reached out her hand and they bumped. Calliope said, “Now neigh it
out. NEIGH!!!!”.
Sylvia started
laughing, and knew what she had to do. “You stay here Calliope.
I'll be back.” The horse started to contest her, telling her she'd
be better off staying. That Glittercheeks was too strong and would
kill her or worse. Sylvia was determined, and she walked out from the
trees.
Glittercheeks was
still laughing, knocking off the icicles that were forming where the
tears from his eyes froze. Sylvia started charging at him full speed.
He never saw her coming, but did turn towards the direction she was
coming from when he heard her shouting “CONVERSE KICK!”
Her left foot drove
into the bottom of Glittercheeks taking what would have been his legs
out from underneath him. He came crashing down so hard that birds in
the trees took of flying, as the snow nesting in those trees fell.
Sylvia had rolled out of the way to keep the Giant from falling on
her. She looked up and saw a boy with thick glasses. This one had
been helping Glittercheeks. She glared at him, but the boy only said,
“Destroy the head” and took of running.
Glittercheeks
pushed himself up and roared. He turned to face the girl and started
to swat out at her with his hands. She dodged left then right. She
jumped right over his hand and landed on his arm and began climbing
as easily as she would a tree. Glittercheeks tried to shake her off
flailing his arm back and forth. Finally he reached out with his
other hand grabbing her. He cupped his second hand over the first to
lock her in tight.
He pulled her up
close to his face and said, “I've had enough of you. You're a pain
in my glittery bottom, but you'll taste sweeter than dessert.” He
sneered showing his large, icicle fangs. Sylvia realized he meant to
eat her, but she had other plans besides becoming snowman fodder.
She bent forward
and took a bite out of his large carrot nose. It was cold and tasted
terrible so she spat it out. Glittercheeks yelled out and drew her
away. “A NOSE FOR A NOSE!” he hollered and pulled her close
again. Sylvia wiggled down into his hands so that she was no longer
sticking out. Try as he might, all Glittercheeks could manage to do
was jam his fists against his mouth.
He threw her up in
the air and tilted his head back with his mouth wide open. Sylvia
took this opportunity to roll forward in the air and land on his head
between his eyes up against his carrot nose. He reached with his
hand, grabbed her, and started to pull away. Sylvia threw her hand
forward sticking out the pointer finger and yelled “POKE!!!!”.
Her finger only
brushed against Glittercheeks's skin. He started to laugh. “You
mean to defeat me with a poke? Hahahahahahahahaha. How do you think
snowmen gain eyes and hands and mouths? Your poke does nothing!”
Suddenly,
Glittercheeks looked shock. He dropped Sylvia and grabbed for his
head. “OW!!!!! IT BURNS. IT FEELS LIKE...LIKE...BRAIN FREEZE!!!!!”
he howled. The warmth spread growing to the size of his head. Soon
his eyes popped out and fell to the ground, followed by his carrot
nose. When his mouth opened the light that shone out was brighter
than the dusky sky. His eye holes and nose hole gave off just as much
light. Soon a giant ball of flame grew enveloping Glittercheeks's
head and growing. All that could be seen for miles around was this.
When the burst had
died off, and the heat gave way back to cold, nothing remained of the
giant snowman. Sylvia shuffled back in the snow to Calliope. She
helped the horse out of the leather suit and found that Calliope was
a palomino colored Colt. He was excited to see that she was ok.
Nathaniel Wilburn joined them as well, and said he was terribly sorry
to have helped Glittercheeks, but he needed to do something to
survive. Sylvia forgave him, and Calliope did too.
“I'm hungry”
said Sylvia. “Anyone know a good vegan restaurant?”
“I do” said
Nathaniel Wilburn. “Have you ever eaten at the International Manse
of Quinoa?”
Sylvia had not, so
the trio took off marching for the town of Cumberlin, and the street
of Smarmington Ave.
The International Manse of Quinoa was a small, dilapidated building situated on 999 Smarmington Ave in Cumberlin. Nathaniel Wilburn told how the building was originally the home of The Cutting Hedge Gate Shop, a landscaping firm that made wonderful gates out of hedges. When the Gate Shop moved down the road to a larger location, the small building sat empty, until recently.
An immigrant had bought the property and decided to open a Vegan only restaurant called kinoa no kokusai Mansu. Or, in English, The International Manse of Quinoa. At first the place looked to be a bust as the paint was peeling off the exterior. The inside looked like it could use some work, but seemed much larger than the facade of the building should have allowed for.
The walls were bare, and looked as though they were in the process of being covered with wood paneling. The floors were wood as well, and stained a deep cherry color. The tables matched the floors and were set low, with cushions about them. Apparently you were meant to sit on the floor here, Japanese style.
The proprietor of the restaurant emerged from the back and smiled. He stood eight inches tall, was round like a ball with two feet that were covered in shoes only slightly darker a shade of pink than his skin. His cheeks looked as though he were blushing, and his two dark, large eyes shone as he smiled. He wore a large white chef's hat atop his head. "Poyo, poyo!" he seemed to say, but Sylvia wasn't sure.
Nathaniel did the talking for them and informed that the three would like a table. The chef looked up at Nathaniel, then over to Sylvia where he had to crane his neck to see, and finally at Calliope. She thought that he might refuse the horse, but he laughed and said several more poyos.
After having been seated, the group was handed menus that were painted on slabs of wood. Neither Sylvia nor Calliope could read them, so Nathaniel did the translating. Calliope ordered a bag of oats, while Sylvia opted for the Vegan strawberry pancakes, and Nathaniel took the Quinoa Delight. As the chef cooked back in his kitchen, he could see them through the serving window. Syliva and Calliope listened as Nathaniel chatted with the chef and translated for the other two.
Though Sylvia swore she recognized him, the chef said no. His name was Tempopo. He came from an island a very long distance away. He tired of his life and decided to move and take up his real passion, cooking.
As the night wore on, Tempopo and the customers talked, and joked, and shared a good time. Tempopo even had Vegan desserts for them, which he offered on the house because they were his first customers. He went to say that he was looking for help, and since neither Nathaniel or Calliope had plans for the future, they agreed to work for him. Sylvia had to decline, because she was getting ready to go to school at the University of Smartford, home of the Fighting Smocks.
As the night ended, Calliope asked where he could go to sleep. He had no place to go since he was captured by Glittercheeks when he was young. Tempopo offered the Quarter Horse a place to live. He was lonely and could use the company. Nathaniel needed a place to live, too, but he didn't think there'd be room enough for three at I.M.O.Q. Sylvia offered to take him home, but she'd have to find a way to convince Babcia to let him stay.
As Tempopo finished cleaning up, he walked his two parting guests to the door and gave each a hug while delivering several more "Poyos". He invited them back sometime soon, and locked the door behind them as they left.
Neither Sylvia or Nathaniel knew what would happen next. They both agreed, it was probably going to turn out for the best.
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