New Parklands Location: Chao Garden

[ixis]

Ixis Naugus stalks into the forum area, looking irritated. When doesn't he, though? What's actually unusual about his arrival this time is the book under one arm and the gaggle of little blue creatures following him in a duckling row. The mage stops at the nearest pamphlet table and thumps the book down onto it. Said book looks like it's hand-bound and containing only a few sheets of thick parchment.

"In my continued research of portals and those returning me to my world in particular," Naugus states, turning to the forum proper, "I may have accidentally opened a portal leading to a very overcrowded chao garden. It is closed again, as I did not care to think of my tower flooded with...these." He looks down at the little blue guys, who are now cavorting around his ankles, playing tag and hiding under his cape. They coo and burble to one another.

"This left several Nexus-side however. And as I have no interest in opening the floodgates once more, I have, in my magnanimity, constructed a new garden for the tykes. It is situated just outside of my tower near the parklands. And given that these are creatures native to my world of Mobius, I have compiled and illustrated, for your edification, an instructional primer on chao."

He waves towards the book he'd brought. "By all means, go right ahead. Educate yourself."

Comments

[ixis]

Naugus (and the chao) hurry over once Viatorus stirs again. He tries not to crowd, but he certainly hovers. The chao offer no such respite and are already clambering to try and crawl on top of the prone young man.

"Well? What did you see?"

[heirtothearcane]

The chao, overexcited as they are, make him smile. Then, troubled, he glances up at Naugus before looking away and shaking his head. "Nothing. I'm sorry. It's... clean, fresh. There's not a trace of anything more than what it is."

[ixis]

His mouth falls open, perhaps to say something, perhaps in simple shock. "I-...ah-..." There are a few more struggles for words before he gives up, looking back to the portal.

Ears low, he numbly walks over to it. Gazes into it for a long while.

Then with an angry growl that growls into a furious yell, he waves his staff and the portal collapses with another loud CRACK. Nothing remains of it except the sigils and circles drawn into the floor and a few faint sparkles hanging in the air.

[heirtothearcane]

There's nothing he can say, or do, that he knows of. Being the bearer of bad news isn't a role he enjoys, either. So he turns his attention to petting the chao around him.

That's quickly interrupted with Naugus' small outburst. It makes Viatorus jump out of his skin and he scrambles to his feet. The sight of Naugus, dismayed and angry, makes him feel terrible.

He takes a small step closer. "I-Is there... Is there anything I can do?"

[ixis]

"Leave me be," he hisses, flinching away from Viatorus. "We will settle your payment another time. Just leave me alone."

And with that, the mage pulls his cape around him, vanishes into vapour and wafts away on a sudden gust of conjured wind.