Clouds coated the island of the zoo with a silver tint rather than a downing grey. Lurisa and Yannis inspected the Tiapod, a tusked animal with long violet scales, resembling fluff with a short snout. It crawled on its six legs, all skinny compared to its actual body. Apparently it was seen as an impossibility for the creature to run, and yet it could. It howled within its confines. Lurisa felt poorly for the creature. It was half the size of a person and not necessarily dangerous. From behind a mysterious figure watched her, he wore a hat with a wide round brim and wore a painfully obvious fake moustache, although he was oblivious. This moustache looks so real, Arthur thought, I'll have to grow one out if I ever can. The zoo itself wasn't overly large, it had a map to show, the Tiapod was first on the regular route, from there it would be all the land creatures, aquatic creatures, inter dimensional creatures and flying creatures that could be flown by a customer. Seeing all these animals caged hurt Arthur in a strange way, shouldn't they be free? None of these were going extinct, it wasn't for preservation. Lurisa giggled and passed the Tiapod. Arthur grimaced as he stalked–followed. Natural terrains of the animals were used for the paths. Currently they resided in a turlough, it was a disappearing lake when the season wasn't wet. A surprisingly dangerous hazard one wouldn't expect. The path they had was safe of course, they walked though as the path this time was actually caged from the animals. Imagine Bill wouldn't even come because he thought it was too weird. Nothing weird about this at all. Yannis glanced backwards and Arthur dived on all fours to the side to avoid detection. It's not weird, Arthur knew, If anything, it's weird he looked back. Guy must be paranoid.
He stretched his arms after the superb dive and decided to hang back a slight bit further. Growing up in only Albosa, he had never seen these creatures. One creature stood on two legs, about Arthur's height, except its two arms were built like butcher knives. They were slim but wide, it had two mouths positioned on both cheeks with teeth aligned down the side of the mouth. Painted in a chilling maroon, it would be terrifying to see at night. Its three eyes were keen and sharp, it met Arthur's eyes, as if it knew Arthur found it a horrid sight, it turned its gaze and trudged through the damp land. A boy with a cap beside him talked to his friend, "You know that's a Kulio, they're some of the best Orimals."
He couldn't help himself, "Sorry kid, what's a Orimal?"
The kid burst out laughing in a raspy voice, his gelled up hair wiggled in agreement, "Orimals? Just the most popular thing ever? Have you never heard of Orimal trainers?" Arthur shook his head. "Oh, man, seriously?" The kid was baffled. How could someone be so out of touch with an inter-dimensional phenomenon? "Pretty much we fight and then catch Orimals with orbs created from pure lenses, except their larger but far less dense. Like a hollow lens. When you catch one, you become friends for life! And I'm gonna get'em all!" The kid said with purpose.
"So, you trap them in an orb against their free will, after they've been beaten up and become best friends?" He asked, knowing the answer would be convoluted. Why was it so hard for people to see logic!
The kid scoffed, "Heh, that's one funny way of looking at it. Maybe I'll see you in the Orimal Monarch tournament. The name is Rain." He waited for a response.
"Arthur Starfinder."
"But just know, I'm gonna be the best soon, so fight me before that, if you want a chance."
He strutted off confidently as if he had just achieved something.
"Hm," Arthur was absorbing the immense knowledge, "surely I'll never need to know any of this for the future." He began to stalk–follow! Follow Lurisa again. Now he noticed that he was inspecting all of these Orimals as he passed them, wondering what special moves they had, one creature named Suuvan was able to cook its own meals with a breath of fire, just to have one as a pet would save time. Lurisa's hand reached for her own lips as her head shook from laughter. "No way Yannis is funny." He crept closer, rustling by families who were using their day off to observe the mystical creatures of Clerin. He passed a child who gasped as he saw one of the aquatic animals jump out of the water and soared over the caged bridge. The Orimal was built like a spear, made to tear through water at a blitzing place. He stopped for a moment wondering what starter Orimal would he get? Rolling his eyes in thought, he knew he'd get an Orimal he didn't want, knowing his lack of luck.
Coming to the end of the Orimal reserve, Arthur was definitely going to pursue something more like a master thief or assassin job. It was easy, he wasn't one bit suspicious or noticeable. The ghost of Springfree they could call me. Opening the silver titanic doors to the inter-dimensional Orimals. Paintings with vivid drawings of Orimals, one was a squid opening a portal with its tentacles and another was of a duck, Arthur thought, except it was about the size of a person. It creaked and cracked open, Lurisa and Yannis both had their arms crossed looking at the opening of the door. He slammed it shut when he caught a glimpse of her blonde hair. She had even put on a bit of makeup for this Yannis. What a joke. His breathing halted behind the door, maybe they'd just forget it began to crack open?
"Arthur! Just open the bloody door," Lurisa scolded him.
It cracked open just a slit, "Who Arthur?" He said in a Sherve accent, even though they didn't speak broken Cleri.
Yannis repelled from the slit, "That's the guy inbred guy!"
"He's not inbred," Lurisa facepalmed, "he's just," her open hand directed Yannis to view Arthur who had one eye watching them from the slit as his moustache began to droop off his face.
"I am just Arthur Starfinder," his moustache unfortunately fell and swayed like a falling leaf to the ground, "heir to Albosa and Warrior of the chosen one."
Why is he trying to act cool? Lurisa held herself from laughing at him.
Yannis nodded, "The moustache looked good on you."
Maybe this guy isn't so bad, Arthur squinted at him, "You have a keen eye, that's probably how you saw through my deception."
"Arthur, I saw you buying a fake moustache at the stall of the entrance."
He didn't say anything, he pondered on how his title of ghost of Springfree was already diminished, "You must be a worthy adversary then."
"Arthur, he's with us," Lurisa said.
"What?"
"Bolo recruited not just us. He offered Yannis a free scholarship for the next three years."
Arthur frowned, "Oh. So, we're together on this one?"
"Yes and I think I know who the traitor is," Yannis eyed them both as they anticipated his answer.