//------------------------------//
// Interlude: Deal complete, where's my Island? 
// Story: SPQR 
// by Octavius 
//------------------------------//

Please excuse my absence, I had to deal with... stuff... and the computer had been destroyed.
Now, please realize how hard it is to replace a computer and forgive me that this is all I can do to alleviate the long hiatus I am on for the time being.
This, nor the following "interludes" are in no way an important part of the story, but are merely extensions of the story that i feel are best explored.
but enjoy.
- Ave, Amici
Octavius  
-----

Gray wisps curled into the sky. the ground from which they originate full of a field of barren husks, blackened, devoid of life that was there but a moment ago.
the warlord realized he had been knocked back significantly from where he stood before the explosion, as he didn't recognize the angle he was looking at the scarred land...
although there was something different about his surroundings, something he couldn't sense immediately.
.....

"...wait a minute!"
it came to him slowly, to be sure.
"were is the river?.... was that mountain there before? How long was i out?!"
no one answered him at first.
"MPHPHRM!"
he looked around to see what had made that muffling sound, but could find none.
"Gert ORFF Me"
he looked down to the source of the noise.
"well, I hadn't known my backside could talk."
a bit of muffled (and fairly vulgar) speech came through.
"alright, i'll get off."
the druid had thanked the spirits that he was rescued from the chief's.... that he was relieved from his predicament.
"why" he gasped, greedily swallowing the fresh air, "did you find it necessary to sit on me?" 
"HAH! as if i knew! i can hardly remember what we were doing!"
the druid turned on him in cold rage.
"...where are we?" the druid asked
"uh," 
the druid started to advance upon the chief, anger increasing with each step.
small wisps of smoke began to rise from him, originating his ears.
'was he able to do that before?' the cheif briefly thought.
the 
"Where..."
step
"are"
step
"We?"

at this point, the druid was close enough to the chief that they could observe the individual pores on the other's face.
could being the operative word... the druid didn't know why, but the chief's face seemed off in color...  


"(well strange times indeed! are both you human?)"


a sudden chill struck, and the presence of a third entity became clear to the two barbarians.
the moments of silence were multiplying as the two very dense individuals processed the situation at hand.

The newly arrived variable was apparently cloaked in a strange fabric, the colors changing at every opportunity, from violent yellows and reds to soothing greens and blues, or many combinations that should and could not happen naturally. the new arrival pulled back the hood, revealing what seemed to be made of spare parts of animals. 
With the head of a horse, the eyes of a goat, the antler of a deer, the snout of a donkey, and the teeth of a human, but sadly with the canines of a... well, canine. 

Since the two barbarians were stricken mute from awe (fear), this strange, strange thing continued speaking, much to the horror of the humans.

"(oh come come, need not surprise showing, Elders, Village i take you to! must go there you)"

the creature advanced upon them, arm outstretched, an eagle's talon for a hand adding to the worry of the chief and druid considerably as it approached striking distance.

"(come come! food and drink! must not waste time)" 

the next thing the two Caledonians knew was they were grabbed by the creature, a light snapping sound; then light filled their existence.

...
end of first interlude