So this isn't one of the most exciting scenes or best written but it's one of my favorite interactions. I love the egrags. Hehe. Anyway, here's a snippet from chapter five of Unexpected Destiny.
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When Ely came to, he saw Faythe and Colin still unconscious. Narnyo and Hera were tied to sticks. Hera fought the binds but Narnyo was still, looking rather resigned. Peter was awake and trying his damnedest to get free of the ropes that held each of them to a post. Peter looked up and noticed Ely was awake. He forced a smile, so as not to alarm Ely.
“These creatures have us locked up,” he sighed finally. “I haven’t the faintest idea what they want with us.”
Ely looked to the creatures and realized that he was in a small village full of egrags. They were all dancing around, joyfully, and drinking. To the left of Ely he saw a group of younger females who giggled when Ely met their glance. The females were not nearly as disastrous looking as the males. They had long flowing red hair that was healthy and had a beautiful shine to it and the green splotches were almost an attractive quality to them.
Ely glanced over to see Colin coming to. He looked at the village in a daze and then looked to Ely. “They’re egrags.” Ely explained. Colin’s face didn’t change but he seemed to shrug, as if to say “Figures”.
Peter looked at Ely. “What are ‘egrags’?”
Suddenly, Faythe’s sleeping face turned into a smile. “Lesser demi-gods.” She began laughing.
“It’s not funny Faythe,” Peter said, “they have us held hostage.”
Faythe smiled. “What are they going to do to us?”
One of the egrags walked up to the four humans. “Well, one suggested that we eat you. The females have requested that they get to,” he cleared his throat, “save the males for…entertainment.” Ely and Peter’s eyes widened as they looked to the giggling group of females that then waved. Colin just let his head sink a little further. “We haven’t entirely come to a decision.”
Faythe was somewhat shocked. “You can’t eat us! We’re the Blessed Ones!”
“And you certainly may not use us for entertainment of any kind.” Ely added, yelling at the females who had now become bold enough to start touching him.
Some of them began touching Peter and Colin as well. While Colin just stared at the situation with complete apathy, Peter tried, vigorously, to get them away. “What do we do?” he screamed.
Suddenly, there was a small tizzy amongst the crowd as a small and familiar egrag approached the Blessed Ones. “Ermind?!” Ely and Faythe cried as he approached.
“Ermind,” Faythe called, “please tell them to let us go.”
A female hit Faythe over the head with a large staff. “We will not. Now stop speaking to my mate.”
“Wait, Sensira,” Ermind cried, “I do wish to have these non-egrags released.” He smiled at the mortals, letting them know that they had nothing to worry about. His mate looked at him imploringly. “I must, dear.” He looked into their eyes. “They saved me life. Perhaps all of our lives.”
A taller and fleshy egrag with a bushy red mustache waddled over to Ermind. “Is that a formal request?” he asked, in a husky voice.
Ermind looked to Sensira who held onto his arm. He smiled, nervously. “Yes it is.”
The tall egrag shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He then began to holler, “Town meeting!”
All but three egrags left for the sudden town meeting. Two females and a male stayed behind to keep watch over the four humans, the phoenix, and the wolf. Narnyo, who hadn’t said a single word, still hung there with a look of disdain upon his face. He wouldn’t lose his dignity attempting to break free.
Colin was suddenly faintly offended. “Town meeting? I thought that they were freeing us.” The male hit Colin with his staff.
“We’re a very systematic bunch,” said the first female. “Nothing happens without our entire community voting on it.”
The second female nodded. “Very efficient.”
“Oh yes very,” the first female sighed. “Things don’t happen very quickly, but they get done efficiently.”
“Ah,” Peter said, knowingly, “but you didn’t vote on capturing us and whether or not to tie us up, now did you?” The male now hit Peter. Peter and Colin exchanged a sympathizing glance between the two of them.
“Oh, but we did,” the first female sighed.
“Even on the type of knot we tied ye up with,” the second added.
“Yes, we make sure to vote on everything just in case.”
“We’re a very fair bunch.”
“Indeed. Now we must vote on whether to set you free or eat you.”
“Or use the males for entertainment,” the second added, blushing only a little.
“Oh yes, of course.”
Colin began to speak up but the male leaned his staff in the direction of Colin’s head and that shut him up. Faythe sighed, heavily. She was clearly not going to waste this entire experience. “Well,” she said, “how is it that you live in Intarshull Valley and yet you…”
“Live?” Colin and Peter offered both promptly receiving a thwack on the head.
The first female scoffed lightly. “Oh well that’s no problem there. Egrags are not very lucky to begin with. The bad luck doesn’t affect us any more than what we have.”
The second female shrugged. “Can’t help being lesser demi-gods.”
“Indeed. It’s not entirely our fault. We might as well make the best of it. Right?”
She looked at Ely, for his opinion. “Oh, quite right.” Colin and Peter awaited Ely’s mandatory concussion but the male didn’t move, except to scratch his large nose.
Is that so? Narnyo asked. I had wondered why this upside down universe seemed reminiscent of Itarshull. It is rather hard to tell as to where I am with all of the blood in my body entirely occupying my head. The male jabbed him with his staff. I’m not afraid of you. I’ll gnaw on your head again! Narnyo growled.
“Again?” Faythe sighed. “Oh Narnyo you didn’t.”
“He did,” the first female sighed. “Chewed on poor Alkarf’s head.”
The second female leaned into Faythe and Ely. “He’s the most unlucky of us all I’m afraid.”
“I blame his name,” the first female said. “A name really affects the rest of your life, don’t it? Take you for example,” she poked Faythe’s rib, “what is your name darling?”
Faythe stammered. “Uh…Faythe.”
The two females sighed, happily.
“Now there is a fine name,” the first female said to the other, “it says that the name-barer is a strong being with a sufficient amount of charm.”
“Wonderful name.”
“Yes wonderful. No one takes heed to name their children carefully anymore. They will be stuck with that name for their entire lives, after all, it might as well be a good strong name.”
Just then, the doors of the town hall opened and the “non-egrags” were rushed by egrags with knives.
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