The dust cracked and fell from his eyelids with each repeated beating. And the dulled pain throbbing added the insult to injury. "OK! OK LADY!" he groaned, the shell of halfdried mud allmost two feet thick encased him and was stuck fast. She continued berrating him "Filthy Beasts! Nasty Worg loving Nasgrats!!!" Whack! It was actually helping strip large debris off his body helping him move slightly. A branch looked as if it was growing out of him. A large amount of broken landscape had been lodged throughout his muddy outer shell.
He broke free a leg, then like a newborn chick struggles for moments of life as it hatches, took heavy burdened breaths. It felt like forever. The assalt stilled for now.
"You're no ugly Mudgoblin. Hmph. Noooo, not that." The sun shone brightly behind the face of his attacker, now turned spectator. He still layed prone from exhaustion, and too tired to speak a sentence without great effort. He was now prodded with the broomstick out of curiousity.
"What are you?" the matronly voice asked. His vision blurred, he felt nausous. "Never mind that, Wilks, help me!'. Two very small people went under either arm kicking large stones of mud from his body. They took him inside the hollow of the tree, through the front door. His head hung low, he struggled to see his surroundings, without success. He was weak beyond discription. Easing him into a small nest-like bed, he truly felt like a insignifigant baby bird. Then as his chin was lifted by a very small hand some sort of broth trickled across his cracked lips. It was delightfully sweet and savory, his eyes fluttered open so he could see that the face of his helper, had wiskers and a bright pink nose.
The shock would have been greater if there had been more strength to react. His eyes were wide and silence was his scream. She was gray-blue and furry around her wrists and ankles, a large amount of fur on her head and face draped somewhat like a lion's mane. Her features were somewhat mouse-like with the eyes and flatness of a pandas. The main part of her body was clothed, with a gray hued skin that shone slightly on her legs and arms. Her jewelry was primative but hung from looped long fur on the back of her head. Her delicate pink ears had veins visible where the light shone through. Pacing into her kitchen, the warm glow of the fine wood, made this home, as humble as it was, extraordinay. Not made of sticks and twigs, but fashioned by hand, the bed he rested on was indeed a nest, but weaved in such a way a master basket weaver would have cried for the sheer intricate nature of the piece. Each vine, if that is what it was, wrapped then made a notted pattern that supported the body in perfection by giving absolute contour of the body. Every strand had been hand carved, or did it actually grow
that way? She was now 6 inches from him, looking at him in puzzlement, why was he staring at a simple bed? "I wou- would like, to know, where I am." She smiled showing small pointy canines, much like a shrews. "You are in my living room of course!" the laughter sounded alien, yet melodic in nature. "You speak english? How is that possible?" he asked. Her eyes narrowed in reply, "I only know you speak Cromise perfect-ly. This eeenglish you speak of is not my toungue."
His mind reeled, talking to a half blue rat-panda from space that he could suddenly speak Cromise to, was a bit much. The nose on her face twitched, she blinked and handed him a plate with food on it. "You arrr tired. I suggest a nap. Then we will find your place in things." It was like having a blue furry grandmother, as odd as it was, he felt safe and liked her immediately. The younger creature was stoking a small pit of fire and cooking, glancing over, his shoulder. A long slender tail moved items as the surfaces were cleared for dishes. "I wouldn't argue, shee has a way of making you mind." A smile was all Braxton could muster, it was enough for now.
There was a great commotion of voices outside, that woke him. the sleep had come so quick, there was no memory of falling asleep. It felt like a sunburn all over his body, without the actual burn, just that nagging weakness he couldn't explain. Throwing off the blanket, he shuffled to the door to see what the noise was. Outside were a modest amount of various creatures, green purple, brown and some that looked like rocks. The sight that shocked him the most was the gigantic crater 30 metres from the mouse-panda's door. They were looking up and down pointing, some looking visibly shocked. The "House" was a lone structure, it was not part of a village, but there must have been one closeby giving the size of the throng. The chatter lulled as eyes locked on him.
The older one that had fed him ushered him close, "They have reason to be slightly afraid, we have never seen one such as you." his heart sank, his thoughts rested on Elaine. "I am, well, I am human." She looked intently, "Huuman. Do you have the names?" The names? His brain knew there was more to this question, her lips, he realised did not match her words. "My name is Braxton, Braxton Flemming. I was in an accident, that happened in a lab." Silence. Loong looks of questioning and uncomfortable silence. "I am Gretta, Grettas Namer Gamule Pradicier. You huuman Braxton Flemming, we will talk of your arrival, I wish to know more of the place of lab." she offered a gesture of friendship with an outstretched pink paw. He grasped it with warmth, he needed a friend.
The people, as it were, asked about the crater, it was obvious from the size and depth of the hole, he had fallen from the sky. He wondered himself how he could not have died. The trail of mud was five times the size of his body, it was not humanly possible to carry the amount of weight he had. He was physically fit, but this feat would have been difficult for a superhuman.
He thought for a moment, "I am suddenly Superman, the only difference is, I did not arrive here in an oversized Christmas ornament". These creatures seemed to be just regular working Joes. They had various outfits that reminded him of factory workers of the early 1800's. Just fitted for alien beings. Where is the galaxy was he? How many light years from Earth? Was this another dimension? As they questioned him about the place of lab, he realised he was filthy. He asked for a place to take a bath.
