Lugia Winning Entry

It was Whacking Day in Banshee Swamp, and the weather was... well, dreary, to say the least. A young Haruba looked down at the somber morning light reflecting upon the singular pond in the swamp. As usual, it was caked with moss, mold, and slime. The Haruba grimaced at the thought of what rested beneath the murky surface.

“Repulsive," she muttered. But for some reason unbeknownst to her, she didn't fix her gaze somewhere else. Instead, she stared at the water dazedly as if she had been bewitched by the unbreaking surface. She was broken out of her stupor only by the faint sound of leaves crunching behind her. Vaguely aware that she could be in danger, the Haruba blinked once, but the instinct to run failed her. So she stood stock still, waiting for the potential danger to pass. But it didn't. As the seconds ticked by, each slower than the one before it, the noise grew in decibel. The Haruba's ear twitched, and the sound grew louder.

Finally, the suspense was too much for the Haruba to bear. She whipped around, but was instantly reprimanded for her action with a sharp pain in her hind leg. Closure to what had made the sound, however, was worth the discomfort.

"Who are you?" The Haruba demanded, her voice only wavering in the slightest. A figure recessed into the fog at the sound of her voice, but the Haruba's eyes had grown accustomed to the smoggy conditions and she was able to make out a shriveled old Belragoth. The Haruba's eyes narrowed until all that showed were two jade slits. The Belragoth made no movement, but muttered something under her breath and began to back away from her. Since the Haruba's hearing was exceptionally good, she was able to pick up most of the speech.

“Take this, and begone," She pieced together silently. Before the Haruba could think of a response, however, something cold was thrust into her arms. She jolted back, teetering dangerously on the brink of the pond, but being a quick Haruba she was able to stabilize herself.

Only then glancing at the object in her arms did she realize it was a znake. But instead of feeling repulsed by the reptilian cradled against her chest, as she was of the murky pond, she felt a connection with the little thing. The znake opened it's eyes, which were a shockingly green with tiny swirls in them, and the Haruba's affection only grew. She already had a name in store for the small znake, and all of her other cares had left her attention.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of staring fixedly at the glowing green eyes, the Haruba glanced back up to where the Belragoth had stood. The figure was gone, just a mist on the Banshee Swamp wind.