MEMORY OF A BEAST
"That was a fun little vocal exercise, but I can speak for all four of—" Centshuu said, but then paused.
He turned his head a little, looking over his shoulder to stare at Shieve in the distance, then rolled his eyes and looked back at Avery.
"I mean five of us when I say we've never heard of any town or country that speaks this English of yours. Sorry about that kid" Centshuu said, looking slightly sympathetic towards Avery's plight.
On the other hand, Avery had already discovered that he was no longer in his world, and as such, his hometown of Mayfair, as well as the language he had spoken for decades, now no longer existed, hence why he didn't react much to the statement.
"It's fine... I wasn't expecting you guys to know... much about where I come from anyway. I mean, even I hardly remember much" Avery said in a dejected, yet accepting, manner which made Centshuu more sympathetic towards him.
Suddenly, Centshuu placed his hand on Avery's shoulder, shocking not only the tired young man on the ground but the cautious-looking men standing behind Centshuu too.
Mosey had wanted to contend again but Ripply stopped him with a hand gesture.
"It's going to be fine, pug. Being away from home isn't as bad as you think. I'm sure your people are waiting, with open arms, to welcome you back when you return, which isn't a luxury everyone is afforded" Centshuu said, and Avery's eyes widened.
He could see the glint of sadness in the older man's eyes as he spoke.
Rippy, Kove, and Mosey looked at each other in silence, then back at Centshuu, who took his hand off Avery's shoulder and sighed.
"Okay, so, is that all you remember? A little more would be great, but if that's it, then fine too. I'm sure my friends are thinking the same thing I am, and you don't seem all that bad— although still mysterious and concerning. I don't see any problem with helping you out of here—" Centshuu said, but was cut short by Avery, who grimaced with a slightly squeezed face.
A memory was unlocking in Avery's head and, unlike his usual bits of memories which were visibly clear, this one seemed a bit distorted, like his mind wasn't all there when he lived through the event of this memory.
"I think I remember something... else, but it's not that... clear," Avery said and Centshuu's eyebrows furrowed.
"Is that so? Then good. Alright, see if you can try and relay what it is 'cause it might be what we need to get you back home" Centshuu said, doing his best to nodge Avery into remembering without being aggressive about it.
"Umm, wait a moment it's... coming to me. If I can just see through these... distortions I'll be able to picture what this memory is— Got it!" Avery said, then his demeanor changed when he was successful in getting the scope of the memory fragment.
"This is a memory from my time in one of the... gravitational streams. I remember hearing a strange roar from an... animal I don't think I've ever seen... before." Avery said, and Centshuu became intrigued.
To him, Avery seemed smart, so what kind of animal could it possibly be for him to feel like he had never seen it before? Could his hometown be someplace where animals that roar are a rarity? Centshuu wondered as that at least narrowed down places that could be Avery's home.
Certain coordinates lack certain types of animals, so getting to know more about this specific animal could be very helpful in helping Avery go home, Centshuu thought.
"This animal, do you think you can describe it for me?" Centshuu asked and Avery nodded.
"I remember its entire body being covered by... golden brown fur, however, the fur was of... two levels. From the chest to around the neck and then... halfway down the back, it had what I can only... imagine being a lion's mane. The luster and perfect blend of the golden... brown fur and metallic— almost silver-colored mane— gave it some... sort of regal appearance. The upper body was a muscular... bear-like frame which got slimmer down the middle, only to become more lion-esk, which meant... it had two different sizes of legs. The head was also big, sitting perfectly on its imposing upper frame. The jaw seemed to protrude... giving the creature the allure of incredible jaw strength but also a strange flexibility. Its face was the smoothest... part which, from how the sunlight shone on it, gave the impression that it was covered... in scales. Its strong, bear-like limbs had razor-sharp claws which looked like they should be capable of both climbing trees and digging through the earth like butter. When it opened its mouth—" Avery said but then Centshuu cut him off.
"When it opened its mouth, it looked very similar to that of a venomous serpent but instead of a normal serpent's backward curving teeth, it had a mouthful of bone or should I say rock-crushing teeth. The sides of the mouth had two holes for shooting out a certain mucus at incredible speed and distance. In size, it should be about ten feet tall at the shoulder and measuring a staggering sixteen feet in length, including its horselike tail." Centshuu described and Avery's eyes shone wide.
"How do you know all this? Did you see it... as well?" Avery asked and Centshuu looked at the guys behind him before looking back at Avery.
"Avery, this is very important but do you remember what the top of the creature's head looked like? Like was there anything you found strange?" Centshuu asked and Avery started trying to remember.
After a few seconds of pondering, he replied "Yeah, it think it had protrusions on its... skull that caused the skin and fur on the top of its... head to look like a crown"
Immediately, Centshuu stood up, confusing Avery about what was going on.