Page 26 of In Darkness and Dank

“Shit! No! I’m so sorry!” Kittisak wailed.

Shu groaned and rubbed his head.

The other monster laughed, so deep and boisterous that it reminded Kittisak of Paiva’s cackle.

Shu snarled grumpily at the other monster, muttering something under his breath.

The other monster seemed to agree, but it kept on laughing.

They weren’t fighting any longer, and Kittisak wasn’t sure what was happening. He was ready to swing again at a second’s notice, and he glanced hurriedly between the two monsters in confusion. “Okay, uh, what’s going on?”

“Bal.” Shu gestured at the other monster. “Sister.”

“Oh!” Kittisak hesitantly lowered the branch. “Bal is your sister?”

“Huh.” Shu smiled. “Bal, Kitty. Kitty, Bal.”

“Uh, hi.” Kittisak looked back over Bal, and he didn’t see anything that immediately identified her as a female. She had the same black and blue color scheme as Shu did, but her chest and shoulders were bigger, and she was at least a half a foot taller. The only thing that seemed different other than her size was that her crests weren’t as thick as Shu’s were.

She said something in a quick growl, nodding at Kittisak with a grin.

The only word Kittisak caught was pozzo, but he didn’t know what it meant.

“Eh, eh mo pozzo.” Shu smiled shyly.

“Hmmph.” Bal rolled her eyes. “Prrrpp.”

“Prp.”

“What does pozzo mean?” Kittisak finally dropped the branch he’d been carrying now that the danger appeared to be over.

“Mate.” Bal grinned. “Pozzo means mate.”

“Oh!” Kittisak flinched at both the definition and how easily Bal responded. “You… you speak English?”

“Yes.” Bal puffed up her chest. “I learned. I speak. I Shu’s sister. I teach Shu.”

“Got it. Cool.” Kittisak was suddenly very aware that Bal was staring between his legs. He took a few steps back, casually draping himself over the ledge to hide. “So, uh, just popping in for a visit? Do you always attack your brother when you’re saying hi?”

“Yes, we fight.” Bal beamed. “It is our way.”

“Our way,” Shu repeated with a smirk.

Kittisak couldn’t be sure, but he thought Shu might be the younger of the two.

“Why sister here?” Shu asked. “Why now?”

“I am warning.” Bal grinned. “Moon full soon. Time of pozzo.”

Shu grunted, standing up with a scowl. “Eh.”

“Time of pozzo? Time of mate?” Kittisak was struggling to follow along.

“Yes!” Bal clapped her giant hand on top of Kittisak’s head. “Very good. You will be good pozzo, Kitty.”

“Eh!” Shu snapped and then spoke in a quick rumble of growls and trills.

Bal’s eyes widened, and she growled back.

---