Excerpt: The Gang of Four

Ari wandered past the campfire, making a big show of trying to look inconspicuous, her hands folded behind her as she bend forward, peering here and there, under and behind the various low shrubs and small plants.

The two burly figures by the campfire noticed her, but weren't about to acknowledge her obvious attempt to get them to ask what she was doing. They busied themselves, instead by feasting on pieces of meat from a shank that roasted over the low fire.

“Rrakk sab good!” exclaimed the greenish male figure in a mix of gruff foreign tongue and bad speech.

The other, a tall, muscular woman, nodded. “Ya did a great job this time, Yiin.” She took another bite of the meat. “Th' sauce is spicy.”

Ari stomped over to the fireside as they continued to ignore her. Leaning forward slightly, and putting her hands on her hips she pouted as she demanded, “Have you seen my giraffe?”

Yii, the green monstrous figure chortled as he waved a bone with a half eaten piece of meat still attached.

“Ginraffe? Ya mean that thing ya rescued the yes'erday?” Said the barbaric woman, with a shrug. “Int might have run away or somethin'? Int was too big to be hiding anywhere, and quite meaty...” She did her best to keep from breaking into laughter, her attempt causing her expression to look more vicious as she bared her teeth. She took another bite of meat to try to keep quiet.