Mistic Pets

Welcome to Issue 7
Created by The Mistic Pets Team

The Rougarou
Written By Malik

"So, you say you've seen the Rougarou last night, is that right ma'am?"

I tried to keep up with the old Cheran as she navigated her way neatly around her backwater property, but she was nearly impossible to follow. While she stayed nice and dry, five minutes of slogging through the muck of the swamp and I'd twice nearly lost my shoes. Despite this, however, I was fast growing excited by the idea of landing my first big scoop since I started on the job - if all went well here, this would be my lucky break! I could feel my heart pounding in anticipation as she lead me to a particularly odd patch of swamp gunk underneath the mangroves and pointed solemnly.

"So this is where it happened, eh?" I pulled out my notebook, ready to jot down what was sure to be tomorrow's breaking news.

"Exactly here. You'cn see where he unstuck hisself outta tha mud a few times. Hooo, he musta been buried in thur deep. Ah ain't never seen a thang like it in all mah long life. Me'n tha girls've been around so you'd think we'd know, but tha other day we was just sittin' playin' Chirango and..." She blathered on and my heart began to sink as I peered skeptically at the holes. They looked suspiciously like Eledon footprints.

"Yes, thank you, that's quite enough" I said with a barely concealed sigh. Wilting in defeat I closed up my still-empty notebook and mumbled a goodbye to my host. She continued to babble heedlessly, the old thing, and I slid off, defeated, among the gnarled roots that lined the canal leading up to her shack.

It had been three whole days since I'd come to the swamps, hot on the trail of the Rougarou and so far I hadn't gotten any reliable information. The Rougarou's appearance had taken everyone by surprise last year, but I was determined to be the one to get the scoop on it this time around. I would do whatever it took to find the Rougarou and then perhaps I would finally be promoted to a higher position at The Chronicles. Wrapped up in my thoughts as I was, I didn't notice the Ahbruis in my path until I'd literally tripped over him.

“Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there!”

I leaned down to give him a hand. He was a strange looking guy - all dark and red tones, with an odd build. As I helped him up, I couldn't help but notice it looked as though he regularly dyed his claws: they were an unusual scarlet color that made me think both of blood and a pretty garden. He seemed a bit eccentric, but I had to admit the look definitely suited him. Across his back lay a huge sack of something that smelled deliciously of pastries and a revelry mask was tucked neatly under one arm. Around his neck lay a clever necklace of beads painted like eyeballs, the like of which I'd never seen, for it somehow managed to be both macabre yet cheery at the same time.

"I say, do you live hereabouts?" I ventured as he brushed himself off. "I know this is a bit forward, seeing as I've only just bumped into you," here he raised an eyebrow, "but I'm looking for any information on the Rougarou and I can't seem to pin the guy down. You wouldn't happen to know anything about him, would you?" He looked down at me, his reddish eyes blinking owlishly as though unused to the sun.

“Eh, Ah suppose Ah could tell yeh a thang or two. Was there somethin’ in particular yeh wanted ta know?

"Brilliant! There's actually a few questions I really think our readers would love to know," I flipped through my notebook excitedly, thoughts of promotions dancing through my head. "Why do we wear masks during the Revelry Festival and whats their connection to the Rougarou?"

He tilted his head and considered me for a moment before answering, "Well, they're ta keep the old Rougarou confused. Accordin' ta one bayou legend, they confuse him on account of havin' two faces lookin' at 'im, so he stays away and the Festival remains safe. But, if yeh want my personal opinion Ah've say it's probably because all them bright colors whirling around give the poor old beast a headache somethin' fierce and keep him from straying too close. Which is a shame, really." he said after a moment, "Ah've never been ta one mahself, but they do look ta be fun."

One red claw fiddled with his eye necklace absently as I made note of what he said.

"That's very interesting. So according to that legend, what happens if you don't wear a mask on revelry day?"

"Oh, that. Well -" the odd Ahbruis got a faraway look in his eyes and licked his lips happily as though remembering something pleasant. I suddenly began to feel a little nervous and he seemed to catch on to this straightaway. "Don't worry, miss," he said with a grin that revealed all his bright teeth, "Ah'm jest speakin' of tha legend. Truth is ain't nobody know what happens if ya don't wear a mask. Nothin' probably, but I wouldn't suggest tryin' it. Don't fix what ain't broken, cause ya never know." He looked a little impish as he picked absently at a claw and I suddenly realized just how very sharp they looked.

I gulped. "Well, thank you very much Mr. Ahbruis, Sir, but I really think that's all the time I have. I must be going, this article is due any day now," I babbled.

"But, wait' Ah'm not 'Mr. Ahbruis', mah name's..."

But I had already fled the scene, a warm yet dark, chuckle echoing in my ears.

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