The floor of the cathedral was getting littered with pieces of nibbled food.
"Alright," said Eleonora, "I'm sure we will find something you like." She picked up something in the basket, cut a sliver with a small knife, and gave it to the blue porcupine. Skree sniffed at it carefully, then looked at the woman with its big blue eyes, "Skree?" it said tentatively. The golden-haired student encouraged him gently, "Try it, it doesn't matter we didn't find something for you yet, maybe it is this one." The creature seemed to find comfort in those words. It grabbed the piece of vegetable in its mouth and chewed. One, two, three times… then a little blue tongue was seen as it expelled the food. The tongue was seen several times as Skree tried to spit out every last bit of food. Eleonora laughed, "Ok, you really don't like carrots, here take some water to wash it down."
Lapping sounds echoed in the vast room as Skree happily drank water from a bowl. Eleonora got up and stretched, looking around at the deserted laboratory. Both Meryn and the Grandmaster had entrusted her with continuing the food experiment to find how to feed the porcupine. "We can take a break if you want," she said, yawning. Skree shuffled to the basket and sniffed intently. His blue eyes were burning with excited fire. The crystalline laugh of Eleonara burst forth and reverberated against the cold and quiet walls. "Oh, you sniffed something you think you like?" Then her eyes widened, "Skree! Wait!" But the warning came too late. Skree had tried to climb the side of the basket. He fell headfirst into it. The basket suddenly sprouted blue spikes. It rolled around, screaming "Skree, Skree!" Pieces of food were thrown all around the place.
"Wait, I'll help you," laughed Eleonora. She raced the frenzied basket and managed to pin it down. "Calm down, Skree. It's alright, I'll get you out of there." She tried to tug at the basket gently, but the spikes were stuck the wrong way, and it wouldn't budge. Eleonora said, "I hope this was not your favorite basket, Grandmaster." Then she started to cut the bottom with her small knife. The porcupine understood it was time to stay still and encouraged her with a resigned "Skree."
The bottom finally came loose. Eleonora peeked through the hole. "Hello, Skree." The creature echoed happily, "Skree!" The woman frowned at the basket. "Let's get you out of there, crawl through the hole, I'll hold the basket." A slow rescue operation started. One of Skree's paws got stuck, and Eleonora gently freed it. It was hard to help the porcupine. The sharp spikes were everywhere. "Come on, you're almost there," said Eleonora, trying to pull Skree by holding his front paws, while blocking the basket with a foot. There was a sharper jolt as the creature got free of its woven prison. They both cheered "Skree!" in victory. Then the porcupine's attention was attracted by a slight tapping sound. Every few seconds, a deep scarlet drop of liquid would burst on the ground, drawing a red flower on the old stone. Skree looked up, searching for where the drops came from. He saw Eleonora's hand up there, a finger red with blood, the next drop growing, soon ready to fall. "Skree!" it screamed, panicked.
Hearing the stress in Skree's voice, Eleonora looked at her hand. She saw the blood and sucked on her finger. A tiny hole pierced the tip of her index finger. She looked at Skree, who was suffling backward, making small, distressed noises. She knelt beside him and said, "I'm alright, Skree, it's just a small cut." The porcupine flattened itself on the ground and tried to hold its spikes as close to its body as possible. "Skree," it murmured, looking at Eleonora with big, sad eyes. The woman sucked the blood from her finger again. Then she showed it to Skree. "See? It's already healed, no more blood." Then she hid her hand quickly, before the next red drop would spoil her performance. "Skree?" said the creature tentatively. Eleonora smiled and nodded, petting him gently with her other hand. "Skree," exclaimed the porcupine happily.
The basket was destroyed, pieces of food littered the floor, hiding partially geometric lines that slowly pulsated with dormant power. Eleonora sighed, "I'd better clean that up." Then she chuckled, "I don't think that's the intended use of the magic circle. She started to gather the pieces of fruit and vegetables. Skree saw her and tried to help, only to disperse the trash even further. The woman put her hand over her mouth and said, with suppressed laughter, "Thanks, Skree, that helps a lot." The creature looked at her and proudly answered, "Skree!"
A piece of apple lay on the stone floor, it had rolled a bit further, almost under a shelf. Skree shuffled toward it and sniffed. It looked at the fruit curiously, sniffed again, then took a small bite. The creature's eyes grew wide with pleasure. It took the apple between its teeth and trotted toward Eleonora. "Skree," he said firmly, before eating the piece before her. Eleonora beamed and clapped, "Oh Skree, that's wonderful! Apples it is!"
A slight scurrying sound was heard a few paces away. They both looked in that direction. A few rats, big and fat, were helping themselves to the fruit and vegetable buffet. Eleonora gasped and held a hand on her heart. Skree looked at her, then at the unknown creatures scaring his friend. The big blue eyes squinted fiercely as he walked forward, placing itself as a shield between the woman and danger.
The looting continued. The rats ignored the presence of the human and the porcupine. "Skree," growled the creature menacingly. But the warning had no effect, going from one piece of food to the next, the rats slowly approached them. The blue porcupine heard Eleonora's steps, slightly shuffling backward. He gave a last warning to the unknown creatures, deeper and louder: "Skree!"
The rats didn't react to this one either. Skree slowly nodded and stepped forward. It shook his body, making his quills rattle. Large sparks erupted from his back, the spikes charging with a low humming sound. Soon, small lighting could be seen traveling along the quills and jumping from one to the other. The eyes were still blue, but paler, as if a storm was brewing beneath.
The porcupine glowed with power, illuminating the area for a few paces. With a last growl, he turned around to show his back to the unknown threat. Skree shook his body violently. A dozen electricity-powered quills shoot toward the rats. Leaving a trail of lightning in their wake. The rats squealed and quickly ran for cover. Skree checked that all enemies had fled, then powered down the light, pulse, and sparks, fading away. Deep blue eyes looked at Eleonora adoringly, "Skree?" he asked proudly.
The woman knelt and petted him. "Oh, thank you, Skree. You protected me! I love you!" The creature purred happily and rolled on his back to show his soft belly. Eleonora laughed, sat on the ground, and continued to pet him.
The big doors of the laboratory opened, and the Grandmaster entered, a serious look on his face. He took in the scene, looking puzzled. "What happened here?" Eleonora blushed slightly and looked down. "Mmh… we tried food for Skree… and things happened," she finished lamely, encompassing the vegetable battlefield in a hand gesture. The Grandmaster chuckled, "Well, I'm glad all is well. I thought I sensed something." The woman scratched the porcupine's belly. "Well, there were rats. Skree protected me. He threw electric quills at them." The Grandmaster slowly walked toward the walls where dots of sparkling blue could be seen. "Did he now?" Said the wizard pensively as he knelt by the vibrating quills. They were embedded in the solid stone, crackling with lightning and pulsing lightly. The Grandmaster touched one with a finger. He quickly withdrew it with a wince and a gasp of pain. "Your friend is full of surprises," he concluded, a hungry fire smoldering in his eyes.