This is another short story I wrote, only about 450 words so it should be a quick read. The picture above is a rough idea of what a groof would look like, but I’m not terribly good at drawing animals. Hopefully the general idea comes across well. I hope you all enjoy this short little snippet!
Assessment Day
“Professor Loom! Professor Loom!”
The shouting is the only warning Yarellia Loom, Professor of Astrological metaphysics at Neragog University, gets before her office door is flung open to reveal a rather excited Noora Flem.
“There is a groof in the hallway!”
Yarellia blinks slowly at Noora as the office secretary stands in her doorway. Noora’s cap, usually pinned neatly on top of her curly hair, has been knocked askew and now rests precariously on the tip of her right horn. Noora seems far too excited about stray bovines wandering in the hallways.
Again.
After Yarellia doesn’t respond Noora rolls her eyes and turns to rush further down the hallway, likely to tell someone else the news and get a more excited response. Yarellia can hear Noora’s hooves clattering and nearly slipping on the freshly waxed floors.
With a tired sigh Yarellia pushes herself to her feet and moves towards the door. Poking her head out of her office she turns to the left and yes, there at the end of the hallway there is a groof sitting in the main hall. As she moves closer Yarellia can see the groof’s nostrils flair in annoyance and its fur puffing up. She can also see two groof herders leaning against the wall, looking winded but still in good spirits.
“Good morning,” Yarellia calls gently, trying not to annoy the groof further. The two herders turn to look at her with happy nods. “Is it the floor again?”
“I don’t know how may times we’ve told the janitors not to wax them on the second week of the month,” the first of the two herders shakes his head, a young dryad of some kind based on the twigs and flowering vines woven through his hair. “Don’t worry, we’ll be out of your way shortly.”
The dryad tosses a long cloth to the other herder, their scaled skin and reptilian eyes indicating they were likely some relative or subspecies of the Hiln Lizard folk. Spreading the cloth the two bring it low behind the groof and pull it taught behind the groof’s tail, then began pulling. They progress slowly, sliding the groof down the hall like a large, ornery polishing brush.
Maybe that was why the custodial staff kept doing the waxing anyway, Yarelia considers the hallway in front of the groof and then the hallway the groof has already been pushed through, noting the smoother finish on the latter half. It would mean the janitors have no need to do any additional buffing.
Yarellia rubs a hand over her face and turns back to her office. “I have got to get my office moved away from the mythical husbandry professors.”
