If only we'd waited a little longer...

Day 8 of Tria, 81379

There was something that had begun to stir the airÂ…something mischievous. For the creature that was mellow-hearted the blame might have been placed on the idiocy of superstition (of course there were no such things as mischief) but to the otherwise paranoid a certain regard of anxiety might have been directed at the stooped figure of a pendragon as it wove itÂ’s way through the foliage. The elusive being was pointed out as an it at first but upon further inspection nodding spectators deducted that it must have been male. They watched him venture around numerous sprigs of tall weeds until he found himself a suitable shadow and without further delay the distraction has endedÂ…

Xvalios had been aware of his audience as soon as one of them pointed in his direction with a quivering hand. HeÂ’d pondered slithering about until he surprised the specters by having an appearance from behind but the process of thinking about his plans took the same length of time as it did for him to find his escape. Not wanting to turn around and, in a matter of speaking, upset the nest again the pendragon ultimately voted to keep moving in the direction that heÂ’d intended to go.

Flecks of mud and grass pulp clung desperately to the fine points of his hair while he ducked and dodged through the mass of wildlife he had stowed away in. His poise was his normal half-walk that allowed him to travel mostly upon two legs but issued a third arm that reached out and snagged the ground in front of him as a sort of “pull along" ploy. There were usually four but as it was this appendage happened to be coiled close to his chest as groped to him a nameless object that had been plundered earlier. The item explained his hasty pace that contradicted his lethargic expression. Obviously he had expected to make off with a bit more than whatever was contained in that small leather pouch.

But luck was luck.

The male traveled only a bit further before he made his final stop, arching his black spine toward the sky above in what could be a signal of relief or frustration. The catlike stretch murmured soft cracks along the length of his back and crooned a generous sigh from the hidden lungs of his breast. Xvalios then turned to his ass for moral support; he fell onto it with utmost satisfaction and moments later had seized the bottom of his new pouch. He began giving it stern shakes until the small trinket jingle-jangled it’s way on the flat canvas of his awaiting palm, the glittering of the shaved metal reflecting wickedly against the lemon crème of his gaze. The item had no purpose really.

“ What the hell? Was it even finished yet?"

The sleek shape of his muzzle was wrinkled in the wake of a frown, turning the ‘treasure’ between his hands over and over. There was detail on the front (at least he supposed it was a front) and yet no additions had been made to the other half of the thing. Actually he had no idea what it was…the only indication he has was that it might have been intended as a piece of jewelry but unfortunately he’d taken it into his own possession shortly before it’s completion. His fingered lightly over the shallow scratches and traced their intricate design but found no affection or closeness to the craftsmanship that had been carved into the silver metal. His brows narrowed with clever thought and he decided at last to keep this with him in case it could be…bartered for special service.

“ Maybe it’ll buy me one good night if I just find the right partner."

YeahÂ…like he had anything else to do around here.

 

Dark walked quietly along a fishing pier, gazing out into the far water and up at the early moon that gleamed like a fat, silver coin. He had recently taken to sitting on the edge of the pier, his long sandalled feet skimming the water delicately. But as he reached his favorite haunt, it seemed occupied.

The young pendragon shot a blunt, sidelong glance at the other there, then sat down elegantly, his tailflame flickering with a kind of casual boredom. Dark did not speak, for he was not going to change his recent routine for a stranger, and was left mentally alone, seen by his dark and angular profile that gazed meaninglessly heavenwards.

 

The day could have dragged on in its usual pace, twisting and turning time into lethargic minutes that would eventually become hours and bleed into dusk. TodayÂ’s weather had been bright enough to encourage more nocturnal things into their burrows but the gray fluff of storm clouds (yet withstanding their threat of rain) kept the larger part of the area shrouded from the harsh light. It was possible that the place would become wet soon but without the soft call of thunder there wasnÂ’t any reason to go slinking under shelter.

Xvalios glanced up from his plundered item after a few moments of studying it, his yellow eyes playing across the quiet hush of the water as it crushed against the steady legs under the fishing pier. Though he admired the restless motion of liquid and found he preferred its taste over the sweet concoctions mare in town he wasnÂ’t much on playing among it and hadnÂ’t done so since his young days back home. He and his sister didnÂ’t make wading about a habit; once submerged in the depths of something not solid there was evident danger of not finding a return. Much like his distaste of flying he thought swimming was an insecure habit of leisure. BesidesÂ…he wasnÂ’t born in water so he wasnÂ’t meant to loiter about in an aquatic habitat.

Beyond the study of the pier he noticed a figure perched on the dock’s end, the sound of sandals brushing along the surface fetching a prick from both ears. The black pendragon watch the other until their gazed briefly tangled and, with all too brief dismissal, the stranger appeared to give him a rather cold shoulder. Xvalios tilted his head and continued to peer at him, curiously narrowing his eyes to sharpen the detail around the one who turned his back in naïve confidence. Did he know whether or not Xvalios was a taker of lives? Was he certain that by ignoring him that he’d ultimately turn his back in hurt feelings and head off? The thief shook his head slightly and pressed the questions aside, deciding that there could be no way the stranger knew of his personality and was thus being careless. Careless and stupid.

But he didnÂ’t mind that.

The pendragon lifted himself from the ground with just as much aristocratic poise as Dark put into sitting down, brushing the back of each calf with purposeful nonchalance. He then set to combing his fingers into the ruffled mouth of his pouch to put his item away and assure its safe keeping. After allÂ…it wasnÂ’t guaranteed that this young fellow wasnÂ’t looking to pin him for the thievery and then have his name in lights. Lights of the law. And although he was fond of public affection the thought of him being jail bait was hardly appealing. In relation to this he crossed his arms and tilted his head once more, watching the seated male with a sort of aloof directness. Now what?

 

Dark amused himself for a while as he stared into the water, wondering about the would-be sharp and arrogant inner monologue the stranger was no doubt running through his head. For the stranger did seem like the type to have an inner monologue that comforted himself with words like “probably" to replace the lack of words that emerged from his boring mouth.

The tall loner, on the other hand, was feeling very much comforted by his own unsociable fashion, ignoring the unfamiliar pendragonÂ’s stretch (of, what? Show?) and watching blue ripples in the hope that heÂ’d be left alone again, the way he wished to be.