The murmuring of the crowd was grating over his skin. He could taste the hostility in the air, growing, and aimed at him. He was suddenly all too aware of how small he was, how vulnerable even though he was really not. It made him want to bare his teeth and snap, even if he never would, not even allowing his fingers to twitch towards the bag at his belt. That instinct had been trained out of him long ago, but never before in his life had he had such a large group of people looking on him with such open disdain.
He’d been warned, of course. Even though he looked like an elf now, he’d been warned that humans could be pretty close minded sometimes. Strange folk, they were. But he hadn’t expected it of these people, who’d looked at him strange but on the whole, he was convinced, were good.
It was Sophie who really got to him. This guy claimed it was out of their own free will, but those mittens had been meant for her father. He was getting on in years. His hands ached in the cold. He needed them. “Sophie-” but he couldn’t stop her from handing them over, eagerly. “Those are for her father,” was all he managed to get out, words taking on a growl that was too big for his chest, and then he was surrounded.
They were still muttering.
“Strange fellow, what’s with this sudden interest?”
“Yeah, better make sure he sleeps in an empty cart tonight.”
“Didn’t we let him take watch?”
“Not sure if I’ll sleep soundly knowing he can slip away at any time…”
“What if he follows him later! I’d never let him hurt him!”
What was wrong with everyone?
Eyes that were too orange to be brown tracked a disappearing head of pink, even as he had to back up to keep everyone from crowding in too close. They were herding him away. He didn’t know what kind of magic that shitty wizard had cast on everyone, not to make them act like this, but he did know that he sure as shit was going to put a stop to it.
He grabbed the bag from his belt, the only one he made sure to carry with him, plunged his hand inside, and leapt into the air, wings unfurling and catching as he shifted into his more comfortable skin as seamlessly as breathing. This transformation was much easier than the last, when he had to figure out fingers and toes and blunt teeth and deal with the lack of a tail. This form he knew, inside and out, having lived and breathed it for the first fifty years of his life.
It was almost laughably easy to catch up to the thief, restricted to two legs as he was. The real trick was figuring out the right angle to catch him without crashing into any trees. But considering that Eric had grown up in a swamp and cut his teeth on learning to dodge trees and vines, it wasn’t long before a dragon the size of a large brown bear was swooping down to carefully snag the thief in his claws, lifting him up slightly only to pin him to the ground, smoke framing his face as red eyes, narrowed to slits, glowed in righteous anger.
“You didn’t think you’d get away that easily, did you?” He rumbled with satisfaction, teeth bared in what passed for a grin. Well. Usually. Right now it probably just looked like he wanted to eat his captured prey.
He’d been warned, of course. Even though he looked like an elf now, he’d been warned that humans could be pretty close minded sometimes. Strange folk, they were. But he hadn’t expected it of these people, who’d looked at him strange but on the whole, he was convinced, were good.
It was Sophie who really got to him. This guy claimed it was out of their own free will, but those mittens had been meant for her father. He was getting on in years. His hands ached in the cold. He needed them. “Sophie-” but he couldn’t stop her from handing them over, eagerly. “Those are for her father,” was all he managed to get out, words taking on a growl that was too big for his chest, and then he was surrounded.
They were still muttering.
“Strange fellow, what’s with this sudden interest?”
“Yeah, better make sure he sleeps in an empty cart tonight.”
“Didn’t we let him take watch?”
“Not sure if I’ll sleep soundly knowing he can slip away at any time…”
“What if he follows him later! I’d never let him hurt him!”
What was wrong with everyone?
Eyes that were too orange to be brown tracked a disappearing head of pink, even as he had to back up to keep everyone from crowding in too close. They were herding him away. He didn’t know what kind of magic that shitty wizard had cast on everyone, not to make them act like this, but he did know that he sure as shit was going to put a stop to it.
He grabbed the bag from his belt, the only one he made sure to carry with him, plunged his hand inside, and leapt into the air, wings unfurling and catching as he shifted into his more comfortable skin as seamlessly as breathing. This transformation was much easier than the last, when he had to figure out fingers and toes and blunt teeth and deal with the lack of a tail. This form he knew, inside and out, having lived and breathed it for the first fifty years of his life.
It was almost laughably easy to catch up to the thief, restricted to two legs as he was. The real trick was figuring out the right angle to catch him without crashing into any trees. But considering that Eric had grown up in a swamp and cut his teeth on learning to dodge trees and vines, it wasn’t long before a dragon the size of a large brown bear was swooping down to carefully snag the thief in his claws, lifting him up slightly only to pin him to the ground, smoke framing his face as red eyes, narrowed to slits, glowed in righteous anger.
“You didn’t think you’d get away that easily, did you?” He rumbled with satisfaction, teeth bared in what passed for a grin. Well. Usually. Right now it probably just looked like he wanted to eat his captured prey.
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Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-18-2021, 09:38 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-18-2021, 09:58 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-18-2021, 10:41 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-19-2021, 06:59 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-19-2021, 07:11 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-19-2021, 07:21 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-19-2021, 07:32 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-19-2021, 07:53 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-19-2021, 08:24 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-19-2021, 09:02 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-19-2021, 09:23 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-19-2021, 09:48 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-19-2021, 10:01 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-19-2021, 10:19 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-19-2021, 10:36 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-19-2021, 10:54 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-19-2021, 11:09 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-20-2021, 11:40 AM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-20-2021, 12:03 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-20-2021, 08:42 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-20-2021, 08:53 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-20-2021, 10:13 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-20-2021, 10:31 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-20-2021, 11:07 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-20-2021, 11:18 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-20-2021, 11:33 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-20-2021, 11:44 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-21-2021, 05:45 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-21-2021, 06:16 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-21-2021, 06:55 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-21-2021, 07:08 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-24-2021, 11:06 AM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-24-2021, 11:47 AM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-24-2021, 08:00 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-24-2021, 09:02 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-27-2021, 01:57 AM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-27-2021, 01:48 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 02-27-2021, 06:46 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 02-27-2021, 07:06 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 03-21-2021, 05:21 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 03-21-2021, 05:32 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 03-21-2021, 06:23 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 03-21-2021, 06:50 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by skiesofpurple - 03-24-2021, 06:21 PM
RE: Cat and Dragon - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2021, 06:31 PM