"Thief!"
"THIEF!!!"
There was commotion in the streets of Cerenis as men clad in light armor chased a creature from one of the market stalls. Running on all fours, the creature in question had an appearance no different form a desert fox. It darted down the cobblestones and between the stupefied crowds holding a cut of raw meat between its jaws.
The authorities, being considerably larger and bulkier than the nimble beast, faltered in their pursuit through the busy streets. This gave the fox a considerable lead. By now, his small form was greatly obscured by the much larger people around him. All he had to do was duck in between buildings and find a place to hide. He did so quickly, without scanning his surroundings for anyone that may have been watching at that moment.
The guards were eluded for now, but the fox knew he had to get out of sight before they caught up again. Thankfully, the alleyway was not at all clean. All it took was a swift dive into a forgotten pile of refuse, and the little thief was gone to the world. His heart raced as the flustered authorities passed by...
For once without her dragon at her side, Kiara's eyes widened as she made a quick sidestep to avoid the charging guards. Her eyes flickered around as she heard the cries of thievery, and caught just the barest flash of movement from an alley.
Cautiously, making sure not to catch any unwanted attention, she slipped into the alley.
The figure she'd seen had been small, probably a child. She sighed, rubbing at the back of her neck. "Alright, come on out," she said softly, tossing the apple she'd been snacking on into the air a few times. "I'm not gonna turn you in, kid, but I've gotta return whatever you stole." She knelt and held the apple out toward the pile of shivering trash. "Trade?"
At first, there was no answer from the pile. The creature kept hidden thinking in vain that the one speaking to him would lose interest and go away. A few moments proved the opposite however, and the pile began to stir when it was obvious that there was no other choice.
One dirty cloth rose up, separating only slightly from the rest of the refuse. The one that was hidden chose to remain so, keeping as obscured as possible. Only eyes could be seen, glowing green as they reflected the light from the streets.
"No, go. Go now. Shoo." it barked quietly with the words humans used to make it leave. The creature figured the same would work now, to make this one leave it alone.
Kiara froze, startled by the creature's appearance. Almost animalistic.
She frowned. "What...are you?"
The creature became increasingly desperate with each passing second. As the woman stood there and spoke to the pile, the risk of drawing unwanted attention grew. The creature rose and exposed its head fully, its large pointed ears still weighed down by the dirty cloth it was wearing on its head.
"Go Away!"
The mottled and dirty face of the small fox-like creature was scrunched up in annoyance. Canines were bared in an attempt of intimidation. Of course, it would have been more frightening if the pitch of the fox's voice was lower...
The dragonrider's eyes widened. "What the..."
She'd only met a creature like this once before. What were the odds?
"Hey, you're a-- a..." She struggled to remember the word. "Damnit, what did Eemo call them?"
The fox's demeanor shifted, from annoyed frustration to confused contemplation. The word reached his ears: "Eemo". It bounced around in the little creature's head, repeating over and over like an echo. It was a word that held much significance. It was the fox's own, or rather, a shortened version of it. There was really only one of these big creatures that knew that nickname.
"Eemo... Eihmo'tei?" he inquired curiously.
There was one important question that needed to be asked now. The fox could feel his quivering heart rise into his throat, as a single tear began to well up in his left eye. Overcoming his nerves, the fox mustered the courage to ask it.
"Ki-Kiara? That... That is you?"
Her jaw dropped. "Oh-- oh my--"
She clapped a hand to her mouth and crouched a little lower. "Oh my gods! Eihmo'tei?!"
She held a hand out to him, shaking slightly. This was just unbelievable-- but what were the chances it was someone else, really?
Eihmo'tei visibly crumbled under the weight of sheer emotion. In this one moment, the little fox was overcome with an intense happiness he had not felt in a long time. Tears streamed from both eyes now as he processed the situation.
"Kiara!!!" he cried out, launching himself from the pile.
Moons of hardship navigating the cruel city streets were forgotten instantly as he leapt to embrace his long lost friend. The fox sobbed without restraint as he attempted to lovingly latch on to Kiara.
"O-oh!" Kiara rocked back on her heels as the little fox jumped into her arms. She quickly wrapped him into a tight hug, patting his back as he sobbed into her shoulder. "It's alright, I've got you," she murmured, feeling a little teary herself.
Sniffling, she tried to peel him off so she could hold him at arm's length and look him over. "Where have you been? What happened?"
Eihmo'tei wanted to respond. He wanted to tell his friend everything, about all he had been through since they were separated. Unfortunately, any word he tried to form was choked by the incessant crying. Nothing more than hard sounds escaped his throat between sobs. All he could really do in this moment was hug Kiara tighter and bury his face into her shoulder.
"Okay, it's okay." She patted his back again and slowly stood, still hugging her small friend to her chest. "Look, Kit's just outside town. Do you wanna come see him? We have some food and stuff, we can eat and-- and talk."
Eihmo'tei rested his chin over Kiara's shoulder. Despite being consumed by euphoria, he was beginning to calm. After some sniffling, he replied as best as he could.
"Y-Yesss..."
The fox remained attached for as long as his friend would allow. In the excitement, the prime scrap of meat remained forsaken by him in the refuse of the alleyway.
"Alright, little one, it's alright," Kiara soothed, hugging him a little tighter. She turned her back on the alley and walked out onto the main street, fiddling with the edge of her traveling cloak a bit to wrap it around her friend.
During the trip, Eihmo'tei kept still. During his time spent in the bustling seaside city, the little fox had proven himself to be quite the pest. Surely, some guards would come after him if they saw where he was. For this reason, he kept his head as low as possible, and stayed in the safety of his friend's embrace.
It didn't take long to get out of town to where Kit waited. Before girl and fox were even in sight, the dragon had raised his head and scented the air curiously.
Was that...?"
"Hey, Kit!" Kiara called cheerfully as she approached, and he snorted, eyes wide as he stared at the little creature clutched in her arms. "I found someone who wanted to say hi."
Upon seeing the dragon once more, memories flashed in the Zerdani's head rapidly enough to almost make him dizzy. Eihmo'tei flung himself from his friend's arms and darted toward the great creature. He was free of the confines and people of the city. There was no need to further avoid attention.
The fox was an emotional mess, and made no effort to hide it. He raced forward to once again meet up with the dragon he had missed for so long.
It took Kit a moment to overcome his shook, but once he had he lowered his head with a soft, rumbling croon and nuzzled the Zerdani gently, flicking his sandpaper tongue out to lick his cheek.
Kiara watched with a smile, rocking back on one heel and tilted her head. "Eemo, where've you been?" she asked softly after a few moments, kneeling down to be on his level.
The little fox nestled himself anywhere he could amongst the black scales of the massive dragon. This was the safest he had felt in such a long time. He was feeling a blissful mix of excitement, relief, and nostalgia. This carried on for some time, but as the time passed, Eihmo'tei was able to sufficiently calm down.
All he could do was wipe tears from his eyes as Kiara asked a question of him. There was much he could say, but the Zerdani knew not how, or even where, to start.
"So much... so much..." he spoke at last. The common tongue was still new to Eihmo'tei, and his bestial accent was still present.
"Shh, it's okay." Kiara settled herself with Eihmo'tei between the dragon's front paws, patting his shoulder with a soft smile. "Just take your time, okay? I'm right here."
Eihmo'tei took some long breaths, and allowed his body to relax fully. His nerves settled and allowed the fox the ability to speak calmly.
"There were... the humans..." he began.
"I was in... big box. Big box that moved. Such long time..."
"Easy, easy." Kiara wrapped her arms around her little friend and pulled him into her lap, dropping a fond kiss between his ears as she stroked his back gently, as though comforting a child. "Your Common is getting so much better," she praised, hoping the innocuous comment might help his mind settle somewhat.
"I am trying..." the fox responded solemnly.
Eihmo'tei settled down, even to the point that his eyelids began to droop. It was a pleasant feeling to once again be in friendly arms.
"We go to desert... Back south."
"You want us to take you home?" Kiara glanced toward Kit, and they both shrugged.
It was certainly quite a distance, but their friend obviously needed the help.
"Good to hear..." the fox responded.
His body began to go limp as his muscles relaxed. His eyes closed, and with the tears that welled in them able to fall finally.
"Big box went to desert, but could not go home. Came here to find you."
"Oh, gods." Kiara snuggled him against her chest, letting her cheek rest against the top of his head. "Oh, sweet thing, I'm so sorry. We'll get you back home, I promise."
With that, the little fox passed out. This was the most comfortable rest he would be able to get in a long while.
Kit rumbled softly and curled his body around his rider and her friend. With a soft sigh, Kiara let herself relax back against the dragon's side, closing her eyes. Soon enough, she too slipped into unconsciousness, leaving her companion to keep watch as they slept.
Eihmo'tei slept for an extended period of time. The hardship evident in his grizzled appearance had taken quite a toll on the little fox. Much time had passed, and he had been through so much, but now that was all over. Reunited with his friends again, Eihmo'tei was comfortable and content.
Kiara woke early, as she tended to do on the road, but a quick glance down at her little friend made her think twice about waking him up too.
With a sigh, she extracted herself from her sleeping companions and got to her feet with a lengthy stretch, arching her spine back as far as she could. "Kit. C'mon, lad, up you get."
Though she kept her voice low, the dragon stirred to wakefulness quite abruptly, shaking his head with a snort and a puff of smoke. Kiara winced-- that likely wasn't going to keep their little fox friend soothed in sleep.
Eihmo'tei was completely unconscious, stuck in a rest that would impress the dead. No amount of words or movement could rouse the fox. Nothing short of danger to his well-being. With smoke in the air, his little nose moved on its own. It took only a few twitches before...
*Snrk... ke... kaff... Kaff KAFF*
In a slow progression, the creature stirred. Quick coughs expelled what tiny amount of smoke he had inhaled. His small form began to rise, even if his eyes stayed closed. A couple more tiny coughs saw Eihmo'tei almost completely awake. Groggily, and still in a daze, he looked about.
"Whoa, steady there." Kiara gave her friend's back a little pat and offered a small, almost sheepish smile. "Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you. How'd you sleep?"
Kit snorted again and shifted his bulk, stretching his wings wide over their head as he soaked in the light of the rising sun.
Eihmo'tei sniffled a bit, his senses still trying to readjust. He looked up to his companion with half-opened eyes.
"Good sleep..." he replied with a smile.
After a wide yawn, he added a comment.
"No sleep in long time."
The Fox seemed contented, at least for the moment. It had truly been a long time since he had found the safety to sleep for such a long time.
"Oh, Eemo..."
Kiara and her dragon exchange a quick, speaking glance before the girl looked down at him again. "Do you...need to rest some more? Or did you wanna get going?" she asked softly, still rubbing small circles over his back, the way her mother had to soothe her when she was young.
"No." he replied, wiping one eye.
"We can go. Ready to go!"
The Zerdani did his best to conjure as much confidence in his words as was possible in his exhausted state. He resolved to make himself as agreeable as he could after finding his long lost friend once again.
Kiara tilted her head at him, but nodded slowly. "Alright. If you sure. You can nap in the air if you need to, alright? I promise I won't let you fall."
Kit huffed an agreement and hunkered down so that Kiara could throw her packs up over his back, then climb up herself. Normally she would have let the Zerdani mount himself, but with his current state she kept her arm around him, pulling him up to sit on the dragon's back in front of her.
"Okay." She smiled down at him, rubbing his head between his ears affectionately. "Probably gonna be a little over a week to get us back to the Moraki, but we'll get you home. I promise. You ready?"
Eihmo'tei simply allowed what happened to happen. He found comfort in being moved about by Kiara, until he was once again secured in a familiar place. He looked about, tingling with a jolt of excitement. Any tiredness the Zerdani had felt was wiped away in that instant.
There was a wash of great emotion. Memories of a long ago adventure returned, causing some tears of nostalgic joy. Being where he was now seemed just about too good to be true. Eihmo'tei even expected to wake soon from a dream. For now, he chose to accept the reality, and hold tightly to the scale behind which the two were mounted. In time, the Fox was able to process the question his friend had asked.
He replied with a giddy "Ready!"
Kiara smiled and Kit rumbled a low chuckle as he fanned his wings out to the sides, then bounded forward a few steps before snapping them down as he leaped into the air.
The young dragonrider kept her seat with the ease of long practice, curving forward over Eihmo'tei slightly before settling back again, one hand on the spike in front of them and the other resting casually against her thigh, so that both arms caged the little fox in place, ensuring he stayed secure.
Kit circled once, twice, rising higher with each pass, before he banked in a long, graceful arc and turned them toward the south.
Kiara smiled down at her friend. "Why don't you rest, little one? We'll stop for a break before mid-afternoon, I'll be sure to wake you."
Eihmo'tei braced himself as the great creature bounded into the air. Once again, he felt almost weightless as he watched the world grow smaller and smaller beneath him. The organs tensed inside his body with each jolt of the wings. In the past, the Zerdani had disliked the sensation. Now, he relished it. He began to giggle as the sea breeze blew around him.
"No, no! Sleep too much!"
Almost ironically, he then proceeded to close his eyes. His muzzle pointed more skyward. He was absolutely hypnotized.
"Missing this." he commented, before the trance began to befall him.
Despite his protests, the comfort of his position worked against him. This feeling of contentment would lull him into a light slumber sometime before their descent.
Kiara laughed and even Kit gave another of those low, rumbling chuckles as their little friend began giggling once they were in the air.
"Alright, alright. Stay up as long as you like," Kiara assured him with a little crooked smile as he already seemed to be falling asleep.
Once he was out, Kit kept his flight as even as he could, trying not to jostle his passengers too much.
It was a little after midday when the dragon touched down again, and Kiara was roused from her own semi-nap as she felt the slightly jolt of his dissent, then the solid thudding as they actually hit the ground.
"Mmm..." She arched her back and lifted her arms in a long stretch. "Oof. I need to stretch my legs. How you doing, Eemo?"
Eihmo'tei sprang to life. The Zerdani had found himself unwittingly lulled into slumber, roused to find he was still in the company of his old companions. The energy of this second wind threw him from his place on Kit's backside. It seemed the distance was misjudged, for Eihmo'tei landed hard on the earth below. The fall was thankfully mitigated by a roll that left the fox laying on his back. He laughed in a high-pitched giddiness as he looked back to his friends.
"Oh!"
Kiara started to scramble after him, worried he'd been hurt, but he laughed and looked relatively fine, so she slowed to a sedate walk as she dropped to the ground and approached with a small smile on her face.
"Alright there?" she asked as she looked down at him, cocking her head to one side. Behind her, Kit mirrored the gesture.
The little fox recovered himself, shaking from his person the dust he had accumulated from the spill.
"Am fine, Kiara."
Eihmo'tei scanned the surrounding landscape. Although his initial burst of energy had subsided, the sense of excited vigor did not abate entirely. Truly, it felt good to find himself once again in such a natural setting.
"Good place!" he declared. "No more city! Did not like."
She chuckled and leaned down to help dust him off before straightening up again and glancing around. "Yeah, I've never really been much of a city person either. It's hard to find accommodations that'll fit a dragon."
Kit huffed an amused agreement and hunkered down to settle on his haunches, cracking his jaws in a wide yawn as he spread his wings to soak up the sun.
"You hungry?" Kiara asked her little friend as she moved toward the packs still strapped to the dragon's back.
A groan came from the Zerdani's middle as he heard mention of food. Until that, his mind had been beyond occupied. Now his thoughts went back to his stomach. It dawned on him that he had not eaten anything substantial in quite a while.
"Oh! Yes!" he responded, padding over to Kiara's side with his bushy tail wagging.
Kiara laughed again and tossed a ration pack toward the Zerdani before snatching up another for herself. She leaned back against Kit's flank, kicking one leg up behind her to rest her foot on the crook of his foreleg.
"So." She cocked her head at Eihmo'tei. "...What exactly happened to you, little one?"