Author´s Note: Going real good, I see. We move on and get a little more into the mystery. Little words from me cuz we have an interesting chapter ahead!
3. Thief
North´s workshop is these days a real bee hive, all busy and all at work. During this days, the man receives little visits so he´s very surprised to see Sandman coming to see him after getting his dream delivery done. It´s true that North is no good with charades but this is far too important so he has to try.
"Sandy! What are you doing here?" his thick Russian accent echoes through the room. How is he going to tell him this? Sandy shows an ambulance siren. "What? Something noisy, no wait, something..." the siren and now, a skull! "Something deadly. No, something... Important! Yes, dat´s it" he finally sees the little man nod. "What is it so important dat you have to show me a skull?" Sandy rolls his eyes and makes appear over his head, a sand cobra. "Poison... No, snake. A snake" now a question mark joins in. "There no snakes in here" oh, brother! North, you are specially thick today! Seeing the tiny man´s glare, it is clear that is not the answer. "Ok, ok. Let´s try again" a snake, no a cobra and a question mark. After some long minutes, North is still clueless and that frustrates the Sandman. "Sandy, I´m trying but..."
"Memo for future meetings, don´t play Party or games like that. Unless I seriously want to see you beating the dust" speaks a slithering and cunning voice. They both recognize it at once.
"Nazo!" that is the right answer to Sandy´s talking but they are both now staring at the black feathered snake who´s standing over the globe with its hood wide open. "I should have known"
"I believe that my old friend, the Sandman, was trying to tell you so but you weren´t trying hard enough to guess it" smiles the reptile.
"What do you want?"
"I just came to say hello, of course. I´m not like that twerp Pitch and besides you know I´m not evil"
"Nor good. You´re mystery"
"Correctssss. And I don´t need to be believed to exist nor be visible. I do my job and that´sss it" he grins.
"Why have you come?"
"I know that the Sandman saw me, I noticed. But didn´t tell a thing to his fellow guardians and so I came to do so" the reptile chuckles. "How naughty of Sssandy"
"He has his reasons. Now leave before we have second thoughts"
"As you wish but be warned that I have business with all of you" he makes circles with his body and disappears in a puff of black smoke.
"Sandy" North can tell that something worries the little man. "Why didn´t you told Jack or any of di others?"
"…" the sand snake appears again followed by an arrow pointing at the dream creator.
"I see. So dis is your concern alone" they both go quiet for a few seconds. "I think you know that when that worm shows its face it´s better not to face it all by oneself" the arrow does not disappear. "Sandy, please" big shake of head. "We must tell di others. Who knows what is Nazo up to this time. That snake loves to steal what others value, makes whishes come true just for his own purposes and strongly dislikes children. We have to tell them" finally, the little man nods.
"We be of one blood,
You and I,
Dragon in the Sky.
Dream of Shadows
On the edge of night,
Creeping in silence.
Snake of the world,
Jormungadr my friend,
Black Star."
XXX
Before day light arrives, a black cat stands over the roofs and easily spots Nazo who seems to be following someone´s tracks, or better say, he´s erasing them.
"I didn´t know you were an expert in tracking" speaks the feline.
"Oh, look who´s here"
"I could say the same you know"
"I´m just giving Inari a little help" smiles the reptile.
"…" he glances at the prints. "That is not Inari you are so `willingly´ helping as those are way too small for him so it must be one of his apprentices. And as far as I can tell, the foxes have never required of anyone to hide their scent so if I were you, I would start running"
"They could use some help"
"Not from you and they are invisible so, in other words, beat it, bozo!"
"I´m far from done" he disappears and the cat hears sounds from Jamie´s house. Something is about to happen.
"Here comes trouble"
Who is Nazo? And the cat?
Why is the snake helping one of the foxes?
What has just happened?
Next Stop: Out of Sight