---
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the pictures in my head
Warning: Well, I can't really say, yet... but you can expect a little language, a little blood, a little magic, and probably a little boy-boy action, but we'll see, yes? This is an AU fic, written by challenge.
Author: Kasey
Archive: Not unless I send it to you.
Status: Incomplete, unedited
Key: /italics/ and *emphasis*
---
"Leprechauns"
-Ch. 2-
---
Schuldich hummed an old volk's song as he strolled down the path towards the stream. He knew he could expect two days of good, hard walking to get to the village, and he was still tired, but it was safer to sleep at night rather than during the day.
Safe, no. But safer.
At night, if you were asleep, fairies and elves would ignore you. So long as you didn't make any sudden, loud noises, the more unpleasant magic creatures would ignore you, as well. They preffered to use the night to hunt, travel, and visit their families. This was all common knowledge taught to kinter in their early years.
Schuldich had learned these lessons well. In the cities, the night had been his time, his "workday" if he cared to think of it like that. More than once as he slipped through the grey-black shadows of alleys and trees, he had met with the Fair Folk.
For the most part, the city-dwelling Folk had no more interest in being discovered than the young thief, so they left each other alone. Once, however, an irritated elf had turned his hair a shade of grass green that made every other urchin in town laugh whenever they saw him for months afterword. A more creative and vengeful window sprite had later turned the green to a flaming red, upsetting him terribly.
*That* had nearly ended a very successful career as a pickpocket and catburgler. His brightly colored hair had stood out from the various shades of brown that made up the city populous. The only thing he could have done was fled.
Which he did.
He ran north, where it wasn't quite so uncommon to have red hair. He resumed his life as a thief, eventually even taking bids as a mercenary, a job which took him all across the continent.
Schuldich sighed, stretching his arms. He stopped to yawn, and rubbed his eyes open. That one-eyed oddball was going to be coming after him, he knew... While beating him would be easy, Schuldich preferred to get to the village--and food--without any delays.
"Sir?"
Schuldich blinked. Had someone just called to him? He cast around with his mind, but was unable to sense anyone nearby. A magical being, then?
"Sir? Down here!!" The red-haired thief looked down, and stared. A small black kitten glared up at him. "Do you mind?" the kitten asked. "That's my *tail* you're stepping on."
"Ov... ov course," Schuldich stammered, jumping away.
The kitten sighed, and in that breath, turned into a small, cat-sized fairy with ears and a tail. Schuldich gaped. "You big people never watch where you're going," the fairy complained. He grasped his tail with his tiny hands and started stroking it, as if to ease the pain.
"Ah..." Schuldich found himself at a loss for words. This was *not* a creature he was familiar with. "Sorry?"
One of the small black ears twitched in Schuldich's direction. "Sorry?" the fairy echoed. He tilted his head to look up at the thief and blinked large, sky-blue eyes. "Are you really?"
Schuldich kneeled next to the cat-boy. "Ja," he said slowly. "Sorry."
The fairy let go of his tail and jumped up and down. "Sorry! You're really sorry!" He leaped over and threw his arms around one of Schuldich's legs. "Everyone else just screams and yells, 'Talking cat!!!' and runs away, but *you* said you're *sorry*!!!" he laughed.
"Eh, ja..." Schuldich was not sure what to make of the laughing cat-boy. "Vhat... vhat exhactly *are* you, katzchen?"
The fairy giggled, and turned back into a kitten. As quick as a breath, he climbed up Schuldich's sleeve, and perched on his shoulder. "I dunno," he said. "My pappa was a fairy, and momma was a were-cat." He batted at the long, red hair. "I guess that means I'm the only one like me."
Schuldich stood, careful not to dislodge the kitten. Unfortunately, he found sixteen very sharp little claws digging into his shirt until the kitten found his balance. "You haf a name?" he asked.
"Omi," the kitten replied. "What's your name?"
"Schuldich."
"Excuse you!" Omi gasped. "Are you okay?"
Schuldich glared at him. "That's mein *name*."
Blue eyes widened, and Schuldich was sure that if he could blush as a cat, the little fairy would be doing so. "I-I'm sorry!" Omi wailed. "I didn't mean to offend you! I've just never heard a name like that before!" He bit his lip. After a moment, his whiskers twitched. "...How do you say it, again?"
The thief sighed. "Schuldich. Schuhl-dich."
Omi twitched his wiskers a few more times. "Shoo... Shul... dig?"
Schuldich smiled and reached a hand up to pet the kitten's head. "Close enouf." Omi purred loudly at the caress, and rubbed his whiskers against Schuldich's ear.
*PURR!!!*
Schuldich laughed. "I vould lofe to stay unt talk vit you, Omi-chen, but I um tryink to vind der village."
Through the purring, Omi replied. "I can take you to the village," he sighed. "That's where I was going, anyhow." He purred again, and flopped comfortably over Schuldich's shoulder. "Just keep walking along this path. I'll tell you when to turn--I know a shortcut." He yawned and stretched. "You talk funny, Shurdig."
"Danke," the red-haired thief replied, amused.
---
Hours later found Schuldich at a bridge that offered safe passage over a narrow, but deep gorge. He stood at the edge, peering down.
"I not theenk such thinks exhist in Eriland," he muttered. "This islhand... vould be too shallow vor such a deep ebyss, ja?"
"It's a Naga pit," Omi whispered. The kitten was firmly attached to Schuldich's ration-pack, all sixteen claws imbedded in the material. His ears lay flat back on his head, and his pupils were narrowed to slits in the mid-morning sun. "It only *looks* that deep. It's centuries old, but most people don't know about it. If you don't bother them, they don't usually come out during the day. If you do... oh-oh..."
Schuldich frowned as the boy's voice trailed away. A movement in his periphery caught his attention, and he spun around in time to see a large viper slither up and over the rim of the gorge.
"Scheist!!" Schuldich cursed, jumping back from the edge. The snake shot forward, fangs bared.
Schuldich felt his balance thrown off as Omi leapt from his haversack to confront the snake. "Katzchen!! Nein!" he yelled.
Omi landed barely a yard from the hissing cobra, his hackles risen and his claws out, spitting angrily. The snake reared back as Omi poised to strike; Schuldich held his breath.
The snake backed away. Omi hunkered back on his haunches, preparing to pounce. Then, with a tilt of its head, the cobra turned into a very naked young boy.
"A kitten!" the boy exclaimed. He crawled forward, his face lighting up as he stared at Omi. "Oh, you're so *cute*!!" Omi squeeked in surprise and ran back towards Schuldich. "Don't be scared," the snake-boy cooed, holding his hand out towards him. "My name's Nagi. I'd never hurt a kitten. C'mon, kitty?" He looked up at Schuldich. "Is that your cat?"
Schuldich reached down to pick up the still-hissing kitten. "Nein. Ve yust trafel together." He stroked Omi's head gently, encouraging him to calm down. "Shh, Omi-chen."
Nagi stood up and stepped forward. "Omi...shen? Is that its name?" he asked, leaning to look directly into Omi's wary eyes.
"It's 'Omi,'" the kitten snapped, batting a paw at Nagi's nose.
Nagi evaded the paw easily. "You can talk!" he gasped. Omi ignored him, snuggling into Schuldich's large hands. Nagi tentatively reached a hand out to pet him. When a reluctant purr began, he relaxed. "I'm sorry I attacked you," he apologized to Schuldich. "I didn't know you were traveling with a cat. Especially such a beautiful one," he whispered to Omi, who purred louder.
"He is leatink me to der village," Schuldich replied. "No offhence taken."
Nagi shrugged. "Well, you're on the right track to the village. It's my last day guarding the bridge... I guess I was just a little jumpy."
Schuldich raised an eyebrow at the boy. "How lonk you been guarting der bridch?"
Nagi rolled his dark blue eyes to look at the sky. "Oh... I can't remember... Five years... ten, maybe?"
The thief stared at him. "On your own?"
"It's not like it takes a lot of effort," Nagi retorted. "Poof, mean old snake appears, everybody runs..." He sighed.
"You not mind if I ask qvestion..." Schuldich began. Nagi blinked at him expectantly. "You..." he frowned. "I hear all snakes chased out ov Eriland centuries ago, ja? Vhy you still here?"
Nagi huffed and started walking towards the bridge. He gestured for Schuldich to follow him. "That legend about us all getting chased out was a bunch of 24-karat Pheonix guano," he grumbled. "All that Saint What's-his-name did was try to seal us in this crack in the ground." He waved his hand at the crevice as they passed over it.
On the other side, Nagi stopped and waited for Schuldich to finish crossing. "What he *forgot* to mention was that while he was trying to chase us into the sea, he scared an old witch-fairy into a pit of vipers he was trying to get rid of." He snorted. "She bonked him a good one over the head. Then she turned all the vipers into beautiful ladies, and while he was incarcerated, erm..." the boy blushed slightly. "Anyhow, all the kids were half human and half snake. The guy couldn't kill his own children, so he tried to shut them all up in this gorge."
"Vat about der other snakes?" Schuldich pressed.
Nagi frowned. "He killed them. But not the halflings. He just dropped them all over the side of this crevice, and declared them dead. We've lived here ever since."
"That's sad," Omi piped up. "But... why haven't you come out, before? Why don't you go other places?"
Nagi gently pulled the black kitten from Schuldich's hands. "Who wants anything to do with a snake?" he asked. "Nobody likes someone who's different."
"I'm different," Omi replied, "And I've got a friend." He turned his head to blink at Schuldich, who smiled slightly.
"Because you talk?" Nagi asked.
Omi shook his head, and turned into a fairy. "'Cause I'm a halfling, like you!" he exclaimed.
Nagi laughed, delighted. "That's incredible! I've *never* seen a kitten like *you* before!"
"Friends?" Omi asked, reaching a tiny hand out to Nagi.
"Friends," Nagi agreed, accepting the hand.
"Eef that is settled," Schuldich cut in, "I'd like to get to der village." He sighed sleepily. "I'm hunkry."
Nagi stepped towards the gorge. "Why didn't you say so? I've got plenty of food." He handed Omi to Schuldich, and stepped off the edge.
"Nagi!" Omi screeched as the Naga plummetted out of view.
Nagi's head popped back up above the ground. "What? Are you okay?"
Schuldich stretched his neck to see how the snake-boy was supporting himself. He caught a glimpse of a snake's tail wrapped around a rock imbedded in the wall of the gorge. "Halv-human, halv-snake," he murmured.
Omi jumped out of Schuldich's hands and ran to the edge of the gorge. "You were... falling..." He gasped as he saw how Nagi's torso changed into the tail of a snake, to support him on the branches and ledges down the cliff wall.
"I'm okay," Nagi reassured him, reaching a hand out to stroke Omi's head. "I'm just going down to get some food."
"It's safe?" Omi asked, eying Nagi's tail warily.
"Perfectly," the other boy replied. He lifted himself up slightly, and flexed the long, powerful muscles of his snake's tail. Omi still looked dubious, but Schuldich nodded, leaning down to lift Omi away from the crevice. Woe be to anyone who got in the way of a Naga!
"Alright," Omi sighed, seated in Schuldich's hands. "Just... don't slip on anything," he said, finally. Nagi shook his head, and lowered himself back down the side of the gorge.
"You vorry vor him, like that?" Schuldich asked Omi, who tilted his head to look up at the Deutsche thief.
"Well... I thought he was going to get hurt," the fairy pouted. "Imagine if you'd just stepped off a cliff!"
Schuldich tapped him on the head. "I not do that unless I know exhactly vot I'm doink. Nor you... Not him, either."
Omi nodded. "You're right..."
Minutes later, Nagi returned with a haversack filled to bursting. He slithered up to the level ground before letting his snake's tail split back into legs.
Schuldich raised an eyebrow at the overstuffed sack. "You plan on comink vit us?"
Nagi rummaged through the haversack, pulling out parcels of food. "Well... since I'm not needed to guard the bridge any more... I thought I'd tag along. Aha!" He pulled a larger parcel out of the haversack, and dumped its contents on the ground. It was clothing.
Nagi quickly dressed in a set of human clothes. The trousers were far too tight for him, and the tunic much too large; Schuldich decided it would be wisest not to ask how the boy had come across such ill-fitting garments. Finally, Nagi belted his tunic with what appeared to be a snake-skin, but again, Schuldich refused to inquire.
"Eat," the Naga said, tossing a food parcel at Schuldich. "There's plenty. And then we can get going!"
"Vot about other Nagas?" Schuldich asked. "Vill they miss you? Who guard the bridge?"
Nagi shrugged. "We're all loners. Don't care for each other... I don't even know why we guard the bridge. Some sort of geis, I guess. We each get five years... or maybe ten." He looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he looked back up at Schuldich and Omi, and grinned. "I guess I don't care! I'm gonna go find an adventure, and they can't stop me."
-----
-----
---
Until next time...
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the pictures in my head
Warning: Well, I can't really say, yet... but you can expect a little language, a little blood, a little magic, and probably a little boy-boy action, but we'll see, yes? This is an AU fic, written by challenge.
Author: Kasey
Archive: Not unless I send it to you.
Status: Incomplete, unedited
Key: /italics/ and *emphasis*
---
"Leprechauns"
-Ch. 2-
---
Schuldich hummed an old volk's song as he strolled down the path towards the stream. He knew he could expect two days of good, hard walking to get to the village, and he was still tired, but it was safer to sleep at night rather than during the day.
Safe, no. But safer.
At night, if you were asleep, fairies and elves would ignore you. So long as you didn't make any sudden, loud noises, the more unpleasant magic creatures would ignore you, as well. They preffered to use the night to hunt, travel, and visit their families. This was all common knowledge taught to kinter in their early years.
Schuldich had learned these lessons well. In the cities, the night had been his time, his "workday" if he cared to think of it like that. More than once as he slipped through the grey-black shadows of alleys and trees, he had met with the Fair Folk.
For the most part, the city-dwelling Folk had no more interest in being discovered than the young thief, so they left each other alone. Once, however, an irritated elf had turned his hair a shade of grass green that made every other urchin in town laugh whenever they saw him for months afterword. A more creative and vengeful window sprite had later turned the green to a flaming red, upsetting him terribly.
*That* had nearly ended a very successful career as a pickpocket and catburgler. His brightly colored hair had stood out from the various shades of brown that made up the city populous. The only thing he could have done was fled.
Which he did.
He ran north, where it wasn't quite so uncommon to have red hair. He resumed his life as a thief, eventually even taking bids as a mercenary, a job which took him all across the continent.
Schuldich sighed, stretching his arms. He stopped to yawn, and rubbed his eyes open. That one-eyed oddball was going to be coming after him, he knew... While beating him would be easy, Schuldich preferred to get to the village--and food--without any delays.
"Sir?"
Schuldich blinked. Had someone just called to him? He cast around with his mind, but was unable to sense anyone nearby. A magical being, then?
"Sir? Down here!!" The red-haired thief looked down, and stared. A small black kitten glared up at him. "Do you mind?" the kitten asked. "That's my *tail* you're stepping on."
"Ov... ov course," Schuldich stammered, jumping away.
The kitten sighed, and in that breath, turned into a small, cat-sized fairy with ears and a tail. Schuldich gaped. "You big people never watch where you're going," the fairy complained. He grasped his tail with his tiny hands and started stroking it, as if to ease the pain.
"Ah..." Schuldich found himself at a loss for words. This was *not* a creature he was familiar with. "Sorry?"
One of the small black ears twitched in Schuldich's direction. "Sorry?" the fairy echoed. He tilted his head to look up at the thief and blinked large, sky-blue eyes. "Are you really?"
Schuldich kneeled next to the cat-boy. "Ja," he said slowly. "Sorry."
The fairy let go of his tail and jumped up and down. "Sorry! You're really sorry!" He leaped over and threw his arms around one of Schuldich's legs. "Everyone else just screams and yells, 'Talking cat!!!' and runs away, but *you* said you're *sorry*!!!" he laughed.
"Eh, ja..." Schuldich was not sure what to make of the laughing cat-boy. "Vhat... vhat exhactly *are* you, katzchen?"
The fairy giggled, and turned back into a kitten. As quick as a breath, he climbed up Schuldich's sleeve, and perched on his shoulder. "I dunno," he said. "My pappa was a fairy, and momma was a were-cat." He batted at the long, red hair. "I guess that means I'm the only one like me."
Schuldich stood, careful not to dislodge the kitten. Unfortunately, he found sixteen very sharp little claws digging into his shirt until the kitten found his balance. "You haf a name?" he asked.
"Omi," the kitten replied. "What's your name?"
"Schuldich."
"Excuse you!" Omi gasped. "Are you okay?"
Schuldich glared at him. "That's mein *name*."
Blue eyes widened, and Schuldich was sure that if he could blush as a cat, the little fairy would be doing so. "I-I'm sorry!" Omi wailed. "I didn't mean to offend you! I've just never heard a name like that before!" He bit his lip. After a moment, his whiskers twitched. "...How do you say it, again?"
The thief sighed. "Schuldich. Schuhl-dich."
Omi twitched his wiskers a few more times. "Shoo... Shul... dig?"
Schuldich smiled and reached a hand up to pet the kitten's head. "Close enouf." Omi purred loudly at the caress, and rubbed his whiskers against Schuldich's ear.
*PURR!!!*
Schuldich laughed. "I vould lofe to stay unt talk vit you, Omi-chen, but I um tryink to vind der village."
Through the purring, Omi replied. "I can take you to the village," he sighed. "That's where I was going, anyhow." He purred again, and flopped comfortably over Schuldich's shoulder. "Just keep walking along this path. I'll tell you when to turn--I know a shortcut." He yawned and stretched. "You talk funny, Shurdig."
"Danke," the red-haired thief replied, amused.
---
Hours later found Schuldich at a bridge that offered safe passage over a narrow, but deep gorge. He stood at the edge, peering down.
"I not theenk such thinks exhist in Eriland," he muttered. "This islhand... vould be too shallow vor such a deep ebyss, ja?"
"It's a Naga pit," Omi whispered. The kitten was firmly attached to Schuldich's ration-pack, all sixteen claws imbedded in the material. His ears lay flat back on his head, and his pupils were narrowed to slits in the mid-morning sun. "It only *looks* that deep. It's centuries old, but most people don't know about it. If you don't bother them, they don't usually come out during the day. If you do... oh-oh..."
Schuldich frowned as the boy's voice trailed away. A movement in his periphery caught his attention, and he spun around in time to see a large viper slither up and over the rim of the gorge.
"Scheist!!" Schuldich cursed, jumping back from the edge. The snake shot forward, fangs bared.
Schuldich felt his balance thrown off as Omi leapt from his haversack to confront the snake. "Katzchen!! Nein!" he yelled.
Omi landed barely a yard from the hissing cobra, his hackles risen and his claws out, spitting angrily. The snake reared back as Omi poised to strike; Schuldich held his breath.
The snake backed away. Omi hunkered back on his haunches, preparing to pounce. Then, with a tilt of its head, the cobra turned into a very naked young boy.
"A kitten!" the boy exclaimed. He crawled forward, his face lighting up as he stared at Omi. "Oh, you're so *cute*!!" Omi squeeked in surprise and ran back towards Schuldich. "Don't be scared," the snake-boy cooed, holding his hand out towards him. "My name's Nagi. I'd never hurt a kitten. C'mon, kitty?" He looked up at Schuldich. "Is that your cat?"
Schuldich reached down to pick up the still-hissing kitten. "Nein. Ve yust trafel together." He stroked Omi's head gently, encouraging him to calm down. "Shh, Omi-chen."
Nagi stood up and stepped forward. "Omi...shen? Is that its name?" he asked, leaning to look directly into Omi's wary eyes.
"It's 'Omi,'" the kitten snapped, batting a paw at Nagi's nose.
Nagi evaded the paw easily. "You can talk!" he gasped. Omi ignored him, snuggling into Schuldich's large hands. Nagi tentatively reached a hand out to pet him. When a reluctant purr began, he relaxed. "I'm sorry I attacked you," he apologized to Schuldich. "I didn't know you were traveling with a cat. Especially such a beautiful one," he whispered to Omi, who purred louder.
"He is leatink me to der village," Schuldich replied. "No offhence taken."
Nagi shrugged. "Well, you're on the right track to the village. It's my last day guarding the bridge... I guess I was just a little jumpy."
Schuldich raised an eyebrow at the boy. "How lonk you been guarting der bridch?"
Nagi rolled his dark blue eyes to look at the sky. "Oh... I can't remember... Five years... ten, maybe?"
The thief stared at him. "On your own?"
"It's not like it takes a lot of effort," Nagi retorted. "Poof, mean old snake appears, everybody runs..." He sighed.
"You not mind if I ask qvestion..." Schuldich began. Nagi blinked at him expectantly. "You..." he frowned. "I hear all snakes chased out ov Eriland centuries ago, ja? Vhy you still here?"
Nagi huffed and started walking towards the bridge. He gestured for Schuldich to follow him. "That legend about us all getting chased out was a bunch of 24-karat Pheonix guano," he grumbled. "All that Saint What's-his-name did was try to seal us in this crack in the ground." He waved his hand at the crevice as they passed over it.
On the other side, Nagi stopped and waited for Schuldich to finish crossing. "What he *forgot* to mention was that while he was trying to chase us into the sea, he scared an old witch-fairy into a pit of vipers he was trying to get rid of." He snorted. "She bonked him a good one over the head. Then she turned all the vipers into beautiful ladies, and while he was incarcerated, erm..." the boy blushed slightly. "Anyhow, all the kids were half human and half snake. The guy couldn't kill his own children, so he tried to shut them all up in this gorge."
"Vat about der other snakes?" Schuldich pressed.
Nagi frowned. "He killed them. But not the halflings. He just dropped them all over the side of this crevice, and declared them dead. We've lived here ever since."
"That's sad," Omi piped up. "But... why haven't you come out, before? Why don't you go other places?"
Nagi gently pulled the black kitten from Schuldich's hands. "Who wants anything to do with a snake?" he asked. "Nobody likes someone who's different."
"I'm different," Omi replied, "And I've got a friend." He turned his head to blink at Schuldich, who smiled slightly.
"Because you talk?" Nagi asked.
Omi shook his head, and turned into a fairy. "'Cause I'm a halfling, like you!" he exclaimed.
Nagi laughed, delighted. "That's incredible! I've *never* seen a kitten like *you* before!"
"Friends?" Omi asked, reaching a tiny hand out to Nagi.
"Friends," Nagi agreed, accepting the hand.
"Eef that is settled," Schuldich cut in, "I'd like to get to der village." He sighed sleepily. "I'm hunkry."
Nagi stepped towards the gorge. "Why didn't you say so? I've got plenty of food." He handed Omi to Schuldich, and stepped off the edge.
"Nagi!" Omi screeched as the Naga plummetted out of view.
Nagi's head popped back up above the ground. "What? Are you okay?"
Schuldich stretched his neck to see how the snake-boy was supporting himself. He caught a glimpse of a snake's tail wrapped around a rock imbedded in the wall of the gorge. "Halv-human, halv-snake," he murmured.
Omi jumped out of Schuldich's hands and ran to the edge of the gorge. "You were... falling..." He gasped as he saw how Nagi's torso changed into the tail of a snake, to support him on the branches and ledges down the cliff wall.
"I'm okay," Nagi reassured him, reaching a hand out to stroke Omi's head. "I'm just going down to get some food."
"It's safe?" Omi asked, eying Nagi's tail warily.
"Perfectly," the other boy replied. He lifted himself up slightly, and flexed the long, powerful muscles of his snake's tail. Omi still looked dubious, but Schuldich nodded, leaning down to lift Omi away from the crevice. Woe be to anyone who got in the way of a Naga!
"Alright," Omi sighed, seated in Schuldich's hands. "Just... don't slip on anything," he said, finally. Nagi shook his head, and lowered himself back down the side of the gorge.
"You vorry vor him, like that?" Schuldich asked Omi, who tilted his head to look up at the Deutsche thief.
"Well... I thought he was going to get hurt," the fairy pouted. "Imagine if you'd just stepped off a cliff!"
Schuldich tapped him on the head. "I not do that unless I know exhactly vot I'm doink. Nor you... Not him, either."
Omi nodded. "You're right..."
Minutes later, Nagi returned with a haversack filled to bursting. He slithered up to the level ground before letting his snake's tail split back into legs.
Schuldich raised an eyebrow at the overstuffed sack. "You plan on comink vit us?"
Nagi rummaged through the haversack, pulling out parcels of food. "Well... since I'm not needed to guard the bridge any more... I thought I'd tag along. Aha!" He pulled a larger parcel out of the haversack, and dumped its contents on the ground. It was clothing.
Nagi quickly dressed in a set of human clothes. The trousers were far too tight for him, and the tunic much too large; Schuldich decided it would be wisest not to ask how the boy had come across such ill-fitting garments. Finally, Nagi belted his tunic with what appeared to be a snake-skin, but again, Schuldich refused to inquire.
"Eat," the Naga said, tossing a food parcel at Schuldich. "There's plenty. And then we can get going!"
"Vot about other Nagas?" Schuldich asked. "Vill they miss you? Who guard the bridge?"
Nagi shrugged. "We're all loners. Don't care for each other... I don't even know why we guard the bridge. Some sort of geis, I guess. We each get five years... or maybe ten." He looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he looked back up at Schuldich and Omi, and grinned. "I guess I don't care! I'm gonna go find an adventure, and they can't stop me."
-----
-----
---
Until next time...