Moneybag's grumbled to himself, as he prepared the food for his treasure.
The day had been rotten enough; Theif had come up practically empty, once more, and had the gall to say that Moneybag's was swindling him. For a cracked portrait no less!
It was a damaged thing, perhaps of some ruler in the distant past. In the end, Moneybag's rejected the offer, and Theif had chittered angrily at him. It almost became a battle of claws, if not for some informant frantically calling for their leader's advice. Moneybag's sniffed, and gripping his coat, turned away.
So here he was, irritated, and empty-handed. And late, too, to the dragon's feeding.
'Blast it all!'
He made his way down into the basement - far down, where the windows ceased and the cold from the earth creeped in. The lights buzzed dutifully, but besides that, all was quiet.
'Somber today', he sniffed to himself. At least the dragon wasn't bound to give much of a problem.
But something else seemed off - and not just because of Moneybags' mood. It took a moment to get around the piles of things he had obtained (and meant to refurbish, or resell) over the years; he kept the dragon at the back in hopes of hiding it.
Not that it was easy to hide an adolescent dragon.
But when he turned the corner, he froze in shock, the platter dropping from him. He didn't even notice the juices splashing onto his pristine pants.
The dragon was gone.
Theif was taken by surprise when Moneybags stormed in, not even twelve hours after their little spat.
He was even more surprised as the ursine gripped him around the throat with his long claws, furry in his eyes.
"My dragon has been stolen," he growled, starting to salivate with fury, "Now, if I find out it's any one of your greedy-clawed brethren, I will strip you into chunks and sell them."
Theif was clawing at his neck, struggling to breathe. None of the other Egg Thieves in the room made a move, lest it cost their leader.
"If, it was not any of yours," he keeps clawing feebly, while Moneybags fangs flash close to his face, "then you're going to help me get it back. Someone is going to pay. Understood?"
He drops Theif, who lays gasping, and straightens his coat, wiping a paw across his muzzle. He didn't like to be so undignified.
"I'll be expecting regular reports, starting tommarrow." He paused on his way out. "And oh, don't keep me waiting."
Rubbing at his throat, Theif watched him walk away. Then started hissing sibilant orders.